Tips from Tracy: A Strong Immune System For You and Your Kids
Do you ever wonder why so many kids start the school year with a cold or tummy bug? As the school year begins, it is surprising how many students get ill, after having had a healthy and happy summer. There are several factors involved that can create the perfect storm for these youngsters to get ill (and bring it home to us!), all of which we can mitigate in some fashion. These factors can affect all of us and, when addressed, can help all of us be healthier.
Factor 1: Lack of Fresh Air
Good, clean air is imperative for health. The body uses the lungs to pull in oxygen as well as to detoxify. When we are trapped indoors for extensive periods, we do not get enough oxygen while, at the same time, we are breathing in multitudes of potential indoor toxins like VOCs (from flooring, paint, and furniture), mold, dust, pathogens, etc…. In addition to keeping the body going, oxygen also kills many bacteria and viruses that can stress our immune systems.
TIP: Oxygen therapy with a Hyperbaric Chamber (coming soon to Heights of Health!) can be very helpful in infusing the body with oxygen to help keep the immune system strong and promote healing. And, don’t forget to take deep belly breaths throughout the day.
Factor 2: Lack of Sunshine
We all know by now the importance of Vitamin D and the immune system. When kids start school, they tend to spend a lot less time outdoors. The darker your skin, the longer it takes for you to produce Vitamin D.
TIP: Encourage your child to go outside in the afternoons. If they are not, consider having them take a supplement of D3.
Factor 3: Stress
Stress wreaks havoc on the immune system. Stress hormones slow the immune system down and make it harder for us to fight off infection, as well as diverting important nutrients away from the important antioxidant/immunity pathways and into the stress hormone pathways.
TIP: Teaching your child stress-management skills from an early age will help them throughout their lives. Exercise and a healthy and varied diet are crucial. Meditation and visualization are also great skills to help anyone (look online for many free guided sources). Additionally, ECR is a great way to reduce stress and help them cope with excess physical and emotional stress. See our Present Time Kids™ program details for ways to help encourage emotional wellbeing in your kids. Stay tuned for seminars to help you learn more about these great skills.
Factor 4: Dehydration
Water is essential to help bring nutrients to the cells and toxins away from the cells. When kids are rushing from class to class, they often forget to drink water. Lack of water can cause brain function to slow down and compromise immune health.
TIP: Send your child with a large bottle (preferably glass or stainless steel) of pure water to school. If your child does not like plain water, add some all-natural Ultima electrolyte powder to the bottle. Have them drink a glass of water upon arriving home, as well.
Factor 5: Lack of Sleep
This is a special challenge after a summer of late nights. Lack of sleep certainly affects the immune system adversely by increasing stress hormones and also compromising the body’s time to detox and heal. The brain actually has its own detox system called the glymphatic system that washes damaging stress hormones and toxins out of the brain, but it only works while we are asleep. And don’t forget that kids need more sleep that we do, especially when they are growing.
TIP: Start 2 weeks before school to get your children down earlier and earlier. Turn off all electronics and remove them from the bedroom at least 1 hour before bed, as the EMFs and the screen lighting can interfere with sleep. Avoid sugar and caffeine in the afternoon and evening and try to encourage calm activities as bedtime approaches.
Factor 6: Nutrient Depletion
In the craziness of school starting, we often resort to more meals out, with less focus on a balanced diet and more on convenience. This can be hard on our bodies and our children’s. Sugar, especially, compromises immune function for several hours after consumption.
TIP: Plan ahead. Always have healthy snacks like fruit, nuts and cut up veggies accessible and encouraged. Avoid sugar, especially sugary drinks. Consider a whole food-based multi-vitamin, too.
Factor 7: Probiotic Depletion
70% or more of our immune systems reside in our guts, namely with the good bacteria that live there. When the bacteria are destroyed by excess sugar, antibiotics, stress and other causes, the immune system suffers. Two big unknown sources of this destruction are chlorinated water and GMO foods (the glyphosate in GMOs acts like a pesticide on the good gut bacteria). Both can wipe out the gut bacteria quickly and cause a myriad of health problems.
TIPS: Encourage your children to drink purified water from home (we can direct you to great water resources if you are interested) rather than the water from the fountain at school – another reason to have them bring a large bottle from home. Regarding GMO foods, avoid eating the big offenders unless they are certified organic or at least GMO-Free. Some of the most common would be corn, soy, canola oil, aspartame, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, milk (animals fed GMO foods + growth hormone), zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes and papaya. And, don’t forget to give your children and yourselves probiotics daily, as well as eat a variety of fermented foods like Kombucha, unsweetened organic yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, raw pickles and lassi.
These tips can help anyone live a healthier life with a stronger immune system. Start now so that your kids (and you!) will have a heads-up as the school year begins.