On the Coast – Families Issue 100 I June/July 2019 | Page 15

There are several ways that foods can
impact a child’s behaviour or emotions.
The simplest place to start, and the one
that is often overlooked, is food’s relation
to blood sugar regulation. If a child starts
the day with just a breakfast cereal, (and
lets not pass judgement here, for some
reason its harder to get a child to deviate
from cereal than it is to get them to do
their homework) this may release energy
very quickly, causing an initial spike in
blood sugar. They then experience a small
drop, which is rectified around 9am by
fruit break, which although a healthy
choice, is more sugar, spiking levels again.
They drop again only to often be picked up
by a bag of crisps or a rice cake at recess,
and a sandwich at lunch. You can see how
this pattern may provide many
opportunities for a child to feel low in
energy and what we as adults often
classify as “hangry”. This can cause erratic,
irrational behaviours, lack of focus or even
emotional meltdowns. The good new is,
this one is easy to correct. We merely need
to perhaps change foods to slow releasing
wholegrains, and add good fats and
proteins to each meal and snack, to keep
blood sugar levels nice and even all day.
Artificial additives in pre-packaged
foods can of course cause behavioural
and emotional outbursts in many
children, and should be avoided. This
means watching for a connection
between behaviour and consumption
of foods with flavours, colours,
preservatives, and/or flavour enhancers.
This can be done by monitoring
ingredient lists and consulting free apps
like “the chemical maze” to check for
these. If you do find your child reacting
to these chemicals, eating foods free
of them or when possible, making it
yourself should rectify this issue easily.
Another, more complex way that food
can cause issues is through intolerances.
Many children have difficulty processing
certain compounds within foods. For
example, Salicylates and Amines are
naturally occurring chemicals contained
in many fruits, vegetables and meats,
and some children react to either or
sometimes both. These reactions can
vary from facial rashes or red ears to
silly, hyperactive, or overly aggressive
behaviour. The problem parents face
identifying this, is that although they
may have noticed their child develop
spots above their mouth and start
jumping off the furniture immediately
after a handful of strawberries, they may
reason that he often eats strawberries
with no reaction whatsoever, thus
ruling out a connection. This makes
perfect sense, however these reactions
are generally seen after the child’s
individual threshold for the compound
has been exceeded. That is, they
may now be reacting because they
consumed some spaghetti bolognaise,
some honey AND some strawberries,
There is a distinct
sense of mindfulness
when we are truly
in the moment with
our children, and our
families
which tipped them over the edge.
Removing these foods temporarily can
provide tremendous relief to children
and stressed households. The Food
Intolerance Network www.fedup.com.
au has a wealth of information about
this, however I must caution – removing
these foods really needs to be seen as
a temporary method of symptomatic
relief. Any diet where significant
foods groups are excluded serves to be
far too restrictive, and may hinder a
child’s development and general health
in the long run. In incidences where
pronounced intolerances are identified,
working with a professional to restore
gut health and nutrient absorption
should see your child’s intolerances
improve, so these foods can be
reintroduced and enjoyed happily long
term. This is key, as an overly restricted
diet can lead to fussiness, malnutrition,
and lets not forget overworked, stressed
parents.
Clare Marcangelo is a local registered Nutritionist and former Early Childhood practitioner who
specialises in children’s health. As a mum herself, she knows how hard it can be to make even the
smallest of changes to a family diet.
JUNE/JULY – ISSUE 100
15