It’s official: the new school year has commenced, and the youngest members of the family are back in the classroom. Even my own family is getting into a new groove, with both of my girls now attending school. Like most moms, I have mixed emotions about sending them off, but I have to admit, most of my reservations have less to do with separation than with concern for their health. Let’s face it: school can be a germy place! With so many bodies in one place, exposure to colds and other potential infections is more or less a given. How can parents protect their children—and themselves—this season?

While nothing is foolproof, there are several common sense measures that every family should take to reduce the risk of illness. Children who are starting school for the first time, without having prior exposure to daycare or group settings, may be at a somewhat higher risk, because their immune systems have not had to work as hard in the past to keep them healthy.

I remember these days all too well with my older daughter’s first semester of school, and I pray this phenomenon does not repeat itself as her little sister starts pre-Kindergarten.

Wash Up!
Hand washing is absolutely essential to good health. Teaching children proper hand washing techniques is important, so pull them aside for a lesson if you haven’t already. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the following steps should be followed to prevent the spread of disease:
1. Use soap and warm, running water.
2. Rub vigorously during washing for at least 20 seconds, paying special attention to the backs of the hands, wrists, between the fingers, and under the fingernails.
3. Rinse well.
4. Leave the water running and dry hands with a single-use towel.
5. Use the paper towel to turn off the water and open the washroom door.

Remind children to wash their hands this way before they eat lunch or handle food. Hands should always be washed
after using the toilet, after coughing or sneezing, after meals, or if they have handled soiled utensils or equipment, or come into contact with an animal. Keep reminding them as needed, and set an example by practicing good hand
washing techniques yourself!

Drink Up!
Staying hydrated helps to flush toxins from the body. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day to keep the body’s fluid levels optimal. This will also help to prevent dry skin as the temperatures fall. In addition, keeping the nasal passages moist can help to prevent illness, as viruses are less likely to attach to the nasal lining. Drinking extra water and flushing the nasal passages with saline spray or saline solutions can be a major factor in illness prevention.

Eat Colorfully!
Have you looked at your dinner plate lately? Do you see a rainbow, or are you looking at shades of beige? A colorful diet is probably the healthier choice, as a varied selection of colorful fruits and vegetables provides plenty of antioxidants needed to fight disease. Processed foods containing refined sugars have actually been shown to decrease immune function. Fresh foods without added sugars are richer in vitamins and nutrients. A good tip is to buy most of your food items from the perimeters of the market, where you typically find fresh, unprocessed foods.

Proper nutrition plays a major role in immune function. The fact is that many children (and their parents) simply don’t consume all the vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids needed to stay healthy, so it’s never a bad idea to consider a supplement. Pharmacist Dave Mason recommends probiotics, or “good bacteria” for all of his patients. These beneficial bacteria multiply in the body to fight off bad bacteria. While probiotics are found in yogurt, many commercial yogurt products are actually highly processed and have added sugars, thus negating the potentially positive effects of any good bacteria that have survived the processing. Mason also recommends Omega-3 supplements to most patients. Omega-3 fatty acids boost immunity by increasing the activity of white blood cells, which fight off infection. Omega-3s are found in foods such as coldwater fish, walnuts, almonds, dark green vegetables, and flax seeds.

While crowds are almost impossible to avoid this time of year, remind your family of these basic rules to help prevent illness and boost immunity. Proper hand washing techniques, increasing water intake, and eating a fresh, colorful diet are just a few of the simplest steps you can take to stay well this season.

Shannon Fields is a freelance writer and a Certified Pharmacy Technician at Innovative Pharmacy Solutions.