Tips to Stay Healthy During Cold Season

We are happy to partner with Hyland’s to share natural tips to stay healthy during cold and flu season.  

Here in San Antonio, the calendar tells us it’s fall.  Don’t let those 90 degree October days fool you—at some point in the next few weeks, you will actually get to wear jeans. And maybe sleeves. If we are really lucky, a day may come where jackets are needed for warmth and not just a fashion statement.

Even if the temperatures make us think it’s still summer, the cold and flu season is definitely upon us. Those annoying and determined cold and flu germs are not deterred by non-fall-like temperatures. As all moms know, our kids can be germ magnets. Personal space, personal hygiene, and basic sanitation skills are learned tasks and kids are often too distracted with important things like playing and snacking to be bothered to think about stopping the spread of germs. If I had a dollar for every time my boy washed his hands without being reminded, I’d have zero money.  

While cold season may be in full swing, luckily there are some natural ways to keep you and your family healthy.

Tips to Stay Healthy During Cold Season

  • Wash your hands. Often. Hand washing is deceptively simple yet also incredibly effective. There is no need for special soap, just a basic soap and at least 20 seconds of scrubbing the tops and bottoms of hands and between fingers. Tell your kids that two rounds of the “Happy Birthday” song is about 20 seconds.  
  • Maintain a healthy diet. Cold and flu season overlaps with the holiday season. From Halloween through New Years, there are lots of celebrations that involve celebratory foods that are not necessarily the healthiest. Make an effort to each fresh fruits and vegetables daily and try to reconcile indulgent meals with well-balanced meals. Consider cutting back on dairy products (they can create more mucus when already congested) and sugar.  
  • Get some sleep. Everyone functions better when rested.  
  • Take a probiotic. Every member of my family takes a daily probiotic. I can get rather preachy about the benefits of probiotics, so I’ll just leave it with this: a happy gut is a healthy gut. There are several chewable options for kids, but once your child can swallow a pill, I highly recommend having them take an adult dose of probiotics. 
  • Drink lots of water.  A well-hydrated body is much better equipped to fight off illness.  
  • Keep your surroundings clean. For children, remind them not to share cups and utensils. For adults, wipe off doorknobs, remotes, and other often-touched items at home and work.  

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, some of our kids will end up with a cold this year. When my kids get sick, I first turn to natural treatments, methods, and supplements. When your child gets a cold, there are a few things to try to keep them comfortable and help their body fight back.

Tips to Help Your Child Fight a Cold Naturally

  • Increase their fluid intake. Have them eat broth-based soups and drink beverages like runny smoothies with frozen berries and warm lemon water with honey.
  • Make their food count.  Often times appetites wane during sickness. If that is the case for your kid, try to make what little food they will eat be healthy food. Let their calories count by feeding them foods high in vitamins and nutrients.  
  • Increase their probiotic dosage.  
  • Keep hands extra clean. Everyone in the family should be extra diligent about hand washing once you know there are live cold germs in the house.  
  • Take warm baths with epsom salts and essential oils. Add about 1/2 cup of epsom salts and 5–10 drops of peppermint oil or lavender to a warm bath. Supervise your child to make sure they don’t drink the bath water (epsom salts can have a laxative effect when ingested). Lavender can be relaxing if your child is having trouble falling asleep and peppermint oil is great for opening up airways to help them breath freely. 
  • Get a new toothbrush once the cold has passed.
  • Give your child a medicine free of dyes, alcohol, aspirin, and other harmful substances.  

I’m a huge believer in homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic medicine is driven by the simple scientific proof of how the body can call upon its own natural defenses to heal and restore balance. Hyland’s is the oldest manufacturer of homeopathic medicines in the US and for over a century, Hyland’s has produced homeopathic medicines using the highest quality natural ingredients and in accordance with FDA good manufacturing practices.

hylandskids_blue-01If your child comes down with a cold this season, head immediately to Costco to pick up Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold ‘n Cough Day and Night Combo Pack with Natural Grape Flavor. It provides natural relief of children’s common cold symptoms, including coughing, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, and nasal and chest congestion, and occasional sleeplessness.* Hyland’s developed this medicine to help kids get the rest they need to heal from colds and coughs, with no sedatives and no next-morning grogginess.

Cold N Cough Value Pack
Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold ’n Cough Day and Night Combo Pack with Natural Grape Flavor is exclusively at Costco through February 2017. 
Speaking of Costco, are you coming to our Costco Mom Hour on November 4th?  It’s a great time to pick up the Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold ’n Cough Day and Night Combo Pack along with other great exclusive Costco products.
Costco Mom Hour
Disclaimers: Consult Medical Professional before use. Always read and follow label directions. *The uses for Hyland’s products are based on traditional homeopathic practice. They have not been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration.  
Michelle
Michelle moved to San Antonio eight years ago and yet still feels like a newcomer. She is rather smitten with the Alamo City. She and her husband met at Texas A&M and started their marriage in Minnesota. After six years of very cold winters, they returned to Texas. Michelle has two kids (12 and 9), along with a very quirky rescue dog and two rather cute guinea pigs. A former corporate food scientist turned part-time yoga instructor, she still takes her food very seriously—she just doesn’t get paid for it anymore. She is fueled by tea, cold brew coffee, yoga, dog walking, books and quickly googling answers to her kids eleventy million questions.