And we ARE a very healthy bunch around here. No major illnesses yet with any of the boys and they have gone to daycare and now public school. So, the potential is there, and yet we manage to come away unscathed. It is rare for any of us to even have a sniffle. Our pediatrician even commented to me at Nolan's recent 2 month appointment that he can't believe how infrequently we are there. Warren and Jack have only been for their regular scheduled check-ups!
Here's how we do it (in my opinion and not in order of importance):
*Frequent hand washing. I make the boys wash their hands A LOT. 'nough said.
*Lots of outside activity. Fresh air and sunshine just plain make you feel good.
*I keep a clean house. Lots of vacuuming. Carpet just grosses me out in general. We buy cheap carpet and have it cleaned every six months and then replaced as often as possible. Cheap carpet with more expensive pad makes it more financially feasible.
*Have a couple of dogs. Research shows that children that live in households with two or more dogs have way less allergies because they get so much exposure to allergens early on from the dogs. Thanks Reagan and Wrigley :)
*Clorox disinfecting wipes. Okay, this might be kind of over the top, but about once a week I go around the entire house and wipe off any and all light switches, door knobs, handles, phone receivers, remotes, and anything I think our hands are contacting regularly with Clorox wipes.
*We all take a simple daily multivitamin year round. I know that technically we don't need to since we eat such a well-rounded diet, but I figure it can't hurt.
*I believe we are healthy. I tell the kids they are healthy and have strong bodies, etc. I do believe in the power of suggestions when it comes to our health and well being. This is called biofeedback.
*We eat everything. All fruits, all veggies, lots of protein and seafood. Yes, our fair share of junk food is included. We go through a tremendous amount of produce each week. There isn't a vegetable that the boys won't eat or at least try. But, I must say we are also huge meat eaters around here. Go meat! :)
*Lots of sleep. The boys sleep nearly 12 hours per night and it is no secret that I need at least 8 hours to feel my best. Bryan tends to need/get a little less, but still more than 6 hours per night.
*We try our hardest to keep stress at bay. Realistically that is not always possible in life, but trying to focus on the positive and make sure you have lots of things that give you joy can really help. We do a lot of fun things like sporting events, little trips, outings, and social events that give us that feeling of an upcoming thing to look forward to and be excited about. When stress does arise, deal with the situation directly and as soon as possible. Also a nice glass of wine doesn't hurt :) Or sometimes I prefer a beer ;)
*We have an electronic air filter and humidifier at our house. It does keep the dust down a little bit and the humidity helps here in super dry Colorado.
*Good oral hygiene is key! Brushing and flossing every day are huge contributors to overall health.
*I DON'T subscribe to any newfangled ideas like not vaccinating (child abuse in my opinion!) We buy organic...sometimes. But I certainly don't obsess over that. I have breastfed all the boys, but not over 6 months due to working. We'll see how it goes with Nolan.
Hmmm...that's all I can think of. Time to run and pick up Warren from school. We are walking in the beautiful sunshine because we just don't know how many more nice days like this we'll have before it gets really cold!
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