Cold and Flu Care

Thriving Through the Season with Colds and Flu

Taking care of sick children can be a rather challenging aspect of being a parent. Waking up in the middle of the night to the sounds of your child's cough, feeling your child's feverish body against yours, and cleaning up vomit is something you may be familiar with. We all knew there would be times like this in our parenting experience. It's inevitable that kids get sick. It's a necessary part of growing up, a normal part of childhood.

The general belief is that kids "catch" colds and flu from viruses that are circulating in the air or passed from others. Many people talk about a cold or flu "going around" as if it were making the rounds infecting every child in its path. The reality is that out of all the children exposed to the virus, only a portion of these children will get sick to some degree and others will not succumb to the disease at all. This is because viruses and bacteria are not the sole cause of disease.

There is much more going on behind the scenes in your child's body. The "cause" of the illness is not just the bacteria or virus; there are many factors involved. The internal environment of the body determines whether a child will be susceptible to colds, flu or any other illness. Germs will only lead to illness when the body is out of balance and immunity is weakened.

Yes, germs in the form of bacteria and viruses do play a part in illness, but in order to survive and become active enough to cause symptoms, these germs first need to have an environment that nourishes them. They survive and proliferate from feeding off the wastes and toxins that accumulate in the body. The immune system responds with inflammation, triggering an inflammatory response. Vomiting, rash, diarrhea, fever, runny noses, and coughs are signs that the body has begun its process of healing - dispelling the wastes, virus, and accumulated toxins from the body.

In order for the body to generate a sufficient and complete healing response, the immune system needs to be strong and functioning at its best. Factors that contribute to a weakened immune system include poor nutrition, stress, an unhealthy mental or emotional state, and excessive toxins.

There is plenty you can do to strengthen your child's immune system and overall health and vitality. The best approach is to provide a healthy environment right from the start. A baby needs to be nourished during the entire pregnancy with organic, whole foods and lots of love, birthed in a peaceful, welcoming environment, then exclusively breastfed and nurtured immediately upon entering the world.

Long-term breastfeeding is, by far, the most important thing you can do. Breastmilk provides the nutritional and immune factors crucial to building and maintaining healthy immunity. Breastfeeding into the toddler, or even the preschool years, provides the physiological and emotional factors necessary to develop and boost the immune system.

Also vitally important is good nutrition - plenty of fresh, whole foods. Processed foods place a burden on the immune system and create more of a toxic environment within the body.