Re: Starting Over with the Family Diet, also craniosacral therapy

[Guest guest]

Kathy, i wonder if they don't just start getting really picky at that age.

My dd sure the hell is and is almost four now. I think she only eats less

than six different foods, unless they come from 7-11. I don't think you can

change a child's diet overnight at that age. As my diet improves, so does my

dd's. It is very, very gradual so she doesn't notice it, but it has

significantly improved. I don't even try to attempt a perfect diet because i

live in an intentional community and she eats complete and total crap at

other people's houses. I've just gotten to where she doesn't get any crap

from me since i know she'll get it elsewhere. I have made an announcement

that sugary foods affect her in a very negative way and left it up to people

to do what they will from there. I think it helped. As for picky eating,

read the book " parenting your spirited child. " Picky is just a personality

trait. As for the sugar beast, i have found the better my dd's diet has

gotten, the less she has thought to ask for sweets. When she does, i have

dates, raw honey sticks or some nice fruit. I try not to be too rigid.

Elaine

[Guest guest]

We have had positive experience with cranio-sacral. In infancy-

toddlerhood my daughter had chronic repeat ear infections, after a

series of cranio-sacral adjustments (and finding some powerful

Chinese remedies) she experienced only 2 ear infections in the next

2 years (from 8-18 months she had no less than 10 infections,

probably more, but I can't remember right now).

Recently the ear infections came back, and we took her to an amazing

cranio-sacral practitioner (a physical therapist) who did some

adjustments. She was like a different kid afterward, and her health

improved markedly. Unfortunately, last week she hit her head very

hard on the playground, and now on that side she is experience

plugging of the ear, mild intermittent ear pain, she is moody,

testy, sensitive again...so back to the PT!

For what it is worth--I found that Sheedy-Kurcinka's book _Raising

Your Spirited Child_, while helpful, did not touch the full picture

of what we were living with. We found the book _The Out of Synch

Child_ perfect--and when I hear about kids who are extremely picky

because of food texture I have to wonder about sensory issues.

The good news is that there is something that can be done for these

kids, the younger the better. Diet is a big piece; we had an OT

tell us that any identified allergens would certainly make my

daughter's sensitivities and behaviors more intense, not to mention

the health aspects. My daughter also craves sugar, but we do

monitor her diet closely, making sure grains, proteins, and as much

vegetable matter as we can get her to eat are in balance. Fats are

not such a problem, as she freely consumes these. She is getting

more cultured foods these days, and think that really helps too.

I haven't read the carb addiction book mentioned, but I am thinking

of Weston Price's book showing all the photos around the world of

various peoples who were hooked on the foods of modern commerce,

denatured flours, sugar, etc. I think sugar is addicting, and for

me personally I don't have a sense of balance. I'm fine until I

start eating sugar and then I can't guarrantee when or if I'll be

able to stop, and I'm an adult--I expect my child to have even less

restraint with something so addicting that tastes good! When I

start wavering in my resolve I find it helpful to simply cruise the

pictures in _Nutrition & Physical Degeneration_, it's very sobering!

We do monitor sweets, starches, etc. very heavily, and perhaps

overly-rigid. But even our daughter (5 yo) is getting a sense of

the negative effects of sugar on her, as well as wheat. When she

gets enough time away from these foods then she can even see the

difference.

Diet aside, if sensory issues are something you are dealing with,

physical activity is a huge piece of the puzzle. All children need

adequate physical activity, and with our schools in the US in their

current state, many teachers are being pressured to cut recess (I

know, my dh is a former public school teacher--the only teacher in

his old school who ensured his kids got full and often extra

recess!), which is already diminished from what it was 20 years

ago. But for kids with sensory stuff going on this is torture--we

have to supplement our daughter's regular playfilled life with

weekly time on a trampoline, as well as making sure there are as

many opportunities to swing and climb as possible. These aren't

just frivolous play activities, they are therapeutic and necessary--

when I think about it like that it makes it easier to say yes to

extra trips to the park, set up a ladder so she can climb a tree,

etc.

I know I am ranging far and wide on this, but your post struck a

chord with me. I have often wondered if a NN list for parents would

be useful!

Cheers, Leann

PS In December I wrote about the resurgence in dd's ear infections--

we discovered the source and a cure. We think exposure to mold

caused the ear infections, which were always preceded with itchy

ears. She is now using a hydrastin, vinegar, zinc ear drop weekly

and more as needed. We have increased the presence of cultured

foods in our lives. We also found coptis and andrographis helpful,

along with a tincture of chrysantehmum flower, vitex fruit,

agastache, angelica, forsythia fruit, lonicera, xanthium root,

paeonia, coptis & licorice (marketed by Wild Oats as " kids ear

health tonic " ). We also got ahold of a sonographic ear check meter

which can measure fluid levels in the ear--we begin treatment at the

first sign of fluid accumulating in the ears, before it reaches the

critical stages.

[Guest guest]

I try not to be too restrictive either. My four year old eats only what I

make her so no trouble there

(she's not carb addicted as I started her out on vegetables and protein as a

toddler and she prefers meat/game/fish over breads/muffins etc..) My son also

prefers proteins. My older 2 prefer carbs and it's a big problem as they now

have acne.

My 8 year old BTW has had a pretty severe allergic reaction to something he

was given at school to eat. They eat a communal snack and I had to tell the

teacher he needed to bring in his own snacks from now on. He's been home all

week

(his face blew up and has been bright red , now he's covered in dry scaly

skin) It looks like DH to me. Another one with gluten sensitivity.

Elainie

[Guest guest]

hi kathy!

yay for you!! i think what you're planning is so spectacular! if you need

any help or encouragement please feel free to contact me off list (or ya

know. all of us on list!)

i have two thoughts - the first is that now that you know the answer, of

course you'll want to fix everything NOW. trust me, been there i think

you'll have more success though if you move in a process. each week set a

few goals for yourself and just worry about those things. once you've got a

month behind you, you'll be amazed how far you've come. i'd also recommend

that you make your additions before you make your subtractions, and

remember to make new things run...(i have lots of suggestions on this if

you need them!)

second - about your inlaws. ya know, i was REALLY scared about this for our

family too. i was shocked though at what actually happened: i talked to

them with conviction about what we are doing, and i gave them a copy of the

book. we do not go to their house at all, for exactly this reason: there

are things at their house that i don't want in my daughter's life right now

- but we let them come here frequently. we don't let them bring food. we

explained that amber is celiac and what that means, and we patiently

explain the reason for all the changes we're making, and the health

problems we are avoiding by making them. lo and behold? they're

*converting*!! in fact, my f-i-l called the other day to say that he

realized that his shampoo was full of chemicals and he wanted to switch,

and what should he get?

so...yeah. maybe it won't be so bad. i think for us the key to the success

was CONVICTION. (well, that and the fact that they absolutely know that we

won't let them be a part of amber's life if they do things that undermine

our parenting.) it's not perfect, and i still totally would not leave amber

unattended with them, or take her to their house, but they have chosen to

learn our way and are really getting into it.

good luck! keep us posted!

katja

At 09:51 PM 4/29/2004, you wrote:

>I'm also wondering how I'll handle the in-laws and their inevitable

>opinions and

>the fact that their house is full of crap-food, and my son knows it. I

>could ask

>that they come to our house instead, though we usually do all the travel.

>(20-30

>min.) Maybe if I made the point that I'm trying to change his diet and

>don't want

>to test him or my own weakness, they'll change things at their house.

>We'll see.

>They are great with him and love and treat him dearly, besides on the food

>issue.