Quick tips to build a child’s immunity when winter begins

It is always best to be one step ahead when it comes to your child’s health. Especially when the weather begins to change and children often go from playing outside in the warms summer sun (getting healthy rays of vitamin D) to sitting indoors in a playgroup or school. Gratefully there are lots of things moms and caregivers can do to help stimulate their child’s immune system.

• Herbals such as Elderberry and Astragulas are wonderful herbs that help stimulate the immune system and can be given to a child daily. Elderberry is best given in a syrup or a tincture (where the herb is soaked in a grain alcohol), Astragulas is best given in tincture (but in Asia this herb is cooked into soups and feed to children). These herbs can be given separately or together diluted in a little grape juice.
• Herbal honeys are easy to make, yummy and easy and safe for children over 12 months old. You can make an herbal honey by slightly heating an organic honey in a saucepan and adding dry herbs likes sage (specific for sore throats), echinacea (which stimulates the immune system), or lemon balm (helpful with virus). Add an herbal tincture stir, let cool and keep in the refrigerator. The honey can be taken directly by the child, added to oatmeal, or mixed into a smoothy.