Optimizing School Performance
Food Matters
- Food is information that instructs your body how to work
- At least 5 servings of vegetables daily
- Focus on Healthy Fats
- 2015 Dietary Guidelines no longer recommend “low fat diet”.
- Fish, coconut [oil, milk, butter], olives [oil], nuts [butter, oil]
- Essential fatty acid (come from diet, body cannot make them) – Increase Omega 3 intake, reduce Omega 6 intake – processed foods heavier in Omega 6
- Improve health of brain cells and allow greater communication between cells
- Food sources – range/pasture eggs, grass fed meat, fish
- Fish Oil – Barlean’s is kid friendly version;
- Plant version ALA has to be converted to EPA/DHA,but body doesn’t do this well chia seeds; walnuts
- Eliminate artificial colors and additives, sweeteners, flavors
- Eat whole foods – Mediterranean diet, anti-inflammatory diet, paleo diet
Insulin
- Roller coaster ride – crash after high sugar/simple carb meal. Very hard to focus and pay attention during these crash periods.
- Have balance of protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates
- Begin looking at labels for added sugar
- Choose complex carbs over simple carbohydrates
- Skip the cereal (and high sugar/carb breakfasts)
- Begin looking at added sugar in foods
- Kid friendly breakfast options:
- Energy Balls [oats, nut butter, honey] https://www.wellplated.com/energy-balls/ https://lexiscleankitchen.com/30-no-bake-energy-balls/ [includes allergen free options]
- Eggs – if need on the go try boiled eggs
- Smoothies [my favorite is Thorne Medipro Vegan
- Dinner for breakfast
Gut-Brain Connection
- Direct communication to and from the gut/brain – some via vagus nerve
- The gut contains a large quantity of microbes – bacteria, viruses, fungi – 3 trillion – These bacteria make neurotransmitters – serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine
- Large percentage of serotonin and dopamine [neurotransmitters] are created in the gut then transmitted to other areas of the body, including the brain
- Eat whole foods, less processed foods
- Take probiotic; eat probiotic containing foods and drinks
Recommended amount of sleep
- School age – 9-11 hours
- Teen – 8-10
- Should be refreshed when waking
- memory consolidation [putting items from short term memory to long term memory] – things they learned at school and studying that evening get put into memory bank where it can be brought out later.
- When we are sleep deprived, our focus, attention, and vigilance drift, making it more difficult to receive information.
Sleep Hygiene
- Quality sleep as important as quantity
- Routine at night
- Go to bed and wake at same time every day
- No devices at least 1 hour before bed
- Calming, quiet activity before bed, lights dim
- Dark, cool room (no nightlights)
- No device or TV in room
Manage stress
- What each child experiences as stress will be different
- Learn what stresses dealing with – peer relationships, including bullying;
- Teach them to identify what the perceived threat and how to calm the body and mind
- Practice 4 square breathing
- Guided imagery – imagine favorite fun/peaceful place, describe the details – all 5 senses
- Yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, breathing,
Organization and Time Management
- This may be challenging as we were not taught these skills – not taught in school.
- Physical and Mental Clutter decreases focus and attention
- Discuss and create plan with your child
- Optimize technology – calendar, tasks, timer, reminder
Just say no…to overscheduling – create balance
- On the go – all the time.
- Physical and Mental Clutter decreases focus and attention
- Discuss and create plan with your child
- Optimize technology – calendar, tasks, timer, reminder
Products/Foods we referenced in the webinar:
- Barlean’s Omega Swirl – available at Wellevate (see our supplements page), Amazon, Earthfare
- Recipes for Energy Balls
- Thorne Research – I love the Medipro Vegan Chocolate shake
- Probiotic containing foods:
- Kombucha
- Miso
- Raw sauerkraut
- Raw pickles
- Kimchi
- Natto
- tempe
- Kefir (water and milk)
- Yogurt (dairy, coconut)
Want to learn more about any of these topics? SEE Alternatives Wellness has online modules to support parents in learning healthy eating, sleep, and time management skills.