Allergy Therapy and Nutritional Balancing (Children)
Jo Hofman
Practitioners of ancient Chinese medicine observed thousands of years ago that food had a major effect on health and that many childhood ailments were triggered by food. The proverb ‘One man’s meat is another man’s poison’ is so true, but it is difficult to really take this on board. Our bodies and minds are so individual and in turn our bodily and mental needs too are so individual.
Some foods make one person thrive and the same food causes another person to struggle to digest it causing illness. Some people thrive on raw vegetables others on high-protein meat diets. Add to this that so much food is processed and has been changed greatly from its natural origins; we find that some digestive systems can cope with these changes while others cannot. Sometimes our gut tires of dealing with the challenging foodstuffs we give it, and it’s a bit of a shock when there’s a sudden reaction in the form of a symptom.
Symptoms of illness are warning signs that our body needs attention and that we are doing something wrong or giving the body something to deal with that it is making it struggle. This may be food, environmental issues, physical damage, stress or emotional upset. The procedure is to look at foods first, to heal the digestive system by eliminating those challenging foods and possibly by giving supplements to improve the biochemistry of the environment and also repair the structure of the gut. Then if there are remaining health issues I look at any environmental factors that may be challenging the system and work to deal with those.
If a child has a recurring health issue it is a good idea to check out that the food they are eating is appropriate to them. I use the method of allergy testing and nutritional balancing to find out what foods a person thrives on and what is a challenge for the body. I use a procedure called muscle testing (applied kinesiology) to test for food sensitivities. Children and babies can be tested either directly or indirectly depending on their age. The test procedure is simple and safe. Often children enjoy cuddling beside their mother or father and holding on to the food vials. I try to make it into a bit of a game.
I will ask parents to fill out the health history and details of the child’s diet before the session, the aim of which will be to get to the root of the problem.
There may need to be a change in diet to deal with the acute illness and then a modification of that regime to continue to keep the body in balance. My approach is holistic so I work by looking at the whole life context.
My intention is to help parents help their child find a way back to health and vitality.
I am also a Shiatsu practitioner, working within the model of traditional Chinese medicine, so I draw on this experience too. In my experience, children respond very quickly to dietary changes and heal rapidly once the key to the problem is found.
Some foods make one person thrive and the same food causes another person to struggle to digest it causing illness. Some people thrive on raw vegetables others on high-protein meat diets. Add to this that so much food is processed and has been changed greatly from its natural origins; we find that some digestive systems can cope with these changes while others cannot. Sometimes our gut tires of dealing with the challenging foodstuffs we give it, and it’s a bit of a shock when there’s a sudden reaction in the form of a symptom.
Symptoms of illness are warning signs that our body needs attention and that we are doing something wrong or giving the body something to deal with that it is making it struggle. This may be food, environmental issues, physical damage, stress or emotional upset. The procedure is to look at foods first, to heal the digestive system by eliminating those challenging foods and possibly by giving supplements to improve the biochemistry of the environment and also repair the structure of the gut. Then if there are remaining health issues I look at any environmental factors that may be challenging the system and work to deal with those.
If a child has a recurring health issue it is a good idea to check out that the food they are eating is appropriate to them. I use the method of allergy testing and nutritional balancing to find out what foods a person thrives on and what is a challenge for the body. I use a procedure called muscle testing (applied kinesiology) to test for food sensitivities. Children and babies can be tested either directly or indirectly depending on their age. The test procedure is simple and safe. Often children enjoy cuddling beside their mother or father and holding on to the food vials. I try to make it into a bit of a game.
I will ask parents to fill out the health history and details of the child’s diet before the session, the aim of which will be to get to the root of the problem.
There may need to be a change in diet to deal with the acute illness and then a modification of that regime to continue to keep the body in balance. My approach is holistic so I work by looking at the whole life context.
My intention is to help parents help their child find a way back to health and vitality.
I am also a Shiatsu practitioner, working within the model of traditional Chinese medicine, so I draw on this experience too. In my experience, children respond very quickly to dietary changes and heal rapidly once the key to the problem is found.