In these times of Covid-19, Flu and Colds, everyone is wondering what can be done to support the immune system. Especially for their kids who are less likely to practice proper social distancing and hand washing.

Let me be blunt - no magical supplement, superfood, diet, or exercise routine can guarantee you or your kids will stay healthy.

But the research says that maintaining a healthy lifestyle (eating healthy, exercising, avoiding smoking, getting adequate sleep, managing stress, etc) and good hygiene is the best way to naturally keep the immune system strong and healthy.

However, there are a few things that actually suppress the immune system. And when their immune system is compromised, your family is more likely to get sick. These are great areas to start focusing on.

One of those is high sugar intake. And with Halloween this weekend, we can pretty much guarantee that sugar intake is going to be going through the roof for many of our children. That means that not only will we need to deal with overly stimulated kids after a day of sugar high, but they may be more susceptible to catching a cold or bug as well.

It’s a good idea to plan around this inevitable gorging of sugar in order to try and mitigate as much of the negative effects as possible.

So, here is my plan of action for Halloween weekend with my kiddos. I hope you find it helpful:

Drink a lot of water: I’ll be making sure everyone in the family is drinking water throughout the day. Dehydration paired with sugar intake can leave one feeling those “hangover” symptoms: fatigue, queasiness, headache and irritability. If water is tough to sell, give your kids some diluted freshly squeezed juices or let them snack on fruits and vegetables.
Focus on whole foods to keep a balanced blood sugar level throughout the day: Our Halloween Day won’t start with sugary cereals. Instead I’ll serve a breakfast that contains good sources of protein, fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates and good fats. Eggs, avocado and a whole grain toast, or steel cut oatmeal with berries and nuts. And, to avoid overindulging in candy in the evening, we’ll have a good meal before going trick or treating. If you need some easy dinner ideas check my meal plan here
Sweat it out. Our skin is a major detoxification organ so sweating helps get those toxins out! I’ll try and make the Halloween celebrations as physically active as possible for my two. Something that’s made more difficult this year due to social distancing. But still we’ll head outdoors with the kids and get them jumping, dancing and having fun.

Sleep it out. According to the National Sleep Foundation, most adults do best with between 7-9 hours of sleep a night but school-aged kids need between 9-11 hrs. Lack of sleep not only affects our immune system, but also our focus, eating patterns/cravings the next day. By making sure the kids are well rested we should be able to temper at least some of those cravings during the day.

Happy trick-or-treating!

Contact Martha for a FREE Consultation to talk about how she can help you reach your nutrition and fitness goals here

Sugar overload during the cold/flu/covid season...what could possibly go wrong?

SHE NUTRITION