The night before Christmas our home was anything but silent. We went to the park the weekend before and T.J. had a great time playing with the other kids. We try to go as often as we can since he isn’t going to school yet. He managed to get his hands in his mouth right before we got a chance to clean them after playing. I have a feeling that was the start of the cold.
Fast forward to Christmas Eve and T.J. woke up sneezing, coughing, and congested. I tried my best to keep him and Nathan separate but that’s about as easy as grabbing water. Within 24 hours I had 2 sick kids on my hands, and for one of them it was their first cold ever! Prior to this, T.J. hadn’t been sick in over a year and I credit a lot of that to his diet and daily vitamins. I should have been boosting his immune system a bit more during this season, but I’ll touch on that more later.
Within 4-5 days, all of T.J.’s and Nathan’s symptoms were GONE. And much to my delight, I never got sick! I firmly believe that a weakened host causes disease. That’s why the kids of a household can get sick and the parent or parents may not necessarily be effected. In this post, I’m going to review the 5 things I do during a cold to minimize symptoms, recover quicker, and of course prevent spread!
*Always consult a health professional before beginning supplementation. These supplements and doses are what work for myself and my family. They may not be the right fit for you.
Immune Boosting Supplements for Kids
Toddlers
I give T.J. a daily liquid multivitamin. I prefer liquid for him because it absorbs quicker and tends to have less sugar than gummies. I’ve been giving him the Children’s Multivitamin from Buried Treasure for about 6 months now. It’s gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and soy free. There is a taste to it that your child may not love, so I’d recommend mixing it in juice to make it more tolerable. T.J. doesn’t like juice, so it took about a week for him to get used to the taste and take it willingly.
Vitamin D plays an important role in the body’s immune function. After this recent cold episode, I added in an extra dose of Liquid Vitamin D3 plus K2 by Buried Treasure (he normally takes 1000 IU daily). This is also a liquid and tastes better than the multivitamin, but note that it contains soy so I will be looking into another brand after we finish this bottle. I also give him ProbioNx Powder by XyngeniumNx daily that I mix into his oatmeal. During his cold, in addition to these daily supplements, I added in Children’s ACF from Buried Treasure that is chock full of vitamins and minerals to boost his immune system. I noticed a huge difference in his symptoms after just 24 hours of taking this consistently.
Babies
As for Nathan, he is still breastfed so I give him Unflavored Liquid Vitamin D by Nordic Naturals anyway. I also give him Baby’s Jarro-Dophilus powder by Jarrow Formulas form that I mix into his once-per-day bottle of milk. I don’t consistently give him a multivitamin since he gets pretty much everything he needs through breastmilk. But during this cold, I also gave him Children’s ACF from Buried Treasure and adjusted the dose for his weight. I used the MediFrida Accu-Dose Pacifer for this and it worked like a charm.
Immune Boosting Supplements for Adults
I did not get sick at all during both of my kids’ recent colds. I was around them 24 hours a day and have my fair share of horror stories. To spare you the details, let’s just say one involves the NoseFrida and a forgotten filter. I also did not wear a mask at all in my home and around my kids. How did I manage to stay healthy? Besides plenty of water and maintaining a healthy and low-sugar diet during this time, I added a little extra love to my supplement routine. Especially caring for my kids, I needed to make sure I was well enough to keep up with them.
To boost my immune system I double my dose of Vitamin D3/K2 to 10,000 IU (normally I take 5,000 IU daily). I also double my dose of vitamin C from 1,500 mg to 3,000 mg. The last thing I added, and maybe the most important part of this, is a zinc supplement. Zinc has been shown to be immunoprotective and even speed up your recovery during a cold (source). I took 100 mg of Zinc Picolinate, which is a form of zinc better absorbed by our bodies (source).
Nebulizer with Saline
We got a nebulizer when T.J. was about a year old after a cold. We got a prescription for ours as well as saline, but you can find both a nebulizer and saline on Amazon. Keep in mind that saline does expire due to the breakdown of the plastic vial that contaminates the saline solution. It had been so long since we used the nebulizer that I called his pediatrician to send over a prescription for saline.
Research shows that using a nebulizer with a hypertonic saline solution increases airway clearance (source). This helps our bodies clear out congestion during colds. I used this with both of the kids with a 3% saline solution dose of 3 mL. In the first 24-48 hours, I had both kids on the nebulizer every 2-3 hours. By day 3, they only needed it 3 times per day and days 4-5 it was used as needed. Right after the nebulizer I would spray a saline solution in their nose and used the NoseFrida to clear out the mucus in their noses.
Humidifier with Distilled Water
Have you ever noticed that when you have congestion it gets worse while you’re indoors and gets a little better outside? That’s because much like the nebulizer with saline, humidity helps clear congestion by opening up our airways. Our homes are usually colder at night which causes worsening of congestion. Turning the air up (warmer) and running a humidifier throughout the night with distilled water helps keep the air humid enough so you can breathe comfortably. Research shows ideal indoor humidity should be between 40% and 60%, and anything above 60% humidity actually has the opposite effect on congestion (source).
I have 2 humidifiers: The Drop Humidifier by Crane that we got when T.J. was a baby and The Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier that we got while I was pregnant with Nathan. I am pleased with both and find that when filled, they last all night. To make sure they are releasing the right amount of mist into the air, I turn the knob until theres a visible stream of mist shooting straight out. This usually occurs with the knob about 60-70% turned.
Each morning I take the humidifier apart, empty it and let it air dry. I used to use straight tap water but noticed that orange buildup would occur overnight. After using distilled water, I literally NEVER get any kind of visible buildup. So I highly recommend using distilled water to ensure the cleanliness of your humidifier. You can also run the humidifier during nap times for added comfort.
Essential Oils To Support Breathing
If you’re new here, I love essential oils and use them all over my home. From topically, to cleaning supplies and diffusing, I literally use them all day. So naturally, I would reach for those same bottles to support my family’s bodies during a cold. If you’re interested in exploring essential oils for yourself, I really like Revive essential oils as an affordable brand. I have been using Young Living for the past 1-2 months now and love the quality of their essential oils as well as their all-purpose cleaner, Thieves. If you want to explore the brand for yourself, my member number is 26839893.
Essential oils can help with pain-relief and calming, like lavender (source) and chamomile (source). Some, like tea tree and lemon essential oils, have antiviral and antimicrobial properties (source, source) as well as function as natural decongestants like peppermint. Eucalyptus essential oil works double duty as an antimicrobial and natural decongestant, and is my personal favorite during a nasty cold (source). Depending on the size of the diffuser, I place a few drops and let it run all day. I tend to alternate between this and a “breathe easy” blend of lavender, lemon, and peppermint essential oils.
BONUS! Homemade Ginger & Lemon Tea Recipe
I don’t give this to the kids because its a little spicy. But it’s safe for toddlers if they’ll try it. I’ve done this in the past when I’ve had a sore throat and/or congestion. Drink it 2-3 times per day for symptom relief and to boost your immune system.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup of water
- A piece of gingerroot the size of your thumb (or larger for a spicier tea!)
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- Half of a lemon
Directions
- Peel gingerroot and grate into a small pot filled with your water.
- Allow the water to boil and let it stand for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the water and ginger mixture into a mug. If you can’t stand to drink the tea with the pieces of ginger, you can strain into the mug.
- Add the honey and squeeze the juice from the lemon.
- Stir and enjoy warm!
Final Thoughts
We take care of ourselves year-round so as to minimize colds to begin with. We do this by caring for what we eat on a daily basis and what supplements we consume to fill in gaps. But of course, we can’t prevent it 100% and get the occasional sniffles. The important thing is managing the symptoms so we aren’t knocked out and preventing spread to other family members. We do this by taking immune-boosting supplements, using the nebulizer around the clock, running the humidifier during sleep, and my personal favorite, essential oils to offer complementary support. Next time you or someone in your home is sick, nip it in the bud and care for your cold naturally.
