Follow Your Gut Podcast

The Picky Eating Epidemic - Why It’s Not a Behavior Problem

• Juniper Bennett • Season 4 • Episode 163

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If your child is a picky eater, I want you to take a deep breath with me. Because this is probably not the conversation you’re used to hearing.

You’ve likely been told it’s just a phase. That you need to be more consistent. That your child will eat when they’re hungry. That picky eating is about control, or parenting, or personality.

But culturally, we’ve failed so many families - because this narrative is simply not true.

What if picky eating isn’t a behavior or parenting problem at all?
What if it’s actually your child’s body, begging for help?

Because it is.

When your child’s gut is imbalanced (meaning there’s an overgrowth of bad bacteria, yeast, mold, fungus, or parasites) it doesn’t just affect digestion. These microbes actually communicate with the brain. Through the vagus nerve, they send powerful chemical messages that shape cravings, mood, and even behavior.

These overgrowths feed on sugar, processed carbohydrates, and refined ingredients. And the more they’re fed, the more they grow. The more they grow, the louder they scream.

This is why your child might melt down at the sight of a vegetable. Why they cling to white foods. Why they act like they physically can’t eat anything else. Because in a way… they can’t. Not yet.

Thanks for listening! I would love to connect with you ♡


Sending love and wellness from my family yours,
xx - Juniper Bennett
Founder of ōNLē ORGANICS

If your child is a picky eater, I want you to take a deep breath with me. Because this is probably not the conversation you’re used to hearing.

You’ve likely been told it’s just a phase. That you need to be more consistent. That your child will eat when they’re hungry. That picky eating is about control, or parenting, or personality.

But culturally, we’ve failed so many families - because this narrative is simply not true.

What if picky eating isn’t a behavior or parenting problem at all?
What if it’s actually your child’s body, begging for help?

Because it is.

When your child’s gut is imbalanced (meaning there’s an overgrowth of bad bacteria, yeast, mold, fungus, or parasites) it doesn’t just affect digestion. These microbes actually communicate with the brain. Through the vagus nerve, they send powerful chemical messages that shape cravings, mood, and even behavior.

These overgrowths feed on sugar, processed carbohydrates, and refined ingredients. And the more they’re fed, the more they grow. The more they grow, the louder they scream.

This is why your child might melt down at the sight of a vegetable. Why they cling to white foods. Why they act like they physically can’t eat anything else. Because in a way… they can’t. Not yet.

Those microbes are hijacking the conversation between the gut and the brain. They’re not just making suggestions - they are demanding to be fed. And they know exactly which foods will keep them alive.

This is why no amount of logic, reward, or bribery seems to work. It’s not because your child is being difficult. It’s because their cravings are not actually theirs. They’re being driven by something that doesn’t belong in their body.

And the only way to truly shift those cravings is to clear out what’s driving them.

This is where rebalancing comes in.

When we clear the overgrowth and restore microbial balance in the gut, the screaming quiets. The cravings soften. The intense grip those bad overgrowths had on your child’s nervous system begins to release. And their relationship with food starts to shift. And the most beautiful part is it happens without you even needing to push.

I’ve seen it in my own family and I’ve seen it in thousands of others.

One mom messaged me and said, “I used to dread every single meal. My daughter would only eat crackers and crappy sweet yogurt, and anything else led to a full meltdown. I felt hopeless. She literally had never tried a single vegetable." But after just a few weeks of rebalancing, her daughter tried broccoli for the first time. And it wasn’t a fight. She actually asked for it.

Another mama shared that her son had lived on five foods for over three years. White bread, white pasta, cheese, plain cheese pizza, and Lay’s potato chips. Everything else made him gag. She felt trapped - like every meal was a negotiation, and every day she was failing because she knew he should be eating better.

But as they started rebalancing and his gut began to heal, his world began to open. The screaming at mealtimes stopped. The rigidness of his mood softened. One day, completely unprompted, he picked up a carrot and took a bite. No meltdown. No gagging. Just curiosity.

Now, mealtimes aren’t something she fears. They’re something her family looks forward to. She told me they’re finally able to sit around the table, all eating the same meal without a bag of freaking potato chips. And it’s not because she forced him to change. It’s because his body started craving healthier foods.

This is what becomes possible when we stop treating picky eating like a behavior problem and start treating it like the symptom it is.

Because it is a symptom. It’s not your child’s identity. It’s not permanent. It’s definitely not a parenting fail. And it’s not something you just have to live with.

It’s their body’s way of asking for help. And now you know how to listen.

The Children’s Gut Rebalance Kit was created for exactly this. It gently eliminates the harmful overgrowths while restoring the beneficial microbes that that your child desperately needs. The ones that help them feel calm, safe, and open to food again.

Because here’s what’s so important to understand… when the gut is overrun with bad bacteria, yeast, mold, or parasites, the good microbes don’t stand a chance. Their voices are drowned out. But when we begin to clear that overgrowth, something beautiful happens.

The good microbiome finally has space to grow. It starts to thrive. And for the first time in maybe years, it has the chance to speak to your child’s brain.

And guess what those beneficial microbes ask for?

Fresh fruits. Vegetables. Whole grains. Nourishing foods.

The exact things your child used to reject are the very foods that now support their healing and suddenly, feeding your child doesn’t feel so impossible. Because their body no longer feels threatened by healthy food. It actually starts to crave it.

This is why rebalancing works.

It’s not another feeding protocol. It’s not a sticker chart or exposure therapy. It’s deep, biological healing.

And when the gut is in balance, picky eating no longer has a reason to exist.

So if you’ve been stuck in survival mode, wondering what’s wrong with your child or if you’re doing enough - I want to tell you with my whole heart: you’re not alone. You’re not failing. And your child can heal.

They are just out of balance. And now, you have a way to help.

Now is the time to stop managing symptoms and start restoring trust in the body.

It is time to rebalance.

Because when your child’s gut comes back into balance, food becomes just food again. Not a power struggle. Not a battleground. Just nourishment.

And that is the freedom every family deserves. Not just for today, not just for this season, but for a life of peace, vitality, and trust in their body.


Transformation and Q&A of the week:

Transformation:

“Something HUGE to report!!!!

I am soooooo beyond thankful to have found you and your page. The last few months I have been having debilitating periods. Not discomfort - pain worse than my 6cm contractions.

I had been following your page for a while and was wondering if the gut rebalance would help with my chronic inflammation and help my cycles ease up. I started this sort of as my last "Hail Mary" and I refused to go back on birth control (been struggling with this since I was 16 and l'm now 26). I have been holistic for 4 years and nothing has stopped my period pain except getting pregnant. lol. l've done all the cleanses, all the diet changes, all the supplements and nothing.

I have been gf and df now for 6 weeks (I ordered the kit a month ago and was preparing my body). l've also been dry brushing, exercising gently and really been cutting down my sugar. I started the official protocol two weeks ago…

And within 24 hours was pooping our parasites and noticing a huge decrease in inflammation.

I started my period THIS week and have had almost no pain. This is from someone who took 8 ibuprofen on her last cycle and couldn't get out of bed. I have been really emotional and feel like for the first time in my life I finally got to the root of the inflammation and pain.

I cannot thank you enough. I am SO grateful!!!!”

Okay. Let’s talk about why this happens.

Period pain is common, but it is not normal. And it’s never just about hormones. It stems from gut-driven inflammation. When there’s an overgrowth of bad bacteria, yeast, mold, fungus, or parasites, your body can’t properly detox estrogen. That excess estrogen builds up, drives inflammation, and contributes to painful, heavy, or irregular periods. 

The Ultimate Women’s Gut Rebalance Kit works by eliminating those overgrowths and restoring the beneficial bacteria your body needs to reduce inflammation and function optimally. That means your body can finally detox the estrogen it doesn’t need, regulate your cycle, and come back into balance. 

Q) Would you recommend these for postpartum healing?

A) Yes. Yes, yes, yes! I absolutely recommend rebalancing for postpartum healing.

Here’s why…

Pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum months take so much from the body. There is a massive physical, emotional, and microbial shift that happens and most women go into pregnancy depleted. By the time we give birth we are left completely depleted, inflamed, and out of balance without even realizing it. 

The gut is the foundation of everything. It controls digestion, hormone regulation, immune function, detoxification, and even mental health. And after birth, all of those systems are trying to recalibrate. So when the gut is imbalanced it slows down your body’s ability to heal.

Postpartum symptoms like anxiety, depression, hair loss, mood swings, acne, fatigue, constipation, chronic pain, and even mastitis or infections are often treated as isolated issues. But they’re actually all connected. They are symptoms of a gut and nervous system that are overwhelmed and trying to recover.

That’s why the Ultimate option of the Women’s Gut Rebalance Kit is such a powerful support tool in postpartum. It works by clearing what’s weighing your body down (the bad bacteria, the yeast, the toxins), while restoring the good bacteria and minerals your body needs to recover, regulate, and feel whole again.

And if you’re breastfeeding, there’s another layer of beauty to this because as you heal, you’re also passing those benefits to your baby through your milk. 

Your breast milk is a reflection of your internal balance. So when you clear the overgrowth, restore beneficial bacteria, and reduce inflammation in your own body, you’re actually supporting your baby’s gut, immune system, and nervous system in the most natural, powerful way.

So many babies inherit imbalances during pregnancy and birth - not because you did anything wrong, but because our modern world is full of exposures that shift our microbiome. Rebalancing after birth isn’t just for you. It’s a way of giving your baby the strongest foundation to thrive from the very beginning.

So yes, rebalancing postpartum is not just supportive. It’s foundational. And you deserve to feel deeply nourished and strong as you move into this new season of motherhood.