NOURISHING THE BODY AND THE MIND FROM PRECONCEPTION ONWARDS
COMBINING EVIDENCE-BASED CONVENTIONAL & COMPLEMENTARY NUTRITIONAL MEDICINE
Vivienne Pither - Dietitian with a holistic touch
INTRODUCING VIVIENNE PITHER
Vivienne is a mother of three beautiful children who all suffered from various food intolerances with varying reactions, a consequence of genetics on both sides of the family! (see My Story). Through combining her passion for health, experiences as a mother, her career as a dietitian and knowledge of Western Herbal Medicine she not only offers invaluable knowledge and experience to help families discover the foods that are affecting them, but offers an holistic approach that investigates and treats the underlying causal factors (gut, genetics, vitamin and mineral deficiencies) to help prevent the development of further intolerances and allow for faster introduction of foods. She treats both children and adults, with many adults presenting with food intolerance symptoms that have changed over time, from the colicky baby, to the child with eczema and asthma to the adult with migraines, anxiety, adult ADHD and chronic fatigue.
She offers consultations worldwide via phone, FaceTime, Zoom or Teams and for local residents she is happy to provide a home visit, especially for the elderly who can't leave their home, the mother with a newborn and kids, and NDIS patients. Once you have seen Vivienne, she provides ongoing support via email between visits to answer your questions and ensure that you are on the right track. She also now provides a daily support service, at an extra cost, for those that need constant monitoring and reassurance, particularly breastfeeding mothers.
HOW I CAN HELP YOU
Is your baby or child food sensitive?
Helping kids with food-induced ADHD, OCD tendencies, tic disorders (Tourette Syndrome), autism, anxiety, depression, ODD, fussy eating, eczema and asthma.
Helping babies with colic, reflux, projectile vomiting, weight gain.
Are you food sensitive?
Helping adults with symptoms such as IBS, SIBO, Coeliac Disease, post viral chronic fatigue, autoimmune (hypothyroid, Fibromyalgia) and food-induced anxiety and depression.
Are you eating the right foods for both of you?
Nutritional Epigenetics links food and environmental chemicals to developmental disorders in children. Brie and camembert aren't the only foods to be avoided! One consultation is all you will need to ensure you are eating the right foods, are taking the most suitable vitamin supplements (depending on your genetics) and getting all your essential nutrients for both you and your baby. If the mother's gut is not in a healthy state, this will often lead to problems breastfeeding, as the partly digested food molecules can pass through the breast milk and cause havoc in the gut of the breastfeeding newborn.
Perimenopause and Menopause
Perimenopause often kicks off in our early 40's due to hormonal changes and the symptoms can be quite debilitating especially when many of us are still managing a young family. Belly fat, despite your normal exercise routine; severe mood swings, some with rage; forgetfulness and foggy brain; adult ADHD; increased body temperature and hot flushes; sleeplessness, especially the 2am wake up call; and sudden sensitivities to food and alcohol.
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From the age of 40 we start to naturally lose our lean muscle tissue and diet, along with weight-bearing exercise, is imperative to minimise and even reverse this muscle loss. In addition to increasing our timed protein intake, many women also need to consider histamine sensitivity which is another common symptom associated with the severe hormonal changes of perimenopause, especially if there is a history of allergy and hayfever. And that 2am unwanted wake-up call is usually due to a dump of histamine from the food consumed that day.
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With the right diet tailored to your symptoms, along with resistance training, women are often able to successfully alleviate their peri/menopausal symptoms to make the natural process feel like it should be, natural and not debilitating. Note, some women also benefit from bio identical hormonal replacement therapy in conjunction with their women's health specialist, again, it depends on the severity of their symptoms and their medical history.
Is your baby colicky, restless, writhing in pain, have blood in their stools, rashes (including nappy rash) and generally unsettled?
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Food allergens, FODMAPS and chemicals from the mother's diet pass into the breast milk and can cause food intolerant symptoms in the sensitive baby. If the mother's gut is also compromised, then both mother and baby need to be treated. I am seeing more and more babies who are sensitive to the basics - rice, potato and pear due to potential issues with Oral Allergy Syndrome so in these cases, the RPAH Elimination Diet and low FODMAP diet don't work and we need to investigate other causes. LET ME HELP TAKE THE CONFUSION AWAY.
The Athlete
The nutritional requirements of athletes to maintain optimal heath to allow them to withstand the demands of training and competition, to ultimately perform at their best often exceeds what the athlete can ingest with a 'normal' diet. Then having to factor in growth for the rapidly growing teenager; gut disturbances; recovery and muscle gain, whilst preventing a state of REDS (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports) requires an in depth analysis.
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In addition, many athletes require specific micronutrient supplementation as their physical demands and the ongoing stressors on the body and mind often see them at risk of injury; illness due to a weakened immune system; athlete-induced anaemia; zinc deficiency; and a need for supplemental b vitamins and electrolytes. Competition also requires athletes to use anti-doping HASTA-certified supplemental products.
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Every athlete is built differently, both genetically and physically, has differing demands on their body and mind and thus has differing requirements. There is never one size fits all.
FOOD INTOLERANCES - WHICH DIET?
Food intolerance is extremely complex and very puzzling. It depends on the gut microbiome you were given from your mother (especially if your mum suffered from thrush), antibiotic use, genetics, gastrointestinal viruses and infections and your diet. We often look to one diet to fix all of our problems, to find that after some initial improvement, we start to develop symptoms again. For those with a compromised gut, they are often sensitive to a variety of food chemicals, proteins and molecules and require a combination of diets. This is where a thorough medical and family history can help eliminate much of the guesswork so that you're not avoiding foods unnecessarily.
I provide a unique support service for those with complex cases. All of my patients have the option to be set up with an online interactive food and symptom diary for close monitoring. They are all encouraged to keep the communication channels open and check in regularly so that any issues that may arise can be rectified early.
SYMPTOMS OF FOOD INTOLERANCE
- ADHD
- Hyperactivity
- Silliness
- Tantrums
- Silly noises
- Aggression
- Oppositional defiance (ODD)
- Uninhibitedness
- Tics, Tic disorders, Tourette Syndrome
- Stuttering
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Autism and Asperger
- Constipation
- Migraines and headaches
- Chronic Fatigue
- Rhinitis
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- General hypersensitivity (sound, smell, touch)
- Bed wetting
- Anxiety and depression
- Leg pains
- Restless leg syndrome
- Dark circles around eyes, poor weight gain
ADDITIVES TO AVOID
COLOURS
102,104,110,122,123,124,127,129,132,133,142,143, 151,155
Natural colour 160b (annatto)
PRESERVATIVES
Sorbates
Cheese, dips, drinks
200-203
Benzoates
Soft drinks, cordial, medicine
210-213
Sulphites
Dried fruit, juice, processed meat, cordial
220-228
Nitrates, nitrites
Cured and processed 'deli' meats (ham, bacon, hotdogs, frankfurts)
249-252
Propionates
Bread and bakery goods
280-283
SYNTHETIC ANTIOXIDANTS
Found in oils (vegetable oil) and fats, baked goods, muesli, snack bars,
biscuits, peanut butter
Gallates 310-312
TBHQ, BHA, BHT 319-321
FLAVOUR ENHANCERS
Glutamates including MSG 620-625
Ribonucleotides 627, 631, 635
Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS
All - they don't have numbers
It is recommended that anyone suspected of having ADHD first trial an elimination diet before they begin medication for ADHD.
What is FOOD-INDUCED ADHD?
Some children and adults have FOOD-INDUCED ADHD and may react to both additives in food and also to natural chemicals such as amines, glutamates and salicylates found in 'healthy' food. When these kids and adults start on an elimination diet, in most circumstances behaviour, mood swings, focus and attention, sleep, improve almost immediately. (See a recently published article on FOOD-INDUCED ADHD and why GPs and paediatricians should first recommend a trial of the elimination diet before offering medication).
FOOD-INDUCED ADHD AND MEDICATION
Some children and adults have FOOD-INDUCED ADHD that also requires medication, often if they still have a debilitating degree of inattention during class and they struggle to do and finish their work. In these sensitive people, even if they are medicated, if they eat the affecting foods, it may interfere with the ability of the medication to work effectively.
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NON FOOD-INDUCED ADHD
If you do not see any improvement in behaviour with a trial of the elimination diet, you do not have food-induced ADHD and you may need to consult your GP or paediatrician for other therapies.