Healthy Kids, Happy Moms
Page 16
Magnesium and fiber are two critical factors to resolving constipation. Fiber adds substance or bulk to your stool, promoting regular bowel movements. Many children’s fiber supplements contain added sugar, corn oil, and other ingredients I would rather not have your child ingesting. There are many supplements on the market for fiber, but I’d like you to consider increasing your child’s fiber intake through food instead of using a supplement. One to two teaspoons of chia, hemp, or flaxseed mixed into a smoothie or incorporated into the diet daily are a great way to increase fiber.
BENEFITS OF MAGNESIUM
WEEK 7
Start Zinc If Needed
Severe zinc deficiency is rare in developed countries, but even mild to moderate deficiencies can significantly impact the immune system.
Zinc is a trace mineral, which means we only need small amounts for good health. Our bodies do not store zinc. We must consume adequate amounts regularly.
Blood levels checked on standard labs may not always be a good reflection of the true picture of the amount of zinc in the cells. Identifying if your child is eating adequate amounts daily and if he has any of the indicators of a zinc deficiency may be a better barometer. Older infants (seven- to twelve-month range) who are solely breastfed are also at increased risk if they are not eating foods rich in zinc. Formula is fortified, so formula-fed babies should have adequate amounts.
BENEFITS OF ZINC
You can do a two-month trial of zinc if your child has any of the following: picky eating, poor appetite, poor growth, developmental delays, cognitive difficulties, recurrent illnesses (kids who have been on many rounds of antibiotics), loose stools or diarrhea, hair loss, delayed puberty, eye or skin issues such as eczema, or recurrent rashes.11,12,13,14,15
HOW LONG SHOULD YOUR CHILD TAKE THE SUPPLEMENTS?
My goal is for your child to take the foundational supplements consistently for the next three to six months. If your child has been on many rounds of antibiotics or steroids and has been in the cycle of recurrent illnesses for several years, it may take up to a year or more for their systemic inflammation to improve. But you should see small, incremental improvements as you consistently keep up with improved nutrition and the supplements.
SEEKING OUT ADDITIONAL MEDICAL SUPPORT
An Integrative or Functional Medicine Doctor
If your child is still symptomatic after removing gluten and dairy (and possibly any other food you felt your child might be reacting to such as eggs), seek out additional medical support.
It is possible that something else in addition to or other than food may be triggering your child’s inflammation and symptoms. I don’t recommend you remove any further food groups from your child’s diet after removing dairy and gluten (with the exception of eggs and high-histamine foods for kids with eczema) without the guidance of a doctor and registered dietician. When we eliminate major food groups, we start to decrease fiber, fats, proteins, and other nutrients, and we want to make sure your child is getting what he or she needs.
Review the five triggers of inflammation and consider seeking the help of an integrative or conventional medical doctor. We always have to keep in mind that a more serious underlying illness may be contributing to your child’s symptoms. More extensive testing may be warranted. An autoimmune condition such as inflammatory bowel disease, thyroid disease or lupus, or significant gut dysbiosis (small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), mold illness, or some type of underlying genetic abnormality may be present.
My office is open to new patients. You are welcome to reach out and inquire about becoming a patient in our practice.
sheilakilbane.com
Or find a practitioner near you:
Integrative Medical Doctors
Website: The University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine—Find an Integrative Health and Medical Professional
Functional Medicine Doctors
Website: The Institute for Functional Medicine—Find a Practitioner
STEP 7
CREATE THE LONG-TERM FOOD AND SUPPLEMENT ROADMAP FOR YOUR CHILD
REINTRODUCING FOODS
Whether, When, and How to Reintroduce Dairy and Gluten Back Into the Diet
In my experience, it takes at least three to six months, sometimes longer, to improve a child’s leaky gut. Although symptoms often begin improving within the first one to four weeks, the more serious your child’s symptoms were initially, the longer you may need to be diligent with the nutrition and supplements. It can take longer for some children (especially kids with asthma and those who have been on many rounds of antibiotics for ear or sinus infections) to bring their systemic inflammation under control and see significant and long-lasting changes.
If, after three to six months, your child’s symptoms are significantly improved, you may proceed with adding dairy and/or gluten back into the diet. Add them back one at a time, for one week at a time. Be on the lookout for worsening skin rash, rosy cheeks, abdominal pain, abnormal stools (loose or hard), red ring around the anus, trouble sleeping, or an increase in irritability, moodiness, or behavior challenges.
Sometimes it is upon reintroducing the foods that we figure out the child is reacting to it. If you see symptoms worsen, remove that food for another three to six months. For some kids, if the food triggers symptoms each time you reintroduce it, you may need to keep that food out of their diet as a new lifestyle.
Some kids may only have an issue with gluten and not dairy or vice versa, or eggs may be their only problem food. As your child’s health continues to improve, you can continue to reintroduce a food and watch for reactions.
Once you figure out the nutrition that works best for your child (which foods they need to continue avoiding and which healthy foods they can eat), follow the Food Roadmap.
If your child’s symptoms improve dramatically upon removal of gluten and/or dairy, I would strongly recommend you consider remaining off the foods your child reacted to as a lifestyle. If it has been difficult for your family to maintain the dairy- and/or gluten-free status, you can reintroduce the food groups one at a time, for one week at a time, as described above and see how they do.
We can usually get to a point where the kids can enjoy the food intermittently, without having a big flare of the symptoms they had when you started the program. Most kids eat far too much dairy and gluten regularly. If you can keep your child’s consumption down to only occasionally and in small amounts, such as birthday parties or special occasions, that is ideal.
THE FOOD ROADMAP
CUMULATIVE INFLAMMATION ROADMAP
Life and Inflammation Happen
Throughout the year, there may be times where your child’s symptoms return.
Food - A grandparent is aging and needs extra care, so your family started eating more processed, fast foods than normal.
Environmental allergies - Spring or fall allergy season arrive, or you get a cat and realize your child is allergic to the cat.
Environmental toxins - You had an appliance leak and didn’t know it and now you have mold growth in your home.
Infectious Disease - Your child gets sick with a bad cold, the flu, or strep throat.
Stress - Your child gets bullied at school, or parents separate, or a family member passes away.
Getting Back on Track
Food - The family starts cooking again together at home.
Environmental allergies - Wintertime comes, and the cold weather brings a reprieve from fall allergies.
Environmental toxins - Mold remediation was a success and your family is no longer being exposed to those mold mycotoxins.
Infectious Disease - Summertime is here, and far fewer viruses are circulating.
Stress - Your child is no longer being bullied, the family has adjusted to parents being divorced, or the family has moved through the most significant stages of grief after losing a loved one.
SUPPLEMENT ROADMAP
BEING PROACTIVE FOR COLD AND FLU SEASON
IMMUNE SUPPORT FOR COLD AND FLU SEASON
On my website, you can access information about additional immune supportive supplements for cold and flu season.
sheilakilbane.com/home
What we know about the body’s ability to withstand viruses and bacteria is that the better off we are from a nutritional and gut health standpoint, the more likely we are to avoid a serious course of illness, whether it’s the common cold, the flu virus, or gastroenteritis (diarrhea and vomiting). Nutrition and supplements have not been shown to be treatments for these illnesses, but well-nourished children have time and time again shown to be less prone to recurrent illnesses.16,17,18
This goes back to the case I shared in the introduction. My young patient Hasan who had autism. He was on a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet, along with the foundational supplements. When the flu moved rapidly through his household, he was the only one who did not get sick. Yes, this is just one case scenario, but I have seen this play out hundreds of times with my patients. Once we give the immune system what it needs to do its job, it works great. I encourage you not to continuously say out loud, Johnny has a weak immune system, but rather, Johnny has a strong immune system because we are now giving him the food and supplements that are right for his body.
ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM
Great Daily Practices
Great Daily Practices (GDPs) to start (or continue if you are already doing them):
Drink Plenty of Water.
5 to 8 years 5 glasses (1 liter)
9 to 12 years 7 glasses (1½ liters)
13 years+ 8 to 10 glasses (2 liters)
Get Outside Every Day, Walk in the Woods, and Go Barefoot When You Can! If possible, run around barefoot for fifteen to thirty minutes. There is a large body of research on the positive effects of being outside barefoot. It triggers the relaxation side of our nervous system (the parasympathetic nervous system).
Refer to the blog on my website for
the health benefits of being barefoot.
Get Adequate Sun Exposure. Fifteen to thirty minutes without sunscreen but without burning. Our body synthesizes vitamin D through the skin.
Play in the Dirt. A great way to reinoculate your child’s gut bacteria is to have her play in the dirt! My friend Maya Shetreat, MD, wrote a book called The Dirt Cure, which outlines the many reasons getting back to nature is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and our children.
Minimize Screen Time. Ideally, this would be less than one hour per day, and if possible, unplug the TV during the school week.
Breathe Deeply. Sit and breathe deeply with your child for two minutes once a day. Actually, sit down and set a timer, and just inhale and exhale. You can look up my YouTube video, Alternate nasal breathing in children for more focus and for calming, where I teach kids how to do alternate nasal breathing.
Gratitude Journal. Write down three things every morning and every evening for which you are grateful. How fun would this be if you and your child did this together each evening or each morning? Please give yourself some kudos about what an incredible parent you are. Write down what makes you uniquely qualified to be the parent you are to your child. Please keep up the positive self-talk for yourself so you can model that for your child. We must drown out the all-too-familiar negative voice that many of us have in our heads! Consider getting a copy of The Five-Minute Journal to jump-start your new habit.
Set Your Daily Intention and Your State of Being. I have developed a system for my mornings. At the suggestion of my friend Kristen Oliver, author of The Connected Parent, I first choose how I will feel each day (getting into the flow state or state of gratitude), and then I write down three things I am grateful for and the top three things I want to accomplish that day. Kristen, as well as many holy books, suggests that our emotional state is the most important thing. Circumstances around us will always fluctuate. Someone or something in our lives will always fail to live up to our expectations. If we can choose our state, it allows us to remove the expectations we place on others (especially our children and significant others) and liberates them from having to live up to these expectations. The more we can get into the flow state, the more often we will be the drivers of our emotions. There are many ways to get into this state, and it does not have to take a long time. A few minutes each morning is better than not at all! The flow state might be entered through a few minutes of silence or deep breathing, prayer, reading a holy book, reading inspirational quotes, meditation, yoga, rigorous physical activity, or even walking slowly outside.
Switch to More Natural Hair and Body Care Products. Many beauty products (soaps, shampoos, lotions, makeup, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant) have harmful ingredients (parabens and phthalates plus many others). Please look up what you are using on the website of the Environmental Working Group (EWG Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database) and start switching to more natural products. Also avoid products with artificial dyes.
Switch to More Natural Cleaning Products. Many cleaning products have powerful and harmful ingredients. Consider switching to vinegar and water to clean hardwood floors and windows, and baking soda and water to clean sinks, toilets, and bathtubs.
SECTION III
the recipes
smoothies and cashew milk
GETTING STARTED WITH SMOOTHIES
Smoothies give us the perfect kickstart to this process of restoring health. Even if you are not going to remove dairy 100 percent from your child’s diet, I would still recommend removing it from breakfast if possible. Smoothies are a great way to do this.
I can hear you thinking right now, “My child is not going to drink a green smoothie!” Continue reading for some tips and tricks to get your child interested in smoothies.
SIMPLE SMOOTHIE TIPS
Let’s take a step back and talk about how you might approach this with your not-so-eager child. Part of the fun of this program is being in the kitchen with your child. It may take some creative mixing to find a nutrient-dense smoothie with the taste and texture that he will drink.
What if you make this a great kitchen and food adventure with your child? What would get him interested? Is it color, concoction, different flavors, or her participation as mom and dad prepare meals? Play with this to see what excites your child.
LIQUID FOR SMOOTHIES
The liquid base of these smoothies should ideally be water. If you can, try not to use commercial juice products or cow’s milk yogurt because of the sugar. Juices bought in the store, even if they are organic, are predominantly sugar. Freshly extracted vegetable juices are an entirely different ball game and are extremely healthful.
Unsweetened non-dairy milk or non-dairy yogurts are another option if your child and family are craving a creamier smoothie. However, the sweetened non-dairy milks and yogurts may contain a significant amount of sugar, so my first preference will always be water.
PICKY EATERS
The best place to begin for a picky eater is with a slightly heavy fruit mixture that is quite sweet. Kids, as you know, tend to like things that are sweet. My friend Haynes calls this the beginner smoothie and I love that!
The typical American child’s taste buds are constantly bathed in sugar, affecting their taste preferences. Once we begin giving their bodies more of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients they need in order for their cells to work properly, their taste buds often begin to shift, and their palate often naturally expands.
Over time, decrease the fruit content while increasing the vegetable content. Literally, you can add in one, two, and three leaves of lettuce, bok choy, or microgreens at a time. If your child is particular about the color of the smoothie, put it in an opaque cup with an opaque straw so they cannot see the color!
If your child will not drink a smoothie at first, let’s see if we can
get her to eat something with protein and fat in the morning instead of simple carbs and sugar (a waffle with syrup or cereal and cow’s milk). Since everyone, even picky eaters, seems to like bacon, I’d rather she eat organic bacon for breakfast and maybe eventually a small smoothie, instead of cereal and milk.
SMOOTHIE BLENDING TIPS
Fresh greens. Blend more smoothly than frozen greens, but just use whatever you have on hand. It’s also best to mix greens with your liquid first and then add the rest of the ingredients.
If your child has a robust GI system, meaning they have at least one formed bowel movement per day and rarely complain of stomachaches or bloating, you may use raw spinach, kale, dandelion greens, or any other dark green leafy vegetable for your smoothies. If your child has constipation or loose stools, bloating, or regular abdominal pain, start with lettuce, microgreens, or bok choy. They will be easier to digest at first. Once the stool becomes daily and easy and the abdominal pain has resolved, then you can start rotating in those other darker leafy greens which are full of vitamin K and folate.
Chia seeds. Consider soaking them for ten to fifteen minutes in three to four tablespoons of water before adding them to your smoothie. This makes them gelatinous, and they will mix better this way.
Coconut oil. It’s liquid at room temperature, and at cooler temperatures, it is solid. If you add coconut oil to frozen fruit, it will become quite hard. If I am using any frozen fruit in my smoothies, I usually blend everything first and then add the coconut oil. This keeps it smoother and it blends better with the other ingredients. Remember, a small amount goes a long way. I would keep it to half a teaspoon or less.