•  Children convert beta carotene to vitamin A very poorly and infants do not posses the ability and require vitamin A from animal foods.
• Underactive thyroid
• Diabetes
• Alcohol consumption
• Low fat diet
• Crohn’s disease
• Celiac disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Surgical removal of part or all of the stomach
• Gall bladder disease or surgical removal of the gall bladder

The best food sources of vitamin A are:

• Butter (use butter liberally on cooked vegetables to ensure that beta carotene is converted to extra vitamin A)
• Egg yolks (Tigers Milk or a raw egg yolk beaten into soups is an easy way to consume more nutrient and vitamin A rich egg yolks)
• Liver
• Sea foods including shellfish
• Cod liver oil is the ideal supplemental form of natural vitamin A

Symptoms of vitamin A deficiencyVitamin A is essential for healthy eyes, skin, urinary tract, respiratory tract, immune system, digestive system and fertility.  The symptoms of vitamin A deficiency are many and varied but the most commonly experienced symptoms include:

• Dry, scaly and rough skin on the backs of arms and thighs.  This dry and bumpy skin looks and feels like blocked hair follicles or a permanent version of the ‘goose flesh’ you experience when cold.  Known as hyperkeratosis, it starts on the back of arms, thighs and buttocks but can spread to the whole body if severe.
• Eye problems:  Poor night vision (if you hate driving at night time you probably have poor night vision and are vitamin A deficient); Dry eyes and Corneal ulceration
• Frequent viral infections

• Parents need to be told that elimination diets designed to avoid food additives, preservatives, allergenic foods and sugar may be of little or no benefit
• The use of dietary supplements such as essential fatty acids have little or no benefit
• An “analysis” of studies shows that sugar consumption does not affect a childs’ behaviour or cognitive performance
• There is little or no benefit to complimentary and alternative treatments including naturopathy, homoeopathy, chiropractic and educational techniques.

Reading between the lines, these guidelines also state that there are no conclusive tests to diagnose ADHD and in fact there are no studies that prove ADHD is even a real medical condition.  In short, they’re saying that there is no science to support the use of diet and complementary medicine to treat a disease that cannot even be proven to exist with current scientific studies, but despite this, drugs should be the first line of treatment.While these guidelines won’t effect every parents decision on treatment choice if their child suffers from learning and behavioural problems, it will mean that many more children will be prescribed drugs due to pressure from doctors and teachers if these draft guidelines are allowed to pass. It also means that parents could potentially be charged with negligence for failing to ‘medicate’ their child with drugs if they decide to pursue other treatment options first.Does Diet and Lifestyle Effect a Child’s Behaviour and Learning?SleepYou know yourself how a few nights of not enough or poor quality sleep leaves you feeling.  Your ability to learn and retain information is compromised, you’re irritable and don’t cope very well under pressure or in stressful situations.  In fact sleep deprivation is considered to be a common cause of many workplace accidents.  Driving while sleep deprived is as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.Earlier in the year a study was released showing the not enough or poor quality sleep can adversely affect a child’s behaviour and ability to learn.  Sleep problems could in fact be a contributing factor to ADHD.Children with allergies often suffer from enlarged adenoids which results in a form of sleep apnoea.  Many parents report enormous changes in their child’s behaviour and learning when enlarged tonsils and adenoids are removed.  Removing the allergy provoking foods from a child’s diet can produce the same results.Children who don’t sleep well are often not hungry at breakfast time and are quite happy to skip breakfast.DietFats are essential for a child’s developing brain and nervous system. As well as the omega 3 essential fatty acids that receive all the press, children actually require more cholesterol for growth and development.A low fat diet tends to be a high carb diet by default and the types of carbohydrates that most kids prefer come with a side serving of artificial colourings, preservatives, stabilisers and flavour enhancers.  The Feingold diet for ADHD restricts these chemicals as well as a naturally occurring chemical in foods called salicylates.  Salicylate intolerance can produce defiant and hyperactive behaviour in children.A child who starts their day with a sugar laden breakfast cereal or even worse, nothing at all is going to find it difficult to concentrate and retain information at school.  Common sense tells us that this will be the case (but apparently common sense isn’t very common these days), we don’t need scientific studies to tell us that a good breakfast is essential for growing children.  The definition of a ‘good’ breakfast can vary considerably depending on who you talk with.One of the most common side effects of Ritalin in children is a lack of appetite.  These children don’t want to eat breakfast while on their medication, they don’t want to sit down and eat food at meal times exacerbating any existing nutritional deficiencies.Other nutrients commonly associated with learning and behavioural disorders in children include:

• Zinc
• Iron
• Calcium and Magnesium
• B Complex

Other factors that may play a role in behavioural and learning problems in children include:

• Heavy metal toxicity (this can be assessed using hair mineral analysis)
• Allergies
• Candidiasis
• Chemical sensitivities (to food and environmental chemicals)
• Auditory processing problems (auditory processing is the difference between hearing and listening. Your child’s hearing can be OK but they struggle to process the information they hear due to nutritional deficiencies or a history of ear infections or glue ear at the age when neural pathways are developing)

Every child is unique.  While ADHD may not be a real disease, learning and behavioural problems are real.  The one thing that every child can benefit from regardless of the underlying causative factor is a healthy diet full of healthy traditional fats. Our obsession with fats, especially saturated fat and cholesterol being public enemy No. 1 is resulting in the continued deterioration of the health of our children from the moment they’re conceived through to adulthood.  Disorders of the immune system, digestive system, skin, lungs and nervous system are reaching epidemic proportions.  While medication can produce a dramatic turn around in a child’s behaviour and academic performance in a short space of time we need to change our focus from medication to education.  Instead it seems that our government is quite happy to drug kids into submission with the very same substances that would have them arrested as criminals if they chose to self medicate with cocaine, heroin or amphetamines as young adults.Tigers Milk: The breakfast supplement for young Einsteins

• Nausea
• Reflux
• Stretch marks
• Constipation
• Leg cramps

Pregnancy NauseaI much prefer the term pregnancy nausea, many women would be overcome with relief if morning sickness only occurred in the morningThere are three main causes of pregnancy nausea:1. Low blood sugar levels (reactive hypoglycaemia)2. Poor clearance of hormones3. Anxiety1. Low blood sugar levels can be easily treated with diet. The best way to prevent your blood sugar levels from dropping is to eat plenty of fat and to eat frequently.I commonly come across women who think they are eating healthily before they fall pregnant - generally a very low fat diet (the kind we have been conditioned to believe is healthy) of lean meat, low fat dairy, lots of fruit and cereals. When they fall pregnant they’re horrified that their plans to breeze through their pregnancy on a low fat, supposedly healthy diet is dashed by nausea at the thought of eating anything except fatty, greasy take away such as fried chicken, burgers and hot chips. They feel as though their body is betraying them. In fact their body is crying out for good quality fats and oils which is misinterpreted as cravings for fatty fast foods - full of poor quality oils. Your body is built from protein and fat with carbohydrate the primary fuel source. Building a healthy baby requires a constant source of good quality fat and protein, otherwise these building materials are scavenged directly from your body, not a good thing for your continued health and wellbeing. It’s no surprise that so many women enter motherhood exhausted and run down.Plenty of good quality fat with each meal and snack ensures that your food is broken down slowly and energy from carbohydrates is allowed to ‘trickle’ into your blood stream as sustained release energy. Low fat diets and refined carbohydrates result in blood sugar level ‘highs’ shortly followed by the crash when you will feel wretched and nauseas. An ideal food during pregnancy is the humble egg, rich in protein and good quality fat including the omega 3 EFA, DHA which is essential for your baby’s brain and nervous system development. Other fats and oils to include are butter, coconut oil, nuts and seeds (be sure to soak them first) and avocado as well as the fats found in chicken and meat (preferable free range and grass fed). It’s also important to graze and eat regularly, don’t wait until you’re hungry as it’s usually too late. The nausea will have struck and the idea of food will leave you feeling queasy. Eat something small and nutritious every few hours and have something high in fat and protein an hour before bed as well, some full fat yoghurt, Tiger’s Milk or a boiled egg would be ideal.2. Anxiety is another common cause of nausea, which low blood sugar will aggravate. If you find that your nausea is accompanied by thoughts of “my god what have I done”, “my life will never be the same”, “what if my husband leaves me”, “what if that glass of wine I drank before I knew I was pregnant has damaged my baby”, “what if I miscarry”, “what if there’s something wrong with my baby”, “can we really afford to have a baby” etc then you can safely assume that anxiety is a contributing factor to your nausea. Hypnotherapy and de-stress breathing can all help. De-stress breathing can be something as simple as inhaling deeply through your nose, clenching every muscle in your body and then relaxing them as you breathe out slowly through your nose. Homoeopathy is also excellent at helping nausea aggravated by anxiety. Other actions that you can take to minimise anxiety include:

• Talk to people you trust about your feelings and experiences
• Share your worries and concerns with other pregnant women or mothers
• Get enough sleep and exercise daily
• Enrol in pregnancy yoga classes
• Remember that sometimes you may be at the mercy of pregnancy hormones so laughter is important and a great tool here
• Nurture yourself with good food and clean fresh air
• Have regular pregnancy massages
• ‘Mother’ yourself: support, love and reassure yourself that you are doing the very best you can for both you and your baby.

3. High levels of hormones is usually due to either carrying twins or a reduced ability to break down and excrete hormones once your body has finished with them. This is usually due to a compromised liver. Your liver has the job of breaking down and excreting hormones that your body has finished with. During the first trimester of pregnancy, there is abundant hormone production by your body and placenta. If these hormones are not continually cleared by your liver, the resulting high levels can cause or contribute to nausea. This is one of the reasons that detoxification is a part of most good preconception health care programs. Most liver herbs are best avoided during pregnancy but there are several things that you can do to assist your liver to clear excess hormones from your body.Correct any constipation: your liver first renders hormones inactive and then packages them into bile which is excreted into your digestive tract to be cleared from your body. If you’re constipated, these hormones can be reabsorbed and re-enter circulation. Certain bacteria can also reactivate hormones as well - so plenty of lacto-fermented foods including sauerkraut, keffir, home made yoghurt etc are important to ensure healthy bacteria in your digestive tract. Coconut oil can also help to keep a healthy bacterial balance.Bitter foods and drinks stimulate bile flow and can help to clear hormones more effectively. The bitter digestive herb gentian can be safely taken in pregnancy. Just a few drops in a small amount of water twenty or so minutes before you eat. Lemon juice in warm water can also help. Both of these will also help with any constipation too.Freshly brewed teas such a ginger, peppermint and chamomile may help alleviate symptoms, and miso soup has a reputation for calming nausea.There are other herbs and homoeopathic remedies that can be safely prescribed by an experienced naturopath, homoeopath or herbalist if the above home remedies fail to work.RefluxMost over the counter antacids contain aluminium and are best avoided. Chewing your food slowly can make a surprising difference. By chewing each mouthful of your food slowly and properly, you’ll ensure that you don’t overeat and also make your food much easier for your stomach and intestines to break down.Slippery elm, powdered bark that turns to a mucous like consistency when mixed with water is highly soothing and healing to any inflamed or irritated membranes. Mix a heaped teaspoon with a small amount of water and take directly after meals. This ensures that the healing and soothing mucous-like slippery elm sits on top of the contents in your stomach and protects your oesophagus from being burnt by any stomach acid that is pushed up. Slippery elm tastes OK, but some people find the mucous like consistency and texture makes them gag. If this happens, mix the heaped teaspoon in a table spoon or two of full fat yoghurt instead. Slippery elm is also incredibly rich in minerals and other nutrients.You may have read, especially if you live in the UK, that slippery elm is not safe to take while pregnant. This is sheer nonsense and stems from the fact that slippery elm swells when mixed with water and in the past, bark from the slippery elm tree was inserted into the cervix where it would swell and keep the cervix open with the intended aim of causing an abortion or miscarriage. Slippery elm powder taken orally is perfectly safe.Other reflux remedies to try include:

• Chewing a calcium tablet can often provide quick first aid relief from reflux and heart burn. The herb marshmallow root (extracted in glycerine) can also provide quick relief. Mix 10ml or marshmallow root glycetract with 10ml or water, this can be taken as often as required.
• Sit upright when eating and avoid lying horizontal after you eat.
• Avoid fatty, spicy foods as these can bring on heartburn.
• Chamomile and lemon balm teas are all great at assisting digestion, so brew a cup to sip on before and after meals.
• Don’t drink fluids with your meals, try to have them between meals as they can dilute digestive juices.
• Take a slow walk after meals to further help with digestion.

Stretch MarksThe best treatment for stretch marks is prevention by ensuring plenty of zinc before you fall pregnant. Zinc is one mineral that I nearly always suggest supplementing with before, during and after pregnancy unless you have lived on a very healthy diet, have excellent digestion and consumed no alcohol for several years. Zinc is an essential healing nutrient and a deficiency will generally result in increased scarring. Stretch marks are basically scars formed as skin tears if growth occurs to quickly or if your skin’s connective tissue is of poor quality.Regular massage can also help to minimise and prevent further stretch marks. I have found that it doesn’t matter what oil is used, it is the regularity of the massage that is important. I don’t recommend wheat germ oil which is often recommended due to its high vitamin E content as its bright yellow-orange colour tends to stain clothing. I generally recommend coconut or jojoba oil. The key is to massage every single day. When you first get out of the shower is the ideal time. As you massage your skin try to lift your skin up in a pinching action, this will help to break up the scar tissue of stretch marks and make your skin more supple and elastic and less likely to tear.ConstipationIf you’re suffering from constipation and taking a multivitamin or iron supplement, the first thing you need to do is check the type of iron in your supplement. If it contains iron in the form of iron sulphate, chances are this is the culprit if not a large contributing factor to your constipation. There is a very well marketed Pregnancy supplement recommended by doctors in Australia containing 60mg of iron sulphate that is a common culprit for aggravating constipation.Avoid bran and other wheat based fibres as these can often aggravate constipation and cause bloating. Instead, try linseed meal, rolled oats soaked overnight then cooked into porridge, Essene bread (made from sprouted grain), nuts and seeds (soaked overnight in warm water), ripe avocado, prunes and figs (once again soak prunes overnight or stew them first). Prune juice, especially the commercial variety is a waste of time for constipation, all it will do is give you terrible wind.The bitter herb Gentian taken before meals can also help with constipation by stimulating digestion and digestive enzymes. The juice of half a lemon in quarter glass of warm water first thing in the morning will usually result in a bowel movement about half an hour after drinking.Leg CrampsThese occur most commonly in the third trimester of pregnancy when your body donates much of your stored minerals to your baby to see them through their first 6 months of life. If your stores of minerals are borderline or low then you’ll experience symptoms of deficiency. Muscle cramps are usually a symptom of magnesium deficiency.Leafy greens are probably the best food source of magnesium but if you’re experiencing calf cramps once per week or more frequently then it’s probably best to supplement. Avoid cheap supplements containing magnesium oxide which is very poorly absorbed and commonly results in digestive upsets. Juiced greens with some warmed coconut oil stirred through taken regularly during pregnancy can help to boost dietary magnesium.The tissue salt Mag Phos is a safe and effective form of magnesium. These work best if the tablets are chewed with a little warm water.

Breakfast can make or break your day. A good breakfast will make it easier to choose healthier foods for the rest of the day - goodbye 3pm munchies. A good breakfast means high energy levels without relying on caffeine and sugar. A good breakfast can even make you less prone to anxiety, stress and depression through the day by preventing blood sugar level crashes. Breakfast is the one meal where most people get it horribly wrong. Through no fault of their own we’re a generation that has been educated about nutrition from TV commercials and they’ve done a great job convincing many people that a highly processed cereal with a some added niacin and riboflavin, and these days a spattering of ‘whole grains’ for good measure, is the healthiest way to start the day.We’re led to believe that a breakfast cereal devoid of all life and nutrients to the point it must be fortified with synthetic nutrients will turn our children into iron men and Einstein’s, keep our hormones balanced, supply us with anti oxidants, prevent heart disease and give us the energy to get through our busy day.Nothing could be further from the truth. Starting your day with a commercial breakfast cereal is a recipe for disaster. It guarantees that your energy will hit the floor around 2-3pm most likely accompanied by the munchies and for many people, a peak in anxiety and stress levels.A good breakfast should be a complete meal. A complete meal consists of Protein + Fat + Carbohydrate. Breakfast cereal with skim milk is nothing more than carbohydrate and very poor quality carbohydrate at that. Another common breakfast favourite, jam or honey on toast is Carbohydrate on top of Carbohydrate. A far cry from a complete meal.Tiger’s Milk, an old naturopathic convalescent tonic makes a perfect breakfast substitute as you make the transition from a processed to a more nourishing diet. A convalescent tonic was traditionally used to build people back up after an illness or stress, including childbirth. As most people are in recovery from one illness or another these days, Tiger’s Milk for breakfast is doubly perfect.Most people and families are pushed for time in the morning and a complicated breakfast routine, no matter how healthy, is simply unachievable. Tiger’s milk takes 5 minutes to make in the morning and there is little mess to clean up afterwards. It’s also easy to change the amounts to suit a whole family or just one person.

Tiger’s Milk

Per person

• 2 x raw egg yolks (from free range eggs)
• ½ - ¾ cup of milk, yoghurt or kefir*
• 2-3 tablespoons of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

First blend the yoghurt and berries until smooth, then add the egg yolks and coconut oil and blend until combined. It’s important to not overprocess the eggyolks so always add them last.If you or a family member are allergic to dairy, you can replace the milk with almond milk or rice milk. To make either of these even more nutritious, culture them using Kefir grains or culture first. A less ideal option is to replace the milk with fresh or frozen orange juice - this works best as an afternoon snack rather than breakfast. You can also add some frozen banana for children (or fussy adults).I have not had a single client who has not commented on a remarkable increase in their energy levels and wellbeing after a week or two of having Tiger’s Milk for breakfast. Many also find that their appetite is under control for the first time in a long while, as stable blood sugar levels reduce the cravings for sugar or other comfort foods during the day.Tiger’s milk is a highly nutritious complete meal. It can be used as a healthy breakfast alternative, an energy pick-me-up in the afternoon and is ideal for times of stress or recovery from illness where it can be given 2-3 x daily. Excellent for breastfeeding mums. Perfect for ravenous kids after school.Tiger’s milk can be safely used with babies and infants over 6 months of age. Omit the berries and use just the egg yolk, yoghurt/kefir and coconut oil. Like any new food, start with small amounts and increase gradually. Start with the tip of a teaspoon and increase to a few tablespoons over a few weeks. The egg yolks are an excellent source of fatty acids for brain and nervous system development. They are also a good source of iron and zinc for healthy immune systems.Use at breakfast time for toddlers who have fussy appetites and prefer formula or milk for breakfast. For toddlers who wake hungry during the night, give Tiger’s milk about 1 hour before bed in place of formula or milk.If you are concerned about using raw egg yolks with your child, they are actually a far more natural form of essential nutrients that growing children need than any other food including formula. Baby and toddler formula contains laboratory synthesised nutrients, egg yolks are a complete food and contain naturally occurring forms of nutrients which your child’s growing brain, nervous, digestive and immune systems require to develop properly. The egg white is usually the culprit when it comes to egg allergies and if you’re using organic free range eggs there is little risk of bacterial infection.If you’re pushed for time in the morning, or preparing Tiger’s Milk for a fussy child and you don’t want them to see you adding egg yolks to their smoothie, separate the eggs the night before and store the yolks in a cup, mug or bowl covered in cling wrap. Ensure that the cling wrap does not make contact with the yolks.If the idea of raw egg yolks simply sounds too disgusting to comtemplate, I promise that you will not be able to taste them. It’s the egg whites that add a frothy eggy taste to smoothies and egg nogs. If you’re still squeamish, ask someone else to make it for you at first. Once you start to experience the benefits to your health and energy levels, you’ll be quite OK to make it yourself.***Habitual Breakfast Skipper’s*** I challenge you to a 2 week Tiger’s Milk Challenge! Have Tiger’s Milk for breakfast every morning for 2 weeks and notice the difference in how you feel. Better energy, a clearer mind, better concentration, improved skin and lower stress levels are just some of the payoffs for getting up 10 minutes earlier to make your breakfast. If you have no appetite in the morning or feel nauseous if you eat breakfast, keep the milk or yoghurt to maximum of a half cup to keep the volume of liquid down until your stomach adjusts to food first thing in the morning.For more info on making your own Kefir please check out the following posts:Kefir the MightyHow to Culture KefirKefir SmoothieTiger’s Milk UpdateWinter Version:This warm version of Tiger’s Milk is perfect for a cold winter’s morning or afternoon.  It also eliminates the problem of lumpy chunks of coconut oil.  You can also omit the yoghurt, milk or kefir and simply use the hot water and coconut oil as the liquid base.

• Melt coconut oil in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of very hot water and add to frozen berries or fruit.  Process well then add kefir or yoghurt and egg yolks.  Process until combined.