Natural Flu Prevention: 10 Ways to Support Your Family During Flu Season
(herbal, homeopathic, and common sense remedies I turn to every fall and winter to help keep my family well!)
“Sick day soup” from my Tots Cookbook!
Natural Flu Prevention & Immune Support: Holistic Tips for Cold & Flu Season
First - if you’re new here - welcome! Fallon’s Table blog is your home for nourishing recipes, whole-food desserts, escaping diet culture, attainable holistic living, and seasonal comfort meals made with real ingredients. My heart is all about family-friendly recipes inspired by REAL food and ancestral cooking designed for modern kitchens!
I’m a Certified Nutritional Practitioner and recipe developer who helps women feel empowered in their health journey, learn how to confidently eat well, find healing and support during chronic illness, and gain kitchen confidence through simple, delicious recipes for you and your family!
The “Ber” months are upon us, my friend.
They happen to be my absolute favorite. I'm an autumn color palette, a November birthday, and a sweata' weatha' kinda gal...what's not to love?!
Oh right…the flu and sickness.
Every fall, I start thinking about natural flu prevention and immune support for my family - not because I think we can completely avoid every virus that comes our way, but because I want our home, our pantry, and our bodies prepared for sick season.
These are the natural flu season remedies and simple wellness habits I keep coming back to every fall and winter, from nourishing food and bone broth to saline spray, fresh air, hydration, and a few of the natural remedies we keep on hand.
How to Support Your Immune System During Flu Season
I’m happy to say my family has stayed strong these last several years and have not needed many sick visits at ALL thanks to the tools we keep on hand, the way we nourish our bodies all year, and keep our home free of a heavy toxin load as much as we can!
Today let’s cover my favorite remedies & supplements as a preventative flu approach and also what I keep on hand if we ever do fall prey to this virus!
The information provided here is not medical advice. Please work with a qualified provider when needed.
10 Natural Flu Prevention Strategies I Use for My Family
Use saline nasal spray
Listen, I know every time I talk about this you conjure up an image of a dorky girl with glasses snorting this up her nose. That image is me. Because I do this almost EVERY day and it is SO helpful!
Keeping our nasal passages clear can help clean out viruses and germs, hydrate nasal tissue, and provide relief very quickly when needed.
Saline spray is my preferred choice for safety of ingredients and is non-habit forming like medication-based nasal sprays!
The adult version is linked above, the kids’ version is here!
Please note - you do want each person in your home to have their own bottle…in case that’s not obvious ; ]
Keep propolis throat spray on hand
This is another great daily tool for sick season - you can use 3-4 sprays per day and increase to several times a day in times of illness!Propolis is high in antioxidants, can help support the immune system, and is antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial.
Oscillococcinum for flu (& consider homeopathic remedies!)
Have you ever read a fantasy book where you just gloss over the character names?
… I admittedly did this with this homeopathic remedy until this year. As someone who has used and practiced homeopathy for five years. Oopsie!
Say it with me: “Aw-sillo-cock-sin-um” (I’m so sorry for how that’s spelled there’s just no other way).
I have heard Joette Calabrese say that this remedy is great taken prophylactically (ie, to help prevent infection) once a week for a month once the flu season starts, and then once a month from then on (dosing is 5-7 small pellets under the tongue; 30 minutes away from food, drink, or dental care). It is also known for being able to lessen the severity and longevity of the virus if it does happen to hit if taken at the first sign of illness.
Otherwise, using the Banerji Protocol of taking Aconite 200c and Bryonia 200c together RIGHT at the beginning of feeling off has stopped illness from progression in my family more times than I can count!
Priotize Nourishing Whole Foods
Firstly, I want to highlight how much I deeply care about being nourished, so much so that I have an entire Cookbook CALLED Nourish, that is an affordable packaging up of my decade plus of healing and education, so that you, too, can experience this health and freedom. It has over 40 recipes, sourcing guides, guides to building balanced, protein-rich meals, meal plan examples, and more!
This element truly can’t be over-emphasized. Our food serves as the building blocks for our cells as they regenerate, the fuel for our body’s energy, and either provide defense or harm when it comes to fighting off illness.
I don’t think it’s any wonder that during times of increased processed food consumption (ie, winter and holidays) is when we also see virus and sickness spike.
Building your nourishment around foundations like whole foods, quality animal products, fresh in season fruits, herbs, and vegetables, healing spices, bone broth, organic or raw dairy, etc - this is where the preparedness really starts.
If that feels like new territory or you need fresh inspiration for warming and nourishing meals, you have come to the right blog my friend.
And pssssttt…My Batch cookbook is THE fall cookbook of your dreams. Soups and stews, casseroles, pumpkin recipes, it’s healthy comfort in a book!
Get Outside for Fresh Air and Sunshine
I know not everyone has the same mild year-round weather as I do in North Texas, but as MUCH as you can in these gorgeous days, open those windows, get that sunshine, breathe in that fresh air.
Spend as MANY hours outside as you can! And if sickness does hit your house, opening the windows can drastically help clear the air and help prevent the spread.
Prioritize Rest & Recovery
I know, I know. Easier said than done when you're a momma and there are approximately 47 things that need to be done every single day.
But rest really does matter, especially during cold and flu season.
I'm not talking about needing to spend the entire winter in bed (although wouldn't that be lovely?!). I'm talking about giving your body permission to slow down when it needs to.
If you're feeling run down, don't underestimate the basics: getting enough sleep, taking a slower day when you can, getting cozy on the couch, and letting your body do what it needs to do.
And if someone in our house is actually sick? Rest moves way up the priority list. There will always be laundry. There will always be dishes. The house will survive.
Your body needs energy to recover, and sometimes the most supportive thing you can do is stop asking it to do so much.
Sauna therapy for staying well
This is a bougie one and I fully know that, BUT, if there’s one health tool you can swing splurging on or finding locally, it should be sauna therapy.
Sauna and sweat-inducing can be an amazing tool for detoxing, promoting cellular health, and overall inflammation reduction and wellness.
The one I have a love is here.
If you do use a sauna, be mindful of mineral rich hydration and do not use in time of fever! My husband and I find it helpful to support recovering from a virus without a fever, and we do not use this with our kiddos.
We try to have a sauna session weekly!
And speaking of minerals…
Stay Hydrated & Get Those Minerals In
Hydration is one of those things that sounds almost too simple to matter, but I don't overlook it -especially when we're sick.
And I'm not just talking about chugging plain water all day long.
I love incorporating mineral-rich fluids like homemade bone broth, herbal tea, coconut water, and properly salted foods. These are simple ways to get more fluids and minerals in while also giving your body something nourishing.
When someone is sick, I keep drinks within easy reach and encourage little sips throughout the day. Sometimes a warm mug of broth or tea is much more appealing than a giant glass of cold water.
Again, we're keeping this simple.
Fluids. Minerals. Nourishment.
You don't need a fancy electrolyte powder collection to support your body through a sick day.
Read more about mineral-rich hydration here!
Open the Windows & Keep Your Home Fresh
One of my favorite simple things to do during cold and flu season? Open the windows.
Yes, even when it's chilly outside!
I love getting fresh air moving through the house, especially when someone has been sick. We also stay on top of the basics like washing hands, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and getting shoes off at the door.
But I don't want this to turn into another list of things you have to do perfectly.
We live in our homes. They're going to get messy. Kids are going to touch everything. Someone is inevitably going to sneeze directly into the air five minutes after you cleaned the room. 😂
For me, it's simply about doing the little things that help keep our home feeling fresh and healthy without becoming obsessive about germs.
Fresh air, clean hands, a little common sense, and moving on with life.
10. Keep a Sick-Day Toolkit on Hand (And if I DID get the flu, here’s what I’d do!)
Nose and throat spray several times a day
Immediately begin taking one of these:
- Oscillococcinum (the box recommends 1 tube every 6 hours or 3 times a day)
- Aconite 200c and Bryonia 200c, as mentioned above
- Or Cold Calm
(I would pick whatever you have access to and stop taking it once better!)Drink lots of homemade bone broth, soups (like my Sick Day Soup shown above!), and stews
Consider adding in Rapid Rescue daily (always check contra-indictions for herbs and any prescription medicine you are taking)
Get outside as much as possible, and REST as much as possible
Focus on hydration through coconut water, fresh juice, herbal teas, etc
High dose Vitamin C (2-3 caps of this daily for adults, stop if any digestive upset occurs)
Epsom salt baths, castor oils packs, and other calming support
Wear only organic or natural fiber clothing (which I already do!)
This isn’t all-encompassing! Just giving you free insight on how I would handle it personally! And of course, if you or a family member needs additional medical help, please get that!
I hope this helps you stay well this season!
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