How Parents Shape Kids’ Stress and Health, with Dr. Lumi Frundi: Episode 403

Send us Fan MailYour kid isn’t “being dramatic” and they aren’t always “being defiant.” Sometimes what you’re seeing is anxiety looking for safety and it can show up as picky eating, shutdown teens, or constant tension at home. We sit down with Dr. Lumi Frundi, a pediatrician and integrative medicine provider, to talk about how stress shapes kids’ behavior and health, and why connection is one of the most practical tools parents have.We get specific about food: why processed foods and busy schedules push families into a cycle of quick fixes, and how simple meal planning and batch cooking can make healthy eating habits realistic again. Dr. Frundi also explains a surprising root of picky eating: fear. A gagging moment, an allergic reaction a child can’t describe, or sensory sensitivity can turn “new food” into a threat, and pressure at the table can make that anxiety grow.From COVID stress to cyberbullying to the constant pull of screens, we talk about why kids want to feel seen and how to rebuild trust with intentional rituals like screen-free dinners, brief check-ins, and patient consistency. Dr. Frundi shares the reminder that calm is contagious, kids co-regulate with us, and sometimes the best parenting move is to regulate ourselves first. We also touch on “food as medicine,” including cinnamon and blood sugar, plus her children’s book The Worry Garden, Planting Seeds of Calm and where to find her online at drloommd.com and on YouTube (Kids Nutrition and Healthy Habits).If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with a parent who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find the show.To reach Dr. Lumi Frundi:   - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lumfrundimd/  - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlummd/  - Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/lum.frundi  - Facebook (Business): https://www.facebook.com/generationalwellbeing/  - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KidsNutritionandPickyEating  - Website: https://drlummd.com/speaking  - Book: https://a.co/d/0a7pGpXd©2022-2026 Soul Healer17:77, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Any copying of this poetry and audio in whole or part is prohibited. *I do not own the rights to the royalty free music*Have a lovely day and stay blessedSupport the show