The Power of Nutrition: Children
Please note that this section contains my personal notes from my readings on this topic.
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Little changes in childhood make a difference; big changes in adulthood are needed to compensate for little nutritional mistakes in childhood.
– Disease-Proof Your Child (2005) by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D.; page 94
The vast majority of adult cancers are avoidable if an excellent diet is begun and maintained from early childhood. Unfortunately, pediatricians and family physicians rarely discuss diet with parents, encouraging the perception that what a child eats does not matter. Parents also are uninformed that following an anti-cancer diet can free their children from repeated trips to the doctor, endless courses of antibiotics, and the curtailed living that comes from being frequently sick.
– Disease-Proof Your Child (2005) by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D.; page xx
In the last thirteen years of my nutritionally oriented family practice it has been exceedingly rare that I have had to pick up a prescription pad. When put on my program of nutritional excellence, most of the children who had taken medication in the past no longer require it. I saw remarkable outcomes, watching young children recover from common illnesses such as:
- Asthma and allergies
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Constipation and digestive disturbances
- Ear infections (otitis media)
- Eczema and other common skin diseases
- Frequent illnesses and infections
Do the foods that protect against adult diseases like heart disease and cancer… protect against childhood diseases as well — especially those like colds, flu, sore throats, and earaches that seem to come from school? Read [Disease-Proof Your Child] and you will find plenty of evidence that the answer is a resounding yes.
… For those parents who are beholden to getting a prescription for their children’s virus-induced colds and sore throats and earaches, a dietary remedy may come as a surprise. Making simple changes in the child’s diet and lifestyle often can do more than pills and do it more safely. A good diet often solves both the immediate illness and, even more important, keeps future illnesses at bay. Eating the right foods has far-reaching benefits, one of which means much less dependence on drugs.
Remember that old adage: “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Dr. Fuhrman is making the same point — in his case, with lots of evidence. The excessive use of antiobiotics is a good example. These drugs are being substantially oversubscribed, about ten times too much. Sadly, too many people still seem not to know that antiobiotics don’t work on viral diseases. This often does nothing for the illness but only leads to the development of antiobiotic-resistant organisms that can cause a more serious problem in the future. Dr. Fuhrman also presents evidence that excessive use of antibiotics can lead to more problems, such as an increased risk of asthma and allergies.
Dr. Fuhrman’s recommendations are simple yet profound. “Eat the right foods and avoid physicians, medications and remedies” as much as possible.
– T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.,
author of The China Study and Jacob Gould Schurman
Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell Univeristy
in Foreword section of Disease-Proof Your Child
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The information contained throughout this blog / website should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician / physician.