Brought to you by Nurofen
Melbourne is known for its horrible winters. They are horrible. The extended days of rain, cold, wind, and temperatures at nearly zero degrees make it absolutely horrendous. I hate Melbourne winters.
We have come to expect that these are the months that the kids will get sick. Truth be told, the good olde saying of Melbourne’s weather ‘Not happy… just wait five minutes’, definitely speaks the truth and doesn’t help the colds and flues either. Sunny, windy, rainy and then sunny again… seriously… who knows what to expect.
This year however I kind of planned for the winter {if that is at all possible}. How? I pumped the kids with good nutrients and vitamins months in advance. I got to reading about bone broth – it is like chicken soup {a good traditional Jewish recipe to cure cold and flu symptoms}, but only stronger. When I researched a little more I realized that the properties in bones, added with an extreme does of onion and garlic {totally not FODMAP friendly} is great at warding off the nasty bugs. So I got cooking. And each day I tried {although sometimes a struggle I must admit} to give the kids a little does, and myself for that matter too. I also discovered a great multivitamin for the kids too that they have somehow come to call ‘Peppermint’. Go figure.
I think the combination has had a positive impact. My son {touch wood} has only had one rough round of cold and flu. And my daughter has been totally clear. Bonus!
My husband and I on the other hand.. we both have had a round of the cold and flu too. You know that feeling when your body is lethargic and tired, and your nose is like a tap, you are coughing up yuck stuff and somehow, somehow, you still have to parent two high energetic rugrats? Yep, that was me. Thankfully I have a large bed, an electric blanket and a superstar husband that picked up the load… right before he got hit too. Poor thing!
And the weird thing is, this has all literally happened within the last month, toward the end of winter. I think next year I will make a mental note to expect the sicknesses to emerge at the very tail end.
I hate Melbourne winter! {Thank you, Gold Coast holiday for giving us a week’s worth of sunshine and warmth to dethaw and recover a little from Melbourne}. I love Spring. Bring on Spring!
So, what are my other cold and flu remedies?
- Lots of water
- Chicken soup for the soup {or bone broth}
- The Russian tea blend – ginger, garlic, chilli and a drop of honey
- A bottle of Nurofen for the kids and Nurofen Cold and Flu PE for the adults. This is like my staple item that is always on hand.
And if you are game enough….
5. Eat a clove of garlic, RAW {before bed, ha!}
Only 5 days until Spring. YAY!
