You are what you eat

Whether it’s mood, behaviour or learning, Shepparton naturopath Phillip Chua says food can make all the difference to children.

When it comes to an overall philosophy for healthy eating habits for children, Phillip said to aim for “less out of a packet and more fresh food”.

“When we process and manufacture food for a longer shelf life we lose a lot of the nutrient benefit and we lose a lot of the stability and the intuitiveness of what nature put into the food,” he said.

“Yes, it might take more time to prepare tangibly, because people count every minute they’re in the kitchen, but they don’t count the amount of time they spend at doctors and specialists fixing the problems eating the wrong foods can create.”

Phillip said the benefit for parents taking the time to prepare fresh food was a “more grounded, well-balanced, emotionally resilient child”.

His focus is not just on a treatment approach for the child, but re-educating families how and what to cook.

“It’s one of the skills you give to kids that they enjoy for the rest of their life.”

For some children, meal times can be trickier — with food intolerances or allergies to consider.

Phillip said on top of testing for those foods that don’t agree with your child, healing and repairing with what food they do and don’t eat can help get the tummy back on track.

“Mental fog is a common term that can come across as learning disabilities, troubles with mood and concentration ... and comes predominantly from a tummy that’s not functioning well.

“A lot of parents aren’t aware how much impact the food they feed their kids makes.”

For more information, contact Phillip Chua at philthenaturopath@gmail.com or phone 5831 2934.