How to keep children healthy at school
You're not there at lunchtime to check if the kids are eating their vegetables – and when they get home, they just want to relax in front of the TV. How can you help your child avoid health risks?
5 ways to keep your child healthy:
A varied, healthy breakfast
Yes, sugary cereals decorated with cartoon characters are hard to beat, but you can make a healthy breakfast temptingly delicious. Maximize brain power with a smart approach to nutrition. Eggs contain choline, which is important for memory development, so serve them a delicious omelet. Peanut butter contains vitamin E and thiamine, which are thought to help mental function – spread it on whole-grain toast. Oats, berries, and plant-based milks are also fantastic brain foods, so a morning smoothie is also a perfect choice.
Relieving asthma with vitamins
Childhood asthma is becoming more common and is one of the main reasons children miss school. Asthma also disrupts sleep, which then affects concentration levels. A few small changes to their diet can make all the difference.
Omega-3 is thought to contain anti-inflammatory properties that may help with symptoms; try adding flaxseeds, soybeans, and walnuts to meals. Also use berries and leafy greens – which are full of vitamin C – that can strengthen the immune system; puree kale or spinach with natural sweet raspberries and blueberries, then add water and freeze in popsicle molds. If it's still hard to get kids to eat enough of these foods, delicious vitamin-rich gummies will be the solution.
Overcoming exam stress
According to a recent survey of school leaders, primary school children taking tests show higher signs of stress during exam season, and anxiety is also increasing among students in general.
Help combat this with meditation, yoga, and a healthy diet. Japanese Buddhist monks were able to meditate for hours in part due to an amino acid called L-theanine found in the green tea they drank. Some studies suggest it reduces anxiety and helps with focus during exams.
Getting sleep on track
Spending time outdoors in the sunlight helps regulate children's sleep cycles by increasing melatonin levels, but unfortunately, they are spending less time outside and playing due to the endless time spent watching TV and playing console games. If we add to this the melatonin-suppressing effect of the blue light emitted by screens, we have a recipe for sleep debt – which is not good news, as children need at least nine to ten hours per night.
Sleep deprivation leads to poor concentration and learning difficulties – and this is a problem when children are preparing for their exams. You can help combat the effects of sleep deprivation by creating "tech-free zones" two to three hours before bedtime and considering a natural sleep aid, such as a pillow spray.
Healthy eating
Encouraging healthy choices can be helped by ensuring that children consume larger amounts of fruits, vegetables, fiber, calcium-rich foods, and vitamins during family meals than children who eat separately. Furthermore, it has been proven that the more the family eats together, the more likely children are to choose healthy eating overall.
Sources:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38743765
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16531187
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1323893014000100
www.theguardian.com/education/2017/may/01/sats-primary-school-children-suffering-stress-exam-time
www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/uk-school-increase-class-sizes-due-to-underfunding-a7658941.html
www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201212/how-technology-is-changing-the-way-children-think-and-focus
www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/uk-schools-mental-health-surge-support-issues-children-pupils-nasuwt-barnardos-a7682751.html
https://opto.ca/health-library/blue-light-is-there-risk-of-harm
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464611000351
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
www.express.co.uk/news/uk/666701/British-bulldog-banned-UK-school-concerns
www.theguardian.com/education/2017/aug/25/school-nurse-shortage-putting-childrens-lives-at-risk
www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/01/27/every-school-uk-needs-nurse-establish-protect-mental-well-being/
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