Our brain and our digestion, our gut health and our biochemistry, are all interactive, and it is sometimes difficult to get a full resolution of a client’s challenges without also acknowledging the importance of digestion, gut health, and biochemistry. And we know that many of our children may have started out with very poor nutrition, or lots of toxic exposure, or rages when they are given non-dairy or non-gluten options (because they are addicted to gluten and casein).
However, the reason we do not make this a central part of our programs at Developmental Movement Consultants, despite a vast knowledge of these health factors, is that each child is so unique. A GAPS diet, which emphasizes proteins over carbohydrates, would have been disastrous for one of my clients who can digest no more protein than that found in one egg white a day, after which his system shuts down. Others have developed ammonia toxicity from digesting a lot of protein because their particular neurology does not process the ammonia out of their bodies efficiently,
On the other hand, I will certainly make mention of looking at a child’s nutrition to the grandmother who brought her child’s “breakfast” with him to their first of the day appointment, a meal of chocolate milk and cocoa puffs.
As our wonderful practitioner in Massachusetts, Sargent Goodchild, has said, “You can’t make a brain cell out of Cheetos.” So, we always want to be aware that a developmental integration program should be accompanied by a diet that supports the child’s optimal health.
For every child this may be quite different, and I always suggest a thorough analysis of diet when that seems to be part of the cause of a child’s issues. But since some children cannot tolerate protein, others are sensitive to gluten, or dairy, or both, it only makes sense to me to refer those children to someone who can give them detailed feedback about what is optimal for THAT CLIENT.
Those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of the gut as a “second brain”, please know that critical neurotransmitters are produced in the gut, and poor gut health can cause tics, sensory overwhelm, rages, and any number of other difficult symptoms.
If this is a concern for you or your child, please contact me for a referral to the best nutritional advisers I have found.