In this episode, I’m talking with children’s nutritionist Clare Marcangelo about something I didn’t expect to be talking about, but I am so glad we did: the importance of regulating the nervous system, and why it may be the key to everything else. Clare, a registered nutritionist with a Bachelor of Health Science and an Advanced Diploma in Nutritional Medicine (and a mum to 3 neurodivergent kids), has spent more than twenty years working with children and families, including many neurodivergent children experiencing anxiety, emotional dysregulation, sleep difficulties and restricted or fussy eating. But what I thought would be a conversation about food turned out to be much deeper. Yes, we talk about food, gut health, sensory differences, masking and the pressure we put on ourselves and our children to fit into a particular idea of ‘normal’. But underneath all of this is something more fundamental: before we can change behaviour, solve problems or ask anything more of ourselves or our children, we need to first understand what is happening in the nervous system, and learn how to help it feel safe. Clare explains why behaviour can be a clue rather than a problem to be fixed, and why understanding what is happening in the body can help parents respond with curiosity. Perhaps most importantly we talk about learning to listen again - to the signals in our own bodies, to what our children are telling us, and to the possibility that our bodies are not working against us, but constantly trying to help us feel safe. Could learning to listen in this way - rather than constantly asking ourselves and our kids to fit into the world around us - be part of creating a better world for all of us? In this episode, we also explore: * The connection between the nervous system, digestion, food and behaviour * Why neurodivergent children can experience eating, sleep and emotional regulation challenges * The impact of masking and what can happen when children finally get home from school * How parents can create environments that help their children’s nervous systems feel safer * The importance of noticing our own nervous system and modelling self-awareness for our children * The role of whole foods, gut health and paying attention to what actually makes our bodies feel good * How neurodivergent children can usher in a better world by forcing us as parents to become more self-aware, question our assumptions and learn to listen differently Claire’s message ultimately comes back to something very simple: Listen. Pay attention. Get curious. Because sometimes the way back to ourselves isn’t through more information. It’s through learning to hear the body we’ve been overriding all along. I hope you enjoy this episode, especially if you’re a parent of neurodivergent kids like me. If you enjoyed this podcast, I would be so grateful if you can give it some love - please like, comment, restack or recommend. Your support helps spread the word and means so much. And if you have the means, becoming a paid subscriber helps me keep Deeper Threads going. Thanks so much! 🔗 Subscribe to Deeper Threads for more conversations, reflections and to ask questions: laracharles.substack.com 🔗 Find out more about Clare’s work: instagram.com/childrens_nutritionist 🔗 Get my memoir, Joy, Regardless: https://laracharles.com/joy-regardless/ Get full access to Deeper Threads at laracharles.substack.com/subscribe
