The Nourished Child

There’s no denying that how we feel (sad, mad, or glad for example) may be tied to what we choose to eat and how we eat it. One of my personal favorite episodes this past year or so has been the topic of emotional eating. I had Melanie Smith, the Training Director of the Renfrew Center specializing in eating disorders, on the podcast to discuss the importance of teaching emotional regulation in children and how it relates to food and eating. Melanie said, "Emotional regulation is the ability to understand the whole range of emotions that you’re having and to be willing to experience the ones that might be more difficult, but in a way that is proportionate to the situation." For example, when your child gets mad, she has a healthy way to express and deal with that emotion, rather than shut down and refuse to eat. Or if she feels sad that she seeks human comfort rather than comforting herself with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. (Not that Ben & Jerry’s isn’t comforting but a habit of seeking comfort from their delicious products may not be a healthy, effective approach). One of the things I reflected on after this interview – and became more sensitive to – was noticing how my own children navigated and regulated their feelings and emotions. I hope listening to this episode again (or for the first time) will bring that sensitivity to you as well. Here she is!

I nerd out on brain development. All the changes that happen in the brain throughout childhood are simply amazing. Brain development has been a fascination of mine for quite some time. And not just what goes on in the infancy years. Quite a bit goes on throughout childhood and the teen years too. And, as a 50-something year old, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just slightly interested in what happens to the brain as we age. I’ve had two guest experts come on the podcast to talk about infancy and toddlerhood, and today, I’m recapping my interview with Dr. Bob Murray, a pediatrician who is equally fascinated with brain development in the early years. Much of our success in life is due to a healthy, functioning, well-developed brain. And nutrition is a big piece of the healthy brain puzzle. It all begins in pregnancy, and after birth, what babies eat, how they are cared for and interacted with, all help to nurture a healthy brain. I’ll let Dr. Murray fill you in on the rest. In the meantime, if you have a baby and it’s getting close to starting solids, I invite you to check out my book The Smart Mom’s Guide to Starting Solids, available in print or ebook on Amazon.  Enjoy the show!

When other relatives take care of your kids, your food choices for them and feeding routines can swerve off track. One of the questions I get from parents is around grandparents feeding their grandkids. Parents complain or are distressed by their own parents or in-laws feeding their kids unhealthy food. Grandparents may give their grandchildren too many sweets. Or let them off the hook at mealtime and give them what they really want to eat, like pizza or chicken nuggets. Or, perhaps they blatantly violate nutrition values that have been expressed to them by the child’s parents. Sometimes the dynamic around relatives feeding children, especially grandparents, can put parents in a quandary. I tapped Dina Rose for this episode. Dina’s a sociologist and feeding expert who teaches parents, educators, and nutritionists about helping kids develop healthy, sustainable eating habits. Over the summer, kids may see their grandparents a bit more, so I hope this episode will give you some guidance in this area. I’ll be back in September with a lineup of new guests and episodes. In the meantime, Enjoy!

What do you say to your child when he refuses to eat? When he throws a tantrum because what you served for his meal isn’t what he wants to eat? Or, what do you say when your child keeps asking for more food? In my work over the years with parents, the question of what to say, or how to respond, comes up a lot. Parents don’t want to be the NO GUY or GAL all the time. I get it. I don’t want to say no all the time either. So, how can you say no without saying that word? AND, how can you do this while expressing empathy for your child, set up and hold the line on expectations, and keep a cool head? It’s not easy – but it is possible. This episode is for you if you have a hard time saying no, or feel guilty saying no. You’ll get my 3 go-to responses to kids (and why they work), so you can hold limits and boundaries without feeling guilty. And if mealtime battles are a reality in your house, check out my 2-hour workshop called Eat in Peace. It’ll help you get over the hump with family-style meals, manners training, and realistic expectations for everyone at the table (including mom and dad!). You can register for that over at jillcastle.com/eat-in-peace. Remember, I’ll be back in the fall with live shows! Until then, I hope you enjoy this episode

The kids are home for summer and eating and feeding naturally intensifies. That structure associated with school is looser, and food options are influenced by heat, outdoor activities and yes, the sweet tooth. My bet is you’ll have to find a way to keep structure, boundaries and reasonable choices in place. That’s why I’m sharing this episode again – 5 feeding rules to help your child eat better. Some of these are intuitive, some not so much. All of them could be helpful to you. If you’ve got time over the summer to dig a little deeper into nutrition and feeding, consider taking my fully revamped program The Nourished Child Blueprint. You can find it over on TheNourishedChild.com. For now, I hope you’re off to a great summer. I’ll be back live next fall. Until then, Take a listen.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, The Greenhouse Guru, explains climate change, the role of greenhouse gases, and how agriculture may play a helpful role. Get full show notes and more information here: https://jillcastle.com/111

Explore essential strategies for supporting children with ADHD through nutrition. Discover how a balanced diet can enhance growth, behavior, and learning. Learn the importance of holistic feeding approaches and the impact of nutrition in managing ADHD symptoms. This discussion offers valuable insights for families navigating dietary challenges.

Learn how Faith Newsome overcame severe obesity with bariatric surgery and how she helps other teens through OCEANS Lifestyles. Get full show notes and more information here: https://jillcastle.com/109

Ted Kyle helps us understand teen obesity as a health condition, while advocating for treatment and humane approaches. Get full show notes and more information here: https://jillcastle.com/108

How to balance food and feeding your family during the coronavirus pandemic. Get full show notes and more information here: https://jillcastle.com/107