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How Processed Food Affects Kids - And What to do About it

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As a parent in America, you're likely aware of how popular processed foods are for both you and your kids. From breakfast cereals to soft drinks, many foods targeted at kids have added sugar, artificial coloring, and other food additives. While reading a nutrition facts label may be overwhelming with all of the added ingredients, have you ever wondered if the food products you're feeding your children are impacting their behavior, mood, or overall health? Emphasizing healthy snacks and fostering healthy eating habits can help reduce the side effects of processed foods, as certain additives have been linked to behavior problems. Choosing food without artificial dyes may also support better mood and focus in children. Why Are So Many Foods Processed? Processed foods are, by definition, any food that has been changed from its naturally occurring state. In fact, almost every food you eat has been processed in some way before you consume it. Food processing helps to ...
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Healthy Baby Secrets: Proactive Practices & Nutrients to Enhance Your Developing Baby's Health Prenatally

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When I was pregnant for the first time nearly a decade ago, I felt lost — even with my background as an integrative pediatrician. I had so many questions… • How can I optimize my baby’s health and development before she is born? • What are the best foods to eat and the most important prenatal supplement to take to enhance my baby's health? • How can I reduce the risk of pre-term labor? And so on. I also wondered why no one was there to guide me through the latest science on how to optimize my baby’s health, brain, and body starting before they were born. We know that our human blueprints for health begin before conception — but most women cannot book their first prenatal appointment until weeks later, well into their first trimester. As an integrative pediatrician, I knew that researchers were beginning to understand how to optimize a baby’s health prenatally and in early life. For instance, we know more and more about how to decrease the risk that a baby or child ...
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My Top 5 Tips to Optimize Your Growing Baby’s Health Prenatally

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  Get your vitamin D checked and the best prenatal vitamins accordingly if low. Low prenatal vitamin D has been linked to autism, impaired child language development, and preterm labor. Switch to organic food – or at least focus on eating organic from the Dirty Dozen list . Consuming foods with pesticides prenatally is thought to lead to decreased neuro-cognitive development in babies and children. However, when you switch to organic foods, pesticide levels in the body can drop dramatically in 1 week. Increase your omega-3’s through diet, the best prenatal supplements, or both. Research shows that babies of mothers who have the highest omega-3 blood levels at time of delivery display superior attention and focus at least up to 2 years of age. Eat probiotic-rich food, take a probiotic supplement, or both. The birth process plays an important role in the microbial colonization of a baby’s gut and is influenced by the composition of the mother's microbiome. A less tha...
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