Keeping kids healthy thru the school year

Ah – we are finally back in school again.  All those darling little hands and faces and the big bad GERMS!

What is a mother to do?  So, what are you doing to help keep your child healthy throughout the school year?  Many moms ask what they can do.

First of all, what are you feeding your child on a daily basis?  Kids need vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains and healthy meats.  They do NOT need artificial sweeteners, excess sugar, antibiotics, hormones, steroids, pesticides, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and preservatives.  These things to do not help your child in anyway, and now they are being linked to all kinds of diseases, hyperactivity and I am sure there is more to come.

The best thing to do is to start educating yourself and your child to this fact. Eating healthy will reap you a healthy child.  Eating toxic food can affect children’s behavior, their immune system, and most illnesses down the road.  If you don’t know what is good and bad for our bodies nutritionally, get a book at the library, search the web, take a class or do what many of my customers do and just start reading labels – the information is there on the package. If you don’t know what something is, look it up – but many of my customers tell me that if they don’t know what something is they don’t purchase that product.  If they don’t know what they are feeding their child, they don’t want to give it to them and they don’t want to support companies that are putting harmful ingredients into our food.

This can be challenging if you are already giving kids toxic foods.  But it is never too late to start educating them to make better choices as they grow, as it will affect them when they get older and in future years of growing.

One thing that we encourage parents to do is get their kids OFF of dairy products.  Dairy has been linked to more illnesses; it is acidic, which CAUSES bone depletion, and causes more illness than I have room to write right now.  (See my past Voice of Choices articles on my website for more information).  So what can they drink instead?  Of course there is water as so many kids are dehydrated. You can take water, or bubble water and put in flavored stevia, there are many flavors available on the market – giving them a healthy “soda”. There is almond milk, rice milk, oat milk and soy milk. We are not huge fans of “large quantities” of soy milk in that unfermented soy inhibits the absorption of iodine in the body, and most soymilk is NOT fermented.

There is a fun experiment for this.  Set out some small glasses and pour a little of each of these new milks in to a glass for each without telling them which is which.  See if they can tell the difference.  Be careful not tell them any information and instead get them involved. Tell them you are doing an experiment and ask if they can help. Have them tell you the drink they like best and why.  You can do with all kinds of foods – many of the “alternative” foods, people find, have more flavor because they aren’t fake – they are real!

Also, pay attention to other toxic chemicals such as dryer sheets, perfumes, toxic bleaches and cleaners in your home– these are NOT good for anyone – and only make our bodies more toxic, deplete important nutrients and affect our immune systems negatively.

Instead, use natural cleaners such as enzyme sprays, borax, grain alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, essential oils, and baking soda. Or, if you must spend more money, you can purchase many natural products available on the market today.

Supplements

There are a few helpful supplements that we find parents can use,  if there is a situation where the child is being forced or required to eat what many of us now think of as toxic food. (Yes, we have parents who refuse to purchase organic food, and refuse to think that “regular” food is not the best thing for their child.) In these cases, I would recommend that the child take some Juice Plus.  Juice Plus is a product that has 17 fruit and vegetables in it.  It can be purchased on-line or at some health food stores.  We have many people who give their kids this product and have noticed that they are not sick as much. In fact, the company has a program where the child can actually get the product free for a year if any adult pays to get the product for a year.  And they have an ongoing children’s study that proves how effective this product is in keeping kids healthy.  To learn more about this you can visit this website http://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/pages/Home.soa?site=kd26282.

Another lesser option is to give the child a multiple vitamin & mineral supplement.  But finding an adequate one can be challenging, as most contain sugar, synthetic nutrients and more preservatives, artificial colors and flavors.  Again, read the label or ask your natural health care professional for something that will be optimal for your child.

Another popular herb that many moms use to help prevent illness and eliminate it before it gets a foot hold is elderberry. It can be in capsules or liquid. It is effective to boost the immune system and help overcome simple colds and flus.

If you kids are already sick what can you do?

The most common childhood complaint we get is for ear infections.  If you child has an ear infection we always recommend good chiropractic care and this eliminates the issue 90% of the time.  We also have many products that help such as colloidal silver. We sell a patented brand that is used and recommended by the CDC –Center for Disease Control.  In fact the CDC has instructed pediatricians NOT to prescribe antibiotics for ear infections (Nov., 2006).

Another formula that we have used for many years is called CBG extract (which stands for Children Be Good) that is very good at helping eliminate colds/ear infections and head/sinus issues. Many moms use garlic oil and other home remedies that are often effective as well. Many of these products can be dispensed when kids are asleep which makes it easier to get and keep the drops in their ears. Ear Candling can also be an option for older kids, as it can be difficult to keep kids down when they are little.

Next are colds and runny noses. Most times homeopathics are effective for simple colds and runny noses. They can easily be dispensed under the tongue, they dissolve instantly and you can pick them specifically for each symptom the child is experiencing. Most health food stores sell these and they are very affordable and work like a charm. 

For the flu, there are many herbs and products that can help. Yarrow tea is very beneficial, and we have a composition powder and capsules that are very good at clearing out the flu effectively and usually within a few hours.

For fevers, herbal products for inflammation can help, as also homeopathics can.  We have a product from Nature’s Sunshine that is called IF-C (the Chinese name means to “clear the heat”) and it is very effective at stopping fevers.

For the more serious strep throat, again colloidal silver (with the US Patent #7,135,195, Nov 14, 2006) has been proven to kill several forms of strep as well as staph and many others.  In fact, it kills bacteria, molds, viruses and other pathogens on contact.  It is tasteless and is as safe as water to take.

Kids get stress too!

Do your best to keep your kids on a regular schedule as far as sleep, play, and school, as this also helps to eliminate stress in their life. Stress can cause illness and can over time effect their immune systems negatively.  A product that can help with stress is flower essences.  Rescue Remedy is a popular combination of flower essences that can be put in their water bottle (a couple of drops is all that is needed) for school and can help them deal with issues when you can’t be there in person to help them.

So if you have a little one, like I do, try to do your best to keep your child healthy. There are so many options and places that are available to help you do this.  There are books in the library, there is information over the web, and there is your natural care provider and many free articles in health food stores to educate you to the whole world of natural health.