
6 min read
Better Nutrition for Better Behaviour
Posted By
Emma Linnea
Author: Amy Butler (nutritionist)
The most important meal of the day
That’s right, breakfast! If you’ve ever run out of the door without breakfast on a workday, you’re probably familiar with the distraction that hunger can cause. This is no different in children – attention and memory are improved in children that have breakfast compared to those who don’t, and some types of breakfast seem to improve attention more than others. For example, children who ate low GI (or glycaemic index – a measure of how quickly your blood sugar rises after a meal) breakfasts saw greater improvement in attention than those who had high GI breakfasts.1 Common high GI breakfast foods are white bread, high-sugar cereal and baked goods like muffins and pastries, whereas low GI options include oatmeal, eggs and whole meal toast.
Examples of how to turn a high GI breakfast into a low GI one below:
Of course, it’s a little reductive to say that it’s only breakfast that is important when thinking about attention and behaviour in children. Making sure children eat regularly through the day and focussing on low GI foods ensures they have sustainable energy to focus and helps to reduce the poor behaviour that often arises from hunger.
Specific nutrients to help
As well as ensuring that children eat regularly, it can be helpful to ensure adequate intake of a few key nutrients.
- Magnesium, in concert with Calcium, helps calm the nervous system by regulating nerve firing and reducing over-excitation of the nervous system. For diets low in magnesium, supplementation might help to reduce anxiety.2
- B Vitamins support all areas of health and mood; in particular B6 supplementation (with magnesium) has demonstrated improvements in symptoms of hyperactivity and aggressiveness in children.3
- Iron deficiency in children has several symptoms, one of which is poor behaviour, and treatment with supplemental iron can reverse the behavioural symptoms.4 There’s no harm in increasing iron-rich foods in the diet (for example spinach, beans, lentils, tofu and red meat) as our bodies are very good at regulating iron from food sources; however you should only ever give children iron supplements if your doctor has identified an iron deficiency.
- Zinc insufficiency is associated with a number of behaviour problems including anxiety/depression, withdrawal, emotional reactivity, attention problems and aggressive behaviour.5 Including more beans and lentils, seeds like hemp or pumpkin, nuts like cashews or almonds and dark chocolate can give your kids a boost of zinc in their diets.
- Omega-3s have been found to improve problems like inattention, hyperactivity and oppositional behaviour in children, both with and without a diagnosis of ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder).6 As well as oily fish, omega-3s can be found in seaweed, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax, walnuts and beans.
- Protein keeps them fuller for longer, helping to avoid afternoon ‘hanger’ tantrums!
To help achieve the levels of nutrients kids needs to thrive, try adding a Kids Good Stuff multi vitamin smoothie to their daily routine. It contains over 50 ingredients including magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, naturally occurring iron, zinc and protein.
Things to avoid
Experiment with removing artificial colours, flavour enhancers and preservatives to see if this makes a difference in your child’s behaviour (some children are more sensitive than others); these include:
This can be an overwhelming task and it’s best to work with a professional (like a dietician, nutritionist or naturopath) when making restrictions to a child’s diet.
Allergies and intolerances
Allergies and intolerances don’t always show up as the classic symptoms of rash, itchy throat, bloating or diarrhea. Behavioral problems can also be a sign of an undiagnosed allergy or intolerance. Speak to your doctor if you suspect this and they can arrange an allergy test for you.
References
- Adolphus K, Lawton CL, Champ CL, et al. The effects of breakfast and breakfast composition on cognition in children and adolescents: A systematic review. Adv Nutr 2016;7(3):590S-612S.
- Boyle NB, Lawton C, Dye L. The Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Subjective Anxiety and Stress—A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2017;9(5):429.
- Mousain-Bosc M, Roche M, Polge A, Pradal-Prat D, Rapin J, Bali JP. Improvement of neurobehavioral dis-orders in children supplemented with magnesium-vitamin B6. I. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Magnes Res. 2006;19(1):46-52.
- Mahajan G, Sikka M, Rusia U, et al. Iron profile in children with behavioural disorders: A prospective study in a tertiary care hospital in North India. Indian J Hematol Blood Tranfus 2011;27(2):75-80.
- Liu J, Hanlon A, Ma C, et al. Low blood zinc, iron, and other sociodemographic factors associated with behaviour problems in preschoolers. Nutr 2014;6:530-545.
- Hibbeln JR, Gow RV. Omega-3 fatty acid and nutrient deficits in adverse neurodevelopment and childhood behaviours. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2014;23(3):555-590.
Related news
min read
What is Collagen? Types, Sources and Benefits of Supplementation
Collagen is essential for joints, bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, skin, hair and nails.2 It is one of the primary structural proteins of connective tissue and plays a crucial role in the body by cushioning, strengthening, hydrating, binding, and connecting tissues together.3 Connective tissues are able to provide physical and mechanical support through the collagen, elastic and reticular fibres
min read
Kids Good Stuff for Skin Health
How can you ensure your kids have healthy skin? A part from the obvious, what nutrients can we provide our kids to ensure their skin stays in tip top shape?
min read
Maximising Mood In Your Kids
Almost 1 in 7 children and adults aged 4-17 had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Amy Butler discusses good nutrition and lifestyle modifications, that can help to reduce the risk.
min read
Long-Lasting Energy For Kids
Children and adolescents are going through massive periods of growth and development. To keep up with the demands of school, extracurricular activities, sports and friendships, kids often need a bit of an energy boost. In our latest blog we break down some specific nutrients for energy, to help support growing kids, and the best places to source them from.
min read
Setting Health Goals & Staying Motivated in 2021
Use this tried and tested goal strategy to set smaller, specific goals to avoid the overwhelm of unrealistic and vague health objectives.
min read
Is Ageing The Secret To Happiness?
Aging, mental health and happiness are all deeply intertwined phenomena, their relationship is actually bit more complex than you might imagine. Andy De Santis explains how an older adult can optimize their chances of being on the right side of the health and happiness curve as they age.
min read
Eating for a Healthy Headspace
Andy De Santis takes a deeper look into the connection between diet and mental health. What can we do to protect ourselves from depression and anxiety?
min read
How Inflammation Works: Heart Disease
How is inflammation associated with heart disease? What things can we do to help prevent this disease and others similar?
min read
What Does ‘Natural Flavour’ Really Mean? We Explain.
Everything you need to know about 'Natural Flavours' - Cliff Harvey
min read
Post Lockdown: What We Learnt During Isolation
We asked Nuzest employees around the world for some of the top things they learnt during their time in isolation.
min read
Interview with retired Olympian Martin Reader: Life After Professional Sport
Prior to the global pandemic closing office spaces across Australia, Nuzest HQ were fortunate enough to have had 2012 London Olympian, Martin Reader, attend their office to present a keynote speech on mastering personal performance. They were so inspired by his story of hardship, struggle, challenge and success throughout his career as an athlete, that they asked if he would feature in our blog to talk about his experiences transitioning out of professional sport.
min read
The Truth About Sports Supplements
We’re going to have a migraine-free look at some of the more common sport supplements you might come across and see if they really work, so you can decide what is right for you and what’s best left on the shelf.
min read
Fueling Your Performance: An Interview with Sports Dietitian Jonathan Steedman
So, you’ve set yourself a goal. A charity run? Perhaps an ironman event? Or maybe you’re an athlete aiming to improve your training and stamina? Regardless of the goal, the food that you eat and drink plays a large role in your performance.
We recently spoke to Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Jonathan Steedman (or Jono as he is known to thousands of people on Instagram) about his advice for fuelling for endurance, speed, strength, and power performance.