Maintaining a Healthy School Year

Back to school! Back to school! Do these words bring on feelings of dread and stress for you and your family? You're not alone.

School can be an extrememly stressful time, and stress can lead to sickness. It's no wonder that right after school starts is when cold and flu season hits. But don't worry! There are ways to keep healthy throughout the school year.

*Bolster the immune system. Herbs like elderberry, elderflower, and echinacea can help keep the immune system up to fighting these hard battles. Elderberry syrup is a wonderful way to get some herbal goodness into a finicky child.

*Keep the nervous and immune system healthy and resilient. Adaptogens are your friend here: Reishi, astragalus, eluethero, tulsi, and licorice root can all help your immune and nervous systems be more adaptive to stress. They also help to restore balance after illness and stress. Try a tea or a tincture with any or all of these beneficial herbs.

*Eat healthy and nourishing foods. Especially during times of stress and sickness, the body depends on nourishing foods to replenish what is depleted. Eat a variety of colors multiple times daily, or at the very least eat a very nourishing meal at least once a day. Dark and vibrant fruits and veggies are ideal, as well as the addition of mushrooms, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. If you are loking for quick and easy ways to add nourishing herbs to your meals, try throwing in a handful of nettle to your soup or as a garnish, warm up a cup of raspberry leaf or oatstraw tea, or make sure to carry bags of raw nuts and seeds with you to keep your sugar cravings down.

Above all, make sure to take time for yourself- as well as reminding your children or significant other to take time when they need it as well. Try to get your teen to take a luxurious bubble bath, with bath salt, aromatherapy candles, essential oils, the works! Or maybe your young one needs to explore a local park and make new discoveries? Whatever the need, be sure you are looking at whole health: body, mind, and soul.