Keeping the Family Healthy During Fall & Winter
If you have kids - especially kids in daycare or school - then I am sure keeping your kids and family healthy during cold and flu season is something that is on your mind a lot, especially during a pandemic! I often get asked about the vitamins and supplements our family takes, so today I am going into a little more detail about that. Weirdly, this can be controversial subject, but like anything that has to do with our health, the only thing that truly matters is how we feel and how our bodies react to what we do. I am a big advocate for trying things out and if it works for you then awesome, even if a medical professional might say otherwise. It is your body and no one knows it as well as you do. I also see the effects in my kids. Liv is rarely sick, she has gotten a stomach bug once in her life and other than that she has never once been sick in bed. Millie, who had bad stomach issues and eczema, we are seeing it clear up completely by finding the right probiotic. So, we are big advocates for taking care of our gut health and incorporating vitamins and supplements to assist with that. I am not a doctor and I am not giving medical advice, just sharing what has worked for our family.
First and foremost, taking care of your health starts in your gut and your microbiome. I have an entire post on gut health that you can find here, but it really is common science stuff.
How to Promote a Healthy Gut:
- Mindful Eating
Eat foods rich in prebiotic fibers
Don't stuff yourself
Choose animal protein wisely (animal fats feed\ bad bacteria)
Consume alcohol in moderation
Consume natural bacteria in cultured dairy and fermented foods
- Physical Activity
This promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
- Get Enough Sleep
- Reduce Stress
Excess stress can reduce gut flora diversity
- Taking a Probiotic Supplement
What Should You Be Avoiding:
-Red meat and processed/cured meats (limit red meat to once weekly)
- Processed foods
- Artificial sweeteners
- Exposure to powerful antibiotics and medications
Antibiotics not only affect bad bacteria but also the good bacteria, which can lead to harmful changes in the composition of the gut flora.
- The overuse of antibacterials.
Over-sanitization causes a lack of exposure to the bugs that help create immunity.
** This is a big one right now, and why you should always choose soap and water over hand sanitizer when you can.
- Pesticide residue
- GMO's
So what does this look like for a family on a daily basis? This is what we focus on in our home:
Healthy, Fresh Organic Foods
I am kind of the butt of the joke in my friends circle, because I am pretty strict when it comes to this - which does get harder as the kids get older. When we are at friends house or at parties then its kind of free game within reason, but you are not going to find much junk food in the home. Lots of fruits, veggies, lean proteins and complex carbs and you won’t find any kids drinks either, water or organic milk are the drink choices. Of course, we have treats here and there, we hit up the McDonalds drive thru now and then, but on the regular we keep it healthy. I have a blog post here, with tips on how to get your kids to eat healthy. Buying organic can be very expensive, so just focusing on the dirty dozen and the clean 15 is a good place to start.Physical Activity, Reducing Stress and Getting Enough Sleep
Being active is a big one for everyone in our family. If you have kids, you know the importance of them getting their energy out! We also work on techniques to reduce stress for the kiddos. When upset, we encourage Liv to take a few deep breaths, take a drink of water, have some alone time and we try to encourage yoga and mediation. For Carey and I, getting proper sleep is a big one we are always working to improve. We also incorporate massage therapy and acupuncture.Vitamins and Supplements
First and foremost, discuss with a doctor or medical professional that you trust. I have learned so much about supplements from doctors, naturopaths, nutrition professionals, and from Carey and the professionals he has worked with. When I am not pregnant or breastfeeding, Carey and I both see JF Gaudreau for our supplement and vitamin plans. I have also been seeing Dr. Chelsea Gronick virtually who set me up with my pregnancy vitamin and supplement program. It is important to note that to truly find the proper plan for each individual it requires blood tests pretty regularly, since so much can change (this is especially true for me me with hormones changing constantly with breast feeding and pregnancies on top of having hypothyroidism.) So while I could share exactly what Carey or I am taking, it really wouldn’t be beneficial to you. If I did not have professional guidance on this though I would definitely incorporate some sort of multi vitamin, a probiotic, and vitamin C and D at the minimum. With that said I realize this can be expensive depending on insurance and it can also be very hard to get a doctor on board to write you the prescription for the blood tests. It all comes down to be an advocate for your health. Carey and I both have experience with fighting to find answers when you know something is off, but doctors are telling you that you are fine.A Plan for the Girls
We keep it pretty simple with Liv and Millie, just a multi-vitamin, probiotic, vitamin C, vitamin D and elderberry during cold and flu season. If they are starting to get a runny nose or cough or any sign of getting sick, then we increase the vitamin C and D for a week or so. For brands we jump around a little, depending on the girls age and chewable vs liquid alternatives, but we absolute love Mary Ruth Organics and that is what both girls are currently using. We have also liked Genuine Health, Nordic Naturals and we went with Klaire Labs for Millies tummy and eczema issues. (We used their Ther-biotic for Infants, 5 billion CFU multi species probiotic supplement. The package says for 12 months + but with recommendation from our doctor we started at 6 months and saw great improvements within two weeks).
If you guys still have questions comment below and I would be happy to give you more information. This is a topic I am passionate about, so I love discussing it!
To keep my vitamins organized can be kind of annoying so here are my favorites from Amazon.
Much Love,
