[arwenevenstar]

Hey,<br>
Can we start a thread on suggestions for good foods for ourselves and little ones to help boost immunities over the winter. The reason I ask is partly because I want to increase my knowledge as to what helps with what and partly because my husband's company is offering access to Tamiflu (imagine banking it for the company and then we pay a premium to get access to it!!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> It has riled me to the hilt. So I want to make sure I am well knowledged in helping them through the winter without drug assistance.<br><br>
We generally eat lots of hearty casseroles and stews, baked potatoes, roasted meat and veg in the winter.<br><br>
I'd love specifics though - good veg to use, possible supplements even etc.<br><br>
Thanks so much.

 

[nichole]

I would love to hear what everyone says. We do elderberry tea with lemon and cook with bone broths. We take cod liver oil, b complex, and probiotics.<br><br>
When sick we use sodium ascorbate plus flavanoids.

 

[nichole]

oh yeah, don't forget garlic and onions. yum!

 

[macimom]

We do lots of fresh, raw fruits and veggies, EFA oils, sodium ascorbate, garlic and green superfood. HTH.

 

[vegmom]

I eat a raw garlic clove before bed on a slice of cheese (this seems to take the bite away).<br><br>
My kids and I take oil of oregano at the first signs of the sniffles.<br><br>
Cod liver oil is taken daily as well.<br><br>
Kohlorabi is very high in Vit. C. (more than an orange).<br><br>
I think parsley is somewhat of a superfood and very high in vitamins - I put some in chicken soup made with bone broths.

 

[cherimoya]

lots of veggies, fruit & meat/fish. I swear by my sprouted beans for my overall health; I eat these on a daily basis...but the boys rarely eat them. Garlic, onions in nearly everything. Avocados everyday if I can get them. I also eat fresh shiitake mushrooms and hide them in lots of foods for the boys!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"><br><br>
I give ds and I a dose of Immunity boost tincture nearly everyday. As soon as I feel cold symptoms I take echinacea tincture & sinus support tincture (buy them from Avena Botanicals online). Drink lots of water and/or herbal teas. Oh and I also use Ester-C powder when I remember (used SISU brand last year; not sure what brand to buy this year)

 

[fek&fuzz]

Kale! I just had some for lunch:<br><br>
fat and drippings in pan from last night's sausage <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Eat">:<br>
1/2 cup cold cooked rice<br>
flat leaf kale frozen and then chopped small.<br><br>
saute those together until hot and wilted<br><br>
add 2 eggs and scramble around.<br><br>
top with salt, pepper, sriracha sauce, etc.

 

[425lisamarie]

We eat pretty typical and nothing too special in winter. CLO, veggies daily. Fresh OJ, and practically everything I cook has a pound of onions and garlic in it.<br><br>
I give my kids crushed garlic in honey milk.

 

[arwenevenstar]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bump.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="bump"><br><br>
Just to see if we can get more interest!!

 

[tolovemercy]

Definitely lots of bone broths, as well as probiotic cultured drinks--kefir and kombucha.<br>
There's part of me that feels that these are the most "traditional" way to boost the immune system in the cold months, since, seasonally speaking, there aren't many fresh fruits around here during the winter (grown locally, i mean.)<br><br>
I'm lurking on the Traditional Foods board and thinking about trying out some lacto-fermented veggies as another way to get some good bacteria in.<br><br>
We don't do tons of supplements, though, and I'm thinking we might start (CLO, OoO...) and I'd love to hear more about what others are taking.

 

[pixiepunk]

kefir has a made a huge difference for our family's immune system. and we're about to start CLO, too. yogurt, and things made from yogurt (like cream cheese). i also substitute yogurt for sour cream in a lot of recipes.<br><br>
i'm just starting to try lacto-fermented veggies - i've got some ginger carrots going right now.<br><br>
of course garlic, as everyone has mentioned. and i find for myself that drinking NORA tea has kept me in very good health and i'm always sorry when i slack off. the kids like it too, though i don't give it to them with any regularity.<br><br>
i also think it's almost more important what you *don't* eat. we try to steer clear of heavily processed foods, especially sugars/corn syrup because i notice a lot of unpleasant results including illness crop up when we have had too much.

 

[karne]

Elerberry syrup, diluted, CLO, echin. tea at the first sign of illness. Can someone tell me about oil of oregano? I though tumeric was good for fighting off illness?<br><br>
As far as food, right now we're all about roasted root veggies. Casseroles because they are warm and stretch my food budget. Almonds and walnuts and good raw cheese for snacks. Grains like millet and quinoh (?sp). Nothing beats chicken broth when our family is feeling low.<br><br>
ETA: sauerkraut and good fermented pickles. I love to put sauerkraut over a pork roast and pop it in the oven-bit of maple syrup on top adds sweet to the sour taste and everything stays moist. It's good!

 

[vegmom]

Oil of oregano is a wonderful antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal supplement. It works better than colliodal silver imo. I have even used it to prevent lice when our friends had it (by putting it in our hair). The first time I used it was actually for a bee sting. I had read in a pamphlet that it reduces the pain. Dd got stung and I ran out to buy it. Within minutes the swelling had gone down and dd stopped crying. I have been a convert since.<br><br>
Here is some good info..<br><a href="http://www.candidablog.com/oil-of-oregano.php" target="_blank">http://www.candidablog.com/oil-of-oregano.php</a>

 

[Gabby'sDaddy]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>cherimoya</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/12435069"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">lots of veggies, fruit & meat/fish.<br>
I give ds and I a dose of Immunity boost tincture nearly everyday. As soon as I feel cold symptoms I take echinacea tincture & sinus support tincture (buy them from Avena Botanicals online). Drink lots of water and/or herbal teas.</div>
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My wife puts dropps of those Immunity boost tincture and echinacea in our OJ if we start to get sick... its been keeping us sick free for a while <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/joy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="joy">:

 

[columbusmomma]

Bone broths<br>
OJ<br>
CLO<br>
probiotics<br>
soups and stews with lots of veggies and meat<br>
citrus fruits

 

[jighead]

I'll second (or third) the lacto-fermented foods, and specifically kimchi. It has ginger, daikon radish, garlic and cabbage, and after a week or so it will take paint off of walls. I've been mixing a couple tbsp of it with a bit of broth, rice and chicken for my lunch, and it is very tasty.

 

[Mama Poot]

Black and red fruits, especially black/black raspberries and elderberries. I prepared ahead of time this year and made tons of black raspberry and blueberry preserves. We also eat a lot of citrus fruits and juices during the winter.

 

[Mama Poot]

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<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>vegmom</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/12435007"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I eat a raw garlic clove before bed on a slice of cheese (this seems to take the bite away).<br><br>
My kids and I take oil of oregano at the first signs of the sniffles.<br><br>
Cod liver oil is taken daily as well.<br><br>
Kohlorabi is very high in Vit. C. (more than an orange).<br><br>
I think parsley is somewhat of a superfood and very high in vitamins - I put some in chicken soup made with bone broths.</div>
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MMM garlic and cheese <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Eat">: I just wanted to give everyone a head's up on the OOO and parsley. OOO is a no-no for nursing moms, and parsley in huge amounts is also a no-no. Both will cause major milk supply problems. I season many foods and sauces liberally with the dried versions of those herbs, but steer clear of the oils.