Diet

There are three essential facts that parents need to know about their childrens diet.

1. The nervous system along with the rest of the body is still growing, maturing and developing. Until puberty the nervous system is far from fully developed. During this process of development the nervous system needs a balanced diet to provide all the building blocks needed for this growth but it particularly needs animal fats to provide the insulating material myelin which will cover the fast conduction nerve fibres both in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
   
   
2. During this process of growth and development the nervous system needs fuel, oxygen and glucose, but it doesn’t need too much at any one time. Children who are fussy eaters insidiously create their own diet often based on nothing but carbohydrates and pure sugars. This floods the system with too much fuel and causes a temporary “high” which perversely the brain enjoys and this triggers a specific area of brain “the pleasure centre” which then craves the next “high”. Mothers are often duped in to providing their child with the foods they want and fuel the cravings by feeding the child with crisps and high glucose drinks.
   
   
3. Unfortunately, there is a second complication to this child-driven diet in that it often contains levels of stabilizers, colorants, etc. etc. which the immature brain cannot cope with. Aspartame, used in many soft drinks has been implicated in what has been called “glutamate storms”. That is, it would appear that aspartame triggers a cascade effect where excessive amounts of glutamate (an excitatory neurotransmitter) are liberated resulting in hyperactive and often pointless, destructive behaviour in children.

So, if too much fuel and excessive food additives are beyond the developing brains limited ability to cope, what can the parent do to help?

1. Rule out cereals and toast for breakfast and introduce egg and bacon.
2. Cut out all snack foods e.g. crisps, chocolates, fizzy drinks and check the labels carefully for additives.
3. If you are providing a packed lunch avoid the easy way out by providing prepared and snack food and use a little creativity that just might tickle your childs' appetite.
4. Introduce more fruit into the diet. This can replace the snack children often have on getting home from school.
5. The evening meal should be home cooked and contain fresh meat/fish and vegetables.
6. Carbohydrates should be provided in moderation. At all costs avoid the scenario in which the child dictates their diet and has toast for breakfast, crisps and biscuits mid-morning, chips for lunch, crisps, biscuits and cake mid-afternoon and pasta for supper.

Two weeks on this modified diet may well be enough in of itself to bring about noticeable changes in behaviour.
If you are considering adding fish oils to your child’s diet, talk to your local advisor (Health Food Shop/Chemist) to ensure that the oils are free of contaminants. If you are concerned try Flax Seed Oil as an alternative.

For further information about Carina Norris the co-author of The Brain Food Plan visit www.carinanorris.co.uk.

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