01 Sep Is Your Child Sick Of Getting Sick?

Disease causing viruses or bacteria can enter your child’s body simply by breathing or eating! Fortunately, only a few of these, particularly viral, ‘pathogens’ result in a cold or flu because your child is equipped with an immune system specifically designed to fight off unwanted invaders. That said, is your child one of the may kids, for whom a string of colds and flu is a way of life in winter? Perhaps getting rid of the seemingly endless sniffles, sneezing and sore throats seems like an unachievable ideal. Fortunately, it is possible to improve their immune system function and reduce the frequency and severity of those nasty winter lurgies with a bit of awareness and some simple strategies.

Healthy gut – healthy immune system!

Did you know that approximately 70% of your immune system is located in your digestive system? This emphasises how important it is to also look after your gut health. Many people are aware that certain probiotics can support digestion, but did you know there are specific probiotics that support a healthy immune system? The beneficial strains, Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL 9, Lactobacillus paracasei 8700:2 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG®) all help enhance immune system function, making this combination a valuable aid to winter wellness. As a healthy immune system is supported by the right microbial balance in your gut, speak to your Practitioner about which probiotic combination is the most appropriate, to help overcome your immune system concerns.

Prevention beats cure every time

If your chid is stressed out, unfit, run down and/or consuming a nutritionally poor diet, they are likely contributing to the demise of their immune systems defences and setting them self up to succumb to one of the viruses floating around. Therefore, preparing the immune system to withstand this winter’s lurgies begins with a few simple foundational strategies:

• Reduce stress – being stressed reduces immune system function, so make sure you incorporate regular time-out, meditation and/or ‘green’ time, such as walking outdoors or playing with pets;
• Enjoy regular exercise – remaining active reduces the risk of contracting a cold by up to 46%;
• Sleep – aim for 7 to 8 hours each night to restore energy and increase resilience;
• Eat your vegies (and fruits!) – at least three cups of fresh vegetables and/or salad, plus two serves of fresh fruit every day! Fill your plate with a rainbow of colour to ensure an abundance of essential nutrients and antioxidants that will help support healthy immune system cells; and
• Regularly wash your hands – simple soap and warm water helps reduce cross-contamination with unwell people.

Marvelous medicinal mushrooms

If you are one of those people that experiences recurrent infections then your immune system could benefit from some more specific additional support. The advantage of natural medicine is that it is not just to treat illness, but improve your own natural immune defences. For example, the

immune-boosting medicinal mushrooms include cordyceps, coriolus, shiitake and reishi – four, not only traditionally used, but widely-studied and clinically proven mushrooms available. Individually, each species of mushroom has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in immune enhancement, to help resolve chronic, and/or recurrent infectious conditions. What’s more, this combination of mushrooms provides symptomatic relief of upper respiratory tract infections, including reducing mucus congestion. But that’s not all…