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Could your kid’s bad behavior come from bad eating?
Over the past few years, hormones have received more and more attention. And for good reason, because they are the compounds that play an important role in overall health.
Hormones represent a complex cascade of chemicals that are catalysts for actions in your body…and your child’s body.
How Do Hormones Work?
Ok, so now I’m going to get all scienc-y on you. Glands secrete hormones to cells awaiting commands in your tissues and organs. When hormones are out of sync and the commands are blocked or otherwise confused, then mixed messages are sent to tissues and organs. This disrupts homeostasis and metabolic balancing of a body’s systems.
Hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, cortisol, insulin, and melatonin are responsible for this homeostasis.
Here are a few simple things you can do to keep hormones in balance for you and your family.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Excessive fat tissue (called adipose tissue) can act as an endocrine organ, producing more estrogen in your body. By maintaining a healthy weight, a body is not stimulated to overproduce certain hormones.
- Eat thyroid supportive foods. These foods are rich in iodine and include: kelp, Himalayan salt, beans, organic cultured yogurt, organic sugar-free cranberry juice, and fresh organic strawberries.
- Eat healthy saturated fat (coconut oil and avocado). Cholesterol is needed for formation of healthy cell membranes and is a precursor to steroid hormones (progesterone, estrogen, FSH, etc.). You and your family cannot have proper hormonal balance without adequate amounts of healthy saturated fats.
- Avoid refined grains, sugar, and processed foods. These interfere with the hormone leptin, which helps regulate appetite and metabolism. When leptin resistance sets in, you suffer from cravings and your metabolism slows way down.
- Avoid Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates. BPA is commonly found in plastics and can liners and phthalates are in many personal hygiene products. These endocrine disruptors basically mimic actual hormones replacing the beneficial benefits with a toxic phony that provides nothing of value to the body. Think premature puberty…ugh! Eden Organic
brand is one that I rely on consistently. Here is a quote from their website: “Eden Foods became alarmed by the toxicity of bisphenol-A (BPA) in cans and food packaging long before it made it to mainstream news. Since April of 1999, Eden beans have featured a custom made can lined with an oleoresinous c-enamel that does not contain the endocrine disrupter BPA. Oleoresin is a mixture of oil and resin extracted from plants such as pine or balsam fir.”
- Support your adrenal glands. The adrenals regulate the “stress hormone,” cortisol. To keep them in top shape, limit your family’s intake of alcohol and caffeine, and commit to getting to bed by 10 pm. Growth hormones are created during sleep, so prioritizing bedtime is an important step in keeping kids balanced. It’s true….kid’s GROW while they sleep!
When you hear ‘hormone balance’, it’s easy to think of only women’s health. But it’s important to know that all of these tips can apply to your whole family.
If you are dealing with kid behavioral issues in your house, just remember to think ‘maybe it’s the food‘ first. Clean eating can go a LONG way to mellowing out temper tantrums while having a positive impact on development, learning and behavior.
For more information, check out my webinar “The Food Connection to Your Child’s Behavior”.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
