What do you feed your family when they're sick?

[janinemh]

DS (17 mo) has a cold with a runny nose, occasional cough and a lot of congestion in his upper chest. I've got a good herbal healing book for kids so I've made some teas and an herbal cough syrup but I wanted some recommendations from TFers. I've been doing lots of soups as well to get some bone broth into him. He has been pretty low appetite in general

[EENS]

What you're doing - mostly chicken soup/broth. I will usually cave into whatever they are craving. My son was sick over the weekend and was craving fresh pineapple, so I gave him fresh pineapple.

I also push the vitamin c in whatever way I can. The easiest way I can do this is by mixing it with applesauce.

[newcastlemama]

I also push the chicken broth and soup. I give soduim ascorbate mixed in OJ, CLO, as well as Sambucol (c, zinc and elberberries). My 3 yo was sick a while back with a fever and lethargy and barely ate that day and then really wanted the soup in the evening. I just tried to keep him drinking fluids (diluted 100% juice mostly)

Jen

[Flowergirl~]

Chicken leek soup made with real chicken stock, oranges if in season, echinacea and lots of water.

[425lisamarie]

Usually just whatever we can stomach. When you heading toward dehydration something is better than nothing, and we all tend to drink more juice while ill.

I make ice cream when they are sick. Lots of fat and some fruit. Anything with lots of calories to keep an energy level.

[gabella06]

My DD just had a fever last week, so we upped the juice to keep her hydrated b/c she wouldn't drink enough water. I also upped her CLO and tried to sneak in more CO. I attempted to get more chicken bone broth into her, but she's at a very stubborn eating stage.

It's tough when they are sick!

[comamma]

I make chicken soup, boil a whole chicken, lots of garlic and onions, carrots, celery, sea salt and noodles.

[RootBeerFloat]

Originally Posted by comamma

I make chicken soup, boil a whole chicken, lots of garlic and onions, carrots, celery, sea salt and noodles.

Dd is sick today and this is EXACTLY what I'm making for dinner. Probably potatoes instead of noodles, but we'll see. Also remember that you really need minerals when you are sick, so vegetable broths/soups are good, too.

I agree with what was said about dehydration. When we are headed in that direction, I will give her whatever she will drink (though bone broths and herbal teas are my first line of defense).

[Attached Mama]

I make about 2-3 cups broth with about 5 cloves of sauteed garlic in it. I also add fresh ginger, fresh parsley, a bit of carrots and some green onion and often a tiny bit of couscous, but it's mostly a broth. When it's done, I take a scoop or so and add it to the blender with a clove or two of raw garlic, blend it and then add it back to the soup.

We also avoid white flour and sugar like the plague if coming down with anything - since they lower the white blood cell count so much and thus lower immunity.

For older family members, we gargle with a good quality apple cider vinegar. We are very rarely sick and if we do get sick i'ts usually very minor and we are over it very quickly.

[Flowergirl~]

Originally Posted by Attached Mama

For older family members, we gargle with a good quality apple cider vinegar.

: Thanks, I will try this next time someone is ill.

[Attached Mama]

Originally Posted by Flowergirl~

: Thanks, I will try this next time someone is ill.

works well if you try it when you feel you are coming down with something. good luck!

[Brookesmom]

Pho Ga:

Vietnamese chicken soup with lots of star anise and garlic in the broth, and thai basil and chilis for the adults. Whenever I'm coming down with something I crave this like there's no tomorrow!

[tbone]

Originally Posted by Brookesmom

Pho Ga:

Vietnamese chicken soup with lots of star anise and garlic in the broth, and thai basil and chilis for the adults. Whenever I'm coming down with something I crave this like there's no tomorrow!

I would love a recipe for this :

[steffanie3]

I do soup too when we feel like eating again.

And the real reason I replied, I would love that recipe as well :

For the gargling with ACV, do you dilute it?

[simplepamom]

I am big on juice popsicles whenever someone is sick- with or without yogurt, but homemade fruit juice/fruit popscicles. I push vitamin C, herbal teas, zinc...

I also do lots of applesauce- we make homemade in the early summer and freeze it. I find it easy to mix in a bit of vitamin c or honey which I try to push both when sick.

I try to push garlic when we are sick- so I add it to soup, bread etc. I also push pickles- at least they are ingesting some vinegar. This last batch of soup I made I added garlic, a bit of horseradish and some mustard powder and oregano and onions (all of which have some anti-viral or other property to help with congestion/illness etc). I also try to add spinach to the soup if I can (spinach is good for chest congestion- though raw is best for this)

This time (we currently have a cold circulating)- I am pushing some honeybee pollen as well. I have been having good luck brewing 1 tea bag of traditional medicinals cold pm tea (or something like that) OR 1 Echinacea plus tea bag (celestial seasonings) with 1 green tea mixed berry tea (lipton)- my kids have been drinking this ok. If I add my vitamin C to this it adds a slight lemon flavor. You can sweeten with honey once slightly cooled which is very good for illness (don't use honey for children under age 1 at least, maybe even age 2)

When A cold drags on- I never know what to cook- ok we are sick of broth but still stuffy-- I turn my chicken soup into the filling for chicken pot pie- still got the goods in there right- lol. I also turn to tacos- you can use chicken, add chicken stock instead of water, add your seasonings, add extra garlic... You get some raw veggies with it that are great sources of vitamin C and you can sneak garlic in it nicely. I also push raw veggies when it drags on- it has lots of vit. C- and you can have them dip it in something mixed with honey (honey mustard- very good both ingredients for a cold) or add a touch of horseradish- or garlic.... )

I read on a website once- wish i knew were it was- that when you are coming down with something you should do a juice/water fast- that the body actually needs to NOT use energy for digestion during that time and instead should divert energy to the immune system (so eating takes away vital enegry and resources the body needs to fight the infection)- so you should not eat, go to bed, rest and drink lots (think they were using lots of fresh fruit and veggie juices though and possibly broths/stocks) I can't be brave enough to not encourage my kids to eat when they are under the weather (I offer whatever might be appealing- watermelon, popsicle...) However, i don't force feed them- if htye don't want anything, they don't have to, and I certainly can't see denying them food if they are asking for it (my kids don't normally loose their appetite with a cold)- I believe the sight said if you are hungry have broth- but it was more geared towards adults.

Brenda

[Attached Mama]

Originally Posted by steffanie3

I do soup too when we feel like eating again.

And the real reason I replied, I would love that recipe as well :

For the gargling with ACV, do you dilute it?

Nope - we gargle it w/o diluting. And I use the kind with the "mother" in it. :

[transformed]

we gave our 1 st ds tabasco on his eggs when he was that age! LOL. Not too much to hurt him, but it really gets things moving! Probably a little contreversial, but it worked for us. And if we saw him get uncomfortable, we stopped. A drop or 2 is pretty much untastable and it really helps the system move stuff along.

[cjr]

Bone broth soups for sure, usually with tons of veggies diced up very small so they don't have to chew to much. I also make them tons of fresh ginger tea (which they love) and a continuous dose of echinacea. Cherry bark blend if they are coughing.

[Lizzo]

I usually add certain herbs while making stocks- but when we're sick I add it to the soups. Nettles in particular. I swallow whole cloves of garlic a few times a day so the nursing baby can get some... and do everything else you all mentioned. Plus herbal tinctures.

[simplepamom]

Almost forgot- if they have a normal appeptite (like I said mine normally do)- I make tuna, meat or egg salad- and add in horseradish, mustard, garlic- one or all 3 depends on my mood. I don't make it strong- because mine won't eat it if they can taste it too much, but it is a way to get raw garlic in them. I also be sure to add the chopped pickles or a relish- for the vinegar.

Brenda