Just the other day I observed a friend’s child pack her lunch for the following day. The little Frito Lay six-pack of cheese-n-crackers, an additional stack of club crackers, a granola bar, a peanut butter sandwich and a handful of strawberries. On the surface it looks pretty normal but if we take a closer look, this lunch is a disaster. The bulk of it consists of processed carbohydrates, sugars, chemical preservatives and no real protein source. The one shining light of this lunch, the strawberries, were not organic and are unfortunately one of the most toxic foods a child could eat.
It’s no secret that our children’s health is suffering. Autism, ADHD, allergies and diabetes are a few among many challenges that today’s parent must contend with. Defaulting to the proverbial, “It’s genetic”, is not an acceptable answer for parents who are seeking solutions.
Solutions? “That sounds great but I’ve tried everything and don’t want my child to suffer.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard some version of that statement while staring into a parent’s desperate eyes.
Frustrated with medicating their children, many parents have taken it upon it upon themselves to introduce better nutrition as a solution. Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free… “WHAT’S LEFT?!!!” “And it’s helped, but it hasn’t really solved the problem.”
Unfortunately, the one size fits all mentality to handling childhood challenges is not an adequate solution for most cases. It’s easy enough for any parent to peruse the internet and find out which foods are good for the brain and which ones might be possible allergens. But every child is different and there isn’t just one cause for any particular symptom.
When parents inquire about their child’s issue, the conversation is almost always the same; a description of symptoms followed by the question. “Do you think it’s a food allergy?” My answer, in turn, usually goes something like this. “The only way to know for sure is to actually test and see.” Oh sure, I see trends relating particular symptoms and underlying causes whether in relation to diet, toxicity or immune challenges. Children with allergies almost always test for compromised liver function. Eczema usually goes hand in hand with immune challenges and we almost always find some kind of toxicity involved with brain related issues.
“But I’ve done everything right from birth. I feed my child healthy organic food and use all natural products like soaps and shampoos. It can’t be that.”
We live in a toxic world. Everyone, including your child is exposed to any number of toxicities on a daily basis. Chlorine in the water, petroleum solvents in soaps and shampoos, pesticides in our foods, heavy cleaning chemicals, food dyes and preservatives, and the list goes on. It’s an unfortunate fact of life. Not only that, but children are exposed to the toxicities of their mother’s body, prenatally.
With so many factors that can potentially compromise your child’s ability to thrive, raising a healthy and happy child can seem like a daunting task. However, the formula is simple. Find and remove any toxicities or food sensitivities; Make sure the body has the exact nutrients it needs to be healthy. Easier said than done, I know. However, positive changes can be taken one step at a time. Your child’s body will appreciate each step you take and respond in the like. I would also encourage you, as parents, to seek the help of a practitioner who can find out with absolute certainty if your child has any specific toxicities and/or food sensitivities that must be handled.
