Back to School - Learn Cold and Flu Natural Prevention

Back To School: Learn Cold and Flu Natural Prevention

Back to School Means Time to Learn: Cold and Flu Natural Prevention

As our kids go back to school, we can all “hit the books” and study  Cold and Flu Natural Prevention.  It happens every year.  If you’re on social media, you see the back-to-school photos of kids dressed like GAP models with brand new backpacks.  Soon after, you notice more and more friends frustrated that their kids are getting sick.  There’s just no denying that those kids are exchanging germs along with ideas in the classroom.

At some point years ago, I learned about the Secret, aka the “Law of Attraction” (look for it on Netflix).  My kids and I had recently been really sick.  There’s nothing harder on a mama than seeing your kids sick and being sick as a mother is also hard.  I never wanted to experience the combination again, so I wrote on my vision board: “I am grateful for my kids and I not getting sick anymore”. With that, wellness became my conscious intention and I somehow started acquiring information that is now my  “advice” for staying well.

Let me teach you how I went over five years without catching the cold and flu that plagued everyone around me.

I’ve thought about posting an article about natural prevention for cold and flu for awhile.  I think I’m kind of an expert on the subject.  I recently went over five years (including an entire pregnancy) without getting sick once.  Part of my hesitation in sharing this information is fear of jinxing myself.  I would feel really silly putting this post up and catching a cold the following week.  I have had a number of people request this information, though and the focus of my blog is to help others with what I have learned, so here goes:

You might think I only managed to stay well for so long because I’m not exposed to much, but during this time frame, I was literally the only person in my office to NOT get sick on a number of occasions (even with the flu and strep going around), I had boys in public school, I had a toddler who was passed around to different sitters, I traveled quite a bit, etc.  Trust me when I say there is plenty of exposure.

You might think I was blessed with a good immune system. Maybe, but before I learned what I’m about to share, I caught EVERYTHING that went around (sometimes twice) even though I have always been health conscious, eaten pretty well and exercised somewhat regularly.

Cold and Flu Natural Prevention:  9 Tips I Learned Along the Way

Tip 1:  Quality Supplements

Take good, quality whole food supplements every day. Make sure you take a good multivitamin with extra B and probiotics.  I have a strong opinion on what works, and filling your nutritional gaps isn’t something you should take lightly.  Contact me for recommendations.

Tip 2:  Clean with Alcohol

Use 90% isopropyl alcohol liberally. I used to clean with bleach and spray everything with disinfecting spray. Then one day, I saw what I had cleaned under a black light.  We lived in an old apartment and the light switches had glowing “green” residue under the blacklight.  I was alarmed and started experimenting with generous amounts of every cleaner and disinfectant known to man.  The ONLY cleaner/disinfectant that made the glowing particles go away was 90% alcohol.  Seriously!  Wipe your countertops, faucets, handrails, etc. with alcohol. 70%-90%. Daily.  You can buy it at your local grocer and will even save money on your cleaning supplies. (Some surfaces can’t hold up to alcohol, so patch-check an inconspicuous spot first).

Tip 3:  Astragalus Root

Take astragalus every day.  More if you’re around sick people or feel something coming on.  To emphasize the importance of taking astragalus daily, consider this:   The only times I have been sick over the last decade, I was not taking astragalus. Also, I think my teens get sick still (a few times per year) because they’ll only take supplements once they’re already sick.  Astragalus Root is shown to stimulate the white blood cells that fight infection, as well as offering a host of other benefits.  As with all supplements, it may take 6-8 weeks to reach full effectiveness.  (Click here to buy on amazon affiliate link).

Tip 4:  Wash Your Hands

This one is SO obvious, and yet there are people out there not doing it.  The first thing I have my kids do when they get home from school is to wash their hands.  Wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer OFTEN.  If you don’t do it for you, do it for the people you love – or even out of compassion for strangers.

Tip 5:  Essential Oils

Use essential oils every day.  They are both antiviral and antibacterial.  For the littles, it is easy to use essential oils at bath time.  For myself, I put them in a carrier oil and apply it every day after my shower.   It doesn’t seem to matter which oils I use as long as they’re high quality. Let me know if you want suggestions.  My five- year-old has only been sick three times in his life – he had my supplements while I was pregnant and breastfeeding, but really just the oils since.  (If you sell quality essential oils, please feel free to put your link in the comments).  I also diffuse essential oil next to my bed nightly (click on the photo to purchase (affiliate link)).

My favorite essential oil combination for immunity includes cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemon, and rosemary.  Tea tree is is also amazing.  Lavender is the only essential oil I feel comfortable recommending for babies and young children.  Lavender is wonderful for a bedtime bath and also has antiseptic/antibacterial properties.  Click here to check out the Pinterest Board where I collect essential oil recipes and usage charts.

Tip 6:  Alkalinize

Do something to keep your body alkaline.  Lemon-water or apple cider vinegar are considered the most alkalizing foods.  I have one or the other daily.  This is the apple cider vinegar I use (I buy it locally for less money):

Lots of veggies will also increase your alkalinity.  Click here to go to a link to an alkalinizing green beverage I recommend (and enjoy daily), or view the list linked in this Twitter post for more ideas.

I have a Pinterest Board where I collect alkaline food lists and recipes.  Click here to check it out.

Tip 7:  Get Your Lymph Moving

Your lymphatic system is a crucial part of your immune system.  Like the circulatory system, the lymphatic system moves fluid around, except there is no heart to pump it.  The only way to keep that lymphatic fluid moving is to move your muscles.  Aim for 30 minutes of walking or other cardiovascular exercise daily.  I wrote a blog post about foam rolling and how foam rolling can be used to better health.  Click here to read it.

Tip 8:  Coconut Oil

If you know you’ve been exposed to illness, up the amount of apple cider vinegar, astragalus, and lemon and start adding coconut oil to the regime to help your body in its fight. Organic, virgin coconut oil destroys viruses.  I stir spoonfuls into my tea at the first sign of a scratchy throat and the illness never manifests.  My kids refuse to take it like this, and you can find lots of ways to add coconut oil to recipes your kids will love.  I plan to write a full blog post about this health wonder.  Until then, check out the raving reviews of this product by clicking on the photo below (affiliate link):

Tip 9:  Elderberry and Zinc

If you do get sick, take elderberry and zinc at the onset of symptoms to get better fast.  Zinc taken within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms has been shown to lessen the severity of symptoms by stopping the virus from replicating.  In one study, sick adults who took elderberry four or five times a day for five days recovered four days faster than those not taking elderberry.   I really like these gummies because it is so easy to get your kids to take it.  (We start taking them if anybody in the house has ANY symptoms.)  As with all supplements, check with you doctor for dosage and recommendations.  Click on the photo or hyperlink to go to my amazon affiliate link for this product.

To Buy:  amazon.com, $13.42

Cold and Flu Natural Prevention Summary

  1. Quality Multivitamin Supplements, Extra B, and Probiotics
  2. Clean with Alcohol
  3. Astragalus Root
  4. Wash Your Hands
  5. Essential Oils
  6. Alkalinize
  7. Get Your Lymph Moving
  8. Coconut Oil
  9. Elderberry and Zinc

That summarizes my Cold and Flu Natural Prevention Tips.  Some other things that I know to work:  Colloidal Silver and Saunas.  What are your top tips for staying healthy during flu season?

Marcy Vogler is a lifestyle makeover coach, personal trainer, and mother of three.  Marcy is passionate about helping men and women make over their lives from the inside out.  To learn more about the courses Marcy offers, check out our parter website at www.thegoodlife4u.club.  For daily inspiration, join Marcy’s Facebook Group:  Love Your Day, Love Your Life.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We have made it easy to save or share this article if you have found it helpful or know someone who it would help. Click on any of the share buttons on the left or hover over any photo to save to Pinterest. Also notice that there is a YouTube video for sharing below.  I like to use the hashtags #thegoodlife4us #thegoodlife4everyone #commoncold #fluseason #naturalremedies #cold #flu #prevention #cures #backtoschool #supplements #alcohol #astragalus #washyourhands #essentialoils #lemons #acv #alkaline #lymph #coconutoil #elderberry #zinc #wellness #homeremedies #germs #colloidalsilver #sauna

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