Information and articles on kids nutrition pediatricians from the blog of GetzWell Pediatrics, a pediatrician group in San Francisco.
Information and articles on kids nutrition pediatricians from the blog of GetzWell Pediatrics, a pediatrician group in San Francisco.
As natural medicine pediatricians we can’t overstate how critical good nutrition is for building healthy bodies and brains. However, we also recognize that hectic lifestyles and the convenience of packaged foods are real-life challenges to feeding your kids unprocessed, whole foods.
Last month we alerted you to the health hazards associated with conventionally farmed meat. In this post we’ll continue the conversation with a closer look at the role of genetic modification in farming methods and the potential health risks these practices have on your child’s health.
More and more people are ‘going organic’ these days as studies continue to shed light on the benefits of organically grown produce and meats. We’ve previously touched on this topic with respect to exposing your baby to fresh fruits and vegetables from the get-go.
But, when it comes to incorporating meat into your child’s diet, just how important is it to go with the organic option? The answer to this question is far more serious than you might think.
We’re all familiar with the old adage ‘you are what you eat’. Well, that’s not all. New studies shed light on just how influenced your baby is by what you eat, too!
This fascinating article from NPR reveals exciting research about how what you eat during your pregnancy can help shape your baby’s taste buds and flavor preferences.
“Eat your vegetables!” — a classic, and common plea from desperate parents to kids with turned up noses. And yet many could argue that our hectic lifestyles and the convenience of packaged foods have quieted this age-old battle.
I just finished reading How Eating at Home Can Save Your Life and am moved to share this striking article by Mark Hyman, MD, a brilliant and forward-thinking functional medicine physician. Most of you know that I have a passion for nutrition, gut health, and food as medicine, and many of you have chosen GetzWell in part because what is on your own and your child’s plate is very important to you. I advocate a whole foods, organic diet and encourage parents to offer a variety of colors and flavors in children’s diets as soon as babies begin to eat solid foods. Many of GetzWell’s kiddos shun juice, sweets and empty carbs preferring veggies and other whole foods, and they enjoy the fantastic health benefits that come from eating well.
Although Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are the most studied and diagnosed psychiatric disorders affecting children, there is still little consensus about the root causes of the disorders and their appropriate treatments. According to the CDC, almost 10% of all children in the United States have received an attention deficit disorder diagnosis. Treatment of the telltale symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders (including chronic inattention, frequent distraction, impulsivity, fidgeting and difficulty controlling behavior) now accounts for a significant proportion of all drug use in children between the ages of 4-17. In fact, there are now 17 different drugs approved to treat ADHD, contributing to a multibillion dollar ADHD industry. However, a new study conducted by Radboud University Medical School and the ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands1, presents compelling evidence that this blanket pharmacological approach to ADHD is misguided. According to Dr. Lidy Piesser, the author of the study published in last month’s The Lancet medical journal, up to 64% of children who experience symptoms of ADHD might actually be experiencing sensitivity to foods.
Most parents avoid letting their kids get involved in the kitchen because of the negative images they conjure up: giant clouds of flour, eggs smeared from one end of the counter to the other, peanut butter hair-do’s. However, a whole host of studies from organizations as diverse as the American Heart Association and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University strongly encourage parents to reconsider their children’s roles in helping to prepare the family meal.
We’ve answered a few questions you had about introducing solids to infants. See our answers in this post.
Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria and yeast that live in our intestinal tracts and help support not only good digestion and optimal absorption of nutrients but our overall health and well being. It sounds strange, but these single cell organisms affect us in ways we can hardly imagine and which modern science is now beginning to elucidate. Probiotics may help promote healthy mood, keep us from sniffling and sneezing, and bind toxins and heavy metals (like mercury) in order to better excrete these poisons. By the time we are adults, 3-4 lbs of our body weight is accounted for by these organisms alone! However, most of us in modern industrial society do not have an optimal mix of intestinal bacteria due to antibiotics, antacids, stress, lack of sleep, fast food, and hydrogenated oils, among other culprits.
Church Street Location
1701 Church Street (at 29th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94131
Union Street Location
1800 Union Street (at Octavia Street)
San Francisco, CA 94123
Monday – Friday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Some Saturdays
GetzWell Pediatrics - A pediatrician group in San Francisco, California, dedicated to providing thoughtful, progressive medical care in the Bay Area.
© 2023 All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy
