family health plan

It's that time of year again... The time when in addition to the sound of happy screams and laughter at playgrounds you hear that dreaded cough. You know the one - that wet, pgelmy, rattle your chest cough. You also start santizing your kids hands in their sleep. And google hazmat suits.
Inevitably they will get sick, especially if they're in school, and probably at some point so will you. However, I have become a true believer of magic potions and elixirs (also known as supplements and vitamins) and the fact they can actually help either stave off an sickness or prevent it altogether. Let me just give you my family's math. This is for this year, 2017:

• January: Teddy and I both were sick. Sinus infection for me, ear infection for him.
• February: Teddy and Birdie had colds.
• March: Teddy had a cold.
• April: no one was sick (HOW??)
• May: Teddy and I got the stomach flu. Then Birdie got a cold.
• June: Stomach flu for all three of us. 

That June broke me. I just couldn't do it anymore. I was on my umpteenth round of antibiotics, we went through tissues faster than an average family goes through toilet paper and I swear I spent more time at doctor's offices and urgent care facilities than I did at home. So I decided to change everything and to practically try everything. We also went on whole30 around this time which always helps. Here's what we started implementing on a daily basis:

• Probiotics for everyone. For the kids we use this. For the adults this. But I also make sure to incorporate things like kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, miso and kombucha into our diet. I desperately needed to heal my gut after all of those antibiotics. 
• Daily multivitamin. For the kids and for us. 
• Daily omega 3's for the kids. 
• I've also been trying to take an immune support supplement for myself. I have heard rave reviews about this and so far so good? I just wish I didn't have to take so many. 
• On weeks when I feel like I need a little extra help I've been adding this, this and this to my tea, coffee or smoothies. 
• I also really limit how much carbs, dairy and sugar I take in. Whenever I stop paying attention to this is inevitably when I start feeling off. 

Now sometimes even all of this is not enough! So, when I feel something coming I pull out my "emergency arsenal" which contains the following:

elderberry syrup, "immune zoom" drops, counter attack supplement, trusty emergenC & oils

Good luck to us all as we brace against flu and cold season! Stay strong my friends!