The processed food industry ensures that its products are expertly marketed. Unfortunately, processed food is loaded with addictive salts, fats and sugars. Children growing up eating processed food increases the risk for all sorts of disorders from hyperactivity to heart disease. They have more problems in school and in their social behaviour, but it is hard to change kids and even harder to change parents.
Dr Carissa Doherty ND and her sister Sonya Doherty, ND opened The Natural Care Clinic in Burlington in 2005. Their approach in treating chronic illness has become world-renowned drawing patients to the Natural Care Clinic from all over the world. She has a special interest in treating ADHD and Autism in children.
Key Take-Aways
- Trust The first step in successfully designing and implementing a treatment protocol for a child and their family is to establish a relationship built on trust. It is easier to build trust when a practitioner is able to see the family regularly. This can be through in-person or virtual visits. The more radical the intended intervention, the more important it is to take small steps in the beginning to build trust.
- Commitment = Rapid Change We almost always find that when parents commit 100% to a change in diet, physical changes in the child can be seen within a few weeks. Within two to four weeks the practitioner (or support staff) can tell whether the family has adhered to the diet by the behaviour of the child in the waiting room.
- Won’t Eat? When we tell parents exactly what their child must eat, they want to know what they should do if the child won't eat it. We recommend letting the child go to bed without having to finish their plate, as there is often a transition period into a new diet. Kids rarely stop eating altogether.
- Timing For children under three months, changes in diet can produce changes in health and behaviour within six to twenty-four hours. For older children, we have seen changes in the digestive system in 24 to 48 hours. We certainly see a reduction in constipation, hyperactivity and other symptoms of ADHD within two weeks. Within two weeks we see a new child. One who is returning to normal healthy behaviour.
- Food Sensitivity Children do have real issues with certain foods. They will react very quickly when those foods are put back in their system. They will know immediately that certain foods make them feel unwell. This is an example of a child taking responsibility for their own health and understanding what might have happened to make them feel awful. A wide range of behaviour issues can result from the digestive system that can be corrected quickly through improvements in diet.
- Supplements We also want to consider supplements in addressing dietary issues in children. It is appropriate to emphasize vitamin D, probiotics and essential fatty acids. It is important to add the fish oils, as fatty acids help cell membrane repair and recovery. Generally, we do not use a lot of multivitamins for kids because the right blend of foods will provide the daily requirement.
Key Quote
“Much food is synthetic. It acts like heroin in the brain. And it's not necessary for overall growth. We don't need synthetic food for growth, and in fact, it can harm our kids in a huge way. They don't need a lot of processed food to have a physical effect. Even if you put a little bit of processed food into a little body, it's going to make a huge impact.”
“Our clinic is very strict on diet. We have a reputation. It's not necessarily a fun place to be.”
Dr Carissa Doherty ND
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