Back to school? I’m in denial

I can hardly believe that I am already writing an article about back to school. It’s true—the office supply and department stores are knee-deep in back-to-school advertising campaigns. There is simply no better time of year to buy a new backpack or to stock up on pens, folders and (if you’re a person who feels the need to organize) desktop organizers. There is also no better time of year to commit to healthy changes for your family members, including you.

For the many moms and dads of local students, back-to-school is a bittersweet time. Summer has been so much fun. The time we get to spend with the kids everyday will be reduced to dinner, bathing and storytime. I know—this year half of my children will be in school. It seems like w my house will be strangely quiet, with only two children at home all day. Then again, how quiet can any house with a 3-year-old girl be? And her one-year-old brother who communicates in grunts and screams? He’s not too quiet, either.

The start of a new school year is a great time to get your children started on some good, basic supplements. If you dole out daily doses of Flintstone vitamins, be sure to read "Flintstones should be Bam Bammed" to learn how you could dramatically improve your choice of a children’s multi. Adding a good chewable probiotic, like Freshlife’s Children’s Chewable Acidophilus will help support his immune system for the sniffles and sneezes that could be just around the corner with the cold and flu season. Adding a healthy fat to your child’s diet will do his brain a world of good. Be sure to read "Superstars of Optimal Wellness: Is your kid a 'fat head'?" to learn about my family’s new favorite flax and fish oils.

Back to school means back to packing lunches, too. Even if your school district claims to be doing its best to provide healthy lunches for the kids, in all likelihood the monthly lunch menu offered for your child will include a multitude of processed meats and grains, with a few non-organic fruit and veggie sides (yes, I have been in the school cafeteria, and they do still count canned fruit as a “healthy” side) and his choice of sugar-laden, flavored milks. If you can find the time, do your child a favor and pack his lunch. Healthy lunch and snack choices abound at Freshlife. If your child likes sandwiches, you can choose the best breads around, from sprouted grain to gluten-free. Choose nut butters that are free of added fats and jellies that are tasty without putting your child into sugar shock. For snacks and sides, choose natural fruit leathers, organic apple sauces, dried fruits, raw nuts and nutritious granola bars.

Back to school is a pretty good time for you to make some healthier choices for yourself, too.

Buy better coffee. If you need to start your day with a cup of coffee, consider switching to one of the fair-trade, organic blends found in the bean dispensers at Freshlife. If you’re drinking grocery store or commercial, non-organic coffee, consider this: coffee crops are heavily laden with pesticides, and the first time that coffee bean is washed is when the hot water running through your coffee maker hits it. If you’re a coffee drinker, you deserve a cup of coffee that isn’t chocked full o’ chemicals.

Buy better personal-care products. Remember that what goes on goes in. If you need a degree in chemistry to read the ingredients list on your facial wash and moisturizer, chances are, you don’t want to be using it. Want some personal recommendations from Freshlife’s very own personal-care coach? Just drop by the store and ask for Therese. She’ll help guide you through the personal-care aisle to find the products that will best meet the needs of your hair, skin and nails.