To calmCalming food is as much about avoiding what excites as it is about enjoying what tranquilizes. Our old enemy, sugar, creates imbalances in energy that contributes to erratic and excitable behaviour. And not only does sugar create a high, it is inevitably followed by a low, which leaves a child feeling lethargic, irritable and wanting more. Sugar is found in many forms; on the label look out for glucose, maltose, dextrose, corn syrup, golden syrup, honey, treacle and inverted sugar. Additives can have a similar effect.  For calming food, think natural food. Magnesium is known as nature’s tranquilizer and is found in abundance in green, particularly leafy, veg.  Think lettuce, spinach, broccoli, spring greens and cabbage. Nuts are another important source. Lettuce soup is wonderfully soporific and a great calm down, take-it-easy supper dish.  Calcium, or a deficiency of, is sometimes linked with insomnia. I have heard of many children who are growing rapidly developing sleep issues. Whilst a glass of warm milk at bedtime can be helpful (no chocolate added!), ensure enough calcium in the diet. Non-dairy sources include broccoli, sesame seeds, eggs, green leafy veg and sardines. To aid concentration
To aid concentration Concentration is all about essential fats, which includes those omega 3s. The brain and nervous system need a healthy supply of fat to both function and develop properly.I would recommend plenty of oily fish in the diet – that’s salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna, trout and sardines. Three times a week would be ideal. Seeds are another important source and a great snack. Avocados too.  If lack of concentration is a particular issue then supplementing with a high quality fish oil is essential.  Ensuring good concentration for a one-off event, like an exam, means mixing some quality protein with some complex carbs.  Eggs and wholemeal soldiers would be a good start to the day as would sardines on toast or, for lunch, a jacket potato and sugar free baked beans.    To Energise

Energising is the easy bit! Whilst I can’t recommend the empty calories of confectionery, there are many other more nutritious routes to an energy hit. If a child is having a serious energy dip, and I’m talking feeling faint, almost hypoglycaemic here, then a quick sugar hit is in order. Really ripe fruit is excellent as the sugar will enter the blood stream quickly – so a soft, ripe pear or banana is perfect.

 

For a pick-me-up before an activity, foods that give a sustained energy release are best. I’m thinking snacks such as flapjacks and those that contain nuts and/or seeds are even better as the protein, which is broken down more slowly than the sugar, releases its energy over a period of time. A mix of dried fruit and nuts always goes down well, as do rice or oatcakes with some peanut butter.

  

To lift the spirits

Lifting the spirits can be as much about visual cues as it is about nutritional ones. Nothing makes me more sad than food that lacks vibrancy and colour and, whilst children may not respond in quite the same way to a colourful pile of salad, I am certain that well presented food is as important to them as it is to me.  Tryptophan is the compound in our food that is essential to the production of serotonin, our ‘happy’ neurotransmitter. It is found in turkey, chicken, beans (such as butter, haricot, pinto, kidney, etc), eggs, oats, lentils and chickpeas.  Blood sugar swings create highs and lows both in energy and mood. Complex, rather than refined, carbohydrates are essential to blood sugar stability. Think brown rice, wholemeal bread and pasta and porridge. Good Mood FoodSo the link between mood and food lies in a few key vitamins, minerals and fats. Essentially, processing strips our food of vital components so a highly processed diet will leave us feeling lethargic and down, whereas one full of whole foods is more likely to leave us feeling energised and content. The choice, as they say, is yours.