Thursday, April 14, 2016

Childhood Nutrition with Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD-Part I

In our office, we welcome, celebrate and nurture children! If you haven't seen Dr. Holstein's daughters in the office, you definitely haven't been in for a while! Dr. Holstein and I are both very passionate about working with children, and we both have had training in specifically evaluating, diagnosing, and correcting pediatric spinal misalignments. Chiropractic adjustments for children and infants are much more gentle and look very different from adjustments required for adults. In our tiniest patients, we don't use more pressure than you would to touch your eyelid!

It is important to note that (as so wonderfully written by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association): "The purpose of chiropractic is to find and reduce stress and interference to the nervous system, allowing the person to experience greater function and an overall improved quality of life."
That being said, here are some of the conditions that have been researched in conjunction with chiropractic care for pregnancy, infants, children, and adolescents by the ICPA:
If you have been into my office lately, you probably have read this sign. The statistic came straight from the CDC (Center for Disease Control)!

I will write more about ADHD in detail another day, but right now we're going to take a look at some specific thoughts about nutrition.

First and foremost, there is an growing database of research in the medical community suggesting that dietary modifications, particularly the removal of certain foods, are important in the treatment of ADHD and Autism Spectum Disorders (ASD), as well as seasonal and chronic allergies.

The most commonly discussed foods are gluten (from wheat), casein (from dairy), food coloring, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Recently, additional foods have been identified as irritants, including soy, corn, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, and food preservatives such as benzoates, nitrites, nitrates, sulphites, sorbates, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), EDTA (disodium ethylenediamentetraacetic acid), bromates, carageenan, chlorines, sodium erythrobate, and many others.

 The bottom line is, if you can't pronounce it, it more than likely should not be in your food.

 For any parent, these modifications may seem daunting at first, particularly if you are accustomed to eating the standard American diet. The good news is The Frank Clinic of Chiropractic is here to help! Our doctors and staff try to eat clean whenever possible, so we are familiar with shopping, cooking, and even dining out around these restrictions. If you haven't yet read any of the recipes on this blog, check them out! Something you would like to see or need help with? Post a comment below or send us an email.

The key is to make small, consistent changes every day which will add up to a significant change in your family's overall health. You have the power to change your family's future, let us help you get started!

Yours in health,
Dr. Chelsea

*Any health topics that are covered should not be considered medical advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor or make an appointment with us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or are pregnant or nursing.*
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Location: Frank Clinic of Chiropractic

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