A number of ailments can be traced to improper diet. This is especially true for skin conditions such as acne, eczema, rashes, psoriasis, etc. Here is how to help your child increase nutrients to combat health issues:
Avoid deprivation. Don't say you can't ever have goldfish or Cheetos or whatever processed food your child enjoys. Instead, begin with an ice cream smoothie for breakfast. That's right. I said it. Ice cream smoothie. The idea is to add fruit to the ice cream and cow's milk. Then transition to less ice cream and to yogurt while adding more fruit. Then add a few pieces of spinach. Decrease ice cream, change cow's milk to almond milk or coconut milk and more fruit and more spinach. You eventually want to get to the point where there is no ice cream but lots of fruits and veggies. Adding raw honey and nutmeg can help with the transition as well. Avocado helps add a smoothness to the mixture and improves the texture. If your child still wants the usual Cap'n Crunch cereal go ahead and say YES. Except this is permitted after and only after the smoothie is consumed. Consuming less sugar means less sugar will be craved which translates into less Cap'n Crunch.
Start low and go slow. Introduce plant matter one at a time and go slow. Drastic, sudden dietary changes often produce failed commitments.
Involve the entire family. If every person in the family eats highly processed goldfish except for the child who has acne, this is unfair and won't be successful in the long run.
Involve Fido. Have the kids give Fido a piece of spinach at mealtime as well (provided the gut is healthy and there are no food sensitivities to this). The spinach should be steamed and unseasoned. If everything your dog eats is brown, he is unlikely to obtain the proper nutrients for optimal health.
Use behavioral management. Create a colorful chart where kids get to earn points for each serving of fruits and veggies. Exchange these points for extra play time or activity time or even earning the privilege to drive to school.
Make fruit and veggies more plentiful than other snacks. Prepare in advance. Remember that what is available is more likely to be consumed. Your child can't go to the store and obtain processed items; parents do this. Parents either purchase what is wholesome or processed so the burden of health lies upon the parents.
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