THE MYTH: 

Diet doesn't impact a child's/teen's behaviour, sleep patterns, anxiety, mood, concentration and energy levels.

THE REALITY: 

Every day in clinic we are dealing with frustrated parents at their wits end with their child/teen's behaviour, or their child isn't sleeping, has no energy, has too much energy, can't concentrate at school, struggles with learning, etc. 

Generally, when we ask about their diet we are met with defensiveness that as a parent you have done something wrong. This couldn't be further from the truth. 

We know that as a society we have been led down the wrong path with a lot of dietary advice. We also know that kids will be kids and often eat and drink things you don't know about. 

Our aim is to educate and empower you with the knowledge that you can help your children to make their own better decisions about what they consume, once they know the impact it can have on their bodies.

While junk food in general is a large part of the gut health issue, another largely hidden problem is the amount of caffeine in foods you don't expect.

Many parents think their child doesn’t consume caffeine because they don’t drink coffee.

But caffeine can show up in surprising places.

Common Sources for Kids & Teens:

Drinks
Cola and some other soft drinks
Energy drinks (very high levels)
Iced tea
Bubble tea
Chocolate milk
Bottled iced coffee (older teens)

The big ones for teens are some protein powders, workout sports drinks and energy drinks.

Foods
Chocolate bars
Chocolate cereals
Chocolate desserts
Chocolate protein snacks
Matcha-flavoured treats

As you can see from this list, most kids would consume at least one of these items a day but the reality is that for many it is multiple items a day. 

When you work out the caffeine levels, sugar levels and artificial colours and preservatives in all of these foods, you are looking at a perfect storm for behavioural issues, sleep issues, anxiety, illness and so much more.

THE ACTION STEP - Take control of your child's health.

Why It Matters for Kids

Caffeine can:

- Disrupt sleep
- Increase anxiety
- Worsen behavioural issues
- Impact concentration
- Affect growth hormone release (via sleep disruption)

Children and teens are more sensitive to caffeine than adults.

If your child or teen:

-Struggles to fall asleep

-Has increased anxiety

-Is “wired but tired”

-Crashes mid-afternoon

-Is struggling to keep up at school 

-Has any form of spectrum disorder or dyslexia

-Is irritable (yes teens are by nature due to hormones but caffeine and junk food heightens this)

…it’s worth reviewing their total intake.

While the area of gut health is a vast one that we can't cover in one article, it is the leading driver of a large percentage of health problems, not only in kids but adults as well.

The good news is that once you are aware of what is in your food and drinks you can start to make an informed choice.