Health and Medical

There are at times when food and diet be the reasons for some stuff... it might just be that your boy is way diffrent than your little girl. I know fisrt hand, we had a girl first and when our boy came long I thought I was going to lose it with how much more engey he had, and outgoing... hope you find some good info that you are looking for... until then hang in there 4yrs old is a hard age... harder than 2

Hi, first off, let me tell you that i am in no way qualified by any degree to give advice. All i can say is that we (my husband and i) have done a LOT of research about diet and how it effects your mood/behaviors and obviously, health. We also have a dr friend who does studies on nutrition and has answered many of our questions. i don't know his site but if you google dr. john lawton (of oregon) you should find a bunch of info to help you.
We have found that what the body digests determines it's alkalinity (if you've ever owned a fish tank you know this term) and acidity. your body can't go beyond i believe, 7.3(too much acid) or you die. plain and simple. so veggies, most fruits and a few other things keep you more toward nuetral/alkaline. and protiens (ie meats, beans, grains) put you towards acid. the thing is, your body will try to over compensate for a bad diet for a long time...eventually you develop health problems (ie weight issues, heart issues, some people say diabetis as well, but i don't know.) so the point is, your diet deffinatly affects your mood in that if your system is off balance, you don't feel as well and thus, might be crankier, or more depressed, or sluggish, or even more hyper (depending on the food) When your system is balanced, you're healthier and feel better. Sorry if i've confused you, our dr. friend is quite a bit better at explaining all this than am i, but hopefully that helped some:) good luck!~gen

My mom was experiencing the out-of-control behavior with my little sister, 8, and brother,6. She checked into the Feingold Diet also called the ADHD diet. It helps you take out of your diet preservatives and artificial colorings, etc, that can affect behavior. There's so much more to it that I couldn't possibly tell you everything so you should look it up online. Google feingold diet and that will lead you where you need to go.
She definitely noticed a change in their behavior. She also didn't tell their teachers at school that they'd changed their diet and was getting comments on how well they were behaving.
Good luck and good for you for looking to other answers instead of medication right away!

Check out Kim John Payne's Simplicity Parenting. I recommend his 2 disc audio on Simplicity parenting that you can order on line. Cutting our sugar and processed foods are a definite must too.

Mr Payne's website: http://www.thechildtoday.com/

In the simplicity parenting, Kim John Payne talks about simplifying your child's world to avoid ADD etc. Have 1 book they read, 1 special toy, if they have a busy, stimulating day, make sure the next day is a calm day (take them out to the woods, for a walk). definitely no TV.
Light a candle at dinner, make it a ritual. Mr. Payne has had AMAZING success with helping people in your exact situation.

Hi M.,

I would deffinitely try to reduce his sugar intake, and maybe even check into allergies if you think his behavior is extreme. Also, if you are having a hard time getting your son to eat balanced foods, I would recommend a cookbook I received recently called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, created mainly for moms who struggle to get their kids to eat right. These recipes include vege & fruit purees, whole grains, & are low in fat. I made a delicious gingerbread spice cake that had whole wheat, 1 cup of broccoli puree and 1/2 cup carrot puree but you would never have guessed. If you're an Oprah fan, this book is endorsed by Dr. Oz. It may not be a cure but could at least be a step in the right direction.

Good luck!

D. C.

The best way to identify diet issues is to keep a food log. Write down what and how much he eats/drinks and his behavior. It will become apparent in a couple of weeks if there is any problems. There are individual food alergies and then there is gluten(any white grain) and milk/cheese/yogurt.

Four year old boys are NOTHING but energy - especially outgoing ones! I wish I could bottle my four year old's energy and sell it, because I'd be a millionaire.

I'd suggest the book "Emotional Intelligence." It's great about describing different personality types and how best to motivate and mold them.

Hi M.,

I can sure relate! I am 46 with an 8 year old girl and a 6 year old boy and He needs much more activity, has much more energy and much less attention span then my girl! I home educate and also have a great husband. We have found nutrition and supplementation to be a huge help in our home not only in terms of overall wellness (my children no longer deal with 2 mo. of seasonal allergies in the spring) but also focus and attention. The nutritional supplements we use are in shake form and the children happily make themselves a shake twice per day. I will be upfront and tell you that we have made a home based business (which we love), helping people achieve better wellness for their families. We just educate people about what these products do, with no pressure or obligation. If you want to learn more let me know. In any case I encourage you to see what nutrition will do - it has made a great difference for us! My phone number is ###-###-####.
M. F

Check out Usana Health Sciences

Hi M.--nutrition and diet could definitely be playing a huge role in your son's behavior. I give health/wellness seminars that mainly focus on the foods we eat and should eat, how they effect our bodies especially our digestive system,as well as several of the diseases/behavioral disorders that are being linked to poor diet, toxins in the body, preservatives etc., along with information on supplementation versus pharmaceutical. This seminar is about an hour and a half, with a real nice powerpoint presentation that was created by a Naturopath, Dr. Sheryl Duchess N.D. I will be having a seminar up at the Top Foods in Snohomish the 26th of March at 6:30 pm. I am not sure where you are located but I can also do these seminars anywhere; workplace, your home, library etc. I also have lots of testimonials of parents dealing with similar situations that have had great success with diet changes and supplementation. Feel free to call me or email, I would be more than happy to give you more info and help you with the research. ###-###-#### ____@____.com
Sincerely, M.