A small crowd of elementary students has gathered around Dr. Philippa Norman, her soothing voice acquitting the mystery of their own food. They are rapt with attention. “This,” she says, scooping out a spoonful of vapid, opaque, partially-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, “Is what is put in here.” She sets the spoonful next to a bowl of triangle chips covered in orange powder. Students respond with disgust. She continues, “When you eat it a lot, it starts to get stuck in your arteries and ends up breaking down all the strong membranes around your brain cells. When those aren’t strong, you’ll feel sad a lot or feel like you can’t stay focused on what your teacher is saying.” Dr. Norman takes questions, the kids astounded.

Dr. Norman’s approach, though she admits in this instance to borrowing from theatrics, is part of her belief that children can make their own informed decisions, good decisions. They can be encouraged and empowered by knowing what is in their food and how it can hurt or help their brain operate. She has spent the last eight years specializing in treating children and teens with ADD and related problems of hyperactivity, depression, and anxiety. Her goal is to support them in becoming more connected to their food and more mindful about how their food choices affect their mind.

What’d you call me?
“We’re all fatheads,” Dr. Norman explains to me. The mind itself is made of a fatty meshwork containing cells called neurons. Dendrites reach across and connect them, neurotransmitters amplify electrical signals between the neurons, and cell membranes are not just walls around the cells. The membranes are storage packets that help maintain high-speed electrical conduction around their outer walls. The whole thing, Dr. Norman believes, is a delicate, constantly-evolving process that thrives on the nutrients fed to the body and, thus, it: “Nourishing your child’s brain is truly a powerful way to help him function at his best, maintain a more even mood, think more clearly, and handle stress better.”

Some of the major nourishing elements Dr. Norman emphasizes for our fatheads are essential fatty acids, like omega-3 and omega-9, whole-grain- and fruit-fiber, and zinc. “I’m always talking about zinc. It’s my favorite,” she says. Zinc is a key mineral in processing memory and regulating mood. Found in nuts, seeds, and meats, it regulates brain cell growth as we learn and is quickly depleted by the consumption of too much sugar. The good fats found in olives, avocados, cold water fish, dark, leafy greens, and seeds and nuts help build healthy, pliable brain cell membranes while whole fiber slows the absorption of sugar into the blood so it feeds the brain at a steadier pace.

Encouraging methods
When asked how parents can help their students feed their brains, Dr. Norman gave a few suggestions, starting with a scan of their food, looking for processed and refined foods, pesticide-ridden produce, trans-fats, petroleum-derived food coloring, and artificial flavors and sweeteners. This involves label reading, a good habit to develop. “You want to find the junk and reduce it, but you must make the changes with your child, slowly, making their healthy snacks seem familiar, talking together about all the great things it does for our brains,” she says. Dr. Norman also suggests parents introduce the good, nourishing stuff without necessarily taking out the bad stuff and she cannot stress enough the importance of letting a child choose his food and not forcing a change. “Parents must not shame their child into eating more beneficial foods because it will only make the changes a source of anxiety.”

Besides these strategies, Dr. Norman suggests others: Eat whole foods so children know what their food looks like from the earth; eat all color groups every week to protect growing cells with a rainbow of antioxidants; balance intuitively because no one diet is right for everyone; check for common allergens like milk, eggs, corn, and wheat; drink water to prevent dehydration and grogginess; get plenty of sleep to promote cell repair and growth; promote creativity with lots of play time; and get lots of vitamin D-Sunshine to stay more alert.

Dr. Norman has also pin-pointed a couple diet changes for specific areas:

• ADD and hyperactivity  The good fats are needed, omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids found in cold-water fish and leafy greens. If children are moody or spacey too, their blood sugar levels need to be normalized with the help of fiber from whole fruits and vegetables.
• Weight gain  Plant fiber will manage blood sugar levels and create a feeling of satiation.
• Skin problems  Because the skin is an organ of elimination, water and high fiber salads will aid elimination.
• Aggressive behavior  Allergies to milk and wheat and the consumption of nutrient-depleting food additives have been linked with this. Pinpointing allergies and increase an intake of potassium in parsnips, bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes can help.
• Anxiety  Adrenal glands are up so reduce sugar and introduce protein, some potassium, and a lightly sweetened fruit hibiscus tea.
• Growth delay  Low levels of zinc will stunt development. Seeds, nuts, and hormone-free red meat can help. Probiotics in kefir and yogurt are very helpful in transforming excessive hormones and fabricating energy B vitamins.
• Cold symptoms  Zinc! helps the immune cells multiply, again, seeds, nuts, and hormone-free red meats. The antibiotic and antifungal properties of garlic and onions will also help alleviate runny noses and coughs.
• Sweet tooth  Add more protein snacks to their diets. Substitute refined sugars with honey, agave nectar, and pure, organic apple juice. To substitute desserts, serve extra ripe fruits.
• Sports activity  Hydrate with plenty of water and on a regular basis serve protein meals while before a big event load up on carbohydrates with whole grains.

Dr. Norman’s insights into child and teen nutrition are ones she brings to our schools and to her own four children. She gives them all an exciting opportunity to see their food in a new light and to bring together their knowledge of chemistry, biology, and nutrition. Whether new or re-visited, the provisions of her gentle instruction are awe-inspiring and easy to digest for all ages. It’s brain food that’s thought-provoking.

Mercedee Renz, Goodness Greeness

Find out more!

Dr. Norman would love to hear from our readers. Call 312-458-9595, write to pjnorman4@yahoo.com. You can purchase her children’s books that are packed with kid-friendly food and body chemistry: Feed Your Brain ($16.95) and Lessons From Your Body ($20.95); send a check to Philippa Norman, Inc. 9923 S. Ridgeland Ave, #186, Chicago Ridge, IL 60415. Also, she will be speaking at a conference hosted by The Learning Brain Institute Nov 30 and Dec 1.