Healthy Kids

It’s Back to School in Austin!  For many of our children, staying healthy throughout the school year is a challenge.  Cold and flu season is right around the corner, and with it the increase in sicknesses they encounter in the school environment.

The good news is that parents can positively impact a child’s immune system, decrease the likelihood of them becoming sick, and avoid the cycle of catching everything that is going around.  A lot can be accomplished by putting the right things into their growing bodies on a daily basis. Here are just a few tips to make it through the school year unscathed:

Reduce sugar.  According to Dr. William Sears, “eating or drinking 100 grams of sugar, the equivalent of 2 cans of soda, can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by forty percent.” The effect starts almost immediately and can last for up to five hours.  Eating a sugar-filled breakfast and sending kids off to school with a suppressed immune system makes their bodies more vulnerable when they are at school.

Get enough sleep.  It’s hard to get back onto a regular bedtime schedule after a long summer, but research shows this is important.  Lack of sleep has been linked to a variety of cognitive and physical health issues including a reduced ability to fight off infections.  David Katz, MD says, “Sleep is crucial to immune system function.  People underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep.”

Eat more produce.  A healthy diet rich in immune-boosting foods can help your body build infection-fighting white blood cells and repair injury to cells, protecting itself against infection and illness.  There is much research and evidence that the best source of antioxidants is fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are many great habits you can teach your children to do while at school, such as proper hand-washing and drinking water rather than juice or soda.  But do not underestimate the positive impact of good nutrition on building healthy bodies.  If you find it challenging to eat the recommended 9 to 13 servings of fruits and veggies, take a look at the product JuicePlus, which provides your body with nutrients from 30 different fruits, vegetables, and grains.

To learn more about JuicePlus and to see if your child qualifies to receive the product for free through the Children’s Health Study, visit our partner Ginger Hobbs and mention this article.