BACK TO SCHOOL, BACK TO THE GERM FACTORY!

August is here and we all know what that means…it’s time for the kiddos to go back to school. As we begin to settle into the new school year, the kids might be bringing home a little something extra along with their homework… the dreaded “back to school plague!” According to CNN, the average elementary school child gets six to eight colds each school year, this is what both, parents and teachers refer to as the “back to school plague”. The source of these colds can be traced back to the classroom, going back to school means children will be in closer contact to each other, and of course, each other’s germs. Not to mention, that according to the Infectious Diseases Society of Americathe more children in the home, the higher the chances are of the whole family coming down with a cold or virus. If you don’t have kids of your own you might be thinking this doesn’t affect you, we beg to differ! Just think of how many people you come into contact with that have kids. If a co-worker’s child falls ill, they might also fall ill and then bring their germs over to the office where you might end up picking them up and getting a cold too! It’s all one big germy chain of events! This is why it’s important to spread the word and make sure everyone is prepared! You might be thinking “oh boy, this all sounds very ominous” but, not to worry! There are lots of ways you can prepare your kids to defend themselves from these classroom colds and Indian River Select Brand®is here to help! So, let’s get to it! Here are some basic tips that may help you in keeping yourself and your kids healthy!

1. Get yourself and your little ones immunized!
It’s always a good idea to make sure the family is all caught up on vaccines before starting off the school year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Preventionvaccinations aid in preventing illness, and may help protect the health of anyone you or your child come into contact with. Check out this linkfor some useful information about immunization.

2. Teach your kids how to properly wash their hands!
It may seem obvious but, doing a good job of washing your hands may make a big difference! The Center for Disease Control and Preventionstates that “keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others”. Most children and even many adults may not be using the correct hand-washing technique. Make sure to teach your kids the following steps for nice and squeaky-clean little hands:
Step 1:Wet hands with warm running water and soap them up.

Step 2:Rub hands together to get a nice soapy lather going, make sure to rub soap onto the back of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

Step 3:Scrub hands for at least a total of 20 seconds (to keep track of time we recommend having your child hum the happy birthday song to themselves twice).

Step 4:Rinse hands well under clean running water.

Step 5:Get hands nice and dry using some paper towels or a hand dryer

3. Make sure the family eats plenty of healthy foods and gets their Vitamin C in!
Help keep your family going strong with a good nutritious diet, plenty of fluids, and vitamins. We can help make your life a little easier with this one! Indian River Select Brand®Orange and Grapefruit juices are a tasty way to help your kids get their recommended daily dose of vitamin C! Staying hydrated and consuming 200 mg or more of vitamin C per day on a consistent basis throughout the year may help boost the immune system. One 8oz serving of Indian River Select®100% orange juice provides more than 90% of your Daily Value of vitamin C and is a good source of potassium and folate(“Preparing for Cold & Flu Season”).

Indian River Select®
Brand Customer Service:
(Toll Free): (888) 373-7426
Fax: (772) 595-9522
GEM Indian River Select, LLC
3586 Oleander Avenue
Fort Pierce, FL 34982