5 Foods That Affect Your Kids Mental Health And Mood

“Not only are bloggers suckers for the remarkable, so are the When I When I became a mom, it was like I went into overdrive in taking care of my kids health and what I am feeding them and putting on their body.

I realized that although, yes, I have always been super into health, it wasn’t until my kids came that I got more serious about it.

All moms have a desire to see their children thrive and grow and develop and would do anything to make sure they do!

So that led me on this journey to really seek out the best things for my kids…

Because of course… I wanted nothing but the best for my children.

Maybe you simply just want to provide healthier options for your kids.

But maybe you have noticed that your kid has more allergies to things. 

Not thriving the way they should be.

Or they are getting sick a lot. 

My niece when she was 3 started to have difficulty gaining weight. 

Actually she was losing weight.

She would throw up a lot after eating and frequently experienced stomach aches.

What was up? What was going on?

After much testing for her, they found out she has Celiac’s disease and could not eat Dairy or Gluten. 

And her diet was changed up and she started gaining weight, her hair started growing again and she was able to eat normally without throwing up or having stomachaches.

Before we dive into that, as parents, we always know when there is something up with our kids. 

When things don’t look they way they should.

When our kids aren’t thriving in the way we know they should be.

Why are a lot of kids getting sick now with Dairy and Gluten?

We used to be able to eat these things with no problem. 

Now you see this popping up all over the place with more and more allergies on the rise. 

So what is going on?

Unfortunately the food we eat today is not the same food our ancestors ate. 

A lot of the food is heavily processed, fertilized with GMO’s, pesticides and other toxic ingredients you don’t want in your food.

Especially when it comes to Dairy and Gluten. 

Gluten products are made with wheat that pretty much has been stripped of all its nutrients and then additives, fillers and synthetics are added to it to make it last.

Dairy is made from cows eating that kind of crop.

And when we are putting it into our body!

If you are like me… you just sit there and ask the questions…why? 

 

Why is our food made this way?

Why are things taken away that should be there and things added that shouldn’t?

Why can we just have foods that help our bodies?

I wish I could change this in a large capacity, but that is why I am here… to educate as many people as possible so we can change the way we eat so we can live a healthier, happier life for us and for our kids!

It starts with us as an example for our kids!

So let’s get into the 5 Ingredients that can affect your child's Cognitive function and ability to learn. 

SUGAR

Sugar is in just about everything the average child eats. 

Sugar is the most prevalent food additive – found in about 80% of food at the grocery store and a lot of it is your your kids favorite aisle! Isn’t that insane? 

The industry adds sugar because they know it’s addicting and it’s a cheap way for them to hook us on their products. 

And are we ever!

Sugar has been shown to cause long term-term health damage, and a diet high in processed foods has been linked to cognitive delay, sleep disorders, depression and other long term health diseases.

I think about all the things I ate as a child. 

Pop-tarts or Lucky Charms for breakfast (with milk).

Lunch consisted of a sandwich and then chocolate snacks afterwards or cookies. 

A mid-day snack was usually more cereal (filled with sugar).

After dinner snack was more cookies or chocolate.

And not to mention the bread you consumed (because kids love bread), crackers, dressings, sauces, seasonings, etc. that you cook your food in is filled with tons of sugar. 

And then you add in Holidays, Birthdays, Celebrations and you pack in some more SUGAR.

Even if you are eating an organic diet, you could still be sabotaged by sugar every day if you’re not careful about the foods you choose. 

That’s because even foods that you think have zero sugar added to them (like yogurt, salad dressings, a can of vegetable soup or tomato sauce) can be loaded up with added refined sugars. 

Also – you might be thinking – but, I only eat “organic sugar or honey, or maple syrup, etc”… 

Organic sugar of course is better to buy because it’s non-GMO and hasn’t been doused with synthetic chemicals linked to cancer – but organic sugar is still sugar. 

Just because it is organic sugar doesn’t mean you can throw caution to the wind!

Ideally, you should find things that have 4g or less of added sugar!

Ideally, you should make sure the snacks are USDA organic. 

And really learn to teach your kids to eat real whole foods. 

If it isn’t in the house… they can’t ask for it!

So it starts with you!

Just don’t buy it!

DAIRY

If you child is lactose intolerant or allergic to the proteins found in dairy, you may see changes in her mood and behavior (like with my niece). 

Many children become irritable, cranky, or aggressive. 

Children with dairy allergies or intolerance also tend to suffer from frequent colds and ear infections - See my natural remedies here.

Babies may exhibit colicky symptoms, whereas toddlers and older children may become inconsolable and irritable.

So what do you do? 

I know society says our children need dairy for Calcium and Vitamin D.

According to Dr. Willett, who has done many studies and reviewed the research on this topic, there are many reasons to pass up milk, including:

1. Milk doesn't reduce fractures.(i) Contrary to popular belief, eating dairy products has never been shown to reduce fracture risk. In fact, according to the Nurses' Health Study dairy may increase risk of fractures by 50 percent!

2. Less dairy, better bones. Countries with lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.

3. Calcium isn't as bone-protective as we thought.(ii) Studies of calcium supplementation have shown no benefit in reducing fracture risk. Vitamin D appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing fractures.

4. Calcium may raise cancer risk. Research shows that higher intakes of both calcium and dairy products may increase a man's risk of prostate cancer by 30 to 50 percent.(iii) Plus, dairy consumption increases the body's level of insulin-like-growth factor 1 (IGF-1) -- a known cancer promoter.

5. Calcium has benefits that dairy doesn't. Calcium supplements, but not dairy products, may reduce the risk of colon cancer.(iv)

6. Not everyone can stomach dairy.(v) About 75 percent of the world's population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products -- a problem called lactose intolerance.

Plus, dairy may contribute to even more health problems, like:

• Allergies (vi)

• Sinus problems

• Ear infections

• Type 1 diabetes (vii)

• Chronic constipation (viii)

• Anemia (in children)

Our bodies just weren't made to digest milk on a regular basis. Instead, most scientists agree that it's better for us to get calcium, potassium, protein, and fats from other food sources, like whole plant foods -- vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and seaweed.

So here is my advice for dealing with dairy.

5 Tips for Dealing with Dairy

Don't rely on dairy for healthy bones. If you want healthy bones, get plenty of exercise and supplement with 2,000 IU of Vitamin D daily. Or simply just get outside for a couple hours each day! Your kids will benefit from it in many ways other than just the Vitamin D! It is so good for their mental health to get out and play anyway.

• Get your calcium from food. These include dark green leafy vegetables, sesame tahini, sea vegetables, and sardines or salmon with the bones.

• Try giving up all dairy. That means eliminate milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream for two weeks and see if you feel better. You should notice improvements with your sinus, post-nasal drip, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, energy, and weight. Then start eating dairy again and see how you feel. If you feel worse, you should try to give it up for life.

• If you can tolerate dairy, use only raw, organic dairy products. I suggest focusing on fermented products like unsweetened yogurt and kefir, occasionally.

• If you have to feed your child formula from milk, don't worry. The milk in infant formula is hydrolyzed or broken down and easier to digest (although it can still cause allergies). Once your child is a year old, switch him or her to real food and almond milk.

• If you are worried about not getting enough Vitamin D

Still got milk? I hope not! Remember, dairy is not crucial for good health. I encourage you to go dairy free and see what it does for you and your children! 

ARTIFICIAL COLORING 

Many countries have banned Artificial Coloring because of the detrimental affects these chemicals have on children. 

Because artificial coloring is in many sugary foods, parents often blame behavioral changes on sugar (which we know is a culprit). 

However artificial coloring is often hidden in unexpected foods such as bread and yogurt. 

Avoid products with yellow No. 5 & 6, Red No. 3 & 40, Green No. 3 and Blue No. 1 & 2  if you’ Linked to ADHD, hyperactivity, anxiety, behavioral disturbances and more. 

Artificial Colors are linked to hyperactivity in kids along with various cancers and other health issues. 

This really wrecks havoc on your child’s mental health!

And there are so many other options of foods we can give our children that don’t have these Food Colorings in them!

PESERVATIVES

Studies show behavioral changes in kids who eat a lot of preservatives (found in a lot of processed foods). 

But what exactly is a preservative? 

A food preservative is a substance added to foods to make them last longer; to “preserve” them. 

Preservatives are added to foods that go bad quickly and have found themselves in all kinds of products in our grocery stores.

However, if a food has a preservative, it is most likely a food that already isn’t that healthy for you anyway. 

These preservatives include (but not limited to) nitrates, nitrites, BHA, BHT, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Vitamin E (tocopherol), Benzoates, and Sulfites.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that also causes mood and behavioral changes, including headaches and hyperactivity.

Sodium benzoate is commonly found in juice products marketed toward children.

FOOD ALLERGENS

Common food allergens are dairy, nuts, egg, soy, gluten and corn. 

When a child has an intolerance or an allergy to a particular food, it can cause significant health and behavior changes (which we talked a little bit about earlier).

A food intolerance, for example, is often missed and a child is instead diagnosed with ADHD. 

If you can cut out these things from your kids diet, then they will already instantly be doing so much better health wise! 

Track what they eat and when they exhibit concerning behavior. 

I promise that as you start to cut out the junk in foods, you will never want to go back and your family will thank you for it!

For lots more tips to eating healthy, make sure to follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mariavantiflin

You can also grab my Top Toxins Found in Your Book Ebook

References:

(i) Feskanich D, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA. Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study. Am J Public Health. 1997 Jun;87(6):992-7.

(ii) Feskanich D, Willett WC, Colditz GA. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption, and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Feb;77(2):504-11.

(iii) Tseng M, Breslow RA, Graubard BI, Ziegler RG. Dairy, calcium, and vitamin D intakes and prostate cancer risk in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Epidemiologic Follow-up Study cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 May;81(5):1147-54.

(iv) Huncharek M, Muscat J, Kupelnick B. Colorectal cancer risk and dietary intake of calcium, vitamin D, and dairy products: a meta-analysis of 26,335 cases from 60 observational studies. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(1):47-69.

(v) Brannon PM, Carpenter TO, Fernandez JR, Gilsanz V, Gould JB, Hall KE, Hui SL, Lupton JR, Mennella J, Miller NJ, Osganian SK, Sellmeyer DE, Suchy FJ, Wolf MA. NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement: Lactose Intolerance and Health. NIH Consens State Sci Statements. 2010 Feb 24;27(2).

(vi) Bartley J, McGlashan SR. Does milk increase mucus production? Med Hypotheses. 2010 Apr;74(4):732-4.

(vii) Luopajärvi K, Savilahti E, Virtanen SM, Ilonen J, Knip M, Akerblom HK, Vaarala O. Enhanced levels of cow's milk antibodies in infancy in children who develop type 1 diabetes later in childhood. Pediatr Diabetes. 2008 Oct;9(5):434-41.

(viii) El-Hodhod MA, Younis NT, Zaitoun YA, Daoud SD. Cow's milk allergy related pediatric constipation: Appropriate time of milk tolerance. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2009 Jun 25.