As fall approaches our children are returning to school. Each new year is a special season for our children to grow in strides; learn new things with their classmates and make new friends. But as our children learn together, play together, and share together, they often times share more than we would like them to; the school season is a Petri dish for disease and infection as germs are passed back and forth amongst the class room!
While we can embrace this season as an opportunity for our child’s immune system to strengthen, it is also good to have a plan of action to keep your child at optimal health this school year. Here is a check list to keep your child at their best.
Diet and the Brain/Body Connection
Remove sugar from their diet. Sugar depresses the immune system. Eliminate all sugars, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods. The best diet for a growing child is meat, vegetables, and fruit. Keep introducing whole food, fruits, and veggies to them and their taste buds will come around.
Sleep for Success
Establish better sleeping habits. The best way to set healthy sleeping patterns is to wake your child up at the same time every day. Growing children do better with consistent naps and schedules. See the chart below for the recommended hours:
Age 0-1 need 15 to 16 hours of sleep
Age 1-3 need 12 to 14 hours of sleep
Age 3-6 need 10 to 12 hours of sleep
Age 7-12 need 10 to 12 hours of sleep.
Age 12-18 need 8 to 9 hours of sleep
Supplements
Support your child’s diet. When shopping for supplements avoid brands coated in sugar. Ask your local Holistic Doctor for recommendations. Here are some that I like to use:
Vitamin D – Optimal vitamin D blood levels should be as close to 90 ng/ml as possible. During times of sickness you can safely give 1,000 IUs of Vitamin D per pound of body weight. A 30 pound child can take 30,000 IUs of Vitamin D the week they are sick. Preventative dosage is around 2,000 IUs. I recommend Liquid Vitamin D from Thorne Research.
Multi Vitamin – I recommend Catalyn from Standard Process for daily use.
Viral supplement – Take when sick or as a preventative. I recommend Congaplex Chewable Standard Process. Vit A, Vit C, and Zinc.
Homeopothy
Natural remedies for when your little one is under the weather. The most common are as follows:
Pulsatilla – Congestion and yellow discharge, wet cough
Belladonna – Ear aches, High fevers
Nux Vomica – Flu, body ache, exhaustion
Ipecac – Vomiting, nausea
Drosera Rotundifolia – Dry, persistant, night-time cough
Arnica Montana – Injury, bruises, swelling
Regular Treatments
Continue to visit your local Holistic Doctor/Chiropractor for regular adjustments. Preventative care will better enable your child toward health and wellness and support their systems in defense.