Oppositional Defiance and Children

Oppositional Defiance Disorder or ODD Symptoms

Children who suffer through oppositional defiance do actually possess angel wings but it can seem like they disappear all too quickly when it comes to you making a request of them. It could be something as simple as asking them to put on their shoes, get dressed, or sit up for breakfast. Simple requests that end up with massive overreactions; and not the responses a parent or care giver would hope for. Keep in mind that adults can also suffer from oppositional defiance although this would often just be labeled as grouchy or moody.

Oppositional Defiance Disorder or, as it is often called, ODD can be extremely stressful for a family. The poor people that suffer from oppositional defiance are not exactly  very happy either. I know what it is like to go through living with oppositional defiance because one of my children suffered through oppositional defiance for a few young years of his life due to his food problems.

As much as it might seem that the child suffering from oppositional defiance is doing it on purpose, this is not the case. This is not attention seeking behavior and most times, oppositional defiance is a condition that rules them so they feel out of control of their emotions.

To put this into perspective, imagine that you have just had a fight with someone and you are feeling angry. You feel like that emotion is ruling you at that moment; and emotions can be linked to the flight or fright response within all of us. As adults we have the ability to calm ourselves using certain techniques. Children do not have the life experience that we have to apply calming techniques and even so, many adults have not mastered this skill. So, keep this in mind when dealing especially with children suffering from oppositional defiance. For them, it is like flicking a switch and they can feel out of control for as long as 1 hour at a time. Oppositional defiance can roll into one like a snowball. It can start with a negative  response and then continue for each and every request you make after that.

According to Sue Dengate’s book Fed Up: Understanding How Food Affects Your Child and What You Can Do About it some of the symptoms of oppositional defiance are:

• Uncooperative
• Argumentative
• Grouchy or easily annoyed
• Overreactions
• Temper tantrums
• Constantly saying “no” to everything or anything
• Emotional outbursts
• Breaks rules
• Blames others
• Deliberately annoys others
• Angry
• Spiteful
• Resentful
• Defiant

Suffering through oppositional defiance could mean experiencing one or all of the above symptoms. As you can see, it is extremely unpleasant for all involved.

Oppositional Defiance Disorder – a solution

My personal opinion is that you can help children that are suffering through oppositional defiance disorder and adults can take this same approach. To remove those feelings that accompany oppositional defiance would be a huge relief for any person and especially a child. I know from experience that it was awful to watch my son in a state of almost constant oppositional defiance amongst other things. I used to worry that he would not have enough memories of being happy as a toddler and that was enough to prompt me to do something about his oppositional defiance.

The steps I took meant firstly, identifying that my son suffered from food intolerance symptoms and then conducting a food elimination diet. What this did was help me find out to what extent salicylates and amines where the cause of his food intolerance symptoms and thereby causing oppositional defiance and other behavior.

The result of the food elimination diet was that my son was very sensitive to amines. One good dose of amines and we had a world household war on our hands. Salicylates did cause a different reaction and when you conduct a food elimination diet you will be testing for both amines and salicylates.

Many people think that it is only food colors, food preservatives and food additives that set off a child so when they remove these from their diet and see very little change, they then start to wonder if their child is just ‘like that’. Understanding the impact of naturally occurring chemicals in foods can bring about massive change for anyone that suffers from food intolerance symptoms.

Once you have worked out which naturally occurring chemicals and food colors or additives are a problem, you can then restrict the diet until you can help heal the body. For those suffering from food intolerance symptoms, you might want to have a read of one of my earlier posts here as this will assist you with understanding problems surrounding food intolerance symptoms and how to deal with them.

Keep in mind that it is also a good idea to have some handy positive parenting tips to handle children’s behavior during this difficult time. How you handle this can impact their self-esteem and their later years. It can be difficult to focus on a positive outcome for a child that suffers from oppositional defiance because the reaction seems non-stop. So, while you are in the investigative and healing phase it is a good idea to have some techniques up your sleeve to manage this time. Check out this fantastic book (if in Australia) or  Children are People Too: A Parent’s Guide to Young Children’s Behaviour (for other locations), as it will greatly assist you during this time.

If you have found something that has worked for you or your child then feel free to share it in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience. Please consult an appropriate professional about your situation.

Cradle Cap Treatment

Cradle Cap explained

Cradle cap is quite common in babies and can appear within three months of birth. Sometimes cradle cap is referred to as seborrheic dermatitis. There are varying degrees of cradle cap and it can vary from a rash on the head to a crusty skin condition that can sometimes spread to the ears and eyebrows.

I have had my own varying experience with my children and cradle cap. My first born had a mild case, my second born had quite a severe case that required cradle cap treatment because it spread to his eyebrows and ears, and my third born also had a mild case. I used to get a few comments from people and also opinions on what they thought was the best cradle cap treatment.

There are many theories out there as to what causes cradle cap. Treatment advice also varies and it seems there is a lot of speculation as to the cause of cradle cap without any one united opinion. Many will tell you that it is overactive sebaceous glands that cause the problem. If this is the case then I believe you need to take a good look at what baby is being fed to cause this symptom.

Food intolerance symptoms or food problems can, in my opinion, be linked to cradle cap. What your baby is getting through breast milk or formula can be causing cradle cap. For this reason, it is important that a breast feeding mother be aware of what she is eating because food colors, food preservatives and food additives can be passed to the baby. For more information on food additives, we use this book at home. Formula might also be causing problems for baby. It could also be that your baby is already suffering food intolerance symptoms and cradle cap the body’s way of indicating a reaction.

I can share with you that my second child who had severe cradle cap also suffered badly from food intolerance symptoms as a toddler so I personally believe there is a link between the two. This was less evident with my other two children. This is obviously just  my opinion but it may assist you to know this when looking at a cradle cap treatment.

Cradle cap treatment

It is true that you do not need to treat cradle cap but it can become quite unsightly and smelly. It has also been said that it does not annoy the baby. Some babies do scratch it however and I know my second child did scratch at his scalp regularly.

There are many lotions and potions on offer as a cradle cap treatment. If you search the internet you will find that there are also many opinions on cradle cap treatment. If you are going to look at a lotion to put on your baby’s head as a cradle cap treatment then I recommend you take a good look at the ingredients. I tried a Jurlique product as a cradle cap treatment and found it made my baby’s head very red and irritated and we needed to discontinue use. The good thing was that they did take the product back with a smile.

What I found worked as a cradle cap treatment was a combination of cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil and bi-carbonate of soda. I used about 2 tablespoons of the oil and 2 teaspoons of the bicarb. Mix it together, put it on your baby’s head. Leave it there for 15 minutes and remove promptly. You will need to remove it gently using circular motions with your fingers, otherwise the bi-carb will cause a rubbing rash. If this cradle cap treatment is applied daily, you should see an improvement over time. Don’t force the crusts off; just let them come away gently as you remove the oil and bi-carb mix.

If you are not keen to use the bicarbonate with the Natural First Pressed -Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 200ml as a cradle cap treatment then you can just use the Natural First Pressed -Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 200ml on its own. Put some on the scalp of your baby, not too much so that it seeps off the scalp as it might get in baby’s eyes, and leave it on overnight.  Then gently rub with your fingertips and remove some of the cradle cap; without force or picking it off. This will probably require more than one treatment but it should work wonders as it loosens the crust. Keep in mind that not all oils are created equally and that is why I have recommended a good quality olive oil for your cradle cap treatment.

I did find that the cradle cap subsided over time. If left untreated, it may still remain on the scalp for some years. I found that my daughter had remnants of her mild case of cradle cap up to the age of five. This was less of an issue with my youngest child and signs of cradle cap had disappeared by the age of two. My other child who suffered from food intolerance symptoms did require cradle cap treatment and even so, the condition had disappeared by the age of about four.

My recommendation for cradle cap treatment, aside from the oil is to look at what baby is getting through the milk or formula. This may require a breast feeding mother to conduct a food elimination diet or just remove certain things from her diet to see what impact that has.

From my experience with cradle cap treatment I can honestly say that the olive oil is the best and safest way for baby. Try it and see!

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience. Please consult an appropriate professional about your situation.

Chronic Headaches

Chronic Headaches – the causes

There are various reasons for chronic headaches and it might surprise you to know that something as simple as an orange pictured here could cause chronic headaches for some people. I used to work with a guy that would suffer from headaches if he almost so much as sniffed anything citrus.

It has been stated that even babies and toddlers can experience chronic headaches but they are unable to express it in words. Some people may not suffer from chronic headaches with enough regularity to consider it a problem and hence, don’t take steps to improve their health. Instead, they tolerate their chronic headaches when they occur.

Chronic headaches can be the result of amines or salicylates; naturally occurring chemicals in food, dehydration, or a reaction to food colors including MSG – Mono-sodium Glutamate.  Cleaning products, including air fresheners or perfume, due to the chemical substances contained therein can also cause chronic headaches. Often, those suffering from food intolerance symptoms, leaky gut syndrome or food problems will find they are more prone to reactions.

It could also be a case that there is something more sinister going on such as a tumor or head problems. While I do believe you need a doctor to diagnose this, I also am of the strong belief that you can heal the problem through the correct foods.

There is also another reason why reactions could be exacerbated when it comes to food intolerance symptoms or health issues in general. Research into genomes indicate that what previous generations were exposed to can be passed down in the genes. For example, if you had a grandparent who worked in a chemical factory or was a smoker, then this may have caused a variation in the genes that are then passed down the generations, thereby increasing the severity of a reaction. This is fairly new research and you can read more about it by clicking on this link. I think it is fascinating.

Chronic Headaches – some solutions

You should not need to suffer from or tolerate chronic headaches even if they occur rarely. Illness is a mechanism of the body to tell you that something is not right within.

The good news for those who suffer chronic headaches due to dehydration is that you only need to drink about one litre or approx 34 Oz of water and wait half an hour. The brain is hydrated through the stomach and will be fed first, directly, to overcome the problem. There are some symptoms for chronic headaches linked to dehydration. You may start to feel sluggish, suffer from poor short term memory, you may get foggy brain or even feel dizzy. Regardless of whether your chronic headaches are linked to dehydration or not, water is an absolute must in your diet. You will be amazed at how much better you will start to feel if you incorporate more water into your diet.

According to the FDR books pictured, and my bible on food, salt helps to regulate the water content in the body along with the water you drink. Good salt like Celtic Ocean Int Flower of Ocean Celtic Sea Salt 1/2 lb helps to balance water in and out of the body’s cells. Optimally, you should drink 1 liter of water for every 22 kilograms of body weight.

To assist with symptoms of chronic headaches, you can use some pure peppermint essential oils such as Nature’s Alchemy’s Essential Oil Peppermint Pure 2oz but you need to be careful to keep it away from your eyes. Put one to two drops on your hands, go outside in the fresh air, cup your hands over your mouth and nose and take a couple of deep breaths. Put one drop behind each ear.

For those of you that think your chronic headaches could be a result of food intolerance symptoms then you need to conduct a food elimination diet to work out if naturally occurring chemicals are a problem.   Remove any food colors, food additives, including preservatives from your diet and look at environmental sensitivities. You can read the review of Friendly Food cookbook and purchase your own copy of Friendly Food for your food elimination diet. You should also consider purchasing The Failsafe Cookbook for your food elimination diet. Both books will assist you in the management of food intolerance symptoms and understanding of naturally occurring chemicals in foods; such as amines, salicylates and MSG.

For temporary relief, you can always have a good quality cup of coffee from freshly ground organic, fair trade beans. Caffeine tends to restrict the blood vessels and reduce the severity of chronic headaches. This should be viewed as a short term fix while you address chronic headaches on a deeper level.

Use cold pressed, virgin olive oil on the soles of the feet and the scalp and massage in. A shoulder / upper back massage can also help. Then take a nice warm shower.

One last recommendation is to start some healing meditation. Through my own experience I can say that drinking heaps of water and taking time out for some healing meditation will do you wonders. You will be healing your body with the water, lying down will put you in healing position, with your eyes closed and having the healing meditation will clear your mind.

The important thing is to recognize that your body is telling you through chronic headaches, that something needs fixing. Listen to your body, follow through with a solution and you will no longer need to suffer from chronic headaches.

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience. Please consult an appropriate professional about your situation.

Healing Meditation – an introduction

Aside from using food, there are also other forms of healing. Meditation is one of them and has been around for approximately 5000 years, from my understanding. Even so, many people view healing meditation as a new age concept; although it is true to say that the popularity of healing meditation did not become more widespread until the 20th century.

There are many types of healing meditation but generally you will find that you either use a focused meditation or one that does not require you to concentrate. Healing meditation works by slowing the inner frequencies of the brain. Some healing meditation techniques work better than others and I recommend you choose a form of healing meditation that works for you.

Healing Meditation – my story may just help you

Dealing with food intolerance symptoms or food problems related to leaky gut syndrome, salicylates and amines, to name a few, required some form of positive action to get myself and my son well. The action I took propelled me on a journey to discover food, its powers and how I could use it to finally cure the food intolerance symptoms we had encountered. Thus, from a ‘body’ perspective, I had achieved what I set out to do; heal the body so that we no longer had to live on a restricted diet.

From a psychological perspective, I personally still needed healing. Meditation came into my life through an advertisement but before I expand on this further, I’ll share a little personal background on why I felt like I needed healing on a psychological level.

Most of us have some personal story to share and I’m no different in that respect. I come from a family where I am one of five children and I had a father who worked very hard to support us which meant not seeing him very much. My mother raised us full time. Their marriage ended when I was around 13 years old and for me, that led to an estranged relationship with one parent and no contact with the other.  I moved out of home from an early age and would board with friend’s parents, working on weekends to get by while I was still in year 12.

Life always felt tough but I refused to let it get to me and so I always had a smile on my face and people always saw me as a happy person. I had a little Austudy to get through my first university Diploma and I worked my holidays to earn my fees to go back to study each year and earn my keep. I then went on to teach primary children for a short time then moved into sales because of the continual ‘fire in the belly’ that I have always had. Ever since I can remember, I have wanted my own business so I never felt completely satisfied in any role I was working in for someone else. We will jump a few chapters of my life from here.

I started my first business with my partner at the time and in that time, completed a graduate diploma of Marketing at Monash in Melbourne, Australia. Working with my partner placed a huge strain on our relationship so leaving to start a family was a welcome change. Through that time, I lost myself , was very unhappy and I was what everyone else wanted me to be. I did not have time to pursue my passions and life was hard. I was running a house, raising 3 children who were 4 years and under while my partner at the time was still focusing on  his business. I was also running my own business part time from home in an attempt to salvage some identity from my own dealings in the business world, prior to having my beautiful children.  I was dealing with food intolerance symptoms and I felt like I was running a treadmill that was just getting faster and faster. Then, after nearly 20 years together, my marriage ended in 2009. I felt like I had failed and failure was not something I was used to in my life because I had always achieved what I set out to do.

One day somewhere in the year 2008, I was on Facebook and I happened to click on an advertisement about healing meditation that offered a free demo CD. I was a bit skeptical but gave it a try. Initially, I didn’t think it had an impact but one day I was sitting working at my computer with a chronic headache so I listened to the audio again. Without realizing, I fell asleep at the computer and when I woke, my headache was gone and I felt peace and clarity. I then went on to explore the program further and cannot tell you the amazing benefits I have received from healing meditation.

Healing meditation – the benefits

I have used healing meditation in nearly all aspects of my life. I have used healing meditation to look at problems, solutions, come up with ideas, change my self-esteem, for motivation, to help me get to sleep, to calm the inner spirit, to calm my mind, to help me think with more clarity, to remove negativity from my life and my thoughts and to help stay in the now -  The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Healing meditation – get started today and change your life

The important thing about healing meditation is to find one that suits you. Some people prefer to do healing meditation to music, others in silence, others without needing to think, some guided and others on audio. I’ve provided a few programs for you to take a look at below. Whatever you decide, I highly recommend you incorporate healing meditation into your life as the benefits are well worth it.

• Downloads available for guaranteed altered state of consciousness here

• Audio program (this is the one I started with) click here

• A range of programs in mp3 format click here

• Guided meditation program click here
• Regression (this one I also use and love it) Spiritual Progress Through Regression (The Meditation Regression)

Healing meditation can make a difference in your life and I know the power it has had from my own personal experience. I hope you will choose a program that suits you and start making a difference in your life. Whatever personal development or improvement you make to your own well being ultimately impacts those around you in a positive way. This can be professionally, personally or socially.

Here is to healing through mind, body and spirit.

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience. Please consult an appropriate professional about your situation.

Chocolate Easter Eggs

It is not hard to get a person’s attention when you talk about chocolate Easter eggs. I thought it fitting that I talk about Chocolate Easter Eggs given that we are only one week away from Easter as I write this post. I’m amazed at just how many chocolate Easter eggs my children bring home when they break up for the holidays. Not only that, I actually dread it because I know that commercial chocolate will play havoc over the break. Aside from what is generously given out at school and kinder, we still have chocolate Easter eggs from family, Easter bunny and / or Easter Bilby. So, by now, we have enough chocolate Easter eggs to start up our own shop. Hah! I should add a shopping cart to this post and save my children from the depths of the evil chocolate Easter eggs.

Chocolate Easter Eggs – what is really in them

Chocolate Easter eggs come in all shapes, sizes and quality. The problem is usually in the quality of chocolate used and this can vary greatly from brand to brand. On the whole, commercial chocolate doesn’t have a lot of substance to it. In fact, it can have a nasty impact on children’s behavior. If you were to look at the main ingredient used in chocolate, in most cases you will see that the number one ingredient is processed sugar. Other ingredients include milk, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin,  flavors and other ingredients depending on the brand and type of chocolate. In some cases they even add food colors to the detriment of the consumer and particularly children.

For the chocolate connoisseur, there is a difference in taste between chocolate Easter eggs and in some cases the price tag fits the quality. As a consumer of chocolate Easter eggs or a parent, you should be concerned about what you are eating or what you are putting in your children’s mouths.

Of course, it is not all bad when it comes to chocolate. Easter eggs are something you can make yourself using organic ingredients. These are readily available to you through the banner below. You can choose to eat raw chocolate which is an experience on its own. The anti-oxidant content of raw chocolate surpasses anything you can buy in commercial chocolate Easter eggs. Raw chocolate is actually good for you and has some fantastic health benefits as opposed to commercially produced chocolate Easter eggs.

Chocolate Easter Eggs – health and children’s behavior

The sugar content alone should be enough to make you think twice about the amount of chocolate Easter eggs you and your family consume. If that isn’t bad enough, those who suffer from food intolerance symptoms will most likely react to the amine content in chocolate Easter eggs. Amines are a naturally occurring chemical in food, as are salicylates. Those who do suffer from food intolerance symptoms also have a greater chance of reacting to the food colors or additives, including preservatives added to some chocolate Easter eggs.

Additionally, you or your family may find yourself cranky, more aggressive than usual or tired / lethargic after eating chocolate Easter eggs. Oppositional defiance is not an uncommon food intolerance symptom for those who are amine responders. So, you may find the family bickering at Easter time or over the break and if you choose to eat chocolate Easter eggs that are not so good for you then you can expect that reaction.

Chocolate Easter Eggs – make your own

Making your own Chocolate Easter eggs can be fun and you are also aware of the ingredients you are using. If your children are old enough, they will also really enjoy being involved with making their very own chocolate Easter eggs. I’ve included some links below so you can get started.

I hope that you will give some thought to chocolate Easter Eggs before you either purchase your own to share or make your own. Eating good quality chocolate Easter eggs can make for a calmer, happier family at this time of year. Not only is it better for your body but your children will get along better over this holiday period. A happy Easter everyone and here’s to healthy chocolate Easter eggs!

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience. Please consult an appropriate professional about your situation.