Transforming Our Family's Diet: A Journey to Better Focus

I posted this at the end of the school year on a Facebook group about children's nutrition:

"I want to share our story with you. Before any call I received from the preschool, aftercare, or another parent, I would take a deep breath and prepare myself mentally to defend.

Once again, Itamar had been acting out, bothering others, hitting, not focusing, and disrupting the class.

We tried everything—explaining, getting angry, comparing to other kids and his sister, extracting promises, bribing, all sorts of amateur parenting mistakes—but nothing worked.

Until a wise preschool teacher suggested we visit a child development center for an evaluation.

We spent half a day with a neurologist for an assessment, and in the end, he gave us a lengthy summary, but explained the bottom line verbally:

'Right now, your child has a focus issue. If you don't want it to turn into ADHD, meaning Ritalin by first grade and so on, here's what you do:

1. Get rid of the drawer full of salty and sweet snacks.

2. No more white sugar, white flour, white rice.

3. Read ingredient lists on food. If there's an ingredient you don't recognize, don't buy it.

4. Limit screen time to a total of two hours a day—flickering drives the child's nervous system crazy.'

We took the doctor's words seriously, and our household underwent a transformation. Gradually, but a transformation nonetheless.

Today, I've become something of a health guru. Mothers from school come to me for guidance (voluntarily and gladly, of course).

Our kids now start their day with a healthy muffin,

Lunch is whole grain pasta with lentil patties, whole grain couscous with vegetables and chickpeas as a protein source, and so forth.

I make homemade pizza, dairy desserts, ice cream, chocolate—all with healthy, natural ingredients.

And Itamar? He finished kindergarten as a happy and calm child. In first grade, we received countless compliments from the teacher. Now, when parents call, it's to ask if Itamar can come over to play.

This week, thank God, Itamar finished first grade. At the school ceremony, the principal called up the best student in each class to receive a certificate of excellence and a token of appreciation. When they announced first grade, the principal called Itamar's name."

The post garnered many comments and inquiries, mostly private.

I see this as a mission and a huge blessing from Hashem, the ability to share my experience and help.

Every thank you from a mom, every child's smile—it means the world to me.

Due to the overwhelming response, the idea for this column was born, and everyone who benefits from it—blessings.
I take this opportunity to thank the Hidabroot website for the platform they gave me—may Hashem bless you.

Since that Facebook post, I have gone through a lot—

When Itamar moved to second grade, I went to first year—more accurately, I began studying naturopathy at the Earth College in Givat Washington.

The naturopathy program taught me about nutritional medicine, herbal remedies, guided imagery, iridology (diagnosis through the iris), aromatherapy, natural cosmetics, Chinese nutrition—and many more tools to assist me in this mission.

With God’s help, in upcoming articles, I'll share tips, recipes, things to watch out for, and general advice on family nutrition.