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Health & Fitness

Boosting your Child's Immunity with Natural Health Remedies

I am so happy for our children to know that they have mamas who are taking the initiative to become informed about caring for their children’s health.  However, proactive moms often don’t know where to turn when it comes to learning about natural health remedies that can boost your child’s immunity.

Immune Support Supplements

I’ve listed some products that help boost your children’s immunity and keep them healthy year-round.  Below are the brands I use for my own children.  If you’d like more info on what to use when they’re sick, check out my blogpost Fierce Mama: Herbal Remedies for Common Health Issues.

  • Vital Nutrients: Berry Well Immune: This powder can be mixed into applesauce or a smoothie.  I give my boys about 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp daily during cold and flu season or when I worry they might have been exposed to something.  It contains elderberry extract, isatis and astragalus, which all have immune boosting properties.

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  • Herblist & Alchemist: Healthy Kids Compound: This is a great alternative to the Berry Well if a liquid is preferred to a powder.  This can be given directly into the mouth, or added to juice or a smoothie.  2 droppers full once or twice daily.  It contains Echinacea, Elderberry and Lemon Balm — a great choice to reduce stress and hyperactivity if needed.

  • Therbiotic: Infants Formula or Childrens Chewables.  This line is so tasty that my son asks for his probiotics every day!  Probiotics are really important for digestive support, especially if your child has recently taken an antibiotic, to help to replace any lost intestinal flora.

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  • Klaire Labs: Liquid Vitamin D3.  Vitamin D is especially important in the winter months, particularly since we tend to slather our kids up with sunblock in the summer, which prevents the absorption of Vit D.  Most of us are deficient in Vitamin D, even kids.  400 iu in the summer months and even 1000 iu in the winter months.  These are drops that can be given sublingually or added to any juice or smoothie.  I sometimes just put a drop onto their multi-vitamin!

  • OmegAvail Lemon Drop Smoothie.  Essential fatty acids are crucial for support in organ function, in keeping our skin and eyes healthy, and in assisting in healing.  I like to mix a teaspoon a day into their smoothie.

While I obviously believe that supplements can improve your child’s immunity, I recognize that every mom will do what she is most comfortable with.  Whether or not you agree with supplementation, I cannot stress enough the importance of a healthy diet.  I’m a busy working mom so I know it’s sometimes hard to prepare good meals when Mac and Cheese, chicken nuggets and hot dogs are just SO easy.  But remember that your children are absorbing all of their nutrients from the foods they eat.  If there are no nutrients in the food, guess what?  Your child is not getting the nutrition he needs.  I know kids can be picky, but try to choose the best possible version of whatever food he loves.  My kids love Mac and Cheese, so I get the Gluten-Free Annie’s Organic Brand made with Rice Pasta, and I mix it with Rice Milk instead of Cow’s milk.  Same with hot dogs — choose organic or even grass-fed versions, and it is important that they’re nitrate-free.

Some great healthy snack choices:  Lentil crisps, Ants on a log — celery with organic almond butter and raisins, Rice crackers, carrots and hummus, homemade fruit popsicles in the summer, hard-boiled eggs, bananas studded with dark chocolate chips, or even a spoonful of organic peanut butter dipped in a few dark chocolate chips.  I also LOVE making truffles with coconut oil, raw cacao powder, almond butter and rolled in whatever I’m feeling that day — go ji berries or coconut flakes or peanuts.  Just add a little stevia or agave nectar for sweetness, roll into little balls and freeze.  Yum.  Many of you know by now that I’m just not into dairy for our children… they can absorb way more calcium from greens, without the phlegmmy side-effects.

What we put into our childrens’ bodies when they are young is setting them up for the rest of their lives.  There are so many new studies on Epigenetics, and it has become clear that our lifestyle can either turn on or shut down certain diseases, like Type 2 diabetes, asthma, eczema and even pediatric rheumatoid arthritis.  So let’s shut them down!  Our kids will thank us when they’re healthy adults!

Visit our store for the herbal remedies discussed in this blog.
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