Granola Thursday, even though its Friday!

So as most of you know... it is definitely that time of year. the time of year where everyone, and i mean everyone you know, especially the little people aka the children... start getting the sniffles, which leads, to the runny faucet noses, which leads to the coughing, then a fever, then a trip to the doctors office for an antibiotic because heaven forbid there be a runny nose. =)

I try to avoid going to the doctor at all cost, and with no pun intended the cost of a doctors visit is pretty much the main reason I dont like to go. Our pediatrician is a holistic doctor (and totally loves jesus- major plus!) so for the most part we share the same point of view when it comes to treating the body, especially the little people ;) So we love seeing Dr. Bain but like i said, I would much rather spend a $60 co pay on something else...hmm like maybe a date night! So in order to stay away from doctors office  we try to strengthen & build up our immune systems as naturally best as we can!

Here is the basic list of what I give Hudson:
(Hampton is breast feeding so as long as I'm taking all my supplements he should pretty much be covered... because as you know, breast milk is only as healthy as the mommy is.)

Elderberry - HUGE for the immune system during seasonal change! So good for you! you can get in a children's chewable or in a liquid! Hudson loves the liquid because its so sweet but once we run out of it I plan on switching him to the chewable only because its less messy and more manageable! Our ped prefers the liquid only because any "chewable" can be bad on their teeth, which makes sense but sometimes as a mom you just take the easy way out. ;)
Here is where I order our chewable Elderberry : http://www.healthywarehouse.com/children/sh-elderberry.asp

Probiotic- I've blogged about taking a probiotic before so I won't really get into the importance of it so in a nut shell it strengthens the immune system and aides in digestion! Its a chewable but not a gummy so if you order this one make sure your child can chew pretty well! Hudson couldn't chew this up until about 18 months, up until this I would mash it up and either put it in his apple sauce or oatmeal. You can also get a probiotic liquid and can find it at any sprouts, whole foods, central market etc. This is where I get ours: http://www.healthywarehouse.com/children/sh-probiotic-power.asp

Vitamin D(3)- which is what we get from the sun, and during the winter we tend to be inside more leaving our kids not getting as much sunlight as the normally do in the summer. So therefore majority of children (and adults) are lacking in Vitamin D. Now Hampton does get Vitamin D drops because Vitamin D is not found in breastmilk, he gets about 5 drops every other day. Kids under 7 need about 800-2000 IU's every day during the fall/winter season. Hampton gets about 800, Hudson 2000. We get our Vitamin D3 from sprouts or whole foods typically. It has a lemon flavory taste to it so they usually like it! =)

Briar Rose drops- all natural remedy for runny nose and congestion! Strengthens the immune system and aides with all areas involving ears, nose, throat & sinuses. Dosage: The dosage for infants is 5 to 8 drops. Give children ages 3 to 8 years old 12 to 15 drops daily! When my kids actually start having signs of a cold I give this 2 or 3 times a day! It works great! You can order it here: http://www.drfeder.com/index.php?page=shop&action=viewProduct&itemID=123

So there you have it! Thats our supplement list! Danny & I take couple of other things such as FOUR, Echinacea and our probiotics! Most of these can be found at your local health food store or at healthywarehouse.com or naturesunshine.com ! And on a side note none of these things are going to "cure" your problem most of them are to "prevent" signs and side effects of the common cold/flu! Once your sick...your sick, these things will help in getting you well quicker but definitely will not be an over night fix.

Now to be on the safe side of things, I would definitely consult with your doctor before doing anything crazy  just because some crazy granola eater mom blogged about it. =)