Support for Busy Kids in School & Sports

Supporting the health of youth while in school and juggling busy schedules is a task in itself. By implementing systems to allow more balance can actually make a huge impact on the health of our kids as they are daily exposed to many things that could make them sick and impact performance at school and in sports.

Sleep

Wondering how much sleep your child needs?

Easiest way to achieve this:

• Maintain a consistent bedtime routine
• Limit screen time 1 hour before bed
• Keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet
• Encourage relaxing activities like reading before bed
• Educate your kids on why sleep is important for them
• Lead by example!

Nutrition

Most importantly, limit sugar intake and processed foods. This can be challenging when making school lunches, working around busy schedules and being on-the-go. The easiest way to go about this is to batch cook homemade nutrient dense snacks like muffins, granola bars, energy balls etc. Having fresh fruit and vegetables available to grab and go. Fresh is best and the easier it is to grab, especially for hungry kids and teenagers, the easier it is to help them stay healthy by nourishing their bodies right. It’s also important and helpful if you as a parent can tell them why we choose healthy foods, for example, carrots help keep our eyes healthy, protein helps our hair, skin, teeth and muscles stay healthy, berries and citrus fruits have so much vitamin c which keeps our immune system strong to help fight colds. Empower your growing humans with your words!

My favorite go-to snacks are energy balls, homemade muffins, sourdough bread, greek yogurt with berries and granola and always offering fruit and vegetables with each meal.

Supplementing for kids during cold/flu season

• Oscillococcinum – take one vial weekly during winter cold/flu season and after exposures (excellent for adults too)
• Probiotics – Metagenics (strain specifically to fight colds), Garden of Life
• Vitamin D3
• Vitamin C – 500mg-750mg in winter
• Zinc
• Cough support – ColdCare Cherry-Flavored Syrup by Nature’s Way
• Echinacea – take after any exposure, before flights, or first sign of illness

Other immune boosting tips:

• Wash hands regularly
• Reduce sugar intake – sugar reduces your bodys ability to fight infection by 50% within 20 minutes of consumption for at least 5 hours
• Use food as medicine and avoid processed foods
• Get fresh air and exercise (20 minutes a day of moderate play and 10 minutes of vigorous play)
• Optimize sleep
• Stay hydrated

Athlete Support

For the busy kids who are training daily for competitive sports. There are three bases to cover to help them perform their best and also give their bodies what they need to avoid exhaustion.

1. Hydration – first of all avoiding drinks like gatorade, unfortunately there are far too many chemicals in these drinks. Proper hydration can come from drinking water but not always if they are sweating it out too much. Adding a small pinch of salt to your athletes water bottle will help replace electrolytes and allow their bodies to properly absorb the water they drink. If you need extra support on hot days or even during tournaments and events where they are exerting more energy than usual, brands like Liquid IV, Biosteel and LMNT are all really great options to keep your athlete properly hydrated.
2. Nutrition – the number one thing for athletes is to make sure they are getting adequate protein. Most children need about 1g/kg of body weight, for example a child who weighs 40kg requires 40g of protein daily. However active children may need a little more, roughly 1.1-1.2g/kg of body weight per day. The best way to do this is to include 2-4 portions of protein-rich foods (lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, tofu), in their diets as well as a balanced amount of grains (bread, pasta, cereals), and dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese which also supply small amounts of protein. Carbs on the other hand, young athletes training 1-2 hours/day require 5-7g of carbohydrates for each kg of body weight. Example a 60kg athlete would need 360-420g carbs daily. Ways to meet their carbohydrate requirements:
   • Focus on eating 4-6 portions carbohydrate-rich foods (grains/potatoes)
   • 5+ portions of fruit and vegetables
   • 2-4 portions of dairy products
3. Recovery
   • Hydrate adequately after training sessions and games
   • Refuel body with nourishing foods
   • Rest and prioritize sleep to increase muscle recovery, improve athletic performance and allow them to be at their best when needed (recommended sleep per night 8-10 hours)

This is a great place to start to help your children thrive and do their best during the school year and juggling many activities while staying as healthy as possible. Allow your children to create some healthy habits on their own that they can carry with them throughout their life to in order to live well. The best example is you, the parent!