Green Child Magazine Back-to-School 2012 | Page 66

Back-to-School

Boosters

By Sara Chana

IBCLC RH (AHG)

Back to school is a period of big transition for
both your child’s body and mind. It is fun and
exciting for kids to get new backpacks, lunch
bags and new clothes. The prospect of making new friends is both invigorating and scary.
As uplifting as new experiences are, children
usually begin having anxious thoughts like,
“What if the kids don’t like me?” and “What if
the classes are too hard?” or “How am I ever
going to wake up on time?” Moms commonly
fret about their children getting overwhelmed,
anxious and sick after the first few weeks of
school.

The good news is that there are lots of herbs
that can help kids and moms strengthen their
immune systems and help calm back-to-school
anxiety. Before we begin learning about our
herbal allies, it is important to remember that
there are a few basic and often overlooked
nutrients that children need. The first is water
- dehydration is often ignored and can make
it very difficult for children to concentrate in
school. To combat dehydration, I would recommend giving your child a jug of purified
water to bring to school every day and encourage your child to drink it! This is an inexpen66

sive and easy tool to help your child to stay
healthy and transition well. The next thing is to
give your child snacks that contain oats, which
are high in B vitamins which help calm the
central nervous system. Oatmeal for breakfast
and granola bars for snacks (preferably low in
sugar) is two easy and tasty options.
Two weeks prior to the beginning of the school
year and up to one month after, I would recommend giving children a good immune
herbal mixture to support the immune system.
Nerves, tension and anxiety can suppress the
immune system, which makes children more
vulnerable to the viruses and bacteria that just
love to ‘hang-out’ in classrooms.
I prefer herbs to be in a tincture form, because
most herbs are not potent enough in capsule
form. In herbal medicine, a tinctured herb is
one which is processed in either grain alcohol
or glycerides. My favorite herbal companies are
Herbalists & Alchemists, HerbPharm, Gaia,
and Herbs of Light because they offer alcoholfree herbal combinations specifically formulated for children. You can purchase a blend
called immune blends, or cold and flu blends