Dr. Elisa Song is a Stanford-trained integrative pediatrician and bestselling author of “Healthy Kids Happy Kids.”

In this episode, you're going to learn how the gut-brain connection impacts kids’ health, immunity, and emotions, simple ways to build a child’s microbiome with food, how to make meals fun and healthy using the "Plants on Purpose" method, easy breathing and mindfulness practices to help kids regulate their nervous system, and why limiting screen time and increasing face-to-face connection is crucial for children’s mental health.

Dr. Elisa Song, MD is a Stanford-, NYU-, UCSF-trained integrative pediatrician, pediatric functional medicine expert, and mom to 2 thriving children, who is on a mission to revolutionize the future of children’s health. Dr. Song is the bestselling author of the “Healthy Kids Happy Kids: An Integrative Pediatrician’s Guide to Whole Child Resilience.” Dr. Song created Healthy Kids Happy Kids as an online holistic pediatric resource to help practitioners and parents bridge the gap between conventional and integrative pediatrics with an evidence-based, pediatrician-backed and mom-approved approach. In her integrative pediatric practice, she’s helped 1000’s of kids get to the root causes of their health concerns and empowered parents to help their children thrive by integrating conventional pediatrics with functional medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine and essential oils. Dr. Song is chair of A4M’s pediatric education and has lectured around the world at leading integrative and functional medicine conferences and premier parenting events. She has also been featured in hundreds of top podcasts, print and online media outlets, including the Wellness Mama podcast, BloomTV, Forbes, Healthline, MindBodyGreen, National Geographic, PopSugar, Parents, Motherly, Parade, Verywell Health, and New York Post.

Timestamps:

[04:25] The importance of brain plasticity in children

[06:08] How the brain develops from the back

[08:37] Helping kids connect choices with how they feel

[09:49] Why diet impacts kids’ health and their microbiomes

[11:29] What the first 1,000 days mean for a child’s microbiome

[12:52] Teaching kids about the trillions of friends in their tummy

[13:35] How to motivate kids to make healthier choices

[15:31] Explaining the three F’s for a healthier microbiome

[16:10] Why kids need plants, fibre, and fermented foods

[17:00] How to make meals fun with the “pop” method

[18:28] Using colour to increase nutrition in kids’ diets

[20:14] Simple ways to add more variety to every meal

[21:53] The Mediterranean diet’s diversity and benefits

[24:35] How screen time affects kids’ mental health

[25:53] Why teaching kids to regulate their nervous system matters

[26:36] What the vagus nerve does for kids’ health

[28:13] How to teach kids belly breathing for calming

[29:10] Modeling breathing exercises to help kids relax

[31:14] Why co-regulation helps parents and kids calm down

[33:00] How mirroring behaviour impacts a child’s habits

[35:34] Teaching kids to read food labels at an early age

[36:59] Why good habits start easier in childhood

[38:49] The link between screen time and kids’ anxiety

[40:19] How face-to-face interaction protects mental health

[41:54] Why parents need to model phone-free habits

[43:36] How to gamify healthy habits for kids and parents

Learn more about Elisa’s work on the Healthy Kids Happy Kids website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Resources Mentioned:

Healthy Kids, Happy Kids by Dr. Elisa Song | Book

Find more from Michael on the Rebel Health Tribe's Website and Instagram and be sure to join their Facebook Group.