I’d love to share a story with you about one of my beautiful young client’s who has struggled with ADHD. This little boy, I’ll call him Jack (7yrs) for confidentiality here, had an online consultation with me and his Mumma recently who shared his long list of struggles that might sound familiar. Jack had an ADHD diagnosis, big emotional outbursts, poor focus, picky eating, and CONSTANT movement, which was really impacting him in the classroom. His parents had tried a lot already. Diet tweaks, OT, strategies at home, paediatrician visits, more structure, less structure, but weren’t really seeing much improvement. His mum was in tears during our consult, sharing the pain of knowing it wasn’t just his personality (something the paediatrician suggested), but also not knowing where to even consider next going with treatments or symptom management. Bloods were out of the question for this little guy, as they are with many anxious kiddies, so we ran a simple hair mineral test (just requires a small snip of hair), something we will talk a lot about in the Raising Healthful Kids Club for those who need it, and it revealed a massive imbalance: sky-high copper and very low zinc. Zinc plays a vital role in regulating dopamine (happy hormone and linked to reward seeking), calming the nervous system, supporting gut function and even reducing inflammation. When zinc is low, and particularly when copper is high, children often experience symptoms that look like classic ADHD, anxiety, aggression, or sensory overwhelm. But here’s the beautiful part: with targeted support, mineral balancing through food and supplements, and some patience… Jack began to change. His focus improved. The outbursts reduced and overall he was just a more regulated and happy kid. This wasn't the only answer for Jack, we worked on nutritional strategies, looked at his oral function and also resourced Mum and Dad with new parenting support strategies, but this Zinc:Copper imbalance was a HUGE part of the equation. This is what we do inside the Raising Healthful Kids Club. We look beneath the surface. We unpack how to safely use supplements, when testing might be needed, and how to use food as medicine, not just to tick boxes, but to make real change. Inside the club, we’ll be diving into zinc, copper, magnesium, iron, and all the mineral patterns I see over and over again in children dealing with behavioural challenges, ADHD, sensory struggles and more. You’ll learn how to recognise the signs of deficiency in your child. You’ll be guided on what testing might be worth exploring. You’ll have access to a growing resource library, live Q&A’s with me, and guest experts who specialise in everything from child psychology to primitive reflexes and oral development (our first guest expert will be a VERY well recognised oral and dental specialist who works closely with early intervention in kids for proper airway development, dental health and optimal breathing - all crucial in kids with behavioural symptoms as often they are mouth breathers!).