How Food Influences Behavior in Children and How to Keep Your Child's Immune System Strong

Stacey Purow, Geri Brewster, and Kirstin Boncher

A collaborative event with Beth Israel Medical Center was held on Sept. 30, 2010 at the Medical Center. Geri Brewster, RD MPH CDN, and Kirstin Boncher presented and held an interactive dialogue on this topic. Many thanks to Dr. Asma Sadiq and Stacey Purow for hosting the event.

Kirstin talked about her story as a mom of two children with Celiac disease, and how she helped them recover through dietary intervention. She enthralled the audience with her success story, her trials and tribulations, and her ‘days-in-the-life’ of a mom facing challenges. She walked the audience through the scientific research to support her conclusions, and wove her anecdotes into the narrative. A lively discussion ensued as every mom in the audience, completely able to relate to her, wanted to know what to do in their ‘what-if’ scenarios. Kirstin, who is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, has written extensively on the importance of healthy fats for brain development, and publishes the widely read blog What To Feed Your Kids at http://whattofeedyourkids.blogspot.com/ .

Geri talked about how a specific diet may be able improve your child's health and reduce behavioral symptoms such as stimming, night waking, and tantrums while improving eye contact and language development as well as influence immunity. Geri focused on gut issues and their genesis. Her illustrative handout on what foods to avoid, is the perfect refrigerator pin-up. Geri, who has specialized in pediatric and young-adult developmental disabilities for nearly 30 years, is a Defeat Autism Now! Practitioner, hosts a monthly radio show on AutismOne.com, and has developed comprehensive lifestyle, nutritional and supplement programs. Vist her website at: http://www.geribrewster.com/

Sabeeha Rehman