It’s that time of year again. If you’re a parent, you’re likely running around gathering supplies and prepping for the new school year that’s upon us. You may be feeling sad at the pending end of summer, or perhaps you can’t wait until you’re back to a normal routine. Either way, while you’re rushing around busy with back-to-school preparations, I’d like to offer you some tips to make this school year one of the healthiest your family has ever experienced.
It’s no secret that diet is primary factor impacting overall wellness. Food is medicine in many different ways, and the healthier choices we make, ultimately the better we will look and feel. As parents, we assume primary responsibility for our children’s health. But getting our children onboard with healthy eating can be a difficult task. Many children are picky eaters. I’ve had my own struggle with that. Year’s back, my younger daughter’s only fruit and vegetable intake was corn and grapes. It was a constant battle that left me with a lot of mom guilt. In addition to pickiness, texture issues or power struggles are equally frustrating for many parents and make it even more difficult to get the good stuff into their children’s bodies. Teaching children some why’s and how’s to making healthier choices though can lessen the struggle. Let’s look at simple strategies that will help make a big difference in your children’s health this school year.
One simple system to improve children’s eating habits is the concept of traffic light eating. It’s a system highly recommended by Dr. Williams Sears, one of the most famous pediatricians in America, as a way to teach children how to make better food choices. It’s a simple approach. Basically, there are red, yellow, and green light foods. Reds are the foods we stop and think about eating a smaller portion or avoid eating altogether like cookies, candy, pastries, and chips. Yellow are slow down foods that we want to eat in moderation. Examples include pasta, bread, nuts, and oils. Green foods are go and grow foods. We can never eat too many of these. Green light foods are grown, not manufactured, and usually can be eaten raw. Fruits and vegetables fall into this category. Children taught this system have fun classifying different foods and better yet, naturally gravitate toward healthier eating.
Another proven way to get your children eating healthier is involving them in the growing process of things they eat, particularly fruits and vegetables. Children who take an active role in gardening often enjoy picking and eating the end product. They get excited to taste the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. Given the fact that gardening is not an easy task, a Tower Garden is a great alternative. In fact, Tower Gardens are such a great teaching tool, that many schools have incorporated them into their curriculum. If you’re not familiar with Tower Gardens, they are an aeroponic growing system allowing gardening to happen almost anywhere. As long as a water and an electrical source are nearby, you can conveniently grow a garden without dirt, land, and extensive labor. You can even grow a garden indoors. Tower Gardening allows families to go from seedling to salad with lots of fun, anticipation, and education in between. It opens up conversation to what foods are good for our children, as well as encourages them to become their own farmer and harvester. If you’d like to check the Tower Garden out, visit andreabohn.towergarden.com.
Perfect attendance is a common goal of many young children for the acknowledgment and rewards they receive at year end. But it’s even more important to parents because of the inconveniences and expenses incurred when sick children miss school. A child’s illness often causes a parent to miss work or shift their schedule. If a doctor visit and medication is needed, the cost of illness really skyrockets. The secret to a healthy school year is building our children’s immune systems well before cold and flu season even starts, and a year-long healthy diet has a much greater impact than vitamins or elderberry syrup during flu season. Juice Plus+ has been the best armor our family has ever found. By flooding my children’s bodies with fruits and vegetables daily for years now, we’ve avoided colds, flus, sick doctor visits, and the hassles they all cause. Of course, it’s not a miracle pill. But the science is there to prove that Juice Plus+ improves immune function. It’s been researched and documented in over forty different clinical studies. Juice Plus+ is a simple, convenient, and affordable way to improve immune health. Plus, it reprograms children’s taste buds to actually want to eat healthier foods too. My picky eater daughter is now a vegan. Considering that children can consume Juice Plus+ for free through the company’s Health Starts program, it’s the most valuable school supply around. I encourage you to learn more by visiting www.wholefoodforlife.net.
The reality is a healthy family is a happier family, and education is the key to achieving both. Let’s face it, as parents we face enough challenges raising our children in a safe and positive environment. Equipping your family with the education and tools at the start or the school year will make our parenting job easier and have our children finishing stronger for sure. Welcome back to school, friends.
