In the winter, we do everything we can to keep our boys healthy. Doesn’t every mom want this?!
If you have been following me for long, you have learned how important thinking about illness from a holistic perspective is to me.
That means mind and body support and prevention strategies that help our bodies stay as strong as possible.
For us, that means focusing on the basics – drinking lots of water, getting lots of rest, eating fermented foods daily (maybe not basic for you yet, but easily can be!), monitoring sugar and processed foods, increasing our veggie intake and moving our body. Mom and dad also work on stress management, because stress increases inflammation and inflammation increases illness and disease risk.
1. First up is we clear out the nares with xlear nasal spray.
This is something I learned about from Functional Medicine Pediatrician, Dr. Elisa Song. We have been doing it for a couple years now.
Xlear is a nasal spray composed of xylitol and grapefruit seed extract which are great at fighting germs. We use this nightly to help clear out our nares before bed, because germs can take 12-24 hours to colonize. Simply spray two times in each nare and then blow the nose.
It is safe to use and not addictive, so can be used multiple times throughout the day, if needed. We make sure to increase our use if we have been around someone that is ill.
Additionally, if we are congested this is great. When my kids get up in the morning if they are congested, I use this to help clear out all the gunk from overnight.
On a side note, I recently learned this can be helpful in preventing ear infections.
We do this year round, but it is extra helpful during those peak illness months.
2. Second thing we do is an essential oil blend on the bottom of my boys feet (then cover with socks)
I am a lover and believer of essential oils and my boys have grown up using them. If they have any sort of ouchy, they ask if I have an oil for it.
The blend I make is great at supporting the immune system and is a slight variation of one I learned about from Season Johnson, who is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and momma who helped support her son through cancer.
We take a 10 ml roller bottle and add Oregano, On Guard, Lemon, Melaleuca and Frankincense. Fill the rest with fractionated coconut oil.
I typically have a second bottle made up that I also add 10 of Peppermint, Orange, Cypress and Cedarwood to that I switch to if a cold is coming on.
Do you use essential oils in your home?
**Some of these links may be affiliate links. Embrace Wellness LLC is a participant in various affiliate programs designed to provide a means to earn advertising fees by linking to products they trust and recommend. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same and in some cases less, but Embrace Wellness may receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps us maintain this work!