September is back-to-school month! The family outings to buy school supplies and new clothes are very likely completed by now. School has already begun for many of our children. The weather is still warm and the sun is shining. Our kids are filled with excitement and anticipation about the new school year. This is the perfect time to think about how to strengthen their immune systems before flu season hits. There are many wonderful strategies that can be implemented to support a healthy body and clear mind. Here are some ideas:
Hand-Washing Habits
The beginning of the school year is a great time to remind children to wash their hands regularly. This simple action is vital for prevention. As we all know, our children learn best by watching. Institute a new household rule that upon entering the home after school, work, or other outings/activities, everyone must wash their hands. For younger children, it is helpful to have them sing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ or the ABCs while they wash—this will help them know how long to wash for and make the activity more fun!
Plenty of Sleep
Create a more relaxed nighttime schedule that allows for plenty of sleep—rest is an essential ingredient to support a healthy immune system.
Avoid Harmful Snacks
Stay away from processed foods and sugary snacks. Many of these foods have a lot of preservatives and other harmful ingredients that can affect the way we learn and behave. They also can make us feel lethargic. Keeping the house free of these types of foods and only offering wholesome snacks will teach our children about better options.
Daily Vegetables and Fruit
Vegetables and fruit contain many nutrients and enzymes to support a healthy body. In addition, eating daily vegetables and fruit can support a healthy bowel. Bowel elimination is essential to a healthy immune system.
Drink lots of water!
Water is required for every function of our body. It is also important for maintaining moisture in the lining inside the nose, which is our first line of defense. This mucous membrane traps dust, dirt, and bacteria and prevents them from getting into the lungs. Drinking five to eight glasses of water daily can help to optimally hydrate our body and maintain this moist membrane.
Nutritional Supplements
Nutritional supplements can strengthen our immune system as well. Here are some suggestions:
Daily essential fatty acids: Every tissue in our body is made up of cells. The wall of each cell is comprised of essential fatty acids or EFAs. With any trauma or infection, at a cellular level, there is a tear in the wall of one or multiple cells that make up a structure such as an organ or vessel. To repair this tissue, the body needs essential fatty acids. But EFAs are not produced in the body—they have to be included in our diet. Unless we eat two tins of sardines every day, we are lacking optimal essential fatty acids! A great way to get the right amount of EFAs in our diet is to supplement with fish oils. Fish oils house concentrated EFAs. Some options include daily cod liver oil or fish oil gel caps.
Daily probiotics: Probiotics provide healthy bacteria to fight off infection and improve immune strength. Daily probiotics help ward off illness. Probiotics can be taken by capsule and also can be found in yogurt. Probiotics also help maintain a healthy bowel.
Daily multi-vitamin: Multi-vitamin supplements supply the body with many important vitamins and nutrients that are essential to health. For flu prevention, in particular, it is helpful to supplement with antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin D, which can all be found in a good quality multi-vitamin.
Herbs for Immunity: For further flu prevention it may be helpful to supplement with herbs such as Astragalus, Andrographis and Echinacea. These herbs have immune stimulating properties.
Eliminate Gluten
In addition to supplementing with good herbs and vitamins, it is equally important to maintain a healthy diet, free of inflammatory foods. Gluten is a pro-inflammatory food, which means that, when ingested, it contributes to more inflammation in the body. Inflammation is at the root of every illness. Eliminating gluten supports greater health and recovery. For children, eliminating gluten can also support quicker recoveries from injuries as well as reductions in common issues such as allergies, learning and behavioral deficits, and more. A good resource on gluten sensitivity and implementing a gluten-elimination diet is: http://www.instituteofimt.com/gluten-sensitivity.php.
Eliminate Refined/Processed Sugar
In addition to eliminating gluten from our diet, it is extremely beneficial to eliminate refined/processed sugar. Certain processed sugars are considered neurotoxic. When the nervous system is exposed to high levels of refined sugars, it promotes a breakdown of our nervous system, including our brain, which is essential to learning and behavior. The following list includes many common processed sugars that should be avoided by everyone, but especially by children as their brains develop: sugar, brown sugar, sucrose, cane sugar/cane syrup, glucose, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup/sugar, sucanat, turbinado, aspartame, nutrasweet, saccharin, equal, and splenda. Some healthier options include natural sweeteners such as raw honey, pure maple syrup, brown rice syrup, blackstrap molasses, stevia, unprocessed fruit juice, raw organic agave, coconut crystals/syrup, date sugar, and palm sugar.
Lastly, there have been so many positive changes throughout the country in school cafeterias. More and more schools are working towards offering healthier food options. Take the time to inquire and find out what the options are. By asking questions and showing interest we can accelerate this process of change.
Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo, PhD, PT, IMT,C is the Practice Manager and Director of Pediatrics for Regional Physical Therapy and The Institute of Integrative Manual Therapy (IIMT), headquartered in Bloomfield, CT. She is also the Dean of the Connecticut School of Integrative Manual Therapy (CSIMT). Dr. Connell-Giammatteo has taught courses in IMT nationally and internationally for over 15 years. She received her doctoral degree focusing in neuropediatrics, with a concentration in autism. Dr. Connell-Giammatteo is a Physical Therapist and Certified Integrative Manual Therapist. She has been practicing in the field of IMT for over 15 years. Dr. Connell-Giammatteo is a graduate of the Institute of Functional Medicine’s program “Applying Functional Medicine into Clinical Practice” focusing on nutritional wellness. She is also a local of this community and has been living in the Greater Hartford area for many years. In addition to managing the clinical and educational arms of IMT, she also integrates a healthy lifestyle at home with her husband, children, and dogs.
Thomas A. Giammatteo, DC, PT, IMT,C is Director of Operations for the Institute of Integrative Manual Therapy (IIMT), including Regional Physical Therapy in Connecticut. IIMT is a network of health care clinics providing manual therapy and rehabilitation in the United States, Canada and Europe. He is Vice President of DCR, Dialogues in Contemporary Rehabilitation, the learning, resource and research center for IMT in Connecticut. DCR presents over 150 seminars around the world each year. He practices in Connecticut and throughout the United States.