I can’t believe it is back to school wellness time already! In just a handful of weeks, students everywhere will be returning to school, and for many kiddos and parents this means back to picking up all the viruses and bugs from their fellow students. Resources for today's post:

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Back to School Wellness

I can't believe it is back to school wellness time again! Did you know that the average family gets an average of 10-12 viral infections per year? Many families I know get sick more often than that - because 1 person gets a viral or bacterial infection and then it spreads to the other 3+ members. Geeeez! You definitely don't want to be average in this case! I can’t imagine having one or all four of our family members sick EVERY. Single. Month. Constant acute infection, whether viral or bacterial, is a big red flag that you need a wellness intervention, STAT!

How can I keep my family well? 

There are many questions that circulate my practice as the school year gets started and we head into the fall and winter, “how can I keep from getting sick this winter?” or “what supplements should I take when I have a cold/virus/bacterial infection?” or “what natural remedy can I give myself/my kid/my partner for their illness?”

I totally understand life and wellness are a balancing act. We are constantly testing the line with just what can I get away with and remain healthy, its human nature. When it comes to your family’s wellness and avoiding begin the “average” family may take a little forethought.

A good offense, especially when it is back-to-school time is always the best defense. And NOW is the time to start getting things on track so that you can beat all the bugs that will be going around when school starts soon.

Here are a few simple and sustainable solutions that if you implement now - will be a habit by the time school gets here:

Eat for your immune system.

Hippocrates famously said, “Make food thy medicine and medicine thy food.” When I am bombarded with the questions about “What can I take for ______?” it always starts with the nutrition that you put in your body daily. Sure you can take some herbal remedies but what if you didn’t have to feel crappy to begin with? THAT starts with your nutrition.

Every illness, whether it is chronic or acute, bacterial or viral, starts and ends with inflammation. That is why I preach about eating as anti-inflammatory as possible, and it's one of the reasons I host seasonal online detoxes (for the entire family). It’s not some diet culture stuffs - its because I want to show you and your family that food that is good for you tastes good. AND food that is good for you doesn’t have to be hard to make or cost-prohibitive! Here are a few simple tips to adjust your family’s nutrition towards non-inflammatory:

Eat 5-8 Servings of brightly colored vegetables and fruits a day. There is no substitute or quick fix for this. No pill or powder or potion or juice that makes up for eating 5-8 servings of whole plant foods each day. Be sure to go organic whenever it is possible to. Sure, sometimes organic can be cost-prohibitive, but just as true, is that often, organic food isn’t cost-prohibitive and even it can be a savings.

Thanks to the Environmental Working Group’s website for putting out the “Dirty Dozen” list and the “Clean 15” list. These lists detail the 12 produce items you should avoid if they aren’t organic, as well as the 15 items that are a-okay to save money on by buying conventionally. You can print it out and use it while shopping.