How to Boost Your Child’s Immune System

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Caroline Borghetto May 11, 2021

We are coming into the colder months in Victoria, Australia. I am not originally a Victorian
and I still struggle with the biting cold! However, if we stayed inside all autumn and winter,
the six of us would all go stir-crazy! So, as the cool weather sets in I am always mindful of
ways to boost my kids immune systems, to protect them from all the lurgies going around
and not letting winter get the better of us. I thought I would share my list of ways to boost
your child’s immune system.

Sleep
Honestly, sleep is at the top of the list for a reason, we all know the deal and how
important it is but so many families don’t prioritise it. I won’t start on OUR sleep but I
would really encourage you to put sleep at number 1 for your kids. It is easier with the
shorter days and the weather being cold (I know in summer we aren’t as diligent with
sleep, too many extra fun hours of sunlight to enjoy!). There was a study which showed
that adults who had less than 5 hours of sleep per night were four times more likely to
catch a cold than adults who had over 7. That is a lot! Four times! So imagine our little
kids bodies, which are also managing all the growing, processing and learning while they
sleep.

Diet

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I can be a little obsessed about food and what we put in our bodies but you only have to
look at what Mother Nature provides us and you get blown away by what is on offer. Food
is medicine and one of the best ways to boost your child’s immune system. While I am
always pretty mindful of what we eat, I definitely tighten things up in the colder months to
focus on keeping all of our immune systems nice and strong. Let’s look at some of the
best foods to consume in autumn and winter and some to avoid.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. I know this is very broad, I will
refine this in a minute but generally upping the amount of these four things in your
kid’s diet is always going to be number one on the list. These magic four contain
antioxidants (which fight free radicals), vitamins, minerals and they generally reduce
inflammation (inflammation can supress the immune system) and improve gut
health. Let’s look a little closer and get a good shopping list going.
Vitamin C – Apricots, citrus fruits, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries,
blueberries, banana, kiwi fruit, pineapple, mango, honeydew, broccoli, sweet
potato, potato, cabbage, green & red capsicum, spinach/baby spinach, onion,
tomato, carrot, cucumber, parsley.
Beta-Carotene (powerful anti-oxidant) – Carrots, pumpkin, apricot, kale,
spinach, sweet potato, red capsicum.
Healthy Fats (fight inflammation) – Coconut oil (best for cooking), olive oil
(best for salads), salmon & Chia seeds.
Fermented foods – Yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi & kefir. You can also give them
a pro and pre biotic if you can’t get any of the fermented foods in. Remember
that many yogurts are full of sugar, so make sure you read the ingredients and
quantities, buy organic and consider what it is sweetened with. I find
Barambah Yogurt or Paris Creek to be fairly good compromises if you can get
your hands on them. My kids will happily eat both.
Superstar additions – Bone Broth (as a warm drink or soup base), Ginger,
Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar (the only vinegar we use on salads).
To avoid – Sugar, honestly, it supresses our immune systems and is damaging to
our brains (especially to developing little brains). In the colder months especially we
minimise sugar as much as possible. If you are using sweeteners, try organic maple
syrup or, worst case scenario, Coconut sugar or Panela sugar.

Vitamins & Supplements

Elderberry – immune booster for both preventative and at the onset of a cold (have
a read of this study). We use Sambucol Black Elderberry either syrup or lozengers
(you can get these at pretty much any chemist).
Echinacea – immune booster and great for upper respiratory infections and
reoccurring infections (have a read of this article). We use Kiwiherb Children’s
Echinature.
Vitamin C – during winter I try to get my kids to have this daily as a preventative.
There are plenty of crappy gummies etc with sugar, so consider the brand and
ingredients. An awesome Vitamin C boost for kids is Nutra Organics C Berry Blast
for Kids. I put this powder into smoothies or sprinkle on yogurt.

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 Colloidal Silver – Have a read of this article. We always have a high quality
Colloidal Silver in the house for many things. It is great at the onset of a cold or sore
throat.

Exercise & Vitamin D

Exercise is shown to boost immunity (among many other health benefits), so keep the
kids out and exercising through winter. Don’t give into the screens. The key for us is
having good clothing for the weather, good jackets, boots and beanies. Our bodies also
require Vitamin D to maintain an healthy immune system. So get them out, moving and in
the sunshine when you can.

Reduce Stress
Stress compromises the immune system. We have a teen in the house now and we
notice when there is a lot of stress going on for him he needs extra sleep and rest. I think
we forget about our kids stress sometimes but it is a big player in their health and
wellbeing. Exercise, sunshine, laughter and meditation are great ways to keep our kids
from feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

Essential Oils
Eucalyptus, clove, oregano and lemon oils are my favourites for keeping sickness and
germs away. I try to put them in my diffuser most nights and days through winter.

That’s a WRAP! These are our favourite and most successful ways of keeping our kids
well through winter. I hope you have enjoyed ‘How to Boost Your Child’s Immune System’
and I would love to hear about all the ways you boost your kids. Please share in the
comments or let us know if you found this post useful! Thank you for reading and please
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Summary

Article Name
How to Boost Your Child's Immune System

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Description
Natural ways to boost your child's immune system.
Author
Caroline Borghetto
Publisher Name
My Healthy Soul

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