What Are Your Ways to Boost Immunity?

I swear by spicy Mexican food! Hot salsa & chips works great for fending off and getting rid of colds. Keep away from sugary foods - that just makes it worse.

Also, try "Airborne" - it's in the pharmacy section sold over the counter. You dissolve it in water and drink it just when you feel something coming on. They have it for kids, too.

Good luck!

Emergen-C you can get it at Walgreens and some grocery stores. Also, Probiotic is good. Go to Homefirst.com for more info on probiotic

I take elderberry extract everyday and so does my son. We have NOT caught any of the bugs in school this year. YOu can get it from several healthfood stores or online for less than $10. I think I recently saw it online for $5 or $6.

There are TONS of them!! First and foremost is to eat 6-8 fruits and vegetables DAILY! It's NOT that difficult if you make good choices and stay focused on what your body NEEDS vs. what you want.

Secondly, GREEN TEA (and there are TONS of flavors & you can do decaf) It is very high in antioxidants

Thirdly.....LOTS & LOTS OF HANDWASHING! Try NOT to use antibacterial stuff all the time. Your body can become immune to it just like it can to other things it's constantly in tact with. Use paper towels or napkins in the bathroom instead of towels. Be a stickler about "rules" with regard to sneezing and coughing....elbow over mouth (hands will just pick up the germs). If I catch a hand over the mouth when coughing or sneezing...hands get WASHED! I taught pre-school and I was insistent on all this. It DID make a HUGE difference and I CONSTANTLY talked about prevention to the kids from a nutrition standpoint. You can't expect to fight off disease & run at an optimal level if you're putting in low grade fuel!

Avoid pesticides, chemicals, smoke, antibiotics, over the counter drugs, additives, preservatives, in addition to others. These things DEPLETE other nutrients out of the system (INCLUDING DRUGS!) Read 801 Prescription Drugs

Do your due diligence! If you have to take an antiobiotic, eat yogurt to replace the friendly bacteria that are destroyed by antiobiotics, etc. If a drug depletes vitamin C...add red peppers, grapefruit, etc. into your diet. BE KNOWLEDGEABLE! A good reference is Prescription for Nutritional Healing.

EXERCISE! Exercise can boost your mental AND physical stamina as well as rid your body of toxic waste while you exercise....and yes...your body does produce free radicals when you exercise...but the benefits FAR FAR FAR outweigh the other option. You are MUCH more prone to disease if you DON'T exercise.

I actually wrote an article for www.wahmhotline.com regarding immune boosting. Here it is and I hope this helps!

As a parent, who’s been at home all summer long with your children, you might be grateful that school is back in session. However, you may not be grateful about what they bring home, and I do not mean homework or cute art projects. I am talking about germs. They are everywhere; you can not get away from them. Your kids will end up getting colds and flu and probably passing it along to you. So, the best defense is the knowledge of how to keep the immune system healthy. There are many things you can do to boost your families’ immune system and keep it healthy; anything from eating the right food to taking vitamins and supplements. This article will list a few methods.

Eating breakfast is a great start to keeping your immune system healthy. It is also needed to jump start your child’s brain for learning and concentration. The body needs it for energy. Foods rich in protein and vitamin C are a perfect choice. Try and skip the sugary cereals as sugar slows down the activities of white blood cells which are needed to help fight infection. Drink up your orange juice and eat your fruits and vegetables, because the Vitamin C enhances your immune system, repairing and protecting your body from infection. Sorry moms and dads, coffee or caffeine is not so great for your immune system either. Not only does caffeine dehydrate you, it also robs your body of the vitamins and minerals it needs. Switch to decaffeinated herbal teas or green tea.

Teaching good hand washing methods is another great defense against illness. You should always use warm water and soap, scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. For younger children, singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is about the correct amount of time and its fun!

Another way to keep your immune system healthy is to get herbs in your diet. One important one for your immune system is Echinacea. Echinacea can be used to prevent and treat the common cold or fight off other viral and bacterial infections. It is the best known and most researched of the immune boosters. It is also safe to use with children. Astragalus is another important herb that should be in your diet. Astragalus stimulates almost every phase of immune system activity. Many cancer patients use Astragalus while undergoing chemotherapy.

Get your good bacteria, or take probiotics. It may sound weird, but your body can fight a bad bug with a good bug. There are good strains of bacteria, in your body, which help fight disease causing bacteria and viruses that we come in contact with. These good bacteria can be found in yogurt or probiotic capsules. The strain of bacteria that you should look for in a probiotic is Lactobacillus acidophilus.

If your family follows these simple suggestions, along with basic health practices like getting enough sleep, regular exercise, fresh air and sunshine, and plenty of water, then your body will be able to stand up to the germs you may come in contact with. Your immune system will thank you. Always consult your doctor before you start something new, to see what works best for your body.

The company I market for also offers free classes on things like immune boosting. View the classes and sign up at www.ahealthcafe.com/positions.

Have you heard of Ambrotose? Ambrotose is a natural food supplement which gives the body the plant sugars needed for cellular communication. When the cells can communicate as they were intended to do, every system in the body functions better...the immune system as well. Especially the immune system! Not only is the immune system responsible for getting rid of invasive virus and bacteria and toxins, the immune system can go wrong and begin attacking the body because it does not recognize the bodies own cells (miscommunication) There are almost too many chronic diseases to count which people are suffering from today...all having something to do with a mal-functioning immune system: MS, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, lupis, cancer, chronic fatigue, ADHD, repeated bladder infections...the list goes on and on. Everyone on the planet could benefit from this product. If a person is not suffering from a chronic condition already, the chances are very great that he/she will develope something sometime. Because of green harvesting, farming with chemical fertilizers, and food processing methods today, the food we eat does not have in it these plant sugars that our bodies need for maintaining health and well being. If you want to know more about Ambrotose, how it works, look up www.Mannatech.com. or www.Glycoscienc.org Ambrotose has helped us through some major health issues and is effectively keeping our family free of illnesses today. Children can easily take in these natural plant sugars and vitamins/minerals in Mannatech's products: MannaBears and GlycoBears. I do highly recommend them to all! Carolyn McFarland ###-###-####

Noni Juice! The real stuff NOT the fake. Google tahitian noni. It is the only one you can get through a representative and NOT at a health food store. Have your child drink an ounce a day. My son is never sick he is 3 and at all day preschool. Combine that with a healthy diet of fresh fruit and veggies. Lay off the fast food.

Nothing can keep them or you from getting some viruses, but you can reduce the frequency and severity a bit. Try garlic - either eaten or taken as supplements. You can even give the liquid garlic extract to babies in juice, on a medicine spoon. Tastes nasty to me but they seem to like it! You can take some comfort that in exposing your child to these viruses, you are building up her immune system, and yours. In the long run it's better than being isolated.

wash your and your childs hands often......the more people wash their hands, the chances of them vatching a cold, virus or flu diminishes almost 50 percent!

My main thing used to be to overdose myself with vitamin-C tablets at the first sign of a cold. It doesn't stop the cold but it sure reduced the time I had it.
At this moment I am taking 10-in-one-multi-formula from GBG, which is a liquid multi-vitamin plus Immune Enhancers; Age-Delaying Antioxidants; Whole Body System Support & A Whole Lot More.
I was kinda sceptical at first but I have been using it for several months now and it truly made a big difference for me. If you are interested, here is the website: http://www.myviralpopads.com/j/nognog.

It also comes with a free business. If you are interested in that I would recommend a group of moms that are working together to get succesful with GBG: http://mommieshelpingmommies.freehyperspace2.com/mommies.....

Hi,
Your doctor is definitely correct. "July 2002 -- In a landmark article published June 19, 2002, The Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA) announced that all adults should take vitamin supplements to help prevent chronic diseases." Unfortunately, fruit does not do all that we'd like it to do these days.

I've been taking Melaleuca's Vitality for Life Multivitamin and Calcium & Minerals for 3.5 years. Neither me or my husband has had a cold or need for the flu shot thanks to these vitamins. These vitamins truly absorb at the cellular level; 90%+ absorption rate. Most over the counter brands are 10% or less.

My pediatrician told me years ago when my daughter was going to the "germ factory" to just wait til she starts school if you think she's getting germs now. Well, she takes Melaleuca's Koala Pals throughout preschool and now kindergarten has had no need for any antibiotics. She may get a cough or runny nose every now and then but nothing serious that's required prescription meds or has made me ill.

Check out www.companycredentials.com and view the Product Website.

M.
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____@____.com

Echinacea, Airborn, vitamin c, emergenC are great too!

Gummi Vites makes something called Immune C Plus with Echinacea and Zinc for kids two and up. I statred to give it to my 5 year old after a bout with pneumonia in addition to his normal daily mulit vitamin in the end of October. He has not had so much as a runny nose or cough since ( I wish I knew about this stuff when he was younger). I also take calcium/magnesium/zinc tablet dailt and have found that it helps immensely. Especially now tha my Toddler is in with the big kids and is bringing a whole new batch of yuckies home...unfortunately she is just a little to little for the Immune C plus.

I use Cod Liver Oil from the healthfood store and vitamin c. It works very well.

I feel your pain, as I am right with you. I have 2 sick children, and knew I was next since I am nursing. My doctor suggested Coldeze - Zinc supplements. I hope it kicks in a works because I can't afford to be as sick as they are. And sleep, that would be nice. My 4 month old was up all night with coughing, sneezing, boogers, and moaning. I haven't had a good night sleep in 6 months.

Geeze, I remember those days. Fun. Fun. The only thing that worked for me is rest and vitamin supplements like you stated. The good news is that this usually lasts less than a year. Your child's immunity be boosted with each infection--and subsequently won't be bringing home as much illness after a while. What I have found is that with my 3 kids the only one who spent time in a daycare facility has the strongest immunity and is the least sick, sick for shorter periods of time, and less severe. Good luck!

Agree with the other mom who said to reduce sugars. even natural ones (fruit, honey, juice). i've heard it weakens the immune sys even further.

airborne works great for me!

also, i've used Nature's Sunshine Silver Shield. DH, DD and DS were all sick w/ a viral cold that a friend's son brought over to our house. I started taking it and avoided it!!! I also gave it to all 3 of them. It works by infiltrating the cells of the virus or bacteria and kills it on the spot. Doesn't allow it to spread. Plus, I wash my hands a lot.

I have been giving my kids Airbourne Junior my kids are 5 and 9 years old. Check with your doctor first. But we have been pretty healthy this year.

Have you tried taking kyolic DAILY? If you take it with your usual multi and a vitamin c, you should be way better off.

I've found that by using LESS antibacterial/germ killing cleaners in my house, that my family is healthier.

We also eat organic. No trans fats (which is an immuno suppressant) and eat a lot of veggies and fruits (while the supplements are better than nothing, they are synthetic and the body does not easily absorb or use them...unlike the contents of veggies/fruits which the body will use up more readily).

Also, sleep is extremely important. Are you getting enough sleep (for you? It's usually more than 4-6 hours per night, but you should wake up feeling good and well rested)? There was a study (I'll have to find it) that showed that adults who went to bed no later than 10am and woke up no earlier than 6am tended to be healthier as the body's natural rhythm is to reset itself during this time. If you are interested in this, PM me and I'll go pull the link for the article.

Also, some food allergies can cause people to get sicker, more easily (and a food allergy does not always have to result in hives...it can be something as non-chalant as a constant runny nose). So you may want to visit a naturopath/homeopath to find your triggers and then work around those.

I have 3 kids and they were always getting sick. I thought I was doing everything right, until I found that I needed to really go back "to the basics" and use natural products for cleaning, on our bodies and taking a really good vitamin. Like another poster, all vitamins are NOT alike. I have researched them and know that your body can only absorb so much of the vitamins and minerals, the rest get flushed! I also know that there isn't a single vitamin that could possibly give you all that your body needs - even if you ate really, really healthy! Your body needs a good balance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, calcium and digestive enzymes. Without these enzymes, all of our food wouldn't get "processed" and literally sits in your intestines (really gross stuff and I won't get into it). That's how many people get sick, gain weight and some get cancers. I have a great wholesale company I get my vitamins from (Swiss based but made in the US - they have much higher standards than here), that come in a easy to use packet for morning and evening, giving you around the clock protection and vitamins. Also, at the onset of a cold, they have an additional supplement and every time I take it, I NEVER get a full blown cold or anything. It has been a long time since we were at the doctor's office. I probably paid for many an expensive vacation for them years back, but not any more. That money now goes to my and my family's health! It is so worth it and gives you more energy to keep chasing those little ones when you didn't get enough sleep. Your body is a fine machine that needs to be taken care of properly. Motherhood isn't easy, but taking care of your health can be if you know where to go and what to do. Let me know if you would like more information. I'd be glad to help you out.

K.

You can really tell this time of year who at work has kids - we all keep getting colds and other viruses. So I don't know if there is any other way to avoid them. The only thing I can add to your list is that I try to make sure I get enough sleep and get as much sunshine as I can. (it can't hurt!)

Fish oil boosts your immune system. For the kids we give them the liquid form, and for the adults they have the capsules at target or any other vitamin type place. They even have "no burp' ones... My oldest was put on it by the chiro and we have all followed suit!

Along with the things you mentioned, I take Arbonne's supplements, and when I feel a cold or flu coming on, I take Arbonne's Get Well Soon. It's an echenacia supplement. It kicks everything I'm starting to get! It's awesome! I would also look into having your toddler take Arbonne's kid vitamins. It's a power punch. It comes in a powder form that you dump into 6 oz. of water and give to them once a day. Hope this helps. If you need any info about Arbonne, I'd be happy to give it to you. ###-###-####

A big thing that I wasn't aware of before I started learning more about how nutrition affects us is sugar. Sugar can affect our immune system so as much as possible try to limit refined sugar and refined carbs (basically anything made with white flour - look for whole grains). Also research is showing that probiotics (a supplement with good bacteria) are very helpful for the immune system. You can get some benefit from things like yogurt and immunity support drinks that are popping up in stores, however, look for a source that has clinical proof that it delivers to the lower intestine (it needs to make it through the stomach acid intact). Then look for a vitamin that doesn't have sugar, artificial sweetners or dyes and is made from whole food so your body can absorb it better. We also have an exclusive all natural immune building product call Nutriferon that was created for Shaklee by Dr. Kojima, the world renowned immunologist who discovered interferon in 1954, and spent 40 years searching for a natural interferon booster. I have a Shaklee nutrition home business and can send you some additional things to look at if you are interested, including a recorded seminar on children's health, immunity support and creating a natural home medicine cabinet. Please let me know if I can be of any help and good luck finding the right fit for your family.