As we head into fall away from the beach and back to school and work we shift our focus from being outdoors a lot to more indoor time. A few simple shifts can help your body adjust to to fall rhythm more naturally.

Sunlight
Sunlight is a major factor in helping your body produce melanin which triggers the hormone melatonin in your pituitary gland regulating your circadian rhythm. Melatonin is essential for sleep but also boosts your immune system.  Just 20 minutes of sunlight is necessary for the benefit effects.   Early morning sun is the most beneficial.  Getting up out in the am just for 30 minutes before you start your work day will have significant benefits.  Sunlight aids the body in producing Vitamin D3 which is essential for a healthy immune system.  If you are working from home give yourself an extra 30 minutes to get outside before you sit down to work.  If you are heading into the office and walking is an option to get to work, choose this as your transportation, you are not only getting the benefits of sunlight but also getting in some exercise as well. 

Immune Boosting Foods
Eating healthy foods with vitamin C  such as limes, oranges, and clementines are essential to fighting off infections. Garlic, onion, ginger, and spinach are also on top of this list for building a healthy immune system.  Also eating seasonal vegetables and fruits such as apples, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, crab apples, cranberries, and turnips.  Check out some local fall farmers markets for inspiration and local organic vegetables.  We are also shifting into soup season.  Try lighter soups, with vegetables and beans with lots of onions and garlic.  In addition, add bone broth to meals for added immunity.   There are many high quality bone broths available today at most markets.  Just make sure you chose an organic option and packaged in glass or BPA-Free container.   Pumpkin is also a great option, it is high in vitamins and minerals and very high in beta-carotene.  Skip the canned pumpkin and opt for fresh options.

Sleep
As the sun begins to go down earlier this can easily throw off your natural circadian rhythm. Try to maintain a healthy sleep schedule.  Get to bed earlier and no electronics before bed.  Reading or a guided meditation are your best options for a good night's sleep.  In addition, adding in epsom salts baths with some lavender before bed is super helpful.   The sulfate and magnesium in the epsom salts will also help with detoxing and relieving joint pain flair ups as the cooler fall months approach us.

Journaling
September for me is the start to a new year.   One of the best ways for me is to plan my health goals, business goals and personals goals is through journaling.  The power of manifestation begins with a thought.  This can start with an image in your mind, but I find the power of journaling and writing down our health goals as well as other goals is the first step for change.  It is also super helpful to revisit these goals every morning or weekly to keep you on track. 

Meditation /mindfulness and breadth Work are techniques kids can readily use to for a much needed “mental break”.  Adolescents today face a host of challenges that previous generations did not. The rise of the digital age, the increasing competition in education, a rise in peer pressure and the burden to succeed in an ever competitive environment.   Children today are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety, stress and depression.  According to the City of New York office of the Mayor, in New York City’s 1 in 5 adult New Yorkers is likely to experience a mental health disorder in any given year and a staggering 73,000 NYC public high school students report feeling sad or hopeless each month.   Meditation calms the nervous system and decreases stress hormones in the body.  Studies have shown benefits for gastrointestinal symptoms, obesity, headaches, high blood pressure, pain sensitivity, and immune function.   A trial of 300 urban middle-schoolers using school-based mindfulness instruction led to improved psychological functioning and lower levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Although guided meditation and having a meditation teacher is invaluable it is also very effective to download a free app and get started.  This way kids are able to access the meditation anytime they feel like they need a break!  I like, Insight timer and Clam.
Lets not forget moms and dads.  I found meditating with my girls is a great way to get them meditating and have some claiming together time. ​

One of my new favorite things for kids is, Bee Propolis Spray.  Propolis is a well know immune system enhancer.  Propolis is from the sap on needle-leaved trees or evergreens. When the bees combine the sap with their own discharges and beeswax, a sticky, greenish-brown product used as a coating to build their hives, which is propolis.  Propolis from different areas of the world will have a different chemical constitutes bases on the flowers  and trees the bees have access to and thus different health benefits.  Propolis contains flavonoids which have antioxidant properties.  Propolis and its extracts have numerous applications in treating various diseases due to its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antimycotic, anti-fungal, anti-ulcer, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties. Propolis also contains vitamins, such as vitamins such as,  B1, B2, B6, C, and E and useful minerals such as magnesium (Mg), calcium, potassium, sodium, copper, zinc , manganese, and iron. *

​I find clinically the throat spray to be very effective in fighting off streptococcus virus in children and teens.  Some children are more prone to strep occurrence and re occurrence.  I have found this to be very helpful in prevention and even treating Strep Throat.  The brand I love is, Beekeeper Naturals, Propolis Throat Spray. ​