Wellness Beets Episode #18: Child Psychology, Parent Behavior Training, and Taste Psychology with Dr. Andrew Sweeney

Interview with Dr. Andrew Sweeney, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, specializing in Child and Adolescent Psychology, Psychological Assessment, and Animal-Assisted Therapy: 

1. Let’s begin with your background and why you decided to focus on children and adolescents.

2. For many, visiting a psychologist can be an anxiety-provoking experience, especially for children. How do you create a comfortable environment in your practice?

3. Let’s talk more about the benefits of a therapy dog. What behavior changes do you see in your patients when they interact with Winnie?  

4. Over your years of practice, have the emotional problems changed at all? Are anxiety and depression more prevalent now? Or is hyperactivity more common? I’m curious to know how our psychology issues align with changes in society, i.e. more technology and overstimulation.  How do these differ for children and adolescents?

5. You talk about environmental factors playing a large role in emotional health. Can you explain some of these?

6. I’m not a parent but I know there are always challenging times. And I think all parents could benefit from Parent Behavior Training treatments. How do you go about strengthening those relationships? Do you mind sharing examples of some successful outcomes?

7. When we were talking before the interview, you said that you don’t give specific dietary guidelines but you do encourage more fruits/vegetables/lean protein, less fried food and sodas. What does this conversation look like with your patients? And how are your recommendations received?

Diet is quite challenging to change for kids, how do you bring this message to parents so that they may influence their kid’s choices?

8. Some studies are beginning to show a strong link between behavioral disorders such as ADHD and children’s diets. In your practice have you seen behavioral changes when certain diets are implemented? And what are your thoughts on food’s impact on behavior?

9. Where can people learn more about you and get in touch with you?
Connect with Dr. Sweeney at Basset Psychological Services

 

Here are some resources that Dr. Sweeney recommends:

►Parent Behavior Training
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
TriHealth School-Based Behavioral Health

►We also discussed Julia Ross’ book: The Mood Cure


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Are you Eating Complete Meals?

What are the makings of a complete meal? Before I began this health journey I thought anything could be considered a meal as long as it had enough calories. Chocolate chip cookies for breakfast? Why not? Salad with lemon juice only dressing for lunch? Entire bag of popcorn for dinner? That used to be my life and I was unsatisfied all the time, snacking constantly throughout the day. A meal must be complete in order to achieve satiety and eliminate that desperate urge for snacks four times per day. 

A Complete Meal is Important for:
►Controlling your appetite
Reducing stress and inflammation in the body
Turning calories into energy
Weight management
Regulating hormones

A complete meal includes protein, healthy fat and good carbohydrates. The body requires a combination of fuel for maintenance and if it’s not receiving what it needs then your health suffers. All three work to build a balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’m a proponent of three full meals per day. This gives your body time between meals for rest from digestion. At each meal look down at your plate and ask yourself if you’ve included enough protein, fat and carbs. This way you’ll be less likely to snack.

3 components of a Complete Meal:
Protein
Fat
Healthy Carbohydrate

Percentages of these three components will vary greatly among people. Just as caloric needs differ, percentage of daily protein, fat and carbohydrate follow that same principle. Much of it is trial and error. Listen closely to your body. Experiment. Are you stuffed after lunch? Try cutting down the portion size tomorrow. A food journal can be extremely helpful for monitoring your food and feelings. I kept one for a year before I found the right balance for my body. And that’s still changing. On days with more intense work-outs I up my carb intake. Check in with yourself every month or so and ask if your food or caloric needs require shifting.

Again, the percentage of each component will vary in each person. I personally aim for:
75 grams of protein; 1 can of tuna is 25 grams
50 grams of fat; about 1 tbsp at each meal
100 grams of healthy carbs; 2 cups of sweet potato is 60 grams


Protein, Fat and Healthy Carbohydrates
Quality is everything. That’s the first thing to remember. Focus on whole foods. Eating frozen chicken fingers and potatoes fried in soybean oil is not nourishing your body. All that’s doing is causing inflammation and storing fat. Below I’ve outlined proteins, fats and healthy carbs for creating complete meals.

Protein
Wild-caught fish, eggs from pasture-raised chickens, fish, seafood, any type of red or white meat such as beef and turkey, some nuts and seeds.

Fat
Any type of animal fat from pasture-raised animals, fatty fish like salmon, butter, ghee, olive oil, nut oils, coconut oil and palm oil. Keep in mind the proportion of fat naturally occurring in meat and fish.
Look to my Fats and Oil article for more guidance here.

Healthy Carbohydrates
All vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, rice, other grains and legumes. Focus first on vegetables and fill in with others.


Here are some examples of Complete Meals:

Breakfast:
Omelette with 1-2 cups vegetables cooked in ½ tbsp olive oil
Sausage and a smoothie with mango, kale, avocado and full-fat coconut milk
Scrambled eggs and roasted sweet potatoes in ½ tbsp coconut oil

Lunch:
Big salad topped with salmon and homemade lemon olive oil dressing
Bun-less grass-fed beef burger topped with a variety vegetables cooked in ½ tbsp lard
Chicken thighs and roasted root vegetables cooked in coconut oil

Dinner
Beef chili and turnip greens cooked in lard
Zucchini noodles with spaghetti sauce and meatballs cooked with beef fat
Salmon fish cakes with salad greens, raw carrots and olive oil dressing


Resources:

1 Meal vs. 3 Meals, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/3-meals-a-day/#axzz3QnsBlrcD

Effects of dietary fatty acid composition from a high fat meal on satiety, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23688821

How Much Protein Should You Be Eating?, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-much-protein-should-you-be-eating/#axzz3Qnwz6tfx

What’s the ratio fat/protein/carbs Primal Sweet Spot of weight loss?, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread39504.html

Carb/Fat/Protein ratios for women: weight-loss (new to Paleo/Primal), https://www.paleohacks.com/newbie/carb-fat-protein-ratios-for-women-weight-loss-new-to-paleo-primal-22182