Back to school season is here! Going back to school brings an increased awareness of keeping our kids as healthy as possible. Especially due to the stress of the past couple of years, it’s of the upmost importance to address our kids health in a preventative manner. This month, I’m bringing all the tips to keep kids as balanced as possible this school year!
As always, at Be Optimal we address health holistically, looking at the whole picture. We use the concept of the “triad of health” addressing health physically, nutritionally, and emotionally to achieve balance. I’ll be breaking down my best tips to kids in each of these categories for a healthy school year and beyond!
PHYSICAL HEALTH
It’s so important for kids to MOVE. Due to schools focusing more on academics and less on play, most children are seriously deprived of movement. Schedule in breaks throughout the day on the weekends for a walk outside, play break in the yard, or stream an online yoga practice for your kiddos. It’s research proven that kids perform better academically with increased physical activity. It will help reduce stress and increase focus…yes, please!
Chiropractic adjustments also are incredibly helpful for kids. Not only does chiropractic help with the aches and pains of school life (poor posture, screen time, and too much sitting), chiropractic also helps boost the immune system to be more resilient! Make sure to get your kiddos checked by a chiropractor regularly!
Lastly, eye strain, headaches, and sleep issues are a big problem right now with all the screen time. We highly recommend purchasing a pair of blue blocking glasses that kids wear when looking at screens. Children are FAR MORE susceptible to problems with screens than adults. Here are two brands with research proven to block the harmful light (don’t buy blue blockers from amazon…there are lots of bad brands out there!)
NUTRITION
It’s so easy to default to quick and processed foods with the stress of the school year. However these sugary processed foods lower immune function, make kids moody and anxious, and can lead to inflammation in the body. We see parents all the time who see a huge difference in their kids behavior and performance in school when eating a more balanced diet. At Be Optimal we recommend anyone (but especially kids!) avoid the following foods:
Processed sugar
Dyes and food additives
Wheat (gluten)
Dairy
Corn
Soy
Do your best to focus on the following foods (organic when possible):
Protein
Healthy Fats (SO important for kids brain development)
Vegetables
Fruits
Want tips for how to shift your meal plans to be more healthy? We got you! We have a 2 part blog series full of our recommended shopping list, our favorite healthy recipes (kid approved!!) and more! Check them out here:
What about supplementation for kids? We carry a vast array of nutritional supplements that really help fill in the gap for kids. Products ranging from high quality probiotics, high grade fish oils (super important for brain development), and multi vitamins. Remember, quality is crucial to supplement absorption and health. We never recommend buying supplements especially for kids over-the-counter. They are often full of sugars and preservatives. Come by anytime and shop our kid friendly supplements or visit our online store!
EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
We are finding it more and more important for even kids to have self-care practices. Introducing children to practices such as meditation and yoga can be fabulous tools for them to help regulate their emotions throughout the school year. Now, there are many of these programs streaming live! It’s very simple to go to youtube and search for kids guided meditation or yoga practices - they’re short and tailored to kids to keep them engaged. Starting and ending the day with a yoga or breathing meditation can be a powerful way for kids to lower stress.
Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) is one of our favorite modalities to use in practice with the kiddos! NET helps reduce the stressful triggers that kids are currently facing. Academic pressure, isolation, and anxiety are getting more and more common with kids and NET is a powerful way of reducing the symptoms of stress in the body. Check out this video to see a NET session from Dr. Abby for yourself!
Lastly, connection with other kids is crucial at this time. If you can safely schedule a play date for the kids, please do! These kids need social interaction more than ever to keep them mentally and socially healthy. At a minimum, plan virtual play dates so kids can interact with one another outside of a school setting.