Keeping My Family Healthy During the "Flu Months"

Summer has ended and the colder months have begun.  Although I know that you can catch a cold or the flu any time of the year (yes, even during the summer), everyone is more prone to catching the flu or the cold when the outside temperatures drop.  The dark, cloudy, and cold days of winter have some effect on our bodies and make them more prone to catching the cold or the flu.  I want to share with you three things that I do to keep my family healthy and strong: Echinacea, exercise, and eating (call it the three E's).

Echinacea has been touted as a homeopathic and an all natural way to boost your immune system.  There are no claims that it will cure a cold or prevent a cold, but there is a lot of evidence that it will boost your immune system so that it's stronger to fight off the cold or the flu before or after you get it.  My husband and I use Echinacea in two forms: drinking the Echinacea liquid extract that we dilute in some water and drinking herbal tea.

Exercise is another great way to ensure that your immune system stays strong.  Exercise helps to strengthen all parts of your body and helps to flush any toxins out.  Of course, exercising when it is 10 degrees outside does not sound fun, nor is recommended unless you bundle up with layers of clothes.  Then again, who wants to run around their neighborhood looking like the abominable snowman? Not us! Therefore, my husband and I use free weights and DVDs to stay in shape. Our favorite DVD are by Jillian Michaels. A healthy body equals a healthy immune system.

Have you ever heard the saying, "you are what you eat?"  This saying is very true!  So eat healthy and eat wholesome foods.  Cooking meals from scratch, using fresh produce and whole grains is another way that we help our bodies to stay strong and ward off any attacks on the immune system.  Eating as close to nature and as close to seasonal produce will support your body to fight off any infections.

Relying on natural medicine, exercising to keep your body strong, and eating well are three actions my family takes to stay cold and flu free.  These might not be the usual top three or top five actions that are recommended, but I promise that they will go a long way to keep you family cold and flu free also.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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