Welcome to COGNITION for Smart Kids and Teens. Starting now and in the weeks that follow, we’re going to guide you in taking simple steps to help your child optimise their sugar balance.

Have you ever picked your child up from a birthday party and opened the door on a roomful of kids bouncing off the walls? That burst of energy is a clear sign of how dramatically sugar affects the brain. While a little sugar can be a quick source of energy, too much causes a rapid spike—and subsequent crash—in blood sugar levels, which can influence behaviour in significant ways.

Nothing is more important for your child’s brain than sugar—blood sugar, or glucose, to be exact. Glucose is the brain’s primary fuel, enabling clear thinking and steady concentration. We obtain this crucial fuel from the sugars and starches in our food, essentially the carbohydrates we consume, from berries to bread. The key however, is maintaining a consistent supply.

Why It Matters:

✔ Foods with a high glycaemic load such as (white bread, sweets and biscuits), lead to a rise in blood sugar levels and then levels plummet. These fluctuations might lead to symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, aggression, anxiety, night sweats, poor concentration, excessive thirst, depression, crying spells, or blurred vision.

✔ A stable blood sugar level supports learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation.

✔ Making small, healthy swaps can help prevent long-term health risks like obesity and diabetes.

What You Need to Know:

✔ When you keep blood sugar stable, your child benefits from:

• More Stable behaviour: Avoid the irritability and crying spells that come from blood sugar dips therefore preventing dramatic changes in mood and energy
• Clearer Focus: Balanced blood sugar helps keep your child’s brain sharp and calm. They can think with clarity and behave rationally

✔ Swapping processed snacks for protein-rich options can help balance blood sugar.

✔ Lowering GL in your child’s meals means focusing on foods that release sugars slowly. This doesn’t require memorising every detail about sugars—it’s simpler than that!

Here’s a quick example: Eating an apple (6 GL) instead of drinking a 200ml carton of apple juice (10 GL) keeps the fibre intact, which slows sugar release and keeps you full longer. Adding a handful of nuts (protein and good fats) or a hard-boiled egg further slows down digestion, giving you steady energy.

Here’s a handy GL Counter to learn more GL swaps – Patrick Holford GL Menu

How to Implement Change

Today’s Challenge: Observe what your child eats for breakfast. Does it contain protein, fibre, and healthy fats, or is it mostly sugar and refined carbs?

💬 Encouragement for Parents:

Small changes lead to big results! Over the next 14 days, we’ll guide you step by step to help balance your child’s sugar intake—without making mealtimes a battle.

📌 Next email: The Best Breakfasts to Start the Day Right!

Wishing you and your child the best of health and happiness,

The COGNITION for Smart Kids & Teens Team