Back-to-school wellness

Natural health tips for children returning to school after the holidays

As the summer holidays draw to a close and children prepare to head back to school, it’s important to make sure that they progress smoothly and healthily into their new routine. A holistic approach focusing on physical, emotional and mental wellbeing can make a real difference in helping children to feel their best. Here are some expert tips to consider.

Create balanced meals
“The importance of nutrition to children’s health is paramount for their concentration, performance and immune health,” says Jessica May, a registered nutritional therapist and founder of Jessica May Wellness (www.jessicamaywellness.com/nutrition). “It additionally lays the foundations for their food preferences moving into adulthood. Exposing our children to a wide variety of foods can promote easier acceptance of different nutrients, having a host of benefits to support growth and brain power at school. Stabilising blood sugar levels with every meal and snack is likely to promote consistent energy and concentration levels throughout the day.” In order to create balanced meals, Jessica recommends dividing children’s plates into four quarters, as follows:

1. Protein: Animal protein and plant protein such as beans and lentils.
2. Healthy fats: Nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish, extra virgin olive oil, yogurt, tahini etc.
3. Carbohydrates: Make them count! Think whole grains, starchy vegetables, wholemeal pastas and sourdough breads.
4. Vegetables: Eat the rainbow!

Support their immune health
“Maintaining a healthy immune system in children involves a balanced diet rich in macro- and micronutrients,” says Jessica. “Key foods include fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, milk, eggs and leafy greens, which are high in vitamins C, D and E, plus zinc and magnesium. Herbs and spices like garlic, onion and turmeric also boost immunity by enhancing immune cell function and improving overall health. Getting children to eat onion can be hard so, where necessary, blend it into sauces or grate it finely.”

Look after their gut health
“As well as supporting digestion, a healthy gut is central to overall wellness, including mental health, which is a key consideration when our children are returning to school after their long summer break,” says Adrienne Benjamin, a nutritionist with ProVen Biotics (provenbiotics.uk). “We have all experienced gut feelings related to anxiety or excitement and some children might even have tummy aches or diarrhoea in the morning before school or at the end of the school day, particularly in the first days and weeks after the summer holidays. Supporting their gut function can help to support their brain to minimise both anxious feelings and gut symptoms.”

“I recommend focusing on key pillars of health, including a healthy (but not overly restrictive) diet, lots of water, a good sleep routine suitable for their age, time outdoors, exercise and lots of play, fun and laughter every day,” says Adrienne Benjamin. “A varied, nutrient-dense diet full of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, protein and water is vital. Include foods that support the gut, such as vegetables and fruit for fibre to feed the friendly bacteria that live in our gut, and foods that specifically contain these bacteria, such as live natural yogurt, kefir and fermented vegetables (eg. sauerkraut), which may be more difficult to get children to eat.

A friendly bacteria supplement can help to easily incorporate these bacteria into your child’s diet, a broad multivitamin and mineral can be useful for picky eaters, and an omega-3 supplement can support healthy fat intake and brain health.”

Introduce new habits
“Use the new school year as an opportunity to reset routines,” says Lorena Bernal, a certified life coach and founder of the events and coaching platform Live Love Better (www.livelovebetter.co.uk). “Reflect on what worked last year and what didn’t and introduce new habits with enthusiasm. Summer often brings fresh ideas about family routines – now is the time to implement them joyfully. Assign age-appropriate responsibilities to your children, like setting their alarms or preparing their clothes for the next day. These tasks help them feel mature and trusted, making mornings smoother and more enjoyable.”

Be positive!
“Incorporating positive remarks into everyday conversations can also help ease their approach to the unknown,” says Lorena Bernal. “Casually mention how nice the school is or how happy you are with certain aspects in front of your children, but not directly to them. Do this purposely by taking some time before, by yourself, to think about what you really like or are happy with in this new year for them. By overhearing these positive comments, they will internalise these messages as truths rather than feeling like they are being lectured. This subtle reinforcement can significantly boost their confidence and ease their transition back to school.”

Maintain a consistent bedtime
“When children hit puberty, their circadian rhythm changes,” says Susie Majevadia, a coach and therapist for tweens and teens (www.susietherapy.co.uk). “They produce melatonin (the sleep hormone) later in the day than younger children and adults. It is important at the start of term that they have a consistent bedtime, especially at the weekend, or otherwise they will start getting symptoms similar to jetlag if they go to bed really late at the weekend and get up really early during the week.” Susie also recommends limiting screen time, especially before bed. “Electronic devices such as phones, tablets, and computers have a blue light that can interfere with the production of melatonin, affecting their ability to fall asleep,” she explains.

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