Balance the Body, Balance the Brain
Too often we tend to focus on the top of the pyramid - academics, when the bottom is shaky. For most children whose bodies are off, this is the place to begin. There is increasing research that nutritional deficiencies, overload of toxins, immune disregulation and gut imbalances affect the brain and make it hard to learn. Until their bodies come into balance, it can be hard for kids to focus in class or put sounds and letters together. We need to rebuild our children’s bodies from the bottom up by addressing systems that are off, bringing down inflammation and calming their nervous system.
Paradigm Shift: From Genetics to Epigenetics
From this perspective, genes are influential but not determinative. Environment (the food we eat, the toxins we are exposed to, the stress we are under) can turn on and off our genes. In our modern industrial society, we are surrounded by an unprecedented number of chemicals, consume diets of highly processed food, excessive sugar, factory farmed animals and extensively sprayed crops. These create a toxic load on the body which can make it hard for systems to work.
An epigenetic perspective brings hope as we can work with our environment. By making lifestyle changes, parents can work to restore their children’s health and bring vitality to their bodies and brains.
A Multi-factorial Approach
Enables parents to look upstream, figure out which body systems are out of balance, and make lifestyle modifications. By looking for causes and imbalances instead of just attending to the symptoms downstream, parents can develop a richer understanding of their child’s struggles and work to restore their health. In this light, symptoms are clues to upstream answers. For many of these children there are common underlying imbalances: The Microbiome, Nutritional Deficiencies and The Immune System.
