Food and mood – part 1
What we eat affects how our gut and brains work.
What we eat affects how our gut and brains work.
How? Well, our guts (enteric nervous system) and our brains (central nervous system) talk to each other via the gut brain axis….like a super highway. And, like a super highway, we want to keep the traffic flowing and happy in both directions.
All sorts of body processes like inflammation, oxidative stress (when there are too many unstable molecules called free radicals in the body and not enough antioxidants to get rid of them. This can lead to cell and tissue damage) and imbalance of good-bad gut bugs can influence how the traffic flows, and our diet is the main influencer.
There is a lot of evidence coming through showing that nutrition and lifestyle changes can be very supportive to individuals with neurodivergence (1-3). In ADHD for example, many individuals have disrupted digestion, and restoring balance in the gut is a key focus from a natural medicine perspective.
The following are also important nutritional and lifestyle factors:
Balancing blood sugar
Identifying food allergies, such as gluten and dairy
Addressing nutrient deficiencies
Ensuring an optimal intake of essential fats, mainly omega 3 fatty acids.
Food is more than just a way of sustaining us. It can be a source of comfort, a treat or bribe and a way of socialising. As a family, the focus therefore needs to be on the general healthiness of the foods. As we see everywhere, diets containing high levels of refined sugar and saturated fat can increase the risk of impulsiveness and hyperactivity, and science is catching up in this space too.
High intakes of refined carbohydrates, sugars and salt, total and saturated fats, and lower intake of omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and folate (vit B9), showed a higher prevalence of ADHD core symptoms.(3)
For example, studies have shown colourings and preservatives have negative effects on the behaviour of children with or without ADHD(4) and the Food Standards Agency(5) list the six food colours most closely linked to hyperactivity in children are:
E102 (tartrazine)
E104 (quinoline yellow)
E110 (sunset yellow FCF)
E122 (azorubine or carmoisine)
E124 (ponceau 4R)
E129 (allura red)
These colourings are used in many foods, including soft drinks, sweets, cakes and ice cream, so always read the labels – more to come on label reading in a future blog.
The easiest way to see how foods may be affecting your kids is to keep a food diary. Write down the food/s eaten, time of day and any behavioural changes noted after mins/hrs of time. A five-seven day diary will show you a pattern, and if things are showing up, discuss with your Paediatrician, GP or naturopath/nutritionist.
Neurodivergent children often eat a more restrictive diet with less fruits and vegetables and more fluffy carbs such as bread, pizza, cakes and biscuits. Good amounts of low GI carbohydrates (found in oats, lentils, rice, beans) and a balance of fruit and vegetables provide nutritious carbohydrates that are a steady source of energy – assisting with attention issues and brain fog.
Here are the key nutrients to focus on to best support the neurological function of your little one:
Magnesium - Great for a healthy stress response which in our neurodiverse little ones happens more often than in the average Joe. Children with ADHD or ASD also often have lower levels of magnesium.
Sources:
Nuts: almonds, pecans, cashews
Pumpkin seeds
Peanut butter
Brown rice
White potato with skin on
Green leafy veggies
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) - DHA is the MOST important omega-3 fatty acid for brain development and function, nerve tissue membranes and neural function.
Sources:
Flaxseed
Chia seeds
Mackerel (and other oily fish)
Hemp seeds
Wheatgerm
Vitamins B6 and B12 - B vits are essential for the making of neurotransmitters – those chemical messengers in the body that help our central nervous system communicate.
Sources:
B6: salmon, tuna, avocado, beef, turkey, milk, cheese, most vegetables, citrus fruit
B12: poultry, eggs, dairy, nutritional yeast, beef, sardines, organ meats
Vitamin E - Helps with the health of nerve cells and brain tissues.
Sources:
Sunflower seeds
Almonds
Peanut butter
Pumpkin
Red capsicum
Green leafy vegetables
Zinc - Assists in the modulation of nerve synapse activity, neural plasticity and an overall healthy brain. It’s also needed for digestive function.
Sources:
Red meat
Poultry
Chickpeas and other legumes
Cashews
Oats
Oysters
References:
1. Shareghfarid E, et al. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020;36:28-35.
2. Hontelez S, et al. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):22205.
3. Abbasi K, et al. Food Sci Nutr. 2022;9;10(12):4339-4344.
4. Miller MD, et al. Environ Health. 2022;21(1):45.
5. Food Standards Agency UK. Available at: www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/food-additives. Accessed on: 1 March 2024.
Managing meltdowns
Managing meltdowns…it’s overwhelm not a tantrum.
It’s not a tantrum, it’s overwhelm. These meltdowns are a response to such intense sensory overload or other frustrations, our neurodivergent kids become overwhelmed, their emotional bucket overflows. Our children work so hard every day to maintain balance in their worlds, but sometimes, the sensory pressures become too much too quickly and it all spills over.
The phrase ‘they went from 0-100’ is often used to describe these reactions, with observers seeing a calm child suddenly ‘lose it’. However, they have been sitting at 80-90 for a while and then the tiniest thing ‘tips them over’. But it is so important to acknowledge, this is not bad behaviour or a tantrum, they are in sensory overload and frustration.
Practical prevention strategies
Our children are not going to just magically cope next time we go shopping, to the pool or playground. We need to take time to plan ahead and set things up so our kids have a better chance of experiencing the busy outside world in a calm way.
Consider potential stress areas
Make a plan – help your child understand what to anticipate before heading out
Neurodivergent children track so much better with predictability. So many of the environments e.g. supermarkets, are the exact opposite of this
Head to the same store, walk the same path, shop for familiar foods. Or go to the same playground, at the same time of day and day of the week
Routine provides a reassuring rhythm for our kids, take them somewhere familiar
Think creatively – is there a better time to go shopping - when the kids are less tired, when it’s less crowded? Can we order online? Can we go to the pool outside of busy times?
Make sure they are well fed ahead of any activity and take extra snacks
Take along their favourite toy or comfort item
Where possible, be a little flexible with day:day routines to incorporate your child’s unique triggers and moods.
Handling overwhelm
It’s going to happen, despite planning and doing the best we can. We often have to try three or four things before we find what works and even then, something that worked yesterday won’t work today. Acknowledge the steps forward – building social and emotional skills alongside self-confidence is a huge job. It’s going to take a lot of patience, love and time.
So, when things go a little sideways, here are some tips to handling the overwhelm.
Go out armed and ready: headphones, sunglasses, snacks, water and a hat. Noise cancelling headphones/earbuds with fun, familiar music can help drown out the background noise of supermarkets and sunglasses and a hat can help lower the intensity of fluoro lighting. Snacks are a great distraction and can help your child feel grounded
And when the overwhelm happens
Take your child away from the stimulus – back to car or another quiet space where they can get away from it all. You may even need to bail on the activity and come back later
Reassure your child that they are safe, they are loved and they are OK
Work with them on breathing deeply and slowly once they are receptive to focusing on something
If pressure or touch helps, make sure you hug them, hold a hand or have a blanket or other comfort item in the car so they can find their safe place
If you’re in a group setting, take them to one side as calmy as you can. It is hard to stay calm in these situation as they are very stressful, but neurodiverse kids pick up on energy and will absorb and reflect it back very quickly. So, the calmer you are, the calmer they will become.
Most importantly, trust your intuition…always. You know your child better than anyone else :-).