As I see more and more people I know suffer from chronic colds and sinus problems this winter, I thought I would share some tips on how I stopped my kids from getting them over and over again. I was desperate – it seemed like the kids would keep getting them no matter what we tried, and we were becoming regular visitors to the doctor’s office! Since making a few changes to our diet however, we’ve been sinus and ear infection free for over two months, which I think is a personal best record for our family in the past 6 years!
What’s my secret? While there are a lot of great natural sinus treatments out there, I found the most effective thing was a simple change in their diet. This change was easy to make, but a lot of people are very hesitant to try it because chances are you will have to give up a few of your favorite foods in order to do it!
What’s the solution? No milk!
It’s true – ever since taking my kids off of milk we have not had a single ear infection or sinus problem! While I usually advocate listening to your doctors and pediatricians (and of course you should see them if you have symptoms such as fever, nausea, or swelling) – I actually went against their advice – and I am glad I did!
When I first learned about the possibility of eliminating milk to help kids stay healthy and avoid getting sick, I must admit I was skeptical. My kids drank milk all the time. My daughter absolutely loved cheese. I couldn’t believe that it might be contributing to why they were sick constantly, even though in hindsight both my kids did have big problems with milk based infant formulas.
So, I tried a milk free diet for about a week or two while my daughter was battling yet another ear infection. This meant no cheese, no butter, no yogurt, no ice cream, and of course no foods that contained milk as an ingredient in the list. (That’s the hardest part because you really have to read labels carefully!) I allowed them to have a small amount after that to test and see if there was any reaction – and sure enough they were both sick from it within a few hours. Since then we’ve been dairy free for over two months and the kids are better than ever!
So, while many people think milk is healthy for you, I felt like this was worth sharing if you are a parent with a kid who is constantly sick and you’ve had enough of it! Many people have asked me what I am doing to make sure my kids get a healthy diet since we’ve taken milk out of our diet. I give them fortified orange juice on some days, on others I will sneak some green leafy veggies, such as spinach into many of their foods – even brownies! The kids have no idea they are eating their veggies! Foods like spinach have good amounts of calcium, For vitamin D, all you need to do is spend 15 minutes outside in the sunshine each day. If you live in a colder climate, you may want to use supplements during the winter.
I know it might sound crazy, but if you’re tired of all the sinus and ear infections, there’s nothing to lose by trying a week or two without milk to see if it makes a difference for you. If milk is the problem, and you’ve found your kids no longer get sick like I do, you’ll be very glad you did!
