My latest contribution to Western Sydney Mums’ Hub is the first of a three parter, focused on teenage health.
A few years ago I held a talk about some ways to nourish your teenager through diet and how to navigate the tricky periods of these years such as puberty, exams and their changing brains. I have covered this topic again, and started off by talking about the teenage brain and the changes it goes through.

Photo by Zhivko Minkov on Unsplash

The Teenage Brain

Teenagers aren’t just smaller adults. Their brains are quite different in functioning and this keeps going until the 20s and 30s.
When entering puberty the brain goes through a rapid growth spurt which is very similar to what happens in small babies.

There is a growth spurt in the frontal cortex before puberty starts, with a thickening of the grey matter in this area. The grey matter of the brain is where the thinking and processing happens, and the white matter is where the transport of messages occurs.

The brain matures in a back to front pattern, with the frontal and temporal lobes being the last to mature. The frontal lobe is the home of planning, organisation, impulse control and reasoning.

These changes help to explain why teenagers have such a hard time regulating their mood swings. The hormonal changes can bring the mood swings on, but the changes in the brain mean that can’t regulate their behaviour, and are less likely to make more rational decisions.

Teens have a harder time analysing the emotions of others, and are more likely to perceive anger and threat in others, where there may not be. They are more likely to have a ‘gut reaction’ to these ‘threats’ as well.

In a study where teenagers were shown pictures of adults with various facial expressions, which adults would normally interpret as emotions of fear or concern were often interpreted by teens as shock and anger.

Pruning of the Brain

There is also a process that occurs that is essentially like ‘pruning’ or a use it or lose it process of certain cells and connections. Choosing which habits are practised more regularly in this time is important, because for most people opting for the academic, sport or music sort of pathways rather than the video gaming pathways. The adolescent brain is very versatile and can adapt to the environment very well.

Having an immature frontal cortex also means their ability to perceive risk and consequences is quite low. Not wearing helmets, performing more daring moves on their skateboard or even having unprotected sex and drug taking are examples of this. Teens usually feel that the risk is outweighed by the reward in these instances.

It’s not that teens are dumb by any means, in fact they are at a peak time for learning and processing and making new pathways in their brain. They can be amazing at solving puzzles, memorising things and learning new tasks like languages and music, but can have difficulty with analysing emotions and correctly assessing consequences of risks.

Mood swings

Apart from zits, one of the other more well known problems that teenagers can struggle with is mood swings.

Thinking about how their brain develops, it’s a bit easier to understand how teenagers have a much harder time processing their emotions as well as accurately perceiving the emotions of others.

In addition to that, teens are also going through a time where they’re trying to discover their place in the world. A lot of teenagers report feeling frustrated because they’re being told to act like adults, but they’re not getting treated like adults.

It’s a hard time for parents as well, because the way that you would have dealt with your younger child’s problems is quite different to the way you would deal with teenage problems, and a lot of the time you’re in a position where you are being pushed away and you don’t even know what they’re upset about.

Depression can affect teenagers, with 5% of teens experiencing depression to such a degree that it warrants treatment. Thankfully with the way the brain is continually reprogramming itself during the teenage years it can be very responsive to interventions.

If you suspect your teenager has depression, there are a few things you can do:

• You can try to talk to them. If they’re not forthcoming with a general discussion, try asking more specific questions related to those indicators of depression
• Encourage them to talk to someone they feel comfortable with
• Talk to your doctor
• Seek counselling
• Or See a qualified natural therapist

How to reduce mood swings:

There are a few ways that you can help to reduce the severity of mood swings, by reducing the fluctuations of hormones and blood sugar levels that impact on neurotransmitters and brain function.

• Eating a low GI diet will prevent blood sugar level fluctuations which can upset moods
• Eating a nutrient dense diet can help provide the brain with nutrients it needs for a calm mood. In particular, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins.
• Exercise can release endorphins which improve mood.
• Get 9 hours sleep a night, with a regular sleep routine.
• Employ stress management techniques such as mindfulness, journaling, exercise or meditation.
• If severe, consult a practitioner.

Tips for a Low GI, nutrient dense diet

Ensure there’s plenty of good fats such as coconut oil, butter, nuts and seeds, olive oil and avocado. Nut butter and almond butter are a great snack idea and really help to satisfy hunger.

Beans, legumes and brown rice are a cheap way to add in some extra fibre, complex carbs and calories. Have a side of these with your main meals, and make dips with beans for some extra sustenance throughout the day. To reduce the gas you can experience with them, use dried beans, soak them overnight then cook on the stove for a few hours, rather than buying the tinned. You can keep them in the fridge for about a week.

Aim for 2 to 3 pieces of fruit a day, and at least 5 serves of vegetables a day. Starchy veg like sweet potato, potatoes and pumpkin are a great source of calories and have plenty of fibre.

If you choose, you can use Meat, chicken and fish for additional protein.

Whether you choose to include grains and dairy in the diet depends on the individual, but if there’s no intolerance than yoghurt and cheese are a good addition, and melted cheese can help make a lot of veg more palatable for fussy teens.

READ PART 2 HERE

The post Surviving the Teenage Years – Part 1 appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

This article was published in Great Health Guide magazine in April (Part 1) and June (Part 2) 2016

You’ve just had a baby..

Firstly, congratulations on achieving the amazing feat of building a tiny human within yourself. You’ve just made it through 9 months of pregnancy which for some women can be a tough slog dealing with various degrees of unpleasantness such as morning sickness, fatigue, fluid retention and back pain. And then you gave birth – whether it was a vaginal birth or a c-section, you were incredibly brave and strong.

During all this time, care and attention has been directed at you. You quite likely tried very hard to eat well and you took your vitamins regularly with the intention of growing a healthy baby. Perhaps if you were lucky you were pampered with foot rubs, back massages and relaxing baths to soothe your aches and pains. You may have even attended pregnancy yoga or Pilates classes, aquarobics, or walked more regularly than you did before you were pregnant.

But now your baby has arrived and suddenly there’s not as much time to look after yourself, but it’s just as important to look after yourself now as it was while you were pregnant. In this two part article I will share with you some ways which you can look after yourself without sacrificing too much of your time.

Things that new mums can do to take care of themselves

Take an hour just for yourself each week.

Recent research has found that new mothers who take at least one hour of time for themselves each week significantly reduce their chances of experiencing postnatal depression. How you spend this time is up to you, but if you need ideas, perhaps you could consider getting a massage, taking a relaxing bath, going for a long walk, attending a yoga class, going shopping, seeing a movie or sitting in the park reading a book.

Don’t stop talking your vitamins.

You need to be getting an abundance of nutrients just as much now as you did while you’re pregnant, this is especially so if you are breastfeeding. You lose a lot of minerals, including zinc and iron, while you are giving birth so it’s important to replace them.

Zinc has a lot of roles in the body but most notably for new mums it helps to keep your hormones balanced. Good levels of zinc also help wound healing and reduce nipple damage from breastfeeding.

Iron levels can drop if you lose a lot of blood during birth, and this mineral is important for energy and immune health.

Magnesium and B vitamins are also very important for new mothers as they help with energy, mood and relaxation.

In the last two trimesters of pregnancy and during breastfeeding you give Baby a lot of calcium to help build their bones, and if you’re not eating enough this can be broken down from your bones so it is important you’re getting enough. Calcium, along with magnesium is also important for muscle and nerve health and low levels can contribute towards tension.

While it’s possible to get plenty of nutrients from food sources alone, new Mums often struggle to find the time to eat well and so it is recommended to take a supplement as an insurance against deficiency. Talk to your healthcare practitioner about which supplements may be best for you.

Breathe to be calm

Meditation, mental stillness, or mindfulness comes in many forms, but my favourite way of calming the mind is to simply focus on the breath. Sit in a quiet spot, breathe through your nose slowly and by concentrating on the action of breathing, other thoughts are swept away.

This may be something you can do during a nap time, or if you have someone who can watch Baby for a little while. I would suggest to take 5-10 minutes a day to do this by yourself as well as while you are putting Baby down to sleep. If you are feeling anxious or your mind is occupied with other tasks that you need to do, it will drag the process out as Baby will pick up on your state of mind.

Part 2

Being a new mother can be a wonderful experience, but if you are feeling poorly then it can be difficult to enjoy this time to the fullest. Taking care of your mind and body will allow you to cope with the stresses placed on you during this time (such as sleep deprivation) and will also have a flow on effect to improve the health of Baby.

In part 1 of this article I shared some key ways to care for yourself after having a baby including taking time for yourself, practicing mental stillness and ensuring you were obtaining adequate nutrition. Read on below for some more ways to care for yourself after having a baby.

Meal prep.

It’s not uncommon for new mums to sacrifice their good eating habits due to lack of time to cook, often resorting to take away food or quickly thrown together meals that don’t contain the variety of nutrients that a new mother needs.

If possible start making and freezing some healthy meals while you are pregnant, but if you haven’t been able to do this you can start meal prepping now.

In addition to freezing meals in advice, you can also try the following ways of building up your meal reserves.

• Make extra servings for dinner and set it aside for lunch the next day.
• Take an hour or two a week to make a big meal that you can separate into portions and freeze.
• Set your breakfast up ready to go the night before.
• Organise to get your groceries delivered either by ordering from companies which ship variety boxes or online supermarket ordering. Ideally start this before you’ve given birth so that you don’t have to stress about it afterwards.
• Ask some friends or family members to bring you some meals.

When deciding what to cook, I have found it best to have a meal which can be eaten with one hand and wasn’t too hot, I often held my baby on my lap while eating – a newborns schedule is rather unpredictable.

Move and stretch.

5-10 minutes every day, perhaps while you’re in the shower or before you go to bed, stretch your neck, your arms, your back and your sides. You can find plenty of short yoga routines that you could follow on YouTube. Try to make this a daily ritual.

Lifting, holding and feeding baby can take its toll on your body, and muscle tension can lead to poor mood, poor sleep and reduced milk supply. If possible get a monthly massage to aid in the reduction of muscle tension as well.

After the first 6 weeks aim to go for a walk (take Baby with you!) every 1-2 days for about 30 minutes. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and a change of scenery, but walking is also an excellent way to keep fit without placing strain on damaged and tired muscles from pregnancy, childbirth or C-section.

Talk to other grown ups

It’s so easy to lock yourself away with Baby and forego spending time with other friends and family, and when the excitement of new baby wears away visitors start to dwindle, so it comes to you to reach out for interaction with your grown up friends. I consider this to be an important for a few reasons: it helps you to maintain relationships which so easily can dissolve during this period of life, it keeps you mentally active and it gives you an opportunity to talk about how you are feeling and coping.

In addition to keeping in contact with your existing friends, I recommend making connections with other mothers by joining local mothers groups or perhaps attend ABA meetings.

Follow your intuition.

‘Back in the day’ we used to have a network, or village, of people surrounding us that provided guidance when we had doubts about child-rearing. But now we are not surrounded by this small intimate group of trusted people, instead we have the Internet.

This can be both a blessing and a curse as while we can usually find an answer within minutes to questions such as “Why does my newborn squeak/snort/poo green” etc., it’s easy to come across comments or articles that make you feel inadequate or judged.

There are likely to be plenty of friends, family or acquaintances that will tell you what worked for them as well, but remember that this may not always be the best thing for you.

It’s great to get information but there is rarely one right way to do things so trust your own intuition and do what’s right for you and your baby.

Trust your own intuition and do what’s right for you and your baby.

Taking care of yourself as a new mother is just as important as taking care of Baby – you need to be well enough to care for Baby after all. Look after your body by eating well and keeping active, and look after your mind by practicing mental stillness and maintaining contact with friends and family.

The post Self Care for New Mothers appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

The next round of Group Infant Massage Classes are open for bookings.

These are group classes where you will learn to massage your infant, going through the theory and practical of infant massage in 4 x 1 hour classes. Located in Windsor, NSW.

For more information on the benefits of Infant Massage click here

For FAQs click here

Bookings are essential – find links below.

Private Infant Massage classes also available here

August/September Class

10:00am Friday, August 19, 2016
10:00am Friday, August 26, 2016
10:00am Friday, September 2, 2016
10:00am Friday, September 9, 2016

BOOK HERE

November/December Class

10:00am Thursday, November 17, 2016
10:00am Thursday, November 24, 2016
10:00am Thursday, December 1, 2016
10:00am Thursday, December 8, 2016

BOOK HERE

The post Upcoming Infant Massage Classes appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.