Dr Deb Levy – The 5 P’s for Children’s Health

Children are the most vulnerable members of our society. They are the canaries in the coal mine; what is happening to them is most likely happening to you. We invited Dr Deb Levy to the Unstress Health Podcast, a Sydney-based paediatrician, to share her model for thinking about health. She calls it the “5 P’s”.

Deb has witnessed first-hand the rising incidence of illness in children. Allergies, eczema, asthma and diabetes as well as mood and mental health disorders are becoming alarmingly more common in children. It is predicted that this generation of parents may outlive their children.

Dr Deb Levy’s holistic approach to medicine

Although Deb is a conventionally trained doctor, she takes a holistic, integrative approach to medicine. She combines the best of conventional medicine with an in-depth knowledge of nutrition, biology, and science to create safe treatment plans that include a combination of prescription medication and personalised lifestyle programs.

Deb has drawn on both her professional and personal experience as a wife and mother to approach illnesses more holistically, looking at the root causes to not only treat diseases more effectively, but to prevent them and help our children thrive.

Practical advice from Dr Deb Levy

Deb has developed a framework that she calls her “Happy kids program”. She has kept is simple and refers to 5 P’s:

• Plates – nutrition from preconception, to birth, to childhood.
• Play – being active outdoors.
• Pause – relaxation, sleep and mindfulness.
• People – relationships with people.
• Protect – being aware of normal development, and protecting children from harmful substances in the environment

The most common diseases that Deb says are on the rise are:

• Atopic disorders: Eczema, asthma, food allergies and hayfever.
• Obesity: According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, one in four children in Australia are overweight or obese. With obesity comes all of the problems of chronic diseases: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, liver problems and joint problems.
• Mood disorders: It is predicted that in the future one in twenty five children will have some form of ADHD or autism. Studies have shown that the rise in numbers cannot be attributed to the fact that we have better tools for detecting these conditions. The only feasible way to explain this increase is by looking at lifestyle.

Debs Top Tips For Dealing With A Fussy Eater:

1. Empower yourself: Understand what your child is eating and what they should be eating.
2. Plan ahead for the week.
3. Involve the children in growing vegetables, shopping and the preparation of food.
4. Give children healthy choices for example, do you want the broccoli or the zucchini with your dinner tonight?
5. Set a good example for your children.
6. Make mealtimes fun.
7. Don’t give up. Reward any positive steps in the right direction.

For some further insights from Dr Deb Levy, read more about the ‘Happy Kids Program’ and a holistic approach to children’s health.