Norma Flood, MS, RDN

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Poway, CA
Norma Flood, MS, RDN

Integrative Nutrition for Digestive Health & Brain Balance

Norma Flood has a Master of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences and is known as one of San Diego's top registered dietitian nutritionists. She offers functional nutrition counseling services for digestive health, mental health, and eating disorders for adults and teens.

01/12/2026

There’s been a lot of buzz, and a lot of confusion, around the new inverted food guide pyramid. While the focus on real, minimally processed food is a step in the right direction, the visual can be misleading. Just because proteins appear at the top does not mean they should take up the most space on your plate — vegetables still need to lead, especially for fiber, inflammation balance, and gut health. The same goes for calcium: we can get most of it from plants, just as cows do, without relying on large amounts of dairy.

I talk more about this in episode #8 of Go With Your Gut, where we explore fiber, popular diets, and how to approach nutrition without overwhelm. If you’re curious to see the guidelines for yourself, you can find them at realfood.gov.

01/09/2026

We all have days — even weeks — when our intentions fall apart. It’s easy to slip into the story that one setback means the whole effort wasn’t worth it, but that’s rarely true. When we pause, remember why the change mattered, and return to a simple first step, the path forward becomes clearer. Sometimes we were just moving too fast, or life asked more of us than usual. Progress isn’t lost; it’s simply waiting for us to begin again.

01/08/2026

So many of us have been taught to change our health by restriction, yet our bodies respond so much better when we begin by adding. That’s what I appreciate about the Fibermaxxing trend — it shifts the focus toward simple, positive steps that support the microbiome and fit real family life. When we add fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains at a pace that works for us, change feels doable rather than disruptive. And over time, those small additions naturally crowd out the foods that leave us depleted. When we keep it simple, stay curious, and remember why it matters, habits have room to take root.

01/07/2026

One of the reasons I appreciate the Fibermaxxing trend is its simplicity: focus on adding more fiber, not taking foods away. It shifts us toward a positive goal our bodies can actually feel. Most of us — kids and adults — aren’t coming close to the fiber we need each day, and that shortfall affects everything from digestion to mood. When we start paying attention to the fiber in our food, we create a foundation the whole family can benefit from. Sometimes the smallest additions make the biggest difference.

12/26/2025

Every so often, we hear something that shifts the entire direction of our lives. For me, it was a simple NPR segment about the microbiome—a moment that opened the door to a new approach for nutrient therapy, and ultimately functional medicine. Suddenly the questions I’d carried for years finally had a framework that made sense, and I began applying these principles in my own life, my children, and my practice. What I see now is how urgently this knowledge is needed, especially for our kids. When we start paying attention early, we give the body a real chance to heal rather than waiting for crisis.

12/24/2025

So many of us grew up looking like the quiet, hardworking kid, when underneath we were just trying to keep our heads above water. I remember taking my work home because I simply couldn’t process it in class, and before long I was staying up past midnight in fourth grade just to keep up. From the outside it looked like discipline, but inside I felt like I was drowning. So many children live this same hidden story, which often grows into greater problems as they get older. Yet the underlying issue remains the same and can be healed if we look deeper.

12/12/2025

There are moments in parenting when the overwhelm is so constant that it’s hard to even think straight. And when sugar is driving emotional volatility, it can feel like you’re living in survival mode. Reducing those sugary drinks is often the simplest place to begin—small shifts that open the door to calmer days. And none of us should have to navigate that alone. Sometimes having someone walk beside you, offering clarity and steady guidance, is the support a family needs to breathe again.

12/11/2025

So many parents feel stuck between picky eaters, busy schedules, and the desire to cook meals that actually nourish their kids. When one child needs a gut-first approach, and the other wants pizza every night, it can feel impossible to meet everyone’s needs without making four different dinners. But real change often comes from gentle experimentation—adding a fruit or vegetable at every meal, trying new recipes together, using crockpots or make-ahead meals, and remembering that taste buds adapt with repeated exposure. And when a child is overwhelmed by anxiety or meltdowns, removing sugar and getting targeted support can shift the entire household. When we calm what’s happening inside the body, we finally have space to help our kids with everything else.

12/10/2025

So often, our kids know more about their bodies than we realize. When a child is facing medication decisions, we want them to have the agency to say, “This doesn’t feel right,” or “Something feels off.” And when meltdowns are happening daily, it can feel impossible to know what the next step should be. But many parents still carry that quiet inner voice saying, “We haven’t explored everything yet.” Sometimes that voice is what leads us toward a gentler, more nourishing path—one that honors what we put into the body and what the body is trying to tell us.

11/28/2025

We ask so much of kids, yet their bodies can only do so much without the basics. When blood sugar swings or skipped protein leave them running on fumes, focus becomes an uphill climb. And without enough sleep, even the best strategies — or the best medications — simply can’t do their job. When we support the body’s natural rhythms, we give kids the steady ground they need to think clearly and feel like themselves.

11/26/2025

We don’t always realize how deeply our kids’ diets shape their mood, focus, and resilience. When iron, zinc, or omega-3s are low, their bodies are simply working without the raw materials they need to thrive. I see this often in practice — not as a flaw in parenting, but as a reflection of the modern food environment. When we understand what these nutrients do and why they matter, we can make small, supportive shifts that truly help our kids feel better from the inside out.

11/14/2025

Colorectal cancers are rising among younger age groups! Just yesterday, a study was published in JAMA Oncology that higher ultra-processed food consumption increased the risk of early onset colorectal adenomas. Over half of what Americans consume are ultra-processed foods, which are higher in chemicals and lower in nutrients. This harms the microbiome, increases inflammation, and disrupts systems throughout the body. Let’s not wait until bigger problems show up and focus on ways we can better support youth! Head over to Go With Your Gut on Apple Podcast, Spotify or YouTube. Let’s keep this conversation going!

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Poway, CA

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https://www.normaflood.com/

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