Breakfast & Sugar: Your Child's Stress Hormones Can Make Them Misbehave

The brain needs a steady supply of sugar. But when kids eat foods unaccompanied by protein and healthy carbs to slow down the introduction of sugar into the bloodstream, resulting stress hormones can make them misbehave.

On a good day, my daughter follows the routine—breakfast, get dressed, hair in a ponytail (a "non-negotiable" since the lice incident, but that's for another blog), floss and brush teeth. What I have learned is, regardless of how the morning goes, it will only get worse if we don't start it off with the right food.

Your child eats a store-bought muffin and a glass of orange juice for breakfast. This seems healthy, right? Orange juice has vitamins and a muffin has blueberries; they're off to a good start. Except...

All the fructose in that big glass of orange juice, combined with the sugar in the muffin, rushes into your child's bloodstream soon after they arrive at school. Not only is it a lot of sugar, but it is unhindered by protein or good fiber (such as greens from a smoothie or healthy carbs such as oatmeal), so it is on an extra-fast track into the blood.

The sugar, which is transformed into glucose, is the fuel for your child's brain—it is the primary source of energy in the body. In this scenario, before you know it, all of the glucose is used up by the brain. The problem is, the brain cannot store glucose—it needs a constant supply of glucose to operate properly. If it doesn't have enough glucose, the brain's chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) are not produced, and communication between nerve cells breaks down.

That means neurotransmitters such as dopamine, which is responsible for transmitting signals associated with concentration and motor skills, cannot be produced. Your child now has a hard time focusing in class.

The Quick Explanation of Sugar & the Body:

The brain then says to the body, "I need more sugar to function."

This signals the adrenal glands (located above the kidneys) to help bring the blood sugar level up by using stress hormones. These stress hormones essentially tell the liver to release some stored sugar, and that stored sugar is sent to the brain.

The brain now has the glucose it needs, but the stress hormones have put it out of whack. For the body to reduce this excess level of stress hormones, it wants to move, because movement will stimulate neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which calms your child's mind. So now, your child is in class, fidgety and unable to concentrate, and they're getting yelled at for something they can't control.

On the other hand, if your child has a healthy breakfast (such as sprouted-grain toast with peanut butter and a healthy smoothie, or a gluten-free (even grain-free) quesadilla made with beans, cheddar cheese, and spinach), then their brain will receive a steady supply of glucose, which will help them to concentrate and learn in school. Sydney's favorite breakfast consists of frozen cashew walnut balls and organic, lactose-free milk, followed by a homemade smoothie on the way to school. Remember, lots of recipes can be made in bulk ahead of time and frozen for quick access. Check out our recipe section for some good ideas!

This is the simple science behind the important adage of eating a healthy breakfast. Please share your thoughts below!