Healthy Meals Equal Better Grades in School

August 28, 2008

One of the most important components to children functioning at their best in school and on the playground is proper nutrition.  The Washington Post just reported on this subject, offering valuable tips and resources  to ensure that your child gets the nutrition he/she needs. Children who eat healthy, satisfying dinners sleep better, and are more alert the following morning. And children who eat a balanced nourishing breakfast and lunch have better neurotransmitter activity and improved concentration during the day.  Supplementation is also an important option to consider in children who are not getting the nutrition their brain and body need, particularly if they are challenged with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder.

In health,

–Dr. Gina

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Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

The Gluten-Free Diet Fad?

August 19, 2008

There is a lot more talk out there these days about the dangers of gluten.  Some people have full blown celiac disease, where their body can be severely damaged by ingesting gluten. Others have a mild, moderate or severe intolerance to gluten and gliadin in their diet.  At LTP Natural Medical Center I test patients for gluten intolerance through an IgG blood test that looks for specific foods that the body mounts an immune response to.  When those foods are eliminated from the diet, patients feel better. And gluten is often on the list.  So while some skeptics will say that gluten-free is just a fad, I do not agree.  This is a very real condition, even for patients not diagnosed with celiac disease.  Going deeper, however, I find that if we focus on testing for, and repairing the integrity of the digestive tract, these food intolerance’s fall away.  So if we want to go to the root cause, I would say compromised digestion is the place to look.

-Dr. Gina

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Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

Affordable, Healthy Foods

August 5, 2008

As food prices climb, and the health of our nation, and our nation’s children, disintegrates, we have the opportunity to return to a simpler, more healthful diet. Here are 10 suggestions to get you started:

1. Oats
High in fiber and complex carbohydrates, oats have also been shown to lower cholesterol. And they sure are cheap—a dollar will buy you more than a week’s worth of hearty breakfasts.

2. Organic Eggs
You can get about a half dozen of eggs for a dollar, and organic eggs for a dollar fifty, making them one of the cheapest and most versatile sources of protein. They are also a good source of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which may ward off age-related eye problems.

3. Kale
This dark, leafy green is loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, and calcium. Like most greens, it is usually a dollar a bunch.

4. Potatoes
Because we often see potatoes at their unhealthiest—as fries or chips—we don’t think of them as nutritious, but they definitely are. Eaten with the skin on, potatoes contain almost half a day’s worth of Vitamin C, and are a good source of potassium. If you opt for sweet potatoes or yams, you’ll also get a good wallop of beta carotene. Plus, they’re dirt cheap and have almost endless culinary possibilities.

5. Nuts
Though nuts have a high fat content, they’re packed with the good-for-you fats—unsaturated and monounsaturated. They’re also good sources of essential fatty acids, Vitamin E, and protein. And because they’re so nutrient-dense, you only need to eat a little to get the nutritional benefits. Although some nuts, like pecans and macadamias, can be costly, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds, especially when bought in the shell, are low in cost.

6. Bananas
At a local Trader Joe’s, I found bananas for about 19¢ apiece; a dollar gets you a banana a day for the workweek. High in potassium and fiber (9 grams for one), bananas are a no-brainer when it comes to eating your five a day quotient of fruits and veggies.

7. Garbanzo Beans
With beans, you’re getting your money’s worth and then some. Not only are they a great source of protein and fiber, but ’bonzos are also high in fiber, iron, folate, and manganese, and may help reduce cholesterol levels. And if you don’t like one type, try another—black, lima, lentils … the varieties are endless. Though they require soaking and cooking, the most inexpensive way to purchase these beans is in dried form; a precooked can will still only run you around a buck.

8. Broccoli
Broccoli contains tons of nice nutrients—calcium, vitamins A and C, potassium, folate, and fiber. As if that isn’t enough, broccoli is also packed with phytonutrients, compounds that may help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Plus, it’s low in calories and cost.

9. Pumpkin Seeds
When it’s time to carve your pumpkin this October, don’t shovel those seeds into the trash—they’re a goldmine of magnesium, protein, and trace minerals. Plus, they come free with the purchase of a pumpkin.

10. Butternut Squash
This beautiful gourd swings both ways: sometimes savory, sometimes sweet. However you prepare the butternut, it will not only add color and texture, but also five grams of fiber per half cup and chunks and chunks of Vitamin A and C. When in season, butternut squash and related gourds are usually less than a dollar a pound.

Adapted from this original post on Divine Caroline

-Dr. Gina

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Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

Study Finds that 89 Percent of Children’s Food Products Cause Harm to their Health

July 17, 2008

Nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. We eat at least three times per day-making nutrition one of the most important parts of our lifestyle. If you have a poor diet, it impacts your entire day and night. And if you have a healthy diet it also impacts your entire day and night.  It is a sorry state of affairs when analysis of foods for children reveals that 70 percent of children’s food products are too high in sugar- one of the most damaging ingredients to the human body, and 23 percent are high in fat.  Given that the incidence of obesity and heart disease is on the rise in the younger generation, it is time that parents wake up and take action.  When you feed your children unhealthy foods, high in sugar and fat, and don’t find ways to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into their diet, you are impacting the quality of their entire life.  The nutritional status of a child affects his/her immune function, mental function and overall health and well-being throughout life.  And while children may not show any symptoms of ill-health while eating a poor diet, significant harm is occurring internally, which, over time, will manifest as disease.  The sickest adults I treat in my practice inevitably grew up with a poor diet. And the healthiest grew up with a parent or parents that ensured that they had the proper levels of nutrients in their diet and low levels of harmful ingredients like refined sugar and fried foods.

Ignoring the nutrient needs of a child is a form of abuse with the consequences showing up much later in life.  And providing proper nutrition does not have to be a financial burden.  Here are some basic tips:

-Do not buy foods that have refined sugar or any hydrogenated fats.  Save money by staying away from packaged cereals, crackers and chips that are marketed to children. You are paying for the packaging and marketing while the quality of the foods inside is usually poor.

-Stay away from fast food.

-Make nutrition a priority in your household.

-Start an organic garden and get your children involved in the process. They will be more likely to eat and enjoy the produce that they had a hand in creating!

The reward for this effort? Calmer, more peaceful and healthier children.

– Dr. Gina

—

ScienceDaily (July 15, 2008) — Most kids’ foods provide poor nutritional quality, but packaging claims and healthy images could be misleading parents, according to a Canadian study. Professor Charlene Elliott used US guidelines to review 367 products. 70 percent of the products had higher than recommended sugar levels, 23 percent had high fat levels and 17 percent had high salt levels.
Nine out of ten regular food items aimed specifically at children have a poor nutritional content — because of high levels of sugar, fat or sodium – according to a detailed study of 367 products published in the July issue of the UK-based journal Obesity Reviews.

Just under 70 per cent of the products studied – which specifically excluded confectionery, soft drinks and bakery items – derived a high proportion of calories from sugar. Approximately one in five (23 per cent) had high fat levels and 17 per cent had high sodium levels. Despite this, 62 per cent of the foods with poor nutritional quality (PNQ) made positive claims about their nutritional value on the front of the packet.

“Children’s foods can now be found in virtually every section of the supermarket and are available for every eating experience” says Professor Charlene Elliott from the University of Calgary, Canada, and a Trustee of the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition.

“Parents may have questions about which packaged foods are good for their children. Yet certain nutritional claims may add to the confusion, as they can mislead people into thinking the whole product is nutritious.”

Only 11 per cent of the products Professor Elliott and her colleagues evaluated provided good nutritional value in line with the criteria laid down by the US-based Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit agency that received the Food and Drug Administration’s highest honour in 2007.

The CSPI nutritional standards state that healthy food should not derive more than 35 per cent of its calories from fat (excluding nuts and seed and nut butters) and should have no more than 35 per cent added sugar by weight. They also provide guidance on sodium levels, ranging from 230mg per portion for snacks through to 770mg per portion for pre-prepared meals.
CSPI’s standards are adapted from those developed by the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, a coalition of some 300 health and nutrition organisations in the USA. The organisation states that its standards represent a compromise approach. They allow for the marketing of products that may not be nutritionally ideal, but that provide some positive nutritional benefits that could help children meet the US Government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The 367 products included in the study were bought from a national supermarket chain stocking 50,000 food and non-food items in December 2005. Each had to meet very specific criteria.

“We included food products and packaging that were presented in such a way that children were the clear target audience” explains Professor Elliott, whose research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. “They included products that promoted fun and play, had a cartoon image on the front of the box or were linked to children’s films, TV programmes and merchandise.”

Each product was subjected to a 36-point analysis that included the nutritional content and how the packaging was designed to appeal to children and their parents.

Key findings included:

  • 63 per cent of all the products surveyed made some sort of nutritional claim, including 62 per of the products that could be classed as poorly nutritious, due to high levels of sugar or fat or sodium. A low percentage (eight per cent) carried some kind of nutrition mark or seal. Other claims included that products were low fat, a source of calcium, contained no artificial flavours or colours or provided a number of essential nutrients.
  • Products with high sugar levels accounted for 70 per cent of the goods with PNQ. Despite this, 68 per cent included some sort of nutritional claim on the package, such as a source of whole grains, source of iron or low in fat. Cereals and fruit snacks were particularly likely to make nutritional claims and have high levels of sugar.
  • Just under 23 per cent of the products had PNQ because of their high fat content. Yet 37 per cent had some sort of nutritional claim on the package. For example peanut butter mixed with chocolate claimed to be a “source of six essential nutrients” and a pizza product claimed to be a “source of calcium”.
  • High sodium levels meant that 17 per cent of the products analysed were classified as being of PNQ. Despite this, almost 34 per cent made some sort of nutritional claim on the package. Crackers and pizza products were among the worst offenders.
  • A fifth of the products featured a cartoon image engaged in some sort of healthy physical activity on the front and a quarter showed these on the back or side of the box. Activities included skateboarding, basketball and biking.

“Assessing the levels of sugar in the selected food products was a methodological challenge, because milk sugars and fruit sugars occur naturally in foods” says Professor Elliott. “The Nutrition Facts label only displays total sugars and the quantity of added sugars is not always provided by the manufacturer.

“This means that the percentage of foods categorised as poorly nutritious due to high levels of sugar is higher than it would have been if information on naturally occurring sugars had been available.”

The problem of accurately separating figures for quantities of natural and added sugars in manufactured products has also been encountered by other researchers and acknowledged as an issue by CSPI, so it is not unique to this study.
“Despite this, the findings still give us cause for concern” says Professor Elliott. “While caregivers are likely to purchase products that they hope their children will like, it clearly can result in a less nutritious diet than they may realise. Having a healthy diet is especially important given the current rates of childhood obesity.”

Excess body weight affects up to 35 per cent of children across Canada, the United States a
nd Europe and is linked to a range of health problems including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and some forms of cancer. Overweight children can also suffer from psychological and social consequences because of their weight.

Professor Elliott believes that policy attention needs to be directed towards the nutritional claims made by products aimed at children and the images they use to sell the products.

“If a parent sees a product that makes specific nutritional claims, they may assume that the whole product is nutritious and our study has shown that that is definitely not true in the vast majority of cases” concludes Professor Elliott. “Using cartoon characters engaged in sport can also create the illusion of a healthy product.”

Journal reference:

  1. Elliott et al. Assessing ‘fun foods’: nutritional content and analysis of supermarket foods targeted at children. Obesity Reviews, 2008; 9 (4): 368 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2007.00418.x

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Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

Taking a Summer Break from ADHD Meds

July 16, 2008

Summer is a perfect time for kids to take a break from their ADHD meds. Some experts feel that taking a medication vacation when your child is heading off to summer camp can be problematic. This is because with psychotropic medications like ADHD drugs and antidepressants, symptoms can get worse when you stop the medication-even worse then they were when you first started the treatment.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  If you start working with a qualified and licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor experienced in treating ADHD without psychotropic medications, then you can start naturopathic  treatment before taking your child off the medication, making the transition to a medication-free holiday a smooth one.

Some of the foundational natural medicines I use in practice when helping children get off of their prescription medications include:

  • Digestion and Absorption of Nutrients
  • Immune Support
  • Full Spectrum Antioxidant, Alkalizing, Daily Detoxification
    • ½-1 scoop of ITI Greens Formula in juice or water. *Note- can mix with Coconut Milk Powder if desired to improve taste
  • Multivitamin-Mineral
    • 1 scoop of Spectrum Awakening, three times daily, away from protein food. Can be mixed with juice or applesauce.
  • Neurological Support

    • Learn more about ADHD and how to treat the underlying cause of this condition by clicking on the links below:

    Whole Food Nutrition for ADHD

    Nutritional Treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: The Hype and the Hope -A Review of Current Research

    –Dr. Gina

    5 Comments | ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Childhood Nutrition, Latest Nutritional Research, Naturopathic Medicine, Nutritional Supplements and Disease, Orthomolecular Psychiatry, Pharmaceuticals | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
    Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

    Cholesterol Lowering Drugs for Kids?

    July 9, 2008

    The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a new recommendation on Monday that statin medications should be used in some children to help prevent heart attacks later in life.  And many pediatricians are furious at the Academy for making this recommendation.

    High cholesterol, even when it runs in the family, can be lowered to a level that reduces heart attack risk..without taking a statin drug.  There is also no proof that statin medications prevent heart attacks in children.  And even in adults, we know that people who take statin drugs get heart attacks and people who do not take statin drugs get heart attacks. Furthermore, statin medications deplete the body of heart protective nutrients such as CoQ10. They also block the formation of essential hormones that are important for lifelong health.

    As a doctor who treats children, it is concerning that the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a statin medication, Pravachol, in children without evidence of the safety of using the medication at a young age, before the hormone system has fully matured.

    Simple changes in diet and lifestyle are a wise first step towards preventing heart attacks later in life, especially for children.  Here are some basic steps to take:

    • Remove ALL trans fatty acids from the diet. This involves reading labels and looking for the words “partially hydrogenated oil,” “hydrogenated oils,” or “trans fatty acids.” Even if the label says “zero trans fats” there can still be trace amounts found in the product. So read the ingredient list before offering the food to a child. Hydrogenated fats increase your risk for heart disease and heart attacks and also damages blood vessels.
    • Limit sugar intake
    • Include one serving of raw vegetables or fruits in every meal. When you look at a child’s plate, there should be something raw on that plate- whether it is apple slices, salad, carrots, or any other raw fruit or vegetable that the child will eat.
    • Encourage at least 1 hour of physical activity per day
    • Teach children how to handle stress in a healthy way. Set aside one hour of stress-relieving activity per day-through quiet time away from computers, TV and video games. Activities such as yoga, playing with an animal, or spending time in nature are all proven methods to relieve stress.
    • Have your child evaluated for nutritional deficiencies by a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor.  Nutrient deficiencies like Vitamin D3 and Omega 3 Fatty Acids can increase a child’s risk of heart disease.

    In the spirit of doing what is in the best interest of our children…

    –Dr. Gina

    3 Comments | Childhood Nutrition, Diet and Disease, Latest Nutritional Research, Naturopathic Medicine, Prevention | Permalink
    Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

    Vitamin D Levels in Mom Affect Dental Health in Child

    July 8, 2008

    Canadian researchers at the University of Manitoba presented the results of the first study ever done to evaluate the impact of a mother’s vitamin D status during pregnancy on the dental health of her child. The researchers analyzed the vitamin D status in 206 pregnant women in their second trimester and found that only 21 of them had adequate vitamin D levels.  Vitamin D levels were related to prenatal vitamin use and consumption of vitamin D rich foods. The infants born to mothers with low vitamin D levels had an increased risk of tooth enamel defects and early childhood tooth decay.

    As a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, I see pregnant women and test them for their vitamin D status. Oftentimes their levels are low and they are placed on a prenatal nutritional program that includes supplementation with Vitamin D3, above and beyond what is in their prenatal vitamin.  I also encourage them to spend 10-20 minutes in the sun, with their bellies exposed, per day.  Sun exposure can increase vitamin D3 levels in the blood however some women lack the appropriate enzymes necessary to convert sun exposure into adequate vitamin D in their bloodstream.

    Food sources of vitamin D can be difficult to find and to consume on a daily basis. Cod liver oil, egg yolk, and foods fortified with vitamin D are the most accessible to women. The flesh of fish such as salmon and tuna are also rich sources but I do not recommend that pregnant or nursing women consume these fish due to their high concentration of heavy metals such as mercury.

    This research was presented on July 4th, 2008 at the 86th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research. It was funded by the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, the Dentistry Canada Fund, the University of Manitoba, and Dairy Farmers of Canada.

    To learn more visit the International Association for Dental Research.

    -Dr. Gina

    Leave a Comment » | Childhood Nutrition, Diet and Disease, Latest Nutritional Research, Naturopathic Medicine, Nutritional Supplements and Disease, Pregnancy | Permalink
    Posted by Dr. Gina Nick

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