By Gina Van Luven, owner of Prime IV Hydration & Wellness at Red Mountain Gateway in Mesa
As students return to school, parents are concerned about the health risks associated with increased exposure to germs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average child contracts six to eight colds per year, making the back-to-school season a critical time for reinforcing immunity for students and the people around them. And while parents are often less susceptible to these viruses, those nasty germs can sometimes still proliferate, leading to missed work and feeling miserable.
The following are some tips to help you safeguard your family’s health as we kick off the school year:
Eat healthy – Focus on a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins. Avoid processed foods and sugar, which can impede the immune system.
Exercise – Whether going for a walk, doing a set of push-ups, or going to the gym, get moving every day. Movement creates blood flow, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues to help them function optimally.
Get ample sleep – School-aged children need nine to 11 hours of sleep daily and adults between seven and nine. Sleep is when your body can recover and regenerate. Create a nighttime ritual that helps facilitate bedtime, so that you can get quality sleep.
Get outdoors – Not only is fresh air good for the soul, but sun exposure (even if indirect) helps the body synthesize vitamin D, which is important for proper immune function.
Maintain good hygiene – Yes washing hands is important. But so is paying attention to what you touch. Try using your wrists to open doors and elbows for elevators. Teach kids to do the same or use a paper towel and avoid touching face with hands.
Stay hydrated – Proper hydration is critical for optimizing immune function. Water makes up a large part of the interstitial fluid in our blood and contains valuable minerals, including electrolytes that aid our immune system. Be sure to drink pH-balanced mineral-rich water for optimal results.
Another tip is to take supplements that can support healthy immune function. A quality multi-vitamin is a good starting point. Adding additional vitamin C and zinc may also be beneficial in warding off infection.
At Prime IV Hydration & Wellness, we offer high-dose vitamin C and zinc in either IV (intravenous) or injection form. You would have to eat 555 cuties to get the amount of vitamin C in our Myers Cocktail. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is notorious for improving immune function. We also have a great drip called “The Restoration,” which is great for recovery if you do get sick. Not only does it contain vitamin C and zinc, but also glutathione, which is another master antioxidant.
It’s always best to be proactive when it comes to viruses. But if you do get sick, it’s nice to know there is a place you can go to recover quickly.
