Boosting your immune system is high on the priority list at the moment for many people. Parents are thinking about kids returning to school in August or September. My son gets to start school August 13th while my daughters preschool is getting pushed back to September 8th.

Explaining that bubba gets to go to school a month in advance is going to be interesting! And quite maddening all at the same time!… But the question on everyone’s mind is how do we keep our children safe and healthy when they enter school again. Going back to school always means a runny nose, extra coughs, and sneezing because of not being around a ton of kids during the summer.

This year is especially important as most kids have “socially distanced” themselves from almost EVERYONE. So more now than ever, we need to figure out how to keep our kids safe.

Supplements

There are several supplements that can help your immune system stay strong. Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin C, Elderberry and Echinacea are the best ones to keep you in top shape.

• Vitamin D receptors are found all over the body, including the immune cells. Research shown that vitamin D deficiency is part of the seasonal nature of cold and flu outbreaks. Vitamin D also plays a role in keeping our lungs healthy due to vitamin D possessing a range of anti-inflammatory properties. (cough cough “coronavirus” cough cough)

• Zinc is an essential mineral that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. It is involved in almost 100 different enzymes in the body. It plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis and cell division. Zinc is also important in normal growth and development in pregnancy, as well as, growing children.

• Vitamin C– plays an important role in nutrition and immune defense. When coming down with a cold higher doses are needed, as most of the population are already deficient in both. A study that was conducted in 2011 on the effect of vitamin C can be read here. If you are a smoker or a child of smokers, you are more likely to come down with a cold more often than a non-smoker. Smoking interferes with absorption of vital vitamins and minerals (just one of the many reasons to quit!)

• Elderberry syrup! You can either make it or buy it from the store. Elderberries have been used for hundreds of years for their health benefits. Many believe that elderberries fight off the flu due to antioxidants found in the berries. They also support the immune system and fight off colds.

• Echinacea cuts the chances of catching a common cold by 58 percent. It also reduces the duration of the common cold by almost one-and-a-half days. *Published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. The best way to take echinacea is to start taking it when you first notice cold symptoms and continue it for a week.  Check out our Echinacea.

Extra Tips

Wash with good old soap and water. Skip the Germ-X!! When you constantly put on a hand sanitizer, you’re not only killing bad bacteria, you are killing good bacteria! Your body has to be introduced to bacteria and germs to be able to fight off invaders. Plus, overuse of hand sanitizers breed mega-bugs that can’t be killed with normal means.

Eat healthy foods! Stay away from SUGAR! Sugar is a pro-inflammatory substance, which causes chaos in your body. The more sugar you eat, the weaker your immune system is.

Drink enough water! Water actually helps your immune system as we are comprised of mostly water. (And it helps you stay away from SUGAR!)

Chiropractic

The spine encases your nervous system. Your immune system is a direct reflection of how well your nervous system is functioning. A chiropractic adjustment actually speeds up the recovery time of a cold by removing nerve interference. When your body is functioning at an optimal level you can heal quicker.

Chiropractic care looks at whole body health! When you see a chiropractor you should be concerned with how your body is functioning, rather than wanting to chase pains. Pain is a symptom of something that isn’t functioning properly.

Keeping your spine “aligned” will actually help you keep from falling ill. We have many patients that say when they stay on a wellness plan, they don’t get sick as often! Which falls in line with the fact that the chiropractic adjustment helps with full body wellness.

If you have any questions on what chiropractic can help you with give us or a chiropractor near you a call! Chiropractic is very effective at managing pain, but all chiropractors are wanting to keep you healthy!!

~Dr. Lacey~
Carder Chiropractic Clinic, INC.
El Reno, OK 73036