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I am finding it hard to believe I am writing the annual “Back to School” note already. Where did the summer go? I know, we sort of had a shortened summer. This year’s version of summer felt like a spring, followed by an extremely rainy season, then a short summer, and now fall is almost here. By now you have probably already been school shopping, carting your kids off to fall sports practice, and are already stocking up on tissues and other supplies to prepare for the illnesses kids bring home from school in the fall. One other thing you’re hopefully doing? Preparing your kids so they can have a healthy school year.

Starting your child’s school year healthy is a great way to set the tone for the entire school year. When kids start out strong, they tend to maintain momentum and keep healthy throughout the year. The past four years have taught us how important it is to keep your kids healthy. With Covid (mostly) behind us, we have to learn the lessons that we gained from this experience. Let’s look at some of these lessons.

Prevention is better than treatment

Having a healthy immune system means that when your child is exposed to someone else’s bugs, they are more resistant to them. The children who suffer the most have the biggest weaknesses in the areas of lack of good sleep, good diets, exercise, and the right supplements. So, let’s reverse engineer this: if you make sure your kids get enough sleep, have a great diet, do plenty of physical activity, spend time in the fresh air, and take the right supplements, they have a much higher resistance to any illnesses that they may face.

What are the right supplements?

Vitamin D3, zinc, and vitamin C are the big three to support the immune system. Vitamin D3 alone has been shown to be more effective in preventing the flu than the flu vaccine. Make sure you are buying high quality supplements though, not just the cheapest ones you can find at the local bog box store, so you ensure you’re actually getting the vitamins and minerals that the bottle says you are. Taking high quality supplements can help support a healthy school year.

Exposure does not necessarily mean infection

Not everyone who gets exposed to a virus gets sick. This applies to the flu, RSV, Covid — you may name it. Why is this true? Because people have immune systems, designed by God to protect us from infections. And it works — unless you feed your kids chicken nuggets and soda instead of whole, nutritious food, or you give your kids cheap vitamins instead of quality ones.

Kids need sleep for their overall health — and learning

On average, children under 18 years of age need 8-10 hours of sleep per night. This does not include two hours of screen time in bed — this means actual sleep. Screen time in the evening interrupts melatonin production and this has an effect on the quality and duration of sleep that you get. If your kids wake up tired, then they need more sleep. Lack of sleep can affect behavior, grades in school, and immune health. Sometimes kids need melatonin to help with sleep — and not the sugar-filled gummy versions, but actual pharmaceutical grade supplements. Your kids deserve this for their health.

Use this advice for your children’s overall health and watch your kids have a happy and healthy school year. It takes a little time, a little discipline, and a little love. Finally, remember that kids learn by watching you. Lead by example. Be a healthy parent and show them how to be healthy students. Your kids and their teachers will thank you.

Dr. Burtis, D.C., M.S., CFMP, DACBN, has been providing natural healthcare to the Fairmont area at Burtis Chiropractic Center for over 35 years. He uses a combination of chiropractic, nutrition, and functional medicine to help individuals restore and maintain health and healing through individualized care plans. The mission of Burtis Chiropractic Center is to provide transformational healthcare that takes an individual’s life to the next level. We strive to be a solution for families to experience transformational healthcare and help create vibrant and resilient lifestyles that can be passed to future generations.
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