Despite the beauty of the snow, wintertime brings along its own challenges.
We are in mid-winter in Finland at the moment with frequent freezing days of up to -20. The cold is going around like crazy.
As I write this, I’ve got 2 small kids at home with the beginning of a cold and fever. I need to act quickly and get both them and the whole family back on the healing routine that has been working for them for years.
It consists of simple (kid-friendly) supplements and healing soups to keep the sniffles away and get their little bodies back on track.
Usually, in the past few years, I started my pre-winter healing routine during the late autumn to give the family a kickstart. I swear by it in keeping us all healthy all year round.
But this autumn was different.
I juggled attending two schools, starting a skincare business from scratch, and completing the most stressful-toxic 6–week full-time internship I’ve ever been through.
After it was over in late October, I felt physically and emotionally drained and it reaffirmed my decision to never want to work for anyone else besides myself. I’ll leave that to another day, but for now, it seems like we were reaping the consequences.
Although it’s never too late, the mom’s guilt had gotten the best of me.
The Importance of Supplementation
Supplementing with essential vitamins and minerals is really important to fill in the nutritional gaps in our diet.
According to accredited M.D: Grace Alessi:
“Supplementation can also help correct deficiencies in the very food you are eating. Chemicals used in farming, depleted soils, refinement, preservatives, and additives all create deep imbalances in our food supply itself.
For example, USDA tests shows that in 1950, spinach on average contained 158 milligrams of iron per 100 grams. The average iron content of spinach today is 2.7 milligrams per 100 grams. Spinach just isn’t what it used to be.” — An except from balancedwellbeinghealthcare.com
When choosing to supplement, I focus on the best sources of vitamins and minerals that are renowned for their amazing anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
This may aid in better immune function and reduced incidence of respiratory conditions, according to health sources and research studies.
Vitamin C: Vitamin c is an amazing immune booster that can be used all year round. You can get vitamin c from fruits, berries, and vegetables.
Yet, I prefer to use it as a supplement to really ensure the family is getting what it needs to prepare for the wintertime.
My husband and I take 1,000mg per day during the winter and the kids get a chewable tablet.
We aim to start supplementing with vitamin c at least 2 months before the start of winter to prep our immune systems for the changes in the weather.
Tip: It's best to use a food-grade vitamin c supplement as most vitamin c supplements available in the stores are artifically made using ascorbic acid.
You can find food-based vitamin c at your local health food store.
Alternatively, opt for Camu-camu powder, rosehip powder, or acerola berry powder: any of these three are excellent food-based sources of vitamin c that are bioavailable and easily absorbed by the body.
Zinc: Zinc is an excellent mineral that is amazing for the immune system. We take liquid chelated zinc as it absorbs in the body faster. The kids are given zinc drops.
According to Healthline:
“In the recent research from the University of Helsinki, scientists said people who took a relatively high dose (80–92 milligrams of zinc per day) of zinc daily had a rate of recovery that was three times better than people who didn’t take the chemical element.” — excerpt taken from Healthline website.
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