One in 13 children now suffers from food allergies. In the last 8 years, the number of children diagnosed with ADHD has jumped nearly 50%. And one in 45 children now carries an autism diagnosis. Many parents have been told that their children will have these conditions for life, or are simply untreatable. Children are part of a growing and massive health crisis in which chronic illness has become the new normal.

Studies are indicating that varying maladies are steadily on the rise because of the world’s unhealthy obsession: over-sanitization! Our unhealthy obsession with over-sanitization with our children, homes, and even the soil that grows our food is actually doing far more harm than good.

In The Dirt Cure: Growing Healthy Kids with Food Straight from Soil, Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein proves that it’s possible to reverse this trend by allowing our children exposure to microbes, feeding them fresh food from healthy soil, and encouraging time in close contact with nature.

Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein provides a well-thorough outlook of how food is constantly changing the bodies, brains, and even genes of our children, whether it’s for the better or worse. She also shares success stories from her practice and tips as a working mother of three about: deciphering food labels, stocking healing foods, and helping the most finicky eater adjust to a different menu. There is also a breakdown on artificial food (dyes, flavorings, preservatives, and other toxic additives) as well as sickly sweet food (sugar and sweeteners), which all have been linked to a host of maladies: allergies, motor skill issues, poor concentration, hyperactivity, and one of the most dreaded words: cancer.

Dr. Shetreat-Klein’s exhaustive research uncovers the most recent, groundbreaking science to reveal shocking and often counterintuitive affronts to our children’s health.

• Raw milk reduces allergy, infection and inflammation in children.
• Mass water fluoridation damages children’s teeth and overall health.
• Viruses (not just bacteria) play a critical role in protecting children’s gut health as part of a “microvirome.”
• Whole-fat milk and butter actually reduce the risk of childhood obesity.
• Tap water is safer and healthier than bottled water.
• High cholesterol levels improve immune and brain function in children.
• Raw honey stabilizes blood sugar, while artificial sweeteners increase blood sugar and foster obesity in children.
• Pesticides, herbicides and GMOs damage more than just bugs and weeds.
• Regular use of bleach is associated with more, not fewer, infections in kids.
• Children who spend three hours outdoors daily are more likely to have perfect vision than those who spend the same amount of time indoors.
• Children who spend recess time in a green environment, rather than on cement or blacktop, perform better on tests in the classroom.

In THE DIRT CURE, Dr. Shetreat-Klein explores what causes soil to lose its fertility, how to avoid foods grown from such compromised soil, and how to find the most abundantly nutritious food from various sources – whether from your local grocery store, farmer’s market, or your own backyard. She then lays out a comprehensive plan to help parents find the the most wholesome diet possible for their children, including tips for how to prepare the best foods easily and deliciously. She also shows what play activities will benefit children’s health – from “forest bathing” to playing sports on grass rather than artificial turf.

Full of practical tips, recipes and recommendations based on the latest studies and case histories of the young patients she has helped, The Dirt Cure will show you how to:

• Bolster your kids’ digestive and immune systems naturally
• Test your child for allergies
• Decipher the truth behind deceptive food labels
• Purge your kitchen of offending foods and replace them healthier options
• Curb your child’s sugar cravings with alternatives like calming organic teas
• Protect your soil from depletion of nutrients

Maya Shetreat-Klein, M.D., is an integrative pediatric neurologist with a medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she was awarded the Edward Padow Award for Excellence in Pediatrics and graduated with a Special Distinction in Research in Child Neurology for her original work on autism. Dr. Shetreat-Klein completed the University of Arizona’s two-year Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, founded by Andrew Weil, M.D., and is now a member of the faculty. She teaches integrative neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York Medical College, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

She lectures nationally and internationally at conferences for both physicians and laypeople on topics such as children’s health, autism, integrative medicine and nutrition, toxins and neurological health. Additionally, Dr. Shetreat-Klein sits on expert advisory boards, including chef Bill Telepan’s Wellness in the Schools and Documenting Hope.

She has been interviewed and quoted on Dr.Oz, NPR Marketplace, The New York Times Magazine, WCBS-TV News, and WABC-TV News and has partnered with Sen. Charles Schumer in promoting legislation for reducing toxic exposures in childhood. Perhaps her most valued work is seeing patients at her own integrative practice in New York City, where she also lives with her family, dog, and eight chickens.

Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food. Anyone who does not understand that concept, how can he understand the diseases of man? – Hippocrates