Mommas Help, Please!!!

I dont know what to tell you about a diet, but my husband has severe acid reflux and if you put a teaspoon or so of baking soda in the sauce when you're making spaghetti (or lasagna, or anything with a red sauce) it neutralizes the acid. If you put too much in, it tastes soapy. It bubbles up when you mix it in, but you cant taste it. Also, carbs are good for her, bread, pasta, etc. Filling, and they absorb acid.

He also has a wedge pillow we got at Bed, Bath, and Beyond that elevates his torso at night and makes a significant difference with his reflux.

take a look at this cook book. Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld
She makes everyday recipes that kids usually love, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, and makes them packed with nutrients and good stuff. Definitely soemthing to take a look at. Good luck!

Hmmmm.... the thing that bothers me is that *extensive* studies have been done on pubescent girls (over to several 100,000, longitudinal,over 50 years and still going)... and over and over age 2 things have proven so true, that it's actually a causal relationship.

1) That girls put on between 15-30 "extra" pounds at the onset of puberty (aka they chub)

2a) That girls who diet during this time period have life long struggles with their weight (not so ironically, they tend to be 15-30lbs overweight, but all the way to obese kinds of struggles) UNTIL they hit menopause. At which time, their weight self regulates

2b) That girls who do NOT diet during this period naturally lose the weight 6-18 mo later. It quite litereally, just MELTS off of them with no extra effort AND that these women tend to NOT struggle with their weight whatsoever their entire lives.

Not so very long ago girls wore rather shapeless dresses until they "came out" at about age 15/16, and started wearing dresses with "structure" which showed off their thin waists and newly found curves. These days, our girls are NOT in shapeless dresses. So the pubescent pudge was not only not noticeable, but it was also understood and accepted as just a part of growing up, while now... with stretch everything... every 5lbs is VERY visible. And of course, our culture is built on THIN THIN THIN.

Anyhow... it makes me nervous that your daughter is 12 (aka pubescent)... and you're being instructed to put her on a diet.

The downside about medicine is this: All of my classmates and I have studied these studies (the come from socialized med countries like the UK -ethnically diverse-, Sweden -somewhat less so-, and others). But it's going to take 10 years before my classmates are practicing, and 15-20 before we're in positions of power. Low and behold... what's known (medically speaking) in universities all over the country typically takes 10-15 years before it filters out to being in common practice. So doctors and nurses and nutritionists in school KNOW these things, but they won't be common practice for awhile. It's frustrating, because many doctors are GREAT, but they just aren't up to date.

I Agree with manynother responders; a twelve year old girl does not need to be on a diet or eliminate carbs. As another poster noted, everyone should could cut out processed and sugary food and focus on healthy eating a exercise. If she is doing these things I wouldn't worry. I was a bit chubby at 12 because of the onset of puberty, but within a year or so I had lost it and remained 110 at 5'6" without dieting or changing anything. It is just natural for girls to do that before they get their periods. The best thing you can do for her is to teach her to eat healthy. It's a gift that will last a lifetime. I also have reflux and spicy foods and dairy don't really bother me but chocoalte and red sauce really do. Maybe experiment to see which foods trigger her reflux. Maybe she can eat more than younthink. Good luck!

C.,

There is a great nutritional supplement that can help your daughter with the acid reflux issues. It is much safer than meds. It has Omega 3 and other neutrients for growing children. You can go to http://foryourhealth.reliv.com and click on products and read on the kids.

I hope this helps.

A.

Hi! Is your Dr suggesting she get rid of all carbs? Because carbs are essential for proper absorption of protein, especially in growing children. Many people who followed the Atkin's diet lost tons of weight, but felt terrible and gained it all back once they started eating carbs again. She can eats plenty of fruits and veggies, meats, eggs... Give her carbs, but just watch it, I can probably eat 5 breadsticks b/c I LOVE bread, but that isn't healthy at all, so limit it to one serving, and with something healthy like salad and grilled chicken. For example, a baked potato with a small amount of Smart Balance butter, salt, pepper and low fat shredded cheese is way healthier than one loaded down with sour cream, tons of cheese and chilli.

For dairy, here are dairy substitutes out there that she may be able to eat.

Make sure she eats a well rounded meals and portion control! An actual size of steak a person should be eating for *one* serving should be the size of a deck of cards. But now a days, with how we eat, it's more like 4 servings of beef.

Some keep the portion control have her remain active, drink lots of water, 32 oz a day if possible and eat well rounded and healthy meals.

So that she doesn't overeat or feel limited by portions at mealtimes, she can have healthy snacks throughout the day. It's actually healthier for our bodies to have 5 small meals, than 3 larger meals. She can have apples or celery with peanut butter and raisins, quesadilla with black beans and cheese, handful of nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans, the yummy kinds), avocado sprinkled with a little bit of salt and lemon juice, pretzels, fruit, carrot sticks, rice cakes with almond butter or nutella.

I have had bad acid reflux and have been in the er cuase nothing would help with the pain. They gave me a list of things I couldn't eat. I can't remember the whole list but the main things were fried foods, soda and caffeine. I cut those out of my diet for 2 weeks and it really did help me. I also lost weight!

Hello,
Frisco is not very close to you, but it would be well worth the drive to seek the advice of Dr. Chalmers, a holistic doctor/chiropractor. He does AK nutritional testing and can correct her acid reflux......he also can help with weight issues....basically he is my doctor. There has not been much at all he can not help me with and I feel he is actually more accurate on many things than any MD had been thus far.

http://chalmerswellness.com

He helped my sister treat her infants reflux naturally with a bottle of pink salt that costs 13 dollars.....well worth her drive for sure.

I agree with the moms on trying the nutrient supplement and taking walks together. The walks or trips to the park not only gets you healthier but gives you all the extra benefit of bonding as a family away from distractions like work, tv and school. It doesn't have to be a long time 10-15 mins would be a good way to start and lengthen it as time allows. I started doing this with my family a couple of months ago. We talk about the animals, people, and things we see and that leads to other subjects that the kids just bring up. I don't scream and yell as much the kids are less wild since they have a means to work off some stress and energy too. You've gotten lots of good advice. Good Luck!

I agree with Alem's post. I know the supplement she mentioned, and there are many people who have had great results with issues including acid reflux. It is definitely worth a try!

I wanted to add that I read through the answers and really like what Riley J had to say.

Your child is still growing. Please, please, please don't mess her up with the diet junk. Don't put her on a restrictive -"You can't eat this because you're fat"-type of diet.

The best thing is more exercise. Maybe changing the way your are cooking, but not putting the emphasis on "I'm cooking this because of you daughter" but just adding more veggies and making more healthy choices at the store. Try to pick food that has been processed the least, but don't cut out all carbohydrates. Instead of bread, do a pita or wrap for the bread substitute. Get some lunch meat that is lower in fat, like the JennyO stuff and add more lunch meat to the meal while dropping any sweet snack thing that has loads of sugar and don't just do it for her, do it for everyone because everyone needs to eat healthier.

One thing you can do is ride bikes with her. Go on walks together. On Saturday morning (or another time that works) have a family outing like geocaching where you are forced to walk. Anything to increase the output while you fix your recipes to be healthier (not saying that they aren't healthy) and working as a family for everyone, not just her, to eat more healthy.

Maybe your family could join a gym, I know the Y allows you to start working out at 12.

It's tough, but don't let the doctor's words be a stumbling block for her. She is still growing and will stretch out some more.

I'd say introduce diet changes slowly and without judgment. At 12, she is very suceptible to creating obsessions about weight. You don't say what her weight is, if she is truly "a little overweight", small changes should be all that is necessary and her normal growth should even out her weight during puberty. (I was called "chubby" by my father and first boyfriend at 14 and developed an eating disorder that followed me into my 20s).

A breakfast suggestion is to try different protein powder shakes or "smoothies". I've been having them for breakfast for years, because of a need for more protein but a dislike for meat/eggs for breakfast. Make sure to look at the amount of protein and sugar (some come with a lot of sugar) but the one I use (Spirutein powder) has most of the protein I need for the day and keeps me from getting too hungry (and making bad choices) at lunch time. I also have whole-grain toast with that for breakfast.

I would not eliminate carbs but change to whole grain carbs (bread, cereal, or pasta). Carbs are necessary - white processed carbs are not.

Lunch - tuna, chicken, soups, salads - again just making small changes should be enough.

Does she get physical activity for an hour a day at least? That can be as or more important than diet to maintaining healthy weight (and mental state)!

C., If eliminating carbs helps her, it won't hurt the whole family to make the change. If fairness is your concern, it seems everyone supporting the sister with reflux, is a family team idea! Make a Team strategy to find carb-free, tasty recipes and foods using cookbooks, magazines and online resources!
Having suffer "heartburn" at night, one of the best things she can do is increase the amount of water she drinks! She needs AT LEAST 8, 8ounce glasses per day. Keep a project chart for her to record her glasses of water! Also, don't eat any later than 6:00pm. Food will be further digested by bed time. ( I once had a dr. tell me- nothing after 2pm!
God bless you and your sweet girls!

Just like everyone else said try to just eliminate as much refined sugar as posssible, and change your carbs to whole-grain. Meal Ideas:

Breakfast: Whole grain toast w/Peanut Butter
Yogurt with side of fruit-(read your labels on yogurt tho cuz many of them are loaded w/sugar so try to choose one that is lower in sugar.)
Eggs w/veggies and/or low-fat cheese and fat-free ham
Eggos whole-grain waffles w/ frozen blueberries that are warmed in the microwave(I use the syrup for diabetics and don't notice a diff. except it isn't as thick)
Whole-grain cereals w/skim or 1% milk
Oatmeal with low-sugar(I add a 1/4 cup of walnuts or pecans to my daughters for some addes protein)

Lunch/Dinners:
Lots of Grilled meats and change up the veggies everday. If your kids don't like veggies, start w/the one they do like and feed them OFTEN! Then slowly add in others with them and try diff.ways of cooking them so they'll taste better.
Different Salads using Romaine lettuce not Iceburg(has no nutrients in it) such as A Cobb-type Salad with tomatoes cucumber red-pepper slices, purple cabbage then add diced up fatfree ham or chicken with some lowfat cheddar cheese or dice a boiled egg, with low-fat ranch dressing
Or a Cesar Salad w/ toms. cucu's diced grilled chicken croutons and a low-fat ceasar dressing!
Grill or Bake fish if they will eat it. The sooner u start them the more they'll like it and try different kinds until u find they kind they like. Fish is good if you buy good fresh fish and season it properly.
Chicken Stir-fry with Teriyaki Glaze(buy it in the oriental section) and Brown Rice. My kids love this!!
The different veggies I make are:
Grilled Cabbage-almost everyone that tries this loves it! I take a cabbage and quarter and put each section on aluminum foil. I put a tsp or 2 of olive oil, salt and pepper and a huge scoop of minced garlic(i buy the big jar already chopped). Wrap the foil tight and put on grill until its tender. Usually it needs to go on the grill first as it takes a little long than most of the meats we cook. But its delish! You can do that w/ Squash/Zuccini and also Apsaraus too! I saute alot of veggies in olive oil too if Im in a hurry or not grilling. Also I steam alot too! Just mixing it up makes my kids eat all their veggies every single day! My daughter does not like raw tomatoes and cooked carrots so I don't make her eat them, I concentrate all the other she likes!
Substitue Sweet Potatos for regular, and also regular potatos baked are not horrible for you its more about not loading them down with tons of butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon-bits! Also choosing a good heathy margarine which is lower in fat and Non-hydrogenated is imperative! Also keeping an eye on Salt Content is important becuz to much sodium can make you retain alot of water and mess up your blood pressure! READ your labels you'd be shocked at home much sodium is in things like spag. sauce soups salad dressings ect...
Also if you can substitue Corn Tortillas instead of Flour that is better they have more fiber and less carbs.
Chicken Salad w/Low-fat or FF Mayo on a bed of lettuce w/Slices of Avacado.

Sorry this went so long...just wanted to give you many options for meals, that you didn't get from the other responses! Definatelty start slow and don't even tell your kids they are eating low-fat or fat-free stuff, and lower sodium and sugar foods. Just slowly make the changes and they won't even notice! Good Luck!

Dinners can be a protein and steamed veggies. Quinoa is a great grain in the place of rice. It's high in protein and has all the amino acids of a piece of chicken. You can make it just like rice (cook with chicken stock for more flavor) and add any seasoning you want along with veggies. It is a carb, but the body needs carbs too. Just have her stay away from potatoes, rice, corn (which is not a veggie) and bananas (very high in sugar). Complex carbs are fine, it's the refined sugar and carbs that spike our weight and insulin levels.
If sandwiches are the easiest to make for lunch then getting a bread that is "double fiber" is best. I like Rudi's Organic double fiber bread, you can find it at Whole Foods. The more fiber a food has, the slower the food turns to glucose in the body. this will stop the fast insulin spike and help her digest better. Add in an apple and some veggies and she's set!
Breakfast is easy. A quick veggie-egg scramble will do the trick! The protein will keep her full till lunch and feed her brain the food it needs to be alert.
As for the acid reflux, is she on medication? If so, this could be perpetuating the problem. Antacids, decrease the acid in the stomach and make it more difficult for the body to digest food. It also eliminates the body's ability to destroy common viruses and bacteria that enter into our body as the acidity of the stomach goes down. This makes her more prone to getting sick, and a higher incidence of pneumonia. It also eliminates the body's ability to absorb B-vitamins (the energy vitamins) and can lead to extreme fatigue.
Contrary to what the medical profession believes, acid reflux is really a lack of acid. Before each meal try getting her to down a 1/2 Tbsp of Bragg's apple cider vinegar. This will help get the acidity of her stomach to the proper pH and she will have a better time with digestion and food and acid won't come back up.
Here are some articles showing these studies:
http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/antacids...
http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_f-n/Indigestion...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1528550/why_anta...

I hope this helps!
Dr. Jenn

Take her to a GI doctor to see how bad her reflux is because my daughter had same problem and she had to have surgery. So sometimes is not all about the weight.

I have really bad reflux and I feel for your daughter. When I was young I didn't have any meds for it I would eat to make the burning go away. I know I am bucking the trend but I believe in a good acid reducing med to let her have more normal diet choices in her life would be good. Both my children chubed up a bit at that age then lost all the extra weight suddenly at a point when their body chemistry changed itself. When she has the freedom from pain I bet she settles into a varied and healthy diet. Puburty is a rocky ride but she will be ok!