these 10 things a day keep the Doctor away!

'tis the season...

...for lots and lots of germs all around you and for all kinds of viruses making their rounds. Now don't get me wrong, I am not one of those paranoid people that take their sanitizer along everywhere and don't shake any one's hand or touch anything in public.
However I do have a child with asthma and I know that getting sick means inviting long nights of staying up with tons of asthma attacks into my home.
And lets face it people, even if you or your child do not have asthma who wants to be sick for the Holidays?
So here are some things that we do in our house that have helped us keep colds away.
Now I am not saying that you will never get the sniffles again if you do all of this, but I can tell you that when one of us does start to feel a little under the weather (and that happens maybe once or twice a year) then there are a few simple things we do to get back to good health without it ever hitting us so hard that we feel really awful and sick. So here are the 10 things that in my opinion help to stay healthy throughout the winter:

1 - eat fresh! At least 2 servings of fruit and veggies each a day! This goes especially for your kids!

2 - get at least one hour of fresh air a day. Best is running or walking or some sort of active play. Even when it is raining...one hour is the minimum to get a lot of good clean air in your lungs!

3 - get enough sleep. I know that especially during the Holidays things can be hectic and it is hard to get enough sleep, but for kids in particular it is important to get all the sleep they need because a tired body is weak and unable to fend off anything harmful.

4 - keep limits on the sugar intake! As much as candy and all kinds of treats go hand in hand with the Holidays...it is important to keep up your vitamin intake. So do indulge in the good stuff, but don't overdo it!

5 - wash your hands! In this season more then in any other make sure you and your little ones wash hands as often as you can. This is a great way to keep germs at a minimum.

6 - Open the windows at least twice a week! Now I do this every other day, because fresh air is just that important. Let fresh air into all of your rooms, but especially the rooms you sleep in!

7 - Keep Media-time to a minimum. No more then two hours a day! A body that just sits and is not actively working, thinking or playing will eventually get tired and unmotivated. Use the rainy and cold "indoor" days to spend time making cards, puzzling playing board games or baking...you get the point.

8 -Laugh! They say laughter is the best medicine and they are right :). Keeping a positive outlook and not letting the stress overwhelm you is important to your health!


9 - DO disinfect, so that existing germs don't even get the chance to hop from one to the other person in your house. I like to use Lysol disinfectant spray, cause it is handy and fast to use. Make sure you get all the surfaces that get touched a lot like your doorknobs, phones, keyboard, computer mouse, toilets, light switches, remotes...you know what I mean, right? Now I don't mean go around the whole house every day and use a whole can of Lysol in the war against germs... every couple of days will do and you don't have to go nuts over spraying.

10 - If you do start feeling a little sniffle don't choke down every medication you can find against a cold. Maybe take some cold medicine before you go to sleep, so your body can actually rest. Eat vitamin c rich fruit like oranges. Take some vitamins on the side as well. Try to keep warm, at all times. (This is not for when you or your child have a fever). Drink onion-juice...disgusting...but it helps! You cut up an onion and smother it in honey, let stand over night, or for 8 hours and then separate out the juice and drink it....yum ;)

Now good luck, no health throughout the winter!

Nadine