Okay, so it is a little wild out there right now. I have said it before, and I will say it now. Our risk of getting sick largely depends on how our immune system is functioning. If your immune system is weak, you are more likely to “catch” whatever is floating around- anything from a little cold to COVID-19.
So, what can you be doing to help boost your immune system? I have included 5 items below that you can do, and the awesome thing is, most of them do not take much work!
1. PROPER HYDRATION.
Drinking adequate amounts of water is important for so many bodily functions! Winter is a time when we naturally drink less water, which makes proper hydration extra important! Dehydration results in the immune system becoming weaker.
We should be drinking between 8-10 8oz glasses of water a day. This allows for the body to flush out the toxins that we need to get rid of. But I think that striving for more an 64oz of water a day is a good thing!
An alternative to drinking water is to consume a higher amount of fruits and veggies that have high water content! You could also make a smoothie (preferably a green one) to boost your hydration as well! Check out this post that I did a few weeks ago about Gel Water! https://www.infinitelifechiro.com/post/water-hydration-gel-water It is super beneficial in making sure you maintain proper hydration!
What do you do to help make sure your little ones are getting enough water in a day?
2. ADEQUATE SLEEP
Sleep is when the body recovers from all of our stress. Recent clinical studies have found that sleep is also crucial part of a properly functions immune system.
How much sleep should we and our littles be getting?
6 month old ➡️ 14-15 hours 1-2 year old ➡️ 13-14 hours 3 year old ➡️ 12-13 hours 4 year old ➡️ 11-12 hours 5-9 year old ➡️ 10-11 hours 10-15 year old ➡️ 9-10 hours 16+ year old ➡️ 8 hours
This is just a recommendation. Some people require more sleep and other require less, but not too much less! Make sure to maintain as normal of a schedule as possible to continue to get the sleep that your body needs to stay healthy!
If your child is having a hard time falling asleep, especially with the change in activity maybe try:
• eliminating screen time an hour before bed • no homework right before bed • play soothing music or read books together
3. IMPROVE DIET
We all know what we should be eating and what we shouldn’t be eating, but that doesn’t make it any easier does it?
Make snack time easy by preparing fruits and veggies before it is snack time! If we need to cut up carrots, or wash grapes when Anna is asking for a snack, we are much more likely to go to the pantry instead of the fridge.
Try to eliminate any junk food and snack from your house. I know, that sound crazy right… well, maybe instead of completely getting rid of them, put them in a sealed tub in the top of the pantry so the kids cannot reach it and you have to think twice before just grabbing something.
Reduce your sugar intake as much as possible. Studies have shown a high intake of processed sugar adversely affects the immune system as it impairs the ability of white blood cells to sweep up and kill the bacteria.
What is one thing that you think you can implement with your family to improve your diet?
4. NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Taking your daily multivitamin is a great way of maintaining your immune system but in times when you want to boost your immune system, adding in some Vitamin D, a probiotic and Vitamin C can be super beneficial! Also, incorporating Elderberry Syrup into your regimen can help boost your immune system when you are feeling down! Let me know if you want the details of what we are doing to maintain our immune systems with supplements during this time!
5. CHIROPRACTIC CARE
When the body is functioning properly (no nerve interference), the body is strong and can overcome exposures to bacteria and viruses quicker and easier.
But when there are subluxations (misalignments in the spine resulting in nerve interference), the communication pathways are off, and our body may not be able to properly defend itself from an invader.
Chiropractic makes sure that the communication pathways are open and functioning properly by removing subluxations in the spine! This allows for our body to function optimally including a healthy immune system!
I have observed the effect of chiropractic adjustments on the immune system in clinical practice and in my family for many years and found that there does appear to be a positive effect. And this is why I will maintain my schedule as much as possible to serve you. And please do not make Jane being in the office the reason for you not coming. She gets adjusted regularly, like my whole family, and she also gets the amazing benefits of breastmilk!
Please let me know if you have any questions on how this works and if you are wanting to get on the schedule, please let me know and we will see what we can arrange with the current quarantine!
Please work on implementing as many of these as possible to help you and your family stay healthy! If you have any specific questions on any of the topics above, please let me know as I am here to serve you and your family!
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