What Does Our Family Do When They Get Sick?

Disclaimer:This is a look at the personal practices and traditions our family uses in their own home. It is shared for educational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent illness or replace professional medical care.

When somebody gets sick around here, we don't suddenly pull out a 47-step wellness protocol.

We go back to the basics.

Good food. Plenty of rest. Lots of fluids. Fresh air. And paying attention to how we're actually doing.

That's pretty much how we try to live whether we're sick or not. We believe the body was designed to do a lot of things on its own, and our job is to give it a good foundation and not get in the way.

It Usually Starts With the Food

I've always believed that you can't separate health from what you eat.

We try to follow a lot of the traditional food principles we've learned from organizations like the Weston A. Price Foundation. That means real food, traditional fats, good animal products, properly prepared foods, and not making a habit out of eating a bunch of processed stuff.

And with a family, believe me, we notice when we get away from that.

If we've been traveling, eating at somebody else's house, or the kids have gotten into more sweets than usual, we'll hear about it afterward.

One kid isn't quite as regular. Another can be a little more cranky than normal. My wife and I might notice that we're not feeling quite like ourselves either.

It's funny how quickly you can notice the difference when you've lived with a certain way of eating for a long time.

So when somebody gets sick, I'm not looking for some magic food that is going to fix everything.

I'm thinking about the foundation we've already been building.

When the Winter Bugs Come Around

When sickness makes its way through the house, the first thing we usually do is slow down.

That sounds simple, but with a big family and a farm to run, slowing down isn't always our strong suit.

Sometimes the best thing somebody can do is sleep.

We'll make something warm to drink, keep the water coming, open the windows when the weather allows, and let the body have some time to rest.

And I don't worry too much about making somebody eat a big meal if they don't feel like it. If you're sick and don't want a plate of food, I'm probably not going to stand over you and tell you to clean your plate.

When they're ready to eat, though, I want to give them something good.

That's where a simple bowl of broth, some meat and vegetables, or another nourishing meal comes in.

We also pay attention.

How are they acting? Are they drinking? Are they resting? Are they improving?

If something doesn't seem right or there are concerning changes, we don't just shrug our shoulders and say, "Well, it'll probably be fine." There's a time for taking care of things at home and a time for getting professional help.

Sometimes the Old Ways Are Simple

I keep a copy of Be Your Own Doctor around because I appreciate the old-fashioned mindset behind a lot of traditional home care.

Not because I think a book on the shelf is going to solve every problem.

But because our grandparents and great-grandparents knew a thing or two about simple ways to care for a family.

A hot cup of tea.

A warm bath.

A cool, damp cloth when somebody is uncomfortable.

Rest.

Fresh air.

Simple food.

There's something to be said for not making everything complicated.

We've gotten pretty good at reaching for something new every time we don't feel good. Sometimes, the old answer is still sitting right there in the kitchen.

When I Get Sick...

I'll admit, I'm not particularly good at being sick.

I have a farm to run.

My attitude is generally somewhere along the lines of, "I don't have time for this."

Recently, I had something that had me sweating heavily for several days. It wasn't exactly convenient timing which, of course, is when these things always seem to happen.

One thing I personally use during times like that is activated charcoal. That's something I've incorporated into my own routine over the years.

I've also spent a lot of time thinking about carbon. Not just carbon in the context of the human body, but in the soil, plants, animals, and the whole system we're working with on the farm.

I have some theories about those connections and how they relate to health. Those are my personal theories, not medical facts or claims that I'm presenting as proven science.

For me, the bigger idea is what interests me most.

Everything is connected.

And that brings me right back to the farm.

What Happens in the Soil Matters

I spend a lot of time thinking about soil.

Healthy soil grows healthy plants.

Healthy plants feed healthy animals.

And those animals provide food for our families.

That's one reason regenerative farming means more to me than simply having a particular label on our farm.

We're trying to take care of the soil God gave us. We're trying to take care of the animals. We're trying to produce good food and be good stewards of what we've been given.

Does that mean nobody in our family ever gets sick?

Of course not.

We're still human.

But I believe there's wisdom in giving the body good food, getting enough rest, spending time outside, and building healthy habits before you're sitting on the couch feeling miserable.

Back to the Basics

At our house, we don't have a secret formula.

When somebody gets sick, we try to keep things simple.

Rest. Eat good food. Drink plenty of fluids. Get some fresh air. Pay attention. And don't make things more complicated than they need to be.

Those are the same principles we try to follow on the farm.

Take care of the soil.

Take care of the animals.

Provide good food.

Take care of your family.

Maybe that's why I like the old-fashioned approach so much.

Sometimes the best way forward is simply to get back to the basics.