Healthy Home Tips – Keeping Sickness Away

Healthy Home Tips - Keeping Sickness Away is a timely blog for this time of year. Last week one of the LiLu staff children was hit hard with a virus and was over a week for full recovery.  Illness is hard no matter what age you are and even harder in little ones who can't yet communicate fully.  Getting Sick and illnesses are scary at any time but this time of year illness can be extra scary. Prevention is the first step in Keeping Sickness Away so we rounded up some of our favorite Healthy Home Tips this week for overall wellness in your home.

Wash Hand Regularly

Keeping Sickness Away can be as easy washing your hands regularly.  We know this sounds elementary but washing your hands often throughout the day with a good, antibacterial soap.  Some ingredients that ideal to look for in soap are tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil .
Here is a great link that has some good suggestions for soaps of 2019.  Be sure to check each one for the ingredients to ensure they are safe.

Laundry Soap with Antibacterial Properties

One great option to safe guard yourself and your family is to add thieves oil to your laundry soap.  It works best with powder detergent. Pour the detergent into a glass container and the essential oil up side down and let the oil spread through the detergent.  Then mix it together and enjoy the lasting benefits of antimicrobial benefits on all of your clothing.

Protect from Within

Elderberry syrup is one of the best ways to protect from within.  Our favorite one to drink is actually made by a local woman here in Minnesota but it is available on amazon...who doesn't love that!
WebMD says that the berries and flowers of elderberry are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system. They can help tame inflammation, lessen stress, and help protect your heart, too. Some experts recommend elderberry to help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms.

Eat your fruit and veggies

Simple eating is a great way to make sure you get your fruits and vegetables in.  Vitamins and Supplements are great but by basically eating well every day you can maintain a strong immune system which will help keep the sickness away.
Here are some great key points on the vitamins and nutrients from Eatwell.org:

• Protein is part of the body's defense mechanism. Eat a variety of protein foods including seafood, lean meat, poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products and unsalted nuts and seeds.
• Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system and protects from infections by keeping skin and tissues in the mouth, stomach, intestines and respiratory system healthy. Get this immune-boosting vitamin from foods such as sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, red bell peppers, apricots, eggs or foods labeled "vitamin A fortified," such as milk or cereal.
• Vitamin C protects you from infection by stimulating the formation of antibodies and boosting immunity. Include more of this healthy vitamin in your diet with citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit and tangerines, or red bell pepper, papaya, strawberries, tomato juice or foods fortified with vitamin C, such as some cereals.
• Vitamin E works as an antioxidant, neutralizes free radicals and may improve immune function. Include vitamin E in your diet with fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, almonds, vegetable oils (such as sunflower or safflower oil), hazelnuts and peanut butter
• Zinc helps the immune system work properly and may help wounds heal. Zinc can be found in lean meat, poultry, seafood, milk, whole grain products, beans, seeds and nuts.
• Other nutrients, including vitamin B₆, folate, selenium, iron, as well as prebiotics and probiotics, also may influence immune response.

Protect from Within

Vitamin D is another great way to protect yourself from within.  Taking a weekly or daily does of vitamin D helps to support your immune system. With sufficient levels of Vitamin D it helps to trigger your strong anti-microbial response which allows you to quickly and effectively fight off invaders before they can develop into full blown infections.
Probiotics are another great way to support your immune system and to keep the sickness away.  They support and strengthen the immune system and help keep the sickness away.  With a strong immune system, you are more likely to fight off diseases or recover faster.

Inspired by this month's Healthy Home Tips.  Catch up on some of these blogs for other Super Fun Tips and Information!
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Healthy Home Tips for Intentional Clean and Safe Living – Indoor Plants

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