Pretty much every year by mid-February everyone you speak to seems a to have had all sorts of bugs.

Over the last couple of months I’ve heard people say their families have been hit by all sorts including: heavy colds, tonsillitis, slapped cheek, flu, chicken pox and those non-specific viruses or vomiting bugs.

By this time of year everyone has had enough. It’s time to kick these bugs in the butt.

So what can we do to banish the bugs and get back on track.

Fumigate

I don’t know about you, but if someone has been unwell I have this desperate urge to fumigate and wash and disinfect everything in sight. Just me? Two of the products I swear by are Dettol Laundry Cleanser, which is great for getting everything clean and smelling sweet, as well as banishing nasty bugs of course. For anything that can’t be thrown in the machine I love Dettol All in One Disinfectant Spray, you can spray it on hard and soft surfaces and it kills all sorts of nasties.

Smoothies

Having a good blast of fruit and extra goodness in the form of smoothies always makes us feel better, you can of course easily add some super greens in powder form as well to give you an extra blast of goodness.

Smoothies are fun to make as well, so you can get the children trying out different fruits and mixing their own.

Probiotics

Probiotics are thought to help restore the natural balance of bacteria in your gut (including your stomach and intestines) when it’s been disrupted by an illness or treatment. Often called friendly bacteria.

Without probiotics, antibiotics can sometimes wipe out the protective gut bacteria, resulting in diarrhoea. Probiotics given with antibiotics may also reduce the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection.

These are normally really easy to get in to everyone, so my theory is always, why wouldn’t you?

Sambucol

Sambucol Black Elderberry is a natural alternative to the flu vaccine that can help build immunity and limit the duration of cold and flu symptoms if they do appear.

Rich in antioxidants known as anthocyanins, black elderberries are known for their immune health benefits, and over 20 years ago, a leading virologist discovered that these berries also had significant anti-viral properties, and thus developed Sambucol.

Sambucol has a unique formulation and extraction process which preserves and maximises the naturally occurring health benefits of the berry. These black elderberries provide a distinctive mode of action called AntiVirin®, which helps protect healthy cells, inactivate infectious viruses and boost immunity.

Sounds clever right? It’s also so easy to include in day-to-day life, it’s one of those – well, why wouldn’t you take it sort of products!

Influenza Viruses replicate themselves by entering cells membrane and spread throughout the body. The Antivirin® mode of action works by coating the viruses and limits their ability to penetrate and infect healthy cells.  As a result viruses, such as flu, are unable to replicate. The body’s white blood cells are then able to ingest the infected cells, effectively removing the virus from the body.

Sambucol is backed by scientific research and recommended by nutritionists and healthcare professionals across the globe. Dr John Moran from the Holistic Medical Clinic in London is a firm believer in natural remedies; he comments “I have been prescribing Sambucol, a black elderberry nutritional product to my patients for many years. Sambucol helps to boost the immune system and also has an anti-viral effect.”

Sambucol Black Elderberry, a range of food supplements, is available in liquid, capsule, effervescent and pastille formats with specific formulations for adults and children, so the whole family can benefit. All of the products taste great, but if you do struggle to get them into the children, you can always add the liquid to juice – it’s totally undetectable in something like blackcurrant squash.