Ruth Fellowes Food Mood Mind

Ruth Fellowes Food Mood Mind 🕊Taming the tantrums and settling the moods in kids
🧠Restless behaviours & food intolerances
❤️ADHD kids Helping you to build a better brain!

I help mums and dads who have kids that are moody, anxious, or with over-the-top behaviours, so that they can have a calm household and find their real child again. To do this, we have to look at the whole body, and how it affects the brain.

29/05/2026

Your child’s ADHD brain needs fat. But why?

You’ve no doubt heard that omega 3 oils 🍶are important for ADHD. This highly nourishing brain friendly fat is richly found in oily fish like sardines, mackerel and salmon and in good quality fish oil supplements.

But why? Why is it so good? What makes it so special?
Firstly, the brain needs fats to function, with approx 60% of the brain being made up of fat. The omega 3 fats 🐠are classed as an essential nutrient meaning we have to get it from our diet, the brain can’t just rejig other fats to make the amount needed.

Secondly it’s so special because it literally builds the brain, it is a structural nutrient needed to build myelin. Myelin is the insulation layer that wraps around the brain’s nerve fibres, and it controls how fast and how accurately signals travel between brain cells.

The prefrontal cortex part of the brain, which is responsible for focus, planning, and impulse control — relies on fast and consistent signalling. When myelin is patchy- like a road 🛣️full of potholes- because omega-3 is low, that signalling slows down.

⬇️Focus drops.
⬇️Impulse control suffers.
⬇️Planning becomes harder.

Here’s the problem, most kids eat foods that are high in vegetable and plant oils, which most snack foods and commercially prepared foods are, which are naturally high in omega-6 that competes with omega-3 for absorption.

So most ADHD kids are running their brain on the wrong fats.
Here’s something to takeaway to remind you just how critical the right foods are for ADHD.
The brain your child feeds today is the brain they think with tomorrow.

Hang around and follow- I’ll show you what the brain needs to thrive.





Getting an ADHD diagnosis for your child can bring a huge sense of relief 🧠💛Finally there’s an explanation for the emoti...
29/05/2026

Getting an ADHD diagnosis for your child can bring a huge sense of relief 🧠💛

Finally there’s an explanation for the emotional outbursts, impulsive behaviour, poor focus, sleep struggles and constant dysregulation.

But here’s something many parents aren’t told 👇

No two children with ADHD are exactly the same from a biochemical perspective 🧩

What’s driving *your* child’s symptoms may be completely different to another child’s.

As a nutritionist and naturopath, my job is to look deeper and uncover the factors contributing to your child’s presentation of ADHD.

Things like 👇

🥦 Nutrient deficiencies
🦠 Gut imbalances and poor digestion
🚫 Food intolerances and sensitivities
⚡ Blood sugar instability
🧬 Genetic differences in how nutrients are absorbed and utilised

All of these things can influence your child’s ability to:
✔️ regulate emotions
✔️ focus and learn at school
✔️ sit still
✔️ sleep well
✔️ manage stress and impulsivity

This is why a one-size-fits-all approach often doesn’t work.

Your child’s behaviour is communication 💛
Their body is giving clues… we just need to piece them together 🧩

That’s exactly why I created the What’s Eating Your Child Audit.

It’s a science-led questionnaire you complete at home, and within 3 days I send you a personalised video explaining what may be contributing to your child’s symptoms and where to start nutritionally ✨

If you’d like more information it's right here
👉👉👉https://linktr.ee/kids.adhd.nutrition

Did you know some of the foods kids love most could actually make ADHD symptoms worse? 😬🥓Think processed meats like sala...
28/05/2026

Did you know some of the foods kids love most could actually make ADHD symptoms worse? 😬🥓

Think processed meats like salami, ham, corned beef and bacon.

These foods usually contain preservatives called nitrates and nitrites, and for some sensitive children, they can trigger a whole range of symptoms.

You might notice things like:
⚡️ Hyperactivity
😤 Irritability
🌀 Emotional outbursts
💨 Gut issues
😴 Poor sleep
🌿 Itchy skin
🫁 Increased asthma flare-ups

The hard part is that kids are often naturally drawn to these foods because they’re incredibly flavourful 🤯

This is why looking at food additives is often one of the first places I start with families supporting a child with ADHD. Removing the right triggers can sometimes create dramatic changes in behaviour, mood, sleep and focus 💛

Do you suspect your child could be reacting to nitrates, nitrites or other additives?

My “What’s Eating Your Child?” Audit helps uncover the nutritional and biochemical factors influencing your child’s behaviour, emotions, focus and development 🔍

It’s designed for parents who feel overwhelmed and want some clear direction before making changes 🙏

All the info you need on the audit is right here
👉👉👉https://linktr.ee/kids.adhd.nutrition

Magnesium truly is one of the most important calming nutrients for kids with ADHD 😌✨It helps support the nervous system ...
27/05/2026

Magnesium truly is one of the most important calming nutrients for kids with ADHD 😌✨

It helps support the nervous system in a few really powerful ways.

Firstly, magnesium helps nerve cells respond better to GABA 🧠- one of the brain’s main calming neurotransmitters.

But it also works a bit like a friendly bouncer at the door 🚪 helping to block excess glutamate from overstimulating the brain ⚡️

And when glutamate is running too high, you may notice more:
😵💫 Hyperactivity
😤 Emotional outbursts
😬 Anxiety
🧠 Racing thoughts
💥 Impulsivity

Magnesium is also needed to help the brain produce serotonin and dopamine ✨ Two neurotransmitters that are often low or poorly regulated in children with ADHD.

This is why magnesium-rich foods can make such a difference 🙌

Some great food sources include:
🎃 Pumpkin seeds
🥣 Amaranth
🌾 Oat bran
🍞 Wholemeal bread
🐟 Halibut

Amaranth is especially impressive, containing around 260mg of magnesium per 100g 🤯

It has a lovely mild nutty flavour and can easily be added to:
🥣 Porridge
🍲 Soups
🥘 Casseroles

Sometimes a calmer nervous system starts with giving the brain the nutrients it needs to function properly 💛

Save this post for later and share it with another parent who may find this helpful 👇

you know constipation can affect far more than just your child’s tummy? 🤯Around 90% of serotonin is ...
24/05/2026

you know constipation can affect far more than just your child’s tummy? 🤯

Around 90% of serotonin is made in the gut, not the brain.

And serotonin doesn’t just influence mood, emotional regulation and anxiety levels… it also helps control gut motility 🚽

Which means when the gut becomes inflamed and constipated, serotonin production can drop.

Less serotonin can then mean:
🔹 More emotional dysregulation
🔹 More anxiety and irritability
🔹 More focus struggles
🔹 Slower bowel motility and worsening constipation

Creating a vicious cycle between the gut and the brain.

This is why some kids with ADHD can seem emotionally “all over the place” when their gut health is struggling too.

And it’s also why simply focusing on behaviour often misses a huge piece of the puzzle.

Signs the gut-brain connection could be involved:
🔹 Constipation alongside mood swings
🔹 Emotional meltdowns later in the day
🔹 Anxiety or irritability
🔹 Focus crashes for “no obvious reason”
🔹 Ongoing tummy complaints

Supporting the gut-brain connection nutritionally can make such a difference ❤️

Think:
🥦 Fibre
💧 Water
🥬 Magnesium
🥒 Fermented foods
🦠 Prebiotics
🥛 Probiotics

Sometimes the behaviour isn’t where the story starts… sometimes it starts in the gut.

Follow me for more info on the gut, brain and behaviour connection 💛

22/05/2026

If your child has ADHD and anxiety, there could be a biochemical reason why they happen together.

ADHD and anxiety😟 often go hand in hand. We could say that’s expected since the tension and stress that the brain feels in trying to make an ADHD brain fit the typical school system can lead to anxiety.

You may even have been told, that’s just the way your child is wired.

➡️But there’s a biochemical reason you want to know about. The same neurotransmitters that regulate focus and impulse control — dopamine and serotonin — also regulate fear and stress responses.

When those systems are under-resourced, the brain can’t self-regulate. And what does that look like? A child who can’t focus AND can’t calm down.

Nutritionally, magnesium is one of the most critical pieces of this puzzle. It’s essential for calming the nervous system, regulating cortisol, and supporting GABA — the brain’s natural braking system.

Low magnesium means the brain stays in a state of high alert. B6 matters too — it’s needed to convert tryptophan into serotonin. Without enough B6, serotonin production drops, and anxiety increases.

And here’s the part that gets missed: both magnesium and B6 are naturally depleted by stress itself. So the more anxious your child is, the more depleted they become — and the more depleted they are, the more anxious they get.

It’s a cycle 🔄

This is why I test before I recommend anything. Because the nutritional drivers of anxiety and ADHD look different in every child.

✅ Follow me, I’ll keep explaining the fascinating way that food and nutrition affect what’s going on in your child’s brain.





Did you know there are actually *more bacterial cells living in the gut than human cells in the body*? 🤯🦠That gives you ...
21/05/2026

Did you know there are actually *more bacterial cells living in the gut than human cells in the body*? 🤯🦠

That gives you some idea of just how powerful the gut microbiome really is when it comes to your child’s overall health… including their brain, moods, behaviour and nervous system 🧠💛

The gut and brain are constantly communicating through something called the *gut-brain axis*.

So when the gut is out of balance, it can absolutely affect how your child feels, behaves and functions 😣

The good news? 🌱
It also means that changes to your child’s diet can have a really positive impact on their emotions, focus, sleep and behaviour.

We want to nourish the microbiome in a way that supports the growth of beneficial bacteria ✨

Because healthy gut bacteria help support the production of neurotransmitters involved in calmness, emotional regulation and concentration 🧠

While excess sugar, ultra processed foods and certain additives can encourage the overgrowth of less helpful microbes 🚫

Simple dietary changes can make a huge difference, including:
🥦 More fibre
🥒 More prebiotic foods
🥛 Fermented foods
🍓 Less sugar
🚫 Fewer food additives

And of course… a healthier gut often means a happier tummy too 😊

Save this and follow for more science led info on nutrition and your child. 💛

Have you noticed that bread seems to last forever these days? 🍞🤔Years ago, bread would grow mould within just a few days...
20/05/2026

Have you noticed that bread seems to last forever these days? 🍞🤔

Years ago, bread would grow mould within just a few days. Now many loaves can sit in the pantry for ages without changing much at all.

One reason is a group of preservatives called propionates.

These preservatives are commonly added to bread products to extend shelf life, but they can also be found in foods like dried fruit and some fruit juices 🧃

Whilst they may be convenient for manufacturers, they’re not always so friendly for sensitive kids.

For some children — particularly those with ADHD — propionates may contribute to:
⚡️ Increased hyperactivity
😵💫 More disruptive behaviour
🤯 Headaches
🌪 Emotional dysregulation
🤧 Worsening eczema and asthma symptoms

And whilst food isn’t the sole cause of ADHD, nutrition absolutely impacts your child’s brain chemistry and nervous system 🧠

Things like:
🥣 Nutrient deficiencies
🦠 Gut health imbalances
😴 Sleep quality
🩸 Blood sugar instability
🔥 Food additives and preservatives

…can all influence your child’s mood, focus, behaviour and ability to cope day to day.

Sometimes identifying just one or two hidden triggers can make a huge difference ✨

If you’ve been wondering whether diet could be playing a role in your child’s ADHD symptoms, my “What’s Eating Your Child?” Audit is designed to help uncover the factors that may be affecting your child’s behaviour, mood, concentration and overall wellbeing 🔍

All the info you need on the audit is right here
👉👉👉https://linktr.ee/kids.adhd.nutrition

18/05/2026

I heard you needed some crunchy savoury snack options for your ADHD kids. So here are 7 (packaged!) snacks you may not have thought of with pros (and cons).

Bhuja Peas
Pros: High protein and fibre, and to be honest, a much better ingredient list than I expected considering how delicious they taste.

Fava beans
Pros: simple ingredients, high protein, real food!

Pretzels
Pros: Simple ingredients
Cons: No real nutritional advantage although better than many, many other ultraprocessed snacks foods. Contains gluten.

Cobs popcorn
Pros: simple ingredients, high fibre, filling

Simply chips
Pros: a thicker cut and far more filling than traditional potato chips. Uses ‘safer’ additives than many other brands.
Cons: ingredient list is too long for something that is marketed as ‘simply chips’. Be careful with yeast extracts which can be a way to hide MSG that many ADHD kids can be sensitive to

Lentil chips
Pros: crunchy, light, filling, supplies protein.
Cons: yeast extracts on the list but as the last ingredient the amount will be negligible and there’s a good chance your kid may not react.

Salted corn
Corn (86%), Sunflower Oil, Salt.
Pros: simple ingredients! Filling! Tastes delicious! 10/10 for this snack

Final thought…. Worried🤔 about all the seed oils because you hear how bad they are? Any highly processed oil is going to be a problem when consumed in excess and at the expense of the brain friendly omega 3 oils. Focus on crowding out the problem oils by flooding the body with omega 3 rich foods and limiting the intake of processed oils. Occasional intake in these snack foods is not going to cause permanent harm to your child.

Any others you would recommend? Comment below and give other families some extra ideas 👍

📲Save for your shopping list!

Did you know there are THOUSANDS of food additives used in our everyday foods? 😳The good news is… when it comes to helpi...
16/05/2026

Did you know there are THOUSANDS of food additives used in our everyday foods? 😳

The good news is… when it comes to helping support children with ADHD, there are really only a small handful that I commonly focus on first 👇

One group that can be particularly problematic for some kids are flavour enhancers 🚨

Most parents have heard of MSG (621), but there are actually several flavour enhancers commonly added to packaged and processed foods 👀

These additives work by stimulating the taste nerves 🧠⚡️

The concern is that they may also overstimulate the nervous system — and for children who already struggle with hyperactivity, impulsivity, emotional regulation or focus, this can sometimes make things even harder 😵💫

Many parents notice improvements in things like:
✨ mood
✨ focus
✨ behaviour
✨ emotional regulation
✨ sleep

…when they begin reducing certain additives and supporting their child’s nutrition more intentionally 🌿

It doesn’t have to be about perfection ❤️
Sometimes small changes can make a really noticeable difference.

If you’ve ever wondered whether food could be contributing to your child’s symptoms, my “What’s Eating Your Child?” Audit is a great place to begin 🧐
A short, science-led assessment that identifies the biochemical and nutritional factors influencing your child’s development — and clarifies the most logical next steps.

All the info you need on the audit is right here
👉👉👉https://linktr.ee/kids.adhd.nutrition 💌

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