It’s that time of year again when the kids are heading back to school. As you likely know, the way your child feels will make a big difference in their attitude and energy level, and health can make the difference between a successful or not-so-great school year.

Use the following advice to give your child a head start in health that will result in a boost in other areas of life as well.

Allergies

Allergies, whether to chemicals, perfumes, pollen, dust or foods, occur when the body comes in contact with something it cannot handle. Allergic symptoms that appear are often the result of the body’s defense mechanism as it tries to correct the problem. Symptoms vary widely but can include sneezing, hives, runny nose or watery eyes, or chronic problems with the skin, lungs, intestinal tract, bowels, muscles, joints, bladder, ears, sinuses and even the brain.

Childhood allergies are becoming more and more common, possibly due to the widespread continued use of antibiotics, anti-bacterial soap and vaccinations. There is a growing body of evidence to support this theory, known as the "hygiene hypothesis," which says that children who experience frequent infections and inflammations in early childhood have strengthened immune systems that make them less prone to allergies and asthma. With the overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial soap, and the use of vaccines, which can inhibit the immune system, the infections do not take their normal course during childhood and more and more children are becoming susceptible to allergies.

In order to protect your child from allergies as much as possible:

• Avoid giving your child antibiotics whenever possible
• Limit their exposure to environmental toxins like solvents, pesticides and heavy metals
• Avoid giving them vaccinations
• Be sure that emotional stress is dealt with

Emotional stress can take a major toll on your child’s health, leaving them more open to allergies as well. If emotional challenges appear to be affecting your child, consider using EFT, a safe, non-invasive technique to relieve emotional stress. You can review my free 25-page EFT manual for more information.

If your child is bothered by food allergies, the best option is to eliminate the food that is causing the problem. You will need to eliminate one food at a time and then monitor symptoms to determine if the removal of the food clears up the symptoms.

Most all children, whether they have allergies or not, will benefit from following the nutrition plan, including restricting grains and sugar in the diet, which you can read more about in my new book. Along with sugar and grains, pasteurized milk is often problematic for children (and adults).

Avoid Irradiated Meat

The Department of Agriculture approved the use of irradiated ground beef in the national school lunch program this year. Local school districts will have the option of ordering the irradiated meat, which is treated with low doses of bacteria-destroying radiation, to serve in school cafeterias.

Irradiated food has caused many health problems in animal studies (and people in a few studies), including chromosomal damage, immune and reproductive problems, kidney damage, tumors, internal bleeding, low birth weight, and nutritional muscular dystrophy.

This issue with irradiated meat is virtually the same issue as with milk. Once milk is pasteurized to "protect" us, it is seriously damaged and actually causes more harm than good for most who drink it.

The following Web site can be used to obtain more information on how to work with your school district to stop the purchase of irradiated foods: www.safelunch.org.

You can also contact your representative and senators today to urge them not to support irradiated food in school lunches.

On the home front, you can make sure your children (and you) are eating healthy meat as part of their diet, such as the grass-fed beef, ostrich, grass-fed bison, or mercury-free salmon that I offer on this site, or grass-fed and free-ranged beef, lamb and other meats that you can sometimes find in grocery stores or health food stores.

Pack a Healthy Lunch for Your Child

Food choices in most school cafeterias are limited and far less than optimal. If your child buys a lunch at school it will likely consist of french fries, nachos, pizza or other fast food. Even if your child opts for a salad it will typically consist of iceburg lettuce, which has no nutritional value, and goopy salad dressing that is likely loaded with trans fat.

When you pack your child’s lunch, stay away from simple carbohydrates like bread and bagels, which will be rapidly converted to sugar in the body. Instead, opt for protein-rich foods like hard-boiled eggs and healthy meat and complex carbohydrates from vegetables such as cherry tomatoes and celery. The key is to be creative. Even raw coconut makes a great addition to your child’s school lunch. If your child is satisfied by their lunch, they will also be less likely to buy junk food from vending machines.

Also pay attention to the beverage you include with the lunch. Be sure to avoid soda and fruit juice, which contain large quantities of sugar. The best bet is to give your child pure water.

The Importance of Sleep

Without quality sleep your child will not be able to function optimally. Sleep deprivation, both in the short and long term, causes serious adverse health effects. Be sure that your child doesn’t eat sugary foods or drinks before bed (or, ideally, at all) and set aside some time for your child to relax at bedtime.

If your child has trouble sleeping regularly, he or she may be one of the many people who have problems sleeping due to anxiety, stress or other emotional challenges. For these types of concerns, EFT works remarkably well and can help to induce peaceful slumber.

Regular exercise can also help your child get a good night’s sleep.

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