Health

Tips For Keeping Your Family Healthy This Winter

 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Food Lion for IZEA Worldwide. All opinions are 100% mine.

There is nothing I dread more than waking one of my kids up for school in the morning, only to discover they aren’t feeling well. Every time I inform one of my children’s teachers that they will be staying home sick that day, the response is always that there are also many other students home sick. When you have kids in school they are constantly being exposed to different sicknesses and bringing them back home. The winter months are some of the toughest days for parents and I am always looking for ways to keep us free from the many colds that get spread around school. As parents, the last thing any of us want is for our children to get sick and miss school and activities. So without further ado, here are some helpful tips for keeping your family healthy this winter!

Boost Your Immune System

There are so many simple and effective ways to boost your family’s immune system! Immune boosting foods and drinks will keep your body well-nourished, so when viruses do strike… the immune system has fuel to work efficiently and fight off the virus! Some common and easy to find immune boosting foods are garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, elderberry, fresh green vegetable juices and foods packed full of vitamin C such as orange slices or pomegranate seeds. Fermented food and drink is also very important to keep healthy. Our family is especially fond of kombucha and there are so many different flavors and varieties out there now. 

Make Sleep A Priority

I am a mom of three, my kids do after school activities and most nights the bedtime ritual is a nightmare… I get it! I am not talking about a strict bedtime schedule, just make sure that your children are getting a good stretch of sleep as often as possible and that they don’t get worn out and exhausted from lack of sleep. Sleep is how our bodies repair and heal during the night, so you have to make sure your child is getting enough sleep during cold and flu season. If your child is having a difficult time unwinding at the end of the day, try diffusing some essential oils like lavender or chamomile before bed.

Eliminate Stress

There are going to be moments during the school year where your child is so overwhelmed with school work, activities and life that you find yourself having to make a decision… which is more important, their school work or their health? I found myself sitting at the dining room table one night with a crying 10 year old that was coming home each day with loads of work and little time to be a kid. In that moment I dropped my hands and said you know what… go be a kid! Run around the yard, play a game, draw a picture… let’s eliminate that stress! Stress is one of the biggest immune system busters and when we are under stress, the immune function is greatly impaired. Your body can’t actually tell the difference between different types of stress… so unfortunately the body reacts to over-scheduling activities the same way it reacts to a food we are sensitive/allergic to or an emotional worry we are thinking about. Our body responds and reacts the same to all three of these very different type stressors and when the body is in a stress response, the immune function declines. So remind yourself of this when your child’s life starts to get overwhelming during the school year and make sure to stay protective of your child’s schedule as much as possible.

Wash Hands Frequently

Tips For Keeping Your Family Healthy This Winter

Washing your hands with soap is widely seen as the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Did you know that you can reduce your chances of catching a cold by 45% if you simply wash your hands!?  Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community.

Tips For Keeping Your Family Healthy This Winter

Showing your child how to properly wash their hands is the most crucial step!  While this may seem pretty straight forward, here are five steps that you should take every time you are washing your hands:

  1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
  2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
  3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
  4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
  5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Tips For Keeping Your Family Healthy This Winter

Staying healthy and practicing proper hand washing techniques is important all year long and the CDC recommends that every person wash their hands during the following occasions:

  • Before, during, and after preparing food
  • Before eating food
  • Before and after caring for someone who is sick
  • Before and after treating a cut or wound
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
  • After using the toilet
  • After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
  • After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
  • After touching garbage.

Tips For Keeping Your Family Healthy This Winter

We love these bottles of CareOne hand soap and keep several next to all the bathroom sicks, as well as the kitchen sink. I scored these smaller bottles for less than a dollar each and even purchased a large refill bottle so we do not run out this winter!

Tips For Keeping Your Family Healthy This Winter

Be Prepared

You didn’t think you were going to make it the entire school year free of colds did you? Unfortunately sometimes all it takes is one sneeze in your child’s direction and they are crippled with a cold shortly after. That is why it is important to make sure you are prepared when those dreaded colds hit. I recently made a trip to one of my local Food Lion and stocked up one some of our family’s favorite and must have CareOne items.

Tips For Keeping Your Family Healthy This Winter

CareOne is a brand of over-the-counter healthcare and personal care products that is a conversion from the original Healthy Accents brand. CareOne offers a full array of clinical healthcare and personal care products that, at a minimum, deliver the same efficacy and quality as national brands. But what I love most about this brand is that they are always at a lower price than the name brand products! This allows me to stock up on all the necessary essentials while saving loads of money! If you want to learn more about their products, I encourage you to visit the website.

Tips For Keeping Your Family Healthy This Winter

​Why do I opt to purchase this brand? Well they are endorsed by pharmacists, they are affordable, they offer double your money back guarantee, and CareOne is the one brand to provide clinical solutions for all the everyday healthcare needs of my family that I can find conveniently at my grocery store… no need to go out of my way to get these products! They are available exclusively at Food Lion, so make sure to grab a few items during your next shopping trip. For More Information about Food Lion’s Private Brand labels click here

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