2. Your child may be ‘hooked’ on sweet, sugary and starchy foods. A diet containing too many refined starches and sugars is guaranteed to wreak havoc with the fuel supply to your child’s brain—swinging him or her on a rollercoaster of energy ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ throughout the day. The same ‘fast-action’ foods and drinks are also damaging your child’s digestive and immune systems, which can lead to a whole array of health-related problems that may be closely linked to difficulties in mood, behaviour and learning. In Chapter 7, we’ll see what foods you and your child can eat (and which ones to avoid) to ensure balanced, calm energy throughout the day.
3. Your child probably eats too many ‘bad fats’ and not enough ‘good fats’. This is a very easy one for me to identify, not only because it’s even more common than the sugar and ‘energy imbalance’ problems, but also because my own specialist research to date has been focused mainly in this area. ‘Bad fats’ are found in many processed foods and margarines. The ‘good fats’ include the very special omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA) which are found in fish and seafood, and are absolutely essential to brain development and function. In Chapter 8 you’ll learn how to ‘get the fats right’, and in Chapter 9 I’ll take you through the latest research into omega-3 for child behaviour and learning, sorting the facts from the myths and explaining what the research has—and hasn’t—shown.
Facing the facts isn’t always easy—but as we’ve seen in this chapter, you can’t rely on the ‘powers that be’ to look after your child’s interests where issues of food and diet are concerned. However, there are some simple steps that you can take to help your child—the first of which is getting informed. In the next chapter we’ll look at some of the labels that are often given to children with behaviour or learning problems, and see how diet may relate to these. Then we’ll look at essential nutrients and digestion (these really are the basics you need to understand) before moving on to the chapters that will take you through the three main steps I’ve outlined above. In the last few chapters of the book we’ll focus on putting what you’ve learned into practice.
FAQs
Why is there so much conflicting advice, and how do I know which advice to follow?
Much of the information and advice you get about food and diet is really aimed at selling you something. Many news and media stories are actually based on company press releases, so always be suspicious. Look carefully at the results and conclusions of proper trials (many can be found on the Internet with user-friendly summaries—see the FAB Research website for examples). In some areas, reliable evidence really is lacking. The best thing you can do is to keep an open mind—but not so open that your brains fall out, as they say! Read, observe, talk to people, ask questions, weigh up all the evidence and make your own mind up which advice you’re going to follow.
I thought doctors say a good diet is important so we don’t get fat? My child seems slim and fit even though he eats mostly chicken nuggets and chips, and he won’t touch fruit and vegetables.
A poor diet doesn’t always make you fat, and your child may look ‘slim and fit’, but have you seen his insides? It can sometimes take years for the effects of bad eating habits to show, but a diet of highly processed foods and insufficient fruit and vegetables really can damage physical and mental well-being. Some children are more resilient than others—and yours may be one of the lucky ones (so far)—but the time to start making some changes is now.
Surely if what the big companies say is wrong, the Government would ban them from saying it?
I wish! Sadly, economics and politics play a huge role here—for example, look at how long it took for the tobacco industry to be exposed for what they were really doing. The Government can’t regulate everything, and their perspective is usually very short term. They are also keen to avoid offending the big players in industry—for many reasons, some good (to try to protect jobs that might be lost, for example) and some not so good.
Why aren’t doctors and many other health professionals trained more in nutrition?
In my view, they need to be—and the more enlightened ones carry on studying such subjects after their initial training. In defence of the others, they are often so busy dealing with acute problems that preventative approaches may take second place, and they have little or no time to study. In my opinion, some training in the effects of nutrition on behaviour really would reduce the workload of most professionals in our health, education, social services and criminal justice systems, with benefits all round.
Who am I to question the experts?
Well, for a start, you’ll find that the experts usually disagree! As to ‘who you are’, please try to have a little more faith in your own good sense. If you’re a parent, you’ll probably know more about your child than anyone, and if you’re reading this book then you’ve got what it takes to find out more. Then make your mind up as to the best course of action. It’s usually one based on common sense and grounding in all the facts. I’d say always question the experts. (If they can’t handle that—they’re no experts!)
Summary
1. The fast food and ‘convenience’ foods that dominate many children’s diets are often of very poor nutritional quality. If you knew what really goes into some of these, it’s very unlikely that you’d keep buying them.
2. The big food and drink companies and the pharmaceutical industry have been making huge profits out of our ignorance, although there are signs that you—the consumers—are starting to wise up and ‘dump the junk.’
3. It’s now accepted that poor nutrition will affect your child’s physical health. Recognition of the impact on mental health and performance is taking longer, and most professionals in health, education and other public services still receive little or no training in this area.
4. The big drug companies’ influence over medical publishing (and most other media) has become so great that the editors of several top medical journals have felt the need to ‘go public’ about this. Drugs are not the only approach to many common ailments, and aren’t always as effective as they’re made out to be.
5. Dietary changes can improve behaviour, learning and mood—although these are not a substitute for other approaches, and we still need more research into the brain’s nutritional needs.
6. Conflicting information and advice on food and diet has left most people very confused. Beware of hidden advertising, but do seek out and weigh up the information you need make up your own mind.
7. You need to think about your child’s health and performance as a whole. Diet is only one aspect, so you will need to look at other areas, too.
8. There are no quick fixes or miracle cures—you must take charge, start from where you are and work slowly but steadily towards a healthier diet and lifestyle for your child.
9. Three basic dietary problems affect many children, and probably yours, too. Your child may react badly to some additives or foods, may be ‘hooked’ on simple carbohydrates, and is probably eating too many ‘bad fats’ and not enough essential fats. In this book you’ll find out how to improve these things.
Could Your Child Be Doing Better?
All parents will ask themselves this question at some time or other, and in most cases the answer will probably be ‘Yes!’ But if your child generally enjoys life, seems happy and fulfilled (most of the time) and causes no major problems for other people either