Exercise = Neurological Development

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Don’t forget to get the kids outside even in the winter.  We often think of the cold as an excuse to stay inside, however kids need exercise and physical exertion year round.  Studies actually show that exercise is extremely beneficial to the developing brain, also if you live far enough south your body will still be able to produce vitamin D from sun exposure as well.  Bundle them up and get outside.

Parents are making too many excuses for their kids and themselves.  They are afraid their kids will get sick from playing in the cold and they might not feel like going outside themselves.  Your child won’t get sick if properly dressed and it would do you good to get some exercise too.  We’re just talking about 30 minutes to an hour of outside activity. Don’t over bundle in cold weather either as the sweat they would produce may cool their bodies down too much.

Don’t just send the kids out to run laps either.  Kids, and adults for that matter, aren’t meant to run like rats on a treadmill.  Our bodies don’t respond favorably to that type of exercise.  The monkey bars and play yards are a perfect place to get the exercise they need.  The climbing and hanging and crawling all build agility, strength, and coordination.  Try not to help them too much with the difficult parts, at the same time shadowing them on the more dangerous areas.  They will surprise you if you just make them stick certain things out.  Also, hide and seek is a great game to play, because our bodies are designed for quick short bursts of movement followed by periods of rest and recuperation.  Don’t wait for cabin fever before you decide to get outside.

What Causes Crooked Teeth In Kids?

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Today’s inspiration came courtesy of The Healthy Home Economist.  Thanks Sarah!  This is something I’ve known for quite sometime.  Most of what causes narrow palate, weak jaw formation, and consequently crooked teeth has to do with diet.  While some scientists hypothesize that developing a strong jaw is attributed to chewing tough foods, the evidence for the theory is scant.

Most primitive cultures who eat traditional and nutritious foods are known to have  straight teeth and strong wide jaws.  Supposedly most palate formation happens before the age of 6 months, so that would mean how mom eats while baby is in the womb will affect jaw formation and teeth alignment.

1.  Since it all starts with you, make sure your diet is sound before becoming pregnant.  Stick to eating mainly meats, fruits, and vegetables and you’re halfway there.  Make sure to include nutritionally dense foods in your diet such as; organ meats, egg yolks, fish eggs, raw milk and cheese, fermented cod liver oil, and homemade broths and stocks.

2.  Breast feed your baby for a minimum of one year or longer if possible.  This is so important for many reasons.  When you’re done breast feeding switch over to raw goat’s milk as long as your baby is over 1 year of age.

3.  When introducing new foods to your baby docs usually tell you to start with grains.  Babies don’t quite have the capacity to fully digest grains until they’re 1 or 2.  Around 6 to 9 months slowly introduce different fruits and meats.  Bananas, avocados, beef, and raw egg yolks or at the very least soft boiled egg yolks are a good start (skip the egg whites).  Mixing in a bit of liver with egg yolks or mashed potatoes makes for a nutrient dense baby food.

ADHD – Gluten Intolerance Link

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I found an informative article, from a trusted source, that follows up my post “ADHD meds approved for 4 year olds“.  After reading this article don’t jump to any conclusions. Measured responses with careful planning and outside support are necessary when dealing with issues such as these.

Infant Acid Reflux (GERD) Is Trending Upwards

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Whether it’s because of a desire for the medical industry to medicate or the poor quality of baby formulas on the market, acid reflux among infants seems to be trending upward. Doctors are being pushed to prescribe an adult medication for infants!  Doctors are putting babies on something call proton pump inhibitors (PPI).  These drugs suppress the production of stomach acid your body produces.  You will probably hear me say this ad infinitum; the long term effects of this practice are unknown.  The long term effects in adult usage of PPIs are mineral deficiencies and heart problems just to name two.  Your stomach acid helps to assimilate nutrients from the food you eat, important for everyone especially those with a developing brain and body.  Stomach acid also helps prevent and fight infection.  Do you think it is wise to disturb a babies ability to fight infection?  The pharmaceutical companies have once again duped some young naive pediatricians.

What remedy do I suggest?  I don’t know that there is an effective medicine your baby can take, but the following is a list of things you can do.

1.  Breast feed at all costs.  I’ve yet to meet a baby, who is otherwise healthy and breast fed, that has GERD issues.  This is one of the most important things you’ll ever do for the health of your child.  To all expectant and future expecting mothers, who haven’t breast fed before, seek out specialists or others knowledgeable on breast feeding.  Ask your friends, mothers, grandmothers, anyone who has successfully breast fed for help.  Make sure wherever you decide to deliver has lactation specialists staffed 7 days a week.  Don’t rely on your doctors for help here.  Most fall well short in this area.  If your doctor says that it is impossible for you to breast feed, seek a 2nd and 3rd opinion if necessary from a lactation specialist or another doctor.  I can’t possibly cover all of the issues here, so please talk to a lactation specialist well before delivery.

2.  If you’ve received 2nd and 3rd opinions from doctors and lactation specialists and you are still unable to breast feed, consider U.S. human milk banks.  I know it may sound odd, but it is commonly available in European countries and was once common in the U.S. as well.  The milk banks in the U.S. follow strict health and safety guidelines and are available only by prescription.  There aren’t many in the U.S., but you can check here to see if there’s one near you.

3.  There are many recipes for making your own baby formula, depending on the recipe, that are much better nutritionally than commercial formula.  Nourishing Traditions is a highly informative cookbook that has 2 baby formula recipes, information on infant nutrition, and nutrition for lactating moms.  The author approaches nutrition from a traditional standpoint.  Click into the link above and check out the reviews.  It has many great adult and kid traditional whole food recipes too.  I’m sure there are many other sites with recipes for making your own formula.

If you are still having issues, seek out a pediatrician, holistic or not, who has successfully addressed infant acid reflux without the use of medication.  Ask your doctor about giving your child infant probiotics.  If your doctor isn’t open to any of these ideas, then it might be time to find another pediatrician.  Don’t settle for your baby taking this medication.  In worst case scenarios infants usually “grow out” of the condition at 6 months.

 

ADHD Drug Approved for 4 Year Olds! Natural Approach Suggestions

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The FDA has approved an ADHD drug for preschoolers called Dexedrine, also known as dextroamphetamine.  I was shocked when I heard this news.  I knew the DSM guidelines were becoming more focused on pharmaceutical treatments, but this has crossed the line!  ADHD drugs are known for the following side effects; loss of appetite, insomnia, stomach upset or headaches, dizziness, irritability, and depression.  Do not take any of these lightly, especially depression.  The studies done on Dexedrine show a 4 in 1000 chance of suicidal tendencies as well.  Imagine a 4 year old with suicidal tendencies.  This is what makes me so mad!  Don’t forget, long term effects of these drugs, especially their effects on developing central nervous systems, are completely unknown.  The children on the meds are guinea pigs.   Also, like many other medications Dexedrine only masks symptoms.  They do not even get to the root cause of this “disorder”.  The mechanisms by which this disorder manifests still escape doctors and scientists to this day.  I can’t tell you the mechanisms either, but I can sure tell you what is setting the chain in motion.  It’s diet!

Recently, I listened to an NPR interview with professors and medical professionals talking about ADHD.  It took all the way to the 40 minute mark, of this one hour interview, for any of them to mention diet as a probable cause.  They said there was anecdotal evidence that diet played a role.  Just anecdotal evidence?  I immediately started dialing up the show as I had many questions I wanted them to answer.  Why don’t you humor the audience and elucidate some of these anecdotal accounts?  Why aren’t you talking about the actual empirical data that show nutrition has a causal relationship to ADHD?  And if your excuse is there arent‘ many studies, then why isn’t there more inquisition especially if there is all of this ancedotal evidence?  I couldn’t get through.  The phone lines were jammed.  Then the calls started pouring in, one after another, almost all with anecdotes about natural and nutritional ways they’ve helped their ADHD diagnosed children!  I had a big smile across my face.  You see researchers aren’t concerned with nutrition.  It’s only the drug that will make money.  Nobody is going to fund their nutrition based studies.  The interviewees did at least admit that ADHD is overdiagnosed, and that things like sleep quality play a role in the intensity of symptoms, and that behavioral therapy isn’t widely available, and that ADHD medications do show side effects of depression, suicidal tendencies, and self mutalation.

Here are some suggestions if you think your child might be exhibiting signs of ADHD:

1.  Don’t jump to any conclusions just because your child has a bad day or week even.  Their little bodies and minds experience changes to which we cannot relate.  These stressors are often the culprits of most behavioral issues.

2.  Find a sympathetic doctor who is known for his or her non-medical treatment of this “disorder”.  You might have to seek out a holistic pediatrician.

3.  Make changes to their diet.  Cut consumption of sugar, chemicals, and processed food down to a bare minimum.  No food dyes, no MSG in any form, no sugar substitutes used in sugar free foods, no additives, etc..  It takes time to learn, start now.  Check out my whole food recipe section, which I am continuously building.  Buy organic.

4.  Supplement with essential fatty acids like omega 3 fish oils.

5.  Supplement with an all natural vitamin B COMPLEX.  Add more grass fed meats and seafood into their diets.  B3 and B6 supplementation are shown in actual studies to have significant improvements on ADD and ADHD conditions.  IF YOU ARE GOING TO SUPPLEMENT USE AN ALL NATURAL FORM OF VITAMINA B OR AT THE VERY LEAST A B COMPLEX VITAMIN.  Overdoing one component of a vitamin can induce a deficiency in another component.  Overuse of B6, when there is no known deficiency, can cause a folic acid deficiency, which can have major implications.  Have your child’s blood levels checked by a doctor first and then get the doctor’s recomendations regarding dosage.  A shotgun approach can have negative consequences.

6.  Get outside for exercise every day.  Enroll them in sports.  A few people who called in to the radio show interview attested that sports helped turn their kids around behaviorally.

7.  Make sure your child is getting enough sleep.  If sleep quality is the issue consider food allergies as a possible culprit.  Food allergies are known to cause mood and sleep disturbances.  Make sure to test for both type 1 and type 2 allergies.   You can also try an elimination diet to check for major food allergies like wheat, pastuerized milk, soy, etc..  Just write in and I can give you tips on how to go about it

8.  Gettng sunlight without sunscreen is very important for hormone levels and vitamin D synthesis.  At least 30 minutes on sunny days. Supplement with a good vitamin D3 or cod liver oil in the winter.  Greenpastures.org has kid friendly cod liver oils.  I only recommend this company as their cod liver oil is unprocessed and of the highest quality.  It does take getting use to.

9.  Doubly consider discontinuing vaccinations

These medicines are so attractive, because they can produce amazing results in a child’s ability to focus and comprehend.  These results are not normal, however, and come at price.  The short term price isn’t pretty and we don’t even know what the long term price is.  Your doctor might tell you things like “You don’t want your child to fall behind do you?”.  He or she might tell you that ADHD is genetic, that your child needs this medication, and that other non-pharmaceutical methods are ineffective.  Sure there is a genetic component.  Some kids are more predisposed to this “disorder”.  However, whether or not these genetic components manifest is highly related to diet and environmental toxins.  It is your choice.  I just don’t want you to fall into any medical traps and to know that you actually have a choice.

 

Tips For Halloween Candy “Goblin” Monsters

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I love halloween and this time of year.  I don’t think it’s a big deal to let kids transgress to the “diet dark side” for one day. However, kids can rake in enough candy to keep them “goblin” for weeks.  As a child, I had a neighborhood friend who could get enough candy to last him through the new year! I’ve seen families driving their kids around with the door removed off of their vans just so their kids can hit as many houses as possible.

With that being said here are a few tips to keep the candy monsters in check…

TIP #1 – Hoof it.  The walking is good exercise and this will limit their score.

TIP #2 – When sorting through the candy throw away anything questionable and the worst offenders.  For the really young ones halloween shouldn’t last more than one night.  3 year olds don’t need gobstoppers and fireballs. Definitely throw away all sugar free stuff or anything made with sugar substitutes.  If this sounds odd, I can assure you this is way worse than the real stuff.  Also, teach them to share their candy with you and their brothers and sisters.

TIP #3 –  For the 5 and up age group create a barter system.  They can trade their candy in for money… a tootsie roll could be worth 5 cents and 2 bite size snickers a quarter. They can trade in a certain amount of candy for a movie night, or tv time, or a trip to the toy store, etc..

Take the older kids to a haunted house instead of trick or treating.  Start a trend in your neighborhood by passing out healthier, but still desirable treats like raisins, sunflower seeds, nuts, honey sticks, apples sauce cups, little bags of pretzels, stickers, pencils, temporary tattoos, etc..

For many reasons, make sure your kids eat a good meal before they go out trick or treating or anytime they have dessert or candy.  If they only brush their teeth once a year make sure it’s on halloween night.  Candy isn’t made like it used to be.  This junk is more trick than treat compared to the junk we had as kids.  With the trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors, sugar substitutes, and all the carcinogenic preservatives like BHT and EDTA this candy is probably closer to poison than candy.  Don’t sweat it if they over consume candy for one night, just mediate somehow to make sure the “goblin” good times don’t last.

Obesity Is Defining Our Kid’s Generation!

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I read this headline today; “The CDC says that about 10% of 2 to 4 year olds and 20% of 6-11 year olds are obese.”  I don’t like to quote statistics, because they can be manipulated.  However, you need only open your eyes to know we have a serious problem on our hands.  What you can’t see, however, is the litany of health and behavioral problems connected to diet and obesity.  Diabetes, ADD, cancers, heart disease are defining our children’s generation!  We want them to be healthy and free and have the ability, both physically and mentally, to achieve anything they desire. Reducing processed foods is one of the most effective ways to health, physical, and mental prowess.  Start today.  Just try for one day to do without processed foods.  It might be extremely difficult for some at first, but it gets easier with each effort!

 

Protect Your Family From Cancer

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In light of Steve Jobs’ passing I thought I would give my suggestions for cancer prevention. The American Cancer Society allocates almost none of it’s billions in donations to cancer prevention.  Hmmm?  So, it is up to independent studies to find solutions.

1.  Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins.  Use natural cleaning products or make your own.  It’s very simple and I will have cleaning formulas/recipes up on the website in a few weeks.  Use cosmetics, sunscreens, or anything topical that are made of all natural ingredients.  Try and keep your diet as organic and unprocessed as possible.  Don’t use pesticides and herbicides.

2.  Get enough vitamin D.  Sunlight is a free way to help your body synthesize vitamin D.  The following quote was taken from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  “Numerous epidemiologic studies suggest that exposure to sunlight, which enhances the production of vitamin D3 in the skin, is important in preventing many chronic diseases. Because very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, sunlight supplies most of our vitamin D requirement.”  Read the full article here.  http://www.ajcn.org/content/79/3/362.full.pdf+html?sid=02983741-2dad-4041-a7a8-ffb3c3879692  There is new research that shows Vitamin D is able to cut cancer risks by 77%.  The study was done on post-menopausal women and the reduction was seen in breast cancer, colon cancer, and other cancers including skin cancer!  My gut tells me that studies of men, women, and children would confer similar benefits.

*Don’t wear sunscreen unless you are sure you will burn.  Use an all natural sunscreen (caribbean-sol.com) and only use it on areas where you are likely to burn, such as your nose, ears, and shoulders.  Sunscreen blocks UVB and therefore your ability to make Vitamin D through sunlight!

*Your bodies ability to make vitamin D from sunlight, in the winter, is affected by your geography.  If you live too far north, above the 37th parallel, you cannot make vitamin D from sunlight during the winter months, because of the angle of the sun.  You can just google or ixquick your city and “latitude longitude” and your coordinates come up.  If you live above the 37th parallel or don’t get much sun exposure I would suggest supplementing with vitamin D3 during the winter months.

*People with darker skin will have a harder time producing vitamin D from sunlight and therefore need more sunlight.

3.  Consume antioxidant rich foods.  It is also important to have a well rounded diet nutritionally speaking.  You need a full complement of minerals in order for your body to assimilate vitamins including vitamin D.  So, make sure your are eating good quality eggs, grass fed meats, and fish too.  You absolutely can get minerals from fruits and vegetables, but animal products are a much better source.

4.  Consume, but don’t go crazy with anti-cancer foods.  The reason I say don’t go crazy is, because everyone has different ideas of what they think are anti-cancer foods.  I will tell you that there is good research behind green tea and selenium and their anti-carcinogenic properties.  From my readings I’m also confident that they will find similar results from probiotics.

5.  Limit your exposure to radiation.  Radiation exposure has a cumulative effect.  In your body those effects build up over time and is definitely a cause of the rise in cancer incidences over the last 100 years.  Routine dental x-rays are totally unnecessary no matter what your dentist says.  Unfortunately most conventional dentists will refuse to take you on as a patient if you don’t get x-rays.  Find another dentist.  Go to a holistic dentist.  There are too many sources of radiation to go into detail about each one.  However, when it comes to cell phones, use your speakerphone or and earpiece to talk.  Also, if you live in an area known for high radon levels, test the house before you buy.

Something you’ve probably never heard of before is the Presidential Cancer Panel.  I know doctors who have never heard of this before.  All of the information I’ve given you plus more is covered in their 2008-9 annual report. http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualReports/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf If you have a high familial rate of cancer I suggest you check the report out.  At the very least look at the suggestions and recommendations section.  There recommendations differ from mine about sunlight exposure.  Newer science is disproving their findings on the sun and its link to skin cancer all the time.  Please write in any comments or questions.  I will try to answer what I can.

 

 

Flu Shots Are Ineffective

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Flu shot season is here!  Flu shots are given from September to January every year and the most common time for the flu is February and March.  Flu shots are given at drugstores, schools and universities, workplaces, doctor’s offices, and supposedly there are even flu shot parties where a nurse will come to your house and inocculate everyone at the party.  They’re even coming up with a do it your self shot?!  In a lot of cases you can get the shot for free.  It’s not worth it!

The biggest knock against the flu shot is that it is ineffective.  Scientists literally have to guess as to what strains of flu will be prevalent in an up coming flu season.  Antigen from several strains of flu are used in the formulation of the vaccine since they are using limited data to guess.  Even if they do guess well, it doesn’t protect you if you get a different strain and it doesn’t protect you if the virus of a specific strain mutates significantly.  Studies done on flu vaccines show only slight benefits from taking the flu shot and those are the studies backed by Big Pharma.  Independent studies consistently show no benefit at all.  Even if it is slightly successful, it comes with a litany of side effects and adverse reactions that don’t happen with the normal occurrence of the flu.  Don’t take it from me, read the insert.

New Jersey and other states are mandating flu shots for preschoolers and health care workers.  Ask yourself; If the data was so convincing why would they use coercive tactics to vaccinate people?  Do not be fooled! Your kids don’t have to be vaccinated.  It’s not the law, except in West Virginia and Mississippi.  Go get an exemption from your county health department.  It’s your choice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lo_GKkpXzY      –  Dr. Oz says his kids won’t get vaccinated (Just after 5 minute mark).  

The latest news has the CDC advocating a flu shot for pregnant women, when on the insert it says they don’t know the effect the vaccine has on fetuses.  The CDC doesn’t recommend the flu shot for infants under 6 months, but they say it’s okay to inoculate pregnant women and expose the fetus.  Talk about crazy logic.  Pharmaceutical companies don’t do double blind studies on this stuff.  You are the guinea pigs!  2010’s flu shot season in Australia started off horrifically.  Kids getting flu shots were suffering febrile seizures at 10 times the normal rate.  Just the fact that the flu shot has a normal rate of febrile seizures is scary in itself.

Hygiene plays a modest role in your chances of infection and the health of your immune system will determine how your body handles influenza.  You’re likely to become infected through indirect contact not airborne transmission.  An example would be if a sick person coughs in his hands and touches a door handle and then you touch that handle and afterwards wipe your nose, touch your eye. or eat .  It’s unavoidable.  Everyone will get the flu in their life time.  Some alternative physicians even say that these sort of illnesses are beneficial and a “cleaning of house” by your body’s immune system.  The key is to make sure your immune system is strong.

Don’t forget antibiotics are useless against the flu or any other virus for that matter and there indiscriminate use can spell many problems in terms of your health and the effectiveness of your future antibiotic use.  Antibiotics are only for bacteria not viruses!

Bottom line, the flu shot is worthless at best.  Keep your hands clean and keep immune system in shape.

1.  Take an all natural vitamin C, not ascorbic acid like most vitamin C. 

2.  Take a quality probiotic supplement.

3.  Get as much sun as you can without sunblock and fresh air during the fall, winter, and spring.

4.  Open up the windows in the house often to let in fresh air. 

5.  Limit junk food and sugar.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lo_GKkpXzY      –  Dr. Oz says his kids won’t get vaccinated (Just after 5 minute mark).   

7 Tips To Help Your Kids Fight Junk Food Cravings

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Give kids little to no dessert or junk food for as long as possible.  Before the age of one, kids don’t even know what they’re missing.  I think the first time our son had dessert was at his one year birthday party.  At around 2 years old it becomes a little harder as kids become more aware of their surroundings.  Some of you are saying, “Wait a minute, I don’t want my kids ever eating junk food!”  I don’t want my son eating junk food either, but he has two eyes, a brain, and a mouth.  Birthday parties can be junk food nightmares!  I’m not saying you should encourage eating junk food.  As a matter of fact…

TIP #1 Never keep junk food or processed desserts in the house.  It’s out of sight, out of mind when at home.

TIP # 2:  Make desserts from scratch using natural ingredients.  Ingredients in conventionally processed desserts are chemically more habit forming than naturally sweet ingredients, so even allowing processed desserts once a week can keep that habit going.  Let it slide at birthday parties though.  Don’t make a big deal of it and it won’t become a big deal to them.  Oh yeah, feed them before they go to birthday parties.

TIP #3:  Establish rules that allow desserts only under certain conditions.  No desserts too close (90 minutes) to bed time or first thing in the morning.  Only allow sweets after a meal, this way the sugar is released more slowly into the blood stream.  Eating sweets alone, or any refined carbohydrates for that matter, can over time put undue stress on your organs, particularly the pancreas.  “You can only have dessert if you eat all of your dinner.”  Sometimes there is wisdom behind customary ways.  Sometimes not.  No matter how healthy the dessert limit desserts to twice a week.  Also, never reward with desserts.  (I have broken that rule.  Whoops!)  Use stickers, money, playtime, and almost anything else as a reward but not dessert.

TIP #4:  Supplementing with fish oil and making sure a child has adequate healthy fat in their diet will help with sugar cravings.  A low fat diet can lead to insulin resistance.

TIP #5:  Eating nutritious foods will help with sugar cravings.  There is a theory that our bodies, when nutritionally deprived, have a greater tendency for unhealthy cravings and that euphoric state that junk food gives us.  Adults, this goes for drinking alcohol excessively and smoking.  So, if you’re trying to kick any of these habits or not start them in the first place, start off with a healthy diet and nutritional supplementation.

TIP #6:  Please get them off the juice!  Water, fresh vegetable and fruit juices made with a juicer, and farm fresh milk (I will talk about raw milk in one of my upcoming posts) should comprise the majority of what your children drink.  Physiologically our bodies crave water when we’re thirsty.  If you give your child juice boxes when they’re thirsty you’re creating an association for them… juice box = quenching thirst.  Their bodies are really just craving the water that’s in the juice box.  Keep them hydrated with normal stuff and the juice box beast will be much easier to slay.

TIP #7:  Raise their serotonin levels naturally.  Getting adequate sleep, moderate sun exposure without sunscreen or sunglasses, adequate fat in the diet, and allowing for a moderate amount of healthy carbs like beans, brown rice, vegetables, and oatmeal all help with serotonin production.  Keep the processed carbs to a minimum.

Your kids will encounter junk food outside the home, so you must help them learn to make healthy choices on their own.  By nature kids are very curious beings.  If you restrict your child’s sweet intake to nothing at some point he or she will sneak it and develop unhealthy associations with junk food later in life.

Start the healthy habit of eating real foods when they’re young.  You can help create their palate to a certain extent.  Junk food can ruin a child’s palate for other foods and I suspect real food can ruin their palate for junk food.  When kids aren’t used to the sweetness of desserts a piece of fruit is sweet to them.

Getting kids to eat well can be a battle sometimes.  Mom, dad, grandparents, daycare/school, and anyone else in your kids’ lives need to be on the same page.  No Gestapo tactics are necessary, just healthy eating habits, a little creativity in the kitchen, and reinforcement from family.  All kids, especially the little ones, go through periods of extreme finickiness.  It’s up to you not to stress yourself out over mealtime.  It won’t always be perfect or pretty, but you know the importance of good nutrition and you won’t ever give up!