Can you believe that summer's already winding down and the kids are headed back to school? Soon there will be crisp cool breezes, cozy sweaters, jack-o-lanterns...and homework galore. Education is important, so here's what you can do to make sure your school year is as happy, healthy, and safe as possible...
1. Eat Well. If you want your brain to function well, you've got to feed it right. In a rush to get out the door, lots of students skip breakfast...a BIG no-no if you want to perform at your peak during the day! Be sure to eat a balanced, filling breakfast, and take care to fuel your body well at lunch.
Sometimes cafeteria lunch creates serious nutritional deficiencies, so consider packing a healthy lunch instead. Packing your child's lunch doesn't take that much time, and it allows you know exactly what they're eating. Five lunches a week make up a substantial portion of your child's diet. I recommend that you pack your child's lunch, so you know exactly what they are putting in their body day in and day out. Here is a list of three worst items to include in a lunchbox and healthy alternatives to keep your child successful throughout the school day.
Worst item #1: Juice Boxes. Despite essentially being sugar water with little to no actual fruit juice, these convenient drinks are usually a staple for a boxed lunch. The list of ingredients often includes those to avoid such as fructose, glucose, and artificial flavoring.
Healthy alternative: Bottled Water. If water will not cut it, a healthy option would be to juice the fruit yourself using natural organic fruit and water. Flavored coconut water would be a great option if your child likes it.
Worst item #2: Lunchmeats. This may be shocking to some, but most lunchmeats are processed with nitrates. Nitrates and nitrites are food preservatives. They are chemicals that manufacturers use to block the growth of organisms on the food and improve appearance and shelf life. Consuming preservatives can increase your risk of cancer and trigger symptoms of respiratory disease such as asthma.
Healthy alternative: Nitrate and preservative free lunchmeat. Look at the labels, or ask at the deli counter. (Just be careful of the word "natural," as such meats can still contain preservatives).
Worst item #3: Packaged Desserts. Packaged desserts like Snack Cakes, Ho-Ho's, and Twinkies are sent to school with kids because we think it is a nice way to close out lunch in style. Along with all the sugar, these snacks are a terrible source of trans fats, which are the worst type of fats to eat. The USDA recommends completely avoiding trans fats as part of a healthy diet.
Healthy alternative: A piece of fruit. If an apple or an orange isn't going to work for your child, try making homemade treats on occasion. Trans-fat free cookies, brownies, etc are a great occasional way to snack without all the trans fats and preservative junk fillers.
2.Get Active. If your child is perfectly happy sitting on the couch watching TV all day, don't let him have his way. Exercise doesn't have to be a chore -- running around at recess, participating in organized sports and playing tag in the yard all count as beneficial physical activities for your child.
When your child exercises, he may actually feel happier than when he's sitting on the couch watching TV. This is because exercise causes the brain to release endorphins that can raise mood and increase energy. Although your child may not enjoy getting up and running around at first if he's not used to it, he may eventually enjoy it as a part of his daily routine. Also, establishing good exercise and activity patterns at a young age will go a long way to combat things like high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and weight issues latter into adulthood.
3.Reduce Stress. When the schedule gets more challenging, stress levels go up! This can be true for parents as well as students - no matter your age. Help kids (or yourself!) remember not to take on more than can be reasonably accommodated. This might mean trimming otherwise worthwhile activities in order to prioritize and keep your life balanced. Staying active and involved with sports and extracurricular activities is important, but don't sign up for all of them. Get plenty of rest, and remember: a periodic chiropractic adjustment can do wonders for your keeping your energy high and your stress under control!
4. Prevent Illness. Any time there are groups of people (especially kids!) congregating indoors, germs can spread more easily. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Wash your hands regularly, drink plenty of water, and stay home when you or your child is suffering the worst of a cold or flu (contagious periods tend to be during the first 24-72 hours of such illnesses when a fever has yet to break).
5. Eliminate Back Injuries by Choosing a Good Backpack. Back strain related to ill-fitting backpacks is a real problem! For best results, use two-strapped backpacks as opposed to shoulder packs or knapsacks, don't fill them with more books than are absolutely necessary, and remember to lift with your knees, not with your back.
Tips for purchasing the right backpack:
-Find a backpack with a waist belt. The waist belt will help distribute the backpack load while reducing stress on the lumbar spine.
-Choose a backpack with multiple compartments. The more areas to place heavy books, binders, and other supplies will help evenly distribute weight.
- Be sure the shoulder straps on the backpack are padded. Padded shoulder straps that fit wide on the child will minimize contact points and reduce soft tissue compression
Some other things worth mentioning...
6. Remember Car Safety. The more driving around you do to accommodate your busy school-year schedule, the higher your risk of an automobile accident. Require everyone to always wear their seat belts, even if you're just taking a quick trip across town. If you don't think your teen is mature or responsible enough to drive, follow your gut and place restrictions on them. They might not like that, but remember: safety first!
7.Vision. It is a good idea to have your child's vision checked.The reason to have this done is simple: Kids who can't see well can't perform as well in school.As many as one in 20 children can't see out of one of their eyes, according to Pamela F. Gallin, MD, director of pediatric ophthalmology at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. This is a difficult observation [for a parent] to make, so let the eye doc do it.
8.Those Dreaded Shots. "We won't enroll any student without an immunization record," is the common phrase given, heard, or understood when it comes to vaccinations and keeping the shots of your child up-to-date for attending school. Realizing this is a touchy subject matter for parents, and knowing that many have strong and often opposing opinions on the issue of vaccines, I still feel it is my job to let you know the above quote is not true. You do, in fact, have a choice when it comes to having your child get vaccinated and attend public or private school. I believe in letting parents know they do have a choice and encourage them to independently study the research or "educate before you vaccinate."
We have the religious exemption form required by the State of Tennessee available at the office for those interested. (ReligiousExemptionFormED-5379.pdf)
Good luck to all students and athletes on the upcoming year and remember to be healthy, live healthy, and stay healthy.