Getting your family through the September bug season
At Nurtured Organics, we believe there is a lot we can do naturally to support the family's immune system through seasonal changes.
Every parent knows the pattern. The first few weeks back at nursery or school and the household falls like dominoes. Runny noses, coughs and a temperature that keeps reappearing. It happens every single year, and it's exhausting. The good news is that you don't have to just put on a brave face and muddle through, there are some simple things that can make a real difference as to how your family gets through it.
Why September hits so hard
Where there are dozens of small children interacting in an indoor space, viruses will flourish. But that's only a small part of the picture.
After a summer of (somewhat) relaxing days, September is the month when the pace of life ramps back up. It means disrupted sleep, early alarms, less time outside, less daylight and natural vitamin D. The indoor heating dries out little nasal passages, and the low-level stress of change, that small children register more than we give them credit for, all take their toll. With all these elements coming together at once and some unfamiliar bugs thrown into the mix, it's no wonder they are so vulnerable.
September isn't just "cold and flu season". It's a season of transition and adaptation. Preparing and supporting your family through that period is quite different from scrambling to fight off a bug that's already taken hold.
Start with the basics
Handwashing thoroughly with soap, for a good twenty seconds, remains one of the single most evidence-based ways to stop bugs spreading around the household in the first place. Make sure they keep a water bottle with them all day. Water helps carry nutrients around the body and keep temperature steady, and indoor heating can be brutal on little nasal passages.
Sleep and routine
Protecting sleep is one of the most useful things you can do at this time of year. A calming bedtime routine and an age-appropriate bedtime, held to as often as possible, sounds obvious but really is the foundation. Sleep is when the body does most of its immune housekeeping, producing new white blood cells, consolidating the memory of past infections and regulating inflammation. Screens off well before bed matters too, as the blue light delays wind-down.
Food and the gut
A large part of the immune system sits in the gut, so what you feed it matters. Fibre and fermented foods feed the beneficial bacteria that keep everything ticking over, whereas refined sugar and processed foods tend to do the opposite. You don't need to stress about overhauling the entire family diet, just aim for a colourful plate wherever you can. Real Greek yoghurt and kefir are simple ways to work fermented foods into the week, and cooking with bone broth is a lovely, nourishing addition to soups and stews. It's also always a good idea to keep processed food and snacks to a minimum.
Vitamin C and zinc both contribute to normal immune function, and both are easy to find in everyday foods like citrus, berries, broccoli, pumpkin seeds and chickpeas. Vitamin D contributes to normal immune function too, but it's trickier to maintain as sunlight is our main source, and once the clocks change most of us in the UK aren't getting enough. A supplement, or the traditional spoonful of cod liver oil, fills the gap.
Use bone broth instead of water when cooking rice, lentils or grains, as a base for recipes and sauces, or drink it as is. It's naturally rich in gelatin, collagen and amino acids like glycine and glutamine, plus minerals drawn from the bones through long, slow simmering.
The everyday rituals that see us through
Alongside all the above, there are two things we make room for at this time of year.
The first is our Elderberry Nurture Blend. At the heart of the blend are organic elderberries, naturally rich in flavonoids, fibre and antioxidants. Hippocrates is said to have called the elder tree his medicine chest, and it's remained a treasured botanical ever since. We complement the elderberries with raw organic honey for its rich flavour and naturally occurring antioxidants, along with a blend of supportive organic ingredients, to create a beautifully balanced blend that kids love. No refined sugar, no preservatives, no artificial anything. A daily wellness ritual for the whole family through the seasons.
Not suitable for babies under 12 months, as it contains honey.
The second is our Propolis Throat Spray. Propolis is the resin that honeybees gather from tree buds and bark, blended with their own enzymes to seal and protect the hive. It's the reason a warm, crowded and humid beehive stays remarkably clean inside. What makes it so special is its density of natural compounds, including flavonoids and polyphenols. Bees have used it to protect the colony for millions of years, and humans have gathered it for thousands. Our spray pairs propolis with raw organic honey, giving it a beautifully sweet taste that kids don't argue with.
Not suitable for babies under 12 months, as it contains honey.
As with any new supplement, please check in with your health visitor or GP before starting a new routine.
Trust the small stuff
You won't dodge every bug, but the everyday rituals really do add up, and they're the difference between a household being laid out for a couple of days and one that's still dragging itself through the whole of October.
Don't underestimate the small things, they're what carry you through.
About Nurtured Organics
Nurtured Organics is a small-batch, natural family wellness brand based in Berkshire, founded by Sophie Burrows after her daughter began bringing home every nursery bug going. What began as something just for her family is now handmade in small batches for others, using natural, organic ingredients and drawing on remedies passed down through generations.
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