Why Children Are Finding It Harder In School

 There is a growing concern among parents, teachers and tutors that children are finding it more difficult to concentrate, focus and learn effectively, with some even experiencing anxiety and other mental illnesses. As a parent, you want the best for your child. But how can they do their best if they feel unfocused, stressed and brain fogged?

We are all aware of how Covid has affected children’s mental health. However, the slow steady decline in children’s ability to focus was apparent well before lockdown. As a qualified teacher and clinician working in Nutritional and Lifestyle Medicine, I outline several key physical reasons that may impede children’s focus, learning potential and academic performance.
   Fake Processed Foods

The problem: The Standard Western Diet of high carbs, high sugars, chemicals, unhealthy fats and low nutrients is disastrous for concentration. The relationship between nutrition and ability to learn is clearly established in the medical literature. 

The solution: If you want your child’s brain cells to work efficiently, you need to provide them with the right fuel. Lead by example. Instead of feeding your family members fake foods like ready meals, pizza, chips and cereals, feed them real foods like vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, eggs, and healthy fats. 

  Unhealthy Fats

The problem: Commercial, convenience foods are full of unhealthy fats known as trans fats. This type of fat damages brain cells and impedes school performance.

The solution: Feed your child your child healthy fats to feed healthy brain cells. These include olive and coconut oil, fish, avocados, nuts and seeds.  In a clinical trial by Professor Basant Puri of Imperial College London, supplementing schoolchildren with Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils produced significant improvements in learning power, concentration, short term memory, handwriting and school grades. One boy who previously scorned books and was hooked on TV, developed a love of reading and declared that TV now bored him.

 Food Allergies

The problem: Food allergies are on the increase.  This can wreck your child’s focus. There are two main types of allergies: IgE ‘instant’ allergies (reactions happen swiftly as with classic peanut allergy) and IgE ‘delayed reaction’ allergies where symptoms can take up to 4 days to manifest. The two most common allergens are gluten grains (wheat, oats, rye, barley, spelt) and cows’ dairy products. Please note that it is the casein (protein) component of dairy that causes the most trouble, not the lactose (sugar). When some children eat gluten and dairy, their breakdown protein particles called gluteomorphins and caseomorphins act like morphine on the brain., creating brain fogginess and impeding ability to think. Gluten and cows’ dairy also promote the gut lining to become ‘leaky’ which increases inflammation.

The solution: Have you noticed changes in behaviour after your child eats? Do they crave certain foods? Are they fussy eaters? Do the necessary detective work or get your or get your child assessed for food allergy by a competent practitioner or nutritionist  

                            Refined Sugar

The problem: The British Medical Journal has stated that “Sugar is as dangerous as tobacco [and] should be classified as a hard drug, for it is harmful and addictive.” When children consume a lot of sugar and then attempt challenging tasks like maths problems, the brain triggers the release of extra stress hormone called cortisol. Excess cortisol impedes memory, concentration, the ability to sit quietly and retain knowledge.

The solution: Help your child to cut down on sugar consumption and reach their academic potential. This includes sugary drinks, hidden sugars in processed foods and sauces, as well as obvious sweets and confectionary. Home bake using safe sugar substitutes (stevia, honey, cinnamon).

              Parasites in the Gut

The problem: The body is designed to run on fat and fibre as its optimum fuel while the Standard Western Diet uses sugars and grains as its fuel. The latter encourages bacteria and parasites to eat your food instead of you digesting it. The result is brain fog, bloating and inability to think clearly.

The solution: Starve the bugs of their favourite foods - sugars and refined grains and regain the ability to think clearly. As a family, lead by example and adopt the kind of healthy Ancestral diet outlined by the Weston Price Foundation online.

          Increased Wifi Exposure

The problem: This is the ‘elephant in the room’ as scientists have repeatedly warned of the dangers of electromagnetic wifi radiation to all aspects of health.  We are all exposed to 100 million times more radiation per day than in our grandparents’ generation.  According to leading radiation researcher, Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, wifi operates at a frequency which causes the intoxication of specific brain cells. Children’s brains are especially vulnerable to these detrimental effects. Sleep quality is particularly affected by wifi radiation.  

The solution: Minimise the time your child spends on their mobile/video gaming especially if they are still very young. This can be highly addictive and may have to be done on a gradient basis. Reduce wifi exposures: turn off the wifi at night, switch to ethernet connections, remove cordless phones, remove electronic devices from your child’s bedroom at night. You can measure radiation ‘hot spots’ in the home using an Accoustimeter hired from the Healthy House Company.

Increased anxiety/stress 

The problem: The brain is greatly demanding of energy. Anxiety and the feeling of severe stress arise when someone knows they don’t have the energy to deal with expected and unexpected demands.  Procrastination postpones the moment when energy has to be spent.

The solution: Address diet, nutrient status, medical conditions, sleep and any ‘outside’ issues such as school bullying.

 Undiagnosed Medical Problems

The Problem: Undetected chronic medical issues resulting in lack of energy seriously affect your child’s focus. Common issues include: under-active thyroid, blood sugar imbalances and low grade infections (viral, bacterial, yeast, parasitic, mould), silent dental infections, toxic exposures, autoimmune conditions (where the immune system makes an error and attacks its own tissues). One condition known as PANS/PANDAS, refers to how chronic infections (strep or other infections) can trick the immune system into attacking its own brain tissues, resulting in physically triggered behavioural symptoms.

The solution: Find out the real underlying causes of your child’s medical condition. This means doing the right lab work. Address the causes, rather than treating symptoms alone. That way you can avoid the problematic use of unproven psychotropic drugs with potentially severe side effects.

If you would like to explore any of the above issues, please email the Good Health Clinic: goodhealthclinic@outlook.com or ring on 07836 552936.

Note on Clinic Fees

Due to current economic circumstances, I am reviewing clinic fees as I will need to increase them in order to maintain services. The new fees will be from the first of August, 2022. I will inform you shortly of the new fee structure. So book your follow ups now.