FOOD & MOOD⁣

⁣Our Naturopath, Dr. Ashley Nelson, being a new mom, can totally relate to the food/mood issue. ⁣

⁣Children and teens are impacted by what they eat in more ways than one. Common mental health concerns can be related to nutrition in a number of ways:⁣

nutrient deficiencies (not having enough)⁣

nutrient dependencies (needing extra of certain nutrients)⁣

food sensitivities (an immune reaction to foods causing mental health symptoms)⁣

gut dysbiosis (having too much of the bad bacteria and not enough of the food) ⁣

blood sugar issues (having too much sugar, not eating regularly enough, being prone to low blood sugar)⁣

Food sensitivity testing, and elimination diets can be good ways of testing the role of various foods and their impact, but you can also start even more simply by focusing on:⁣

whole foods (skipping or limiting items if you don’t understand ALL the ingredients on the food label)⁣

reducing sugar intake (juices, pops, baked goods, candies, cakes etc) can still enjoy at times but try and boost their fruits and smoothies and natural sugars.⁣

aiming for more than 2 colours on the plate per meal ( this can be a fun way to get kids interested in incorporating more fruits and veggies on their plates) ⁣

Try, try, try! It can take kids up to 10 or more times of trying a new food before they like it. Pick one or two new fruits or veggies to try over the next month or two!⁣

⁣Book an appointment with Ashley today!⁣