Advice for Dr. Mom: Guts and Gross Stuff – Teaching Kids How Their Digestive System Works
The digestive system is the system in the body that is responsible for the breakdown of food, absorption of nutrients from food, and the elimination of the waste and water the body does not need.
It’s made up of important organs, parts and chemicals, which all work together to do these things. One might compare the digestive system to a hose that is 25 to 35 feet long. This would be measuring from the mouth to the end of the large intestine, and taking into consideration that most of the hose is neatly coiled up in your abdomen.
The digestive system’s main job is to turn foods we eat into tiny particles that the body can absorb and use for energy, maintenance, growth and repair. It also keeps bacteria or foreign bugs from entering the bloodstream. The stomach and its hydrochloric acid are designed to kill any unwanted visitors.
The digestive process begins in the mouth with teeth chewing food. Saliva, produced by the salivary glands in the mouth, also helps break down food, making it easier to swallow. Once the food is broken down, it is called a bolus. Chewing food is extremely important because it stimulates the brain to tell the stomach that stuff is on the way.
The stomach then gets prepared by producing hydrochloric acid to break the bolus down even more and kill any foreign bugs. The bolus travels to the back of the mouth with the help of a powerful muscle: the tongue where the uvula, or that flap that hangs down at the back of your mouth, helps direct the bolus down the esophagus.
The epiglottis is a sort of valve that makes sure that the bolus goes down the esophagus and not the trachea, or windpipe. The esophagus is approximately 10 inches long and the bolus takes about 6 seconds to get down it and into the stomach.
Digestion continues in the stomach and the small intestine with the help of the pancreas, liver and gallbladder. The pancreas produces digestive juices and the liver produces bile, which both aid in further food breakdown. The gallbladder stores bile until it is needed in the stomach.
Absorption occurs after the bolus is completely broken down into nutrients. The nutrients will now travel through the lining of the small intestine and into the bloodstream to the liver. The liver stores the nutrients until the body needs them.
Finally, elimination, or pooping, occurs after all the necessary nutrients have been absorbed and only waste is left in the large intestine. Any excess water goes to the kidneys and leaves via the bladder, as urine.
The digestive system is so important to your health. If you take care to eat healthy foods and drink lots of water, and remember to eat slowly and chew your food very well, you are doing your part to help your digestive system do the best job it can, which in turn helps you stay healthy!
Visit Dr. Heather, ND and Human Body Detectives series for kids, to learn more about Dr. Heather and her mission to have families be more proactive and healthy in their lives. You can also join the conversation on Twitter @drheathernd and HBD on Facebook.
Advice for Dr. Mom: School Stress – How to Help Your Child Manage Stressful Times
Being in school is stressful. Kids’ brains are constantly on alert to take on new challenges – from the simple school stuff, like learning how to read to the more complicated issues around dealing with peers and navigating the delicate social issues.
Stress is a part of everyday life for everyone and to learn how to handle it and react to stress can have a profound difference on our everyday health, especially with our immune system. We can help our children by showing them positive ways to deal with stresses by guiding them towards a healthier diet and lifestyle habits.
The Physiology of Stress
To have a clearer understanding of stress in the body, let’s discuss the physiology of stress. The big stress hormone we hear about is cortisol. We need this amazing hormone to function everyday in response to stress and anxiety.
It all begins in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus that will sense a need for cortisol. The hypothalamus will then send a message to the pituitary gland to inform the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) to release cortisol. The majority of cortisol is released in the early mornings – and one could even say that it is the hormone that helps us get out of bed – and then tapers off during the day.
On a very positive note, it keeps us going and moving throughout the day, helping us handle everyday stress. However, if too much cortisol is released (possibly due to increased stress and anxiety) blood sugar and cholesterol will increase and immune function will decrease. This is where too much of a good thing can led to serious illnesses.
A side note: Many parents ask me why their children are fine during the day but as soon as it is bedtime, a fever or earache will erupt. This is because cortisol is in minimal amounts at night; thus, the body is more sensitive to pain.
To understand stress and the ability of people to adapt to the pressures of daily life, injury, disease, and relationships, you need to understand the 3 stages of adapting to stress:
#1: Alarm – “fight or flight”
#2: A resistance to the stress (adaption where the body adapts as stress continues)
#3: Exhaustion
The “fight or flight” is a normal physiological reaction, however, if continually used, the body will adapt and eventually become completely exhausted. In general, stress may be due, on a physical plain, with poor nutrition, poor sleep, pollution, infections, alcohol and/or from a mental state of grief, over worked, anxiety, relationships, anger, aging.
People can make changes to their physical states by eating whole, colorful foods, and decreasing exposure to pollution and household chemicals. With the mental state, it is not so much whether the situation is pleasant or unpleasant but more so how we react to it.
Tips to Help Your Kids Handle Everyday Stress
Exercise
How? For prevention, take a 15-minute walk outside with the kids. When in a moment, have everyone stop and do 10 jumping jacks (usually everyone will begin laughing which will add more stress reduction!)
Color
How? Eat whole (non-processed) colorful nutrient packed foods at every meal. Avoid white foods: sugar, bread, and rice.
Structure
How? To keep the blood sugar levels stable, eat a structured and regular meal plan: 3 meals a day plus healthy snacks in between.
Drink
How? Drink pure filtered water. If plain water doesn’t excite the kids, infuse with colorful lemons and oranges.
Sleep
How? Before bed listen to a calming music. This will help to relax the kids and allow for a full night sleep.
Laugh
How? Get in the habit of telling jokes as laughing strengthens the immune system.
Teach
How? Teach your children to take deep belly breaths.
The key is to be aware of what is going on in your life as well as your child’s and finding more ways to bring joy, laughter and happiness in.
Visit Dr. Heather, ND and Human Body Detectives series for kids, to learn more about Dr. Heather and her mission to have families be more proactive and healthy in their lives. You can also join the conversation on Twitter @drheathernd and HBD on Facebook.
Advice for Dr. Mom: Getting a Second Opinion – How to Advocate for your Child within the Medical System
Asking for a second opinion is often a difficult situation for patients and their families. Most of the time, your family physician or pediatrician can manage the problems that come up in the life of a baby, child or adolescent.
As a pediatrician of over 20 years, I know the limits of my knowledge and when it’s pushed or exceeded, I seek the opinion of a colleague or if necessary, a specialist to help answer a patient’s question or help untangle a medical problem.
As much as I implicitly trust my circle of colleagues to help me, the key is that their opinions and solutions must also resonate with the patient and the family. If there is a breakdown in communication, a lack of understanding of the fears or vulnerabilities, or the time isn’t taken to make sure the diagnosis, treatment and plan is fully understood, often families may return disappointed and want a second opinion.
Prepping patients for a consultant visit is our duty. We should give our patient a heads up about the consultant’s personality, level of expertise, and even a brief preview of what to expect in during the office visit (wait times, office staff). If our patients know ahead of time what to expect, the visit generally is more successful and expectations are realistic.
It is so important that patients feel comfortable enough to return their concerns to us so that we can 1) assist with choosing another consultant for a second opinion, 2) sort out why the original consultation failed to inspire confidence and 3) question whether that consultant should continue to be recommended to other patients.
So as a patient, how can you ask for a second opinion?
Schedule time with your primary doctor to discuss the original consultant’s visit. Discuss the diagnosis, treatment and plan and see if it now makes sense delivered by your own doctor. If it doesn’t, or you are unwilling to continue to follow through with the original consultant, tell your doctor why.
It really matters to us that our colleagues and their staff treat you with respect and consideration. If that interaction breaks down repeatedly, our referral patterns are subject to change.
On the flip side, as primary providers, our comfort level with a first opinion may be jostled, and as a result, we request a second opinion. Patients need to know that our need for an acceptable solution and plan may require involving another consultant.
The assumption here is intact and open communication with your primary doctor so that through the entire process, both doctor and patient are on the same page. Seeking second or multiple opinions is the right of the patient, but it is key to share your process with your primary doctor so that you have his/her guidance and support.
Advice for Dr. Mom: The 7 Habits of Happy and Healthy Kids
All parents want their kids to be healthy – physically and emotionally. Physically, we wish their bodies bones, organs, muscles will be strong and emotionally, we wish for them to be stable and able to perform everyday tasks. And really, when our kids are healthier, our jobs as parents are much easier. That is a good thing.
7 Habits of Healthy and Happy Kids
Healthy and Happy Habit #1: Eat Breakfast
Up to 40% of the population do not eat breakfast. This is not an optimal way to begin your day. After a peaceful night of sleep, where the body is able to do some restoring and detoxifying, breakfast provides energy and nourishment that allow you to be alert, focused, productive and creative.
Breakfast sets the tone of how your mood will be for the day. Everyone wants to feel good…actually great and what better (and simple) way to achieve this then to eat breakfast.
Start blending away, and make your child a fruit smoothie. You can add a lot to that smoothie (protein powder, flax seeds, maybe a nut butter) and it’s simple, fast and nutritious.
Healthy and Happy Habit #2: Stay Hydrated
Unfortunately, many kids are not hydrated although parents may believe they are. When bottled water came to the market, there was a definite increase in water intake, which was a good thing until flavored water (hence sweetened) came to the market.
This sweetened version, although tasty to some, may be contributing to chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Keep your child hydrated and if plain water doesn’t please them, try infusing it with lemons, oranges or cucumbers. Brewing up a pitcher of herbal iced teas is a great replacement for sports drinks as well.
Healthy and Happy Habit #3: Eat Colors
Think whole food not processed! Whole foods are, as best described by one of my young students, foods that you can pick off trees.
Every time you serve your child (and yourself) a meal think color. Colorful whole foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients – all of which allow our bodies to function optimally.
If it’s difficult to entice your child to try new foods, begin by telling them a lively story about how the certain food will help them run faster, be stronger or smarter. Dr. Seuss’s’ book, Green Eggs and Ham, is a good book to have around as it reminds us to at least to try a new food – as you might just like it!
Healthy and Happy Habit #4: Wash Hands!
Kids need to be constantly reminded to wash their hands. It is easy to forget with all the excitement kids seem to have in every second of their lives, so gentle reminders are important.
Most acute illnesses are due to poor hygiene and the easiest way to avoid this is to wash your hands with soap and warm water. Have your kids pick out a scented (essential oils are the best) soap for their bathroom and place a post-it with a friendly (perhaps rhyming) reminder on the mirror.
Healthy and Happy Habit #5: Express Emotions
Let them be mad… or happy, sad, frustrated. It’s all okay.
Emotions are experiences of your state of mind. It’s a conscious experience that really needs to be addressed, respected and validated. To be quite honest, all emotions enrich our lives to be more vibrant, happier and joyful!
When my kids are angry, I suggest they take a time out. In their time out, they can release their anger by punching a pillow, writing in their journals, drawing, or listening to music – whatever makes them feel a little better.
Once they calm down, they can be clearer in their thoughts (they will feel this shift) and then they are able to articulately communicate and do some forgiving.
Healthy and Happy Habit #6: More Time for Play
With the introduction of video, Wii and computer games, it is very easy for kids to get all wrapped up in the technology world. These games are beneficial to a degree but kids are spending more time with them than being in their own creative world. Encourage your kids to use their imagination by playing outside with all of nature’s own toys.
To entice your kids to spend more time outside, give them a list of 5 to 10 things they can scavenger hunt for. It could be a stick, rock, berry or leaf. Challenge them by putting hard to find things on the list. Kids will love searching for things and at the same time enjoy exploring their own backyard.
Healthy and Happy Habit #7: Spend Quality Time
Spend quality time with your kids. Parents are busy. Kids are busy. We tend to lose track of time and by the end of the day, we may realize that no quality time was spent with our kids.
Kids bring us much joy, teach us many things and unfortunately, it is for a very short period of time. Spending more quality time with our kids will, in fact, allow us to be better at our jobs at home and at work.
Mealtime with all the preparing, eating and cleaning is a perfect time to connect with your child. Asking them about their day and if they asked any great questions to their teachers are sure ways to drum up some lively conversations.
Visit Dr. Heather, ND and Human Body Detectives series for kids, to learn more about Dr. Heather and her mission to have families be more proactive and healthy in their lives. You can also join the conversation on Twitter @drheathernd and HBD on Facebook.
Advice for Dr. Mom: Bug Bites, Bumps and Bruises – Natural Remedies for Summer First Aid
Summer camping trip, riding bikes, swimming at the beach, and any other everyday summer outdoor activity may end in a few scrapes, bruises or insect bites. It is best to be proactive and prepared for any type of situation that may arise.
Keeping a first aid kit in your kitchen or mudroom and in your car will make a big difference in dealing with any type of acute health situation. Homeopathy and botanicals are gentle and part of a holistic system of healing that is ideal for everyone. Both are a safe and effective approach to creating a natural pharmacy.
Basic First Aid Essentials
Easy to forget but quite essential for an everyday first aid kit are bandages of all sizes, butterfly bandages (for those cuts that are close to needing stitches), tweezers for splinters, gauze pads and surgical tape.
Basic Homeopathy
- Arnica Cream – Suggested use: For bumps and bruises, use arnica cream.
- 30c Arnica – Suggested use: As above but taken orally.
- 30c Apis – Suggested use: Any type of inflamed bug bites, burns or stinging.
- 30c Cantharis – Suggested use: Burning pains from either hot water, or sunburn.
- 30c Tabacum – Suggested use: Ideal for motion sickness in car, plane or boat.
- 30c Rhus Tox – Suggested use: Ideal for intense itching from poison oak or ivy.
How to take homeopathy: Dispense 3 pellets into cap and place under tongue (being mindful not to touch with your hands) every 15 minutes up to 4 times or until pain and/or swelling subsides.
Basic Botanicals
- Calendula (or an all-purpose salve) – Suggested use: This is essential for many things but when there are scrapes, mosquito bites or rashes, these are an ideal way to sooth and heal the skin.
- Rescue Remedy – Suggested use: Use rescue remedy if your child is really having a hard time with any pain, itching or is frightened. I often suggest for parent to take it first, in order to calm them down!
- Activated Charcoal – Despite its black coloring, it is flavorless. Activated charcoal reliefs the symptoms of gas, diarrhea, or any intestinal upset by drawing out and binding to toxins. A word of caution: do not take with other medicines, as it will also bind with them. Suggested use: For adults, take 2 capsules as needed and with children, open one capsule and place in soft food.
How to Use Your Natural First Aid Kit: Follow SOS 1-2-3
Bumps and Bruises
1: Arnica Cream
2: 30c Arnica
3: Apply ice
Insect Bite
1: Rescue remedy
2: Ledum 30c
3: Cold compress or apply a baking soda paste/poultice
Cuts and Scrapes
1: Wash out scrape with soapy water
2: Dilute calendula succus in water and use it as a dis-infective to clean scrape
3: Apply calendula or an all-purpose salve
Poison Ivy or Oak
1: Take a hot shower (the hot water helps break up the histamine reaction occurring in the body)
2: Rhus tox 30c
3: Apply calendula or an all-purpose salve
Minor Burns or Sunburn
1: Apply ice or run under cold water for at least 15 minutes
2: 30c Cantharis
3: Apply vitamin E oil (from a gel capsule) to sooth skin
Motion Sicknes
1: Be prepared with bags in car
2: Rescue before the trip may help
3: 30c Tabacum
An important side note: It is always a wise idea to have the family take a basic first aid and CPR class. These classes can be a huge help if someone has a broken bone, or a deep cut and can save lives. If a class is not offered in your area, purchase a pocket handbook, talk to your family about what is inside, and keep it in your first aid kits.
Visit Dr. Heather, ND and Human Body Detectives series for kids, to learn more about Dr. Heather and her mission to have families be more proactive and healthy in their lives. You can also join the conversation on Twitter @drheathernd and HBD on Facebook.
Advice for Dr. Mom: Summer Safety – First Aid and Safety Tips for Summer Fun
Summer is in full swing, which means more time spent outdoors, more bumps and bruises and more trips to visit Dr. Mom. Make sure you and your little ones enjoy the summer safely, follow these simple summer safety tips:
Water Safety
- Pool Safety: Lockable secure pool fence, working telephone at poolside, rescue equipment nearby, and even a laminated primer on CPR posted are summer safety essentials. The most important safety poolside feature is appropriate adult supervision by an individual who can swim.
- Safety at Beaches and Lakes: Always carry a working cell phone, park your gear near the lifeguard station (if present), ensure an adequate number of adults to supervise the kids (ideally 1 adult to 2 children), and establish rules about radius of play before entering the water.
- Boat Safety: Follow the safe boating rules: approved life jackets on and secured for all passengers, driving within speed limits, no drinking while driving, and avoid wakes and bumps.
Sun Safety
- SPF 30 is recommended, with reapplication every 1 to 2 hours if wet, toweling off, or sweating.
- Liquid sunscreens should be applied at least 20 minutes BEFORE going outside in order to soak in and protect.
- Apply half an ounce (a palm-full) for kids and 1 ounce (a full shot glass) for adults to deliver the proper SPF.
- The key here is appropriate AMOUNT, and RE-APPLICATION.
- Sunglasses rated for UVA/UVB, if worn, can protect little eyes from solar damage and burns.
- A hat with brim at least 2 inches wide, along with wearing SPF rated play clothing and swimwear can protect large areas of your child’s vulnerable skin.
Bugs and Critter Safety
- Avoid wearing highly perfumed lotions or soaps when near bees and wasps as they are easily attracted to these smells.
- If your child is truly allergic to stinging insects, make sure you always carry an epi-pen, a working cell phone, and a blunt object (like a credit card or driver’s license) to drag out any stinger immediately.
- If hiking in tick infested areas (especially in the Northern and Eastern parts of the US and Canada), cover up as much as possible, wear a hat with hair tucked in. After hiking, bathe, and then inspect your young ones for embedded ticks (before they have a chance to snack). If found, grasp firmly with tweezers, pull out in one piece, wash, apply first aid ointment.
Hydration
- Summer is a time of great fun, and the energy expenditure of kids soars as they run themselves ragged!
- Make sure to have hourly hydration breaks with cool fluids, and serve snacks high in water content, such as grapes and melons.
- If the day is scorching, return inside or to a shaded area for rest periods and plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and overheating.
Food Safety
- When packing coolers, make sure you bring plenty of ice or frozen packs to keep food cool.
- If on the road for a whole day, it’s best not to bring foods that spoil easily like those containing mayonnaise or eggs.
- Don’t leave any food out longer than 15 minutes, and try to serve proteins on a bed of ice to minimize potential bacterial overgrowth.
Burns
- Solar Burns – Avoiding peak sun hours (between 10am and 3pm) may be difficult on a day-long trek. If your child must be out during these times, then make sure hat, sunglasses, and SPF clothing are part of daily life, as well as liberal and frequent sunscreen application.
- Recreational Burns – With barbeques being spiffed up for summer, hot surfaces and floating embers present obvious concerns for burns. If many little ones are around, best to place your grill away from the crowds and protect the perimeter with a barrier (or a backup adult to shoo away the wee ones). NEVER spray or pour fuel onto embers or open flame, and keep fuels away from heat as they can spontaneously ignite. Dispose of embers after they have cooled completely, and if at a campground, into appropriate containers.
Advice for Dr. Mom: Keeping Kids Healthy – Warning Signs You Should NEVER Ignore
Given the reality that newborns and young babies have very few ways to communicate their needs, how can parents sort out when to worry? My advice to parents centers around the normal states (i.e., the infant job description) that babies all have when they are healthy:
- They eat and gain weight
- They make urine and bowel movements
- They are usually easily consoled
- Early on their native color is pink
- When awake they have good muscle tone and move spontaneously
- They have a normal body temperature
So in the early newborn period, if a baby departs from one of these states, then that should signify concern for a parent and a visit to your health care provider.
What to Watch For Warning Signs Parents Should Never Ignore
A baby who doesn’t want to feed – The brain grows about 180% in the first year of life and its nutritional requirements cause a feeding frenzy in all babies. If your infant suddenly refuses to feed, or dramatically drinks less, this should be brought immediately to your health care provider’s attention.
- Babies who don’t want to feed and lose weight are particularly concerning
- Babies who feed a lot and yet lose weight also may be at risk for malabsorption, genetic disease, or organ failure.
An acute reduction in urination, especially in a baby with vomiting or diarrhea sends up a red flag for potential dehydration. Conversely, a baby with vomiting/dehydration who is soaking diaper after diaper with urine may also have a problem. Babies naturally may reduce bowel movements to as few as 1/week by the first 1-2 months of life. If your baby’s belly is soft, appetite is good, and stool produced is soft, there is no issue. However, if there is any abdominal distension/distress/pain or recurrent vomiting associated with a drop-off of stool, consider this an urgent sign.
An inconsolable baby – A baby that cries periodically but can be consoled by feeding, changing, cuddling and rocking is a typical baby. However if baby is crying 24/7, grimacing, arching away from breast or bottle, and has no moments of contentment, this is a sign that baby is asking for help.
Pallor (a pale baby) – For the first 2 months of life, babies are pink from the donation of extra maternal blood cells from the placenta and umbilical cord. A natural anemia (physiologic nadir) occurs at about 2 months of age, kick starting the baby’s bone marrow to start its own production. If very early on baby is pale, sweaty, clammy, and especially inactive/less active, this may be a warning sign of heart disease or anemia, and worthy of a visit to your health care provider.
Prolonged jaundice – Most babies will retain a little of the red blood cell breakdown pigment called bilirubin in the first week or two of life, until their newborn livers start to recycle more efficiently. Jaundice head to toe lasting longer than a week, especially if accompanied by a baby who is feeding poorly or becoming less active/interactive is a cause for real worry. Often some jaundice may persist due to the effects of an unknown factor in breast milk, and be benign. However, if jaundice persists into the second month of life your doctor may want to reassess your baby’s bilirubin and make sure it isn’t stemming from liver or metabolic disease.
Vomiting – The great majority of babies have some element of reflux of milk from their tummies causing pretty frequent spitting up. Those babies who spit up but are happy, content and gaining weight at a good rate are of no concern and eventually will outgrow this condition. However a small percentage of babies who spit up may fail to gain weight, be unhappy a lot of the time, arch, grimace and act as if in pain. Your doctor may diagnose GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and may prescribe antacid for your baby. Amongst spitty babies are a small subset who do so because of a metabolic disease or malabsorption – these babies tend to be inactive, irritable and struggle also to gain weight. Also concerning is a young baby who projectile vomits each and every time fed – this could signify a blockage or obstruction at any point along the GI tract and should be considered an emergency.
Fever – Fever (100.5 F, or greater, taken rectally) should be taken very seriously in a young infant, especially those under 3 months of age. Fever is usually a sign of infection or inflammation, and given the immature state of a baby’s immune system, a bacterial infection can become a very serious threat in a short period of time. The good news is that most fevers stem from viral infections, but those children identified to be suspect for bacterial infection often need rapid and expert evaluation and treatment.
Advice for Dr. Mom: The Dirt on Eating Dirt – What Parents Should Know About Food Allergies and Eating Clean
Kids get the sniffles, stomachaches, and minor rashes all the time. It sometimes can seem like they are starting a new illness just as the previous one is ending. The seemingly constant cycle of illness has many parents running to their doctor demanding allergy tests, convinced this barrage of running noses, ear infections and itchy skin is the result of food allergies.
The answer is a definite maybe.
The Understanding the Clean Food, No Dirt Debate
Today, parents are overly concerned about cleanliness – clean food and even cleaner fingers. In general, parents no longer allow kids to play in (and eat) dirt and give them antibiotics at every cough or sniffle. The problem is that kids’ immune systems can only get stronger when exposed to and forced to fight off bacteria and viruses.
There is no doubt that by depriving their immune systems of this opportunity we are not allowing their immune system to optimally develop, but could the recent epidemic of food sensitivities and allergies be the result of the fact that we, as a society, have kept our kids super clean?
Again, the answer is a definite maybe. If it’s not the underlying cause, it’s a contributing factor.
The Difference Between Food Allergies and Food Sensitivities
The most common difference between food sensitivity and food allergy is whether the immune system is involved. With a food sensitivity, the digestive system is solely responding, unable to properly digest or breakdown a certain food. A food allergy will occur when a certain food triggers an immune reaction. Symptoms can be mild to severe and need to be addressed with the family doctor.
Food Allergy: A true food allergy will cause an immediate immune response in the body. Antibodies will be produced in response to what the body thinks is a harmful food. When the food is eaten for a second time, the immune system will remember this food, and release antibodies and histamine to try to fight off the harmful food. Histamine is what causes the symptoms in the body. Symptoms will include; tingling in the mouth, difficulty breathing, inflamed lips, tongue and mouth.
Food Sensitivity: Most children who have food sensitivities are able to eat even small amounts of the suspected harmful food and have no reactions. Although at times of stress or when the child has eaten too much of this food, reactions may occur. These would include; stomach cramping and bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, headache and foggy thinking.
Using a Food Elimination Diet Before Testing for Food Allergies
If there is any reason or indication that your child may have a food allergy, it is important to seek medical advice immediately. That said, before doing expensive (and unpleasant) allergy testing, try a food elimination diet. Most often parents have an idea of which food is causing the problem so start there. Eliminate that food or food group for 30 days and then on day 31, have a food party and eat all that you can of that food for that day.
For the next 72 hours, observe how your child feels physically and emotionally. Symptoms can be anything from stomachaches to headaches to joint pain to sleepiness. The symptoms may indicate an allergy or sensitivity. Once you have identified the culprit, it’s a good idea to eliminate it from your child’s diet for an extended period of time and work on strengthening the digestive system.
The Role of the Digestive System in the Development of the Immune System
Approximately seventy percent of the immune system is located in the digestive system. This indicates good reasoning to put an emphasis on allowing our children to get a little dirty to strengthen the immune system (more opportunity for it to do some fighting and remembering bacteria and viruses) and to optimally fuel our children by incorporating a whole colourful and nutritious food diet.
Below is a list of tips that will help strengthen the digestive system:
- Squeeze half of lemon in warm water and drink 15 minutes before each meal. The lemon will prepare the digestive system by stimulating the digestive juices. Adding a few leaves of mint will offer some added taste and nutrition.
- Chew you foods thoroughly. Allowing your teeth to do its’ job fully will mean less extra work for the other parts of the digestive system. Mentally count to 10 while chewing to get a good idea on the amount of time needed to optimally chew foods.
- Most importantly, enjoy your food! Take the time to have a special meal with your family. When meals are consumed in happy surrounding, the digestive system will be able to focus entirely on digesting and absorbing all the vital nutrients the foods are providing.
Visit Dr. Heather, ND and Human Body Detectives series for kids, to learn more about Dr. Heather and her mission to have families be more proactive and healthy in their lives. You can also join the conversation on Twitter @drheathernd and HBD on Facebook.
