Cedar Cross Cooperative Preschool in Mill Creek
  • Home
  • Our School
    • Registration and Tuition
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Learning Through Play
    • Parent Involvement
  • Contact Us

Colds, Flus & Enterovirus . . . Oh My!  

9/30/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
Dr. Chelsea Gordon, ND of Purity Integrative Health
Naturopathic Physician, Certified Lactation Educator
Cedar Cross Preschool Mom

We are so fortunate to have a Naturopathic Doctor in our midst!  Dr. Gordon was kind enough to put together this blog post to share some of her expertise regarding cold and flu season, and enterovirus in particular as it has made its way into our community. 

Entero Virus in Snohomish County
The start of the school year and fall season typically mark the start of the dreaded cold and flu season.  This year enterovirus-D68 has been the talk of the town with parents, teachers and physicians fielding questions and concerns about ways to protect ourselves and the ones we love from Enterovirus amongst other viral and bacterial illnesses.  This year, I want you to remember to sleep, eat, exercise and wash your hands. 

Sleep:  When we don’t get enough sleep our T cells decrease and inflammatory cytokines increase, which puts us at an increased risk of getting sick1.  Preschool aged children need between 11-12 hours of sleep per day and adults need a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep per day.

Eat:  Remember to eat a colorful diet.  Brighter colors increase antioxidants, which improve our immune function.  You can get children excited and involved by eating all of the colors of the rainbow.  A fun tool is the “Today I ate a Rainbow” chart that gets the whole family involved2. 

Exercise:  Regular moderate level exercise improves our immune system and helps our body fight off viral and bacterial infections.  The CCD recommends Children and adolescents get at least 60 minutes of physical activity3 per day while adults need a minimum of 150 minutes per week for general health.

Wash your hands:  It is important to wash your hands prior to eating, after using the restroom, touching your face or mouth and coughing and sneezing.  While hand sanitizer may be an effective alternative to hand washing when we are not able to wash our hands however, there is information showing that hand washing for at least 20 seconds with soapy water is more effective than hand sanitizer.  Help your kids by singing the ABC’s or another song while washing their hands. 4,5

Supplements to consider for immune support this cold and flu season include:

  • Elderberry syrup – Elderberry syrup has been shown to decrease the severity and duration of influenza. 6
  • N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) – NAC acts as a mucolytic, thinning mucous as well as having antiviral and antimicrobial properties.  A 2010 study showed that NAC decreased replication of the influenza A virus which may be helpful with decreasing the circulation of the virus. 7
  • Vitamin D – Vitamin D is important for bone health, mood health as well as immune health.  Children may take 1000IU per day while adults can take a minimum of 2000IU. 
  • Probiotics – Probiotics are well known for digestive health and have immune boosting properties as well. 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy Fall and Winter season!
1 Comment

    Categories

    All
    Children's Health & Wellness
    Christianity
    Class Updates
    Coop Preschool
    Donate
    Enterovirus
    Faith
    Flu Season
    Fundraising
    Gardening
    Halloween
    Health
    Health & Wellness
    Indoor Activities
    Kiddo Activities
    Learn At Home
    Letters From The Chair
    Outdoor Activities
    Parent Meetings!
    Parent Responsibilities
    Play Dough
    Pumpkin Patch
    Religion
    Summer!
    Teacher Correne
    Teacher Posts
    Valentines Day

    Archives

    February 2019
    October 2018
    August 2018
    November 2017
    November 2016
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    RSS Feed

    Visit Cedar Cross Cooperative Preschool's profile on Pinterest.
Our School
   Parent Responsibilities
   What is a Co-Op?
   Sibling Co-Op
Preschool Serving Everett Families


Join Us!
Meet Our Teachers
Fundraising
Contact Us
Preschool Serving Lynnwood Families


Blog
Preschool Serving Bothell Families
Preschool Serving Snohomish Families
Preschool Serving Mill Creek Families

About Cedar Cross United Methodist

Cedar Cross is an active church that is re-energized by the love of Christ. We have a diverse membership of adults, seniors, youth, and children of all ages! We have a strong Sunday school curriculum for children, youth and adults. Our worship services offer many ways to help you deepen your spiritual awareness of God’s work in us, in our community and world.

We are pleased that you are interested in Cedar Cross United Methodist Church. As we continue our walk with the Lord, we welcome you to come and join use as we share in the love and joy of being a part of the body of Christ.


Contact Us

 Call us TODAY! (425) 338-7845 EXT 2

Email: info@cedarcrosspreschool.com

Located: 
1210 132nd St SE, Mill Creek, WA 98012


© 2015 Cedar Cross Cooperative Preschool, All rights reserved.