Back to School
Published September 12, 2007 in the North Island Weekender
I have always had happy memories of heading back to school with my fresh new school supplies and a few new clothes too! In my adult life September is a time for “fresh starts” and I still love going to the stationary stores at this time of year to refill my “creativity” supplies. But before the adults can start getting into their “new goals” for the fall they have to make sure their kids are settled in school. So here are a few suggestions:
Tip#1 The kids often get sick within the first month of school so start them on their daily doses of cod liver oil and vitamin C. Cod liver oil when mixed with orange juice or our Verry Berry tastes pretty good and 1000mg of chewable vitamin C can taste pretty good too. Just make sure they brush their teeth after chewing them. The acid can be hard on the enamel of the teeth. The vitamin C and the essential fats along with vitamin A are excellent at preventing colds, flus and allergies too.
Tip#2 Turns out that apple juice is great for preventing asthma. Drinking a glass of apple juice every day may offer some relief to children who wheeze, according to U.K. researchers. The study, published in the May issue of the European Respiratory Journal, included 2,640 children between the ages of five and ten. Researchers said drinking apple juice from concentrate at least once a day, as compared with drinking it less than once a month, helped protect children from wheezing. If you are going to send your child to school with juice consider organic apple juice in reusable plastic drink container. Similar bioflavonoids helpful for asthma are found in blueberries and the Verry Berry we provide at the office.Tip #3 Bone health starts in the pre-teen years so keeping the children active is important. Develop a plan where you can exercise with your children or teens on a regular basis during the week. Remember that most teenagers are lacking calcium and magnesium so, not only will this simple inexpensive easy to take supplement be helpful for bone density, it also help with anxiety, sleep disorders, PMS in girls and athletic health in boys. Look for a citrate form and in a liquid if preferred.
Tip #4 Snacks and lunches are always a nemesis for parents. Many packaged foods are high in sugars, natural or artificial, high in salt and fats and devoid of many nutrients. Encourage the children to make their own lunches with parental guidance, coming up with new recipes on the weekends. Snack bars can be made at home and then frozen for future use. Have you tried salad rolls such as served at Amy’s here in Campbell River, with dips that are free of peanuts? These can be made the night before and kept fresh in the fridge. Rice or nut crackers and dips or rice wraps may be a nice alternative to the typical sandwich. Wasabiya sushi “to go” is available at Discovery Foods or Mac’s on Dogwood. Some kids like the Greens First as a blended drink for breakfast made with almond, soy or rice milk and their favorite fruits. Encourage protein snacks to maintain proper blood sugar.
Tip #5 To avoid drinking calories stay away from pop and carbonated drinks and sugared water. These types of calories really put the weight on! Try herbal teas hot or cold and sweetened with stevia or xylitol. Many kids like peach, strawberry or berry teas. These can be made into popsicles as well! These sweeteners are readily available in health and grocery stores. Some of the latest research indicates that artificial sweeteners don’t reduce the incidence of obesity and one of the reasons is that they increase the craving for sugar and sweet things!
Tip#6 Children get over stimulated with so many extra curricular activities such as sports and hobbies. Often this contributes to attention deficit and hyperactivity. Allow the children down time and schedule weekly fasts from electronics such as video games, email, internet etc. Instead get them interested in reading real books (not the on line version), take them to the library and get their own library card and read to the children nightly.
Tip#7 If children are anxious some of the above items will help. Reducing sugar intake, maintaining blood sugar levels, getting better quality sleep by taking calcium and magnesium at bedtime and taking essential fats is very good for brain health. Liquid B complex is very tasty and will very much help with nervousness, anxiety and other symptoms such as PMS and irritability.
Now that you are taking care of the kids, now is time to take care of you!