My Top Tips for Keeping Kids Healthy at School
September is here and you know what that means… back to school for the kiddos!
Fall is an exciting time of year, but it can also be quite chaotic. For families, it means tremendous changes and creating new routines. Kids are away from their parents for longer periods of time, school lunches and snacks need to be made, homework needs to get done and new bedtimes need to be established. With all these changes happening, it’s totally normal for stress levels to rise a little bit while we get in the groove of things.
With the million and one things us parents need to remember in order to keep these new routines flowing smoothly, one really important thing to make a point of is to consider including wellness support in our family’s back-to -school routine.
When stress levels rise, our immune system takes a hit and weakens slightly. And in light of the events that took place in the last three years, children’s health (especially at school) is on the minds of parents now more than ever before.
The great news is that we can take steps to help keep our kids healthy, happy and strong. And these steps do truly make a big difference. In fact, implementing these steps could mean the difference between your child taking a sick day versus being able to attend school. With my own family, we implement a multifaceted approach to wellness support with our children that includes supplements, specific foods and maintaining adequate levels of hydration.
My Favorite Supplements for Kids
Supplements are a fantastic tool you can add into your child’s daily routine to help address any existing symptoms and also prevent new ones from coming on. When choosing a supplement, don’t forget to take a few moments to check out its ingredients. Many brands add binders, fillers and preservatives to their products that take away from the supplement’s healing potential and can cause harm.
B12
B12 is a critical nutrient that everyone should be taking (regardless of whether you eat meat or not). In fact, according to Medical Medium B12 deficiencies are growing at an alarming rate with B12 reserves dwindling with each generation. This vitamin will help your child perform academically because it heals and supports the nervous system, boosts mental and emotional health and strengthens neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain. It also builds up the immune system, protects the body against pathogens and keeps the liver strong and healthy. Vimergy is a supplement brand my family uses every day and they have just recently come out with a kids B12.
Zinc
Zinc is another nutrient that many people are deficient in and it is one of the most important immune strengthening minerals! Zinc will help keep your children healthy at school because it strengthens white blood cells, and keeps the liver functioning optionally. Vimergy has also recently come out with a kid’s version of zinc which I love.
Lemon Balm
I also really love lemon balm for kids because it’s gentle, yet it can have profound healing effects on the body. Lemon balm is fantastic for calming and stabilizing the nervous system. If your child is struggling with nervousness, anxiety, and/or sleep issues, this herb can help. It’s also a strong anti-pathogenic herb which can help the body fight current infections, prevent new ones from developing and aid with symptoms such as fevers, stomach aches and histamine reactions.
Two additional beneficial items to have on hand this fall include elderberry syrup and Vitamin C! Learn more tips inside ourFree Live call on “Back to School Wellness” September 12th at 7:00 PM EST and 4:00 PM PST. Register here to join and listen. My Empowered Moms Course also has an entire module dedicated to supplements, homeopathy and acute care for children’s wellness. You can also ask question inside our daily community!
Nutrition
Food plays a critical role in making or breaking our health. In fact, certain foods indeed have the capacity to help symptoms and actively prevent us from getting sick later down the road. These foods fall into four categories and include fruit, vegetables, herbs and wild foods. Focus on incorporating foods from these categories as much as possible for the greatest healing benefit. The following are some specific examples that you can use for ideas when packing your children’s lunches and snacks for school.
- Apples
- Bananas
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cherries
- Cilantro
- Dragon fruit (red)
- Elderberry
- Garlic
- Kale
- Mangoes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Potatoes
- Thyme
- Tomatoes
- Wild Blueberries
Offering your child something to eat every 1.5-2 hours can also help to keep your kids healthy and strong. When we go longer than 2 hours without eating, our blood sugar drops below adequate levels, and our body starts to produce and run on adrenaline to compensate. Chronic exposure to this adrenaline is corrosive, hard on the immune system, weakens the adrenal glands and puts stress on the nervous system. Consider that your child may not need to be eating a full meal every 2 hours. Even just a sip of juice, or a few bites, can be enough to keep things stable.
Hydration
Hydration is something that is often overlooked my many when it comes down to creating and maintaining high levels of health. Making sure your child is drinking plenty of water throughout the day will really make a difference in immune strength, energy levels and mental clarity over long periods of time. I recommend offering your child living water (water with added lemon or fruit) as well as coconut water and fresh green juices. Having your child consume plenty of fruit and veggies will also keep their hydration levels up.
Sometimes when we start to implement new dietary regimes into our day to day lives, it can get a bit stressful. And I’ll be the first one to admit that back-to-school season is already stressful in and of itself. But there are steps we can take to minimize our stress when it comes to food and nutrition. And it starts with preparation. I’ve said it so many times before (because it’s just that important) but preparation and planning when it comes to food is everything. It really is the key to success. This can include writing out meal plans and grocery lists, washing produce the night before or preparing meals in bulk and ahead of time.
Taking time to think ahead will make a world of a difference when it comes to helping our children eat healthy and stay healthy. And if you want to learn even more about supplements, nutrition, introducing new foods, and creating a healing environment for children, sign up for Empowered Moms Course this September. Moms that have taken the course before can join for 50% off.
If you have joined us in course before, we are now offering extended community support inside our NEW Empowered Moms Monthly Subscription.
