As we head into fall and winter, it’s important to prepare for cold and flu season. No one wants to get sick and not be prepared with everything they need at home. Plus, with supply chain issues and prices continuing to go up, it’s always a good idea to have supplies on hand and to restock them when necessary. Being prepared for sickness in your home means you can spend time caring for yourself or your family members without having to head out to the store and expose other people to your illness.
Cold and flu season necessities
Staying rested and hydrated is important when going through an illness. Keep juices, electrolyte drinks, and other beneficial drinks like immune-boosting teas on hand to offer to those who are sick. Soup, whether homemade or from a can, is often the only thing you want to eat when you’re sick. When it comes to medicine, be sure you have appropriate products for the whole family. Your medicine cabinet should be stocked with a pain reliever, fever reducer, throat numbing spray, cough suppressant, and a general cold/flu medication. Local honey is also wonderful for a sore throat and it has many health benefits.
Preventatives
Getting sick during fall and winter is not necessarily inevitable. If you have kids in school or you deal with the public frequently, your chances of getting a cold or the flu are certainly higher. But there are some steps you can take to attempt to stay healthy until spring. Focus on eating healthy foods and loading up on vitamins. Fruits that are high in vitamin C are very beneficial this time of year. You can also take supplements, especially probiotics, vitamin D, zinc, and B vitamins. Homemade elderberry syrup or packaged elderberry supplements can also boost your immune system.
Other things to have on hand
Homeopathic remedies are gaining in popularity as many people start to question the frequent, and often unnecessary, usage of drugs made by Big Pharma. Some medical professionals claim these homeopathic remedies don’t work. But from personal experience, I think they are a valuable tool in preventing and treating minor illnesses. It’s important to research these remedies so you understand how they work and how to safely use them. Things like essential oils, homemade tinctures, and natural medicines get a bad rap, but they were successfully used for many years before modern medicine.
Cold and flu season can be stressful, especially if you have young kids in the house as they tend to be magnets for all sorts of germs. Preventatives are great and they can be very helpful in boosting your immune system so you don’t get sick or don’t stay sick as long. But it’s also important to keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet with all the essentials, whether they’re conventional or homeopathic. Rushing out to the store to grab last-minute supplies is never fun, especially if you’re the one who’s ill.
