5 Ways To Naturally Boost Your Child’s Immunity

With the changing of seasons there is bound to be a whole slew of germs making their way to your little one. 

School has begun, the weather is getting cooler, and the leaves are collecting mold and pollen. 

That usually leads to one thing…sick days. But you can get in front of the sniffles by boosting your child’s immunity, and we can show you how to do it with no pricey gimmicks.  

Immunity is the body’s ability to resist infection, giving your child the strength to fight off any germs they encounter before it has them in bed watching Frozen for the hundredth time. 

This isn’t to say that your child will never get sick; that’s a rite of passage. And any information expressed below is not meant to take the place of a medical professional.

With that being said, here are 5 ways you can naturally boost your child’s immunity.

  1. Eat your veggies

Parents often say to kids, “Now be sure to eat all your fruits and vegetables so you can grow big and strong.”

Well, now you can add a bit about eating them so you can avoid feeling bad. 

Carrots, green beans, oranges, and strawberries all have immunity-boosting phytonutrients and carotenoids, according to Dr. Sears, author of The Family Nutrition Book. 

If you are having trouble getting your picky eater to down enough of the good stuff to stay healthy try adding finely chopped or purée vegetables to their favorite meals, as Mommy Underground has previously reported. 

  1. Get some good shut-eye

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that kids are edgy and vulnerable to sicknesses when they aren’t sleeping the recommended amount of time for their age each night. 

Kathi Kemper, M.D., director of the Center for Holistic Pediatric Education and Research at Children’s Hospital, in Boston tells Parents that sleep deprivation can make you more susceptible to sicknesses by reducing the “natural killer cells” that attack microbes and cancer cells. 

Exactly how much sleep is that? Parents reports:

A newborn may need up to 18 hours of crib time a day, toddlers require 12 to 13 hours, and preschoolers need about 10 hours. “If your child can’t or won’t take naps during the day, try to put her to bed earlier.”

  1. Increase breast-feeding

Breast milk contains immunity-boosting properties that a child can’t get from any other medicine or food, as Mommy Underground has previously reported.

There are so many illnesses your breast-milk can treat for your little one. Parents reports:

Breast milk contains turbo-charged immunity-enhancing antibodies and white blood cells. Nursing guards against ear infections, allergies, diarrhea, pneumonia, meningitis, urinary tract infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Studies show that it may also enhance your baby’s brain power and help protect her against insulin-dependent diabetes, Crohn’s disease, colitis, and certain forms of cancer later in life.”

It is optimal to breast-feed for at least the first year, but nursing beyond that still provides protective properties for your growing tot.

  1. Get moving 

Exercise strengthens more than those biceps. 

Ranjit Chandra, M.D., a pediatric immunologist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, says that exercise increases the number of natural killer cells in adults as well as children, according to Parents.

Getting children to exercise is easy if you join them. Being a good role-model is the best way to get an active family. 

A family who exercises together, stays healthy together. 

  1. Arm yourself

Sickness is spread through germs. When you protect your children from ever getting in contact with them it allows the immune system to stay strong by not being tested. 

The most simple and effective way to guard your children from the nasty little boogers hiding on every surface is to wash their hands often. 

Wipe down surfaces and toys that other children have come into contact with, and have them dry their hands with their own towel (each child having their own color can help with confusion).

One expert tip that not many people know involves a toothbrush. Barbara Rich, D.D.S., says, “If your child does get sick, throw out her toothbrush right away,” reports Parents.

As parents we want to do all we can to protect out little ones from predators on the outside and on the inside. 

Take these easy steps to give your child fun fall memories of jumping in leaves rather than watching children laugh from the window while they finish off a box of tissues. 

Please let us know in the comments section if you have any preventative measures that you take to keep your children healthy.