Kids & Colds

Eat your Veggies & Stay Healthy!

Do your kids get colds?  Mine really only get maybe one cold a winter.  I like to think it is because we try our best to stay healthy and take our vitamins!!  Wrote a blog about keep germs at bay that has been shared on other websites, so thought I would post it here!  Please feel free to leave comments for any other tips you have!

Kids and colds seem to go hand-in-hand this time of the year . . . but they don’t have to!

It’s true, germs are everywhere, and your kids will be at school, daycare or playgroups with coughing, sneezing and runny nosed children.  You can’t avoid the germs, but you can protect yourself and your kids by picking up a few healthy habits at your house this winter!

Eat plenty of fruits & veggies.  It is best to get your vitamin C from eating an orange so your body can benefit from the many other nutrients an orange has to offer! Experiment with your kids and new fruits and vegetables;  see if they can eat a rainbow of colours every day.  Cut into fun shapes, put on a stick and dip into yogurt, try broiled grapefruit or bbq’d pineapple. Freeze some grapes or a banana dipped in a little chocolate.  Add pureed squash to thicken that chili or spaghetti sauce.  Make fruits and vegetables part of every meal.

Eat yoghurt.  It has good bacteria that helps your immune system resist colds!  Add to a morning shake, put a few spoonfuls on the kids cereal, use as a dip for bananas, melon or apples before bedtime.

Drink lots.  Water is best, or 100% juice, to flush out the bad and keep you well hydrated.  Dilute juice with water for same great taste and less sugar!  Make your own fun flavours of water by adding lemon, or frozen melon, strawberries and grapes! Add orange, pineapple, passion fruit and cranberry juice together in a fancy glass for a fun treat the kids will love.

Wash everything! Doorknobs, light switches, telephones and remote controls all share your families’ germs! Wash kids hands and faces, even when not dirty.  Get into the habit of washing up after school, before meals and even before bed.

Get outside.  I know its cold, but bundle up and go out anyways.  So much fun can be had outside in the winter –go for a hike or a bike ride if you are short on snow or build a hill in your front yard and toboggan with the kids if you have too much!  While you are at it, open the windows occasionally to bring some of that fresh air inside during winter months to rid your house of any lurking air born virus.

Get some exercise.  Did you know exercise that gets your heart pumping and oxygen flowing actually increases your body’s ability to ward off cold germs?

Get some sleep.  Getting the proper amount of rest give your body the energy it needs to fight off the cold and flu virus.

And Take your Vitamins. Always good to fill in any gaps from your diet with a range of vitamins.  Multi, Omega, Vitamin D, B12, and Calcium are all vital to a healthy immune system, make sure you are getting enough!

The best defense against any illness is always a strong immune system.  A healthy diet rich in protein, grains and all the vitamins your body needs, plus some regular fresh air, exercise, plenty of fluids and rest is sure to keep your family feeling good this winter!