I still can’t get over the fact that schools now start in August. I grew up in Minnesota, and our school didn’t start until after Labor Day. It almost seems sacrilegious to start in August. But, here we are.
In addition to buying the required school supplies, clothes, etc., it’s also time to revisit how to boost our children’s immune systems naturally as much as we can – not only does diet play a significant role in this, but certain herbs and foods can also serve as medicine (both preventative as well as to treat conditions). As I always say, I am not a doctor, so these are mere suggestions that have worked for us. And, as many of you know, while I am all about going the natural route as much as possible, I am also a firm believer in using pediatricians, urgent cares, ERs and medicine when required. I will also throw out there that I do vaccinate both of my children – I don’t say this to stir up controversy, but rather to set the stage for my recommendations. So, what may be right for me and my family, may not necessarily be right for you and yours.
DIET
Many times summer is the fun time for eating – not only BBQs and picnics, but also snacks such as popsicles, ice cream, chips, s’mores, etc. Hey, what would a 4th of July celebration be without these things? But, once the new school year rolls around, I always try to clean things up at least a few weeks before school starts. Why? Because I’m a firm believer that diet plays an integral role in our overall health.
We start focusing more on “foods that matter” – foods that have denser nutrient and vitamin profiles. This means a lot more fruits, vegetables and quality sources of protein and less of starchy carbs, sugars and snacks that have no vitamins (sorry goldfish).
While I am now vegan (longer story maybe for another post), my children are not. If they choose to go down that path later in life, that is their choice. For now, because they seem to like meat, I make sure I only buy organic meats from quality butchers (such as Whole Foods). I try to include protein, fruits and vegetables into each meal. And for snacks, I try to push as much real food like fresh fruit, as possible.
So, what do our typical meals look like to prep for back to school?
Breakfast: buckwheat waffles (can buy frozen), whole grain cinnamon raisin toast, steel cut oats with maple, scrambled eggs, yogurt
Lunch / Dinner: chicken burgers (organic ground chicken breast), hamburgers (1 – 2 x week maximum), scrambled eggs, lentil pasta (HUGE FANS of the Tolerant brand of lentil pasta (not the chickpea one tho which seems to have really funky foam. We prefer the red and green lentil versions), “quesadilla without cheese” (note: my daughter cannot eat cheese – this is an organic whole wheat tortilla, with mashed avocado on top, garlic powder, olives, diced tomatoes and mushrooms toasted in the toaster over), “fake pizza” (similar to the quesadilla, but on whole wheat bread with marinara and veggies), fruit, veggies
Snacks: fruit (any kind of fresh fruit – sometimes on a kebab stick to make them more fun), veggies, organic fruit strips, raisins, nuts, frozen yogurt tubes (organic version of Gogurt put in the freezer), Whenever Bars (see link), popcorn, applesauce, mandarin oranges in cup (drain out the pear juice – note: we only buy the non GMO ones in pear juice – check labels because many of the traditional ones have high fructose corn syrup)
I’m sure I’m missing some things, but this gives you an idea. I really try to focus on high vitamin C fruits (C is water soluble, so any extra is peed out) which has been proven time and time again to help prevent and fight colds as well as high quality protein. We also only drink water – we don’t drink cows milk (fortified almond milk at times – see my previous post on milk alternatives) or juice.
HERBS / SUPPLEMENTS
I wrote a fairly extensive blog on the supplements we use in our house. This is the blog about our Daily Routine. This is the blog about additional supplements during Cold Season.
I start giving my oldest elderberry syrup about 1 week before school starts, along with her other daily wellness items. In addition, I stock up on the Wishgarden herbs I mentioned in the other blog, manuka honey and colloidal silver (note – this is very controversial).
OTHER THINGS
I also make sure our humidifiers are clean (dilute vinegar in water and swish it around the main tank and let it sit for maybe an hour or so. While that is sitting, clean out the bottom part of the humidifier with a damp paper towel dunked in that water / vinegar mixture – you may see white sediment, which can be mineral deposits from tap water; you may also see mold. Get all of that stuff out (note: you should clean out the humidifier like this every few weeks during the winter as well – you do not want mold in the air of your child’s room!). Dump it out and fill it again, but this time run the humidifier outside so the water / vinegar mix can travel through the entire humidifier).
Then, take a deep breath and know that you’re doing everything you can to keep you and your family healthy – kids (and probably you) will get sick. It’s part of life, but you can be as prepared as possible to lessen the symptoms.
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Love & Peace,
The Almost Green Mom
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