TGIF!! ... What's in your cold/flu season arsenal?

It's Friday!!! Yeah!!! And I have the flu....yeah...ah, not so much.

My eyeballs hurt.

Actually, that's pretty funny seeing it written like that.

So, it's that time of year again. When we get to see if our wonderful immune systems can fend off the 100+ kinds of flu flying around. I would have gotten the flu vax if I thought it'd work. It only protects you against 3 of those 100+ strands.

Three.

To me, that doesn't seem worth the risk. And honestly, it's just the flu.

But it does bring up an item for discussion that I had thought I was going to timely bring up in October - what do you do for cold/flu season? Little did I know I was about a month too late for that conversation! ha

So, tell one, tell all - what do you do to help beat the odds during cold/flu season?

I typically chow down on chicken soup at the slightest provocation of illness and wash hands like it's nobody's business. That, and vit C, Kefir, Kombucha, and staying away from sick people!

But I forgot one. Moms know this scenario well: make sure the kids are all stocked up and clean and healthy, but forget about themselves. Yep, guilty and sick as charged...

It's just the start of the season. Just like having to pull out the winter clothes, it's time to start pulling out our defenses!

Join in with all your wise woman ideas, tips, and suggestions ;)

Leave your hints, tips, recipes, avoidance measures - everything you do to keep you and your family healthy during the upcoming seasons - in the comments below.

OR, on facebook ;)

And stay healthy!

PLEASE NOTE - this is not a blog/forum/comment box location for debates about vaccines. I understand not everyone agrees with my take on the flu vax as stated above. I get that. If you want to debate, please do so elsewhere. Thanks!!

Green Tips for Green Mamas... Sunscreen

With summer just around the corner it's time to start thinking about how to protect ourselves and our loved ones from sun exposure and worst of all a sunburn. I've always struggled with finding a sunscreen that does not cause irritation of my skin. I have very sensitive skin as does my 7 1/2 month old daughter so as we started spending more and more time outside I knew that I had to find a solution. A sunscreen that didn't give her a rash but also one that I was comfortable with the ingredients. After much research I feel confident in my decision, this is now the only sunscreen for my household. This sunscreen has no synthetic chemicals and the packaging is made from recycled and sustainable materials and is phthalate and BpA free. I love knowing that not only am I protecting my families skin from the sun but I'm also using a safe product.

Cara's Top 10 Foods to Enhance Fertility Naturally

The following list is by Cara Bergman, a Licensed Acupuncturist specializing in fertility. Visit her website at www.StillwaterFertilityClinic.com.

1. Bone Broth - old fashioned chicken soup made with the bones. Add a splash of vinegar to the water so that the nutrients come out of the bones and into the broth.

2. Liver - especially from grass-fed animals. Eating liver once a month provides nearly the same nutrients as eating red meat every day of the month.

3. Lacto-fermented Vegetables - If you haven't tried these, read more about my favorite brand Fab Ferments

4. Fermented Cod liver Oil

If you only take ONE supplement ever, it should be fermented cod liver oil in my opinion. It is an excellent source of Vitamin D among other things.

5. Wild-caught Salmon high in Omega 3's

6. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Great uterine tonic. Good to drink throughout pregnancy.

7. Greens - especially wild greens like dandelion.

8. Kefir both yogurt and kefir have beneficial bacteria. The difference is that the bacteria in yogurt is transient - it will do good things and then leave your system where as the bacteria in kefir colonizes and continues to fight off pathogens in the gut.

9. Nettles tea - look for this in health food stores. It supports the adrenals and helps your body build blood.

10. Grass-fed meat Animals need to be outside eating a natural diet to be healthy.

What To Do About the Flu...

With everyone stressed out about all the hype pertaining to the various cold and flu bugs going around, I don't know about you, but I'm not sure what to believe anymore!

I know that every fall we amp up our hand washing behavior to practically obsessive and avoid hanging out with anyone who looks suspicious (aka: sick). But since you can't always tell who is sick and who isn't, in our family we also increase our probiotic intake: kefir for breakfast, a probiotic chewable for lunch. And always eat vitamin C rich fruits in mass!

The other day I saw this list of links concerning different questions that pop up concerning the flu and found the info helpful in refocusing me on what information is really important. The media would want you to worry a hole in your heart about every health threat out there! But that is a health threat in and of itself.

• Your Child Has the Flu: What's a Mother to Do?
• Are Essential Oils as Effective as Hand Sanitizers?
• Vaccinations: Why All The Fuss?
• Who Will Protect the Children?
• Your Child's First Healer
• But Is It Safe for My Baby? Medications and Breastfeeding
• Flu Proofing Garlic and Lemon Tea
• Toxic Overload: Assessing the Role of Mercury in Autism

I try to always save worrying for when the time comes to worry. And since negative vibes and worry can hurt your immune system, staying on top of your family's health should never involve running around like a crazy person.

Stay calm. Stay informed. And wash your hands.