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10 Cold and Flu Home Remedies – When to Call the Doctor.

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The start of the new year is supposed to represent a clean and healthy slate. But for many, it will be the beginning of a week of nose-blowing and phlegm-hacking, as cold and flu symptoms are expected to peak during the first week of 2016. Experts at WebMD predict the 2015-16 cold and flu season will spike in early January, with the Atlantic, Southeast and Midwest regions set to experience the highest levels of cold and flu symptoms in the country.

It actually started early at our home as we have a house full of sick kiddos. As we head into the season of yuck, we hope the following tips, remedies and information will be found helpful to you! 

honey-lemon-ginger copy

10 Cold and Flu Home Remedies:

  1. Drink plenty of fluids to help break up your congestion. Drinking water or juice will prevent dehydration and keep your throat moist. You should drink at least 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water daily.  (Limit drinks with caffeine because they act like a diuretic and may dehydrate you.) Drink hot liquids. Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat.
  2. If you happen to be up in the middle of the night with a child that is coughing relentlessly, congested and miserable,  let them inhale steam to ease the congestion and drippy nose. Sit in the smallest bathroom you have with a shower running hot water and fill the room with stream.  Of course, a  room humidifier will can also do the job. If you are the one battling the flu, take a long, hot shower!
  3. Get your rest! Staying warm and resting when you first come down with a cold or the flu helps your body direct its energy toward the immune battle. This battle taxes the body. So give it a little help by lying down and bundling up.
  4. Sleep with an extra pillow under your head or sleep elevated in a chair. This will help relieve congested nasal passages.
  5.  Peppermint tea is laced with nutrients that help the body fight off illness. It also can act as an expectorant, helping the body to cough up mucous.
  6. Try thyme! Thyme is great when the mucous membranes are stuffed, the head aches, and the body is hot with fever. Cup your hands around a mug of thyme tea and breath in the steam. Make thyme tea by adding 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves to 1 cup boiling water. Let steep for five minutes while inhaling the steam. Strain the tea, sweeten with honey and slowly sip. Please note: honey is not intended for use by children under 12 months of age.
  7. I have heard wonders of the use of  essential oils to fight colds and flu. I have not tried them but it is something I would like to educate myself on.
  8. Cinnamon can help with congestion by stirring 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder into hot herbal tea.
  9. Coconut oil can help alleviate symptoms and even shorten the duration of the cold. Melted into tea or a broth, coconut oil can gently soothe a sore throat and ease coughing in addition to boosting immunity and fighting the virus directly.
  10. Take lots of Vitamin C to boost immune system and increase the number of white blood cells.

Do you have a favorite, tried-and-true home remedy? Please share with us in the comments below!

Lemon, Honey & Ginger Tea
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Ingredients
  1. Fresh lemon
  2. Fresh ginger
  3. Raw honey*
  4. Please note: Honey is not intended for use by children under 12 months of age.
Instructions
  1. Slice lemon into quarters and pack into jar
  2. Grate ginger, and add to lemon
  3. While stirring, fill jar with honey
  4. Mix 1-3 tbsp into hot water and drink like a tea.
Notes
  1. Honey: antibacterial, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral
  2. Ginger: antiviral, anti-inflammatory, aids digestion, effective against human respiratory syncytial virus
  3. Lemon: antiseptic, aids digestion, great source of calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids
Baton Rouge Moms http://batonrougemoms.com/

When to call the doctor:

For your child

Call 911 or other emergency services if:

  • Your child has severe trouble breathing. Signs may include the chest sinking in, using belly muscles to breathe, or nostrils flaring while your child is struggling to breathe.

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if your child:

  • Has a fever with a stiff neck, a severe headache, or a rash.
  • Is confused, does not know where he or she is, or is extremely sleepy or hard to wake up.
  • Has trouble breathing, breathes very fast, or coughs all the time.
  • Has signs of needing more fluids. These signs include sunken eyes with few tears, dry mouth with little or no spit, and little or no urine for 8 or more hours.

For you

Call 911 or other emergency services if:

  • You have severe trouble breathing.

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if you:

  • Have increased trouble breathing.
  • Have a fever with a stiff neck or a severe headache.
  • Feel extremely sleepy or confused.

sources: www.doctoroz.com, webmd.com, www.naturalnews.com

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, registered dietitian, or fitness expert. The purpose of this site is to share our experiences with food, fitness, and life. When it comes to your health, fitness, parenting, please be sure to do some research or contact your physician.

Flu Prevention: 8 Tips to Avoid the Flu

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The flu season is upon us, and there is no time like the present to adopt protective measures to keep colds or the flu at bay.   Unfortunately, many across the country seem to be catching the bug early on with reports of illness — particularly in the south –  New York, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama have been reporting widespread influenza — chiefly caused by H1N1 (swine flu) that is more likely to sicken younger adults than the elderly. A new report from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says Louisiana is among ten states in the US where the flu is widespread meaning more than half the state is reporting flu activity.

The CDC reports more than 1,600 new cases in Louisiana last week.

At least five people have died from flu in Texas — all from swine flu. Health authorities say this year’s flu vaccine can prevent swine flu and several other flu strains, if people get vaccinated. Flu vaccination is a whole separate {hot} topic.Last year, according to the CDC, only 45 percent of Americans got the flu shot.

cold-and-flu-prevention

Flu or Cold? Know the Differences:

{click on image to enlarge or download for a full page PDF}

Flu or Cold?

Helpful tips to prevent the cold or flu…

  • Washing Hands – The advice we have all heard a thousand times is still our best defense to keep away sickness. The simple act of washing hands is something most of us do every day without much thought. There really is an art to keeping hands clean. Washing prevents disease and promotes wellness. Use warm, soapy water and rub hands for 15 to 20 seconds. Sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice while rubbing, to keep track of the time.
  • Strengthen your immune system before it comes under attack.– Keeping yourself in top health and strengthening your immune system will help keep the flu and colds at bay. Probiotics will do wonders to boost the immune system! Echinacea and zinc help protect against colds too. Vitamin C is an essential year-round immune system booster.
  • Eat Garlic, and lots of it! – Garlic may have some infection-fighting capability. In laboratory tests, researchers have seen garlic work against bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
  • Clean surfaces – I never walk into a grocery store without cleaning the grocery cart handle FIRST! Products such as hand sanitizer, wipes and sprays can do the trick! I never leave home without my travel sized Lysol wipes. Clean doorknobs, counter-tops, faucet handles, kitchen appliances, cell phones and the TV remote. 
  • Have your Vitamin D levels checked – If you or your child (like mine) seem to get any passing bug, you might want to consider the possibility of Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D can help those with asthma and other chronic lung conditions. A recent study showed  that people with the lowest vitamin D levels report having significantly more cases of cold and flu than those with higher levels. Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sunlight and is also found in fortified foods such as milk.
  • Get plenty of exercise – Exercise boosts the immune system by clearing out the lymph system. It also boosts mood which is a protective factor in the prevention of illness.
  • Cut down on sugar – Simple sugars, including glucose, table sugar, fructose, and honey caused a fifty- percent drop in the white blood cells ability to resist infections for several hours. Read more on the harmful effects of sugar.
  • Get your Z’s – According to Sleep Doctor Michael Breus, Ph.D. “There’s a significant body of research showing immune function is tied closely to the body’s 24-hour circadian clock,” says Breus. “When sleep is deprived, this cycle is weakened and disrupted, and the immune system suffers.” Research shows that even mild sleep deprivation is associated with deterioration in immune function. “The impact of even a few nights of disrupted sleep on immune function can linger even after sleep levels have improved,” he says.

Keep your immune system strong, protect yourself, wash hands, eat well and get your Z’s to prevent illness from striking! Check back  for Wellness Wednesday, we are share 10 tips for treating the flu naturally!

How do you protect your family from the flu virus?

Sources: webmd.com

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, registered dietitian, or fitness expert. The purpose of this site is to share our experiences with food, fitness, and life. When it comes to your health, fitness, parenting, please be sure to do some research or contact your physician.