When you work with our team, you are assured an evidence-based methodology and consultancy path – which is aimed at changing the current health and development outcome for your child or young adult you are supporting.
The relationship you will develop with your personalised Brainstorm Health® Team will be one that is a partnership and together we will work through our unique Brainstorm Health® Programme. Make sure you also read ‘How we work with you and your child‘ to better understand our process and journey together.
Our Nutritional Therapy approach is not only underpinned by functional medicine principles, but it is tried and tested and is very much focussed on proactively working in partnership with you, the parent, to support your child.
The Five Phases in our Health Programme
There are five phases we work through which are covered in varying depth and order, depending on what we discover are your child’s main priorities in their Health Plan. We call these the “Five R’s”.
We have designed these phases to follow the crucial logical steps to take your child through – in order to cleanse their diet; gut; eating; sleeping and toilet habits; and ultimately restore a healthy gut-brain link.
RE-OPEN PHASE
In this phase, we work on getting the systems or pathways working well – so that we can move on to the ‘remove’ stage safely and easily.
An example of one potential focus in this phase: if a child is constipated, it will be very difficult for them to eliminate fat-soluble toxins which can re-circular and cause oxidative stress to the cells. To avoid that, one of our first priorities will be to aid regular bowel movements before moving to the Remove phase of work.
If we feel it is appropriate, we may do some lab tests to see how much support will be required during this phase.
Organs or systems particularly focussed on in this phase: Liver; gallbladder; lymphatic system; kidneys; skin; lungs; and bowels.
REMOVE PHASE
During our detailed questionnaire and first appointment, we will have identified anything that is causing an inflammatory response in the body. This may present as a food intolerance; allergy; bacterial overgrowth in the gut; viral issues; parasitic issues and others.
We will address these inflammatory reactions in a systematic and strategic manner. This process is short term – although will vary patient to patient. The idea is to get the body systems back to homeostasis and ready for the next stage.
Areas focused on in this phase relate to the immune system and the gut.
REPLACE PHASE
In this phase we are looking at replacing major nutrient deficiencies and supporting digestion through digestive enzymes and adequate hydrochloric acid as well as supporting bile flow. Our aim is to help the body assimilate and absorb nutrients it is taking in through food whilst at the same time providing the body with some of the more significant nutrients that it is missing due to disturbances to the GI tract.
While this is the third phase to our work, we will identify early on if there is a need to replace crucial nutrients. In our experience, though, this is best done after the re-open and removal phases.
REINOCULATE PHASE
This is the point where we help create a balanced microbiome through the use of pre and pro-biotics, in order for the gut-brain connections to be enhanced. While there is this particular focus in this phase, we do look at this earlier on to support the body as optimally as possible.
In essence, in this phase we focus on restoring the gut microbiome through targeted foods and supplements.
REPAIR PHASE
Generally speaking by the time we get through the above four phases, this repair stage is already happening. However, in some cases, we may have to do some extra work to help to repair the lining of the gut by supplying key nutrients, such as essential fatty acids, amino acids, key minerals and vitamins, colostrum and other gut repair complexes.
This may involve supplements such as colostrum or other gut repair complexes.
Work with us
We work with children with Autism, ADHD, ADD, PANS and PANDAS, and/or behavioural and learning difficulties (with or without diagnosis).
Book a no obligation private conversation with Stella Chadwick to see whether our approach is for you.
