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Table of contents:

Introduction………………………………………………………………………..……..3
Importance of Healthy Eating…………………………………………………………5
Daily Evils of Salt and Sugar……………………………………………………….…6
Basic Nutritional Information for Your Children…………………………………..8
What You Need to Know About Drinks for Children……………………………..13
Vitamins…………………………………………………………………………………..15
Minerals…………………………………………………………………………………..16
Best Nutrients for Your Child’s Brain……………………………………………….17
E-Numbers……………………………………………………………………………….19
In Summary………………………………………………………………………………23

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Dear Fellow Parent 

What if I where to tell you that by tweaking your child’s diet you could enhance the way they
learn?

Well, I’m telling you that this is POSSIBLE.

Too often Diet is overlooked. Traditionally ‘diet’ means an eating plan to loose weight.
However this e-book does no such thing. Perhaps it may be beneficial for you to think
of it as an e-book of BRAIN FOOD.

The foods we eat can enhance our mind and body provided we are making informed
choices about it.

Imagine the positive effect you can have on your child by simply allowing your child to
develop and grow in a foundation of good nutrition.
I am giving you the information you will need to for real, long-term learning and
behavioural benefits for your child.

Through a series of steps you will learn how to enhance your child’s and family’s nutrition;
in doing so, create a platform to successful learning.

I’m going to show you:

 How you can jump start your brain into action.
 How you can simply start controlling you child’s sugar intake.
 What foods are great sources of brain nutrition.
 How you can encourage you child to drink more water.
 What nutrients are best for your child’s growing brain.
 What E-Numbers are, and which ones to avoid.
 How E-Numbers can contribute to behavioural issues and learning set-backs.
 What to look out for when grocery shopping.

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So Who Am I Exactly?

Well, my name is Charlene Proctor and I am a Child Development Specialist assisting

children to reach their learning potential.
I believe that the starting point of assisting your child to concentrate better at school,
decrease mood swings, over come hyperactivity and impulsivity and so much more all
starts with their diet.

I believe in the power of striving to be your child’s best teacher. Parenting is such an
important job; in fact I see it as being the most important job in the world. With it comes
challenges and frustrations but also joy and happiness. No monetary value can be placed
on sharing your child’s accomplishments and successes with them.

Enjoy this book. I look forward to assisting you in your next step to becoming YOUR
child’s best teacher.

To your Family’s Successes,

Charlene Proctor

www.charlene-proctor.com

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 Before you start reading through this e-book, I must warn you that it is not for the faint hearted!
There are things in here that are probably going to make your head spin.
But be aware that it is not my intention to scare you. Awareness of what is around you and your
children is the key to making good informed decisions and choices when it comes to food.

But I am excited to share this information with you. I know that if you choose to use it, it can boost your
family’s wellbeing.

The importance of healthy eating

Food gives life! We either live to eat or eat to live. If you are living to eat, then I can guarantee there is a whole bunch of
eating going on without a whole bunch of living. We need to eat to live; where eating provides our body and mind with
nutrition allowing us to live our lives to the best.
In order for us to do this, it is so important to become educated about what our body needs, and where to get it. Food
education is great fun as it is so practical, and when you start changing your diet for the better you can actually feel the
difference it makes in your life 

It still amazes me today to see how dramatically food can even change a child’s behaviour, increase their ability to learn and
function in school, and even sleep better.
The right food is absolutely vital in helping your child’s brain to perform properly. Good food supports the brain, whereas bad
foods harm it and stop it from doing its job properly. That is why at the Child Development and Learning Institute the starting
point for any treatment plan is to alter a child’s diet by excluding the harmful foods and replacing them with beneficial ones.

Below are 5 ways you can put into practice right now.

5 Ways to Jump Starting the Brain

1.) Fresh is Best!

2.) Eat a good breakfast. Even smoothies are great!
3.) Dump the Junk! Reduce your weekly sugar intake. Replace sweets,
chips, biscuits, etc with fruit
4.) Adding omega-3 and omega-6 together with zinc sulphate

5.) 50 star jumps as soon as you get up in the morning. Pick a great song
to jump to and get your kids involved. Start pumping that oxygen to
your brain! You will start saving money on your coffee expense.
Now let’s start getting into the nitty gritty of things.

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 THE DAILY EVILS OF SALT AND SUGAR

Salt and sugar alone are everywhere. It is so easy to overdose on these without even knowing it! This is why it is so
important to check and control the salt and sugar intake of not only yourself, but of your children too.
The daily intake of salt for an adult is 6g and for a child between the ages of 7 and 10 is 5g.
As far as sugar goes, the all too favourite table sugar is over used in our daily diets. This simple sugar is easily absorbed
into the blood stream, which means there is a rapid rise then a rapid fall in the blood sugar levels. Our brain enjoys these
sugar highs as it triggers a specific area of the brain, the pleasure centre, which then craves the next high. Cravings
leave us feeling not so happy; we can thus understand the all too common mood swings seen in children on high sugar
diets.
The first step to getting sugar intake under control is to check your morning cereal! Alarming, the breakfast cereals
marketed towards our children these days are packed with sugar. Some can contain up to 14.7g of sugar, then
when your child sprinkles additional sugar on it, it becomes rocket fuel. Some of these sugary cereals are honey roasted
muesli, otees, coco pops etc.
You may just consider changing your breakfast to:
Wheetbix, raw oats, egg on low GI toast or smoothies.

We make smoothies in the morning. I think they are a great way to start the day.

Introducing new foods into your child’s diet can be a challenging task. It takes about 4 to 5 days of strict adherence from
your part before they give in and actually start enjoying the new foods. As you start introducing these new foods, it is also
helpful to let them know why.

A THEORY OF why children love sugar so much?

This goes back to the breast milk days. Breast milk contains lactose, a sugar which gives it a slightly sweet taste which is
theorized to be the starting point of many children’s love of all things sweet. It seemed nature intended us to carry that love
for sweet tastes on to eating fruit and vegetables. But food manufacturers intended us to replace those with biscuits and
sweets.

So, not all sugar is bad. Fructose found naturally in fruit and vegetables has to be processed within the body and
therefore is slow releasing energy, this actually helps to prevent unhealthy fluctuations of blood sugar levels.

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How to start taking sugar out of your child’s diet
1.) Limit the salty snacks.
There is a link between salty foods and sugar intake just because after consuming something salty it is also
nice to wash it down with something sweet.
Children today consume more that 1 ½ times more sugar than their recommended daily allowance through
fizzy cooldrinks alone. Most children drink sugary fizzy cooldrinks after they have had a salty snack.
2.) Don’t keep sugary items in the house.
If fizzy cooldrinks, biscuits and sweets etc are not in reach, your children cannot drink and eat them as often.
3.) Replace puddings with a ‘Treat’ fruit and yogurt.
Some favourite treat fruits are strawberries, mangos, kiwi fruit, litchi’s etc.

In our family we have a treat day. By having this day means you are not ‘depriving’ you or your
child of some of the sugary treats you have been accustomed to in the past. I’m not a believer
in ‘deprivation’ as it only leads to a greater demand.

PLEASE DON’T replace the bad sugars with artificial sweeteners. Aspartame which is used in many cooldrinks,
juices and food has been found to add to ‘glutamate storms’. These ‘storms’ often result in hyperactivity as well as
pointless destructive behaviour in children.
Further on in this book you will learn about the importance of eliminating additives, and that includes artificial
sweeteners. But generally speaking, elimination of these makes a significant difference in children whose primary
symptom is hyperactivity.
Additives, as the name suggests, are various substances added to food to preserve it, colour it, flavour it,
control it, stabilize it, sweeten it, emulsify it, bleach it or enhance it.

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 In this next section, you are going to be learning about the different food groups,
vitamins and minerals that your new diet should include. This is merely for you to
better understand what the functions of these foods are for. I have also included in each
section good sources of foods.
So you may even want to grab a pen and paper to compile a shopping list 

The basic nutritional information for YOUR children.

Firstly, understand the difference between nutrition and calories. The majority of kids today eat a calorie rich diet that is
nutritionally empty.
Because of this there is a high proportion of children who don’t get enough vitamin A (vital for healthy skin and eyes) and zinc
(which is crucial for brain function as well as functioning of the immune system)

Educating your child realistically about food has a very powerful effect on what foods your child will eventually
choose for themselves. They will also gain a sense of self responsibility.
I have found that informing children about the positive aspects around good foods has led to better eating decisions
on their behalf, (of course it needs to be followed by you setting a good example as well).

When your child takes his supplements every morning, he will be able to learn more, play more, and have
better opportunity to earn more gold stars at school. When he eats his healthy foods, he is able to feed his
body with energy to make his muscles stronger and bigger; and his brain becomes wise and smart.
Healthy food will help them to concentrate and do better in school, to run faster in the playground.
Once they start feeling the benefits of good food over junk, it becomes much easier to keep them on the
nutritional straight and narrow.

But now let’s concentrate on your education. The following pages are for you to tweak your dietary knowledge of the
angels and devils found in our modern day foods; as well as what vitamins and minerals are best for developing bodies and minds.

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YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO EAT
As children are growing and developing their needs for certain nutrients are higher. Growing bodies do need
a fair amount of calories, but do be careful that fat (saturated fat) and sugar don’t get the better of your food choices.

AGE 5-6 7-10 11-14 15-18

boys girls boys girls boys girls boys girls
Calories needed 1,715 1,545 1,970 1,740 2,220 1,845 2,755 2,100
per day

*please note that these recommendations are worked out on averages. I have added it in as a guideline! It is not a
hard and fast rule.

Protein
Children need protein for body growth and repair. The building blocks for protein are amino acids. Amino acids
are needed to build tissues like bone, muscle and blood cells. They are also needed to produce the body’s chemical
messengers – hormones and neuro-transmitters. Children need a relatively large amount of protein intake for their
size and fortunately this is normally easily achieved. The only problem is the quality of protein in the diet. You need
to ensure that your child’s protein comes from sources that are low in fats, salt and additives.
Good protein sources are:
 Lean meat
 Poultry
 Fish
 Eggs
 Low fat dairy foods
 Pulses (beans and lentils)
 Nuts and seeds.
Watch out for PROCESSED protein! It’s more than likely higher in additives, salt, fat and even sugar! Many
processed meat products contain a lot of added bulkers and fillers, so avoid:
 Burgers
 Chicken nuggets If it doesn’t resemble the protein
source you are buying, chances
 Sausages – viennas, polony, Russians etc
are it’s not.
 Re-formed chicken and fish “shapes” for children
So if it doesn’t look like a
 Re-formed sliced meat and poultry.
chicken, It’s probably not
These protein forms are likely to be low in “real” meat and high in nasties chicken!

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 Animal vs plant protein
Animal protein sources are easier for the body to absorb than vegetarian protein. But on the flip side, animal
protein is higher in saturated fat. It is normally best for children to get their protein from as wide a variety of sources as
possible.
You can also minimize saturated fat by:
 Avoiding processed protein
 Trim the fat off of meat
 Buy lean meat
 Remove the skin from chicken
 Choose low fat diary products.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body’s main and most available energy source.
However, most of children’s diet consists of carbs from unhealthy sources such as sugary foods.
The best sources of carbohydrates for children are starchy carbs, such as wholegrain breads, brown rice,
wholegrain pasta and porridge. But do note that toast for breakfast, pizza for lunch and pasta for supper is
carbohydrate abuse!
When foods are refined into white, much of the nutrition is stripped away. Whole-grains are better at balancing
children’s energy and blood-sugar levels.

Fibre
So many children today suffer from poor digestion, especially those with Developmental Delay Syndrome.
For a child’s digestive system to work effectively they need:
 Well chewed, nutritious food
 Something for their gut to work on – fibre
 And a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut.
There are 2 types of fibre: soluble and insoluble fibre
Insoluble fibre is also known as ‘roughage’. It allows for food to be smoothed through the digestive system.
Since the body cannot digest this fibre, it bulks up the food in the digestive system giving the intestine something to
‘work on’. It also helps to prevent diarrhoea and constipation.
Good sources of this fibre are wholegrain bread, brown rice, oats, barley, buckwheat, vegetables and
fruit (especially the skins).

Soluble fibre is the sticky kind of fibre. This fibre helps lower cholesterol levels, keeps your child feeling full
between meals and prevents blood sugar level fluctuations.
Good sources of this fibre are oats, fruit (especially apples), peas, beans and lentils.

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 If you recognize that your child has a low fibre diet, start introducing it slowly. They are likely
to rebel if suddenly all their white food turns brown. Also going from one extreme to another
could make them feel uncomfortable and bloated, until their digestive system gets used to it.

Friendly Bacteria
Friendly bacteria help keep us healthy. By ensuring your child has a flourishing population of ‘good’ bacteria, the
harmful germs are crowded out. There are 2 ways of tipping the scales in favour of the friendly bacteria. You have
probably heard of these: Probiotics and Prebiotics. Both of these aim to boost the friendly bacteria, but in very
different ways.
Probiotics
Products with probiotics contain actual cultures of live friendly bacteria, to supplement those living in your child’s
digestive system. Effects of adding these to your child’s diet are mainly seen when your child struggle’s with a
‘troublesome tummy’.

Prebiotics
This isn’t a type of bacteria, it is food for the good bacteria in the gut.
You can buy probiotics and prebiotics in capsules and powder form. They are also added into a variety of
products such as yogurts, drinks, breakfast cereals; but sometimes these are high in sugar as well so capsules and
powders can be better if you need to cut down on sugar consumption.

Friendly tip: good digestion begins in the mouth. Encourage your child to chew their food
thoroughly before swallowing.

Fats
Too much fat is bad for children – it’s bad for anyone in fact. It can cause them to become overweight or
obese, which is bad for anyone’s health.
However you do need a certain amount of fat to remain healthy, and some fats are positively healthy.
What we need fat for:
1. For energy – fat can be broken down to supply the body with energy
2. To protect our organs – but we only need a thin layer
3. To build cell membranes
4. For healthy brain function
5. For fat soluble vitamins: Vit A,D,E and K
6. To maintain oil content of the skin and hair.
7. To produce essential hormones.

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Good fats – monounsaturated fat
Found in: avocado, olives, nuts, sesame seeds, peanut butter, olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil and sesame oil
Good fats – polyunsaturated fat
Found in: walnuts, pumpkin seed, sunflower seeds, corn oil, afflower, oil soybean oil, cottonseed oil
Bad fats – transfat/saturated fat
Found in: animal fat, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil
Biscuits, cookies, commercially fried foods.

It is essential to supplement your child’s diet with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.
This, along with Zinc Sulphate. Zinc enhances the action of these fatty acids, both in the
building of the cell wall and in the manufacturing of certain neurotransmitters. Zinc supplements
may exert their positive effects by helping to regulate the function of the neurotransmitter
dopamine. Dopamine signalling, which has been implicated in causing symptoms of ADHD,
is believed to play an important role in the feelings of pleasure and reward.

Scientific proof:
Recent studies, notably in Teheran, have looked at the effects of providing 55mg of zinc sulphate a day to
children with ADHD. The results indicate that zinc sulphate at the dosage level is as effective, if not more so,
than prescribing Ritalin

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 What you need to know about drinks for children.

The best 2 drinks for children are milk and water! Water is best for hydration and milk is highly nutritious. The
struggle is that kids are far too accustomed to sugary fizzy drinks and cordials rather than the healthy options. But if your
child is a bit of a sugar drink junkie, don’t panic, it is possible to retrain their taste buds.
Start retraining taste buds by:
1. Allowing fizzy drinks and squashes as a very occasional treat, then faze them out completely
2. Serving pure fruit juice in a small glass with a meal – at other times water it down.
3. Gradually reducing the proportion of juice in the drink
4. If your child is a squash drinker, gradually make it weaker and weaker until they drink pure water
5. Plain still water is still the best and ultimate hydrator
BE AWARE of sparkling, fizzy water - The fizz makes it acidic, so it can erode teeth. Plus because of the fizz,
it fills you up quicker thus you are unable to drink enough.

Water
Our bodies are made up of approximately 65 % water. A loss of just 1 or 2 % can leave you feeling fuzzy-headed. Any
further dehydration leads to headaches, impaired concentration, slowed reaction time, irritability, lethargy and tiredness.
Sadly children can become dehydrated quicker than adults, and are less sensitive to thirst. The key to keeping
hydrated is to top up on fluid levels at regular intervals. You shouldn’t wait till you are thirsty before you drink
something; the same goes for your kids, don’t wait till they are thirsty before giving them fluids. Adults need about
1 ½ to 2 liters of water per day, children need around 8 to 10 small glasses.

Tea
If your child likes it, don’t make it too strong as the tannin in tea can hinder the uptake of vital minerals, and the
caffeine in tea is a stimulant.
Herbal teas are a great healthy choice as they are free from sugar and additives. They can also be served hot
or cold.

Milk
Although milk is highly nutritious, it is not as hydrating as water. Milk does contain valuable protein,
vitamins and minerals, including bone and tooth friendly calcium.
Semi skimmed milk is generally best for children.
Beware of milk shakes and flavoured milks which can be packed with sugar, sweeteners and additives

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Fruit Juice
100% fruit juice is sweet tasting and also packed with vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals; but also high in
sugar and acid. 150ml is the equivalent of 1 fruit so you can count it towards the 5 fruits a day slogan.
A great idea is to dilute the fruit juice to give your children the sweet flavour and vitamins, while reducing the acidity.
Gradually increase the dilution portions as to not get the ‘YUK’ reaction.

Vegetable Juice
Veg juice is also fantastic. You can make your own at home with a juicer, and they have less sugar!

Cordial / Squash
Cordials can encourage children who are reluctant to drink water to maintain their fluid levels.
But cordials are high in sugar, colorants and additives.
Some are labelled ‘sugar free’ or ‘low calorie’ but contain mountains of sweeteners instead. It’s better to give
your children diluted fruit juice.

Fizzy Drinks
I have already made it clear how fizzy, sugary drinks can poisoning your body and mind.
Don’t substitute with diet alternatives as they are packed with artificial sweeteners that do no good.

Flavoured Water
Sounds great and healthy, but unfortunately flavoured water is just another marketing ploy. This product is still
packed with sugar and chemicals to flavour the water.

As you can see, water is best. If your child is not accustomed to drinking water there are a
few tricks to encourage a new habit.

How to persuade your children to drink water.

1. Put a glass of water beside their plate at every meal – don’t wait for them to ask for a drink.
2. Buy a novelty water bottle or squeeze bottle.
3. Let them drink through a straw.
4. Add a couple of ice cubes.
5. Add a berry in the centre of the ice cube and add them to the glass of water.
6. Make ice shapes – you can purchase silicone ice trays that make shapes of different things.
7. Hang a couple of orange slices on the edge of the glass.
8. Set a good example.

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 Vitamins.

Vitamins are divided into 2 groups:

Fat-soluble vitamins – A,D,E,K
Water soluble vitamins – B vitamins and C vitamins

Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in our body fat, so we can build up reserves of them which allow our body to
tap into them on days we haven’t eaten enough of a particular vitamin.
Since water soluble vitamins dissolve in water, we loose these every time we go to the loo. Since we don’t
store these vitamins, we need to continually top up with them.

Vitamin A: Keeps skin smooth and supple. It’s essential for vision. Good sources are found in liver, meat, oily fish,
eggs, green vegetable, yellow and orange fruit and vegetable.
Vitamin D: Vital for absorption of calcium, which is needed for healthy bones and teeth. Good sources are: oily fish,
meat, eggs, dairy products, sunshine.
Vitamin E: Needed for healthy reproductive system and supporting the immune system. It’s also important for the
nerves and muscles. Good sources: nuts, seeds, wholemeal bread, wheatgerm, avocado, spinach, broccoli.
Vitamin K: Needed to enable our blood to clot when we get injured, and for healthy bones. Good source: eggs,
fish oils, dairy products, green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin B1 (thiamin): Needed to release energy from food. Good sources: liver, lean pork, grains, nuts, seeds,
fortified flour.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): Needed to digest and metabolise proteins and carbs. Deficiencies may make you more
prone to the effects of stress. Good sources: liver, eggs, dairy products, whole grains, fortified flour, dark green
leafy vegetable (watercress, spinach)
Vitamin B3 (niacin): Needed to metabolise food, involved in production of hormones. Good sources: meat,
dairy products, fortified flour.
Vitamin B6: Help regulate moods. Good sources: liver, pork, lamb, chicken, eggs, dairy products, beans,
potatoes, brown rice, wholegrains, wheatgerm, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables.

Folic acid: Helps regulate the body to absorb nutrients effectively, and supports the immune system, help prevent
a kind of anaemia. Good sources: liver, eggs, green leafy vegetables, pulses, nuts, citrus fruit, apricots,
broccoli, brown rice, wheatgerm.
Vitamin B12: Needed for production of red blood cells. Good sources: red meat, fish, shellfish, eggs,
dairy products.
Vitamin C: Keeps the immune system strong and is needed for blood clotting, and wound healing. It also boosts
the body’s absorption of iron from food. Good sources: fruit, yellow and red peppers, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts.

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 Minerals
Some minerals are needed in relatively large amounts, others in minuscule quantities.

Iron: Needed for production of healthy red blood cells and carrying oxygen around the body. Good sources:
liver, kidney, red meat, chicken, eggs, pulses, green vegetables, dried fruit, fortified flour.
Calcium: Vital for building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Needed for the nerves and muscles to
function properly. Good sources: dairy products, green leafy vegetables, fortified flour.
Phosphorous: Also vital for our skeleton and teeth. Phosphorous is abundant in most foods, so deficiency is very rare.
Magnesium: Helps the body deal with stress and for muscle function and healthy bones. Good source: meat,
dairy products, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, pulses, wholegrain, dried fruits, mushrooms,
Potassium: Needed to regulate body fluid levels and controlling blood pressure. Good sources: nuts (almonds
and hazel nuts), sesame seeds, bananas, lentils, green leafy vegetables.
Zinc: Vital for healthy immune system and preventing infection. Needed for healthy growth and development.
With regards to ADHD, Zinc has been found to be a natural Ritalin. Two other studies found that zinc supplements
reduced hyperactive, impulsive and impaired socialization symptoms.
Daily intake if Zinc is required to maintain a steady state because the body has no specialized storage structure
for this.
Good sources: oysters, meat, fish, shellfish, chicken, eggs, dairy products, seeds, wholegrains, green leafy
vegetables, beans and lentils.
Selenium: Needed to support the immune system. Thought to protect against diseases including heart disease
and cancer. Good sources: meat, offal, fish, seafood, eggs, brazil nuts, sesame seeds.

Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium are needed in 100s-of-milligrams quantity.

Iron and zinc are needed in milligrams quantities
Iodine and Selenium are needed in fractions-of-milligram quantities

As you can see, just by balancing out your fresh foods you can get a great source of
vitamins and minerals without needing vitamin supplements.

The only supplements I use are the omega 3 and 6 with Zinc Sulphate.

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 Best nutrients for Your Child’s brain
Now that you have learnt a bit about the different vitamins and minerals, I would just like to
highlight a few that are really beneficial for you child’s brain and why.

B – Vitamins:
Deficiencies in B-Vitamins are associated with low mood and depression in adults, so it stands to reason that making
sure children get enough of this vitamin could help them to stay happy and content.
Studies have shown that people who are low in vit B1 show symptoms of irritability, tiredness and low mood, which
improve when their deficiency is addressed.
Symptoms of vitamin B3 deficiency include hyperactivity and mood swings. It’s possible some children could be
diagnosed with behavioural and learning problems when in fact vitamin deficiency is at least partially to blame.
Vitamin B3 is also needed to make serotonin – a ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter found in the brain – and melatonin, a
hormone that helps us to sleep.

Zinc
Along with magnesium, zinc is the most common mineral deficiency seen in children with ADHD. Numerous
studies have shown that children with Developmental Delay Syndromes such as ADHD tend to have low zinc levels.
One study found that one-third of the children with ADHD studied had a marked zinc deficiency that could not be
accounted for solely by the amount of zinc in their diets. This suggests there could be a defect in the way these
children’s bodies absorb or utilize the mineral
Supplementation with zinc, to redress this deficiency can help with ADHD symptoms.

Magnesium
Low magnesium levels are associated with psychological symptoms such as nerviness and agitation in adults
as well as children. It also tends to be deficient in children (and adults) with ADHD, Tourette’s syndrome and autism.
Adequate levels of magnesium are also needed for restful sleep.

Iron
As with magnesium, iron levels significantly lower than normal have been found in ADD sufferers. Iron-deficiency
anaemia can also contribute to problems with learning because it causes severe fatigue, which interfere with a
child’s ability to work hard at their lessons.

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This next section we are about to cover is probably the most overwhelming of all.

E-numbers!

You may have already heard of them before.

Basically they are just a bunch of numbers given to different preservatives,
additives, stabilizes, sweeteners, flavourants and colourants
that are found in foods.
Some are really dangerous,
some have been banned in different countries around the world;
but I have included them so that you too can be informed.
You may feel after reading this, that there is nothing left for you to eat.
If so, I encourage you to take a deep breath and turn back to the section of
nutrition to remind yourself of all the good sources of food out there.

Remember to take it one step at a time.

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 E-NUMBERS

It seems E-numbers have been developed to confuse the consumer about their food purchase.
To begin understanding these number codes let’s start at the E-numbers that have already been found
as being harmful to babies, hyperactive children, asthmatics and aspirin sensitive people.
The Hyperactive Children’s Support Group (HCSG) UK has cited the following E numbers to which, in their opinion,
children may react badly. This group of E-numbers contain azo dyes and benzoate preservatives.
Azo dyes are any of a large class of synthetic organic dyes. In terms of E-numbers there are sometimes classed
according to their colour.

Number Name Found

Yellow Family
E102 Tartrazine Fruit squashes, cordial and coloured fizzy drinks. Convenience
foods, cake mixes, soups, custard powder, instant puddings,
preserves, sauces, salad creams, mustard and pickles, jellies, ice
cream, lollies, yogurt, sweets.
E104 Quinoline Scotch eggs, ice cream, smoked fish
E110 Sunset yellow Sweets, cakes, yogurts, trifles, orange squash, and hot chocolate,
breadcrumbs – so fish fingers, snitzels etc may be suspect.
The red family
E120 Cochineal Soft drinks, sugar confectionary, cream biscuits and desserts.

E122 Carmoisine Sweets, ice creams, yogurts, cakes, desserts

Currently banned
in Norway,
Sweden, USA and
Japan.
E123 Amaranth Tinned and packed foods, cake and trifle mix, ices, jellies, gravy
Currently banned granules, and worryingly some vit-C preparations.
in Norway and
USA, limited
usage in Italy and
France
E124 Ponceau Sweets, yogurts, ices, cakes, puddings, preserves, brown sauce.
Banned in Norway
and USA
E127 Erythrosine Trifles, custard, biscuits, cakes, chocolate, tinned cherries, tinned
strawberries, tinned rhubarb
E128 Red 2G Found in meat product

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 The blue Family
E 132 Indigo Carmine Sweets, biscuits, savoury prepared foods
E133 Brilliant blue Tinned processed peas, often used in conjunction with tartrazine
Banned widely
through europe
The black brown Family
E150 Caramel Dark colouring found in cola, canned sauces and gravy
E151 Brilliant black Black current cheese cake mix, brown sauce and chocolate mouse
E154 Brown FK Crisps and cooked ham
E155 Chocolate brown Chocolate cake mixes
Plant Extract Family
E160B Annatto Peach colouring found in certain cheeses, instant mash, cooking
oils, meatballs, fish fingers, crisps, ice cream, lollies(suckers)
yogurts, custard, cakes, soft drinks.
Benzoate Family
E210 Benzoic Acid (Preservative) Soft drinks, fruit juices, fruit yogurt, dessert sauces
E211 Sodium Benzoate Sweets, fruit pies, soft drinks, orange squash, barbeque sauce
Sulphur Dioxide
E220 Sulphur dioxide Fruit salads, fruit juices, fruit based desserts, fruit-based pie fillings,
fruit spreads, soft drinks, and sausage meat.
Sodium nitrite/nitrate
E250 Sodium nitrite Cured meats, pork sausages, bacon, ham, and frozen pizza
E251 Sodium Nitrate Bacon, pressed meats, ham, certain cheeses and frozen pizza
Butylated Family
E320 Butylated hydroxyanisole Convenience foods, sweets, biscuits, soft drinks, cheese spread,
crisps
E321 Butylated hydroxytoluene Crisps, salted peanuts, gravy granules, dry breakfast cereals,
convenience foods, and chewing gum.

Yes there are many of these E-numbers out there. It is just about impossible to eliminate
them from your diet completely. I have found the easiest place to start is with cooldrinks
and snack foods. Cooldrinks are laced with colourants, preservatives, flavourants
and stabilizers. So encouraging water drinking habits is already a big step in the right
direction.

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 I have categorized below the main E-numbers which parents should be aware of.
They have been categorized for a specific group of children to
make your life a bit easier.

Babies and Small Children should not be given:

E213, E214, E215, E216, E217, E218, E219, E310, E311, E312, E321, E421, E621, E622, E623, E627, E631 and E635.

Many children with developmental delay syndromes (including ADD/ADHD) also suffer from eczema, asthma and
recurrent infection, due to their autoimmune system not working properly, so it is suggested that they avoid:
E102, E107, E110, E122, E123, E124, E128, E129, E151, E154, E155, E180, E211, E212, E213, E214, E215, E216, E217,
E218, E219, E220, E221, E222, E223, E224, E225, E226, E227, E310, E311, E312, E321, E421, E621, E622, E623, E627,
E631 and E635

For Children with ADD/ADHD it becomes really important to limit as many E-Numbers as humanly possible.

I have highlighted E621 as this is MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate). MSG is used in a range of products
and take-outs as a flavour enhancer. Apart from having addictive properties it has been know to alter
behavioural patterns!

So, how can you cope with E numbers? You can either petition against the government for allowing
such foods on the market, or start avoiding foods with unwanted E numbers. You can make yourself a little
list of E-numbers from the information given above, to carry in your bag when doing the shopping. You will then
at least have something to refer to until you become a pro.

For now, here are some foods to look at closely for hidden E-Numbers:
Biscuits, breadcrumbs, brown sauce, cakes, chicken nuggets, cola, convenience foods, crisps, cured meats,
custard, desserts, fish fingers, frozen pizza, fruit products, gravy granules, hot chocolate, ice-cream,
instant puddings, jellies, orange squash, processed peas, soft drinks, sweets, tinned fruit, trifles, yogurt.

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 IMPORTANT NOTICE ON E-NUMBERS

Testing is still conducted on E-numbers to determine their safety for

human consumption.

The problem is that each E-Number is tested in isolation. When foods are

produced (biscuits, sauces, cordials etc), not just one E-number is added,

plus we eat different foods at the same time (such as fish fingers, instant

pudding washed down with orange squash). This allows many different E-

Numbers into our body at the same time resulting in chemical cocktails!

These chemical cocktails in combination with a sugar high can have adverse

effects on your child’s behaviour.

They may become ‘spacey’ often seen by their eyes glossing over. These

children seem to leave our world for a while, they battle to concentrate,

and often you may feel like you are talking to a brick wall.

Other children can become hyperactive and even destructive.

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 IN SUMMARY

We have been through a lot of information regarding healthy eating for you
and your child, and I realise it can be a lot to digest all at once. Below is a
simple starting point for you when you are out doing your
next grocery purchase.

What to look for…?

When shopping, before you put anything in your trolley, check its saturated fat, sugar, salt and additive content.
Also see whether the ingredient list contains anything you wouldn’t expect to see, such as water content in sliced meat!

The table below is for you to check whether your product has too much of the bad stuff in it,
so use it when shopping.
This is a lot This is perfect

20 grams saturated fat 3 grams saturated fat Per 100g food

5 grams sugar 1 gram sugar Per 100g food
10 grams sodium = 25 g 2 grams sodium = 5 g salt Per 100g food
salt

Sugar
Popular foods with kids are laced with sugar. But you’ll also find sugar where you least expect it, the ‘hidden’ sugar.
This can be found in table sauces, chutneys, pickles, cereals (cornflakes) and even processed meat products.
So if you are trying to cut out the sugar, read the labels for ‘hidden’ sugar.

Salt
You’ll find salt in many non-salty - even sweet products. This ‘hidden’ salt can be found in bread, crackers,
breakfast cereals, biscuits, tinned spaghetti, cook-in sauces, ready-meals, baked beans, table sauces, tinned
vegetables and beans, and tinned fish and soup.

I have noted the following for you as a guide to how much salt your child should be consuming:
1-3years: max 2g salt a day (0.8g sodium – which is equivalent to 1 small pkt crips)
4-6years: max 3g salt a day (1,2g sodium)
7-10years: max 5g salt a day (2g sodium)
11 and over: max 6g salt a day (2.5g sodium)

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Preservatives
Most foods contain these evils to prolong their shelf life. Some preservatives can cause adverse reactions
in people sensitive to them. Those most likely to cause problems are:
Sodium benzoate (e211)
Other benzoates (e210-219)
Sulphides (e220-228)
Nitrates and nitrites (e249-252)

Food additives, especially artificial colourings, have been blamed for causing behavioural problems such as ADHD.
Minimize artificial additives by feeding your child home-cooked meals made from wholesome foods.

6 STEPS FOR NUTRITIOUS BRAIN DIETS

1. Remove the “junk food”

2. Cut down on refined sugars
3. Cut out harmful additives wherever possible
4. Add good, home cooked foods
5. Add supplements where needed
6. Become an expert at reading food labels

Remember:
Fresh is Best

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If you have found this e-book interesting, informative and helpful you are welcome to
share it with your family, friends, co-workers, anyone you care about.

You are also welcome to email me with any comments you may have, I’d love to hear
from you.

info@charlene-proctor.com

OR check out my blog www.charlene-proctor.com

Let’s keep in touch,

Charlene Proctor.

www.charlene-proctor.com

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