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midaycare 05:18 AM 10-29-2014
What do you do to keep yourself healthy during the cold/flu season so you don't get every sickness that runs through your daycare? Sanitize, obviously, but anything else?
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Cat Herder 05:55 AM 10-29-2014
Good diet, good sleep, am stress vitamin, mid-afternoon sublingual vitamin b, Centrum Complete every other day, plenty of water, Vit D/Calcium chew, and 1 hr brisk walking (minimum) outside daily.

Also works for stress management year round.
Attached: afternoon personality boost.jpg (128.5 KB) stress vitamins.jpg (28.4 KB) 
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midaycare 06:47 AM 10-29-2014
You must live somewhere warmer than I do - I can't imagine walking outside in January & February. I've never thought about the B vitamins, but heard about them. Interesting ...
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Baby Beluga 06:52 AM 10-29-2014
How is the stress complex, does it work well?

I workout (home gym or go for walks outside...warm climate), take vitamin C and a multi vitamin every day and have a pretty healthy diet. I never share food or utensils with children and they must wash their hands upon arrival before touching any toys.
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Annalee 07:43 AM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Good diet, good sleep, am stress vitamin, mid-afternoon sublingual vitamin b, Centrum Complete every other day, plenty of water, Vit D/Calcium chew, and 1 hr brisk walking (minimum) outside daily.

Also works for stress management year round.
I have started taking a B-12 shot monthly...
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Annalee 07:44 AM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by midaycare:
You must live somewhere warmer than I do - I can't imagine walking outside in January & February. I've never thought about the B vitamins, but heard about them. Interesting ...
NO MED better than a good 30-45 minute walk daily.....works wonders!
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deliberateliterate 07:52 AM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by Annalee:
I have started taking a B-12 shot monthly...
Is that different or better than taking a b12 vitamin daily? I just started taking one along with my multi a few weeks ago, but haven't noticed much of a difference.
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Cat Herder 08:00 AM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by Baby Beluga:
How is the stress complex, does it work well?

.
Night and day difference for me. (was recommended by my doc ) Most b vitamins are in animal products, formed by bacteria. I don't consume as much as I need to, I guess. I am more of a grazer and red meat makes me feel blah... heavy. I tend toward veggies, beans and seafood naturally.

I was "self medicating" my afternoon crabbiness and sudden lack of creativity/enthusiasm with about a pot of coffee and an extra 400+ calories of sweets a day.

Not a huge biggie in your 20's.... not a pretty picture in your 40's....

Anyway, my energy level is back, I back below 115, my mood consistent all day and my sense of humor is intact throughout most situations. I also rarely get sick anymore... Granted some may be from feeling better about the world in general , but it works for me.
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Cat Herder 08:05 AM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by midaycare:
You must live somewhere warmer than I do - I can't imagine walking outside in January & February. I've never thought about the B vitamins, but heard about them. Interesting ...
Try the mall walk, just leave your credit cards at home.

Maybe a second hand treadmill? Christmas is coming, last years models should be in every local paper "for sale cheap" section by now...
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Josiegirl 11:02 AM 10-29-2014
I make sure to get my flu shot every year. Other than that lots of Ben and Jerry's. Honestly I don't do anything special, guess I'm just lucky.

Knocking on all the wood I can find...
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Annalee 11:17 AM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by deliberateliterate:
Is that different or better than taking a b12 vitamin daily? I just started taking one along with my multi a few weeks ago, but haven't noticed much of a difference.
My dr says my body doesn't absorb a pill very well and the shot works better for me....I have always been healthy, never had a hospital stay except for birth of my 2 sons, but the last year I had some stomach issues due strictly to STRESS...that is why I started walking and taking the b-12 shot per dr request after several dr visits, bloodwork, etc.....Dr nicely told me I had to get control of my issues and it WAS IN MY CONTROL to fix it....have changed my eating habits ( I was a grazer, as the dr put it, now sticking to meals and snacks but not eating constantly), drink lots of water now, and walk....am looking for an eliptical or treadmill for winter....I don't have a weight problem, but I cannot put into words what walking does for my mind.....my brother tells me it is nice to not see that "worrying" face on me all the time..
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melilley 11:29 AM 10-29-2014
This may be odd, but I rarely ever get sick. I'll get little colds here and there and maybe once a year I may get a little sicker than that. I don't get a flu shot and do not take any supplements. I chalk it up to having an awesome immune system from working with kids for the past 15-16 years.
WOW, 15-16 years, where has the time gone?
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Blackcat31 11:47 AM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by midaycare:
You must live somewhere warmer than I do - I can't imagine walking outside in January & February. I've never thought about the B vitamins, but heard about them. Interesting ...
LOL! I live somewhere colder than you and I spend a ton of time outside in January and February. BEST time for snowmobiling and snowshoeing.

I am rarely, if ever sick and I credit it to not only good genes but fresh air no matter what the temp is.
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midaycare 01:22 PM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
LOL! I live somewhere colder than you and I spend a ton of time outside in January and February. BEST time for snowmobiling and snowshoeing.

I am rarely, if ever sick and I credit it to not only good genes but fresh air no matter what the temp is.
Okay I don't know if I buy that MN is colder than here. I live across the street from Lake Michigan - it's the east side of the state that stays warm. My area averages over 100 inches of snow per year.

I really try to get outside, but once it hits 10 degrees and windy, I'm done!
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e.j. 02:34 PM 10-29-2014
I get a flu shot and wash my hands a lot but that's about it. When I first started doing child care, I got sick all the time; not so much any more. I think I've become immune to a lot over time!
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Hazel 03:36 PM 10-29-2014
I make elderberry syrup. I take 2 tbsp twice a day. I wash my hands a lot. I drink a lot of water. I nap if I need to. I try not to do anything that will trigger my allergies (I tend to get a cold right after I've had an allergy attack).
I highly recommend elderberry. It's not expensive to make, tastes yummy and really seriously works.
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midaycare 03:47 PM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by midaycare:
Okay I don't know if I buy that MN is colder than here. I live across the street from Lake Michigan - it's the east side of the state that stays warm. My area averages over 100 inches of snow per year.

I really try to get outside, but once it hits 10 degrees and windy, I'm done!
Originally Posted by Hazel:
I make elderberry syrup. I take 2 tbsp twice a day. I wash my hands a lot. I drink a lot of water. I nap if I need to. I try not to do anything that will trigger my allergies (I tend to get a cold right after I've had an allergy attack).
I highly recommend elderberry. It's not expensive to make, tastes yummy and really seriously works.
How do you make it?
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midaycare 03:49 PM 10-29-2014
In also curious about the B vitamin shot. Where do you get it?
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Annalee 04:12 PM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by midaycare:
In also curious about the B vitamin shot. Where do you get it?
I get my B-12 shot at a local clinic for $10...you do not have to go to a doctor's office...The clinic does have my bloodwork results from the Dr because my Dr is in a neighboring county and they do not make me drive up there for a simple shot.
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Blackcat31 04:48 PM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by midaycare:
Okay I don't know if I buy that MN is colder than here.

I live across the street from Lake Michigan - it's the east side of the state that stays warm. My area averages over 100 inches of snow per year.

I really try to get outside, but once it hits 10 degrees and windy, I'm done!
On the map, I live as far north as the northern most tip of the Upper Peninsula Near the northwestern side of Lake Superior.

We don't get as much snow here because of the extreme cold/temps. (Average temp when it snows is 26F.)

Our average winter temps in Jan and Dec are below zero.

Our average snow fall is around 55 inches.

You absolutely get some enormous amounts of snow but thankfully, you get to avoid the extremely frigid temperatures, which makes getting out and enjoying some of the snow we do get difficult sometimes. We just dress in layers and try not to stay out too long.

I can see how living right across the street from Lake Michigan can get windy.....
It definitely makes you chilled to the bone, plus with that much snow the air has to be so moist that it feels damp all the time. (((Brrrrr))) now I'm cold just thinking about it.
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SignMeUp 05:10 PM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:

Our average winter temps in Jan and Dec are below zero.

You absolutely get some enormous amounts of snow but thankfully, you get to avoid the extremely frigid temperatures, which makes getting out and enjoying some of the snow we do get difficult sometimes. We just dress in layers and try not to stay out too long.
Seriously! Does your county NOT make you abide by their stupid windchill chart? It has to be about 19 degrees windchill for us to go out.
We have one for hot and humid too
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Blackcat31 05:17 PM 10-29-2014
Originally Posted by SignMeUp:
Seriously! Does your county NOT make you abide by their stupid windchill chart? It has to be about 19 degrees windchill for us to go out.
We have one for hot and humid too
No, they really dont... Our elementary school aged kids play hockey the entire season outside. Games included. Only the high schoolers get the indoor rinks.

Basically, they leave it up to us to use our best judgement (imagine that huh?.. ) our schools RARELY close for weather either.

... Its "different" up here. Not sure if its a good or bad different sometimes though..
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midaycare 05:50 PM 10-29-2014
That is true here too. It has to be serious negative wind chill for our schools to close or consider indoor recess.
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Lucy 06:07 PM 10-29-2014
To be perfectly honest, I do absolutely nothing.

I think you're either the type to get sick easily, or you're not.

I'm no doctor, and I don't criticize anyone taking all the vitamins and such, but I just think you're born as either the "catch everything" type, or the type that is lucky enough to survive through it all. Honestly (and again, NO offense whatsoever), I don't think what you swallow daily makes any difference. I think it's genetics.

My whole (blood related) family is the same as me -- exposed to everything, but catch nothing. One of my DC families is the total opposite. Sick ALL the time. They each get about 6 colds a year... parents AND kids. That's just their genes. They take vitamins and I don't. They are all thin, and 3/5 of my family (including me) are "fluffy", eat bad, hardly exercise, etc.

That being said, I DO encourage taking vitamins, exercising, eating right, getting good sleep, etc. They certainly can't hurt!!! Even if they help you as a placebo, they've still done their job!

I've always thought that we OVER sanitize and wash anyway. You have to expose yourself to a little bit of the ickies so that you build up immunities to them. And NO, I'm not saying I'm dirty and gross!!! I just don't over bleach, over hand wash, etc.

That's just my take, ladies. Your mileage may vary.
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midaycare 05:30 AM 10-30-2014
Originally Posted by Lucy:
To be perfectly honest, I do absolutely nothing.

I think you're either the type to get sick easily, or you're not.

I'm no doctor, and I don't criticize anyone taking all the vitamins and such, but I just think you're born as either the "catch everything" type, or the type that is lucky enough to survive through it all. Honestly (and again, NO offense whatsoever), I don't think what you swallow daily makes any difference. I think it's genetics.

My whole (blood related) family is the same as me -- exposed to everything, but catch nothing. One of my DC families is the total opposite. Sick ALL the time. They each get about 6 colds a year... parents AND kids. That's just their genes. They take vitamins and I don't. They are all thin, and 3/5 of my family (including me) are "fluffy", eat bad, hardly exercise, etc.

That being said, I DO encourage taking vitamins, exercising, eating right, getting good sleep, etc. They certainly can't hurt!!! Even if they help you as a placebo, they've still done their job!

I've always thought that we OVER sanitize and wash anyway. You have to expose yourself to a little bit of the ickies so that you build up immunities to them. And NO, I'm not saying I'm dirty and gross!!! I just don't over bleach, over hand wash, etc.

That's just my take, ladies. Your mileage may vary.
I also believe we over-sanitize. I do try to keep everything really sanitized in the daycare, though.

On a side note, I get a lot less sick when I am gluten free. And when I do get sick, it doesn't last as long. I base the length on my hubby coming down with the same thing and me getting better before him. He always gets better before me, unless I'm eating gf. I'm also prone to sinus infections but get zero while gf.
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DaveA 06:04 AM 10-30-2014
Jack Daniels- just pickle the bugs. Kidding

About the only change I make during the winter is our diet (I do 90% of the cooking) tends to be richer (more traditional Midwestern American/ Mexican/ Italian dishes) but smaller portions. In the summer I tend to cook Asian, Coastal US, and Mediterranean foods.

I also find I rarely get sick unless I'm stressed. Since my shop is primary stress relief I make sure to get out there a little more or at least bring in some hand tool work I can do in the garage for a few minutes.
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Annalee 07:50 AM 10-30-2014
Originally Posted by DaveArmour:
Jack Daniels- just pickle the bugs. Kidding

About the only change I make during the winter is our diet (I do 90% of the cooking) tends to be richer (more traditional Midwestern American/ Mexican/ Italian dishes) but smaller portions. In the summer I tend to cook Asian, Coastal US, and Mediterranean foods.

I also find I rarely get sick unless I'm stressed. Since my shop is primary stress relief I make sure to get out there a little more or at least bring in some hand tool work I can do in the garage for a few minutes.
I would be 100% healthy if I didn't allow stress to overtake me!
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_Dana_ 01:02 PM 10-30-2014
Originally Posted by midaycare:
You must live somewhere warmer than I do - I can't imagine walking outside in January & February. I've never thought about the B vitamins, but heard about them. Interesting ...
lol I had to laugh b/c "I" make my husband take a B complex vitamin. Not necessarily for stress, immunity or anything. But when he doesn't take it, he has the WORST gas at night! As in it wakes me out of my sleep and I have to go sleep on the couch!! This vitamin is always in stock at our house! lol


Things we do...regular disinfect surfaces/toys/etc, wash hands a lot, teach the children to cover coughs and sneezes properly, encourage parents to keep sick kids home, and send sick kids home.

As a family to stay healthy we exercise regularly, eat well, get out of the house to visit friends, make alone time for each other, try to get good sleep, laugh and play.
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Hazel 08:15 PM 10-30-2014
Originally Posted by midaycare:
How do you make it?
It's actually quite easy.


2 cups fresh elderberries OR 1 cup dried elderberries
4 cups water
6 whole cloves
2 TBS fresh grated ginger (dried can be substituted but not powdered)
2 Cinnamon Sticks (not powdered)
2 cups raw honey

Step 1: Place all ingredients except for the honey in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. I then mash up the berries a bit with a spoon and heat for another 10/20 minutes.
Step 2: Strain the mixture. I place a piece of cheese cloth inside a fine mesh strainer and squeeze as much juice as I can from the cheesecloth.
Step 3: Add the honey to the juice and stir until mixed well.
Step 4: Place syrup in a glass jar and refrigerate to use daily. You may also can or freeze the syrup for later use.
For an added extra boost, if you can handle it, I have added 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar.

Dosage: As a preventative, 1 TBS per day for an adult and 1 tsp per day for a child.
When feeling sick, 1 TBS per hour for an adult, 1 tsp per hour for a child.
Obviously not recommended for children under 2 bc of the honey. Yes, the honey is heated slightly but I wouldn't risk it.
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Hazel 08:20 PM 10-30-2014
I also agree with the over sanitizing issue. I only used diluted white vinegar to clean. Bleach causes major issues here with my asthma so I make citrus vinegar. I just take the peels of several oranges (usually peeled from the kids lunches) and put them in a mason jar. I cover with white vinegar and let it sit in a sunny window for a couple weeks. As I need it I'll pour it into a spray bottle and dilute with water (50/50). It works great! And less harsh
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BumbleBee 10:26 PM 10-30-2014
As far as vitamins I take:

B Complex once a day
Multivitamin once a day
Probiotic once a day

If I skip the B Complex vitamin for 2-3 days I get sick, usually a cold of some sorts. If I take it regularly I don't seem to have an issue with catching everything.

I try to make sure I get enough sleep-lately that hasn't happened and I can definitely tell the difference. I also try to drink lots of water. I try to make it to the chiropractor once a month, it helps me to sleep better. I also go get a massage every 3 months, expensive yes but it helps with the stress relief. I find that the more stressed I am the more often I get sick. Seeing as how I have generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder and panic attacks the more I can keep my stress and subsequent anxiety down, the better.

I quit smoking over a year ago and that has made a HUGE difference in how often I am sick.

Otherwise it's just hand washing and keeping my hands away from my face.
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deliberateliterate 07:48 AM 11-01-2014
Originally Posted by Lucy:
To be perfectly honest, I do absolutely nothing.

I think you're either the type to get sick easily, or you're not.

I'm no doctor, and I don't criticize anyone taking all the vitamins and such, but I just think you're born as either the "catch everything" type, or the type that is lucky enough to survive through it all. Honestly (and again, NO offense whatsoever), I don't think what you swallow daily makes any difference. I think it's genetics.

My whole (blood related) family is the same as me -- exposed to everything, but catch nothing. One of my DC families is the total opposite. Sick ALL the time. They each get about 6 colds a year... parents AND kids. That's just their genes. They take vitamins and I don't. They are all thin, and 3/5 of my family (including me) are "fluffy", eat bad, hardly exercise, etc.

That being said, I DO encourage taking vitamins, exercising, eating right, getting good sleep, etc. They certainly can't hurt!!! Even if they help you as a placebo, they've still done their job!

I've always thought that we OVER sanitize and wash anyway. You have to expose yourself to a little bit of the ickies so that you build up immunities to them. And NO, I'm not saying I'm dirty and gross!!! I just don't over bleach, over hand wash, etc.

That's just my take, ladies. Your mileage may vary.
For the most part, I agree with this. Before opening
A daycare, I was rarely sick. I took a sick day one every few years and was the only one that stayed healthy when my whole family was under the weather.

But my body just can't keep up with toddlers sneezing and coughing directly into my mouth on a weekly basis. Maybe I should try gargling with hand sanitizer, lol?!?

I already get plenty of exercise lots of fresh air, and drink mainly water, and I've recently added a multi and B12 vitamins in am effort to stay healthy this winter.
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