Top 4 Vitamin Recommendations for Back to School Immune Boost

Back to school this year is filled with so many emotions.  And being the planner that I am, I am always trying to stay ahead of the colds, sniffles, sneezes and bugs that back to school always bring, especially this year with the current times we are facing.  

Being a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor, I will tell you that feeding your kiddos a well balanced and nutritious diet is always first and foremost, but adding a little bit of “boosters” with vitamins is always a way to help ensure our kiddos immune systems are firing on all cylinders. 

Here are my favorite 4 vitamin suggestions to give your kids everyday: 

Multi-vitamin- I am going to be honest, I am not a fan of most of the chewable vitamins on the market as they are full of sugar, preservatives and additives.  I prefer a liquid vitamin that is easy to pour into a little cup or measuring spoon, or even mix in with some applesauce for your kiddos to hide the flavor.  I look for low to no sugar, gluten free, non GMO, dairy free  and soy free for my kiddos.  My favorite right now is the Mary Ruth Multi-Vitamin. 

Why a multi?  The multi-vitamin will fill in some of those nutritional gaps that a kiddos diet  is lacking. Even the best meals made for your kiddos with all the food groups have nutritional deficiencies due to poor farming practices and depletion of our soil.  The multi-vitamin ensures that your kiddos are getting a boost of B vitamins for energy, immune boosting, heart health, proper cell function…Zinc, Magnesium, Chromium for your child’s brain development, mental health, sleep and immune function...Vit A, Biotin, Choline, Vit K and so much more.  

Vitamin D-  my favorite Vitamin D comes in the form of a droplet, again no fillers, additives or chemicals.  It is easy to add to your vitamin concoction for the kiddos in the morning or sneak into their breakfast without them even noticing. 

Why? There is a lot of buzz around Vit D these days and for good reason.  Vit D is so important for our bodies and 85% of us are walking around with less than optimal Vit D levels.  If you are not sure, Vit D testing is always the safest route to knowing if you are lacking in the very important Vitamin.  Vit D deficiency causes muscle weakness, susceptibility to colds and flu, sleeplessness, depression, mood changes, risk for infections and so much more.  

Omega 3 Fish Oil- Omega 3’s are great for brain health and immune boosting. And when kiddos are learning and growing they need as much brain food as they can get. My favorite for our kiddos is one by Standard Process. I just poke a hole in the capsule and squeeze the liquid into my vitamin concoction every morning. 

Why? The SAD ( Standard American Diet) is creating a storm of inflammation in our bodies that causes so many health issues including heart disease, chronic illness such as asthma, skin conditions, thyroid problems, etc.  This is causing the ratio of good fats (omega 3’s) to bad fats ( omega 6) to be majorly skewed.  The ratio should be 2:1 with good: bad and for most it's 12:1.  Taking a fish oil can help to restore some “good fat” balance in your kiddos bodies to boost the immune system and improve brain health. 

Probiotics:  Probiotics are a must to “feed” the good guys and keep you immune system strong.  I always like to stick with a liquid for my morning concoction and Mary Ruth has a great liquid probiotic we are loving right now.  Note: it’s important to switch up your probiotic every few months to keep that gut strong, you body can get used to the same old after awhile and it will not be as effective. 

Why? 70% of your immune system and 80% of your happy “feel good” hormones are made in the gut.  So if you want a strong immune system you need to boost it with some food to feed the “good gut bugs” in your stomach.  Our stomach is full of tiny “bugs'' or organisms that digest our food.  If you are not careful, the bad guys overtake the gut and cause a whole host of problems ( bloating, constipation, diarrhea, skin conditions, asthma, allergies, etc).  And we do not want that.  Adding a probiotic to your kiddos gut will boost those good guys to fight off viruses, bacteria and infections before your kiddo ever becomes sick. 

That is my morning lineup...every single day.  I add all of these liquids into a tablespoon measuring spoon and my kiddos drink it down.  You can always add to their applesauce or make a little concoction of your own to help them wash it down.

Shop my Amazon site to see what I am buying at  www.amazon.com/shop/shannon_yund. Just click on BACK TO SCHOOL to find my favorite.