I am a mom of two young kids and I know firsthand just how hard it is to keep them safe from those dreaded winter germs. In our house when one of us gets sick, it passes on to the next person and then the next and then we end up with a 6 week cycle just to start all over again. As a trained Homeopathic Practitioner and an informed Mom, I have a few tips that I follow to prevent my kids from getting sick.

1. Ensure that the kids get a full night sleep.

Sleep keeps immune systems working in top condition and will give your children a fighting chance to ward off the everyday germs they are exposed to each day at school and daycare.

2. Reduce the sugar and or sweet foods in their diet.

Sugar has been found to slow down the immune system for hours at a time.  Consider providing your kids with protein rich foods which don’t convert to sugar quickly in the bloodstream.  Some of the foods I like to give my children are yogurt parfaits, fruit smoothies or apple wedges with nut  butters. For a fruit smoothie, try vanilla yogurt, frozen fruit (mango and blueberry or strawberry and blueberry are nice together), 1 tbsp of flax seed oil, and a cup of milk of your choice; add water if too thick.

3. Proper nutrition.

Providing your children with a healthy and balanced meal is so important when it comes to staying healthy throughout the winter months.  Sometimes this can be difficult so don’t be afraid of supplementing their diets with those hard to get nutrients.  Most of us don’t eat fully organic and healthy especially during the holiday season so nutritional supplements can help make up for this. Here are some of the supplements I use with my children every single day:

• Liquid Multi-Vitamin – I have my children take one of these every morning after breakfast.
• Liquid Vitamin D – Have you children take this once a day after a meal. One drop on their tongue is all you need.
• Vitamin C – I add Ener-C to their water canteens which is an effervescent flavoured Vitamin C.
• Cod Liver Oil – Cod Liver oil offers Vitamin A to ward off respiratory infections and Vitamin D which keeps the immune system strong while aiding in bone and teeth development. This sunshine vitamin is key for us Canadians and if you use Cod Liver oil you don’t have to supplement with vitamin D on the side.
• Probitoics – I add ¼ tsp of probiotic kids powder to some water and have my children drink it before bed every few days. Probiotics are the friendly bacteria that live in our gut and fight off bacteria and virus’. If your kids won’t do the powder you can give them chewables, though, be sure you brush their teeth afterwards.

4. Eat the Colour of the Rainbow.

I make a game out of the kids eating the colour of the rainbow with their foods. Each day when we eat a fruit and vegetable I quiz them on why that food is beneficial for their health. Carrots for their eyes (vitamin A), blueberries to keep their soldiers strong (their immune system) and red peppers which are full of vitamin C so we don’t get coughs. It’s all a game but eating the rainbow makes meal time a bit more fun for the kids.

Jenna Flick, Homeopathic Practitioner