19 Frequently Asked Questions about the Doman Method® Nutrition Program
By Dr. Aravind Bagade and Alexander Del Rosario
Dr Aravind Bagade, M.D. (Ayurveda), mIFM, Dip.
Nutrition & Health
Director of Health & Nutrition
Doman International Institute, USA
Alexander Del Rosario, RN (Health Authority UAE & Philippines)
Nutritionist
Department of Health & Nutrition
Doman International Institute, USA
Nutrition is a diverse topic, and the concepts constantly change over time. It can be quite overwhelming and confusing at times as to what is the best nutritional advice one needs to consider for their child. When parents of kids with special needs start the Doman Method® program, they might feel a bit overwhelmed, especially when it comes to their child’s nutrition. Doman International’s Nutritional programs are crafted based on a careful time-tested blend of concepts from conventional nutrition and complementary and alternative medicine to ensure a holistic approach. We customize our nutrition program specifically for your child’s healthcare needs. Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the Doman Method® Nutrition Program:
1. What is the Doman Method® Nutrition Program?
The Doman Method® Nutrition Program is an integrative nutrition program combining the principles of conventional nutrition and dietetics, functional medicine, and Ayurvedic medicine. The Doman Method® Nutrition Program offers the best of conventional and complementary systems of medicine to help children with special needs achieve the best state of health, improve their quality of living and betterment of neurological organization.
2. What are the goals of the Doman Method® Nutrition Program?
To achieve excellent health and a steady energy level all day long.
To improve the body’s immune response and help prevent frequent illnesses.
To avoid food sensitivities and allergies which could contribute to ill-health in children with brain injury.
To make sure the child has optimum growth and development without any nutritional deficiencies.
To offer customized nutritional plans for kids to fight gut issues, improve brain health and offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support through nutrition.
3. Why is digestion so important for children with special needs?
Digestion is a process in which the body turns the food you eat into nutrients that are used for energy production, growth, and cell repair. Children with special needs are known to have an impaired gut-brain axis, dysbiosis, leaky gut, heavy metal toxicity, or other health issues that could interfere with the growth and maturation of the brain. Correcting gut health is an important step towards improving the health and quality of life in children with special needs.
4. What is a “well-balanced” diet?
A well-balanced diet consists of all the major macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) and appropriate amounts of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients).
Proteins - They are called the building blocks of life. The process of growth and repair, maintenance, hormones, and transport of substances is basically through a protein. It also provides the skeletal structure of the cell.
Carbohydrates - They are the fuel for energy in the body.
Fats or lipids - They are the reserve source of energy. They also insulate the body and give protection to the organs.
5. How do you create a balanced meal plan?
Adding different components in a needed proportion will make the food more holistic and complete.
Ideally, a child’s diet should have three main meals and 2-3 snacks in between meals. However, it also depends on the metabolic needs of the child and can vary between children.
Main meals must have components of protein, carbs, and fats in them which makes them balanced and complete.
Snacks must be a combination of protein and fats, or protein and carbs. Avoid junk and processed food as much as possible.
6. What are different sources of proteins?
Your child can get proteins from plant and animal sources.
Animal sources
All meats
All fish
Eggs
Plant sources
Legumes
Nuts and Seeds
Gluten-free cereals and their flours
7. What are the major sources of carbohydrates?
Your child can get carbohydrates from a variety of sources.
Vegetables & starchy foods like (potatoes, rice)
Gluten-free cereals and their flours
Fruits
8. “Fruits are very important. Why is it being restricted in my child’s diet?”
Though fruits are rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants, it is not preferred as a chief carbohydrate source. This is because the fructose content in fruit could feed candida colonies in the intestines, spike blood sugar levels, and even worsen symptoms like hyperactivity in many kids with special needs. Children with special needs who usually have gut issues and an impaired gut-brain connection cannot process fruits like neurotypical kids. Hence, fruits should not be the major carbohydrate source for kids with special needs. However, not all fruits are restricted to all the children with special needs. Based on the health condition of your child, many fruits can still be in the diet without a problem. This will be determined during the consultations with out Nutritionists.
9. Why is it bad to give fruit juices to kids?
Juicing a fruit will reduce the fiber content considerably and make the juice a concentrate of fructose. This will lead to a loss of antioxidants which are bound to the fiber in the fruit. A reduction in the total fiber content, loss of antioxidants, and concentration of sugars make juices a bad choice as opposed to the whole fruit.
10. What are the major sources of fats for kids with special needs?
Your child can get fats from plant and animal sources.
Animal sources
Fish
Eggs
Meat
Plant sources / Non-Animal Fats
Nuts
Seeds
Nuts & Seed oils and butters
Ghee/Clarified butter
Coconut oil
11. What are foods that need to be eliminated for a kid with special needs?
Apart from dairy products, gluten grains, and sugars, any commercial food (junk food) which includes trans fats, refined/processed ingredients, added sugars and salt, food colors, additives, and preservatives are to be eliminated.
12. “What do I do if my child has cravings for specific foods?”
Check for candida infestations as they create specific food cravings in children.
Inform and communicate to all family members that your child is on a special diet and it is important to avoid having foods that are restricted in the Doman Method® Nutrition Program at home.
Talk to your Doman International nutritionist for an advise on specific testing to find out possible candida infection, SIBO, SIFO and other issues.
13. “We have been drinking milk for thousands of years. Why do we need to stop?”
Animal milks are to be avoided in the diet. As a baby’s gut learns to process food in the digestive system, the amount of lactase (enzyme needed to digest lactose) produced in the body decreases over time. The baby starts to produce digestive enzymes needed for the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats while the amount of lactase decreases eventually.
Once we wean the baby off breastfeeding, we need to gradually introduce vegetables, low fructose fruits, protein, and fats in the diet and should not resort to formulas or dairy products as an alternative. These foods can give the baby enough calcium, vitamins, proteins, and fats needed for growth and development. The peptides in dairy products are known to bind to opioid receptors in the brain and make the baby addicted to it just like any addictive substance which is why it is important to avoid dairy products. Dairy products also are known to trigger phlegm production and worsen the digestive health in kids with leaky gut syndrome.
14. “We have been eating gluten for generations. Why do we need to stop?”
Gluten and casein act more like morphine or opiates (Gluteomorphin and Caseomorphin) that creates a craving in the brain similar to a person who is drugged. Gluten and casein (Dairy) presently are genetically altered/modified (GMOs), which create a lot of problems in the brain and body and are known to trigger low-grade inflammation in the body.
15. “How long does my child need to be gluten and dairy free?”
We eliminate dairy/casein products not because your child is allergic or intolerant to them, but because these products interfere with the recovery of the child and doing the program to its fullest extent. It is important to avoid all potential factors that can cause problems or interfere with the better neurological organization. Once the neurological organizations get better, we will gradually reintroduce those products that were eliminated, depending on how fast the child recovers.
16. “Can a child with special needs be breastfed? Are milk formulas allowed?”
Breast milk cannot be replaced as it contains the optimum carbohydrates, protein, and fats along with protective substances like immunoglobulins which are needed for building the child’s innate immune responses and also for normal growth and development. It is one of the best foods for a child with special needs just like any other child.
There are no other animal milk alternatives for breast milk, as the milks of other animals are intended to feed their offspring. Animal milk and milk formulas contain lactose and casein which can cause health problems and might act as potential allergens to brain-injured children especially if they have symptoms of leaky gut and dysbiosis. Gut inflammation and disrupted gut-brain axis could be worsened with formulas and processed foods and are to be avoided.
17. What are probiotics and why do we need them?
Probiotic colonies are healthy friendly bacterial colonies that help in processing the food we eat, build better immune responses, and also regulate the gut-brain axis. Probiotics also have a therapeutic value. Some bacterial strains are able to synthesize certain neurotransmitters that the brain needs (serotonin, GABA, and dopamine to name a few).
18. What strains of probiotics should we use?
It is recommended to use a diverse strain of probiotic with at least 5 different strains in it. Some of the probiotic strains which are to be considered include:
Lactobacillus strains
Bifidobacterium strains
19. Is it enough to have only probiotics?
No. Eating prebiotic foods is equally important to taking probiotic supplements. It helps to sustain the probiotics. Some prebiotics to consider include:
Onions
Garlic
Artichokes
Flaxseeds