As summer winds down and a new school year begins, it’s the perfect time to reset and refocus on your child’s health. At Integrative Family Medicine of Asheville, we believe good health is more than just the absence of illness—it’s about building strong foundations in body, mind, and spirit.
Here are our top back-to-school health tips, drawn from both conventional and integrative approaches, to help your child start the year feeling balanced, resilient, and ready to thrive.
1. Start with a Whole-Person Wellness Visit
A yearly wellness check is more than just a quick physical exam. It’s an opportunity to look at the whole child—their physical health, emotional well-being, nutrition, sleep, focus, and social development. It’s also a chance to update vaccinations, address any concerns, and discuss ways to prevent illness throughout the school year.
Sports physicals can also be done at this time, ensuring your child is ready and safe to participate in athletics.
At our clinic, we take the time to listen, ask about your child’s daily rhythms, and collaborate with you on personalized wellness strategies.
2. Support Healthy Sleep Rhythms
Sleep is the cornerstone of growth, mood regulation, immune health, and learning. School-aged children typically need 9–11 hours of sleep per night, and teens may need even more.
To help reset from summer routines:
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- Start gradually shifting bedtime 1–2 weeks before school begins.
- Create calming evening rituals: herbal tea, warm baths, or reading can signal it’s time to wind down.
- Avoid screens for 1–2 hours before bed—blue light can interfere with melatonin production.
- Consider natural aids like magnesium-rich foods, mindfulness practices, or a brief evening stretch to help the body transition to rest.
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3. Nourish the Body with Real Food
A balanced diet fuels your child’s brain, supports mood and immunity, and builds lifelong habits. Focus on whole, minimally processed foods:
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- Colorful fruits and vegetables (eat the rainbow!)
- Healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, and olive oil
- Clean protein sources (eggs, beans, wild-caught fish, grass-fed meats)
- Complex carbs like oats, brown rice, and sweet potatoes
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Pack lunches with variety and involve kids in planning—this boosts both buy-in and nutrition.
4. Strengthen Immunity Naturally
Schools can be a hotspot for illness, but there’s a lot you can do to support your child’s immune system:
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- Prioritize sleep and hydration
- Encourage frequent handwashing
- Keep sugar and ultra-processed foods to a minimum—they can suppress immune function
- Support the gut microbiome with fiber, fermented foods (like yogurt or kefir), and optional probiotics
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5. Tend to Emotional Well-being
Big transitions, academic pressures, and social dynamics can take a toll on children’s mental health. An integrative approach views mental well-being as interconnected with nutrition, movement, sleep, relationships, and purpose.
Ways to support your child emotionally:
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- Maintain open communication—ask open-ended questions about their day and feelings.
- Watch for changes in behavior, mood, or sleep.
- Encourage time outdoors and regular physical activity—nature and movement are natural mood boosters.
- Try simple mindfulness practices together (e.g., deep breathing, gratitude journaling, or apps like Headspace for Kids).
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If your child is struggling, our providers offer compassionate support and can suggest holistic strategies and referrals as needed.
6. Create Healthy Boundaries with Technology
While screens are now a part of school and social life, setting healthy limits helps protect sleep, posture, and attention span. You can:
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- Create “tech-free” zones at home (e.g., bedrooms, family meals)
- Set a regular “digital sunset” in the evenings
- Model balanced screen use as adults—kids are always watching!
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7. Reinforce Safety & Body Awareness
Back-to-school also means navigating new environments. Teach your child safety basics such as:
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- Walking or biking rules
- Proper backpack use—both straps, no more than 10–15% of body weight
- Listening to their body—recognizing when they feel tired, overwhelmed, or unwell
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Integrative care encourages body awareness—helping children recognize and trust their inner signals of hunger, stress, or the need to rest.
8. Have a Plan for Sick Days
Even with the best prevention, illness can happen. Make a plan for when your child gets sick:
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- Keep them home with fever, vomiting, or worsening cough.
- Offer gentle, supportive care—hydration, rest, warm broths, and simple herbal teas like chamomile or ginger can be soothing.
- Know when to seek medical care. We’re here to guide you.
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Our members have access to same- or next-day appointments and easy messaging for questions—no waiting weeks or sitting in urgent care unnecessarily.
Final Thoughts: Let’s Root the Year in Wellness
Back-to-school season can feel busy and overwhelming, but it’s also a beautiful opportunity to set new rhythms and health goals. At Integrative Family Medicine of Asheville, we believe in partnering with families to support your child’s full potential—from immune resilience to emotional balance.
Let us know how we can support you—whether it’s a wellness visit, help with sleep or nutrition, or just a place to be heard.
Here’s to a vibrant, balanced, and healthy school year ahead!
This blog post was written by Chad Krisel, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrative Family Medicine. You can read more about Chad in his bio.