The first week of school is usually dreaded by both parents and children. It feels like torture to have to wake up so early for school. Stationery shops are overcrowded with families scavenging for the required school supplies. Terrible traffic and the lengthy school registration process are enough to raise parents' blood pressure levels. To help your body deal with this stress and get through the first week of school without any negative impact on your health, take these precautions: Do not leave the house without breakfast. Mornings are always a rush so breakfast does not have to be elaborate. Eat something simple like a banana and a cup of milk, dates and green tea, a cheese sandwich, or an apple and a couple almonds. Skipping breakfast causes blood sugar levels to drop by early noon, leaving you with a headache, low energy levels, and feeling frustrated. Hit the stationery stores and bookstores at the right times. If your kids are not picky, take a list of everything they need and their preferences and go shopping in the morning before noon time. Shops will be quiet and less crowded. Get enough sleep. Staying up too late and then getting up at the crack of dawn to help your kids prepare for school is the wrong way to start your day. Adults need 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night to rejuvenate their bodies. Prepare from the night ahead. To avoid some of the hustle and morning confusion you can lay out your children's school uniforms, socks, and shoes the night before. Make their sandwiches for school in the evening and save them in the fridge for the next day. Have your child pack his own back pack before going to sleep each night. Increase vitamin C intake. The body's need for vitamin C increases dramatically when under stress. It would be a good idea for adults and children to take extra vitamin C tablets, or as chewable candy, or the powdered form dissolved in water at stressful times such as, the first week of school, exams, sports events, or demands at your job. Avoid the abuse of coffee. The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and too much of it makes you more jumpy and anxious and interferes with your ability to relax and sleep at night. Try to limit your coffee consumption to no more than 2 cups of coffee a day, and do not drink any after 7 pm so it does not reduce your ability to sleep well at night. Take relaxing herbal remedies. Excellent warm herbal beverages you can drink at night to help calm your nerves include chamomile, passion flower, valerian, catnip leaf, and lemon balm. — The writer is a qualified holistic nutrition consultant. __
