Hello and Welcome!
Welcome to Flourish Family Foods! My name is Melissa. Are you interested in learning how to become more proficient at clean eating? As I apply holistic philosophy to build a flourishing family, I must also consider how the family is nourishing itself with food. While I am not a registered dietician, I am a professional baker and educated mom to an ADHD child with food allergies and sensitivities. I am happy use my skills and knowledge in the kitchen to coach and cheer you on a journey of healthful eating for the family.
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Did you know gluten, casein proteins, as well as some artificial dyes and preservatives, not to mention refined sugars, can negatively impact kids with neuro-divergent brains? Watch this short video for more information. https://youtu.be/M-IKcXWgA70
Gut health is also strongly linked to psychological health. For more information on this fascinating topic, I invite you to explore the Weston A. Price foundation at https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/gut-and-psychology-syndrome-gaps/#brains
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My Story
A little over thirteen years ago, I was at the end of my proverbial rope as an exhausted and under slept mom of a rambunctious two year old; my child was behind in speech development and wasn't sleeping well, even with a strict routine. We've all heard of the terrible two's stage of raising toddlers. At that point, I had over 5 years experience as a daycare provider, I felt ill-equipped to manage my child's dramatic and very frequent tantrums. Discipline seemed ineffective at the time, and out of desperation, I called my local family resource center. I was connected with the Birth to Three program. Concurrent with that time, I also found a pediatrician who was well versed in alternative health modalities of naturopathy and homeopathy. After weeks of diagnostics and labs, the main take-away I got from the doctor was my child had food allergies and sensitivities as well as an altered immune system. Thankfully, my child didn't have anaphylaxis, but there was also an intense history of asthma flare ups and frequent nebulizer treatments. Based on labs, it was suggested that the immune system was in overdrive from environmental toxins from common foods, soaps, cleaning chemicals, as well as previous adverse reactions to every vaccination received. The skin issues, tummy issues, emotional and developmental issues were all connected. I felt relieved to have answers to why my child was struggling, as well as hope that my child can heal. Birth to three began in-home speech therapy sessions twice a week while at the same time I eliminated the triggering foods, detoxed the body with tea and glutathione supplements, and continued to give my child nutritious food and supplements to rebuild and repair the mind and body. After three weeks of these changes, I realized my child went from having 20+ intense meltdowns a day to one or two mild fusses a day. Speech therapy was cruising and after three months of therapy my child went from communicating at one-year-old level to a three-year old level. In fact, they discharged us early because of how quickly age appropriate levels were reached. Eventually, the ADHD diagnosis came in at age ten. Through gentle parenting techniques, taking my child to see a therapist for impulse control and emotional regulation, prioritizing spiritual development, and implementing a nourishing gluten free diet while supporting gut health, my child is able to thrive without the use of pharmaceutical drugs. We still have our moments, and we are continuously learning how ADHD impacts us throughout various stages of development and life.