I have a couple new favorite products. J  My son recently had a cold, which can drag on, so on day two I decided to give him Briar Rose extract, which I had been researching, and Boiron’s Children’s Cold Remedy.  After only 5 hours of taking regular doses of each he was 95% better running around the house.  I strongly recommend keeping them in the house!  Here is more info on Briar Rose and using Homeopathics for kids and adults.

I am one that definitely does not promote giving your kids antibiotics or over-the-counter medicine such as Tylenol unless of course their health is in danger and/or you have tried all other natural alternatives.  Antibiotics & OTC medicine generally put a band-aid over the illness rather than treating it.  What often happens is that the illness goes away while the virus/bacteria is suppressed just waiting to pop up again when conditions are right – generally stronger than the previous sickness.  My philosophy is to try and treat the body holistically on every level, helping it to heal itself.  Simple natural foods such as coconut water, alkaline water, superfoods and miso are wonderful healing foods/drinks when you or your kids are sick.  In addition to that is to add healing and gentle supplements that aid the body in the healing process.

After speaking with Dr. Feder, who is a pediatrician and homeopathic doctor, I was very intrigued about Briar Rose.  We have chosen not to immunize our son and I wanted to find out what she recommends for keeping their immune system strong while traveling on airplanes, dealing with illness and going to school.  She highly recommended Briar Rose, which I had not heard of.  She gave it to her kids throughout school as a preventative during flu season or when other kids were sick.  Plus it works effectively if you are sick for healing purposes.  I gave my son 40-50 drops twice/day and it seemed to do the trick.

According to Dr. Feder,”Briar Rose, a natural remedy made from plant buds, is for runny nose and congestion in children. It strengthens a child’s immune system and is useful for conditions involving ear, nose, throat and sinuses. It is particularly helpful for those winter colds. Briar Rose is a natural form of medicine called gemmotheraphy. Briar Rose can be used in conjunction with homeopathic and standard medicine. I use this as a prevention 2-3 times a week as needed during cold and flu season. For illness, use twice a day.”  It works best for the following symptoms:

• Ear aches and ear infections
• Runny nose and congestion
• Sore throat
• Sinus infections
• Headaches, migraines caused by allergies
• Also great for adults as a preventative and boosting immune system

Along with giving my son Briar Rose, I wanted something to help with the symptoms that was more natural, especially with the recall’s on Tylenol and many other companies!  We used to take Elderberry/Echinacea tincture when we got sick but it never worked that well and I have realized that those two herbs seem to work much better as preventatives.  I decided to focus more on homeopathic remedies this time.

Homeopathic medicine was developed in Germany and is a very common practice in the European countries.  It works very quickly and is safe for babies, kids and adults.  As soon as I gave my son two doses of the Cold Calm his nose dried up almost immediately after running for 24 hours straight.  I had tried the various homeopathic cough syrups in the past but they didn’t seem to work as well.  The tablets seem to be a bit stronger.  Just make sure they don’t eat 10 minutes before or after taking it and ideally your fingers should not touch the tab – I just popped it into his mouth to chew but can also be dissolved in water and then drunk. 

Both supplements are gentle enough for babies and strong enough for adults (they have an adult’s Cold Calm).  You don’t have to limit it to Cold Calm.  There are many homeopathic remedies out there that work great – I really like the company Boiron.  Umcka is another great homeopathic formula for colds that many people have had great success with.  Plus, there are many herbs out there that I know are great products such as Epicor (immune balancing), olive leaf extract, mushroom extracts, etc which are all amazing preventatives.  These products I am talking about today I have been using and are definitely safe for babies/toddlers.

Related posts:

1. Children’s Colds and Flus can be Reduced with One Ingredient
2. The Season for Strengenthing Your Immune System
3. Six Daily Steps to Prevent Proliferation of H1N1
4. How to Keep Your Kids Healthy & Balanced Nutritionally
5. How to Remove Lead & Heavy Metals Naturally