What can you do to stop your Kids from Getting sick so often if there are all sorts of infections flying around these days?
If your little ones are prone to getting sick, you’re probably desperate for ways to help them fight back. But, unfortunately, they’ll often spread it around to the rest of the family!
Kids tend to fall ill pretty often as their immune systems haven’t been exposed to all of the nasty germs they’ll encounter. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t improve their immunity and make them less likely to get sick so often. Here are some tips to boost your family’s immunity.
Serve Up Immunity-Boosting Foods
Let your family eat a lot of fruits and vegetables since they are great for boosting immunity, especially those containing vitamin C. Unfortunately, this is one of the nutrients not stored in the body. Hence, you need to be consuming it every day for the best benefits.
Citrus fruits are a great choice, so make sure your family eats plenty of oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit. Bell peppers are also a good source of vitamin C (especially the red variety) and contain more than citrus fruits! Kiwi and papaya also have vitamin C.
Iron is another nutrient you should pay close attention to. So, you stock up on spinach, legumes, quinoa, dates, dried apricots, and pumpkin seeds to keep your family’s iron intake up. Red meat and liver are also rich sources of iron to complement these everyday sources. Combining iron with vitamin C helps it to be absorbed more easily.
Zinc is also an underrated mineral for immunity. In shellfish, pumpkin seeds, beef, cashews, chickpeas, oatmeal, and chicken, you can find zinc.
Other foods and drinks that can improve your family’s immunity include:
• Garlic has been used to treat infections for thousands of years
• Ginger is anti-inflammatory and can help to fight a sore throat and ease nausea
• Spinach and broccoli, which both contain lots of antioxidants, are very immune-boosting
• “Live” yogurt may be able to protect against illness by improving gut health and making your immune system stronger
• Almonds contain vitamin E, which is a hugely underrated nutrient for keeping the immune system healthy
• Green tea is packed with an EGCG, a powerful antioxidant that promotes better immunity
Hand Washing is Vital
Often, sickness happens because germs on the hands have transferred to the eyes, mouth, or nose. So, it is so important to wash your hands regularly and make sure that your family does too, especially before eating. Hand hygiene is one of the best things to reduce illness, especially if done correctly.
If your little ones are at daycare, you’ll want to know that this extends to the staff. They can inadvertently pass on germs significantly when changing diapers and dealing with runny noses!
When it’s just not practical or possible to keep hands clean, carrying hand sanitizer is a must! It’s super convenient for killing germs while you’re out and about, and you can get alcohol-free types if you’re worried that it will lead to dry hands.
Practice Good Hygiene in General
It’s also helpful to teach children how to demonstrate good hygiene. This includes not sharing food, drinks, utensils, and other items that can make it easier for germs to pass around.
Another tip involves ensuring that your little ones know the importance of using tissues to wipe runny eyes or noses rather than their hands. This makes it a lot less likely to transfer germs from their hands to these areas. Just make sure it’s always a clean tissue!
Wipe Down Surfaces Regularly
Surfaces can be a breeding ground for germs, so it makes sense to wipe them down regularly with an antibacterial cleaner. The same goes for anything that your child is likely to contact, such as toys, television remotes, light switches, and door handles.
When one of the family is sick, you’re probably going to want to use antibacterial wipes on everything they touch. To reduce the chance, anyone else will get ill from the same things.
Wash Bedding and Blankets When Someone is Sick
Next time any family member gets sick, make sure that you wash their bedding as soon as they’re better, so they don’t get reinfected. Don’t forget about comfort blankets and towels too. These can harbor germs long after the actual sickness has been gone, and they can make other family members sick too.