Here we outline an easy to follow six-point plan to help you balance your child’s mood and improve their concentration both at school and at play. To find it more about how you can maximise your child’s potential read Optimum Nutrition for your Child by Patrick Holford and Deborah Colson (Piatkus £12.99).
1. Take your child off foods with additives or added sugar
Sugar creates imbalances in energy that can contribute to erratic behaviour, hyperactivity and mood changes. Sweets, chocolates, cakes, biscuits, some breakfast cereals, soft drinks, puddings and many other foods all contain sugar in one of its many forms. When checking labels, avoid foods that contain sucroseSucrose is commonly known as table sugar…., glucose, malt, dextrose, inverted sugar syrup, golden syrup, corn syrup and honey. Also check for additives – artificial colourings, sweeteners, preservatives and flavourings can all contribute to adverse behaviour, particularly the orange colouring tartrazine (E102) found in some orange squashes and sweets, mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) and caffeine. It’s better to avoid giving your child processed foods and instead opt for natural, sugar-free alternatives. Sugared and cafferinated drinks are the worst. Researchers at Yale University gave healthy children a sugary soft drink followed by a blood test. They discovered that their adrenalin levels were FIVE times higher than normal for up to five hours after they’d consumed the drink and that levels of irritability and anxiety increased in the children during the test period. A UK study found that reducing sugar levels halved the number of disciplinary actions in young offenders.
2. Increase fruit, veg and foods rich in vitamins and minerals
Rather than letting your child fill up on junk food, give them whole, nutritious food to eat. White bread, rice and pasta have the nutrients stripped out, so opt instead for wholemeal varieties, which are also more filling and contain fibreFibre is an important part of a balanced diet. There are two type of fibre; soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fibre helps your bowel to pass… to encourage healthy digestion. Ensure too their diet is rich in fresh fruit and vegetables which provide vitamins and minerals essential for building a strong healthy body. Some children may be reluctant to swap the sweets for an apple, but if you hold firm, often their sweet tooth will recede. Also use your imagination to make fresh food more exciting – tempt them with bite-size snacks of cherry tomatoes, berries or grapes, bake apples or pears with cinnamon and serve with creamy Greek yoghurt, cut vegetables into fun shapes to eat with dips, or puree and ‘disguise’ in sauces and soups. For children who are used to a diet of processed food such as chicken nuggets or fish fingers, it may help to switch across first to a home made equivalent such as chicken strips and fish cakes and then gradually introduce more vegetables into the mix e.g. fish and broccoli cakes etc. That way their taste buds gradually adjust to natural vegetable flavours.
3. Boost levels of essential fats
Some types of fats called trans fats found in processed foods should be avoided. These are hydrogenated fats and are typically found in packaged foods with a long sell by date. However, there are other fats that are essential and a deficiency could negatively impact on your child’s behaviour. For example, the brain and nervous system needs a good supply of special essential fats called omega 6 and omega 3 to function and develop effectively. To ensure your child gets enough of these fats give them the following: Oily fish i.e. salmon, mackerel, tuna (preferably fresh not tinned tuna as there’s more omega 3 in fresh) 3 times a week; AND a heaped tablespoon of freshly-ground seeds on their cereal or sprinkled on soups or in salads every day. The magic formula is mix half pumpkin, sunflower and sesame with half linseeds, store in a glass jar in the fridge then...
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