Food choices can affect your mental health

Protein in favour of carbohydrates, plant-based is best, don’t do dairy, meatless meals – the choices are endless.

Food is not the enemy – and eating correctly is easier than you think. In our previous article. we spoke about foods that help the brain work properly. This time we are going to tell you about foods that can badly affect children with brains that work differently. Remember, food choices can affect your mental health.

A diet that leaves out certain foods from your eating pattern can help you to know what foods affect you  – especially those people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression and anxiety.

We have been told that artificial flavours, colourings, sweeteners, and preservatives, as well as foods with the ingredient salicylate found in some medications, such as aspirin – and in some and vegetables – should be tested. To know if a food contains salicylate, look up the item on Google before you shop. We are not telling you that you should avoid all foods with this element, but we are saying that by ‘test and measure’ you should try to get to know what foods affect your child’s mental health.

Be aware that large doses of vitamins and minerals can be poisonous to a child and can be harmful if your child is taking ADHD pills. We cannot say that ADHD can be treated with healthy supplements, but we ask you to work towards a diet that has a lot of fresh, whole foods, that are not processed – such as whole grains, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables. Leave out foods that have labels listing a million different ingredients that you can’t pronounce – leave out processed food products. Instead give your child a healthy diet of fresh foods.

Experts say that too much caffeine, too much fast foods and other foods that have little health value can cause children to behave in a way that might look as though he/she has ADHD. Make sure your doctor or an ADHD dietitian helps you manage your child’s eating plan because a diet that leaves out too many foods may lack the necessary vitamins and nutrients.

The following foods may be linked to ADHD symptoms.

• Because it has so much sugar and artificial colouring, candy should be avoided.
• Sodas and caffeine cause ADHD symptoms. If your child has ADHD, try stopping all soda – and even if your child does not have ADHD, saying no to soda is a good idea.
• Although fruit and vegetables are healthy choices for an ADHD diet, some frozen brands have artificial colouring – check all labels. Foods treated with a pesticide called organophosphates have been known to cause nervous behaviour.
• Cake mixes and cake icing contain high amounts of sugar and artificial colouring that can lead to hyperactivity and other ADHD symptoms.
• Energy drinks are high on the don’t-do list. They cause youngsters to display behaviour that is similar to ADHD, and the ingredients can worsen ADHD symptoms. Avoid them because they have no place in a healthy diet.
• Fish and other seafood that have small amounts of mercury can make ADHD symptoms worse, over time. The bad ones are shark, king mackerel, swordfish, and tilefish.
• Common foods that can cause ADHD reactions include milk, chocolate, soy, wheat, beans, corn, tomatoes, and oranges.

If you think that a certain food may be giving your child ADHD symptoms, consult one of our teachers who will refer you to a professional who may suggest you try a diet that leaves our certain foods.