Let’s face it, one of our mom fears of traveling during the winter is the fear that someone in the family will get sick before or during the trip. We do everything we can to prevent it and we freak out if we see sniffles! I want to give you my tips on how I keep this from happening.
The first step is building up your entire family’s immune system way before the trip even happens. That includes you! As mom’s we tend to forget about ourselves as we try to keep the kids from catching anything. Take care of yourself too! You can fight off viruses so much easier than if you wait to start in with supplements once you are already sick. At the point when you are already sick the body has much more work to do. If you have the immune system built up, then that virus may not be able to get itself past your body’s first defense. Here are some ways to do that. And I know that some of these are easier said than done. Just do your best.
- Get enough rest
- Reduce stress
- Eliminate sugar, or as much as possible
- Eat a healthy diet
- Stay hydrated
- Take probiotics
- Take Vitamins C and D, both are immune system builders
- Take Elderberry syrup: *In a study of 60 patients suffering from flu-like symptoms, elderberry syrup relieved symptoms four days earlier than a placebo syrup (Zakay-Rones et al., 2004) *An in vitro study has shown elderberry extract (Sambucol) inhibits replication of Influenza A and B (Zakay-Rones et al., 1995).
You can find elderberry syrup or gummies over-the-counter at most stores now. A popular brand is Sambucol. It’s on Amazon here: Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup You can also make your own with a good recipe. That’s what I do. Feel free to ask me if you want a recipe that has the correct dosage. 🙂 *Edited to add….my recipe is below. Click the download button.
When I am planning a trip during this time of year I pack a little differently. I don’t go crazy because I don’t pack heavy, but I make sure to bring our vitamins and EmergenC packets, Ibuprofen or Tylenol, and some Benadryl. I also pack my essential oils. I have a travel diffuser for the room that plugs into a USB. My must have essential oils are Onguard (or Thieves.. or whatever anti-germ type blend you use), Lavender, and Peppermint. I have a few roller blends I bring too, but I won’t go into everything and bore you all. Feel free to comment with questions on recipes or more info if you are interested. You can also visit my other blog Jenn’s Naturals for more ideas.
I would encourage you to do these things even if you aren’t planning a trip right now. Boosting the immune system is just a good idea this time of year anyway. Of course, those nasty viruses aren’t always easy to defeat, so sometimes despite our best efforts someone gets sick anyway. We cross that bridge if we get there. In part 2 of this blog post I will discuss what to do during the trip.
As always, if you aren’t booked yet and would like to be, please fill out our form to get connected with one of us. We would love to help you!
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References:
Zakay-Rones, Z., Thom, E., Wollan, T., & Wadstein, J. (2004). Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections. Journal Internal Medical Research, 32, 132-140
Zakay-Rones, Z., Varsano, N., Zlotnik, M., Manor, O., Regev, L., Schlesinger, M. (1995). Inhibition of several strains of influenza virus in vitro and reduction of symptoms by an elderberry extract during an outbreak of influenza B panama. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 1, 361-369.
