Kids’ Multivitamins for Back-to-School Support

It’s back-to-school time, which means bright boxes of crayons, new shoes, thoughtfully packed lunch boxes, and germs – lots and lots of germs. You’ve spent the entire summer feeding your kids fresh fruits, lean meats, and sure some ice cream, but they’ve been healthy! Now it’s time for them to plunge back into the classroom and share dodgeballs, pencils, and germs with their classmates.

If the thought of coughs, colds, and stomach bugs has you dreading the back-to-school routine, take heart! You are not powerless in the fight for healthy kids. Keep reading for the healthy habits and multivitamin products your kids need to ward of those classroom bugs.

Wash Hands, Wash Hands, Wash Hands

One of the most effective ways to keep your child healthy in the face of classroom germs is by teaching them proper handwashing techniques. If you’re struggling to get your gets to wash their hands the right way, buy some fun soap or teach them a song to sing while they wash. Also, have your kids wash their hands as soon as they get home from school, before they dive into that afternoon snack. This can help keep those school germs off your hard surfaces.

Pack a Better Lunch

Your child’s diet is the most consistent factor that influences their immune system. Too much sugar can slow your child’s immune response and limit its ability to attack bacteria. Couple that with a starchy diet that is lacking in nutrients, and your child’s body won’t have what it needs to react to germs with a healthy immune response. Make sure your child’s lunch, meals, and after-school snacks are rich in protein, fiber, and a rainbow of nutrient-rich fruits and veggies to stack the deck in their favor.

Encourage Play & Relaxation

If your child is overscheduled and stressed out by sports, homework, and after school activities, their immune system will suffer. Research shows a strong correlation between stress and weakened immunity for all ages. Make sure your child has time to play after school, to run off stress with the creative wonder that foundational for a healthy childhood.

Kids Multivitamins to Keep Your Child Healthy

Another great way to boost your kid’s immunity as they go back-to-school is to provide them with great-tasting, kid’s multivitamins. Here are a few great options to choose from:

Children's Chewable Vitamins & Minerals by Solaray

Looking for a comprehensive multivitamin with a great taste your kids will love? Children's Chewable Vitamins & Minerals by Solaray provides broad-spectrum multivitamins and minerals in a delicious black cherry chewable.

Primadophilus Kids Cherry from Nature's Way

Probiotics can be a powerful ally in the fight to boost immunity. Primadophilus Kids Cherry from Nature's Way includes three beneficial strains of gut flora in a great-tasting chewable formulated especially for kids ages 2-12.

Organic Sambucus for Kids from Nature’s Way

Black elderberries contain naturally occurring flavonoids which have been shown to help support a healthy immune response in kids. Supplementing your child’s diet with elderberry syrup and supplements can keep them on your feet. Stock your pantry with Organic Sambucus for Kids from Nature's Way before they head back-to-school.

What are your best tips and favorite supplements to keep your kids healthy once they go back-to-school? Share them with us in the comments section below!

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Scary Plants You Won't Want to Grow at Home

Tending to houseplants and backyards gardens is a therapeutic hobby, a zen practice that brings about peace and tranquility right? Well, not always. Believe it or not, there are some downright freaky plants out there, guaranteed to creep into your nightmares. Some are carnivorous, some will leave you with painful sores and rashes, while others are harmless but just look horrifying.

Keep reading, if you dare, for 6 scary plants you won’t want anywhere near your home garden.

White Baneberry – “Dolls’ Eyes”

Close your eyes and imagine a horrifying craft project, consisting of dozens of tiny eyeballs fused together on tiny sticks with blood red hot glue. There you go, you’ve imagined the White Baneberry, also known as dolls’ eyes. This alien-looking plant grows across North America, and can grow as high as two feet tall.

Dictamnus “Burning Bush”

Imagine strolling through a field and coming upon a spread of beautiful pink flowers. These beauties display clusters of flecked lilies on a tall, light green stem, and go by the name Dictamnus. Would you pick some? If so, you may now suffer from swollen, burning and painful skin rashes that last for up to a week. This beautiful flower holds a painful secret, but so long as you live in North America, you’re probably safe from this blossom on your next wildflower stroll.

Venus Fly Trap

Yes, carnivorous, scary plants are a thing, and the Venus Fly Trap isn’t even the most horrifying (Google Attenborough’s pitcher plant – it eats whole mice). But, if you want to add a little freaky to your houseplant collection, a Venus Fly Trap is a good place to start. The most common carnivorous houseplant, this killer is easy to come by and is native to subtropical wetlands in North and South Carolina. Before you adopt your own meat-eating plant, be sure to read up on care, many Venus Fly Traps are overfed and die quickly after purchase.

Tacca chantrieri “Bat Flower”

This may be the creepiest flower you’ve ever seen, and it’s hard to describe. It’s like if an alien with huge fangs, crossed with a bat and then grew whiskers? The Bat Flower looks terrifying, but is actually harmless and while it’s native to Asia thrives in warmer parts of North America, like Florida. So if you’re looking to naturally keep people out of your garden, plant a few Bat Flowers.

Sundew

Another carnivorous plant, the Sundew is prolific and can be found across the globe, including North America. The Sundew grows best in warm, wet climates and produces small droplets of sticky mucus to trap their prey. The top of the plant is covered in small “hairs” that ooze a sticky sap used to trap bugs and insects. The plant then uses a web of sticky glands, which digests the bugs with acid-like enzymes. When the Sundew is finished digesting its prey, the leaves unfurl to reset the trap.

Dracula Orchid

The Dracula Orchid is dark, beautiful, and just a little bit creepy, making it worthy of inclusion on our list of scary plants. Some people report seeing a “face” of sorts in the middle of the flower, and the long tentacles that cascade from the tips of each orchid petal are just a little unnerving.

What scary plants have you encountered? Share your creepy stories with us in the comments section below.

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Health Benefits of Hibiscus Flower

Bright and colorful, there are hundreds of different species of the hibiscus flower. Some of these blossoms can be enjoyed as houseplants and some are used for supplements and teas. Hibiscus sabdariffa is the most common species of hibiscus to be consumed and contains of wealth of potential health benefits.

Keep reading to learn more about the health benefits of the hibiscus flower and how you can add it to your diet or supplement routine.

What is Hibiscus Flower?

Hibiscus are small- to medium-sized flowering trees which can live outdoors in tropical and sub-tropical climates or inside as houseplants in any zone. This plant flowers year round, adding color and vibrancy to any room no matter the season. The flowers, leaves, and other parts of the plant are often dried to make tea and supplements.

Health Benefits of Hibiscus Flower

Here are just a few of the potential health benefits of taking hibiscus flower teas and supplements.

May Reduce High Blood Pressure

Early research shows that drinking hibiscus tea 2-3 times daily for 2 or more weeks may help stabilize blood pressure. One study showed that using hibiscus to promote heart health has “great potential to reduce risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.”

Could Help Lower Cholesterol

Drinking hibiscus tea or taking hibiscus supplements has also been shown to balance cholesterol. In a recent study, 60 people with diabetes drank hibiscus tea each day and after 1 month, showed an increase of HDL (good cholesterol) and a decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol).

May Restore Urinary Tract Health

Individuals who struggle with bladder infections may experience relief from the hibiscus flower. Research has been positive in using hibiscus tea to restore urinary tract health after an infection sets in.

Ways to Enjoy Hibiscus Flower

Here are a few ways to incorporate hibiscus flower into your natural, healthy lifestyle.

Tea

The flowers and leaves of the hibiscus flower, when dried, can be steeped into a colorful and beneficial tea. This tea has a unique, tart flavor and a rich red color, in fact some have compared it to drinking cranberry juice. To make hibiscus tea, add dried hibiscus to a tea ball or tea pot and pour hot water over the dried flowers and leaves. Allow the blend to steep for 5 minutes and sweeten with honey or other natural sweeteners, if desired.

Supplements

Not a tea lover? You can still reap the benefits of the hibiscus flower. Companies such as Solaray offer high-quality supplements containing hibiscus. Try it for yourself with Hibiscus Flower Extract from Solaray.

As a Houseplant

Looking to add a little color to your home or apartment? The hibiscus plant is known as an “easy to grow” houseplant that adds color and style to any room. Keep your plant in well-drained soil that is slightly acidic and be sure not to overwater. This will cause the leaves of your plant to turn yellow and look droopy.

Do you enjoy hibiscus tea? Have any tips for caring for a hibiscus plant? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

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