Children, diets and medication

I had a patient come to me recently for advice on her 8 year old daughter, who had been diagnosed with acid reflux and put on a strong regimen of prescription medications by her pediatrician. Additionally, her teacher suggested that she may have a hyperactivity problem and be "attention deficit".

Today, parents are being hoodwinked into the mainstream thinking that their kids could benefit from medications. In fact, a recent study done by Medco Health Solutions revealed that 1 in 4 insured children in the U.S. are taking prescription medication for a chronic health problem! For kids 10-19, the figure goes up even higher to 30%.

Some other staggering facts:

-girls aged 10-19 taking medications for type 2 diabetes has increased 200% since 2001

-medications for acid reflux and heartburn has jumped 147% since 2001 for adolescents.

-asthma and allergy medications have tripled in usage for kids 6-18

But if those numbers do not concern you too much, more than likely these will: In the year 2007 alone, half a million children and teenagers were given at least one prescription for an antipsychotic drug! This includes approximately 20,000 kids under the age of 6! These drugs are being handed out for symptoms of depression, anxiety and attention deficit disorder. These same drugs are given to adults for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Some common side effects with these types of medications include drowsiness, fatigue, increased appetite, upper respiratory tract infection, vomiting, coughing, fever, tremors, dizziness and urinary incontinence.

And you wonder why you have gone through 15 different babysitters in the past year!

On a more serious note, major side effects from these medications include permanent muscle tics, hormone disruption, high blood sugar leading to diabetes and sometimes even death.

As a parent or guardian, it's important to realize that the leading diseases today are diet related, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and yes, even cancer. To take a prescription medication for a lifestyle related condition can turn disastrous--it is not going to help your child in the long run and probably going to lead to harmful side effects.

So other than being a healthy role model for your child, what else can you possibly do? Here are a few starting tips:

-Start with breastfeeding (if applicable, of course) and avoid baby formulas as much as possible, especially soy formulas.

-Take a close look at your child's diet: Avoiding sugar and pasteurized dairy are great starts

-Get your child active. Get them outside at least 30 minutes per day for some form of exercise

-Toss out the electronics! That's right, I said it! Okay, let's be realistic..how about limiting computer, TV and video game use to only  1-2 hours per week. It CAN be done.  30 % of US children are considered overweight!

-Research vaccinations: Very sensitive topic but please do your due diligence on this.

-Avoid antibiotics and over-the-counter medications: Usually riddled with chemicals and toxins, your child's immune system needs to develop properly and treating a fever with this junk just suppresses the normal functioning immunity. The only time it may be needed is if a fever reaches 104 degrees or higher.

Don't follow this disturbing trend if your child's doctor is recommending a medication. Do the proper research and arm yourself with the proper questions before you take part in this. If your child is already on a medication, then you owe it to yourself and your child to take the proper steps in guiding them to live a natural lifestyle and not become dependent on any medication.

How diet and exercise influences your arthritis pain

Now that I am in my "early" forties, I am starting to experience the aches and pains that I have often heard from my patients over the years. While mine are minimal, for others the chronic inflammation of arthritic pain can be overwhelming and downright restricting.

I am definitely not big on prescription medications, unless absolutely necessary. So what other alternatives are there? 

Diet is probably the first thing that you need to look at followed closely by your exercise routine.

Hopefully by following these guidelines, you can begin your path in seeing significant changes in your pain and stiffness in as little as six weeks:

Eat spices and herbs: these are powerful antioxidants which help with reducing inflammation.  

Ginger is an extremely potent and powerful spice that has huge anti-inflammatory properties, as well as a strong antioxidant and immune system booster.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, garlic, turmeric, rosemary and basil are some other very important ingredients that can have a profound effect on the joint pain that comes with arthritis.  

Omega-3 fats: Getting enough of these good fats in such things as flax seed, fish or krill oils. Omega 3's stimulate the production of leukotrienes, which are compounds that inhibit inflammation.

Apple cider vinegar: has been shown to ease the effects of joint and muscle pain.

Chlorophyll: drinking green barley or wheat grass every day can assist in removing excess heavy metals from the joints.

Avoid the following: caffeinated beverages especially sodas, pasteurized dairy (milk, yogurt, cheeses, etc.),processed foods, refined sugars,alcohol,tobacco products.

There should be a fine balance in your diet--no extreme diets such as high protein, no carb, no fat. Remember, some saturated fats such as olive oils, coconut oil and animal fats (hormone, antibiotic free and grass fed, of course) are necessary for optimal health.

As far as supplementation, we have all heard glucosamine and magnesium can have beneficial results. Depending on the type of supplement, that may or may not be true. My belief with supplements is don't go overboard. Start with krill oil or good quality fish oil, use cod liver oil or coconut oil, take an enzyme supplement and also look for an oral chelation supplement to remove any harmful toxins in the joints such as aluminum or mercury.

As far as exercise is concerned, it's pretty simple. Don't stop!! I know that the pain with arthritis can be very painful at times, however, refraining from even gentle exercise can begin to have a profound effect on the way you feel. Things like Yoga, Tai Chi, are good beginning type forms of exercises. Brisk walking, swimming, aqua aerobics, stretching are also recommended. 

My recommendation is to journal your exercise routine from the very beginning and jot things down such as what you did, how did you feel during and afterward, the duration, how many sets/reps, and try to narrow down to what provokes,aggravates and alleviates the symptoms.

A final note is the importance of hydration. Whether you workout or not, this is crucial for cellular function.  Senior citizens are hospitalized today more for dehydration than any other condition and dehydration symptoms appear usually too late. Making sure that you are drinking at least a liter a day of good quality water is essential for joint and bone integrity.

Does it matter what time of day we exercise? Absolutely!

If you have been regularly exercising but still experience sluggishness, fatigue or those unwanted pounds are not coming off, you may want to consider when your workout time is. Recent research has shown that those who exercise first thing in the morning and before breakfast have had the most success with weight loss and overall good health. 

Why does this matter? Both exercise and fasting together will force the breakdown of fat and glycogen, which is essential for energy. The sympathetic nervous system plays a large role here because this system controls your body's fat burning processes and is activated by lack of food and exercising(this is what you want).

On the other hand, exercising after a meal will actually slow down the sympathetic nervous system and have the exact opposite effect on fat burning. 

Of course, I know there are some people who simply cannot exercise on an empty stomach, maybe due to blood sugar concerns. So what is the answer for them? If you absolutely need something before your workout, I would recommend a small protein shake with healthy fruits and a quality whey protein powder.

This can aid in increasing your metabolism and additionally help with muscle building. If you have an under active thyroid, this can really help boost your thyroid levels. 

Another big factor here in fasting (not eating before your workout) is the huge role it plays in fighting insulin resistance. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetic, you know that the regulation of your insulin levels are crucial. For that matter, even if you are not diabetic, proper function of insulin levels is extremely important for overall health.

In conclusion, what we eat or don't eat before a workout can have a direct effect on our workout performance. This is why I recommend not eating anything, if possible, to optimize fat burning processes. For me, working out first thing in the morning is the logical answer for maximum health. 
Working out first thing in the morning also let's us "get it out of the way" for the day. This way, there are no excuses that can pop up during the day to prevent us from hitting the gym later in the day. Also, drinking pure water throughout your workout is key and not "Vitamin water" or any other sugary energy drinks that can have very negative effects on the body no matter when you workout.