8 Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System During Cold & Flu Season

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As school has started for most kiddos and we are entering the season known as “cold and flu season”, my family likes to take extra measures to support our immune systems. Even though my children are too young for school, they are still exposed to lots of germs and susceptible to illness. I thought it may be helpful to list out some of the things we do in our home to help prevent illness and/or improve our recovery time.

• Eat Fruits and Vegetables – We try to get the proper nutrition by incorporating certain foods into our diet that can be considered important to boost your immune system.
  • Blueberries – they are high in antioxidants and are considered an immune-boosting superfood. We love blueberries. They can get expensive to buy fresh so we like to buy them frozen. They are significantly cheaper than fresh and they do not lose any nutritional value when frozen. Ways to incorporate frozen blueberries in your diet…mix with yogurt, add to smoothies, or bake with them.
  • Mushrooms – they are high in vitamin D. Vitamin D helps support your immune system and keeps it strong. Although they can be eaten plain, we like to add mushrooms to salads or mix them into pasta dishes.
  • Peppers – they are high in vitamin C. A bell pepper contains more vitamin C when compared to an orange. We will eat these fresh a lot but also add them to many different recipes.
  • Citrus Fruits – oranges, grapefruit and mango are all high in vitamin C as well. I add these to smoothies, or we just eat them fresh as snacks.
• Take a Multivitamin – I know that we may not always get all that we need from our food, so I like to supplement with a multivitamin. I continue to take a prenatal vitamin as I am breastfeeding our little girl and my son takes a liquid multivitamin to help support his diet and make sure he is receiving all the necessary vitamins and minerals for his growth and development. Right now, I am loving this one from Best Nest Wellness for him.

• Use Essential Oils
  • I roll Thieves or frankincense on the bottoms of their feet every night. Essential oils are said to be most effective when used consistently so we never miss a night. It is part of our bedtime routine.
  • When I see any signs of sickness entering our house, I immediately diffuse thieves, purification or an allergy blend.
  • I also like to use a roller ball with purification along the spine when we are fighting an illness.
• See a Chiropractor – My children and I see a chiropractor 2x per month to support our immune systems. Dysfunctions and subluxations inside the body can actually cause a weakened Immune system. With a chiropractic adjustment to address the misalignments, our immune system is strengthened by up to 200% to help fight off a cold, flu or other illnesses.

• Ingest Elderberry – Elderberry has been used for hundreds of years to fight upper respiratory infections and boost immune systems. We like to begin taking some sort of elderberry supplement at the first sign of illness. This elderberry gummy recipe from Wellness Mama has been great for our son.
• Get Good Sleep – It is important to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night as adults and up to 12 hours of sleep for children to function normally. Not enough sleep can lead to stress on our bodies and eventually weaken our immune systems. When our bodies are fighting an illness, it is important to get a little more sleep than normal to allow our bodies to recover.

• Drink Lemon and Honey Water – When I am beginning to feel under the weather, one of the first things I turn to is hot lemon and honey water. Lemon is high in vitamin C to help fight infection and honey has been found to help soothe a cough. And when they are combined in hot water it helps soothe a sore throat. This may not be for everyone; however, I have found it to be so beneficial for me.
• Add Probiotics to our Diet – Gut health and our body’s microbiome has been linked to our overall health. There are certain strains of probiotics that have been shown to boost immunity, like L plantarum and L acidophilus, which can help protect us from the common cold or flu. I have read about so many benefits of probiotics including the role it can play in our immune system. My family has been slow to begin taking a probiotic consistently, however, this is something we are adding to our regimen this year. You can also find beneficial probiotics in fermented foods, like yogurt and sauerkraut.

These are just some of the ways we try to avoid or reduce the length of illness in our family. I hope you found it helpful. It is important to remember that these tips are what works for our family and may not be for everyone. Do you have any other ways that you like to support you and your family’s immune systems? I would love to know. Leave a comment below or connect with me on social media.