#159: Nutrition in Early Life and Pregnancy with Dr. Nicole Avena
“The message we need to be sending to our youth is ‘this is all about health not about how much you weigh’.” -Dr. Nicole Avena
This week we continue the theme of food addiction, but with a more upstream approach. Dr. Nicole Avena is one of the pioneers in food addiction research. Her interests have evolved into learning more about the impact of maternal and early childhood nutrition. I was very excited to hear her perspective on feeding children and the effect that food and culture have on their eating habits.
In this episode of Veggie Doctor Radio, I interview Dr. Nicole Avena about the importance of diet during pregnancy, how to shape our children’s food preferences and the effect of diet culture on our food choices.
We discuss:
How she become interested in food addiction and the nutrition of pregnant moms and children
The Impact of a pregnant mother’s diet on child’s long term health and eating habits
How to influence taste preferences of children
Flavor repetition when feeding babies AKA “Flavor Bootcamp”
Genetics of food-seeking and preference
Is there such a thing as moderation? How to practice moderation with children.
Role of genetics on our eating behaviors
Research on the effect of food restriction/scarcity on the development of addictive eating behaviors
Is it possible to control for the effect of diet culture on eating behaviors in studies conducted on humans?
Importance of raising kids with mindful eating skills and an awareness of diet culture
What she wishes more people knew
The personal habit are she is most proud of
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Dr. Nicole Avena
More about my honored guest:
Dr. Nicole Avena is a research neuroscientist and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction, with a special focus on nutrition during early life and pregnancy. Her research achievements have been honored by awards from several groups including the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Psychological Association, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Avena has written several books, including What to Eat When You’re Pregnant, What to Feed Your Baby and Toddler and What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant. She regularly appears as a science expert on the Dr. Oz Show, Good Day NY, and The Doctors, as well as many other news programs. Her work has been featured in Bloomberg Business Week, Time Magazine for Kids, The New York Times, Shape, Men’s Health, Details, and many other periodicals. Dr. Avena is a member of the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau. She has the #2 most watched TED-ED Health talk, How Sugar Affects Your Brain.
Dr. Avena blogs for Psychology Today. You can also follow her on Twitter or Facebook and Instagram. drnicoleavena.com
The information on this blog, website and podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace careful evaluation and treatment. If you have concerns about your or your child’s eating, nutrition or growth, consult a doctor.
Call to Action —> Take your child to the store, have them pick out 3 veggies and fruits and make a recipe together!
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