Back-to-School Immune Boosters

WRITTEN BY ALI SCHWEITZER

School is just around the corner and, with that, come the colds, boogers, flus and who knows what else. It’s always funny to me how, by the end of summer, I’m ready for my kids to get back into a routine – for things to slow down a bit. But then, as soon as they come home with that first sign of a cold, I think back to how nice the summer was when they were outside, playing in the dirt and healthy.

Going back to school doesn’t have to signal cold and flu season, but it often seems like it does. The truth is our kids are indoors more than they are outdoors when they go back to school, and they are in closercontact with others, which means their immune systems will be under attack. The great thing, though, is there are plenty of things that we can do to preemptively help strengthen our children’s immune systems now, so when they do come home with the sniffles, they can feel better in no time.

Below are my tips and tricks for strengthening the immune system this school year.

1. Make sure your child is getting plenty of sleep. When they sleep, their bodies are recovering from the day-to-day stresses. So, if they are deprived of sleep, their bodies are missing out on important healing time.

2. Keep those kids hydrated. As they head back to school, they may forget their water bottles, and fatigue can set in if they become dehydrated. A fatigued body is a weaker body; and those bacteria and viruses love to attack the weak.

3. Have your kid take a daily vitamin. My kids not only take a multivitamin, but we take extra vitamin C, fish oil, extra vitamin D and elderberry syrup.

4. Get those kids outside. I know it’s easy to let our kids veg out in front of a screen at the end of a long school day but having them play outside will not only give them extra vitamin D, but the fresh air will help with their mental fatigue and ensure that they sleep better.

5. Get your whole family adjusted! Keeping spines aligned allows the nervous system to function at its optimal level – and, when it does this, their little bodies will fight off those germs so much better.

So, bring on the school year and remember that getting sick is OK. In fact, it’s good. When we are exposed to viruses and bacteria, it strengthens our immune system. But if we already have a strong immune system, we don’t get sick as often and we bounce back much quicker when we do.

Dr. Ali is a chiropractor and owner at Active Family Chiropractic & Wellness. She specializes in pregnancy and pediatric care. As a mother of two she knows the importance of keeping those little immune systems strong, and knows that the adjustment goes a long way.