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Mass. doctor reveals foods that can improve your child’s mood
September 5, 2024
It turns out, you are what you eat — and that applies to our kids, too. Dr. Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist at Mass General Brigham, wrote the book — several in fact — on how food impacts our mood and emotional well-being. That includes her most recent, “Calm Your Mind with Food.”Naidoo says to think of it like the letters in the word CALM. The “C” is pretty obvious — it stands for vitamin C, which we know we all need. “A is for antioxidants,” she said. “That’s where it’s super easy because everything has a bright color, bright hue.””L” is for liquids — Naidoo explained that low hydration is associated with high anxiety and lower mood. Finally, the “M” is for magnesium — the final component in the calming food puzzle. Naidoo says that even if a treat or two is added, parents should be laying the groundwork on the importance of eating healthy food from a young age. “Making them part of the food preparation. Maybe washing the berries or doing something that’s safe for the kitchen,” she said. “It makes them part of the conversation, and that’s so vitally important for the development of their brain.”
It turns out, you are what you eat — and that applies to our kids, too.
Dr. Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist at Mass General Brigham, wrote the book — several in fact — on how food impacts our mood and emotional well-being. That includes her most recent, “Calm Your Mind with Food.”
Naidoo says to think of it like the letters in the word CALM.
The “C” is pretty obvious — it stands for vitamin C, which we know we all need.
“A is for antioxidants,” she said. “That’s where it’s super easy because everything has a bright color, bright hue.”
“L” is for liquids — Naidoo explained that low hydration is associated with high anxiety and lower mood.
Finally, the “M” is for magnesium — the final component in the calming food puzzle.
Naidoo says that even if a treat or two is added, parents should be laying the groundwork on the importance of eating healthy food from a young age.
“Making them part of the food preparation. Maybe washing the berries or doing something that’s safe for the kitchen,” she said. “It makes them part of the conversation, and that’s so vitally important for the development of their brain.”
