When living with a chronic illness so much is out of our (the patient) control.  However, our diet is something we can control.  There are some foods that can have a positive impact on your health and I wanted to share five of them with you today.

1. dark chocolate- as if I needed an excuse, right?  But you can eat a small piece of dark chocolate daily, with no guilt, as research has shown dark chocolate lowers blood pressure and contains antioxidants.
2. squash- I personally love zucchini but any type of squash is high in fiber.  Side effects of many of the medications we take for chronic pain, etc. can cause constipation so eating a diet high in fiber is a must!
3. nuts- particularly almonds and other nuts low in saturated fat.  Nuts are good for so many things…cognitive clarity, eye sight and more.  They are also a low calorie, filling snack food.  Nuts are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which regulate hormones and mood as well as reduce inflammation in the body.
4. dairy- a diet that includes calcium rich foods including yogurt, milk and more is good for you on many levels.  Dairy products, specifically milk, contain Vitamin D.  Many people (including myself) are deficient in this vital vitamin and such a deficiency can lead to many problems, including neurological difficulties.Vitamin D and calcium also decrease the symptoms of PMS!
5. Carrots- Bugs Bunny must have known something researchers of his time didn’t.  Carrots are full of dietary benefits.  Lots of fiber, protection against colon cancer and help for the eyesight.  What can’t a carrot do?

There are many more important foods to include in our diet that we will discuss in the upcoming weeks.  Do you have a favorite “important” food?  Feel free to share in the comments!

As soon as a germ enters our house, I always wonder, “Which one of us is next?!” I put multiple sanitizers around the house, I follow the germ-ee with a tissue, I bark at everyone,”Wash your hands!” “Cough into your elbow!” I use sanitizing wipes on everything, I try to minimize the damage. Because I’m in charge of the “damage control.”

And inevitably, I get it. Which makes sense. I’m the primary caretaker and I’m (almost) ok with being the fall guy. In fact, I claim victory if the son who brings it into the house from school and I are the only ones who get sick.

Since the preschool years have begun, we’ve gotten all of the colds and flus (except for the swine flu — not yet, anyway!) We’ve also been lucky to avoid that stomach one. You know the one.

Until this year.

And it.was.evil. Truly evil. I have heard how evil that stomach flu is and there truly are no words for just how evil that one is. There is only one man left standing and it’s my husband who never seems to catch anything that levels the rest of us. Lucky.

So after the dust settles, did you know that the evil germ still lurks everywhere? Of course you do, you’re a mom! It’s in the couch. It’s in the blankets. It’s in the towels you used. It’s in the carpet, on the toys, on the surfaces, it’s everywhere!

So here are some ways to avoid getting sick again, and also to avoid spreading it to your visitors.

• First, try to make sure whoever is sick stays in one area of the house while they’re sick so it’s easier to clean up if things get messy. Also, other family members can avoid that area. Bonus if there’s a second bathroom for that person to use.
• Take all the garbage out and sanitize the garbage can with bleach diluted with water.
• Clean all linens, sheets and towels that were used by washing them on the “hot” or “sanitize” cyle of the washing machine.
• Sanitize any and all surfaces that may have come in contact with the sick person with sanitizing wipes or a bleach and water solution. You can also use Lysol spray on light switches, door knobs, remotes, phones, almost anywhere. Go crazy with it. I do!
• Sanitize the bathroom, from the toilet to the floors and the faucets. Don’t forget the toilet bowl handle!
• Shampoo the carpets and/or upholstery.
• Vaccuum.
• Bleach the toys. If you can limit the number of toys the sick child/children are playing with, all the better! If not, grab a bucket, pour one or two teaspoons of bleach per gallon of water into it, and put as many toys as you can that will survive this type of washing in it. Repeat. The ones that won’t survive, like the motorized toys, spray with Lysol. You can also wash stuffed animals in the washing machine. I personally have a “survivor” policy with stuffed animals. If they “survive” the washing machine and the dryer, then they get to stay. We have too many stuffed animals anyway.
• Wash hands all the time. Everyone.
• Buy an air purifier.

The best case scenario here is that everyone stays stomach-flu-free this season! We weren’t so lucky, but we hope we’re in the clear now! Stay healthy!

By Ella Brooks for Sniffle Solutions

“Mommy, I don’t feel good.” Sound familiar?

It’s the call of a child who’s stuck in bed with a dreaded cold or flu. It breaks your heart, but there are plenty of things you can do to entertain her until she feels better.

Experts say the best course of action includes activities that are low-key and keep a child busy without wearing her out. “There are lots of great ways to keep children entertained and distracted when they’re home from school with a cold or the flu,” says Dr. Vivian Lennon, a pediatrician and the medical director of primary care at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Here are 11 comforting and clever ways often used by Lennon and moms like you to help kids have fun while they recover.

Symptom Soothers
These strategies help your little ones fight common cold and flu symptoms and keep boredom at bay:

• Throw a tea party. Serve afternoon tea in bed for your child, her dolls and stuffed animals. Decaffeinated tea with milk and honey is the perfect beverage: The warm liquid soothes a sore throat and eases congestion, and the honey helps kick a cough.
• Make a splash. Feverish kids often feel better after a bath, so stock the tub with toys: floating animals, cars and boats, and special crayons to draw designs on the sides of the bathtub. A steamy bathroom can also clear out a stuffy nose.
• Care for a sick stuffed animal. If your child feels very ill, rest is best. Make catching extra z’s more fun by pretending your child’s favorite animal is under the weather too. Tell your daughter that Teddy needs to take a nap so he’ll feel better, and she can tuck him into bed with her.
• Go camping. Resting is more exciting when it’s in a special spot. Pitch a tent in the living room or make a fort by draping a blanket over a table. Make it a comfy, kid-friendly zone with pillows, blankets, a sleeping bag and a lamp.

Feel-good Projects
Take your kid’s mind off the aches and pains with a crafty creation:

• Make a sick-day tool kit. Decorate a plastic bin with stickers; then fill it with comic books, Mad Libs, beads and string, crayons, coloring books and more. The lid can double as a lap desk. The catch? This super-fun box only comes out when your little one is sick.
• Play post office. Remember how your daughter’s teddy bear is feeling under the weather too? Have your child design a colorful get-well card for Teddy while you make one for her. Then be the postman and deliver the mail.
• Show off. Create cheerful animal puppets together out of paper bags or socks. Then put on a puppet show while your child rests in bed. Does she need a pick-me-up? Focus the plot on an animal that stays home with the flu and then makes a speedy recovery after receiving a card from your child.

Get-well Games
Laughter can sometimes be healing, so here are some ways to put a smile on an ailing child’s face:

• Play “Sick Simon Says.” Let your child give you silly commands to do for five minutes every hour (“walk like a duck,” “hop on one foot” or “oink like a pig”).
• Picture this. Make a DIY puzzle: Have your child choose a favorite photo, and print it on 8-by-10 paper. Glue it to a piece of cardboard and then cut out pieces in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle for her to put back together.
• Have fun with cards. Stock up on card games from the dollar store. Go Fish and other kids’ classics like Crazy 8s and Old Maid are easier than board games to play in bed. Short on cards? Set up a game of memory with photos of family and friends.
• Keep in touch. When you have chores to do or need a little me-time, give your child a walkie-talkie so she can contact you if she needs anything or feels lonely. Tell her jokes, check in frequently and keep her updated on what you’re doing so she doesn’t feel like she’s missing out on any fun.