While most diets will include some sources of Omega 6 fatty acids, they are often low in sources of Omega 3’s.  It is speculated that the imbalance of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids contributes to the development of many different disease states from ADHD to type II diabetes to heart disease, cancer and so on.  So the addition of Omega 3 fatty acids is essential at all stages of life.

Omega 6 or Linoleic acid is generally abundant in a typical North American diet.  It is found in nuts, seeds, wheat, corn and soy. Oils such as safflower, sunflower and sesame are rich in Omega 6 fatty acids.

Omega 3 or alpha linolenic acid (ALA) is further metabolized into 2 very essential polyunsaturated fats known as eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  These fatty acids are less abundant in our diets generally speaking.   Omega 3 fatty acids are found in flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and leafy green vegetables.  Cold water ocean fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut, sardines, mackerel and arctic char contain already manufactured EPA and DHA. And hence are considered richer sources of Omega 3’s.

EPA and DHA are especially important for neurological development and maintenance of a healthy nervous system through out life.  They are also important for maintaining cardiovascular health.  You may have heard your grandparents referring to fish as “brain food”. Well they were absolutely right.  DHA is especially important for the development of the fetal brain and continues to be important during early childhood years.  After the age of 5,  EPA becomes more important.  A lack of EPA is associated with an inability to focus in school, mood fluctuations, behaviour issues etc.  As a general rule it you can think of DHA as stimulating brain function and EPA as calming brain function.  Both are essential for healthy brain metabolism.

EPA is a nutrient that reduces inflammatory processes in the body.  Hence it is useful to help treat or prevent allergies, asthma, eczema, joint and muscle inflammation and so on.  DHA becomes significant later in life again and is useful to help prevent memory loss associated with aging.

In a healthy child making sure they have an abundance of food sources of omega 3’s should be adequate. Adding some ground flax seed or hemp seeds to your child’s breakfast cereal, or a smoothie made with berries and yogurt is a good way to ensure they get adequate amounts. Flax seed oil and hemp oil can be used also, but the seeds themselves add fibre, protein and other nutrients to the mix.  Green leafy vegetables – a source of so many essential nutrients- can be added to sandwiches or as a salad before supper.  Having fish at least twice per week is another way to ensure they get enough essential fatty acids.  Unfortunately all fish is contaminated to some degree with heavy metals such as mercury.  Tuna is the worst for this as it is such a long lived fish and has years to accumulate such toxins.  Farmed fish is often loaded with PCB’s – another unwelcome toxin.  So your best bets are wild caught salmon, sardines, mackerel and arctic char.

If your child is a picky eater, or suffers from hyperactivity or difficulty focusing in school you might want to consider a fish oil supplement.  Up until the age of 5 a good quality fish oil supplement that is a little higher on the DHA side (such as cod liver oil) is a good choice as their brains continue to develop and mature.  After the age of 5 and especially if hyperactivity, asthma or allergies are a problem look for a supplement with a little more EPA.  The anti-inflammatory effect will help to calm and balance their moods.  EPA is an integral part of nutritional protocols for ADHD, autism, mood fluctuations and allergies.

There has been a lot of press recently about the quality of fish oil supplements.  Some of the cheaper brands have been found to contain PCB’s and or rancid oils.  Check with your local health food store about the quality of their fish oil products.  There are many products available today even for picky eaters including chewable berry flavoured children’s EFA supplements.

Fortunately it is a disease that seems to be largely preventable.  Three things are key to preventing osteoporosis:

1. Adequate calcium intake in the diet throughout life.
2. Getting enough vitamin D – either through sunshine or supplements.
3. Exercise at least 3 times a week that begins in childhood and continues throughout life.

Growing girls should be getting about 1,000 to 1300 mg of calcium per day which is easily achieved in a healthy diet.  Calcium is found in a variety of foods – not just dairy products but also cooked green leafy vegetables such as spinach and beet greens, almonds and almond butter, tofu and sardines.  Explain the benefits of a healthy diet to children at a young age.  Involve them in shopping, meal planning and cooking so they learn from a very young age the importance of a healthy balanced diet.  If your child is a really picky eater and you want to make sure they get adequate calcium, consider a supplement.  There are a variety of good tasting chewable and liquid forms available.

Getting enough sunshine on your body for 20 minutes per day would provide you with adequate amounts of Vitamin D as your body manufactures it from the natural oils on your skin in the presence of ultraviolet light.  Sunscreens inhibit this process, as does clothing – making getting Vitamin D from the sun very tricky in this part of the world.  So supplementing with Vitamin D is fairly important.  While there is still some debate over adequate doses of Vitamin D, it is recommended that children under 10 should be getting at least 400 IU of vitamin D per day and after age 10 it should be 1,000 IU per day.  Check with your health care provider for appropriate dosages for your child.

Exercise is one of the most important ways of preventing osteoporosis and it should begin in childhood in order to maximize its effect.  Most people think of bones as being static and unchanging.  The truth is that new bone is constantly being formed as old bone is broken down.  During childhood new bone growth is greater than bone resorption or breakdown.  This happens to the greatest extent during growth periods.  The process of bone building peaks between the late 20’s and early 30’s.  After this age bone building gradually diminishes and is eventually surpassed by bone breakdown.  Bone loss is accelerated significantly after menopause unless steps are taken to halt the process.  Bone mass will remain the same if bone building and bone loss processes are equal

The best type of exercise for bone building is weight bearing exercise. That is walking, running, jumping, dancing, skating, hiking, tennis, stair climbing, soccer etc.  Any exercise that accentuates the effects of gravity on the body will increase bone density and bone strength.  While non weight bearing exercises such as cycling and swimming are of great benefit to us in other ways, they do not benefit bone density significantly.

Exercise that begins in childhood is considered to be very important because we can maximize the increase in bone mass that naturally occurs during childhood growth periods.  Think of the skeleton as a form of a bone ‘bank’ where the input of exercise and nutrients yields the highest results during childhood.  You will have more bone mass ‘accrued’ so that later in life it will provide you with more stability as you begin to lose bone tissue.

With budget cutbacks in schools, gym programmes often suffer the most.  Boys are much more likely to exercise outside of school than girls and indeed there seems to be more after school sports programmes available for boys than for girls.  It is important therefore to encourage girls get involved with exercise programmes year round.

Girls who learn to exercise regularly at a young age will be more likely to carry on this healthy habit throughout their lives. Educate your daughters at an early age about the benefits of regular exercise.  Encourage them to join you in walking, hiking, skiing, skating or at the gym. Children are more likely to exercise if the whole family is involved. For reluctant teens offering incentives such as a new bike or clothing they want may just get them off that couch and away from the computer.

Maintaining a certain frequency of exercise is essential.  Somewhat vigorous weight bearing exercise such as gymnastics, skipping, folk dancing, volleyball etc. should be done for a minimum of 30 minutes 3 times per week.  Less vigorous exercise such as walking, hiking and gentler forms of dance should be done 4 to 5 times per week.

Regular exercise benefits all children in so many ways.  They have better focus and attention during school; they sleep better at night; they generally have more self esteem and less problems with mood swings.  They are more flexible and have greater cardiovascular fitness.  And in the case of girls, they will grow up to have greater bone strength and fewer problems with bone loss as they age.

Late summer and fall harvests provide us with some of the most nourishing foods available.  Many of these foods supply us with the nutrients our bodies need to maintain a healthy immune system just in time for the onslaught of flu’s and colds.

Beta-carotene is a bright orange-red pigmented nutrient found in brightly coloured vegetables and fruits, so named for the way it colours carrots.  It has long been known as an immune boosting vitamin and indeed will be converted by the body into Vitamin A as needed.  Both beta carotene and Vitamin A are known to help the immune system to respond quicker and stronger to invading viruses and bacteria.  More recent studies suggest that this nutrient is actually best obtained from food sources rather than as a supplement.  That’s probably because the entire family of carotenes work to help support the immune system.

Beta-carotene is found in great abundance in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and squash.  Tomatoes are rich in beta- carotene as well as another carotene known as Lycopene.   Lycopene has been found to have incredible antioxidant properties and has even been found to be beneficial in the prevention of certain types of cancers. Interestingly enough this wonderful nutrient is even more available when tomatoes are heated or cooked.  So adding some tomatoes to roasted, steamed or sautéed fall vegetables both enhances the flavour and gives our immune system a giant boost.

Vitamins C is well known for its immune enhancing properties and is highly recommended for preventing colds and flues. Not only does it increase the number of cells that fight invading viruses, but it enhances the production of interferon – a substance that prevents the spread of viruses from one cell to another. Dark green veggies such as spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and peppers contain beta carotene as well as Vitamin C.  Even potatoes provide us with extra vitamin C especially when cooked with the skin on.

Another nutrient that is so important for a healthy functioning immune system is zinc.  If zinc is lacking in your diet your immune system will be weakened.  Zinc can help boost the immune response and prevent infections – hence it is often added to lozenges to help treat sore throats.  Since too much zinc can impair the immune system as well, getting adequate amounts in your diet is important.  Beans such as lentils and chick peas are a good source of zinc as are peas, pumpkin and sesame seeds, ginger root and turkey.

Vitamin E has been shown to enhance the production of antibody producing cells and natural killer cells which protect us from invading germs.  Vegetable oils and seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds are good sources of Vitamin E. While nuts are often prohibited at schools due to severe allergies, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are usually acceptable and make a tasty snack for youngsters.

Many articles have been written about the antibacterial properties of garlic, but it also contains substances that enhance the response of the immune system to invading viruses and bacteria.  The mature garlic harvested in late summer and early fall is rich in these properties and the bulbs will last in storage for a few months.  Steaming or baking garlic makes them taste sweeter and more palatable for young children.  Cooking them in soups or stews will likewise mellow the taste.  A surprising number of young children enjoy the taste of hummus – a good way to get chick peas and garlic into them.  Hummus makes a nice dip for raw veggies or rice chips.

There has been a lot of excitement in the last few years about the immune boosting abilities of some exotic mushrooms – like reishi and shitake.  But even the lowly button mushroom has been found to have these positive effects.  Adding raw or cooked mushrooms to your child’s diet on a regular basis will have a very positive effect on their overall health.

Soups and stews made with these marvellous vegetables are a good way to get them into kids.  For picky eaters try cooking and pureeing vegetables into a palatable lunchtime soup.  Squash and sweet potato puree with a little apple and ginger make a great tasting, highly nutritious lunch for kids to take to school in a thermos.  A mix of cooked broccoli, kale and mushrooms can likewise be made up into a puree with chicken broth and a little cooked garlic.

So enjoy our colourful fall harvest – not just for the wonderful flavours, but also for the great benefits to our immune system.

State of the Evidence:  The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment by Janet Gray, PhD.

State of the Evidence: The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment 2010 is the sixth edition of the Breast Cancer Fund’s signature report examining the scientific evidence linking exposures to environmental chemicals and radiation with breast cancer. In this edition, the evidence is placed in a larger conceptual context, with a substantial discussion of framing themes and methodological issues.  The report concludes with an exploration of the policy initiatives required to make breast cancer prevention a public health priority, and presents advice on what
individuals can do to reduce their risk.

To view the entire article please go to:  www.breastcancerfund.org

Common sense works: wash hands well, get good air ventilation, dress for the weather, strength your resistance by getting adequate rest, maintain a healthy diet, moderate exercise and minimize stress levels.

Vitamin D3 or Sunshine. Who should take it and how much should one take it? The answers will be loud and clear after you watch this must see video presentation done by Dr.Michael F. Holick Ph.D., M.D. who has spend 20 years on vitamin D research. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq1t9WqOD-0 In the presentation, he talks about all the benefit of vitamin D and what happens when one is deficient in it.

Hydro therapy: there are several ways to use water to strength our immune system.
- hot and cold showers – finishing your regular shower with cold water for 1 minute.
- hot foot bath – soak your feet to above the ankles in a bucket of warm water for 20 minutes every night before bed.
- use a netti pot to rinse your nasal passages regularly.

Vitamin C: The RDA of vitamin C is 60mg, it is only enough to ward off scurvy. In order to get the immune boosting benefit of vitamin C, one need much higher doses, generally 1000mg – 3000mg a day for adults.

Zinc: It is an essential nutrient for a strong immune system and to speed up healing. During an outbreak of cold and flu, 15 mg per day for adults is recommended. One may need much higher doses if coming down with a cold or flu, but only for a short period of time.

elder flower tea and other herbal teas, such as rose hip, nettle, ginger, etc are great beverages during the cold and flu season. They have been shown to have immune boosting properties. Elder flower tea has a light and pleasant flavor, you can add some honey and drink it hot or cool. We carry the loose elder flower tea in the office during flu season.

homeopathic such as Mucococcinum have been shown to be effective in preventing colds and flus. If you have been prescribed a constitutional remedy, it will be better to use that remedy.

For people with a weakened immune system or chronic illness, an individual consultation is recommended. We have many tools to help those who need extra care.

If you do come down with a cold or flu, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and give us a call if it does not seem to be resolving. We have helped many patients in the past 10 years to have a swift and uncomplicated recovery.

Spring is the perfect time for detoxifying  your body.   There are many simple things you can do to safely reduce the your toxin load.   For more aggressive detox, your can use a herbal or homeopathic products,  fasting can also be very therapeutic.  Consult a health practitioner before trying them.

The following suggestions to detox can be incorporated into your daily life or done it for 2 weeks in the spring.

Food: Eat 10 serving of fresh and various kinds of fruits and vegetable a day,  no possessed food, no sugar and caffeine.   Eat less wheat, more quinoa, yam, rice, chickpeas etc complex carbohydrates.  If eat meat, eggs and dairy, try to eat organic ones.   Eat a hearty breakfast and lunch and a light dinner.   Chew your food well.

Water: Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a pinch of sea salt.  During the day, drink distilled, spring or filtered water, 30ml per kg of your weight.  A 220lb person will need about 3 liters of water a day.

Breath: Take 10 deep belly breathing 3 times a day.   It is best to do it standing outside, or with a window open. Put your hands on your belly to feel the expansion of your belly when you inhale.  Do it as slowly as possible and focus on the motion and the body sensation of your breath.  Be conscious to relax your shoulders and neck while you are doing it.  Breathing is a very effective way to quickly alter your autonomic nerve system. It can switch you from fight and flight state or a relaxed state quickly.

Sleep:  good and adequate amounts of sleep is super important for optimum health, it will reduce stress hormonal production and hence affect your metabolism rate.   According to the Chinese medicine, an hour of sleep before mid night is worth 2 hours of sleep after.

Exercise: a good sweat from exercise will help your body to detox via your skin.  45-90 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week is ideal.

Skin brushing and hydrotherapy:  Before your morning shower, use a natural bristle brush to brush your skin from your hands and feet towards your heart until your skin is rosy and warm.  Then jump into the shower.   End your shower with cold water as cold as you can stand for 1 minute while briskly rubbing your body with your hands or sing or scream.   This is very effective way to detox and boost your immune system.   It will also wake you up better than a double espresso.   Do not recommend this for women during menses or someone who is sick.

Fatigue
Easy weight gain
Poor memory & concentration, brain fog
Depression
Irritability
Fluid retention
Muscle aches
Hair loss
PMS
Cold and or heat intolerance
Anxiety and panic attack
Headaches and migraines
Insomnia
Constipation
Acne
Unhealthy nails
Dry skin and hair
Allergies
Thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, hyperthryoidism, hypothryroidism, hashmoto’s disease

More

You may have Wilson’s temperature syndrome (WTS). This medical condition is caused by acute and/or chronic stress. It results in a multi-system body malfunction. WTS has become more and more prevalent with our busy modern life style. It may be a major contributor to chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

What is Wilson’s temperature syndrome?
Our thyroid gland is a master gland that produces T4, a thyroid hormone that regulates our metabolic rate and our body temperature. People with WTS may have normal T4 on blood tests, but they have problems converting the T4 in the blood into the active form (T3) in peripheral tissues. While the body suffers all the symptoms of low thyroid function, doctors may rule out a thyroid problem because the blood tests are normal. Most chemical reactions in our body require enzymes as catalysts. These enzymes are made of protein with specific configurations that are temperature dependent. When our body does not convert T4 to T3 properly, our body temperature will drop below the normal 98.6 F, and our enzymes will not work efficiently. The end result is we suffer from fatigue, brain fog, poor digestion, etc.

Many patients on thyroid medication, such as synthroid or Armour still don’t feel well. This is often due to a problem converting thyroid hormone(T4) into the active form (T3) that actually does the work in the tissue. These patients can benefit from the treatment and feel well on little or no medication.

How is Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome assessed?
Our naturopath will take a thorough case history and perform a relevant physical exam to rule out other causes of your symptoms. Blood and/or saliva tests may be ordered to assist in the diagnosis. A series of body temperatures will be taken throughout the day for several days to determine low body temperature.

How do we treat Wilson’s Temperature syndrome?
Diet and lifestyle changes will be recommended to help restore healthy thyroid function and prevent future occurrences. WTS is treated with specific herbs and supplements that are of benefit to the thyroid gland and assist in the conversion of T4 to T3. In severe cases, patients may need to be treated with a series of increasing doses of T3 itself, followed by a weaning off in order to ‘reset’ thyroid function. If this is necessary a referral will be made to the appropriate doctor for T3 prescription.

For more information please refer to www.wilsonssyndrome.com or consult your Naturapathic Doctor.

What is it?

• A specific type of influenza flu virus that primarily affects birds but recently has been reported to affect humans, pigs and cats.
• The Avian flu virus rarely affects humans, but often causes serious disease or fatality when it does.
• The virus that causes the Avian flu is a sub-type of the influenza A virus that is know to cause the flu in humans and is associated with influenza epidemics and pandemics.
• New variations of this virus arise when susceptible animals like pigs, ducks, chickens and humans live together in close proximity.
• The current Avian flu virus is a highly virulent virus sub-type that has spread more rapidly, with a higher degree of mortality than any other bird flu strain in history.

How is it spread?

• The virus has been shown to exist in saliva, nasal secretions and feces for about 10 days.
• Close contact with infected birds or birds that died from the illness.
• Direct contact with bird droppings or contaminated feed, water, clothing, cages, farm equipment and other surfaces.
• Eggs and egg products, as well as frozen or adequately cooked poultry products are unlikely sources of infection.
• There are no clearly documented cases of the recent avian flu virus spreading from human to human.

For signs and symptoms of an infection to occur you need

1. close contact with infected birds or some other source of a significant number of infectious viral particles; and
2. and a sub-optimal immune system.

What are the symptoms of the avian flu virus?

• Most frequent symptoms include:fever (38.5 C to 40 C), cough, shortness of breath, swollen lymph nodes
• Other common symptoms are:sore throat, runny nose, muscle pain
• Shortness of breath is an early symptom that can develop into a severe acute respiratory syndrome.
• On rare occasions, conjunctivitis or gastrointestional symptoms might appear.

What is being done currently?

• The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) are treating the recent outbreaks of avian flu very seriously.
• Drastic measures are being taken to destroy affected birds and therefore, remove the animal reservoir of Avian flu viruses.
• The current conventional drugs used to treat the influenza virus have proven to be relatively ineffective against the current avian flu virus.
• The current flu vaccine is ineffective against avian influenza.

Naturopathic Approach

Prevention Strategies

• Regular rigorous hand washing with greater than 50 C water with soap and/or detergent is recommended to decrease the likelihood of infection and prevent the spread of the virus
• The best way to ensure that the avian flu does not cause signs and symptoms in humans is to ensure an optimal innate immune system and robust terrain.
  • Minimize sugar and saturated fat intake
  • Consume healthy protein with every meal (nuts, seeds, legumes, fish)
  • Address lifestyle stressors and have optimal sleep and rest
  • Ensure a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day
  • A daily routine that includes dry skin brushing, contrast showers and deep breathing exercises is beneficial.
  • Exercise a minimum of 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes
  • Work with your naturopathic doctors to determine what individual recommendations are required.
• Heat whole poultry to at least 85 C for 30 minutes before eating
• Heat eggs and other poultry products to at least 75 C
• Avoid high risk areas

Treatment Strategies

• There are a number of highly effective naturopathic treatments to eliminate the signs and symptoms of the Avian flu virus.
• If you have any of the symptoms of the avian flu and you have been in contact with birds, contact your naturopathic or medical doctor immediately As part of the treatment, your naturopathic doctor may recommend . . .
  • Botanical or homeopathic therapies to fight the infection.
  • Specific supplements, based on individual signs and symptoms, to increase the body’s ability to fight the infection and to restore balance to the body.
  • Strict dietary changes to support immune function, maximize nutrients and increase the effective role of the digestive tract in immunity.
  • Blood work, chest x-ray or other laboratory tests to help identify the cause of the signs and symptoms.
  • Isolation of infected people with mandatory personal protective equipment including a high efficiency mask (N-95), gloves and gown by their health care providers.

If any symptoms appear consult your health care provider or naturopathic doctor.

This paper is provided courtesy of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors

Bottom line: a moderate fever is a friend. However, infants under 3 months old normally don’t get fevers. If they do, and it’s more than 101 F ( 38.5) it is considered a medical emergency. It is possibly meningitis with a 25% mortality rate.

3 months – 18 months, can manage a fever to 103 F (39 C). At 105 F, ( 40 c) danger of convulsion. Most childhood diseases show within 4 days of fever. If the fever is constant it can indicate a bladder infection.

Danger signs

• Fever in infants under 3 moth old
• Fever gets very high, more than 104F or 40c.
• Child becomes confused, or loses consciousness.
• Seems hot on one side of the body yet cold on the other
• Starts to twitch. Or has a history of febrile seizures
• Child refuses fluids
• Child cries inconsolably or otherwise acts extremely irritable
• Complains stiff neck or can not touch his chin to his chest.
• Your child breaks out in a purple rash that resembles tiny bruises. This could be a sign of a rare but serious infection.
• Child seems to be in severe pain.
• Child becomes dehydrated (dry skin and lips, crying without tears, no urination within 8 hours, listlessness)
• Child has signs of respiratory distress (rapid breathing, sucking of the skin between the ribs and above the breastbone when breathing in, bluish tinge around the mouth, wheezing or crackling sound with breathing).

Things you can do to manage a fever

1st, do nothing. Observe closely. Can your child drink fluids well? Urinate every 3-4 hours? Does your touch console her? Is she playing normally? If the answer to these questions is yes, then she’s not seriously ill.

General rules

• A wet fever is better than dry fever. Try to get your get your child to sweat.
• Diet: keep food to a minimum, so that your child’s energy is not used to digest food, but is free to fight the infection. Fever can be considerably prolonged by giving too much to eat, especially rich and sugary food. Even when the fever comes down and the appetite returns, it may be advisable for your child to avoid food for anther 12 hours, unless there are signs of great weakness.
• Encourage fluids, especially nutritious fluids. Good herbal teas: lemon balm, peppermint, elder flowers/berries, oat straw, chamomile. If your child craves cold food – make herbal tea into ice cubes with half herbal tea and half fruit juice.
• Give water, hydrate the kids in the morning, if you know he is going to get a fever in the afternoon.
• Enemas to bring fever down, it cools and hydrates the baby. Use a solution 1 degree below rectal temperature, put a pinch of salt in a cup of water, to avoid leaching out minerals. Lay baby over the abdomen, lubricate the bulb (can use butter), squeeze out the air, so not pump air into the rectum. Give 1 dose (2 oz) each hour until the water comes out.
• Cold cotton socks: brings down the temperature, sedates them, also good for teething.
• If you suspect a bacterial infection, contact your health care provider
• Bathe with water temperature 1 degree below body temp.
• Dress lightly or bundle: depend on your child’s perception of temperature. If your child looks pale, shivers, or complains of feeling chilled (early stage of fever) bundle her in breathable fabrics (cotton, wool) so that sweat will evaporate. If she is comfortable and her fever is low, dress her snugly and give warm liquid (best boneset tea) _ cup 3 times per day for a 40 pound child to assist the body’s fever production. If she sweats and complains of heat, dress her lightly and let her throw off the covers. (but don’t over cool, and get a chill).

Herbs

To speed up recovery and avoid complications. See a licensed Naturopathic doctor for proper use of herbs.

Herbal water spray

can help send a feverish youngster off to sleep2 drops of essential oil of chamomile, lavender, thyme, ylang ylang, or rose with 4 oz of water in a spray bottle. These oils provide some anti-bacterial action along with a sense of tranquility. Spray liberally on arms, legs, back and chest, but keep this spray away from eyes and out of the reach of small children. Best to use in a warm, steamy bathroom so that your child doesn’t get chilled.

Febrile Seizure

• Try to stay calm: stimulate a pressure point between the upper lip and nose.
• Look at your watch – time the length of the seizure. If exceeds 5 minutes, call 911.
• Turn your child on his side – reduce his risk of gagging or inhaling secretions.
• Make sure the immediate environment is safe. Remove objects your child might hit.
• Do not restrain your child
• After the seizure is over, comfort and reassure your child, then call your doctor for immediate appointment.

How to differentiate a Cold from the Flu

Home management for cold

good food, rest, love and herbs

1. Feed your child warming food – finger, garlic, onions, peppers, soups, grains and herbal tea. Immune boosting soup. Avoid cold, refined, high sugar food such as ice cream, pop and crackers.
2. Encourage your child to drink lots of fluids such as teas, diluted juices, and soup broths. Reduce respiratory congestion.
3. Humidify your child’s room. Use a humidifier. The cool steam is better, use grape seed extract to keep it clean.
4. Use steam – inhale steam with essential oils
5. Check out food allergies / intolerance
6. Wash hands often
7. Teach your child to use a tissue.
8. Hot bath or hot foot bath, work up a sweat.  Do not do it if has high fever (above 103F).

Nutritional supplement

Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Zinc, Proboitics (acidophilus), cod liver oil.

Homeopathic remedies

• Homeopathic remedies can be extremely effective to bring down fever, resolve viral and bacteria infection very quickly. Eg. Choose the right remedy, can resolve strep throat in less than 24 hours.
• Very effective to treat complication and side effect of difficult birth, injuries, post-partum depression, mastitis, ear infection, tonsillitis, cough, chicken pox, teething related problems, cold and flu, etc.
• There are about over 2000 remedies, need to choose the right remedy for it to work. They are powerful medicines. If use the wrong remedy repetitively may cause new problems. Ask for professional help.