I have worked in Pediatrics for over 20 years. My education and experience in Western medicine has been invaluable. I know where it excels and where it has its limits. My trainings and experience with holistic and integrative medicine in this later part of my career has provided me with more depth on how to assist in achieving optimal wellness for my patients and families.
The following are my opinion of 10 topics that are part of a regular day in a busy Pediatrician’s office. I know this very well because I once also failed to make these recommendations. Then I started paying closer attention to patient outcomes and pursuing further education. It is important to be your own child’s advocate, and to be able to have open discussions with your child’s health care provider.
Milk and dairy should not be a large part of your child’s diet.
Going back generations, it has been recommended that your child start drinking cow’s milk at the age of 12 months. This is encouraged by the Dairy Association’s heavy lobbying and marketing going back to the the 1970’s. There is nobody else in the animal kingdom that drinks another’s milk. It is just weird if you think about it! Milk sugar (lactose) and milk protein (casein) are very hard to digest for most people. And there is concern about how pregnant and lactating cows are treated, as well as how milk is processed, and how that affects the nutritional status of the end product. No wonder more and more people are discovering that dairy is contributing to their health problems. There are many healthy alternatives to milk, like almond milk and coconut milk. And contrary to popular believe you can get enough calcium in your diet from healthier sources.
Stay tuned for part 2 of 10 that will be up next week!