Keeping your family well during flu season

Of course the easiest way to keep our families well is to wash our hands frequently.  This isn't always as easy as it sounds, but try to make sure you wash both your own hands and your child's hands before food preparation and eating.

There are a few ways to help boost the immune system to help keep them well too.

First, avoid things that can suppress the immune system.  Excess sugar (8 Tbsp or two cans of soda) can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by a whopping 40%.  In addition, 

obesity can slow the immune system.  Be sure to keep you and your family at a healthy weight.

Secondly, boost your child's immune system.  Serve lots of fruits and vegetables and foods rich with Omega 3.  

Try starting the day with a smoothie filled with fresh fruit, yogurt, flax seeds or hemp seeds, and you can even add a serving of vegetables.  Cauliflower is easy to hide in smoothies; just cook it and put it in the refrigerator.  Then when you're making your smoothies, add a little cauliflower.  You won't be able to see it or taste it.

For dinner, make a tortilla soup with lots of vegetables.  You can put almost anything in it; just start with tomatoes (canned or fresh), carrots, onion, garlic and jalapenos (optional).   Then you can add zucchini, celery, whatever you like.  Cook all the veggies together until they're cooked through, then puree.  Serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla strips (plain or fried).  This will be an antioxidant-packed day for your family.

You can also add flax or hemp seeds to muffins for extra Omega 3s.

Keeping the immune system healthy will help keep your family healthy.