Powerful Health Tips & Tools for Your Child’s Best School Year Ever

Essential Lifestyle Tips, Part 1

For all parents preparing their children for their next year of school, whether at home or in the classroom, you can take a few practical steps to ensure your son or daughter has the best year ahead of them. Are you maximizing your child’s potential, or are there some missing pieces that can help them achieve better health and success?

Keeping your child Focused with the right foods- Concentration and focus are lacking in children, often due to dietary imbalances and malnourishment. Children need their healthy protein and fats to thrive while limiting their carbohydrate and sugar intake. They often miss key nutrients that help the brain and nerves perform well. There are several tactics to use to give your child a winning edge. Some hidden ingredients can wreak havoc on your children, including all artificial dyes and flavors, as well as many of the common cooking oils.

The only oils a child should consume as foods are the following: Avocado, coconut, beef tallow, ghee, olive oil, cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil, and grass-fed butter. With nearly 10,000 chemical additives used in our foods and supplements, it is paramount that you learn to read the food labels and stay vigilant for the sake of your child’s well-being and future. One great mobile app that can help you speed up your learning is called Yuka. You simply scan the barcode or search for a product, and it will give you a real-time evaluation of its health summary with specific details. This health tool is free!

Exercise more: Encourage your child to move and play. They have been sitting at a desk for the better part of the day, and they need to get the blood circulating. This is no different than our own needs when we are sitting at a desk all day at our jobs. Workout together! This can be as simple as riding a bike, going for long walks, or playing sports with your children.

Less screen time before bed: The artificial light and stimulation from phones, PCs, and TVs have proven to disrupt children’s sleep and quality of rest, which can interfere with their ability to learn and retain information. Unplug your wifi router at night because the electromagnetic signals can interfere with restful sleep. Reduce screen time during the week and limit video games/TV at least 2 hours before bedtime. We must teach our children this important lesson early on and be an example of this for them to follow.

Use Herbs that support calm and focus: Hops and Chamomile are particularly important because they have been used traditionally and are well tolerated. Hops acts as a mild sedative to curb hyperactivity, and chamomile soothes the nerves as well as the gut (think Gut/Brain connection). When children are in a relaxed environment, both outside and on the inside, they can think and problem-solve more effectively.

Must Have Nutrients for Maximizing Classroom Performance, Part 2

Children have many nutritional needs! From early on, they must receive the right amounts of essential nutrients to thrive and compete with their classmates. Once the puberty stage arrives, many of the daily required nutrient values increase significantly. When malnourishment is present, illness and brain fog are the results. When there are other sick kids around, only the well-nourished ones can hope to avoid the ailment that is circulating.

Vitamin A- This is a forgotten and underappreciated Immune System nourisher. Vitamin A makes the Immune System stronger and more efficient. This Vitamin also acts as a powerful antioxidant. Most vitamin A is synthetic and difficult to absorb, which is why food-based vitamin A (Retinol) is the most effective route for your child. Real vitamin A will also support the health of the eyes, liver, and skin, in addition to bolstering immune health. The best food sources are wild-caught salmon, grass-fed beef liver, and egg yolk.

Vitamin C- Probably the most well-known vitamin for Immune support. It is often used in its synthetic form, ascorbic acid, which is typically a chemical reaction of sulfuric acid and GMO corn starch. Do we want our children to be taking this?! Let’s instead look at food sources that deliver the complete vitamin C profile from raw, whole foods and can be quickly absorbed by the body. A top source of vitamin C we love is the Peruvian Camu Camu berry. Did you know it has 40X the vitamin C of an orange?!

This popular nutrient also supports blood vessel integrity, oral health, a healthy stress response, and bones. The #1 sign of C deficiency is bleeding gums. Lastly, it is a crucial component of collagen formation. It is an antioxidant in its own right, supporting the health of every cell in the body. Don’t be shy about giving your children this critical nutrient; they need large amounts every day through food and supplementation. Real vitamin C is what the body recognizes and every cell readily uses.

Vitamin D- This is a crucial source of Immune Support, and unlike the other vitamins, D is a hormone and hormone signaler. Vitamin D regulates the expression of more than 2,500 genes! It is involved in energy metabolism and mineral homeostasis, or balance. We get the majority of our vitamin D from the Sun, but for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, we lose about 150 minutes of daylight from September to December. As exposure to the sun becomes limited, so does our vitamin D intake. Once again, the majority of the options are synthetically made, and children need food sources to get the most out of this nutrient. There are only a few of them available, and we recommend wild-caught salmon as well as high-quality mushrooms to supply yourself through the colder months. More than half of the population lacks the necessary amount! Also, if your child has a darker complexion due to higher melanin in the skin, it is harder for them to absorb sunlight, so make sure you and your children are well nourished. It is no accident that those with lower vitamin D levels are more likely to fall ill in the Fall and Winter. Additionally, it greatly affects mood and mental wellness.

Magnesium- No other nutrient is involved in as many benefits for the human body as Magnesium. Indeed, this master mineral is a necessary coenzyme for more than 650 biochemical reactions in our bodies! Examples of these are nerve impulses, muscle contractions, protein synthesis, blood pressure regulation, blood sugar regulation, healthy hormone expression, proper digestion, relaxation of the nerves and muscles, insulin metabolism, nerve transmission, DNA synthesis, and building up the body’s energy stores, just to name a few. About half the population, conservatively, is deficient.

Starting at age 9, children begin to need more than 240 mg daily. By age 14, girls need 360 mg daily and boys require 410mg… These levels are equal to the adult recommendations! This illustrates the importance of providing children with adequate amounts each day for their development. Supplementation is often necessary, as it is difficult to receive adequate intake amounts in food alone. The top food source is pumpkin seeds; we recommend raw sources. Austrian Pumpkin seed powder is even more nutritious and easier to absorb.

L-Theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, promotes a calm, alert state without drowsiness, helping young minds stay focused and less reactive to stress. It’s particularly useful during transitions, test prep, or when overstimulation becomes a challenge.

Omega-3s, especially EPA and DHA found in animal fat, are foundational for brain development and function. These healthy fats are essential for forming strong neural connections, promoting mood balance, and maintaining attention in both children and teenagers. Numerous studies link omega-3 intake with improved academic performance, reduced mental fatigue, and even behavioral support in developing brains.

References:

Vitamin A: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/

Vitamin C: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/

Vitamin D: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Vitamin%20D%20promotes%20calcium%20absorption,leading%20to%20cramps%20and%20spasms).

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

Magnesium: NIH Consumer Fact Sheet for Magnesium

L-Theanine: L-Theanine: A Unique Functional Amino Acid in Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) With Multiple Health Benefits and Food Applications

Omega 3s: Effects of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Brain Functions: A Systematic Review

#1 Herb for Supporting Children’s Immunity- Oregano, Oregano, Oregano!

Our creator has supplied us with many plants that support the immune system. None of them is as vitally important as oregano, specifically wild mountain oregano, which was used as a traditional medicine going back thousands of years by the ancient Greeks and Romans. There are 80+ species of this plant, all with different properties, and our research at NAHS determined that 4 species have the best effects on our health. Wild oregano supplies an abundance of antioxidants, some 100x more than blueberries, gram for gram.

Support the immune system, digestive tract, respiratory health, skincare, liver, and inflammation response all in one powerful bottle. Most oregano oils can be too strong for children and do not contain the correct source. Companies frequently state they are not to be taken daily. Certain children’s wild oregano formulas can be used from birth and beyond! That is to say, topically rubbed in key areas like the bottoms of the feet, spines, and shins to promote immunity, and then orally as they grow from babies into small children. Wild Oregano herb and oil are a perfect addition to food and drink. Beware of cheap imitations and opt for the wild, daily-use, children-friendly formulas!

Reference: Essential Oils of Oregano: Biological Activity

NAHS study on oregano species…

Supplement Guide: Which NAHS Products Should My Child Take?

Vitamin A, D, Omega 3s (DHA, EPA)- Kid E Kare All Omega drops, Polar Power 8oz & soft gels.

Magnesium, L-Theanine- Purely Min Magnesium capsules for both. Purely Zinc for Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Protein, & more!

Vitamin C- Kid E Kare C Plus, Purely C powder, & Purely C capsules.

Wild/Organic Oregano Oil- Kid E Kare OregaCinn drops, Oreganol P73 oil & Oreganol P73 soft gels.

Stress/Calm/Sleep: Hops & Chamomile for calm/focus/sleep- Kid E Kare Kid’s Calm drops, Herbal Zzz capsules.

Learn more from Ms. Judy’s Book- Kids Need Care. Written by Judy K. Gray, M.S

*The Kid E Kare products mentioned above can be used by children ages 3 to 11.

The other products are intended for ages 12+

*Have questions? Talk to one of our product specialists directly at 1-800-243-5242