Natural Help During Cold & Flu Season
It's cold & flu season, but that isn't a problem in our home! Some of our fave cold / flu busters?
Eating as much organic, REAL food as possible. You are what you eat-- I LOVE the job Michael Pollan did HERE with his book, and HERE with the documentary, and what a difference in overall health it makes to cut out as much processed and unknown 'food' items you consume.
Our general rules of thumb? Choose the Organic, Non-GMO options with each item, buy mainly fresh food items (all the foods that do NOT need a list of ingredients on the back), and when buying anything that does have a list of ingredients-- read them ALWAYS and only buy the things where you actually know what all the ingredients are. Can't pronounce it and need Google to tell you what it is? Probably not what God intended for you to fill your body with.
Feel Good Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe:
1 pack of organic/local Chicken Tenderloins
1 pack of organic Noodles (your choice on specific variety)
Organic Celery
Organic Onion
Organic Carrots
3 32 oz containers of Free Range Organic Chicken Broth/Stock
[this makes a huge pot of soup for our whole family to eat- and have leftovers!]
--In a large pot, add a tbl of butter (REAL butter, NOT margarine), heat until the butter is melted, add sliced celery (as much as you like, we do a couple stocks), sliced carrots and the broth/stock.
--Boil the chicken, add some fresh herbs and ginger with a sprinkle of Himalayan salt.
--Prepare the noodles as the package recommends.
--Shred the chicken once it's cooked. Then add into the veggie/broth pot.
--Let cook on medium until everything is nice & hot and the veggies are tender.
--I keep the noodles in a separate container since we eat this over a couple of days and I don't like my noodles to feel soggy at all.
--Serve and enjoy! Mmmmm!
Vitamins! You can never have too many vitamins! Especially considering even if you are eating a diet full of fresh fruits and veggies-- with the way food is produced today, you're not getting all the vitamins and nutrients that you need. Especially when you're immune system is weakened. We take lots of Vitamin C, Hemp Oil, D-3 + K-2 chewables, Cod Liver Oil (chewables or capsules), and a daily vitamin too.
Apple Cider Vinegar! This is AMAZING! Plus, I know if my hubby is REALLY sick or just man-cold whining depending on his willingness to chug this down. 😆 I ONLY use Bragg's Organic ACV, and either daily or every few hours if a bug has struck our house I make little Vinegar Shots that we all take. (even the 4 year old!)
Vinegar Shot Recipe:
1 tbl Bragg Organic ACV
1 tbl organic cranberry juice
Fill the rest with organic apple juice -- I put all this in a larger medicine cup (like what would come on the top of a regular store bought medicine elixir) or in a shot glass/tiny mason jar. The more apple juice, the more diluted the taste, but I'd rather have one quick shot to take than a whole cup to drink- so we usually have about 2 tbl or so of apple juice.
Combine and drink! You can do once or twice a day to boost your overall immune system, or take every few hourse as needed until you're feeling better. The vinegar seems strong at first, but the more you take it, the better it gets. I promise! Until then, have a tall glass of water to chug after.
Over the Counter Help - We do lean on a mix of these sometimes to help supplement depending on what's going around. Oscillococcium for the flu, Coldcalm tablets, or a zinc therapy.
Cough Buster - When my littles start that horrible evening cough, sleeping with the humidifier in their room busts that out!
I really think with how we eat year round, lots of time outside playing on our property in the fresh air, and lack of contact with the public world-- our kiddos rarely getting anything. When we do, some homemade chicken noodle soup, extra vitamins and Vinegar Shots has our family of 5 back to normal ASAP!
Here's to a healthy season for you & yours! 🤗
