1.) Processed soy (actually, ANYTHING processed) is indeed bad. But, why soy? Three reasons: (a) contains chemicals that 'pull down' thyroid (leads to hypothyroidism); (b) contains phyto-estrogens that block important minerals like Zinc and Magnesium from being absorbed into body (2 VERY important minerals especially for women since having a deficiency in either one can cause numerous problems due to an estrogen/progesterone imbalance); and (c) does not contain essential amino acids. Soy products are commonly linked to weight gain and other hormone imbalances for these very reasons. It's also among top allergens in this country, (the other top allergens include wheat, corn, dairy, chocolate, eggs, shellfish, and citrus). Many people have food allergies to soy and don't even know it.

2.) Zeno-estrogens (environmental estrogens commonly found in heating plastics and pesticides) are very bad. Why? They create an estrogen imbalance which leads to too many problems to list here. The scariest include: female puberty beginning at ages 7 or 8 (or earlier), irregular menstrual cycle, impaired liver function, fatigue, depression, weight gain, water retention, headaches, loss of sex drive, mood swings, inability to handle stress, irritability, low metabolism, symptoms of hypothyroidism (with even normal T3 and T4 levels), unstable blood sugar, cravings for caffeine, sweets, and carbs. And that's just scraping surface.

3.) Excess Caffeine. Why? Leads to decreases in bone density, unstable blood sugar levels, causes hypocalmus to produce higher levels of cortisol (the 'stress hormone' which leads to A LOT of other issues), adversely affects hypothalmus's ability to stimulate thyroid, and causes us to ignore healthy sleep patterns which also leads to hypocalmus producing higher levels of cortisol. Excessive levels of caffeine have also been noted for bringing on more severe PMS.

4.) Zinc deficiencies and copper toxicity is common and leads to severe mood swings. The body needs 8 times more zinc than copper, however, most of us have exact opposite in our body due to high amounts of copper found in our environment (pesticides, pipes, chemicals in pool water, etc.) and low levels of zinc in our diets.

5.) Mg deficiencies lead to carb carvings. Most women are Mg deficient, which is why a lot of women crave carbs, particularly around menses (sweets to be exact).

6.) Women are most likely to gain weight late in their menses, since their metabolic rate jumps during luteal phase and body wants more energy (i.e. women eat more food later in their cycle). Also, body becomes more deficient in Mg and Iron due to blood lost (for why that's bad, see #5 above).

7.) Aspartame destroys cells in hypothalmus (and that's bad because it's hypothalmus that's responsible for controlling hunger). So, avoid artificial sweeteners or artificial anything, as they cause numerous problems for body.

Female hormones can influence weight management tremendously. Imbalances between estrogen and progesterone causes numerous challenges: 1. Estrogen dominance leads to sodium retention, leading to water retention, particularly in week prior to onset of menses, and in menopausal women this can be an issue throughout monthly cycle.

2. Loss of magnesium week prior to onset of menses often leads to carb cravings (particularly chocolate and/or other sweet cravings) and mood disorder.

3. Loss of iron during week of menses often leads to cravings for other foods.

4. Increased fat deposition can be due to influence of LPL enzyme, an enzyme triggered by estrogen dominance.

5. Estrogen dominance causes weight gain in hips and thigh area (the 'pear-shaped' women).

6. PMS influences weight gain --

It is important that your child gets his or her nutrition early o­n, preferably form Grade 1. This is most important time for brain development, as they start to learn new things and create new ideas all time. Brain development revolves around getting right amount of:

1) Glucose – Simply put, it is blood sugar level. Glucose provides energy, and is vital in determining attention span. Lack of glucose can cause your kid to feel sleepy in class. The most important meal is breakfast, and glucose should be a part of every child’s breakfast, to ensure that blood sugar level is maintained through out day’s activities. Kids who usually skip breakfast tend to have a shorter attention span and difficulty remembering their lessons.

2) Vitamin B – Vitamin B helps to release energy in glucose. Lack of Vitamin B can cause aggressiveness and depression. There are 12 types of essential Vitamin B, so it may be difficult to get all in a meal. Cereals are a good provider of Vitamin B.

3) Iron – Helps to transport oxygen in blood system to each individual cell, including brain cells. Lack of iron results in anemia, which is common in children who don’t get a balanced diet. Besides having less attention span, iron-anemic children are less motivated to participate in challenging tasks that stretch their imagination and ability. Having a good selection of red meat, tuna, chicken, or leafy vegetables like legumes and broccoli, can give your kid all iron he or she needs.

4) Folic Acid – Important in formation of red and white blood cells. Lack of folic acid results in your kid feeling tired, irritable and forgetful. Food sources like fresh vegetables and fruits are good sources of folic acid.

5) Zinc – Important to maintain communication between nerve cells and brain cells. Deficiencies in zinc can cause your kid to have difficulty solving academic problems, something medical world calls cognitive impairment. Zinc in its natural form can be found in cereals and peanuts.

6) Vitamin A – An important nutrient for nervous system of a fetus. Vitamin A is most commonly found in beta carotene, from dark leafy vegetables and orange or yellow fruits.

How to Ensure Your Kid Gets Right Nutrition