Diet-related Conditions
Dietary Treatment Tools
Diet-related Conditions
Dietary Treatment Tools
Carine uses this framework in all the work she does with families; with infants, children and teens. Acting as nutrition educator, guide and supporter, Carine provides a range of resources and strategic tools selected or developed individually for each situation and family. She believes that food, feeding, eating and nutrition not only connects families in relationship but connects a child to their sensory and experiential learning, and biologically via interactions between the developing nervous system and the physical body. The structure and nurture of the gut microbiota is a key part of the developing immune system from birth, and strong foundations are laid down by natural childbirth and breastfeeding wherever possible. Alternatives to inheriting the natural microflora from mum following c-section, are beneficial and are something we can be working towards. Persistence to work at the edge of what society accepts as normal, is necessary to make positive change.
Structure takes a close look at the range of ways in which nutritional needs can be met, depending on food beliefs, traditions and/or dietary limitations. Which foods provide sustained growth and energy and which key nutrients are needed at different stages of child development? Structure focuses on provision and balance of macronutrients from protein, carbohydrates and essential fats, including the vital contributions of fibre and fluid. Those needs will vary according to the activities of the body. Micronutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium and a wide range of vitamins, are part of this story. How those nutrients interact with one another, and which nutrient partnerships maximise their efficiency or absorption in the body. Foods and nutrients play roles within the body and dietetics is the science of applying dietary change to help treat existing conditions. But also, what can arise when specific dietary nutrients are limited, and exploring how these needs can be met within limitations. The list is long of other key vitamins and micronutrients, and what jobs they do in the body. Carine provides an easeful way to understand meeting those needs and how to build a diverse diet, without having to digest a nutrition textbook!
Another aspect of structure looks at digestion, absorption, elimination and sensory processing. The health of the gut and the gut microbiota is a reflection of a child’s birthing and early feeding history, the exposure to antibiotics and experience of repeated illness; also to the older child’s established and habitual diet, the body’s rhythms, cycles and repeated challenges. Family history if also relevant, and any congenital or acquired condition. This structural information provides a unique story for each child, and is generally obtained during a first appointment, as the foundation of the nutritional assessment. For teens in particular, there is often further work to explore, as they work through the inevitable re-structuring towards making their own choices and taking greater ownership of their bodies.
Nurture is not only the act of providing nourishment; it is also caring, noticing, acknowledging, encouraging and reassuring. Most necessary in the interactions we have as parents, including the timing, tone and quality of those interactions. These foster healthy regulation for a child of any age, if this is the predominant quality of interaction. Often what is most helpful for parents, is the ability to manage their own responses and this is a skill that can be nurtured at any point in life. Parenting is the most rewarding and the hardest job, and so a range of supportive networks and ways to continue developing those skills is a great investment.
A nurturing tone helps when children are behaving in ways that are worrying or triggering – helping to reduce tension and strain, and fosters good relationships. Nurture is about learning to observe and respond rather than reacting without thinking.
Finding ways to be calm and attentive will assist parents in managing the moment, creating just enough space to choose how to respond. Longer-term it provides a valuable modelling, promoting emotional stability and self-regulation for children. Meditation or breath work is a great tool for this.
A parent’s ability to regulate their own emotions plays a significant role in their children’s ability to regulate theirs. Being or becoming more aware of your own feelings allows you to recognize how your child’s behaviour can affect your feelings, and learn to disengage negativity faster. Less yelling, and more listening, will help cultivate a better quality of parent-child relationships, and a higher level of parenting satisfaction.
Nurture is using tools like positive reinforcement or effective praise, naming, recognising and rewarding what children are doing well. Recognising the activity rather than the child, helps to demonstrate what is being done well rather than who is doing it. Promoting safe agency for teens whilst letting them know you are noticing and giving encouragement.
Boundaries are about keeping safe and protected and are helpful with children of all ages. They are very useful for parents too! They help define limits, what’s negotiable, what’s non-negotiable; what is within the range of comfort, and where the edge of that is. Boundaries can help to bring some clarity. Necessary also for creating the right conditions to work on making dietary change of any kind, boundaries can be when we say yes or no to something. How and when it is possible to work at the edge of the comfort zone in such a way that boundaries can be maintained? Individual by nature, boundaries are useful in a variety of ways towards acceptance, respect, negotiation, options, compromise, agency, tolerance, time out. Importantly, when modelled calmly by parents, boundaries show children how to self-regulate both with food and other aspects of their behaviour. Boundaries may be present at any age; the art of listening to your child starts at the very beginning in early infancy by observing. The eye contact between a parent and baby is so nurturing, it actually grows more nerve connections in the brain.
For any general enquiries, please fill in the form with the necessary information. Any information about booking treatments or assessments can be found below.
Carine offers accessible online workshops on a variety of topics, designed to provide a space alongside others to listen, learn, share, practice and develop tools and strategies for nutritional health.
08/03/2023
Making Mealtimes Better : Structure, Nurture & Boundaries Accessible and full of sensible evidence-based information to support feeding young children well. Making Mealtimes Better is an on-line workshop series of...
05/07/2021
Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is the most common nutritional problem affecting infants with 60% of 6-12 month old babies in the UK having low dietary iron intake, a key risk...
09/01/2020
I really do get it - it's hard to make time on a school morning to prepare a nutritious breakfast. My teenage daughter Izzy and I teamed up to produce...
26/11/2019
Many people are confused about the difference between lactose intolerance and cow's milk allergy. Misunderstood as same condition; the terms lactose intolerance and cow's milk allergy are used interchangeably and...
30/10/2019
Following a 2 - 6 week low lactose diet to treat lactose intolerance, your child should now be well on their way to recovery from symptoms. Reintroducing lactose back into...
02/10/2019
Infants and children need good sources of calcium in their diets on a daily basis. Calcium absorption in the gut is variable and ranges from 25-50%, increasing when intake is...
