mood disorders Archives - Epidemic Answers

Functional Nutrition for Anxiety with Andrea Nakayama

We interviewed Andrea Nakayama of the Functional Nutrition Alliance about the use of functional nutrition for anxiety. JAMA Pediatrics estimated in February 2019 that 7.7 million U.S. children (16.5%) have at least one mental health disorder. Anxiety is a large component of most mental health disorders. Although mainstream medicine may be quick to either say “it’s all in your head” or to prescribe an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication (which can be very dangerous to children), the truth about anxiety can be a far deeper issue. By looking at results of specialized testing for root causes of a disorder – known as functional medicine – a clearer picture may arrive as to the origins of anxiety. Research scientists are discovering that inflammation and nutritional deficiencies are key contributors to anxiety. Common nutritional deficiencies in a person with anxiety are: Magnesium Omega-3 fatty acids Vitamin D Lithium orotate (a naturally occurring mineral, not the pharmaceutical prescription) Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants B…

Neurotransmitter Imbalances

Neurotransmitter imbalances are common in mood and behavior disorders such as: Bipolar disorder Depression Anxiety Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Pyrrole disorder Eating disorders Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) ADHD/ADD Schizophrenia Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Addictive behaviors Many children, especially those on the autism spectrum, also experience: Mood swings Anxiety Self-stimulatory behaviors Aggression Depression Anger Irritability Self-injurious behaviors One way to really understand what is going on neurologically with your child is to test for different biochemical imbalances that which can help you determine where the issues are and how to nutritionally correct them. It is important to note that neurotransmitter imbalances often begin in the gut, both because intestinal microbes play a critical role in the production and metabolism of neurotransmitters, but also because nutritional precursors to neurotransmitters are derived from the gut. If your child is exhibiting mood or behavioral symptoms, the first place to look is the health of their gut and the composition of their diet. Below are…

The Epidemic

The epidemic means that least 54% of U.S. children have a diagnosed chronic health condition such as an autoimmune disorder, neurodevelopmental disorder or mood/behavioral disorder. Why? Why does 1 in 12 children have an anaphylactic food allergy? Why do almost 10% of kids have ADHD? Why does at least 1 in 8 children have asthma? Why does 1 in 36 children have autism? It wasn’t like this when we were kids ourselves. School nurses’ offices weren’t lined with epi-pens and inhalers. We didn’t know anyone who had autism; now, almost everyone knows of at least one kid with it. What changed? We’re here to help you find the answers to these and similar questions. Root Causes When our own children were younger, we often wondered if other children had as many diagnoses and were on as many medications as ours were. We, too, wanted to know why our kids were so sick with conditions like acid reflux, failure to thrive,…

Soft Signs of a Compromised Immune System

We interviewed Beth Lambert and Patricia Lemer about soft signs of a compromised immune system, which are red flags of your child’s health. Soft signs are symptoms that affect the immune system. Typical soft signs are: One or two red cheeks after eating Chronic runny nose or cough Chronic mouth breathing Recurrent ear infections Chronic or recurrent sinus infections Cradle cap Dark circles or bags surrounding the eyes Colic, excessive crying or irritability in babies Chronic constipation or diarrhea Food sensitivities, intolerances and/or allergies These soft signs indicate that the immune system is dysfunctional, which can happen for many reasons such as birthing practices, antibiotics, diet and toxicity. Soft signs often precede more complicated diagnoses such as: Autism ADHD Allergies Asthma Autoimmune disorders Developmental delays Dyspraxia and apraxia Failure to thrive Emotional, behavioral and mood symptoms Learning disabilities PANS/PANDAS Sensory Processing Disorder Speech and language issues Because these symptoms many times precede these diagnoses, it indicates that even neurodevelopmental disorders…

The Importance of Preconception and Prenatal Care

We interviewed registered dietitian Vicki Kobliner about the importance of preconception and prenatal care in the age of chronic childhood diseases. Because Vicki works with many children with autism, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders, her passion is educating potential mothers about preparing their bodies for conception so that their children don’t end up as another statistic in the growing epidemic of chidren’s chronic diseases and disorders. Over 54% of American children have some form of chronic illness, whether it’s autism, ADHD, allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders, mood disorders, diabetes or obesity. When that many kids are sick, it’s time to take a look at helping potential mothers understand that their toxicity, gut dysbiosis, nutritional deficiencies and stress responses can get passed onto their children. Please note that you will be asked to enter your email address at the 30-minute mark to finish viewing the video. About Vicki Kobliner MS RDN Vicki Kobliner is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist with over 20 years of…

Environmental Medicine for Healing Children

We interviewed John Green MD about environmental medicine for healing children from chronic disorders such as autism and ADHD. Dr. Green has evaluated and treated more than 3,000 children with autism spectrum disorders from all over the world. In his work with autistic children, he looks at: Diet and nutrition Toxic load factors Allergies and sensitivities Hormones Psychological influences such as stress Find out the role that these factors play in your child’s autism or other chronic health disorder and what you can do about them by listening to this webinar. Please note that you will be asked to enter your email address at the 30-minute mark to finish viewing the video. About John Green MD During the early years of his practice, Dr. Green trained in holistic medicine and environmental medicine, becoming a charter member of the American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA) and obtaining board certification in environmental medicine. Since the beginning of his practice in 1975, he has…

PANS and PANDAS

We interviewed Lauren Stone about PANS and PANDAS, neurological disorders characterized by OCD, tics, regression and emotional lability that are caused by pathogenic infections in the brain. Consider that your child may have PANS or PANDAS if they have sudden onset of the following conditions: OCD Anxiety Depression Emotional lability Irritability Aggression Oppositional behavior Behavioral regression Developmental regression Deterioration in school performance Severely restricted food intake Sleep disturbances Tics Sensory or motor abnormalities In this webinar, Lauren Stone educated us about what causes PANS/PANDAS, what the difference between the two disorders is, and what parents can do to get help. You can find Lauren’s PANS and PANDAS presentation here. Please note that you will be asked to enter your email address at the 30-minute mark to finish viewing the video. About Lauren Lee Stone PhD MS HHP Lauren Lee Stone is a nutritionist and holistic health practitioner who uses BioEnergetic Medicine as a healing modality. Lauren came to BioEnergetic Medicine in…

GAPS Intro: How to Get the Whole Family Started

We interviewed Melanie Christner, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, a Certified Healing Foods Specialist, and a Certified GAPS Practitioner, about the GAPS intro diet. Implementing a gut-healing diet is crucial for recovering your child from autism, ADHD, allergies, asthma, chronic ear infections, eczema and more. Gut-healing diets help to eliminate pathogens in your child’s gut, and doing this can lower inflammation, strengthen the immune system and increase nutrient availability. The Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet is a gut-healing diet that can help disorders stemming from or exacerbated by leaky gut and dysbiosis including: ADD/ADHD Autism Sensory Processing Disorder Addictions Depression Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Celiac disease Rheumatoid arthritis Type one diabetes Crohn’s disease Asthma Eczema Allergies Thyroid disorders Learn how to implement the first phase of the GAPS diet in this informational webinar. You can find Melanie’s handouts below that she mentioned in the webinar. GAPS Protocol Constipation Menu GAPS diet full food list GAPS diet intro steps How to talk…

Non-Pharmaceutical Treatment of Lyme Disease and Co-Infections

We interviewed Lee Cowden MD, internationally known Lyme specialist, about the non-pharmaceutical treatment of Lyme disease and co-infections. Consider that your child may have chronic Lyme disease if he or she has: Fatigue Headache Joint pain Muscle pain Sleep issues Cognitive problems Behavioral problems Neuropathy Depression Anxiety In this webinar, well known Lyme specialist Lee Cowden MD taught us about ways to treat Lyme disease and its co-infections without the use of antibiotics. Chronic Lyme disease can appear without the classic “bull’s-eye rash” or even a tick bite. It can even be passed from mother to child. Because Lyme disease affects the neurological system of the body, it can be common in children with: Autism ADD/ADHD Developmental delays Sensory Processing Disorder Learning disabilities Autoimmune disorders, especially Rheumatoid Arthritis Visual-processing issues Speech and language disorders Behavioral disorders Mood disorders PANS/PANDAS You can find Dr. Cowden’s presentation Non-Pharmaceutical Treatment of Lyme Disease and Co-infections here. Please note that you will be asked to…

Three Myths About Healing Diets

We interviewed Jess Sherman, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, about three myths about healing diets and how to focus on what really matters. You may have heard that changing your child’s diet can help them calm down, focus, learn better, sleep better and feel better. Maybe you’ve tried gluten-free or GAPS or Paleo, or maybe you’ve been scared away from this approach or aren’t sure if it’s worth it. In this webinar, holistic nutritionist and author Jess Sherman cleared the confusion and explained why food is such a powerful tool and how to avoid getting confused by contradictory information. Jess explained away the three most common misconceptions that discourage families from exploring food as a tool. She also helped us understand how to leverage four nutritional concepts to help kids self-regulate better. This webinar will be helpful to you if you are a parent or practitioner new to the idea of using food as a therapeutic tool or if you’ve been at…