{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Your Child Isn\u2019t a \u201cPicky Eater.\u201d Here\u2019s What\u2019s Really Going On at the Dinner Table with Lena Livinski","description":"In this Field Notes conversation, Dr. Rob Downey sits down with speech-language pathologist and holistic feeding specialist, Lena Livinsky to reframe \u201cpicky eating\u201d as a whole-body, whole-family issue\u2014less about willpower or \u201cbad behavior,\u201d and more about safety, biology, skills, and environment. Lena shares how conventional feeding therapy often over-focuses on behavior, and how working through her own child\u2019s selective eating helped her connect the dots: when a child\u2019s nervous system is dysregulated or their gut and sensory systems are off, eating can feel threatening, not nourishing. She introduces her BLOOM Framework\u2014rooted in connection\u2014to help caregivers zoom out, identify the real bottleneck, and create steady, realistic shifts that help kids feel safe enough to explore food again. Learn more about Lene here: https:\/\/lenalivinsky.com\/ Key takeaways \u2022 Connection and nervous system regulation are the \u201croot\u201d of progress\u2014kids can\u2019t \u201crest and digest\u201d when they don\u2019t feel safe. \u2022 \u201cPicky eating\u201d is often better understood as selective eating with underlying drivers (discomfort, sensory load, stress, gut imbalance). \u2022 Lena\u2019s BLOOM Framework maps the core levers: Balanced health, Learned oral skills, Optimal microbiome, Open exploration, Mealtime boundaries. \u2022 You can do a lot at home before (or alongside) extensive testing: simplify gut disruptors, support circadian\/light hygiene, and create low-pressure exposure to food. If something feels off (limited foods, gagging\/choking, food pocketing), trust your gut and seek the right-fit, interdisciplinary support\u2014small changes, started early or late, can still move the needle. If you have a child (or grandchild) in your life who struggles at the dinner table\u2026 this conversation might change how you see everything. ","author_name":"Field Notes: An Exploration of Functional Medicine","author_url":"http:\/\/fieldnotesexplorationfunctionalmedicine.libsyn.com\/website","html":"