Top 9 Ways to Keep Your Child Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

This is a sponsored post in partnership with CATALO and The Motherhood.  All options are 100% my own.  #CataloMom

Sadly summer has come to an end and for most of us that means the cold and flu season is right around the corner.  Yucky viruses and infections are lurking in every corner and unless your family stays inside, forever, there is no way to avoid them.  Kids especially are notorious for coming down with something during these cold months so what is a mom to do(besides stock the medicine cabinet) to keep her kids healthy all winter?  While you won’t be able to shield your kids from every illness, there are several things you can do to better the odds and keep them on the healthy side.  This cold and flu season make sure you follow our top nine ways to keep your child healthy!

Wash hands 

Did I mention frequently?  Yes, wash frequently!  All day long your child is touching who knows what at school, home, church or wherever they go.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 10-15 seconds of hand scrubbing during each hand wash.  Plain old soap and water is best when you can but using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer will do the trick also if you don’t have access to water.  Teach your kids to wash their hands the correct way and often.

Eat Right

Nothing is better for stopping a cold dead in its tracks than a healthy immune system!  If your child does come down with something, a strong immune system can even minimize the duration of the sickness.  There are several foods you can eat that are rich in powerful nutrients that need to be increased during the cold and flu season which contain antioxidants like vitamin C and beta-carotene.  Citrus fruit, cabbage, broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato, and spinach have immune-boosting power and should be given daily.

You can also give your kids more fish, oysters, poultry, eggs, milk, unprocessed grains, and cereals, which contain zinc, to fight off infections.  If you kids are vegetarian or vegan make sure you give them supplements to get what they need like CATALO Baby’s Vegetarian DHA+ Formula (with ARA and Lutein) or CATALO Children’s Algae DHA + Omega-3 Vegetarian Gummies – both are plant-based and contain Omega-3, chia seeds, and DHA to support immunity and development.   Don’t forget healthy bacteria  (like kefir and yogurt) since healthy levels protect our body from infection!  Diets need a healthy level that has adequate amounts of probiotics or friendly flora.

Daily routine of supplements

Sometimes its hard to get your child to eat certain foods so an easy way to be sure they are getting the nutrients they need is by giving vitamins and minerals through supplements.  Keeping the immune system strong all year with a daily routine of supplementation with the right multivitamins and minerals will play a direct and proactive role in strengthening their immune health and warding off any illness.

We really like supplements from CATALO because they are a premium, well-trusted brand in the nutritional foods and supplements market place.  I feel confident my kids nutritional needs are met no matter what stage of life they are in because products for Maternal, Baby and Children (MBC) are available.  CATALO products are all natural and never contain any chemicals or synthetic additives like other leading products.

In your supplement arsenal should be, if nothing else, a good multi vitamin & mineral, vitamin C, vitamin D3 and a probiotics with Colostrum.  Studies have shown that 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C supplements may make colds milder and even shorten by half a day.  CATALO products like CATALO Children’s DHA Formula, (made from purified ocean fish and good for kids brain & eye development) and CATALO Vegetarian Calcium Formula for Mom(vegetarian-friendly prenatal supplement with extra vitamin C and helps maintain bone and immune health) are additional supplements we suggest having on hand.

Avoid the Flu with a Flu Shot

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get an annual flu shot.  Be sure to follow your pediatrician’s recommendation, of course, but a flu shot works according the the CDC!  The CDC conducts studies each year to determine how well the influenza (flu) vaccine protects against flu illness.  While vaccine effectiveness (VE) can vary, recent studies show that the flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by between 40% and 60% among the overall population during seasons when most circulating flu viruses are well-matched to the flu vaccine.  I will take 40-60% any day!

Get Moving to stay well

Keeping your kids active is always important for fighting off pesky germs but especially during the cold and flu season!  When kids are active and engage in exercise they can actually boost their immune systems and they won’t be as susceptible to cold and flu germs.  Exercise is fun for kids, helps them to burn off excess steam and increases their bodies natural virus-killing cells.  So get moving even if you have to bundle them up or you have a dance party in the living room because it’s too cold to go outside and play.

Drink water

Water is always important, of course, but during cold and flu season there are other benefits to staying hydrated! Dehydration can lower our immune systems barriers and lack of water can dry out the mucous membranes in our lungs and sinus passages which can reduce our resistance to infections.  Keep your barriers fully functional and completely intact by keeping well hydrated.  Drink 8-8oz glasses a day!

Get enough sleep

Kids preschool age should be getting 12-14 hours of sleep per night and school-aged children should be getting 10-11 hours.  I know this is hard some times but you need to make it a priority because studies show that poor sleepers became sick more often.  Sleep is when kids detoxify and recharge so their systems can properly perform the jobs they are supposed to do.  This is especially important during cold and flu season to keep their immune system in tip-top shape.

Teach cough/sneeze etiquette

Talk to your child about how germs spread and why it’s important to cover their nose and/or mouth when they cough/sneeze.  Since germs are usually passed through the air or hands from kid to kid, teach your child to cough and sneeze in their elbows and/or a tissue.  Tissue is best but if not available, use the elbow.   Throw away tissues immediately after each use and wash the hands.  This will protect other kids as well as your own since you probably have siblings living in the same house together.

Disinfect to keep kids healthy

Another way to keep your kids healthy is to make sure the house is clean and I mean disinfected, not just picked up!  I know cleaning is not the funnest thing to do but it is necessary, especially during cold and flu season when you kids (or even you) might have brought yucky germs into the house that are now lurking on toys, counters, faucets and tables.  Make sure your cleaning products use the words “sanitize” or “disinfect” and even consider non-toxic or green products.  Wipe down heavy traffic areas paying special attention to kitchens and bathrooms and use disposable or washable towels.

Be well Mom!

 

“All products are natural health supplement. Not for medical use. Shall not imply or use any word such as ‘cure, dosage, prevent, diagnose, treat, etc.”

 

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