10 Mar 2025
30: How I Raised Kids Who Actually Prefer Real Food Over Junk – Dr. Madiha Saeed
Dr. Madiha Saeed is a family physician, author of ten books, and an advocate for holistic family health.
In this episode, you're going to learn how Dr. Saeed reversed her own autoimmune conditions using simple lifestyle changes, why hope and gratitude are key to healing, how she raised her kids to embrace healthy habits and avoid processed foods, what strategies she uses to make real food fun and exciting for children, and why conventional medical training often fails doctors when it comes to true preventive care.
Madiha Saeed, MD, also known as HolisticMom, MD and HolisticUrdu, MD on social media, is a practicing board-certified family physician in the USA, an international speaker and a global best-selling author.
Dr. Saeed is the director of education for Documenting Hope and KnoWEwell. She sits on multiple medical advisory boards including Holistic Primary Care and Wellness Mama, and was the past president of The International Institute of Islamic Medicine (aka NIIMS). She and her children speak internationally in the most prestigious holistic conferences (AHIM and IFM) and Muslim conferences (ISNA, MAS-ICNA and Miftaah), summits, TV (ABC, NBC and CBS), radio and newspaper. She is a regular on MindBodyGreen and the international Emmy winning medical talk show, the Dr. Nandi Show. She writes for Natural Awakenings and has been quoted by CNN as an expert. She is the host of Muslim Network TV's, What's Up Doc.
Dr Saeed's children host "The Holistic Kids' Show" podcast with over 160 interviews helping kids empower and educate other kids. With Dr. Saeed’s mother in law, they reach millions via HolisticUrdu, MD an online social media platform. Three generations educate internationally igniting the world with their energy and passion to ignite a healing revolution to save our future.
Timestamps:
[00:00] Introduction
[04:55] Developing lupus and other autoimmune conditions
[06:10] A terrifying daycare incident changed everything
[07:45] The wake-up call to take control of her health
[09:20] Learning about holistic medicine and lifestyle changes
[10:50] How small daily habits improve long-term health
[12:15] Why conventional doctors struggle to offer holistic care
[13:35] The financial burden of medical school debt
[15:00] The hidden stress of working in modern medicine
[16:30] How stress and fear keep people sick
[18:05] The power of gratitude in reversing chronic illness
[19:40] How mindset shifts affect physical health
[21:10] Why negativity blocks healing
[22:35] How simple gratitude exercises improve well-being
[24:00] The surprising impact of getting time off work
[25:20] How Dr. Saeed’s kids became interested in health
[26:45] Teaching kids to recognize when they feel off balance
[28:15] How role modelling helps kids adopt healthy habits
[29:45] The problem with associating junk food with fun
[31:10] Finding healthy alternatives while travelling
[32:35] How her kids learn to read food labels
[34:00] Encouraging kids to make their own health choices
[35:25] Why mindfulness is a key part of raising healthy kids
[37:00] Helping kids make better decisions about their health
[38:20] How holistic parenting builds independence
[39:45] The importance of gratitude in childhood development
[41:05] How Dr. Saeed’s kids understand nutrition and health
If you want to connect with Dr. Saeed, follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/Holisticmommd) and visit her website (https://holisticmommd.com/).
Listen to her children’s podcast, The Holistic Kids Show, on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z34jKGIJq3zE2CE225WP9?si=f306f3a24d4a4d3f) or Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-holistic-kids-show/id1534757503)
Dr. Madiha Saeed Books:
The Holistic Rx | Book (https://a.co/d/eVjFyiq)
The Qur’anic Prescription | Book (https://a.co/d/doFnRCb)
The Holistic Rx for Kids | Book (https://a.co/d/gbN66gW)
Adam’s Healing Adventures Book Series for Kids:
From Sickness to Health | Book (https://a.co/d/a0UMGN2) or Audiobook (https://a.co/d/0QOtzn4)
The Power of Rainbow Foods | Book (https://a.co/d/99VMDB8) or Audiobook (https://a.co/d/j9mh0ZO)
Fake Food vs Real Food | Book (https://a.co/d/1KljwCJ)
Gratitude is a Super Power | Book (https://a.co/d/5wyax9m)
Find more from Michael on the Rebel Health Tribe's Website (https://rebelhealthtribe.com/) and be sure to join their Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/831283146908660/).
