February 16, 2017
Many years passed before I realized that my daughter might have mitochondrial dysfunction. I attributed her main symptoms—fatigue and slow processing speed—to a number of different causes, none of them related to those tiny organelles inside her cells that I had learned about back in high school biology class.
But as the years went by and I dove into the science surrounding my daughter’s health, I learned that she—and many children just like her—may have mitochondrial dysfunction. When I learned about the signs and symptoms of the condition, my radar went up. Today, I'll share with you details about mitochondrial dysfunction—what you need to know to help your child.
(more…)
January 26, 2017
For me, the Overwhelm Detox is how I complete an annual review of my daughter's lifelong medical history. If this was your first time compiling all of your child’s information in this way, you will be that much more prepared to periodically review it all. Feel free to jump into any future Overwhelm Detoxes I run to do a complete review.
For me, the Overwhelm Detox is always eye opening. We have come so far with my daughter, and yet I continue to see opportunities for improvement in how we work with her to get the best results. Although the review takes time out of my already cramped schedule, I'm always glad when I get clarity about what opportunities we should investigate further, what treatments or therapies we should stop and which ones we should double down on to get the best results.
(more…)
January 12, 2017
A new year is upon us, which means a fresh start, right? So why does the optimism that the new year brings fade so quickly? In a word, overwhelm. As parents of children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, or similar conditions, we quickly become overwhelmed with the day-to-day challenges we encounter with our children. You know that feeling in the pit of your stomach—the one that comes with not knowing the right answer and feeling like you have tried it all and yet are not where you want to be with your child’s recovery. It took me many years of living with that feeling before I realized I needed a system to figure out what comes next. The first step to ending overwhelm is to get organized.
(more…)
November 17, 2016
You've probably already heard the term leaky gut, but have you grasped the concept of what it really is? The mainstream media is buzzing these days with research on the micro biome (the trillions of microorganisms that reside in the gut) and how it is tied to our health. Not only do these microorganisms affect digestive health, but they also impact areas far removed from the gut. This article will discuss the 3R Secret to Healing your Child's Leaky Gut.
The balance of microorganisms in the gut has a powerful effect on the brain. This interaction is called the gut–brain axis, an area of great interest and research. As parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, the gut-brain axis is an important topic for us to pay attention to which is why it is important to know the secret to healing your child's leaky gut
The health of the gut is tied to our children’s overall health and wellness AND to their brain function. Let's skip the why for today and jump right into how to heal a leaky gut and optimize our child’s microbiome so they too can have the best chance at optimal brain function. So what is The 3R Secret to Healing Your Child's Leaky Gut?
(more…)
November 3, 2016
Many doctors advise parents of children with autism and ADHD to start with the gluten-free/casein-free (GFCF) diet when considering dietary intervention for the first time. In a recent article, I discussed the GFCF diet along with nine other therapeutic diets that you can use. These will help resolve the many neurological and physiological symptoms your child experiences. Let’s review what the GFCF diet is and why it’s a good place to start.
(more…)
October 27, 2016
Children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders often experience symptoms that are triggered by certain foods, habits, or environmental factors, or a lack of certain nutrients or habits. The many possible contributors to your child’s symptoms can seem impossible to nail down. To get to the bottom of your child’s symptoms, tracking his food intake along with other health details is key. Today I am going to show you how to get organized—from small details to the big picture—to help recover your child and How to Keep and Review Your Child's Food Journal For Maximum Results.
(more…)
October 20, 2016
There are many dietary approaches you can use to help your child with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Today I am going to reveal the Top 10 Therapeutic Diets and How They Can Help Your Child, and discuss a few of them in detail.
Diet is the first intervention by physicians and other practitioners who specialize in working with our children. Proper diet is fundamental to correcting the underlying causes of neurological symptoms. Often, parents see “miraculous” results when implementing dietary interventions which focus on removing inflammatory foods which are actually part of our Top 10 Therapeutic Diets that provide nutrients that support gut healing and detoxification.
As I mentioned in one of my earliest articles, I took the “all or nothing” approach to dietary change with my daughters and dove head first into the GAPS diet. But my path may not be right for you—each child is different, and there are many variables to consider before choosing how to proceed with your child. In addition to the brief discussion below of the Top 10 Therapeutic Diets to consider, download my Top Ten Therapeutic Diets Cheat Sheet for an overview of your options.
(more…)
August 11, 2016
What if someone told you that a particular type of food or food additive was causing your child’s symptoms? It could even be something as simple as the daily apple your child eats. Phenols including salicylates and other food chemicals such as amines and glutamates are compounds found in many foods and additives that could be a major contributor to your child’s symptoms. Find out How Common Foods Can Trigger Your Child’s Symptoms and what you can do to identify what foods your child should avoid.
(more…)
July 14, 2016
More and more, we are seeing children with nutritional deficiencies, a phenomenon that studies show is even more apparent in children with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and ADHD. Today we will explore what you need to know about the top nutrient deficiencies found in our children, including: what the research has shown to be the most common deficiencies, how the deficiencies contribute to their symptoms, why these deficiencies exist, how you can find out if your child is deficient and what you can do to correct the vitamin, mineral, fatty acid, amino acid and mineral deficiencies in your child. The good news is, nutritional deficiencies that are impacting your child’s ability to thrive can be corrected.
(more…)
June 23, 2016
I’ve attended a number of different conferences and course over the years, in person and online, in a quest to learn all I can to help my daughter. This past April I attended the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS) conference for the first time. It was an intense three days of learning. The MAPS conference is a continuing education conference that allows medical practitioners to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the research and clinical applications in the area of biomedical treatments for special needs children, with a specific focus on children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
MAPS is a conference of clinicians and researchers who are in the trenches treating kids everyday, pushing forward what they have learned from clinical experience while being guided by research. I read a lot and have been to many courses, but I was looking for a comprehensive program where the curriculum addressed all areas of biomedical treatments and interventions currently available. That’s why I decided to go to the MAPS conference, and I was not disappointed. The depth of information and quality of practitioners and instructors is second to none. While I can’t share all I learned in one article, I will share a few points of interest that I took away from my three days there.
(more…)
