As parents, we understand that raising children comes with constant challenges. Even the most well-behaved kids can create chaos at times. Our reactions to their behavior, whether through words, body language, or momentary decisions, can greatly influence their mood, behavior, our relationship with them, and even ⁠our own health⁠.

In order to raise resilient kids, parents continuously learn and refine their behavioral strategies.

My ⁠wife⁠, a psychologist trained in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and a certified trainer of Child Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE), is naturally skilled at understanding, applying, and teaching these strategies. As an occupational therapist who loves to experiment and improve, I am constantly seeking out new approaches to managing our children's behaviors through research, books, and colleagues. Together, we make a great team and can anticipate behavioral issues before they arise.

In this series on behavior, I will share the most effective strategies that we've used to manage our children's behavior. While the list of potential strategies is endless, we've compiled those with the best return on investment. These strategies can help you foster positive behavior in your own children and improve your relationship with them.

Low back pain is a common issue that can be caused by a variety of factors, including muscle adhesions and chronic inflammation. While this duo can be tricky to deal with, there are steps you can take to manage your pain and improve your quality of life.

Start by implementing lifestyle changes such as lowering your body fat percentage, prioritizing sleep quality, eating an anti-inflammatory diet, moving more, managing stress, and drinking enough filtered water with enough electrolytes. These changes can help to reduce inflammation and improve overall health.

In addition to lifestyle changes, there are a number of tools and strategies that can be helpful for managing low back pain. One of my favorite self-mobilization tools is the Symbodi Vertiball. Magnesium is another essential nutrient that can help to reduce muscle cramps and spasms, promote sleep and relaxation, and potentially lower inflammation. Massage trigger point canes can also be helpful for targeting specific areas of pain and tension.

Finally, regular sauna use has been shown to be effective for reducing low back pain. Saunas work by promoting muscle relaxation, increasing blood flow, inducing sweating, and releasing endorphins. If you have access to a sauna, I encourage you to take advantage of it. Otherwise, you may want to consider investing in an infrared sauna blanket.

By implementing the strategies outlined in this article, you can take control of your low back pain and improve your quality of life.

The gut microbiome is a thriving community of trillions of microorganisms, each playing a vital role in maintaining our overall health. It's only been in recent years that we've recognized the importance of the gut microbiome, a vast community of microorganisms in our digestive system.  While research is still in its infancy, we now know that a high microbial diversity in the gut is linked to a variety of health benefits such as ⁠mental health⁠, ⁠immune system⁠, and even ⁠the development of neurodegenerative diseases⁠.

When antibiotics disrupt this delicate balance by indiscriminately eliminating both harmful and beneficial bacteria and creating a low microbiome diversity. This is ⁠linked to⁠ inflammatory disorders like IBS, obesity, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. The gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication system, is pivotal, with 90% of serotonin (the feel-good neurotransmitter) produced in the gut.  This low diversity leaves our guts vulnerable and susceptible to further infections and a range of health issues.

You can either use breathwork as a tool or you can be used by it.  Breathwork techniques are a powerful way to support both your mental and physical health.  Pick an approach and then move on to another until you find one you like.  Start by using it when you’re relaxed and not distracted.  Practice it often.  

Then, when you’re looking to engage your sympathetic nervous system (for a quick pick-me-up before a workout or during that afternoon slump) use the bellows breath, holotropic breathwork, or Wim Hof methods.  If you’re noticing your sympathetic system engaged when you don’t want it to be (due to the looming work deadline or the jerk tailgating you) then use the box breathing and triangle breathing techniques.  Play with these types of breathwork by adjusting the timing and depth of the breath and do what works for you. 

When it comes to healthy footwear, minimalist shoes have emerged as a distinctive choice, challenging the conventional norms that have shaped the design of shoes for decades. Often referred to as barefoot shoes or zero-drop shoes, these alternatives discard the elevated heel and narrow toe boxes commonly found in traditional footwear. Instead, minimalist shoes aim to mimic the sensation of walking barefoot, emphasizing a more natural connection between the foot and the ground. This paradigm shift in design, accompanied by a wider toe box for natural splaying, has garnered attention for its potential rehabilitative benefits and its alignment with the principles of natural movement. The benefits of minimalist shoes include improved sensory feedback and proprioception, better foot strength, reduced risk of falls and ankle sprains, improved posture, a more natural gait, and even reduced pain.

I’ve long been an advocate of minimalist shoes for myself, my patients and now my kids. My advocacy stems from both personal experience and a commitment to a more holistic approach to health. This guide will delve into the scientific underpinnings of the rehabilitative advantages of minimalist footwear, offering practical insights into transitioning seamlessly. Additionally, I'll share a curated selection of my preferred barefoot shoes tailored for diverse occasions—ranging from everyday wear to formal events and even to sandals

Join me in exploring not just a change in footwear but a comprehensive shift in our understanding of how we interact with the ground beneath us.

When it comes to healthy footwear, minimalist shoes have emerged as a distinctive choice, challenging the conventional norms that have shaped the design of shoes for decades. Often referred to as barefoot shoes or zero-drop shoes, these alternatives discard the elevated heel and narrow toe boxes commonly found in traditional footwear. Instead, minimalist shoes aim to mimic the sensation of walking barefoot, emphasizing a more natural connection between the foot and the ground. This paradigm shift in design, accompanied by a wider toe box for natural splaying, has garnered attention for its potential rehabilitative benefits and its alignment with the principles of natural movement. The benefits of minimalist shoes include improved sensory feedback and proprioception, better foot strength, reduced risk of falls and ankle sprains, improved posture, a more natural gait, and even reduced pain.

I’ve long been an advocate of minimalist shoes for myself, my patients and now my kids. My advocacy stems from both personal experience and a commitment to a more holistic approach to health. This guide will delve into the scientific underpinnings of the rehabilitative advantages of minimalist footwear, offering practical insights into transitioning seamlessly. Additionally, I'll share a curated selection of my preferred barefoot shoes tailored for diverse occasions—ranging from everyday wear to formal events and even to sandals

Join me in exploring not just a change in footwear but a comprehensive shift in our understanding of how we interact with the ground beneath us.

Over the years I’ve worked with many patients who “worked their butt off” for decades at their jobs in order to stop working in their 60’s and enjoy retirement.  They tell me they’ve put in their time, saved up enough, had their retirement party, and walked away from work with the biggest smiles. 

Fast forward a year and their bucket list is complete but they’re in rehab because the retired life they worked so hard for turned out to be mostly spent deepening the butt crease in the recliner.  Their mind and body suffered as a result and now their retirement is “ruined.” They watch TV show after show contemplating why they worked so hard the past 45 years to now be working on basic life skills in therapy like being able to get dressed and walk without help.

It happens again and again. They’re always so far from being the happy people they imagined. Buy why?

Unearth 101 everyday manmade wonders we often overlook in our fast-paced modern world, and delve into the profound reasons behind our natural inclination to take things for granted. Learn how our brains evolved to adapt, and how this adaptation can sometimes lead to lifestyle creep, a.k.a. the Diderot Effect, as we habituate to even the most remarkable facets of our lives and its impact on our consumer choices.

As a Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist specializing in Integrative Oncology, Katrina Foe's journey from cancer survivor to healer is one marked by defiance against conventional wisdom and a commitment to empowering others to reclaim their health naturally.

Her journey began with a startling discovery—a golf ball-sized lump in her left breast while nursing her fifth child. Refusing to succumb to the conventional oncologist's roadmap of chemotherapy, radiation, and invasive procedures, Katrina created Cancer Freedom. Her mission is to help women prevent and overcome cancer 100% naturally, guided by functional medicine and holistic nutrition.

In this episode, Katrina interviews me to learn about the ways that we can minimize our toxic load and heal our bodies. We discuss:

-How I got started on my journey to clean living.

-The toxins products most people are overlooking.

-The common toxins in toiletries.

-The toxins in makeup and cosmetics and how to find better alternatives.

-The often overlooked toxins in the kitchen.

-Other areas that should be upgraded in the home.

-Tips to make these changes.

-Why I wrote a book on Non-Toxic Living.

-Closing thoughts and final tips and strategies.

10 more lessons I’ve learned as an OT.

Here are practical strategies for instilling confidence in children by embracing failure, addressing fears, and praising effort over outcomes. The article emphasizes the importance of changing perspectives on failure, making it a teachable moment for problem-solving and resilience. It encourages open conversations about fear, fostering emotional intelligence. Effort-based praise is highlighted as crucial, promoting intrinsic motivation and resilience. Believing in children, making them feel valued, providing autonomy, and teaching problem-solving skills contribute to their confidence. The article also underscores the significance of establishing a secure attachment through responsive and empathetic parenting, fostering long-term positive development.

When it comes to healthy footwear, minimalist shoes have emerged as a distinctive choice, challenging the conventional norms that have shaped the design of shoes for decades. Often referred to as barefoot shoes or zero-drop shoes, these alternatives discard the elevated heel and narrow toe boxes commonly found in traditional footwear. Instead, minimalist shoes aim to mimic the sensation of walking barefoot, emphasizing a more natural connection between the foot and the ground. This paradigm shift in design, accompanied by a wider toe box for natural splaying, has garnered attention for its potential rehabilitative benefits and its alignment with the principles of natural movement. The benefits of minimalist shoes include improved sensory feedback and proprioception, better foot strength, reduced risk of falls and ankle sprains, improved posture, a more natural gait, and even reduced pain.

I’ve long been an advocate of minimalist shoes for myself, my patients, and now my kids. My advocacy stems from both personal experience and a commitment to a more holistic approach to health. This guide will delve into the scientific underpinnings of the rehabilitative advantages of minimalist footwear, offering practical insights into transitioning seamlessly. Additionally, I'll share a curated selection of my preferred barefoot shoes tailored for diverse occasions—ranging from everyday wear to formal events and even to sandals

Dr. Wahls is a clinical professor of medicine and the visionary behind The Wahls Foundation and The Wahls Protocol, a strategy I've talked to countless patients about. She'll share her incredible story early into this podcast and provide some pretty powerful insights into how she went from bed bound to now jogging.

Childhood is a critical period for growth and development, which is why it’s important to establish healthy eating habits early. A nutritious diet significantly influences cardiovascular disease risk, obesity, metabolic function, and cognitive development. Recognizing factors such as parental role modeling, peer influence, and food accessibility is a good start.

Life is just a collection of moments. You could use these moments to make as much money as possible, cure diseases, watch more Netflix than anyone else, or maybe achieve enlightenment. There is no right or wrong way to spend these moments but collectively using them with purpose is important for a good quality of life.

I want to spend my finite moments with a sense of purpose to help others and to build and maintain strong relationships while sustaining a strong mind and body. I want to do this all while finding happiness in the simplicity of life for as many healthy years as possible.

It would be nice if some days that my life goals just happened but it not only takes effort, it takes a consistent amount of effort in order to create habits and routines.

Enter non-negotiables.

Doing consistent daily habits and routines that are important to you (non-negotiables) builds momentum and with this momentum, the moments of your day are on autopilot toward your tropical destination. These days of positive habits fashion the life you want and “suddenly” you are happier and more fulfilled. As Annie Dilard said,

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. “

Back in 2014, Greg Lukianoff asked Jonathan Haidt to help him solve a riddle. For as long as Lukianoff had worked in academia, it was college administrators who were the ones initiating the call for campus censorship, however, in the last couple of years the pendulum had swung and now it was the students demanding more censorship. Campuses now use "safe spaces" and "bias response teams" and they're hyperfocused on things like "microaggressions" and "trigger warnings."

What happened?

They partnered up to write one of the most popular articles ever to be published by The Atlantic, The Coddling of the American Mind. They seized the opportunity to expand on this idea and wrote The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure.

I was intrigued by every door they opened up throughout this book. While I pull some more interesting points related to parents as takeaways below, there are plenty of other actionable takeaways for those who aren’t parents as well.

I highly recommend reading this.

A staggering 80 percent of a child's learning within their first 12 years is dependent on their visual abilities. When there’s a suspicion that a child has a behavioral issue, a learning disorder, or a mood disorder such as anxiety or depression, it’s vision deficits that can often be the main reason.

According to 20/20 On Site, “More than one in 20 preschool-age children and one in four school-age children have a vision disorder.” While routine eye exams are crucial, some visual issues may require additional intervention.

Vision therapy is a non-invasive and effective treatment option that can address various visual challenges in children. Occupational therapists can also work alongside optometrists and vision therapists to address visual, sensory, and motor impairments that are closely related to a child's visual skills. By recognizing the signs that your child may benefit from vision therapy, you can take proactive steps to support their visual development and overall well-being.

My kids are the single greatest source of joy in my life. But sometimes they just do really annoying things that frustrate the heck out of me. They have tantrums, they refuse to eat foods they’ve eaten 100 times before, they just barely cross the line of every boundary we’ve set, and they’re little angels to teachers, grandparents, and strangers but turn into Angelica Pickles as soon as they lay eyes on my wife or I.

As difficult as it is for the logical part of my brain to comprehend, it turns out that not only are these developmentally appropriate behaviors but they may also be signs of growth and intelligence.

Let’s dive in.

Learn why vegetable oils (also called seed oils) are bad and what the best replacement oils are.

Welcome to a special bonus episode of The Growth Kit! Today's episode is brought to you by a very special guest, my 6-year-old nephew Flynn.

Flynn and my sister have been on quite a journey, learning and growing alongside Laura Petix, also known as the OT Butterfly. Laura is an occupational therapist specializing in the field of neurodiversity, and she's the author of the insightful book "A Kid's Book About Neurodiversity." Flynn himself falls under the umbrella of neurodiversity, and as the biggest fan of my MindBodyDad blog and this podcast, he had a great idea to interview Laura himself. So, without further ado, I present to you Flynn's interview with Laura Petix.