Back to School time is fast
approaching and offers an opportunity to examine family activities, food
choices, and health practices to reinforce good habits and develop new
behaviors.
Use Back to School to reassess not
only your family’s health, but also your own. While making your children’s physical exam
appointments, make appointments for your annual physical, PAP smear or eye
exam. When was the last time you went to
the dentist? A biannual teeth cleaning
reduces cavities and risk of heart disease.
Consider using a smart phone application to store immunization and
medication information for all family members.
There are many apps that are free, easy to use and secure.
Take a look at the first aid kits
in your car and home. Are they prepared
for an emergency with Band-Aids, antiseptic, and antibiotic ointment? Don’t forget about an asthma inhaler and
epi-pen.
When you reach for medications in
the car or home, you want to be sure they are current and ready to use. Check the expiration dates of anti-fever,
headache, cold & flu, and anti-diarrheal medications. Since
you finish all antibiotics prescribed, I know you don’t have any in the
cabinet. If you do, pull these or other
expired prescriptions, grind pills and mix into coffee grounds before
discarding in the trash.
Assess your pantry. Do you have staples to create quick
nutritious meals? Have a weekly meal
plan to facilitate shopping and reduce food cost. Buy in bulk, cook once, and eat all week. Keep brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and
quinoa that combine easily with frozen vegetables without sauce to make a fast,
healthy meal. Frozen berries and fruits
combine with ice and banana or kale to make a healthy smoothie for a snack or
fast breakfast. Almonds, walnuts, and pecans
travel well and are loaded with protein and vitamins; a small handful stays hunger. While at the market, read the labels with
children to personalize food choices and reaffirm healthy eating habits.
Even though summer is over for
kids, returning to school comes at the warmest months of the year. Continue to protect against sun and heat. Wear sunscreen and reapply for afterschool
sports or walks. Have water readily
available and continually hydrate while active.
Don’t wait to get thirsty to drink, for then it’s too late. Stay in the shade when possible. Wear a hat and mist with water.
Create opportunities to exercise as
a family by adding evening walks. For
parents, remember to get in a quick workout while children are at soccer
practice or in a tutoring center. You
can take a walk anywhere if you keep athletic shoes and a bottle of water in
the car.
Buy a pedometer for each family member
and conduct a weekly contest with a prize for the person who walks the most
steps. The goal is to walk 10,000 steps
daily. Use non-food rewards including free
time, stickers, new books, song downloads, batting cage time, and others
according to the age, appropriateness, and desire of the winner.
Balance outside activities and
school with time to reconnect to one another with healthy face time. Remember eating at the table technology-free
builds healthy connection and a lifetime of memories. And on the weekends, decompress without
electronics to allow uninterrupted family time.
Continue to be a shining example
for your children in word, thought, and deed by modeling healthy eating habits,
regular exercise, and using medicine appropriately. Be well.
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