**Natural Nutrition Supports Children’s Growth**
**and Their Emotional Resilience**

My Programme for Children or Families

I have worked with Children and Young People for over 35 years. I am an Integrative holistic therapist with a background in Social Work.

My professional expertise, training and work with children and families alongside being a parent of 3 children of my own offers great insight into childhood experiences.

How to make food interesting and how to work with food sensitivities, allergies and intolerances. I have worked with thousands of children with food related issues and associated difficulties and have worked with children of all ages. I would say I still have much to offer them when I am supporting them with life challenges.

My 38 years of working exclusively with families and children inspires my special interest in children’s health and family wellbeing. In emotional resilience and I am well placed to support families to find solutions that are bespoke to their needs.

I use my training in Natural Nutrition, Homeopathy and experience as a Senior Social Worker and Systemic Family Therapy /social Work as these give me a deeper insight to the relational issues families face in todays world.

I promote a varied, healthy diet which is essential for children’s physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well-being

Encouraging you and your child/ren to adopt good eating habits helps support them attain a healthy mind and body.

Many children develop intolerances to additives as a result of hereditary issues and if their nutrition is not right will alter behaviours and mood changes in the home which can lead to long term health issues if they are not resolved early.

For Children who prefer to eat a limited foods, it’s worth noting they should be encouraged to try new foods up to 15 times or until the become used them . Every childs’ sensory needs with food are different and there is no wrong or right in my view hwever the environment will play a factor in their habits.

Homeopathy offers a lot of support for emotionally to children and is used in my work as part of this programme and I am a qualified and licensed homeopath. I studied with the College of Practical Homeopathy.

Early Food Experiences

Has an impact on children’s eating patterns although habits can be changed, All eating habits are learnt at home or from the environment children grow up in, so it’s important to be positive role models for your children from the start.

A healthy, balanced diet is especially important for children as their bodies grow and there is much research that is now tells us the importance of good protein sources and good food sources on children’s brain and gut development which is now well documented and evidenced for brain development. This is evident since the brain continues to grow until later in our adulthood lives. The most recent research suggests this is now 25.

To Raise Healthy Kids make sure all children are given a broad range of food to grow their gut health and the brain gut connection.

Improved gut health and digestion..

Many of the families I have worked with report children with food sensitives and children are often given repeated or prolonged courses of antibiotics for common illnesses among children such as ear or other respiratory infections during their first year, before any diagnosis. For children with autism this will not be until they are 10in many cases.

Antibiotics are a known suppressors; and kill good and bad bacteria in the gut, and this can contribute to many children’s bowel sensitivities and further food intolerances. Food is naturally assimilated in the digestive tract so a healthy system is something every parent should strive for each child.

Natural Alternative Remedies are safe and accessible

There are so many natural alternative remedies such as homeopathy, flower remedies and Ayurvedic food can help. I have used these safely myself for over 40 years and can advice on many for children alongside the food they are provided and I work alongside the Natural Dispensary to obtain the right remedies for your child.

Balance blood sugar

Balancing children blood sugar with good nutrition is vital to optimise health and improving blood sugar balance is a therefore essential to good nutrition with good sugars derived from fresh fruit and other alternative foods which contain a amount of healthy sugar.

Increase omega 3 fats

Deficiencies in essential fats are common in children and often for children with autism. Research by Dr Gordon Bell at Stirling University has shown that some autistic children have an enzymatic defect that removes essential fats from brain cell membranes more quickly than it should. This means that an autistic child is likely to need a higher intake of essential fats than the average. And it has been found that supplementing EPA, which can slow the activity of the defective enzyme, has clinically improved behaviour, mood, imagination, spontaneous speech, sleep patterns and focus of autistic children.

Increase natural vitamins and minerals through food

It is well documented and researched that good nutrition helps children no matter what emotional and health challenges or difficulties they have.

There was some research undertaken by Dr Bernard Rimland from the Institute for Child Behaviour Research in San Diego – California . His study showed that an increase in vitamin B6, C, and magnesium significantly improved symptoms in autistic children. In one of his early studies back in 1978, 12 out of 16 autistic children improved. He also noted in this research that they appeared to regress once the vitamins were swapped for placebo alternative.

Avoid food allergies and additives

One of the most significant contributing factors in children nutrition and in particular for children with autism are the ‘undesirable foods’ and chemicals in processed food can have an adverse affect on brain fog via the bloodstream because of faulty digestion and absorption.

Getting the right food with available nutrients is therefore key to health maintenance. Here are somethings that I do for my family at home:

I spend time listening and to the underlying reasons for their health concerns and I provide options to help families make better food and lifestyle choices using my expertise and knowledge using the latest evidenced based research available.

I provide a step by step bespoke plan that support each individual I work with and help them make sustainable changes for their better health and lifestyle goals.

Think carefully about your child’s food and what you give them on their plate to make them feel happy, heard and understood .

Always be clear about the food you want to give them and explain the reasons why it is on their plates or why it is good for them.

Be patient and consistence when giving your children each meal and agree the parameters for eating.

For children who have sensory processing difficulties – Provide food they like and present it the way they like it. Make small changes slowly and in consultation with them otherwise these minor changes can be a huge stress and have an impact on them and their happiness.

Give fussy eaters food that looks appealing- Showing children food before they try and offering if a few times without pushing it on them can help them to make a transition to trying it at some point.

Choose your battles carefully. Never force feed children. They come round their own time.

Try seasonal food, offering new choices.

Here is a few of the article I have written . Raising Healthy Kids. The other 2 links can be helpful for further information on health and nutrition for children.