Back-to-School Health: Keeping Your Family Strong This Season

The back-to-school season is here! New classrooms, new teachers, and new routines bring plenty of excitement—but they also bring new germs, stress, and changes that can impact your family’s health. Whether your children are just starting preschool, navigating the busy high school years, or you’re a parent trying to juggle it all, this is the perfect time to focus on wellness.

At Tenpenny Integrative Medical Center, we believe prevention is the best medicine. Here are some practical ways to help your whole family stay strong, resilient, and focused this school year.

Create a Healthy Daily Routine

Children thrive on consistency. A predictable bedtime, balanced meals, and regular outdoor play set the tone for better immunity, stronger focus, and calmer moods. Try these small steps:

• Bedtime boundaries: Aim for 9–11 hours of sleep for school-age children and 8–10 hours for teens. Adequate rest allows the body to repair and strengthens immune defenses.

• Power breakfasts: Skip sugary cereals and instead build meals with protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Think scrambled eggs, oatmeal with nuts, or smoothies with greens.

• Screen breaks: Encourage kids to step away from screens after school to give their eyes and brains a reset.

  
  

Build Immune Strength Early

Schools are hotspots for seasonal sniffles. Supporting the immune system before your kids even step foot in the classroom can make a big difference.

• Opti Kids Immune Support – A delicious chewable that combines elderberry, astragalus, zinc, and vitamins A & C for daily immune defense. Perfect for children as young as toddlers through grade school.

• Opti Mune – A daily immune support formula for parents and teachers, designed to help protect against what kids bring home.

• Opti Early Vira Relief – For adults, a targeted blend of nutrients and botanicals that provides immediate immune support during challenges.

💡 Pro tip: Washing hands before meals and after school, changing into clean clothes when kids get home, and encouraging outdoor play all contribute to keeping germs at bay.

Another powerful option is our Sensitivity Reduction Technique (SRT) program. SRT works to rebalance the immune system by addressing underlying allergies and sensitivities that often weaken defenses. By supporting immune resilience, SRT can help kids and adults alike feel healthier throughout the school year.

Support Focus and Learning

Back-to-school means long days of learning, concentration, and sometimes stress. Nutritional support for the brain can help kids and teens stay sharp and engaged.

• Opti Brain Mag – Magnesium support for calm focus, especially helpful for kids who need concentration support during the school day.

• Opti Omega – Rich in essential fatty acids to promote memory, focus, and eye health—critical for screen-heavy study sessions.

• Opti Brain – A unique blend designed to boost mental clarity, memory, and cognitive performance for teens and adults.

💡 Focus tip: Try the “20-20-20 rule” with homework—every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to rest the eyes and reset concentration.

Manage Stress and Sleep

Busy schedules, homework, and new routines can throw off sleep and increase stress levels—especially for teens and college students. Supporting healthy sleep and stress balance is key to keeping them focused and well.

• Opti Stress Support – A comprehensive formula to help ease anxiety and support a healthy stress response, ideal for teens and young adults navigating heavier workloads.

• Opti Natural ZZZ’s – Encourages deeper, more restorative sleep so students can recharge and parents can rest easy, too.

💡 Sleep tip: Encourage students to power down phones and devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime to give the brain time to wind down.

Don’t Forget Daily Wellness

Sometimes, the basics matter most. A strong foundation helps the body handle the stress of the school year.

• Opti Vitamin D3 (liquid) – Simple daily drops that support strong bones and immune health for kids and adults.

💡 Daily tip: A few minutes of morning sunshine helps regulate circadian rhythm, boosts vitamin D naturally, and starts the day on a positive note.

When You Have Questions

As your healthcare provider, we’re here to guide you through what’s best for you and your family. If you’re wondering which supplements or treatments are right for your child—or even for yourself—Nichole Short, NP-C, IBCLC, is here to help. Nichole has a special interest in children’s health and offers gentle, holistic care for little ones. She can help answer your questions and create a personalized plan that supports your family’s wellness all school year long.

Final Thoughts

The back-to-school season doesn’t have to mean back-to-sickness. With the right tools—immune support, focus and stress care, SRT treatments, and expert guidance from our team—your family can stay strong, focused, and energized all year long.

Explore our full range of supplements at www.ShopTenpenny.com or call our office at

440-239-3438 to schedule an appointment with one of our practitioners.