Research

This section will develop over time and will include a wide range of related topics such as:

• emotion regulation
• sleep
• social adjustment (parent-child interactions, balance of power in parent-child relationships, peer relationships)
• externalization
• esteem (confidence, autonomy, self-mastery)
• behavior change (expectations, consistency, contingency)
• exercise and impact on mood
• nutrition

The body's response to high sugar foods is to produce insulin, a hormone for regulating blood sugar. Insulin production and digestion of the high sugar food sets off a chemical reaction that leads to an increase of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. High levels of serotonin are associated with feeling happy and satisfied. This feeling, when brought on by foods, is often called a "sugar high." A person feels pretty good until the "sugar crash" hits. The "sugar crash" is a result of the blood sugar dropping to below a healthy baseline. Blood sugar drops below a healthy level when we eat high levels of sugar because of over-production of insulin. You can basically think of the body's response to high doses of sugar as a panic response. The body must take quick and decisive action to regulate the sugar in our blood stream so that we do not have a dangerous chemical reaction in our cells. In a bit of a panic state, the body over-reacts. When our blood sugar is too low, we feel lethargic and are prone to moodiness. Children have less developed brains and are thus less able to use their sense of reasoning to help them regulate their mood and behavior. An adult may be capable of recognizing that they are having a sugar crash and that the need to hold it together until they can get a healthy snack to feel better. A child is at a bioligical disadvantage in being able to manage the mood effects of being on a sugar rollercoaster!