Back to school is finally here! Who is cheering with me?!
It was another wonderful summer but is there anything better than the routine that September brings?
I love it. Back to a regular bedtime, back to healthy lunches and back to structured days!
What I don’t love, is that the season of cold and flu is just around the corner. These next few weeks are usually when the flood gates open and our little one’s immune systems get put through the runner. All of a sudden they are exposed to way more kids, which means way more germs. Their little bodies have an array of emotions going on from stress to excitement to anxiety. They are back to waking up early, which could also mean they are getting less sleep if they haven’t adjusted to an earlier bedtime yet. And all of these new exposures put that extra stress on their immune systems, making them more assessable to catching a cold or flu.
Here are the top 3 things that I do at home to help support the transition and boost their little immune systems to become fighting warriors!
1. HERBS
If you read my posts or blogs, you know that I am a big advocate for herbs, especially when it comes to kids as they tend to respond very well to them.
When it comes to boosting the immune system, there are many supportive herbs that can help build the immune systems memory and also protect the body. When it comes to kids, my favorite herb is the adaptogen known as astragalus.
However, there is a catch. It’s so powerful and incredible at what it does, that it’s very important you only take it when your child is 100% healthy ( not when already has a runny nose). Here is why.
Your bodies exterior level to its immune system is known as the first layer of defensive. When infection hits this layer, this is where you want to catch it before it continues to go deeper into other layers and your child will show more severe symptoms. In Chinese medicine, this is referred to as the “wei level” of the body. Signs that infection has hit the wei level can be a runny nose, sneezing or sore throat.
Astragalus is such an incredible herb because it strengthens that wei level, giving your child a stronger first layer of defensive. Think of it as their immune system being warriors and astragalus giving those warriors a set of amour to make them extra tough! This is also why you only want to take it when they are healthy as if the infection has already past that wei level ( runny nose), astragalus will build up that wall of defense and end up trapping the infection inside, making the duration of the illness longer.
My favorite herb is St. Francis Deep Immune kids, which has an incredible blend of herbs, including astragalus. You can purchase this on well.ca or in most health food stores. Its recommended to take it for 2-3 weeks and for kids under 3 years old, its recommended that they receive small frequent doses. It can be taken directly with the dropper or mixed into foods or drinks. It’s a great herb formula to use prior to vaccinations, travel, or any event where there may be extra stress on the immune system (like back to school).
2. CAMU CAMU
We have all heard of vitamin C and are aware of its superpowers to help support our immune system and improve our resistance to infection. However, have you heard of Camu Camu before?
If you have, then you may have heard of its nickname which is the antioxidant bomb!
Camu Camu is a small bushy tree that grows in the Amazon forest in Peru and Brazil. The fruit looks very similar to cherry but it is a lot more bitter in taste. There are many different benefits of this powerful fruit tree, but one on the top of the list is that it is rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin C.
Why do we love vitamin C? Because it helps gobble up bacteria in your body and support the immune system. What sets Camu Camu berries apart from other vitamin C sources is that its a real food source ( which means your body will absorb it better over a synthetic supplement) and its hefty vitamin C content. The Camu Camu berry is 2-3% pure vitamin C. To put that in perspective, one orange has approximately 51mg of vitamin C, where one-teaspoon of Camu Camu contains 682mg of vitamin C. Talk about a super dose! For kids, I simply take a pinch of this powder each day and add it to their water to help boost the immune system prior to illness and even during illness to speed up its recovery. Because it has a sour taste, it also goes well on some foods sprinkled on top, such as avocado slices.
You can purchase Camu Camu powder on most health websites such as well.ca, health food stores or even specialty grocery stores such as Goodness Me.
3. REST AND DE-STRESS
This is a big one and one that is usually overlooked. Yes, kids are known for being balls of energy, but it’s also important that we calm those balls of energy with appropriate rest and de-stressing time each day.
Especially when they go back to school, their little bodies are on overdrive. Stimulated all day through learning, play, and socialization, there is little rest time in the day.
There is a direct correlation between stress and a weakened immune response, so make sure kids have time to unwind each and every day. When at home, encourage them to spend some time outside. This helps them unplug from technology, lower stress and also ensure they are getting their natural vitamin D dose to support their immune system.
Rest time is also something that is very important which is part of the reason why kids at a younger age are required to nap. Even if your child doesn’t nap, taking a time out and winding down, helps the body take a break from stimulation. This should involve no talking, stimulation and definitely no form on electronics. Try reading, timeout bedroom play or evening enjoying some quiet creative activities such as painting or drawing.
Sleep is also the best way for a child and rest and de-stress. During sleep, children also produce proteins known as cytokines, which the body relies on to fight infection, illness, and stress. Too little sleep appears to impact the number of cytokines on hand which can increase their likelihood to develop a cold when exposed to a virus. Studies have shown that bouts of illness declined with longer sleep cycles. Here are the recommended guidelines for sleep and children.
1-3 years = 12-14 hours of sleep
3-5 years = 11-13 hours of sleep
5-12 years = 10-11 hours of sleep
If you struggle with getting your child to sleep, try creating a bedtime routine and going to bed the same time each night. Do the same relaxing things before bed each night, like taking a warm bath, reading books or listening to quiet music. These simply tricks helps enforce routine which in return helps your body remember it’s ready to sleep. You can also help improve the sleep environment by making sure the bedroom is cool, dark and quiet or using a calming sound machine to help your child relax.
XO
Britt