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The Nourished Child

The Nourished Child

By: Jill Castle MS RDN — Pediatric Dietitian & Childhood Nutrition Expert
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Raising a healthy eater shouldn't feel confusing or overwhelming. The Nourished Child is your trusted guide for child nutrition, feeding kids with confidence, and navigating real-life parenting challenges — from picky eating and food-focused kids to teen appetites, nutrient needs, young athletes, and raising children in all body sizes. Hosted by Jill Castle — pediatric dietitian, author, and mom of four — this podcast blends practical feeding strategies with body-positive parenting, holistic child wellness, and the latest research on children's physical health and emotional wellbeing. Each episode helps you build healthy habits, support your child's relationship with food, protect their self-esteem, and create a family culture where children thrive at every size. Whether you're dealing with an overweight child, a selective eater, a child who's always hungry, or you simply want to nurture healthy habits and positive body image, The Nourished Child offers the compassionate, evidence-informed guidance you need to raise a well-nourished, confident, resilient child — inside and out.© 2026 Jill Castle | The Nourished Child® Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Relationships
Episodes
  • Puberty, Periods, and Your Daughter's Health: A Conversation with OB-GYN Dr. Melisa Holmes
    Jun 18 2026

    If you have a daughter who is heading into puberty or is already in the middle of it, this episode is one you will want to save.

    Jill Castle sits down with Dr. Melisa Holmes, board-certified OB-GYN, co-founder of Girlology, and co-author of Youology: A Puberty Guide for Everybody. With more than 25 years of clinical experience in pediatric and adolescent gynecology, Dr. Holmes brings both the facts and the warmth that parents need when navigating this major chapter of their daughter's development.

    In this conversation, you will learn:

    • What puberty actually involves beyond breasts and periods, and why the timeline matters
    • Why puberty is starting earlier in girls, and what is driving that trend
    • How earlier puberty affects body image, peer relationships, and emotional development
    • Why a period is a vital sign, and what to watch for when it stops or never shows up
    • What girls should know before their first period, and how to have that conversation
    • The connection between nutrition, bone health, and the menstrual cycle
    • What to do if your daughter has painful periods, and when to seek care
    • The truth about hormones, mood, and the myths that keep circulating
    • How to find an adolescent and pediatric gynecologist

    Dr. Holmes also addresses the impact of GLP-1 medications and the current cultural pressure around thinness, how to be your daughter's most trusted source of information, and three specific things parents can do right now to support a girl through puberty.

    Whether your daughter is nine or fifteen, this episode gives you the foundation to talk openly, stay calm, and show up as the steady presence she needs.

    Resources mentioned in this episode:

    • Girlology website: girlology.com (includes the Dr. Momfidence AI resource)
    • Book: Youology: A Puberty Guide for Everybody by Dr. Melisa Holmes
    • Instagram: @girlology
    • Find Jill's programs for parents at thenourishchild.com.
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    38 mins
  • Why Summer is the Season Your Child's Health Quietly Slides
    Jun 4 2026

    Summer should feel like a break. But for parents of kids between nine and fourteen, it often quietly unravels everything that kept their child healthy during the school year.

    Sleep shifts later. Breakfast gets skipped. Screens fill the hours. Movement drops off. And by August, you're wondering how things got so far off track.

    In this episode, I walk through what the research actually shows about what happens to children's health over the summer break, why tweens are especially vulnerable, and what one structural change can make a meaningful difference before the drift sets in.

    If you want to go deeper, I'm also hosting a free live webinar in June where I walk parents through a complete summer health framework. The registration link is in the show notes.

    If this episode helped you, please like, subscribe, and leave a review. It helps more parents find reliable, research-based information.

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    17 mins
  • The Future of Food Allergy Treatment for Kids Is Here
    May 21 2026

    Food allergies in children are on the rise, but so are treatment options.

    In this episode, I interview Christopher Parrish, a leading food allergy expert and researcher, about the latest treatments for kids with food allergies, including oral immunotherapy, biologic medications, and emerging therapies that may change the future of allergy care.

    If you're a parent navigating food allergies, this conversation will help you understand:

    • New treatment options for children
    • How oral immunotherapy works
    • The role of biologics in food allergy treatment
    • What's on the horizon for safer allergy management

    For more resources, visit the Latitude website: www.latitudefoodallergy.com

    If this episode helped you, please like, subscribe, and leave a review. It helps more parents find reliable, research-based information.

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    42 mins
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