NUTRITIONAL BALANCING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN

by Dr. Lawrence Wilson

All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

NOTES REGARDING HYPERACTIVE OR ADHD CHILDREN

In these cases, it is often necessary and safe to give larger doses of certain supplements that help control aberrant or anti-social behavior. These supplements include Paramin, above all. It may also include SBF Formula, or Stress Pak.

These are what we call parasympathetic supplements. This means they tend to calm the nervous system and relax the muscles as well. They promote resting, sleeping and have a generally calming effect.

The only problems one might encounter is that SBF, especially, and possibly Paramin may cause diarrhea if given in larger doses due to their magnesium content. More calcium can be given to counteract this to some extent, if it is needed.

SIMPLE MEALS FOR CHILDREN

Most children are very happy with simple meals. Parents often ruin this simple quality of children by insisting on feeding them fancy, spicy, salty and complex dishes and meals. This is not healthful for the children at all. A meal can consist of two or three simple, natural foods. It is wonderful to get children used to simple flavors and simple meals.

Of course, this usually means that parents should also eat this way and the children will follow naturally.

FOOD ALLERGIES IN CHILDREN

Many children have allergies or sensitivities to common foods such as dairy products, wheat, corn and others. These can play a large role in conditions such as autism, ADHD, chronic infections and others. Please always consider this possibility when designing children's nutrition programs.

How to handle food allergies. First, try to have the child eat only natural, simple foods, prepared at home, with no chemical additives and no added sugars, other sweeteners or especially no aspartame and other chemicals of any kind. This will take care of some food allergies, and will promote health in many ways. The main one, however, is it reduces irritants to the intestines and to the brain which can help a child heal on many levels.

Also, one should completely avoid wheat in any form, and perhaps even spelt, as these are pro-inflammatory foods today and much less healthful. Other foods that are less healthful may be eliminated as well, such as all soy products, all pasteurized, homogenized dairy products and most beef, white rice and all sugars in any form, even natural honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, rice bran syrup and other so-called natural sweeteners.

Often, getting rid of these natural, but lower quality foods will take care of most food allergies. If it does not, a simple method to figure out other food allergies is to ask the parents to carefully observe how behavior or other symptoms change after eating particular foods. Some will notice severe changes after eating cheese, soy or perhaps eggs, for example. Ideally, parents might keep a diary with the child’s diet of simple meals and behavior or other symptoms.

Another, somewhat more precise method to identify food allergies is to use an elimination diet. One feeds the child a simple diet of, for example, well-cooked vegetables with some turkey and blue corn chips or other starch for a week or so and notice if the child's symptoms improve. Then one slowly re-introduces other foods, one at a time, noting any changes in behavior or other symptoms. This is most easily done on very small children and those who are not fussy about food.

For more complicated cases or fussier children, food allergy testing may be required. It can be done through several laboratories. It is not 100% accurate, since any food that is eaten often may be reported as a problem. However, it is often helpful. Health insurance may help cover the cost, which is usually several hundred dollars or more.

Allergic foods should be eliminated for a few months, at least. However, the goal of nutritional balancing is to reduce all food sensitivities, eventually. This is done by eliminating a dozen or more toxic metals, replenishing minerals and strengthening the digestive system, in general to get rid of intestinal infections, ‘leaky gut’ syndrome or other digestive difficulties.

Also recall that much of the food today is of poor quality. What may seem like a food "allergy" can simply be that the child is reacting to chemical additives, infective organisms or other contaminants in a food. One brand of food may work better for a child than another. Organic food is almost always best.

FOUR LOW ELECTROLYTES AND CHILDREN

Four low electrolytes on a hair mineral analysis is a chronic stress pattern characteristic of adults more than children. However, this pattern is appearing more and more frequently in children's mineral analyses. This is not a healthful trend and correlates with increased illness and debility in children.

A common cause for the four low electrolyte pattern in children is stress due to an exhausted or stressed parent. Often, a parent of such a child will have the four low electrolyte "personality type". This is typically one who is driven, somewhat compulsive, exhausted and who worries a lot or who does too much mental or physical activity.

Most children emerge from a four lows pattern quickly. In a few cases, one may need to work with the parents along with the child on a nutrition and lifestyle modification program. This is the best way to achieve excellent results.

Other ways to influence the child to relax may be needed. These can include teaching a simple form of meditation to the child or using soft music, quiet reading, more naps and other methods to assist the child to relax and "put the adrenals to bed". Assisting a child to relax and slow down is needed to exit the four-low-electrolyte biochemical pattern.

HELPING CHILDREN TO TAKE SUPPLEMENTS

Children, especially young children, often do not swallow pills well. Instead, grind, crush or blend the tablets in a favorite food. It is usually excellent to grind up the entire day’s supplements, and then give half with a morning meal and half with an afternoon or evening meal.

Food with a strong flavor are often best to mix with supplements. These include almond butter, full-fat and preferably organic, certified raw yogurt, cheese or even milk, meat loaf, soups, or other strong-flavored foods. If none of the above work, one may have to use tomato sauce, or peanut butter, which are not foods that are recommended in nutritional balancing. Try to avoid using very sweet beverages for disguising nutritional supplements. Use these only as last resorts because of their sugar content.

Some people ask if they can just buy liquid supplements at the health food store. This usually does not work well because the formulas designed by Dr. Eck are superior and, at times, absolutely needed. Matching them with other brands of supplements is not often easy, and is often much more work to do it properly. Some day, I hope children’s chewable or liquid formulas will become available. In the meantime, I much prefer using the adult products in small amounts, ground up and mixed with foods.

SUPPLEMENT DOSING FOR CHILDREN

Children can usually do very well taking supplements only twice daily. This is mainly for convenience, because the lunch dosage is often difficult for children in school. However, in some cases a dose after school with a snack may be very helpful, for example if a child is hyperactive and the supplements will help him or her calm down. Lunch doses can also be arranged if needed with the school nurse.

IF BABIES AND CHILDREN SUDDENLY REFUSE TO TAKE SUPPLEMENTS

Always suspect in these cases that the program needs changing. Contact your Helper if this occurs.

REST AND SLEEP FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS

Most children require at lest 10 hours of sleep every single night. Do not allow children to stay up late and watch television or play on computers, for example. Most children need some exercise each day and plenty of rest.

GLANDULAR SUPPLEMENTS FOR CHILDREN

Most children do not need glandular supplements until they are at least 7 years old, or a little older.

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