Functional Nutrition and Learning for Kids

I am in conversation with Robin Green, an expert in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, as she shares her knowledge and experience with Ear Seeds, a non-invasive, pain-free acupressure technique that can benefit children with Down Syndrome, Autism, ADHD, and other disabilities. 

Discover how Ear Seeds can help alleviate symptoms such as anxiety, focus and memory issues, pain, digestive problems, and weight loss, without any side effects. 

Robin explains how Ear Seeds work by stimulating specific points on the ear that correspond to different areas of the body, and shares how children can even learn to activate their own parasympathetic nervous system by pressing on their ear seeds when needed. 

With the Ear Seeds Ambassadors Club and a comprehensive learning track on ear anatomy, parents can empower themselves to support their children's health and wellness. You can find this at https://www.thriveearseeds.com/ .

Tune in to this podcast to learn more about how Ear Seeds can provide a natural, holistic approach to helping children with disabilities live their best lives.

If you are new to the world of Functional Nutrition / Learning, or simply want learning strategies for your child with disabilities, download my free ebook at www.functionalnutritionforkids.com/learning

You are also invited to leave me a review at www.ratethispodcast.com/vaish

When your child learns in a Neurodivergent way - whether they have ADHD / are Autistic / have Down Syndrome, it is highly unlikely that a structured school environment that teaches concepts step-by-regimented step is working out for them.

If you find your child stuck - learning the colors, learning the alphabet, learning numbers, it may be time to branch out. 

And by branching out, I mean dismissing the notion that addition is some sort of holy gateway to math. Move along the way of non-linear education - an interest based technique that allows your child to be a curious and effective learner.

This podcast is a short dive in what Non-Linear Education means.

If you want to learn more about non linear education, you can sign up for my course at www.functionalnutritionforkids.com/nonlineareducation

If you want to hear about the journey of non-speakers, the movie SPELLERS will have its grand premiere very soon. Keep your ears tuned!

Is it Sleep or is it ADHD? You could really ask that question a million ways … Is it Blood Sugar Balance or is it ADHD? And so on… And it is likely both.

The name of a collection of symptoms is different from the cause of the symptoms. 

In Functional Nutrition and Learning for Kids we look at the Ins and Outs of Learning and Brain Health. What comes from the inside - nutrition and gut health, and what comes from the outside - learning skills and educational strategies.

Sleep comes from both the inside and the outside, making it on of the most critical things in learning. Sleep Disorder and ADHD in Kids can have so many overlapping symptoms, per today’s guest Dr. Meghna Dassani.

And if you think your child is sleeping well, please think again. 

Dr. Dassani packs a lot of information in this podcast - you can reach her at www.meghnadassani.com

“LIfe outcomes are poorer for kids who are not good readers” - says today’s featured guest Dr. Marnie Ginsberg. The truth of this statement is profound for neurotypical kids. Unfortunately, most kids with Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, or Autism are not even allowed to become good readers or to access material that is age appropriate. 

In episode 106 - we go into one specific area of Reading Comprehension - Cracking the Code.

Dr. Marnie Ginsberg, Founder of Reading Simplified, is a reading difficulties detective who streamlines the science and art of reading instruction so teachers can rapidly learn effective techniques that help students accelerate to grade level and beyond. She also helps translate the latest understandings from science into practical, easy-to-implement activities. You can find Dr. Ginsberg at www.readingsimplified.com

If you have concerns with Reading Comprehension for your child, I have 4 strategies in a free download for you at www.functionalnutritionforkids.com/readingtools

Did you know that there are almost 120,000 published papers studying Magnesium in Pubmed, and 150 of them just study Magnesium supporting hyperactivity. 

Over 300 study the effects of Magnesium and sleep and over 2000 publications study Magnesium and depression and it goes on. In fact last I looked, you could type in Magnesium and ANYTHING and you’d find a study for it.

But should you do Magnesium Glycinate or Magnesium Sulfate or Magnesium Citrate 

Today’s guest Laura Collinwood, Registered Nurse and Holistic Health Coach, talks to us about the importance and all-pervasiveness of Magnesium - the different types and when and why they are important.

Magnesium can be a phenomenal support for Autistic people in that it supports anxiety, hyperactivity, constipation and sleep - symptoms that often co-exist. 

To know exactly what forms to use and where (a sort of bullet-point summary of this podcast) get your Magnesium Toolkit here: 

https://www.functionalnutritionforkids.com/magnesium

You can also reach Laura and her fantastic Magnesium Products at https://www.health-and-wisdom.com/ - Coupon MAG10 will give you 10% off.

I am chatting with experienced Special Educator Ange Anderson. And this is a unique episode in that it ended up being a pretty exhaustive list of various sound therapies that Ange has used over the years and has found to be impactful in improving her students’ regulation. 

Among other things we talk about:

Sound Baths

Music Therapy

Auditory Integration Therapy, etc. 

I often talk about 6 things you can do to start impacting learning right away - and these are in my free ebook - www.functionalnutritionforkids.com/learning. To this, I would add Auditory Integration Therapy as a 7th.

Here’s a link to Ange’s book

If you enjoyed this podcast, please do drop a review! 

What’s common between Salads, cold milk, and lack of sleep? Nidhi Pandya, Ayurvedic Practitioner explains that every one of these can lead to increased Vata which is a common core of most neurological issues. 

Join me as I discuss how and why thousand year old Ayurvedic frameworks are still relevant today in treating diseases and dysfunction, that may never have been discussed in ancient times.

We discuss:

• Why Ayurvedic principles still work today
• Gut Health per Ayurvedic dosha type
  
• Why today’s kids are a Vata generation
  
• 8 steps for an Ayurvedic lifestyle that can help kids with Autism, ADHD or neurological issues.

You can reach Nidhi at 

https://www.instagram.com/my_ayurvedic_life/

https://nidhipandya.podia.com/decode-digestive-disorders

Nidhi talks about gut health in this podcast. If you want to get started on Gut Health basics for your child with Down syndrome or Autism, hop on to www.functionalnutritionforkids.com/guthealth and get your free guide.

“When we have trauma patterns in our nervous system, the only possible outcome are behaviors that come from a trauma place.”

Today’s episode is all about TRAUMA and the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Until this episode, I freely admit that I might have had a misunderstanding of trauma as an event, as opposed to an experience. Dr. Aimie calls it as anything that leaves a lasting effect on the body.

Whether you have experienced Trauma, or care for someone who may have experienced Trauma, I hope this episode steers toward an understanding of Trauma and How to Unravel it. 

You can reach Dr. Aimie at https://www.traumahealingaccelerated.com/ and find the 21-day Journey she recommends. 

If you are finding this podcast valuable, I would deeply appreciate a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/vaish

Do traditional systems of medicine align with modern understanding of disease? The one question on my mind has always been that a lot of the disorders and dysfunctions we see today are rather new, at least in their extent and prevalence. How do Ayurveda or Chinese Medicine provide us with answers?

Also, how far do we feel comfortable veering from traditional food practices, and moving away from foods like wheat and dairy, that were once considered nourishing?

KP Khalsa, herbalist, nutritionist, yoga teacher and educator answers these questions in this episode.

KP has an exclusive free gift for our listeners at

https://go.internationalintegrative.com/natural-solutions-for-autism/

Did you know I taught the binary system of numbers to my son when he was maybe 9 years old. Not only that - at the time he could go back and forth between the binary and decimal system for small numbers. 

The twist is that my son has Down Syndrome, is Autistic and non-speaking. But I wouldn’t classify him as a genius.

Over years I have worked on and refined a process that I call Non-Linear Education - that I have used to help my son overcome barriers - both imposed by society and sometimes by his multiple diagnoses. 

In this podcast, I talk you through the 7 steps involved in teaching complex math (or science) to your child with Autism or Down Syndrome or other disability. 

Download / Print the 7 steps at www.functionalnutritionforkids.com/binary

If you have enjoyed this podcast, I would love it if you could leave a review wherever you are listening!