Well, I’ve been hearing LOTS of clients talk about it with their kids and last weekend it hit our house. The sniffles, the sore throat, the fever… Luckily it was just one my girls, but Ellie was hit with strep throat.

If you’re a parent, you know you all about the joys of trying to keep a clean and healthy home to avoid germs and sickness. But a lot of times those pesky outside forces still invade our home, bringing all sorts of lovely germies and microbes this time of year.

So let’s kick all that sickness to the curb! There are tons of things to do to reinforce the walls of your fortress, both by switching up the home environment and recruiting some super foods to your arsenal.

Turmer-huh?

It’s one of those little secrets that you may have heard about, but I’m here to spread the good news! Turmeric has been coined as an up-and-coming superfood, packed with antioxidants. If you can handle that mid-level heat, this natural anti-inflammatory can aid in the combat of coughing, congestion, and the big bad cold itself. You can find it multi-vitamins, supplement with it on its own, or use it in a natural state by throwing in a little with veggies or even a smoothie. Immunity boosted and you’re one step ahead of the rest!

Chicken Soup for the Healthy Soul

It doesn’t matter if you’re a kid or over the hill, chicken soup is timeless. And it kicks some major butt in the soup world. Not only does it act as an agent for staying hydrated and soothing a sore throat, but some beefed up soup loosens mucus and can even help treat bronchitis. The cooked chicken releases amino acids, aka the good stuff that helps builds up your immunity. As a bonus, you could also add a little turmeric to it!

“Wash Those Hands!”

This time of year, I say this on a daily basis to my girls as they leave for school. Washing your hands with soap and water for the length it takes to sing the ABCs is key to keeping germs away. Daily hand washing fights respiratory infections (aka common cold) and boosts your immune system by about 25%. It’s even higher for our kids. Who knew a little hot water would go so far?

If you just don’t have access to water, the next best bet is having hand sanitizer on hand. The Centers for Disease Control And Prevention recommend a sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. A couple good, natural-based sanitizers are Purell Naturals Advanced Hand Sanitizer and Burt's Bees Aloe & Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer.

Not only do I encourage my family to wash their hands, I also remind them not to touch their face with their hands – as in use your forearm if your nose itches or if you need to rub your eye! I’m sure you all know this, but it is a good reminder to spread to your family.

Touch Points

I’ll be the first to admit, I am not great with this one. I’m all over the kitchen counter, but I do forget the main touch points, so this is a good reminder to not forget about the things we grab: handles, knobs, light switches, etc. These easily build up with layers of germs and dirty culprits. Gross!

Enter sanitizing wipes & multi-surface cleaners. Posting a few of these containers or bottles throughout your home during the winter will keep everyone reminded of keeping the touch points as clean as possible.

As I mentioned some natural products above, I aim to improve my family’s health in any way that I can. I am slowly but surely making the switch to use as many toxic-free and naturally-based cleaners and products in our house as possible. My house isn’t 100% toxic-free by any means, but so far I’ve implemented this practice with my face wash, all my hair products, and my daily multi-surface cleaner. And to clean those touch points, my brand of choice is Method, and I love how it smells!

Really, it’s the little things that all add up to one big package of winter sickness combatants. Spreading your winterizing goals with your family will keep everyone aware of these preventatives and leave you all feeling happy and healthy with plenty enough time to watch some Rudolph and Frosty!

Let’s get FIRED UPP,

Nat

P.S. Check out Inner Fire, my Facebook Group, this week if you want more ideas on how to fight the winter germs. If you’re not a member already, just ask to join, we’d love to have you!

#fightwintersickness #avoidinggerms #improveimmunity #turmeric #washinghands #touchpoints #toxicfreeproducts