Colds, Cough and Flu

It's that season again. Moms know all about it, don't we? Runny noses, stuffy noses, hacking coughs in the middle of the night. Crying children wanting us to save them from their misery. Pediatricians can offer no help when it comes to viruses. What's a mom to do? Today I give you tips and answers on dealing with this.

Prevention:
The first defense is a good offense, right? Once a cold has a grip on you, it's very hard to stop it.

Diet: Yes, I know. The old "eat a healthy diet" spill. But it's true. You can, in a sense, catch a cold from yourself due to weakened immune system caused by poor diet. These viruses are opportunistic and lie dormant in the body, taking hold when the immune systems is at its weakest. Feed your children a healthy diet composed mostly of raw fruits and veggies.

Hand-washing: Be sure they wash their hands often and not with one of those antibacterial soaps. Not only do they threaten to cause a super-bacteria but they're dangerous to your child's health.

Vitamins: Make sure they're taking a good multi-vitamin from a reputable vitamin company such as Solaray

Also see my tongue-in-cheek article 12 Steps to an Unhealthy Child

Treatment:

Homeopathic: What I find works best with children is homeopathics. No yucky tastes; gets to the heart of the matter right away; safe. If you give it to them at the first sign of the cold and give it to them as directed. Within no time, the cold is gone. (These are the best products for cold). Cold Calm is my favorite. We've never had a cold more than a few hours when using this. The key, however, is catching it right away..at the first sign.

Herbal: There are of course children's cold medications in herbal form. Generally, they're very "hard to swallow". Even I have trouble with them. But a little creativity is always a big help. Just last night, my 3 year old took Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark Syrup. Nasty? YES INDEED! Did she experience immediate relief from her stuffy nose and mucous-filled chest? Yes, she did. We just held her nose, counted to throw and put it in.. followed VERY quickly by orange juice (while still holding her nose).

So there ya have it for now. A few tips to get through the cold and flu season with your children. If I haven't covered all you want to know.. feel free to ask questions.