Many parents struggle with their children’s behavior on a regular basis, from tantrums, to being over-stimulated, to just not following directions.  Did you know that many behavior issues can actually be managed, and even eliminated, with good nutrition and regular exercise?  Yet many families don’t know about the connection between nutrition and behavior, or don’t know how to implement the changes necessary to achieving the desired results.

What the food industry does not want you to know is that many of the things that affect our children’s behavior is driven by the ingredients in many processed foods.  Some of the biggest offenders are what are called “excitotoxins.”  These are chemicals that impact a child’s brain and can impact their behavior.  Some of the biggest culprits are food colorings (any color with a # symbol, such as red #40), high-fructose corn syrup and foods that contain MSG.  To learn more about MSG and the other names it goes by, go here.

There are many other things that can alter a child’s behavior including their general diet and amount of exercise they get.  Also, many children are gluten, dairy or grain intolerant.  We have some additional information for you in our resources section.  Also, below we have some additional resources you may want to consider.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Workshops are available to help your family

Dr. Sears’, along with exercise physiologist Sean Foy MA, all who are experienced fathers created several interactive workshops to help families embrace four key areas of health: Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude, and Nutrition. Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Workshops provide simple, easy-to-implement tools to help families make healthy choices.

• Understand all of the confusing nutrition information food manufacturers put in front of you
• Develop positive, lifelong habits
• Save money at the grocery store by choosing healthy foods that are affordable
• Make exercising together interesting and fun
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle with the help of a Certified Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Coach

Pay attention to nutrition-related health concerns

We like to proactively help families address nutrition-related health concerns.

• Are those symptoms of ADD/ADHD really NDD – Nutrition Deficit Disorder?
• Which foods are most linked to behavior issues?
• How can an overweight child lose weight and maintain healthy habits for a lifetime?

Certified Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Coaches

These are the instructors for Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Workshops and other offerings to help families.  They are located in many locations throughout the United States and the world.  Find a certified coach in your area , or consider becoming a coach yourself, so that you can share Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. workshops with other families.

Additional information on Dr. Sears’ workshops

Each of the following Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Workshops includes simple, easy-to-implement tools that make healthy lifestyles attainable, fun, and engaging for families:

Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Start is a six-hour workshop series for parents or caregivers of children ages 3-12 available in a 3 or 6 week format. Parents attend workshops designed just for adults or for parents along with their children. Each class includes fun, interactive activities, lots of healthy snacks, and engaging, family-friendlyDVD segments. Participants also receive an 80-page Parents’ and Caregivers’ Guide, along with an activity book for their children.

Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Essentials is a one-time, two-hour class that introduces the basic concepts of L.E.A.N. This option is ideal for busy parents who want to know more about the benefits of good nutrition in a shorter amount of time.

Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Expectations is offered as three separate workshops with topics including preparing for pregnancy, eating well, prenatal exercise, and self-care–both during pregnancy and postpartum. The information in these workshops is designed for women who are considering becoming pregnant through the first few months following delivery.