Do you think that the amount of protein that you eat has an impact on your behavior? On the behavior of people you know? Would you say this is mostly something that helps kids but doesn't have a big effect on adults?
It has been brought to my attention that some people think my insistence on protein in a snack rather than just carbs or carbs and fats is odd to many people. I also am seeing that many people are seeing zero correlation between positive behavior and protein. I mostly see examples in kids, but they are there for adults also.
What do I mean?
Many have heard me mention here that my bro is meaner on a candy bar on an empty stomach then when black-out drunk, and he is NOT a nice drunk. He has always been this way, even as a toddler. My sons are shorter tempered, faster to get upset, and they have tough time coping in stressful environments if they don't have protein and they do have sugar/simple carbs. (For this post, sugar means the simple carbs, not just the granulated white stuff.) A few years back I did a simple experiment with thank you. First I took him to run errands after school with-o bringing a snack along. We didn't even make it through a VERY simple errand of dropping off dry cleaning before he couldn't cope. I did this several times over about a month with the same results though different errands. Then I brought a snack of juice and fruit or crackers or cookies with me. We did get through one simple errand, but a more complex one where we had five items on a shopping list? Overload and cranky trying not to cry. The next month I took a snack wtih protein, cheese or peanut butter or ham etc... . The snack still had about the same calories and the juice was the same. We were able to do multple errands, the overload happened at times but wasn't as severe, and he was just happier and had more FUN. When we went home he was able to interact more with the family rather than needing to just curl up with a video to block out the sensory overload.
husband thought that thank you had outgrown that and that I was being a bit silly and 'over-mommying' to keep urging thank you to keep a balance bar in his pocket or enough $ to get something with protein when he is out and about. He thought it was really strange when I gave thank you 2 bars to take in the morning for his talk with the friend who hit him. I just figure that it could be an ice-breaker, give them something to do with their hands, and maybe give a bit of help in encouraging them to talk calmly and rationally. Sure the protein won't be digested, but it is better than doing this with nothing in them, and I don't know if A eats at home or not.
I have also watched my husband's and my own and J's and Wiz' behavior with regards to protein levels. Wiz has outgrown the nasty if he eats too much sugar, thankfully. J has wild mood swings during Hades Week (aka PMS week) if she isn't super careful with the protein. husband? Is happier, has more fun, sees problems as challenges to puzzle out rather than obstacles meant to ruin his life (yes, he has OFTEN said that this or that problem with a computer or a spoon breaking or whatever is an obstacle put there to punish him and ruin his life. It drives me beyond batty because in the moment he actually wants to believe it, grrrrr..) He gets frustrated because often I will make him PROMISE to eat something with protein when he is off for a long day. If I don't? He will go the entire day on maybe a bag of chips and coffee, tea or coke zero. then he comes home and eats 3000+ calories in about two hours, less if he is tired. Less time that is, NOT less food.
I am not so cranky, am able to manage my attitudes on bad pain days far better (not snap at everyone and dwell on how I want to get a power saw and cut off the part that hurts, not real productive things to dwell on, in my opinion), and overall I just cope much better.
I have seen BIG changes in classrooms of kids after parties with lots of sweets. I have also seen BIG differences when protein is provided. WOW! It is staggering, in my opinion.
I often mention this in advice to parents, but often it isn't given any response. I don't really care if I get responses on it all the time. I AM curious as to what you think about all of this and if you see any differences in yourself or your family members depending on how much protein they eat and when.
To be totally honest, if we hadn't paid attention to the amount of protein in thank you's snacks and meals, I doubt he would have gotten the Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) to a manageable level. He just couldn't cope enough to begin to learn how to use those tools, much less to be able to remember what they were and how to do them when he was overwhelmed.
It has been brought to my attention that some people think my insistence on protein in a snack rather than just carbs or carbs and fats is odd to many people. I also am seeing that many people are seeing zero correlation between positive behavior and protein. I mostly see examples in kids, but they are there for adults also.
What do I mean?
Many have heard me mention here that my bro is meaner on a candy bar on an empty stomach then when black-out drunk, and he is NOT a nice drunk. He has always been this way, even as a toddler. My sons are shorter tempered, faster to get upset, and they have tough time coping in stressful environments if they don't have protein and they do have sugar/simple carbs. (For this post, sugar means the simple carbs, not just the granulated white stuff.) A few years back I did a simple experiment with thank you. First I took him to run errands after school with-o bringing a snack along. We didn't even make it through a VERY simple errand of dropping off dry cleaning before he couldn't cope. I did this several times over about a month with the same results though different errands. Then I brought a snack of juice and fruit or crackers or cookies with me. We did get through one simple errand, but a more complex one where we had five items on a shopping list? Overload and cranky trying not to cry. The next month I took a snack wtih protein, cheese or peanut butter or ham etc... . The snack still had about the same calories and the juice was the same. We were able to do multple errands, the overload happened at times but wasn't as severe, and he was just happier and had more FUN. When we went home he was able to interact more with the family rather than needing to just curl up with a video to block out the sensory overload.
husband thought that thank you had outgrown that and that I was being a bit silly and 'over-mommying' to keep urging thank you to keep a balance bar in his pocket or enough $ to get something with protein when he is out and about. He thought it was really strange when I gave thank you 2 bars to take in the morning for his talk with the friend who hit him. I just figure that it could be an ice-breaker, give them something to do with their hands, and maybe give a bit of help in encouraging them to talk calmly and rationally. Sure the protein won't be digested, but it is better than doing this with nothing in them, and I don't know if A eats at home or not.
I have also watched my husband's and my own and J's and Wiz' behavior with regards to protein levels. Wiz has outgrown the nasty if he eats too much sugar, thankfully. J has wild mood swings during Hades Week (aka PMS week) if she isn't super careful with the protein. husband? Is happier, has more fun, sees problems as challenges to puzzle out rather than obstacles meant to ruin his life (yes, he has OFTEN said that this or that problem with a computer or a spoon breaking or whatever is an obstacle put there to punish him and ruin his life. It drives me beyond batty because in the moment he actually wants to believe it, grrrrr..) He gets frustrated because often I will make him PROMISE to eat something with protein when he is off for a long day. If I don't? He will go the entire day on maybe a bag of chips and coffee, tea or coke zero. then he comes home and eats 3000+ calories in about two hours, less if he is tired. Less time that is, NOT less food.
I am not so cranky, am able to manage my attitudes on bad pain days far better (not snap at everyone and dwell on how I want to get a power saw and cut off the part that hurts, not real productive things to dwell on, in my opinion), and overall I just cope much better.
I have seen BIG changes in classrooms of kids after parties with lots of sweets. I have also seen BIG differences when protein is provided. WOW! It is staggering, in my opinion.
I often mention this in advice to parents, but often it isn't given any response. I don't really care if I get responses on it all the time. I AM curious as to what you think about all of this and if you see any differences in yourself or your family members depending on how much protein they eat and when.
To be totally honest, if we hadn't paid attention to the amount of protein in thank you's snacks and meals, I doubt he would have gotten the Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) to a manageable level. He just couldn't cope enough to begin to learn how to use those tools, much less to be able to remember what they were and how to do them when he was overwhelmed.