Back to School Germs

A quick Google search can help you find counselors and treatment centers throughout the state for adolescents and their families. Adrienne Webster, Bozeman

Addiction Counselor Licensure Candidate (ACLC), provided the following short list of resources in our area that she personally has first-hand knowledge of and would highly recommend.

Guided Healing Trails works with adults, adolescents and families both in person and via Telehealth. They are based in Missoula but can see clients all over the state. They offer addiction treatment, anger management and group work as well as individual, couples and family counseling. They are easy to work with and the staff is compassionate and experienced. They are committed to strengthening and restoring families and individuals. For more information visit their website or call 406540-4120.

Manmade Mentors is based in Bozeman and provides mentorship for adolescents as well as individual and family counseling. They focus on relationship development and work with youth ages 13 and older. They offer sessions in a traditional office setting as well as less formal, experiential mentoring packages that are individualized and may include walks or hikes outside.

Big Sky Youth Empowerment is an adolescent mentorship program based in Bozeman. Their mission is to empower teens through outdoor adventures and experiential learning. Activities include skiing, rock climbing, backpacking, whitewater rafting and community service work to name a few. Workshops providing tools for relationship building and life skills training are part of the program as well. (And they have that half-pipe skate ramp attached to their building in downtown Bozeman).

Other Resources:

» Charlie Health: https://www. charliehealth.com/ » Bridger Peaks Counseling: https:// www.bozemancounseling.org/ » Alcohol and Drug Services: https:// adsgc.org/ » Youth Dynamics: https://www. youthdynamics.org/

Kimberly Blaker is a freelance lifestyle writer. She also writes content, blog posts and more for businesses in a variety of industries and is an expert in on-page SEO. Find her at kbcreativedigital.com.

Back-toSchool Germs

WRITTEN BY LORI JO BERG

If the thought of back-to-school germs makes your stomach turn a little bit, I feel you. One of the hardest things about being a parent is not only taking care of one or multiple sick kids – it’s having to do it while you’re down and out too.

I feel an immense pressure to stay healthy. I’m kind of like the sail on a boat – if it goes down, we’re all going down.

What I’ve learned over the years is to start boosting everyone’s immune system right when school starts and not to wait until after that first cold hits, or the first snow falls.

A lot of folks think our immune system’s job is to prevent us from getting sick. Not only is that unattainable, but our bodies are designed to be exposed to foreign materials (xenogens) and fight them.

Really, the goal is to fight the bug effectively and avoid prolonged sickness. You know what I’m talking about … the cold that never ends and keeps on giving. We’ve all been there, right?

Here are some easy things the whole family can do to support the immune system:

» Avoid Sugar as Much as Possible: I know, it seems difficult and you’ve heard it a million times. But what if I told you that consuming sugar reduces your immune system by 40% every time you consume it? » Water Intake: Bacteria and viruses are not able to settle into your tissues as easily if the cells are hydrated. Aim for half your body weight in ounces per day. It’s simple, cheap and effective.

» Vitamin C Without Added Sugar: Make this a daily habit and increase the dose (to bowel tolerance) when the very first signs of illness appear. » Remove Dairy: If your child struggles with a constant runny nose or seems to get those colds that won’t go away, try removing dairy. Dairy is mucus forming and can be inflammatory for some people. » D3: Vitamin D is shown to reduce colds and flu by up to 40% with proper supplementation. It’s hard to get enough

Vitamin D during the winter months, so supplementation is absolutely necessary.