Kids' Virtual Nutritionist For ADHD & Picky Eating
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  • Home
  • About Me
  • Picky Eating Coaching
  • ADHD Nutrition Coaching
  • group program (ADHD)
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • 💔 I know it’s hard when your kid’s a bit di 💔 I know it’s hard when your kid’s a bit different. 😧 I remember watching my daughter in preschool and thinking “oh no, she’s so different from all the others” 😟 She doesn’t like it when the preschool crowd goes wild - she hides in a corner. 🫤 She doesn’t respond when kids ask her questions - she thinks about it until they walk away. 😤 She’s soooo volatile when I pick her up from school…and she never had tantrums before. As an already anxious mom - who was dealing with PPMD and caring for a toddler, it took a toll on my mental health. Desperate for a calm and happy kid, I decided to homeschool. Why? 👉I thought I should be able to help my own child. I assumed it was “my job” to make things better. For a while, I loved it, but eventually it took over my life. I ended up resentful and anxious - I finally sought help. 🤔 One of my psychologist’s insights was “you’re stifled - you need to get out of that house”. 😞 That hit hard. I didn’t want to feel stifled by my kids. I wanted to feel joy and gratitude. Things needed to change. I spent months intentionally preparing her for “normal” school - socially and emotionally. I enrolled my younger daughter in preschool. I enrolled myself in Nutrition school. I sought help wherever I could find it and accepted guidance and advice. My life today is drastically different from 6 years ago. I feel confident as a parent. My daughter has a great support system and a close group of friends at school. If you’re overwhelmed by a kid who’s a bit different, look around you. Do you have a village - or are you trying to do it all solo? Despite those social media posts of “doing it all and loving it” moms, it does take a village…or it takes your sanity. 🥹 Finding my village has allowed me to experience joy in my kids that I never imagined was possible 6 years ago. I want you to feel that joy. If you feel like you’re solo on this parenting journey, click follow. I’d love to be part of your village. 💕
    😷 Being sick all the time isn’t “par for th 😷 Being sick all the time isn’t “par for the course” when you’ve got kids. When my eldest was a toddler, I was shocked at how sick some of her friends were. 🤒 Colds bled into one another, 💊 Antibiotics were taken just months apart, 😪 These kids were knocked on their diaper-y butts for days. Despite the constant “well, that’s the norm with kids” narrative I kept hearing, I couldn’t fathom how we would’ve evolved to be so sick all the time. It didn’t seem natural to me. 🧐 My science-y mind got the better of me and I started down a rabbit hole. 💣 Turns out, your kids don’t have to be sick all the time. And it’s certainly not normal. When they’re depleted of certain nutrients, they’re more likely to get sick. And unfortunately, most of us aren’t eating the most nutritious foods nowadays. I was lucky to discover this early. I’ve used supplements since my daughter was a baby. And, I’ve restricted processed and high-sugar foods to give their systems a break…yes, sugar beats up our immune systems pretty badly. 🔥 And my kids get sick FAR less than their friends, and FAR less severely when they do get sick. At age 11, my eldest has only been on antibiotics twice…even my doctor thinks that’s strange. And that’s not ok. 😳 Our health professionals should know that being sick all the time isn’t a normal childhood. 🚩 It’s a huge red flag. If your kid is sick all the time, it might be time to get onto an immune-building supplement routine. My pantry is always stocked with the nutrients that get eaten up by colds and flu: Vitamin D @kidstarnutrients Iron @kidstarnutrients Vitamin C @kidstarnutrients Zinc @orangenaturals What does this have to do with ADHD? Lots. When those nutrient levels go down, so do your kids’ ability to learn, focus, and regulate themselves. Need more tips on how to keep your kids in tip-top shape so they can focus on learning and socializing, not when their next “medicine time” is? Click follow. And no, I don’t work for Kidstar - I just think they’re great 👍
    The other reason September can bring worse ADHD sy The other reason September can bring worse ADHD symptoms: Germs 🦠 I posted 2 weeks ago about back-to-school stress and sleep deprivation causing ADHD symptoms to flare. Did you know colds and flus can impact symptoms too? Why? Aside from the obvious: feel crappy = act cranky/disobedient, colds and flu eat up the same nutrients that our brains need to function well. For example: 😠 Zinc = crucial for both immunity and emotional regulation 🤓 Vitamin D = essential for fighting germs and focus and impulse control 🤔 Iron = activates the immune system and cognitive function 😃 Protein = needed to make antibodies but also raw material for dopamine and serotonin Now is the perfect time to start bumping up these nutrients in your kids’ diet or supplementing if their diet is lacking…both to reduce how sick they get and to knock the wind out of their inattention & dysregulation. Need more info on nutrients for immunity? Join me and @inventivekidz tomorrow at 1:00 pm EST for a free workshop on how to naturally reduce colds and flu in kids. Register at the link in their IG bio @inventivekidz
    😯The biggest trigger for picky eating is feelin 😯The biggest trigger for picky eating is feeling a lack of control. Peaceful, positive family meals are possible when we respect our kids’ need for some control…without giving them all the control. ✨3 easy ways to help kids feel control that can reduce picky eating: 🥬1. Provide 2 options when it comes to meals/snacks. Rather than saying “What do you want for lunch?” ask them to choose between 2 options like “Would you rather have salad or veggie sticks with your lunch?”* *Remember to let them know they don't have to eat it, but they're more likely to eat it (or at least try it) if they choose it. Plus, repeat exposure = bigger chance they'll eat it one day. 📆2. Allow them some control over their schedule. When something needs to be done regularly (like homework), give 2-3 feasible options for when to do it (right after school, before dinner, after dinner). Even if you think it’s a bad choice, try it out! Give honest feedback and let them learn that it’s ok to change times if it’s not working. It’s better they learn from their choices than get told “That’s a bad idea”. Plus, you never know…I can’t tell you how many times a parent has told me “I thought doing it before bed would be a nightmare, but he’s doing it every day and not complaining!” ←he’s doing it because he chose to do it 👏 💯3. Ask kids for help - find something they could realistically do (even if it's not done perfectly!) and ask them to take over that chore. Give options here because “choose a chore” is too general. Listing options like “set the table, empty the dishwasher, water the plants, bring in groceries from the car” will work best. When kids feel more independent and in control, you’ll see a shift in every aspect of their lives, especially picky eating!🎉 For more tips on how to tackle picky eating without bribing, threats, or nagging, click follow.
    🚫Have you hit any of these roadblocks when you 🚫Have you hit any of these roadblocks when you try to crush picky eating? ➡️ “Just make them eat it” - well-meaning relatives who think you should just let the kids starve if they don’t eat what you offer…or promise ice cream whenever they clean their plate. This approach might get food into them but it’s causing 2 problems: A) Teaching them to ignore hunger cues and stop eating when full (which leads to overeating and a negative relationship with food) and B) Teaching them that ice cream is king and “regular food” is gross; something they need to “get through” before being rewarded. Our goal needs to be enjoyment and acceptance of all types of food if we want kids who will eat a balanced meal (even when no one’s looking) beyond childhood. ➡️Ups & Downs - So many things impact progress - 2 biggies are increases in stress and decreases in feeling in control. Parents find these regressions the hardest stage to get through and often give up. Having clear guidance to help tweak things to get through that messy middle will boost success every time! ➡️Not knowing the specifics: “So, what exactly do I offer? When? How much? Etc.” ←Verbatim question from an assessment call I had yesterday! They say the devil’s in the details and 100% of parents I support are overwhelmed by details like “how much broccoli on the side of the pasta?”, “how much rice do I let them eat?” “how long before dinner should I allow snacks?”. The answers are never one-size-fits-all because everyone’s kid has a different schedule, activity level, personality, and behaviour challenges. A trained expert can save you time and get you to success quicker by filling in all those annoying details for you. Why spend your nights Googling for answers when there’s so much to watch on Netflix 😉 😞 It’s hard for me to watch parents struggle with picky eaters because I know they feel like they’re failing. 💯 If your kid’s picky, you didn’t fail, you’re just missing a few tools to help you raise an adventurous eater without bribing, nagging, or threats. I’d love to provide the tools to bring peaceful, positive meals to your dinner table 🙂 Book your free assessment call (link in bio)
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    • COPYRIGHT © 2023 SHAWNA HUGHES NUTRITION.  TORONTO KIDS' NUTRITIONIST.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. HEADSHOTS BY JIBBER MEDIA.  FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS BY LUCY TRAN PHOTOGRAPHY. THEME BY LAUNCH IT