Immune Boosting - Smoothies?

[aliah79]

My oldest ds is in school and brings home so many illnesses. He's a very picky eater, and this year I want to make sure he's at optimum health. I'm pg, and definitely don't want to be sick constantly this winter.

So, I was looking at supplements and other things we should take, and of course CLO or Flax Oil is first on the list, as well as finding a good multivitamin that won't bankrupt us.

But, FOOD, is probably the best source of nutrients. He loves yogurt and smoothies... so if I can work out a smoothie full of all the stuff he needs, but doesn't eat...then we would be good.

Any super recipes out there that don't require adding a hundred supplements? What I can I put together with regular fruits and veggies?

Thanks for any help at all! Any advice as far as boosting our immune systems is very very very welcome.

[nicky85]

Add some leafy greens in! It's a great way to get kids (and adults) to start eating more greens. I buy flaxseeds from the store and then put them in the blender instead of buying the actual flax oil; much cheaper! We actually don't do vitamins or supplements (except Bragg's ACV) any more since we started having three green smoothies a day.

[sbgrace]

Healthy vitamin D levels are going to be the best protection for both of you. I'd be supplementing vitamin D3 at maximum doses. For kids over two that is 2000 IU per day. I know healthy adults is 10,000 IU per day (we're talking D3 forms here) but I don't know specifics on pregnant women. Very well worth getting your level tested though given the pregnancy and season you're entering. Healthy vitamin D is the best thing for the baby too illness aside. I wish I had known I was low when I was pregnant.

On the smoothies--I'd focus on fresh fruits (frozen is often fresher than what you'd find in the grocery unless it's in season and local anyway) and greens are good (though I want organic in greens and finding those locally is impossible here).

[aliah79]

Thanks ladies

Yes Vit D is TOP of the list... is CLO enough or do I need a D3 on top of that? My youngest was Vit D def and the only thing they could tell me was that it was from breastfeeding and maybe I didn't have enough to give him when I was pg.

Do the greens make them taste funny at all? Or does it mainly taste like fruit? My oldest is so picky with texture and tastes...so it's hard to get him to eat lots of things. My youngest eats anything under the sun - asks for brussels sprouts and spinach salads LOL. We often use frozen fruits anyway as snacks / desserts - pineapple and blueberries especially.

And yes, flaxseeds would be cheaper - do they add grit to the texture at all?

Thanks

[Ethelpea]

I second, or third the vitamin d.

Here is a smoothie I make (greens in smoothies make me gag )

1/2 cup coconut milk (I like Thai Kitchen, full fat)
2-3 big scoops of pumpkin (the canned variety)
1 banana
a few big squirts of Barlean's flax oil

Blend with an immersion blender.
Tastes like pudding

A few of my kids and I love this stuff.

[sbgrace]

CLO will not be enough for correcting a deficiency in my opinion and experience. Test your levels (you want 25 OH D tested--the vitamin D council will have specifics on what test to get) and get them in the 50's. It takes 1000 IU per 25 pounds for the average person to maintain a current level. Correcting will take far more than that obviously.

If you get a great blender (we use a blend stick I got off Amazon and it is absolutely wonderful--it blends anything and it's inexpensive compared to blenders that would work that well) you can make anything into a drink. Then you just have to play around with the amounts to find how much of certain things you can get in without changing the overall fruit taste. Most greens are going to have a taste so you'll want to try small amounts and play with how much in proportion. Blueberries and the like are great for immune system all on their own though.