Staying Healthy During the School Year!

On Wednesday, I will be hosting a Facebook workshop from 8:30-9:30 p.m. full of helpful information on how to keep your kids (and yourself!) healthy this school year. Not only will you get some great info, but I’m giving away some cool prizes too! Click HERE to register. I hope you can join me for a great discussion on staying germ-free this fall and winter!

While we are on the topic, I put together a list of a few things that I do with the boys to help them avoid the back to school germs!

• Spend time outside— I know they are in school for about 6 hours a day, so we try to walk/bike to and from school when the weather cooperates. We also spend time on the playground after school getting lots of exercise. I think exercise and fresh air are great for keeping them healthy!
• Eat a balanced diet (most of the time!)— I feed my children a healthy diet, but I also know that it can be challenging at times. I believe in moderation, so I definitely allow them to indulge at times! Do what you can to encourage your children to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. Also make they stay properly hydrated throughout the day!
• Take a daily multivitamin and probiotic— As I stated above, I feed my kids a healthy diet, but I know there are still gaps. I give them a daily multivitamin (the one they take also contains lactoferrin– the protein found in breast milk that helps boost immunity) to make sure I have all the bases covered. I also make sure they take a probiotic, since a healthy gut can help your body in so many ways; and probiotics have been touted as a way to help boost immunity to certain bacteria.
• Wash hands often— I have 3 boys who have to be reminded ALL THE TIME to wash their hands. I ramp up these reminders when I know that there’s a bug going around. Gentle reminders to wash hands (especially before eating!) can go along way in avoiding germs and cross-contamination.
• Get enough sleep— This one is the toughest for our family. The kids often fight to stay up until Dad gets home or take a LONG time to wind down. It’s a work in progress, but one I think sleep is SO important in keeping their immunity strong!