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Clinical Nutrition for Kids: Can it Help Your Child?

Clinical Nutrition for Kids: Can it Help Your Child?Not so long ago it was uncommon for children to be taking a prescription drug. Parents knew from their parents that if they allowed their child’s body to fight whatever needed to be fought; many times it would take care of itself. Unfortunately, as more adults rely on a myriad of medications the age of over prescribing has trickled down into a child’s world. Nowadays it is not uncommon for children to be taking one prescribed drug or another as either a daily dose or when illness arises. In many cases, these synthetic formulas force the body into suppressing its natural immune system capabilities to only band-aid symptoms and even potentially cause another symptom altogether. Although conventional medicine has life-saving abilities, more often than not, prevention is not one of them. This is especially true when children’s health is a consideration as the current diet of many American adolescents still has a long way to go. Clinical nutrition could be the jumping off point for a parent’s attempt to change their child(s) future health.

Clinical Nutrition
Clinical nutrition is the science of incorporating the proper use of foods as an attempt to prevent or heal specific ailments enabling the body to tap into its own curative capabilities. This has been done in many case studies that could have otherwise been treated with conventional medicine remedies which could create the potential for producing toxic side effects. Clinical nutrition is also the practice of educating the child, as well as his or her parent(s) regarding how to make the right choices. Through ‘higher food consciousness’ a family can be given specific tools on how to attempt medicinal eating. Knowing what foods will cause the body to feel energized, pro-digestive and positively mood altering can make a huge difference in getting through each day. Under specific guidance by a naturopathic doctor, clinical nutrition can help children begin or re-adjust to a more progressive path of health before bad habits lead to poor health that can be much more difficult to reverse as they enter adulthood.

In a March 2012 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), Spokesperson Shelley McGuire, PhD. commented on the responsibility of parents, child nutrition and obesity:

“The rigorous and somewhat large study by Lumeng et al. supports what we all intrinsically know to be true-parenting matters when it comes to children’s health. For some time now, experts have been telling us that children should be allowed to decide how much to eat. It’s a parent’s responsibility to make sure the choices are healthy. If parents can focus their efforts on making sure their children have access to nutritious meals and snacks, and then back off in terms of intrusiveness, we may have better luck in lowering childhood obesity rates.”

Malnutrition: Implementing Clinical Nutrition for Child Obesity
Believe it or not, even though child obesity is at epidemic proportions in America, so too is the lingering result which, in turn, is malnutrition. One does not have to be emaciated to be considered undernourished as many overweight people (children in particular) are assumed well fed when in reality their bodies are starving. An article written by Dr. Mark Hyman for the huffingtonpost commented on the case for an overfed, undernourished America. He reports that malnutrition is actually causing obesity. He writes:

“The problem is that the standard American diet (SAD) is energy dense (too many calories) but nutrient poor (not enough vitamins and minerals). Too many “empty calories” confuse the metabolism and pack on the pounds.”

Dr. Hyman claims 40 years of nutritional research and treating over 10,000 patients stating that,

“Upwards of 30 percent of American diets fall short of such common plant-derived nutrients as magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin A (2). More than 80 percent of Americans are running low on Vitamin D (3). And nine out of 10 people are deficient in omega-3 fats, which are critical for staving off inflammation and controlling blood sugar levels.”

Working closely with a trained naturopathic doctor, your child’s obesity can be managed, treated and eventually reversed. As the body begins to change back to its original digestive optimization it will then begin to shed fat, allow intestinal permeation of vital nutrients and embrace a healthier diet. Eating more plant-based foods, plant-based fats and reducing animal proteins is the first line of defense to get your child back on track.

Habit Withdrawal
A competent naturopathic doctor trained in clinical hypnosis as well as nutraceutical supplementation can enhance a clinical nutrition program. Withdrawal from unhealthy, refined, packaged foods could be a shock to your child thus making for a difficult road to recovery. It must be approached as if it were an addiction. Through clinical hypnosis a new mindset can be encouraged to hopefully assist the child in choosing the right food and refusing the wrong kind. In addition, a potent nutraceutical supplementation program (implementation of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, amino acids, enzymes and more) will also offer an excellent supplemental boost while your child transitions. In addition, it is important for the parent(s) to encourage as well as make changes themselves. By ridding the household of toxic choices, they too will be forced to follow the same program and act as a front line example that their children can easily follow.

Clinical nutrition is like a life-coach for eating. It may often seem like an uphill battle as we deal with the daily onslaught of a variety of advertising campaigns hawking unhealthy food choices but for a child to differentiate between such advertising can be unsuccessful, unless they are re-programmed to push back and say “no”. At Integrative Med Solutions, we will design an acupuncture and naturopathic treatment program that works for you. In many cases, insurance covers portions of the acupuncture treatment. Allow us to support you to achieve optimal health.  To make an appointment or find out more about how acupuncture and naturopathic medicine can benefit you, please call our office at 914.337.2980 or click here to schedule an online appointment.

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