My role as a director of a nutrition website puts me in the fortunate position of being able to help people who are suffering varying degrees of ill health.
Unfortunately a lot of these people are children.
And a staggering number of these children are suffering ill health caused directly by what they have eaten and the medications that they have taken.
Now do you think that their parents thought 'what can I give my child to eat that will make them sick?' Of course they didn't! Responsible, intelligent and caring parents throughout the world are exposing their children to food, medications and chemicals that create long-term health problems for their children.
I know because I was one of them! My son's health problems started when he was just a few months old.
He would suffer from frequent and agonising ear infections.
As a mum, all I wanted was to find a way to make his pain stop.
A combination of pain relief medication and antibiotics seemed to work to manage his pain and then clear the infections.
Since his infections were roughly one a month and continued for many years, this added up to an awful lot of medication.
At that point I was vaguely aware that too many antibiotics were not a good thing but faced with the alternative of a screaming child in unbelievable pain and potentially permanent damage to his hearing we did what we thought was the best thing for him, and gave him the medications.
My son's health problems evolved from chronic ear problems to digestive problems including food intolerances, acid reflux, and chronic constipation.
It is so frustrating for me to know that these conditions were probably all avoidable had we managed his health differently.
I know I am not the first parent of a medication-dependent child who didn't eat enough fruit and vegetables, didn't drink quite enough water, and occasionally ate McDonald's, processed food and fizzy drinks - and I certainly won't be the last! It was upsetting to realise that certain factors of my choosing actually worsened my son's health.
But then it didn't take me long to realise that if we can make decisions that effectively create ill health then surely we can do the opposite - make food and lifestyle choices that will enhance health! I know, it's so simple really isn't it? My son has not eaten a McDonald's for over 2 years, has very little processed food and avoids all wheat products due to food intolerance.
He knows how great he feels now compared to before and therefore he is not remotely tempted to eat those foods.
I never worry that he will accidentally eat something he can't tolerate because his memories of being sick are so vivid that he checks all ingredients before he eats anything.
He values his health in a way that only someone who experienced real illness can.
More and more children are suffering from food intolerances, and other chronic digestive problems.
Unfortunately, doctors are trained in drug therapy, not nutrition and food intolerance is hardly ever considered or tested for.
But this trend does not need to continue! It is possible to turn it around; people just need to know how.
Get rid of the processed foods, fast foods, fizzy drinks and sugary foods in your child's diet - the chemicals, additives, and preservatives in these foods cause disease.
Encourage them to increase their water, fruit and vegetable intake.
Base all meals around healthy whole foods.
Minimize antibiotics and other medications as much as you can.
Encourage an active lifestyle, good sleep patterns and lead by example in all these aspects.
And test for food intolerance.
Please don't use the excuse of 'my child won't eat that' - they absolutely will.
Your child will eat what you give them, just like they always have - and in time they will grow to enjoy and appreciate not just the food that you are offering them but also their enhanced quality of life and health.
I'd never have guessed that my children's favourite meal would be pasta (gluten free) with salmon and broccoli in a lovely dairy free garlic sauce.
They didn't know that either until I served it up to them! As adults, they'll make healthier choices too and so you are helping them not become a statistic for chronic illness like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
A useful tip I learnt too is to mark all foods containing the ingredients your child can't eat with a black cross in your pantry or fridge.
This will include things like soy sauce or salad dressing if you're avoiding wheat.
Then it's easy to know what he/she mustn't eat without having to always be checking the label.
I am not ashamed to say I made mistakes, because there should never be a judgement of well-meaning parents who get it wrong and if any of what I've learned so far can help anyone else to help stop this trend of illness in children then one of my goals will have been achieved.
The experience also spurred me on to train as a nutritionist so that I can continue to make the right choices and help others do so too.
Disclaimer: The use of this information is not a substitute for health advice.
Please consult your doctor, pharmacist or health care provider for specific medical advice.
The information should be used in conjunction with guidance from your medical practitioner as he/she will be aware of your unique personal medical history.