Difficulties with your child’s behavior

Most of us know that food has a lot to do with behavior. But what most do not know is how much of an impact a healthy diet and lifestyle really have on the brain. Your brain is a giant messaging center that controls your entire body. Without the brain, you aren’t living. Between the ages of 0-5 years old your brain triples in size, this is the only time the brain grows at such a rapid rate. This means between these years, your body needs the most nutrients as possible. Without the proper nutrients, the messaging center starts to fail. When the messaging center starts to fail, it starts to affect the body as a whole. The messaging center will affect organ function, muscle function, nerve function and in your case behavioral habits. When the brain isn't getting the nutrients it needs, the body doesn’t respond in the way it should.

With children that have constant mood swings or depression issues, food is everything. And it needs to be the right foods. This means the right fats, the right sugar, the right fiber, the right proteins, and the right amounts. There are so many foods out there that are simply damaging the brain, but there are a lot of foods out there that will fuel the brain. When you have a child with behavioral problems, 9 out of 10 times it's from the food they eat. There are so many children misdiagnosed with ADD because they simply aren’t eating the right foods. When your constantly feeding the brain artificial foods, the body and brain are constantly trying to repair the damage from those foods. But the body can only detox and repair itself so much before it shuts down in areas. When your child is showing signs of developmental issues, that means the brain isn't working correctly. Instead of trying to find that specialist to diagnose them and put them on medications to fix the issue, try to simply change their diet.

Even if you had an EEG (electroencephalogram) to test the brain activity and most likely it will show slower activity overall, food can change that. An EEG test is supposedly used to “prove ADD" but if the brain was receiving the right nutrients it wouldn't be impaired. That's like giving a person a “field sobriety test” to a sober person compared to a drunk person. You would have two completely different results. Just like an EEG, if the brain isn't fueled then it will not work properly. Below, I will list a few guidelines to go based off when changing your child's diet. The first thing a child needs is a brainy breakfast- what does that mean? It's a method to fuel the brain in the morning on the right nutrients. Find a breakfast that is equal to 3 grams of protein or more, 6 grams of sugar or less, and 3 grams of fiber or more. Ensure this meal is healthy and not filled with artificial ingredients. One great example is; eggs with shredded chicken and maybe a slice of whole grain bread. Having a brainy breakfast promotes better behavior, weight control and builds brighter brains. Other rules are below!

Grazing- What does it mean to graze, eating small meals or snacks throughout the day so that you're not putting your body on overload! In other words, fuels the brain, reduces stress, burns fat, improve digestion, stabilizes insulin and stress hormones.

Rules of 2- Eating twice as often, chew twice as long, and eat half as much. Many probably think well don't we want our kids to eat less. The answer is yes but know! If your kids graze and stick by this rule, they will not eat as much. It will seem like that are constantly eating but they are simply constantly fueling the brain in small amounts. They need to eat healthy small snacks like carrots and hummus, organic veggie straws and hummus, 1 apple, or any other piece of fruit or veggie.

Portion Control- ensure the child is eating the proper portion amount with all meals. Serve the child on a smaller plate so it seems like more food is being served. Their protein shouldn’t be any larger than their fist and let them fill up on veggies. Also, let the child feed themselves, it is proven that if the child is feeding themselves they will eat less. They will stop eating once they are full but if the parent is sticking the food in their face they most likely continue eating. Once the child can pick up food from the plate even if it's just their hands, please let them.

PLAY- The more they move the better they will feel. Encourage the child to play at least 30-60 mins per day outside if possible and drink a lot of water instead of juice throughout the day. If the juice or bad food isn't in the home, the child will eventually stop asking for those items. Trust me I've done it and it works.

Active children