It is that time of year to make some health decisions...

• Do you get a seasonal flu shot for yourself?
  
• Do your children get a flu shot or would that require bribery beyond what you can afford?
  
• Do you brave the elements and give coughing passersby the stink eye, or do you lock your family indoors with bottles of hand sanitizer?
• This year we are facing a new question: do you get the new H1N1 vaccine? Do your research and decide what is best for your family.
• Here is a link with more information from our County Health Department >>

What is the best remedy when your child is sick? There are many opinions when it comes to treatment. Do you stick to good old fashioned TLC and hot chicken soup or do you enlist antibiotics? We are not here to give our opinions. This is between your family and your pediatrician. Scroll down and read the articles below with 3 different perspectives on the cold and flu season... a pediatrician, a nutritionist, and a proponent of homeopathic remedies.

Here's to your health!

~ Sherry & Tamara

~ Submitted By: Dr. Dan Brennan

The flu has arrived early this year. Have no fear, your top ten health tips are here.

1) Cover your mouth and nose  If you've got it, keep it to yourself. Thousands of hungry viruses come flying out of your nose and mouth every time you cough or sneeze. If you cover, you can stop the spread.

2) Wash your hands  After you cover your mouth with your hands, don't forget to wash them. Viruses are spread by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes. Regular hand washing and alcohol based hand sanitizers are effective in killing harmful germs.

3) Rest, exercise and eat well  If you take good care of your body, your body will take good care of you.

4) Update your vaccines  Almost 100% of the flu strains currently in our community are the H1N1 variety. The good news is that H1N1 vaccines are arriving and studies show that they are safe and effective in reducing H1N1 infection. Seasonal flu vaccine along with pneumonia vaccines can prevent serious complications of the flu. Ask your white-coated crusader about what would be best for you and your family.

5) Don't share food and drinks  Forget about the backwash. Every time you put your lips on your friend's can of soda or take a bite using his fork, you have invited thousands of germs into your body. Many people are contagious even before they show signs of illness. The next time someone asks you for a sip, tell him to get his own can.  Click here to read entire article>>

~ Submitted By: Christina Schmidt, M.S., N.E., author of Baby Bistro and Toddler Bistro books and boxes. www.babybistrobrands.com

Though we may not want to admit it yet, it is getting chilly outside, the days are shorter, and cold and flu bugs are encroaching if not already visitors in your home! When my siblings and I were children, mom made us homemade chicken soup and fresh orange juice to fight off infections.

This childhood experience led to a career in nutrition where I could help others learn that foods we eat are directly related to how we feel and how our bodies defend themselves against disease. Healthy foods and nutrients can arm you and your families to prevent or at least hasten a speedy recovery from those nasty bugs that circulate schools and work places, on their mission to turn your home life upside down!

Several nutrients and food components are vital to keep the immune system strong and functioning properly. They act as vigilante antioxidants against scavengers that increase risk for various diseases, reduce inflammatory processes, compete with infectious bacteria, or function to activate our complex immune defense army of white blood cells.

Here is my checklist for Immune Boosting, Cold & Flu-Buster Nutrients and Foods:  Click to read entire article >>

~ Submitted By: Kathy Gruver, MS, LMT, RM of Healing Circle Massage

It's back to school time and parents know what that means....cold and flu season. Antibiotics, flu shots and over the counter medications are certainly options, but what about an alternative solution that's been around for 200 years? Homeopathics have been used for centuries to treat ailments and illnesses with great success...and no side effects. They are easy to give to children and can be very effective for illness such as ear aches, colds and sore throats. But the first question...what the heck is homeopathy?

Homeopathy works on the principal of "like cures like" that giving someone a minute dose of a substance will cause the body to eliminate symptoms that in a large dose would cause those same symptoms. (So if a big dose would cause a fever, a homeopathic dose would eliminate the fever.) Basically, you're giving a teeny-weeny amount of a substance to jump start the body's own defenses to act on the problem. Let's look at the principles of Classical Homeopathy.

Classical Homeopathy involves comprehensive questioning and analysis of a patient's symptoms and physical, emotional, and spiritual responses to each disorder. For example, a headache would be examined in regards to what brought it on, what makes it better or worse, is there a time of day that aggravates it? Is it limited to a certain part of the head, what were the circumstances that caused it, etc? After looking at that information a remedy would be chosen. And for two people with different answers to those questions, they'd get two different remedies. In Western medicine, it's the same headache. Classical homeopathy is used most often to treat a specific disease or symptom like headache or sore throat.  Click here to read entire article>>

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Experience the family-friendly spooky atmosphere and the season's traditions at the Preserve's Haunted Harvest. Enjoy narrated hayrides, safe trick-or-treating, glowing entertainment, creepy characters, storytelling and more.