Tis the season for colds and flus! I know it seems like I'm saying that with excitement, lol, but I'm just really passionate about natural ways to keep your family healthy. Vienna is on the mend from a cold that started with a fever. She seems to get over any colds she gets pretty quick (thankfully) and I'm sure this is largely due to the fact we follow these recommendations religiously. It can be near impossible to completely avoid the cold and flu when you've got little ones in daycare or school.
Sickness will happen, but if you eat right and utilize natural health supplements, you and your little ones will get sick less often.
...And when you do get sick, it will be less severe and the duration will be shorter compared to someone who doesn't take care of themself.
I'm all about doing everything I can from a natural health perspective to keep everyone as healthy as possible in my family which is why I wanted to share my top tips for keeping your child's immune system strong and healthy. I asked a few colleagues to share their expert advice on the topic too and here's what they said:
If kids want a strong immune system, they have to first remove what’s making it weak. 1 tsp of sugar can depress the immune system for up to 5 hours and sugar is in so many foods regularly given to children. Sugar should be avoided as mush as possible if a healthy immune system is the goal.
1 tsp of sugar can depress the immune system for up to 5 hours
Support the microbiome (the naturally occurring bugs in and on the human body) by limiting refined carbohydrates and including fermented foods. If your child has been on an anti-biotic, be sure to include a probiotic following treatment. A child’s microbiome is a significant source of their natural defence and tonifies their overall immune health. Fermented foods, pets and natural exposures to bacteria in the home and environment are important to maintaining the health of the microbiome and kids overall health.
My favourite tip for building up immunity is to cut back on sugary foods. 1 tsp of sugar can suppress the immune system for up to 4-5 hours!
If it wasn't already obvious,sugar is dreadful for the immune system. In case you were wondering, artificial sweeteners a.k.a. laboratory concoctions of chemicals to taste sweet, are dreadful too. They suppress the immune system and have a whole host of other problems including weight gain, hypoglycemia and some of them are even carcinogenic. You can learn all about my case against artificial sweeteners in Joyous Detox.
Here's a list of all the foods you'll want to avoid or severely limit in your child's diet if you want to support their immune system:
- Juice and pop (1 cup glass of O.J. has 21g of sugar, that's 4.5 tsp of sugar!!!)
- Nutella, ketchup, teriyaki sauce -- you get where I'm going with this. Condiments can be hidden sources of sugar so make sure you read labels
- Boxed cereal and granola, granola bars
- Flavoured yogurt
- White flour products: bread, pasta, baked goods
- White rice, white rice snacks
- Chips and crackers and any refined carbohydrate sources
- Junk food, fried foods, bad fats
If you're a parent reading this and wondering what your kid is supposed to eat, don't worry my friend. I have literally hundreds of delicious family friendly recipes on my blog and in both of my books Joyous Detox and Joyous Health. I've also written extensively about foods to eat to support the immune system.
You might also enjoy some of these joyous recipes with immune boosting ingredients:
You can sip it straight up (in fact – this was Vienna's first food!) or you can use it as the base of a soup.
I used to freeze it in a silicon ice cube tray and thaw it just before giving it to Vienna. Now that she's two, she'll just drink it out of a cup.
Learn all about the health benefits of bone broth here.
This pesto is packed with immune-boosting garlic! Use it as a snack for dipping or mix it with your favourite pasta for a healthy meal. I don't know a single kid who won't eat pasta. If Vienna had it her way, she'd eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She absolutely loves this pesto on chickapea pasta!
Find my recipe for Lemon Basil Pesto here.
Simple Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash is rich in beta-carotene which is what makes it this beautiful rich yellow/orange colour which is an indication that it's immune-boosting.
Find my soup recipe here.
Every day we have a family smoothie. This recipe is one of Vienna's favourite recipes of all time! It's full of immune-boosting power due to the protein content (via hemp hearts) which helps the body to produces antibodies to fight infections.
Making this coconut yogurt will support your gut health because it's loaded with probiotics which support the immune system. 70-80% of your immune system resides in your gut, so it only makes sense to be nourishing our immune system through gut-loving foods.
Find the whole recipe here.
This recipe is a favourite in my home. We make it as often as my Kale and Sweet Potato Bowl. Beetroots and beet greens provide plenty of vitamin C are soldiers for your immune system because both phagocytes and T-cells (immune cells) need ample amounts of vitamin C to function.
Now just because this recipe has beets and kale in it, don't assume your child won't eat it. Start them young! Vienna LOVES kale and beets – both of which, are rich in immune-supporting phytonutrients. I've got plenty more recipes with beets for you to check out!
If you are breastfeeding, then this is the best thing you can do to boost your child's immune system as you will produce antibodies, enzymes and white blood cells to help your little one get better. Boob milk is powerful stuff!
Now let's talk supplements! I asked my colleague's the same question: What is your favourite supplement for boosting children's immune system and you'll quickly see that we agreed on the same powerhouse nutrient that is Vitamin D.
From Joy McCarthy, Holistic Nutritionist
I give Vienna a vitamin D supplement every single day and I've done so since she was born. If you're formula feeding your baby, do not give vitamin D because it will be in the formula. I've written extensively about vitamin D on the blog.
From Josh Gitalis, Clinical Nutritionist
Vitamin D modulates the whole immune system and therefore would be my #1 supplement choice for immune health in children.
From Brett Hawes, Holistic Nutritionist
I love medicinal mushrooms as they don't boost immunity, but rather tone the immune system. Constantly boosting the immune system is not a good idea as you are basically asking it to function at 150% all the time.
In case you're wondering, Dr. Meghan Walker, ND agreed – Vitamin D for the win!
And finally, I'm a huge fan of this homeopathic that I give to Vienna and Walker. I take it too when needed.
What's your favourite natural health go-to for staying healthy?
Wishing you a healthy fall/winter, friends!
Joy
Drinking goats milk! So great for kids immunity especially those who are regularly getting croup or ear infections. My kids all drink it daily and very rarely are sick.
ReplyThanks for the tip! I give Vienna organic goat's milk too. She loves it.
I love BeeKeeper Naturals propolis spray for myself and my son loves it as well! We do a couple spritz each morning. Also, elderberry syrup if ever we feel something coming along, I find it really helps support his body in fighting the bugs off. What probiotic is your favorite for Vienna?
ReplyHey Ludivine, Amazing! We love all of those natural remedies as well. Joy likes Genestra's HMF Baby Probiotic for Vienna. Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Is raw honey unpasterized considered a 'sugar' when it comes to lowering the immune system? I use manuka honey for when my son has a nasty cough. I know its also an anti-viral so I'm assuming its helping not hindering?
ReplyHey Erin! Good question. The idea is to not use it in excessive amounts (which I'm sure you're not) but because it comes with so many immune-boosting properties (anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral), it's still okay to use when combating a cold :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Do you use essential oils? I've found they work great for me. I work with the public everyday and can't remember the last time I had a cold.
ReplyHey Margaret, Yes, essential oils can be super helpful at supporting immunity as well :) Happy to hear they've been so helpful for you! Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Thank you for all the great info! I am wondering if you also give Vienna the flu shot? I have a nine month old and am wary of giving it to her because I had a serious reaction to it.
ReplyHey Patricia! Happy to hear you found it to be so useful :) Joy will be addressing her views on the flu shot in her webinar on November 28th. You can RSVP here: https://www.joyoushealth.com/78-event-natural-ways-to-boost-immunity-webinar Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Hey Joy - can you speak a little about orange juice and sugar? Even Tropicana says it's '100% orange juice' - what's the real deal here?
ReplyHey Megan! If you do plan on enjoying orange juice, we would recommend using freshly squeezed only and 1 cup/day. While it is a great source of vitamin C, oranges in its concentrated form (i.e. in juice) is very high in sugar which isn't ideal for someone who is trying to overcome sickness or build immunity. We would much rather have someone eat a whole orange :) As for Tropicana, there are certain labeling laws that allow it to say what it does on the bottle but the reality is that the orange juice in the container isn't as pure as it says it is. It's processed to extend its shelf-life (which typically dulls its taste) but includes flavouring enhancers and added sugars to sweeten it again.In other words, just stick to the stuff that comes from the earth :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Just watched your most recent webinar-so should I be taking the New Chapter Elderberry supplement that I have every day or only every day in the fall and winter or just when I feel like I am coming down with something to boost my immunity? Thank you!
ReplyHello, Joy, This is a great blog and very helpful. Can you also post on, how to care for our aging parents in this winter season? Will wait for more stuff from your side. Keep posting such more helpful. PapayaCare - Assisted Living, Senior Care.
ReplyHi there! So happy you enjoyed the post. That's a great idea. We'll definitely keep that in mind when mapping out our editorial calendar :) Rachel - Joyous Heath Team
Hi Joy! These are great tips, thank you! I’d love to know you’re take on the flu shot - for both adults and kids? I never know if it’s a good idea???
ReplyHi Tara! You're welcome :) I don't personally get the flu shot, nor do I get it for my daughter. I have a whole webinar I did on this topic because it's a much longer discussion than I can provide in a comment. We will link it when we have the webinar up.
Like vitamin D, probiotics is also boosts the immune system of our kids and also to adults who take them. By the way, nice write up here. Thank you for including new recipes here. Really worth trying.
ReplyHey Stephanie, Yes, Vitamin D is crucial in terms of boosting and maintaining a strong immune system :) Happy to hear you enjoyed this post! Rachel - Joyous Health Team