My Fall Anti-Sickness Cocktail for Kids (10 Immune Boosters!)

Have you been looking for ways to boost your kids’ immune systems for the coming season? Here’s our tried-and-true cocktail for immune boosts in our home.

I’ve been wanting to share this post for a while, and in my mind it had a lot more humor, intelligent discourse, and general better writing.

Well… things have been busy around here! Anyone else?

So just pretend this is a highly entertaining, engaging list. In reality it is kind of just a list. But it is a good one! I’ve seen a big improvement in my kids’ overall health by using these products over the last year.

Because my son struggles with asthma, we feel a special urgency to be proactive against sickness.

Here are a few things that we do regularly!

Berries – The real deal! Berries are high in antioxidants and great immune-boosters. We buy a cherry/berry blend frozen and eat them all year long in oatmeal and smoothies. I buy them at Trader Joe’s! (See my complete Trader Joe’s shopping list here.)

Vitamin D drops
Hand-washing. This is not a cliche. It feels like we do this 20 times a day…definitely every time before we eat! I use a simple homemade hand soap, without harmful anti-bacterial products. If we don’t have access to water, I use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Juice Plus chewable fruits and vegetables. I first heard about Juice Plus from a homeopathic doctor, but held off buying for a year because we were on a tight budget. Finally, I was desperate, and tried it. We have been very pleased with the product. My kids love the chewables. It’s been proven that a fruits and vegetables-based diet is best for cell growth and renewal.
Cod Liver Oil – sounds gross, right? My kids actually ask for their “yummy medicine” daily!
Lots of sleep. Again, not a cliche. My kids are to bed early, and always rest during the day. Especially during times of illness, I don’t run them ragged – I prioritize them getting rest.
Culturelle Probiotics for kids – Healthy gut, healthy body! This formula is dairy-free…you can stir it into applesauce, juice, smoothies…
Limit sugar. My kids eat candy rarely, and I strongly limit processed sweets. If they catch a cold, I definitely don’t feed them sugared treats. Fruit is the snack!
Stay hydrated. We drink plain ol’ water, and plenty of it. I don’t do juice, because juice has sugars that can actually suppress the immune system.
Garlic – Garlic is a powerful anti-fungal and healer. I always add it to soups, and for an extra boost, you can mince some right over the bowl or dish you’re eating!