The last two decades have shown a surge in the cases of youth-onset type 2 diabetes. This used to be a disease of adults only and was called adult-onset diabetes, since it was not seen in children. It is now a pediatric disease. Type 2 diabetes in children is rising at a faster rate than type 1 and is a global problem. The word diabetes written on a chalkboard surrounded by a scale, glucometer, stethoscope, exercise equipment, and healthy foods. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is cause

It is no secret that adolescents and teens are influenced by social media. Many influencers have no expertise in the subject matter they endorse. This is vastly true when it comes to dieting and eating habits promoted by individuals with no medical or dietary background, many of whom are thin young women, promoting potentially harmful eating habits with no scientific basis. Teen girls on social media from which they get much of their health and dietary information. I will out

One wouldn’t think in this land of plenty that children would be deficient in crucial vitamins and minerals. Deficiencies are found not...

If you or your kids are considering a juice cleanse or liver detox diet, think again. This article presents food for thought to outline...

Group of young multi-cultural women. I recently returned from a Culinary Medicine conference in New Orleans, the birthplace of the...

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects about 1 in 25 US youth, ages 12-19, according to recent CDC statistics. This is about 1.3...

This article delves into the hormone, hormone derivative, and hormone receptor modulator supplements. These include: Anabolic agents...

Last week’s article was an introduction to performance supplements, reviewing general information and categories. Supplement use in youth...

Sports supplements are in the form of drinks, pills, gum, gummies, and powders. They are designed to build muscle or improve endurance....

Did you know that diet plays a role not only in brain development but also in brain function? The brain requires specific nutrients to...

Making meals that are nutrient-dense rather than energy-dense is easy and affordable. Nutrient-dense refers to foods high in nutrients...

Keeping your child healthy and well-hydrated helps to optimize sports performance. They need adequate calories for their given sport and...

Many of you may have heard that sugar and dairy are bad for acne. There is actually science behind this. Acne is an inflammatory process;...

Adolescence and puberty - those words trigger an emotional response and anxiety in parents! This article will help you prepare your child...

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has consistently ranked as one of the healthiest, most sustainable diets, beneficial for heart health and...

A concerning trend in the past few years is the occurrence of kidney stones in children and adolescents. Kidney stones are another...

Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are the most common nutritional deficiencies worldwide. These have become especially prevalent...

Vitamins, in appropriate amounts, are healthy for the body and necessary for many bodily functions. The vitamins we obtain from our diet...

Child with a plate of plant-based foods Since I ran this post last October, I am publishing it again as it reviews vegetarian eating for children. There are many variations of eating: Vegetarian: excludes animals Vegan: excludes animals, dairy, and eggs Lacto-vegetarian: excludes meat, poultry, and fish but includes milk and milk products Ovo-vegetarian: excludes meat, poultry, and fish but includes eggs Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: excludes meat, poultry, and fish but includes milk

I am continuing with my “diet evaluation” month for children, and this week is the vegan diet. Let’s first define vegan since it can be confused with vegetarian. Infant in high chair filled with plant-based, vegan foods. A vegetarian does not consume any animals - meat, seafood, poultry, pork- no animal flesh, but can consume some animal products such as milk, eggs, cheese, and yogurt. Vegans do not consume animals or any products from animals, such as dairy, and thus are fur