Dr. Wendy Bazilian Shares Five Tips to Transition Into Cleaner Routines During the Busy Back-to-School Season and Beyond.
From the Kitchen Pantry to the Bathroom Vanity, Simple Strategies Can Help Create a More Natural and Productive Home Environment.
Back-to-school means busier schedules that families must adapt to. That’s why it’s more important than ever to maintain a healthy environment in the home to keep everyone productive and well – especially with the seasonal changes that can happen soon after. Dr. Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD, author of “The SuperFoodsRx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients” and co-author of “Eat Clean, Stay Lean” (Rodale, 2016) shares her top five strategies to help families transition into cleaner routines to make the home front a more natural and productive foundation for managing multiple activities.
“Getting back into a school routine means, for many families, juggling a variety of schedules,” said Dr. Bazilian, who is also a wellness consultant for NOW. “This can sometimes mean maintaining healthy habits gets put on the backburner during the transition. But, from the kitchen pantry to the bathroom vanity, there are simple solutions to help the family prioritize their health and find a more natural routine everyone in the family can stick to.”
Find quick and convenient ways to fuel up with protein. For a cleaner routine with your protein, blend up a smoothie or make a smoothie bowl! Lean on plant sources to boost the protein in your day by adding NOW® Sports Plant Protein Complex that features plant proteins from yellow peas, brown rice, hemp and quinoa.
Save time by doing some food prepping Sunday night for the school and work week. Pack small portions of nuts and dried fruits or Crunchy Clusters for an easy to grab-and-go snack for your purse or kids’ lunchboxes. Prep a week’s worth of convenient salads in Mason jars to make lunchtime a cinch. Try this delicious Roasted Pecan and Pumpkin Seed Mason Jar Salad developed by Suzy Singh, NOW's Corporate R&D Chef, made with whole grain farro, mixed greens, and Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil.
As schedules and seasons shift, it’s always a good time to support your immune system. Frequently washing your hands still remains the number one strategy for keeping healthy during the colder seasons. And a number of other strategies may help support the immune system like eating plenty of veggies and fruits, getting regular exercise and considering a high-quality probiotic like Extra Strength BerryDophilus™ .* Staying hydrated with water and eliminating sugary beverages is another smart move. One way you can bump up vitamin C and hydrate at the same time is with Effer-C™ Packets easy and tasty for the entire family.* Just add to water and enjoy.
Do an environmental check on your home. Open some windows for clean air circulation at least once a day. Check your filters on your heating system and stove vents. Consider a humidifier if the air gets very dry, and freshen your home with aromatic pure and natural essential oils like Nature’s Shield, a protective blend perfect for seasonal changes made with cloves, lemon oil, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary.
As the complement to Spring cleaning, try Fall Cleaning and focus on your bathroom vanity. Take a look at your bathroom products and upgrade one or two to more environmentally clean products that are free from questionable chemicals. What’s it going to be…your toothpaste? Mouthwash? Lotion? Or how about your shampoo and conditioner. Take on just a couple and you’ll feel better about your personal care, just like you do about your nutrition for your overall health.