Is fussy eating contributing to your child’s behaviour?

Everything in the body needs a recipe to be created. There is a recipe for the body to make dopamine (the neurotransmitter that helps us maintain focus) and there is a recipe for our body to make serotonin (the neurotransmitter that helps us feel good and contributes to sleep).  If the body it not getting the ingredients it needs to make these recipes, then it can’t make the final products.

Poor diet = poor internal nutrition = poor creation of neurotransmitters & hormones = a change in behaviour and mood.

This is my picky eater- yes, I have one too and it drives me crazy!! Knowing what a child needs to eat to be healthy and thriving, I can get so frustrated when all she wants to eat for the day is a tomato and air. Protein for healthy hormones and neurotransmitters, essential fatty acids for cognition and a healthy heart, complex carbs for energy, and all those vitamins and minerals that make our body function every day! I also know, that when these things become depleted in our bodies it affects not only our health, but also our behaviour.

Take iron for example. It is well known that children with ADHD have low levels of iron. There are many studies out there that tell us that their ferritn levels are low and that it has a direct correlation to their behaviour. A recent study looked at iron supplementation in children with ADHD and it was found that increasing their iron (in those that were low) improved their ADHD symptoms. 

In another study, it was discussed that low iron can “increased the risk of psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and developmental disorders”.

I’ve seen many children who have had hyperactivity, anxiety, poor mood, poor concentration and learning difficulties from a low nutritional status. 

There are many reasons why a child might be a fussy eater. A zinc and iron deficiency will do it as well as possible underlying OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) where the child develops a paranoia with food intake (See PANS/PANDAS).

Food was made to nourish the body, so we need to get kids eating all the good stuff. Most mornings, I’ll try and get her to eat a good breakfast (protein is a must here and you don’t get it from a cereal box) and then I top her up with this “chocolate smoothie” which she loves, which then makes me happy. I’ve also found that once she starts getting some nutrition into her and correcting those deficiencies, she becomes happier, hungrier and less moody. In this smoothie there is a healthy dose of iron, magnesium and protein which are essential nutrients for kids! 

We can’t expect our children to do all the things we expect them to do if we don’t give them the tools to do it. NUTRITION is where is all begins. You can’t expect a car to run if it doesn’t have petrol and oil. Same with the body… we must make sure that it is getting the fuel it needs to function.