The relationship between children and food is a tricky one with all the sensitivities and allergies of today. Children are being born with allergies from the get go, whilst others develop them before their fifth birthday. There has been much speculation that some of the culprits are vaccinations, foods we are eating and toxins we are coming into contact with during pregnancy.

It has also been stated that there is a relationship between autism and food especially as scientists have now found that there is a direct link between the neurological and immune systems. The first protocol for some, especially in the USA is to put children on the autism spectrum on a dairy and wheat free diet to alleviate some of their symptoms for it is believed that autism is an allergy to gluten and casein.

In his book’ Mother and Child’ Jan de Vries a well known naturopath, talks about children who attended his clinic as patients with autism, allergies and hyperactivity.
In the cases of autism he always recommended a diet free of gluten and casein alongside nutritional supplements and homeopathic remedies.
With regards to hyperactivity he talks about many triggers for children such as additives,  preservatives, phosphates and sulphites.
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Additives such as flavouring and colouring have had a bad press for a long time, but seem to have been addressed by some companies.  Certain sweets and candy now have only natural flavours and colours, obviously in response to people’s avoidance of said products.
I know the food our kids eat definitely affects their mood for I have seen my children’s behaviour change just on consuming too much sugar or junk food. 
You can find lists of additives which are deemed harmful by the FDA online. I personally try to avoid giving my children additives as much as possible.

It is not just foods that contain additives. Certain brands of antiseptic cream contain additives that are linked to hyperactivity in children and some toothpaste also contains similar ingredients. So if you are a parent of a child who is highly sensitive then it may be worth looking at these types of products also.

It is strange that some children can eat almost anything without the slightest bit of difference and others seem to react to everything and anything. Whether it is the ingredients that really are the culprits or we are becoming more sensitive to what we are consuming and coming into contact with no one knows for sure. It is not possible to avoid everything that is harmful to our children. The best option is to introduce a healthy diet and be conscious of anything that they have an adverse reaction to.

So many children are being sent for assessment at school for their behaviour. Perhaps some do need therapy or medical help, but for some a change of diet and some nutritional input may be all that is necessary. Diet and nutrition should definitely be looked at in all cases of children struggling on any level. The food we feed our children does play a major role in their overall well being and their diet can certainly compliment any other help or treatment they may be receiving. It is true what they say, that ‘food is medicine.’

Children are our compass, they point us in the right direction. Currently that direction is one of choosing to eat healthy foods, life giving foods, organic foods and accepting nothing less.  If we give them less they do not function optimally. They are showing us the way forward and inadvertently prompting us to re-evaluate our beliefs, eating patterns and lifestyle.

My six year old daughter told me the other day that it didn’t feel right when she ate something that used to be an animal. I asked her if she would prefer not to eat any more meat or fish, she said yes.  I wasn’t surprised as my son also said the same thing a few years earlier when he was five.  I felt proud of my children for listening to their inner voice which was telling them not to consume these products as it was not in alignment with who they are.
I am sure it's not an easy decision to make. For my kids like many others love to eat out at restaurants and enjoy the odd happy meal from a particular establishment.  I don’t think they want to give up the consumption of burgers or hot dogs just the ones that are prepared with animal products.

What does that even mean being in alignment with who they are? It means that they are still dancing to the beat of their own drum and only do what feels good to them. This is something I nurture in them as it's important for their sense of self and spiritual growth. 
It is easier to be in alignment with who we are at a young age as we are not long here on the planet and still quite close to where we came from.  As we get older we twist and bend to conform to societies rules and slowly over time can lose a sense of the person we came here to be.

Vegetarianism is nothing new; people have been choosing not to eat meat or animal products for decades. There seems to be a surge with it now as a large supermarket has just announced they are expanding their vegetarian range to include full vegan choices.  Most people that choose to become vegetarian do so when they come of age, start thinking for themselves or go off to university, but children as young as three now are refusing to eat meat products for they are beginning to make the connection between the food item and the source.
I was so inspired by my children’s choices I decided to have our first meat free Christmas just past and it felt really good.

My kids are also taking more of an interest in what they are eating, where its grown and how it is prepared. They acquire this information from the many media outlets available to them. My nine year old son has elected to cook dinner one night a week. He is really enjoying the process as its encouraging him to try new things and experiment a little with ingredients.

I believe that children born today are more intuitive and tuned in to their true self. This means that their vibration is pure which can lead them to push boundaries, not conform, not eat meat, and have sensitivities to foods and even energy itself. This is because they do not want to accept anything less than what they think is right for them.

A lot of today’s food is intensely farmed, genetically modified, mass produced, and full of additives, pesticides and hormones so it’s no wonder that food related allergies and illnesses are a part of many peoples’ lives regardless of age.
Given that humans are of a higher vibration, we naturally reject chemical injected toxic foods which are of a low vibration. We thrive with high vibrating foods that are locally grown, organic, in season and fresh. There’s surviving and then there’s thriving. Research your food.

Not every parent needs to turn their family into vegetarians, nor are the families that are vegetarian the only ones that are in tune with their true selves.  Each person will find the thing that helps them be their true self. For some this will be clean eating for others it will be growing their own, connecting with nature, meditating, being kind to animals, speaking up for others, human rights or being a caretaker for the planet.

In order to set a good example for our children we must be true to ourselves first.

If you wish to explore some vegetarian recipes for your family follow the link below.
https://naturallyella.com/21-kid-friendly-vegetarian-recipes/

I want to look at healthy eating for children but thought we should take this back to what may be the key point  for our offspring in terms of nutrition as it doesn't begin the day they are born, but the day we decide to conceive. We are told to get our bodies ready by eating healthily, exercising, cutting down on alcohol and taking vitamins to maximise our chances of conceiving and be in optimum health for pregnancy.
Our babies are being nourished from day one in the uterus so this may mean that even the foods we eat during pregnancy have an impact on the development of the foetus and our body certainly lets us know if there is something the baby needs in the form of cravings. It’s not just physical nourishment its emotional too for it has been said that the unborn can take on the emotions of the parents especially the mother at a cellular level.
I remember when I was pregnant spending those first weeks scrolling through articles and websites looking for information on what to and what not to eat during pregnancy. There was and still are so much information out there and some of it conflicting, I personally found it overwhelming and at times confusing.
I think the only thing you can do is to be as informed as possible and then make the best choices for you and your baby which will also depend on where you are geographically, what your personal, religious and societal beliefs are.
Some people will choose to stay away from stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding, some won't. Some will choose not to eat meat and foods with antibiotics, chemicals, additives and hormones and some won’t.  Some parents will vaccinate their kids, choose elective C sections and or birthing drugs and some will not.
Do any of these affect the unborn child, well yes there is the term foetal alcohol syndrome and it is known that smoking can cause low birth weight, but no one knows for sure in regards to the others what does and does not cross the blood brain barrier but there are studies carried out and articles written in response to many of these issues if you wish to delve deeper. 
I wish I knew more when I was pregnant than I know now I would perhaps have made a few different choices, but like all parents I did the best I could with the information I had at that time and I think that is all you can do as a parent.
Soon after my first child was born I came across a wonderful book titled 'Mother and Child 'by Jan de Vries it was a follow up to his book 'Pregnancy and Childbirth'. It touches on many things from vaccinations, breastfeeding, nutrition, ADHD, additives, phosphates and often serves up alternatives to the general route taken. Whilst both books may be a little dated now they are definitely worth a read for anyone who is, or is thinking of becoming a parent.

21st Century kids are the children of now. In this blog I am going to look at what its like to parent these kids. I myself am a mother of two who is finding that each day comes with  new adventures and challenges.

Today's children are under an overwhelming amount of pressure as they are constantly being  compared to each other, monitored, and assessed. With spectrum disorders, food allergies and sensitivities,therapies,play dates and after-school clubs, its exhausting just thinking about it.
I found the first few months of motherhood complicated and confusing as there was the vaccination debate and I like many other mothers didn't know what was the safe and sensible thing to do.
Many children don't have the freedom to play outdoors as much as we did when we were kids and certainly not as freely as every activity is strictly monitored and tightly scheduled. Their world is bombarded with technology, WiFi, too much choice and over stimulation. 
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As I navigate the minefield of parenting in this new age I will be sharing the many aspects of my journey with you where we will be delving into topics such as home education which is hugely on the increase, food sensitivities and nutrition. 

In the month of January we will be looking at the relationship between kids and food.

​Check back in a few days for my next blog on healthy eating.