Anxiety in Kids - How They Eat is How They Feel

If you're a parent, you've probably noticed that more and more kids are experiencing anxiety. Maybe your own child or teen is affected. While increased demands at school and social pressures certainly have an effect, I believe that diet plays a big part.

how diet affects their mood

Added sugar in processed & packaged foods messes with their blood sugar, causing spikes and crashes.  Sugar also impacts gut health and the immune system.  Keeping gut health balanced is very important to good mental health as 90% of the body’s serotonin is made in the gut.  Serotonin is the neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood, appetite, and sleep - low serotonin levels can cause anxiety, depression and panic attacks. If your child’s nutrition is poor, or if they don’t absorb enough protein, vitamins, and minerals to build the neurotransmitters due to poor gut health, a neurotransmitter imbalance can develop.
One of the minerals missing in many diets is magnesium.  Carbonated beverages, caffeine and sugar all deplete magnesium in the body, which can worsen anxiety since magnesium has a calming effect and helps keep stress hormones in check.  Magnesium is also great for relaxing muscles.  

8 steps to help your kid with anxiety naturally

• Reduce sugar intake.  Look for sources of hidden sugar - ketchup, yogurt, dried fruit, granola bars - foods that look “healthy” but aren’t.
• Reduce or eliminate processed foods - especially those with artificial colors & flavorings and excitotoxins such as aspartame and monosodium glutamate (MSG)*. 
• Give them probiotics - either supplements or in the form of fermented foods such as sauerkraut, plain yogurt, kombucha, miso and kimchi.  Probiotics seed the gut with the good bacteria it needs to properly digest food and absorb nutrients.
• Try foods rich in magnesium such as almonds, spinach, black beans and avocado, or supplement with magnesium.  We’ve been using Jigsaw Health’s Tart Raspberry Lemonade magnesium supplement powder - I promise that your kids won’t even know it’s good for them! If all else fails, there are topical magnesium lotions and oils, like those made by Ancient Minerals.
• Ban caffeine.  Sorry Starbucks, but between the sugar and the caffeine you should not be serving minors!  Like sugar, caffeine stimulates the nervous system.  
• Serve foods rich in B Vitamins .  B Vitamins can improve fatigue and anxiety.  Try eggs, salmon, black beans, avocado, chickpeas, spinach, brussells sprouts, asparagus and salmon.
• Don’t forget the Omega-3s, which are anti-inflammatory and support brain health and mood.  Salmon (wild, not farmed) is a great source of Omega 3s.  Kids don’t like fish?  How about chia seeds?  Check out my Pintrest board for some yummy chia pudding recipes for kids:  https://www.pinterest.com/mccannnutrition/kid-friendly-foods/  Breakfast smoothies are another great way to incorporate chia seeds.  
• Let them sleep!  Kids are not getting enough sleep.  Between the demands of school,  extracurricular activities and their electronic devices, our kids are chronically sleep deprived.  Sleep deprivation in children and teens is linked to hyperactivity, impaired memory and brain function, increased risk of injury in sports, obesity, and metabolic disorders (diabetes).  Here’s how much sleep your kids should be getting:

1 to 3 years: 12 to 14 hours
3 to 5 years: 11 to 13 hours
5 to 12 years: 10 to 11 hours
12 to 18 years: 8.5 to 9.5 hours
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If they’re not getting enough sleep, then it’s time to prioritize because the long-term effects on your child’s health are probably not worth it.  Cut back on the extra-curricular activities, enforce a strict bedtime, establish an electronics curfew (remove the devices from their room after bedtime), and when necessary - let the homework be late (yes, I said it).
 
If you have any questions or would like more information concerning kids & gut health, visit my website or 

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In health,
Cathy

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*Excitotoxins excite the brain and serve no other purpose than to make you think the food tastes better than it does so that you buy and eat more.  

Some of the other names for MSG in food labeling:
Glutamic Acid 
Anything with “Glutamate” in the name
Yeast Extract
Anything with “hydrolyzed” in the name
Calcium Caseinate
Sodium Caseinate
Yeast Food
Yeast Nutrient
Autolyzed Yeast
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein Isolate
Natural flavor(s)
Flavoring
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Autolyzed protein 
Carrageenan

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