Back to school, back to microbes

Back to school, back to microbes
It’s the last stretch of the summer holidays so getting back to school is right around the corner. Everyone’s been adventuring - maybe to exotic places, maybe with kids on the street or in the playground, maybe at summer camp. But wherever your child has been and whatever he or she has been doing, you can guarantee that there has been contact with billions of new microbes. Most of them are friendly and beneficial, only a few are harmful. And back at school, whatever age or stage, starting school for the first time, moving onto another year group or heading off to secondary school, your child will come into contact with billions of microbes and the immune system will have to deal with plenty of different bugs. A recent study carried out by the Department of Education showed that the absence rate in schools is 4.5%. One in 10 of those pupils is classed as "persistently absent", which means they miss school for at least 10% of the time. As parents, we have all worried when a nasty bug is making its way through the class that our child will be hit with it next. This means time off work, germs invading other family members and concern that your child may remain sick for some time. There are however, some fantastic immunity boosting steps you can take to ensure that your child is in fit and fighting form to tackle this next year of school head on. Sleep Getting enough sleep is essential for the immune system. During the summer holidays sleep routines usually go out the window. It’s important to re-establish a good bedtime routine and sleep schedule so that your child’s body is prepared to protect itself against any bad bacteria it meets. According to the National Sleep Foundation, children need between 10-14 hours sleep every day. Of course, every child is slightly different but here is a handy table to show how much sleep is recommended at different ages and if you have a baby you can find some helpful tips to aid their sleeping here. Food Start introducing more probiotic rich food into your child’s diet to help feed and re-establish good gut bacteria. Try to stay away from foods containing: additives, preservatives, refined sugar, wheat and partially hydrogenated oil. The list of prebiotic and probiotic foods has never been more at your fingertips. And the richest probiotic foods are fermented, which are foods that are prepared by bacterial fermentation. When they are at home, try feeding them some adventurous and different things like: Kefir: a fermented probiotic milk drink which is great for people with lactose intolerance and a better source of probiotics than yoghurt. Here is a kid friendly wild blueberry and kefir breakfast smoothie by @wildblueberries Sauerkraut: one of the oldest traditional foods, sauerkraut is finely cut fermented cabbage, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Try this sweet garlic sauerkraut recipe by @MakeSauerkraut to begin your children’s sauerkraut palette. Tempeh: a fermented soybean product containing vitamin B12 and a high protein substitute for meat. There are so many recipes you can try with tempeh but the idea of putting a tempeh twist on your Bolognese sounds good. Try tempeh Bolognese sauce with gnocchi by @VeganFamilyRecipes Check out some other great recipes here. Kimchi: a spicy Korean side dish made with fermented cabbage which contains lactic acid bacteria to benefit digestive health. Try some kimchi fried rice by @pintsizegourmet Miso: a fermented soybean paste, rich in nutrients and a good source of protein and fibre. Have some fun with miso alphabet soup by @superhealthykids Kombucha: a tea drink fermented with friendly bacteria and yeast and rich in beneficial probiotics and antioxidants. Get creative with some of these delicious kombucha recipes by @HomemadeMommyATX   Probiotics Giving your children a probiotic can make a crucial difference when it comes to keeping their immune system strong. Probiotics help build and restore the beneficial bacteria within the gut that may have been depleted due to factors such as: stress, travelling, poor diet, antibiotics and over-sanitising. Babies are born bacteria free and populate their gut bacteria starting from their mother at birth, through the birth canal. After that breastmilk is best, and gradually introducing a varied healthy diet. And with 70% of our immune system residing in the gut, filling your little one’s systems with good gut bacteria can have a positive impact on their overall health and wellness for years to come. What better way to start the new school year than with Bio-Live GOO for YOU? This living fermented liquid is packed with beneficial microbes plus 40 herbs and minerals. It’s a natural and safe combination designed to give your child’s gut the resilience and diversity that will help to balance the new intake. He or she is less likely to be overwhelmed by any bad bugs, less susceptible to the illnesses that can spread so quickly through a class. And you can rest easy, knowing that GOO for YOU is 100% chemical free and full of only good things. It’s also DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN FREE and SUGAR FREE. Be at ease with the new adventures your children will encounter this school year. And to make it even easier, until Sept 14 you can buy one get one free on our Bio-Live GOO for YOU plus FREE UK delivery, available in both 250ml and 500ml. HINT: mix the 10ml daily dose of GOO for YOU with fruit juice if your child is used to sweet drinks.   We know that GOO for YOU works “As a single parent, I can’t recommend it enough. Since introducing GOO for YOU into my daughter’s daily routine she hasn’t taken a single sick day off school. “ Alex, Wiltshire “I have plenty of mum friends who worry when a child becomes sick at school but because my son is on the GOO for YOU, I am worry free. He has been on the GOO his whole school life and he has not had a day off sick once. He’s heading into Year 2 the strongest he has ever been. “ Amber, Wiltshire

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