Back to school nutritional thoughts
How to boost the immune system!
I believe one of the most impacting events in our personal lives this month has been starting school. I homeschool my 7, 6 and 3 year old Monday-Thursday and on Fridays my two oldest attend enrichment classes at a local private school. This is our first year attending private school and it has brought some new considerations.
One of these considerations is maintaining health. Kids are adorable and a blessing from God. This does not negate the fact that they are walking petri dishes of viruses. As much as teachers and we parents monitor the hand-cleanliness of the children, there is still an aggressive spreading of germs. So what can we parents do? Since we don't want to keep our children in a bubble their whole life, we can choose to build up their immune systems. The viral attacks will come so the best thing to do is prepare and equip their natural defenses.
Here are several ways you can do that:
Vitamin C
This water-soluble vitamin is found in high concentrations in citrus fruits, red and green peppers, dark leafy greens and sprouts. Whole and raw is best as cooking will destroy the vitamin content in these foods.
If using supplementation then you can follow the RDA guidelines:
0–6 months 40 mg
7–12 months 50 mg
1–3 years 15 mg
4–8 years 25 mg
9–13 years 45 mg
14–18 years, Males 75 mg / Females 65 mg, Pregnant 80 mg, Lactating 115 mg
19+ years, Males 90 mg/ Females 75 mg, Pregnant 85 mg, Lactating 120 mg
It can help prevent free radical production in our body because it is a antioxidant vitamin.
We know through many studies that vitamin C can increase white blood cell strength and activity which creates a stronger immune system.
Vitamin A
Food sources for vitamin A are eggs yolks, livers (fish liver being one of the best sources), dairy (if you do not have sensitivity issues. Also, just as important are the veggies and fruit sources. Dark leafy greens, carrots, cherries, asparagus, pumpkin, cabbage, apricots, peaches and watermelon. This is not a complete list but you get the idea. Eat a varied amount of fruits and veggies!
RDA guidelines for upper limits of supplementation:
Birth to 12 months - 2,000 IU
Children 1-3 years - 2,000 IU
Children 4-8 years - 3,000 IU
Children 9-13 years - 5,667 IU
Teens 14-18 years - 9,333 IU
Adults 19 years and older - 10,000 IU
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and is absorbed mainly in the small intestine. It is a mighty antioxidant vitamin and equips the immune system to neutralize free radicals. It optimizes white blood cell function while blocking certain viruses from running amok in your body.
Probiotics
Excellent food sources for probiotics are fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and kefir.
Their are many supplements of probiotics on the market now. I recommend varying the strains and therefore the product you use. We need a wide variety of good "bugs" (bacteria) living in our gut to keep us healthy.
I recommend eating at least one probiotic food once a day along with a prebiotic food. Prebiotic foods feed the probiotics (healthy bacteria). Asparagus, kale, cabbage, apples, coconut and sweet potatoes are some great prebiotic foods.
Water
Hydration is vital for life...yes, I know that was super smart stuff right there. It is simple but most of us are walking around seriously dehydrated! Coffee, juice and sodas are diuretics meaning they flush water out of our bodies. They DO NOT HYDRATE!
A good rule is to drink half your body weight, in ounces, of water. If drinking reverse osmosis water then add a pinch of sea salt to add some of the good minerals which were removed.
Water and electrolytes shuttle nutrients all over our bodies, equip our cells to properly communicate with each other, removes waste and flushes out toxins. This to me, makes water the #1 nutrient for our family!
Please keep in mind that there is so many nutrients from vitamins to microminerals that our bodies need in order to maintain health. So eat all the colors of the rainbow when eating veggies and fruits, eat all 3 macros - protein, fat and carbs and do not forget to drink your water. I believe incorporating these few rules will help keep your family strong and capable of fighting off the upcoming cold and flu season.
Blessings of health!
- Vita