My 8 year old son is always sick from Oct. thru Mar. He has already suffered through the flu this year and misses at least a month of school every year. It is pain staking to see him go through this! He did get the flu last year and the prior year as well all the while getting the "Flu Shot" Does any have any suggestion on how to build up his immune system? We as a family are currently taking Juice Plus other than that nothing else.

Hi PFriedman:

So sorry to hear about your boy. I think the first place to start is with one's daily diet and making sure that they are getting foods which are rich in nutrients.  I know with little ones this can be challenging but I would try to get him to eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grain products and also eliminate as much as possible foods which are high in sugar which includes corn syrup as well as foods that are devoid of nutrients.

I am also going to refer you question to Dr. Sears here on our message boards but I am sure the other moms/dad's here may be able to offer some suggetsions as well. Is your boy a good eater? If you could outline what his diet typically looks like I am sure we may be able to offer some additional suggestions as well.

 

   I am Sorry to hear this about the lil big guy. I recomend that you get him some UMAC. It is a whole food and can be given to lil kids. It is packed full of vitamins, and mierals. It will help him balance out his cells and hopefully build them up so that he can get over it and as well work on preventing it in the future. I hope for the best.. GET better lil guy

Hi Frannie

Thank you so much for your reply. Jack does eat pretty well but his diet could use more variety! I went to the store today and loaded up on fresh berries. he eats bananas, grapes and apples regularly. I have heard some neg. about bananas but i'm not sure what to believe at this point. I'm thinking that he should be taking a mulit vitamin and zinc I'll have to check with our local health food store for some input. Thank you again!

What did you hear about bananas exactly? I know I have one everyday for the most part which I add to my oatmeal in the morning or another way that i like them is in smoothies. You know Smoothies are a great way to get kids to eat a variety of fruits in one drink plus children like them as well since they are like milkshakes- but healthier :)

 

 

Thank you for the question!

All of the above replies to your post are good tips. It sounds as if you are taking all the right steps to help boost his immune system. Unfortunately, some little ones are just more prone to getting sick during the "cold and flu" season. On top of the proper diet and supplements that you are already giving him, I would also be sure that he is getting enough sleep every night -- at least 8-10 hours and also getting plenty of exercise when he is not sick. These are also crucial to help build and maintain a healthy immune system.

One product that I would also recommend when he does get sick is an all-natural herbal supplement called "Sinupret". It is available in most pharmacies. You can try giving it to him at the FIRST sign of illness, or as a supplement during the months you know he will be getting sick. It seems to work great for myself and patients that I have recommended it to.