Journey to Thrive

as

As we have discussed previously, there are several reasons for nutritional deficiencies; primarily being that of a poor diet of ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, or leaky gut. Remember, it isn’t simply about what you eat but rather about what you absorb. If your child’s gut is compromised, absorption of the nutrients will be difficult even if the foods are healthy choices. Refer back to my previous blog to learn how to heal a leaky gut. Your gut is analogous to a tree that absorbs nutrition through its roots. If the roots are cut off, the water and nutrients in the soil cannot get to the tree. Consider your gut as the root or core of your immune system to understand how these factors have an impact on nutritional deficiencies.

Environmental toxins also deplete nutrients. Depending on the toxic burden in the body coupled with ultra processed foods, a cascade of issues can deplete the body of the essential nutrients needed to thrive. Some common deficiencies include vitamin D, the B complex vitamins, omega 3’s and magnesium. Vitamin D is an essential hormone needed to regulate the immune system. Over half of the population is deficient in vitamin D and many more than that deficient in magnesium. Vitamin D deficiency is correlated with attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), asthma, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and many autoimmune diseases. Many of the people who did not fare well during COVID had deficient vitamin D levels. Anything below 30 is considered to be a significant deficit. Magnesium is found abundantly in dark leafy greens and nuts to name a few. It engages in hundreds of chemical reactions in the body so there are numerous health benefits to keeping these levels optimal.

Picky eaters are prone to a variety of nutritional deficiencies which can significantly impact growth and development. This can be the result of gut issues discussed previously, food allergies, acid reflux, sensory issues, or poor oral motor skills. Low muscle tone in the mouth and face can cause deeper issues with swallowing, sucking, or chewing foods. Sometimes a tongue tie can add to the complexity of the situation. A pediatric dentist can easily rule that out. A trained occupational therapist (OT) or speech therapist can also assist with these issues. Unfortunately, one or more of these problems can add to nutrient deficits in a child’s diet. Specific dietary modifications and intentional supplementation can contribute to numerous health benefits. If a leaky gut is the culprit, typically an elimination diet and /or a GFCF diet is a good place to start in healing the gut. Allergy testing and additional lab testing can provide a wealth of information. A food allergy can elicit an inflammatory response in the body so it is important to test to identify culprits. A health coach is another valuable resource in navigating these issues.

Poor eating choices and habits can cause nutritional imbalances that can actually add to the problem of picky eating. These children will often crave the foods that are carb heavy and ultra processed leading them down the road of malnutrition. These food choices combined with any environmental toxins that children are exposed to will add to their toxic load; eventually taking down the guardrails that protect the immune system.

Keeping mostly healthy whole foods in your refrigerator and foods with few ingredients in your pantry will alleviate the damage that ultra processed foods can cause. Your child’s palate will shift in just a few weeks if the only choices available to them are nutrient dense foods that will nourish their bodies. Once you are able to correct the underlying imbalances, many of these unpleasant symptoms will usually dissipate. Tune in for the next blog topic of supplements; another essential tool in your toolbox on the journey to optimal health!

Nutritional Deficiencies, Food SNutritional Deficiencies, Food Sensitivities, and Picky Eating

As we have discussed previously, there are several reasons for nutritional deficiencies: the primary reasons being a poor diet of ultra processed food, environmental toxins, and a leaky gut. Remember that it isn’t just about what you eat but rather about what you absorb. If your gut is compromised, you will not absorb the nutrients you need even when eating the right foods. We have already talked about how to heal a leaky gut. Your gut is analogous to a tree that absorbs nutrition through the roots. If the roots are cut off, the water and nutrients in the soil cannot get to the tree. Consider your gut the root or core of your immune system to understand how these factors have an impact on nutritional deficiencies.

Environmental toxins also deplete nutrients. Depending on the toxic burden in the body, this coupled with ultra processed foods, can cause a cascade of issues depleting the body of the essential nutrients needed to thrive. Some common deficiencies include vitamin D, the B complex vitamins, and the omega 3’s. Most people who did not fare well during COVID had a significant vitamin D deficiency which is an essential hormone needed to regulate the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency is correlated with ADHD, autism, asthma, and various autoimmune conditions. Magnesium is another essential mineral that is deficient in both children and adults. This mineral is found in nuts and leafy greens and engages in hundreds of chemical reactions in your body. There are numerous health benefits to keeping these levels optimal.

Picky eaters are prone to a variety of nutritional deficiencies which can impact their growth and development. This can be the result of gut issues discussed previously, food allergies, acid reflux, sensory issues, or poor oral motor skills. Low muscle tone in the mouth and face can cause deeper issues with swallowing, sucking, or chewing foods. Unfortunately, because of this, both macro and micronutrients are often depleted requiring intentional supplementation and implementation of specific dietary strategies/modifications. I will borrow Dr. Bredesen’s analogy of the roof with multiple holes. If your roof has thirty holes and you only fill one or two, the roof will continue to leak. In other words, it is a process trying to get to the root cause of picky eating. It would be beneficial to have a health coach, or an occupational therapist come along side you on this journey to figure out exactly which holes need filled. If a leaky gut is the culprit, typically an elimination diet and/or a GFCF diet is a good place to start in the gut healing process. Allergy testing may also be helpful to pursue in ruling out any foods that may be adding to the inflammatory response in the body.

Poor eating can cause nutritional imbalances that add to the problem of picky eating. Often these children will crave the foods that are carb heavy and ultra processed leading to a road of further malnutrition. Remember, keeping only nutritious foods in your pantry and offering them mostly whole foods will shift their palates in a healthier direction even though it may take some time. Once you can regulate the underlying imbalances, symptoms can dissipate. We will explore some basic supplement recommendations in the next blog post.ensitivities, and Picky Eating

As we have discussed previously, there are several reasons for nutritional deficiencies: the primary reasons being a poor diet of ultra processed food, environmental toxins, and a leaky gut. Remember that it isn’t just about what you eat but rather about what you absorb. If your gut is compromised, you will not absorb the nutrients you need even when eating the right foods. We have already talked about how to heal a leaky gut. Your gut is analogous to a tree that absorbs nutrition through the roots. If the roots are cut off, the water and nutrients in the soil cannot get to the tree. Consider your gut the root or core of your immune system to understand how these factors have an impact on nutritional deficiencies.

Environmental toxins also deplete nutrients. Depending on the toxic burden in the body, this coupled with ultra processed foods, can cause a cascade of issues depleting the body of the essential nutrients needed to thrive. Some common deficiencies include vitamin D, the B complex vitamins, and the omega 3’s. Most people who did not fare well during COVID had a significant vitamin D deficiency which is an essential hormone needed to regulate the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency is correlated with ADHD, autism, asthma, and various autoimmune conditions. Magnesium is another essential mineral that is deficient in both children and adults. This mineral is found in nuts and leafy greens and engages in hundreds of chemical reactions in your body. There are numerous health benefits to keeping these levels optimal.

Picky eaters are prone to a variety of nutritional deficiencies which can impact their growth and development. This can be the result of gut issues discussed previously, food allergies, acid reflux, sensory issues, or poor oral motor skills. Low muscle tone in the mouth and face can cause deeper issues with swallowing, sucking, or chewing foods. Unfortunately, because of this, both macro and micronutrients are often depleted requiring intentional supplementation and implementation of specific dietary strategies/modifications. I will borrow Dr. Bredesen’s analogy of the roof with multiple holes. If your roof has thirty holes and you only fill one or two, the roof will continue to leak. In other words, it is a process trying to get to the root cause of picky eating. It would be beneficial to have a health coach, or an occupational therapist come along side you on this journey to figure out exactly which holes need filled. If a leaky gut is the culprit, typically an elimination diet and/or a GFCF diet is a good place to start in the gut healing process. Allergy testing may also be helpful to pursue in ruling out any foods that may be adding to the inflammatory response in the body.

Poor eating can cause nutritional imbalances that add to the problem of picky eating. Often these children will crave the foods that are carb heavy and ultra processed leading to a road of further malnutrition. Remember, keeping only nutritious foods in your pantry and offering them mostly whole foods will shift their palates in a healthier direction even though it may take some time. Once you can regulate the underlying imbalances, symptoms can dissipate. We will explore some basic supplement recommendations in the next blog post.