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Welcome to my weekly newsletter series. In this newsletter series I will be posting articles dealing with issues that relate to children's sleeping habits, development and parenting. Feel free to forward this email on to any of your friends who may be interested in these articles.

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Everyone knows that giving a child a sugary treat before bed is a recipe for disaster, but can foods affect behavior as well as energy? Many researchers say yes, and controlling your child's diet can do much to assist not just physical health, but mental and emotional health as well.

Many parents are opting to try dietary changes before resorting to prescription medications, which can often cause painful side effects and add significantly to the family's expenses. The majority of the drugs used to treat childhood behavioral problems are so new that their long-term effects are unknown. For example, in a study conducted by the National Toxicology Program in the United States, Ritalin was shown to cause liver tumors in mice. While there has yet to be a known case of human cancer caused by Ritalin, no one knows what could happen if the drug is taken for many years.

A San Francisco hospital conducted studies in the 1970's which indicated artificial colors and flavors contributed to hyperactive behavior. How much these chemicals contributed to the behavior varied greatly from child to child, but there was substantial evidence that they were probably a factor. Restlessness and difficulty concentrating are among behaviors that may be overlooked, but these can often be improved by changing your child's diet.

If you're not already giving your child a daily multi-vitamin which also contains minerals, maybe you should look into it. A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry reported that the behavior of problem children improved when they started a regimen of vitamins and minerals. Consult your doctor for more information to see if an vitamin supplement is suitable your for child.

So how do you determine what foods may be affecting your child's moods? You have to become a bit of a scientist and run your own tests. The child needs to be free of medication in order for you to make an accurate determination. Again consult your child's doctor before halting any medication your child may be on. You then eliminate one food at a time, starting with sugary and fatty foods, from the diet and observe the child's behavior. It might be helpful to keep a diary, as you may discover that some foods work in concert with one another, while causing no problems at all when eaten alone. Human body chemistry is very complex, and it's important to note behaviors for several weeks after you have eliminated the food. If your child's behavior has improved, you have probably found the culprit.

Begin by eliminating foods that contain artificial colorings. If you fail to see results, keep your child away from foods that contain artificial flavors. Next, eliminate one of the most common allergic foods, such as chocolate, eggs, corn (which includes corn syrup), wheat, peanuts, fish, soy, and dairy products. Choose the one that your child eats most often, as it's most likely to be the problem. The truth is that your child could be allergic to any food, so keep that diary of what your child eats, as well as a chronicle of your child's behavior each day. If the problem behavior occurs almost daily, then the culprit most certainly is a common food in your child's diet, whether it's the dye in a sugary drink or an apple.

Whatever food you choose to try eliminating, make sure everyone in the family agrees not to eat this food while around the child. Check your kitchen, and get rid of anything containing the food in question. You might find an improvement in other family members behavior at the same time!

Of course, it can be difficult keeping your child away from problem foods, especially once they are in school. Prepare a lunch for your child to take to school, and do your best to monitor what he eats. Teach your child about nutrition, and give him something empowering to say to his friends if they make fun of him for not eating what they eat. After your child has discovered he feels better when he doesn't eat a certain food, he's likely to cooperate fully with you.

If you've tried eliminating three or more foods to no avail, put your child on a restricted diet that eliminates several of the foods mentioned above for a period of about three weeks. If your child's behavior improves during this time, try reintroducing one food at a time for a period of one week. If your child's behavior gets worse, you know that food is a problem. If there's no difference, try the next food. In this way, you can speed up the process of determining which foods cause mood problems and which ones are safe.

Try to find alternatives to the foods your child must eliminate. If dairy products are a problem, there are powdered alternatives, as well as soy (as long as there is no reaction to soy.) Eggs and wheat are the hardest foods to eliminate since they're added to so many prepared foods. But many people find a way to work around these issues and eat well despite the limitations.

Certainly, if your child exhibits symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, try altering his diet before you receive an incorrect diagnosis that could have your child on medication for life. You may indeed have to eventually throw in the towel and come to terms with an ADHD diagnosis. But since many physicians and psychologists fail to recognize the correlation between diet and ADHD-like symptoms, it makes sense to explore this possibility before you seek professional assistance. This is a controversial viewpoint with many professionals, but you are the person responsible for your child's welfare and must ultimately make the decisions for your child's well-being based on the best information you can find. No one knows your child better than you, and no one is around to observe your child's behavior as much as you. If necessary, ask caregivers and teachers to keep an eye on your child's behavior and report to you as well. This will help you to get to the bottom of the problem.

If all of your efforts fail, you can start by visiting an allergist. Certainly not every problem can be solved with diet, but it's definitely worth finding out before you spend money on therapy and medications that could be risky for your child. Making sure your child has sufficient nutrition, however, is imperative to keep brain chemistry in balance.

Tip of the Week: Educate children from a young age about healthy eating by letting them experience the textures, colors of food. For fun recipes for children Click Here!

I hope you enjoyed this article.

Kind regards,

Janet Brownlee and the Sleepytime Secrets Team
Sleepytime Secrets - Making Bedtime A Breeze!

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