Jan Katzen

Background

About Jan Katzen

Nutritional therapy aims to help children, adolescents, and adults identify nutrient deficiencies and food sensitivities that impact brain development and function, including the impact on negative emotions such as depression and anxiety. Nutritional therapy works in tandem with other therapeutic modalities including counseling, applied behavioral analysis, occupational and speech therapy and medical management. We work with school dieticians advocating for children regarding food adequacy and intolerances to foods served at school. Individualized food prescriptions, high in essential brain nutrients and antioxidants might improve the severity of co-occurring symptoms seen in autism and developmental delays, sleep disturbances, ADHD, dyslexia, reading, writing, and language learning difficulties, anxiety and depression. Nutritional side effects of medication and picky eating is addressed. Many children are influenced negatively by today's chemicalized and sugary foods. They cause the brain to short circuit. This can lead to developmental delays, inattention, aggressive and impulsive behaviors. Deficiencies of essential nutrients can lead to anxiety and depression as early as preschool. Early intervention is paramount to lowering the risk of sugar and junk food addiction I studied nutrition under the guidance of renowned professor, Michael Crawford, director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at the London Metropolitan University. I interned with Nim Barnes, founder of Foresight Preconceptual Care (Bognor Regis, England). I am a certified AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) educator with decades of experience teaching and feeding children. I've published numerous articles and books on nutrition with a focus on preconception health, brain and child development. I have served on advisory boards of The McCarrison Society, The Mother and Child Foundation (UK), The Montessori Education for Autism Foundation (UK), and ePap nutritionals in South Africa.