The Hidden Reason for My Kids Emotional Outbursts

Emotional outbursts, you know the kind. Shreiking, screaming, crying, flailing their bodies all around. Uncontrollable sobs. And you the parent, are sitting there thinking, "What is going on?"

"What happened?" "Why is my normally relatable child so uncontrollably scream crying?? Nothing that usually helps them calm down is working???"

If you are anything like me, you run through all the normal ways of calming them down, and when they don't work....you start to panic a bit. But you know you need to stay calm and be their calm. But it isn't working and they are escalating the decibels at this point.

This happened to us more than I care to admit, until in the midst of one of these tantrums I asked myself, "What could be causing this?"

My kiddos are like normal kids and have their bad days, their grumpy days, and get emotional when they are tired. But I started to realize these tantrums are something else entirely. Like off the charts in intensity.

I started to think back to what had been different in their lives over the past day or two days.

I wondered about if they stayed up too late. Did something happen at their school.

Were they going through a growth spurt. I racked my brain trying to think what could be triggering these outbursts.

I didn't come up with anything. Then it happened again. The same seemingly uncontrollable tantrums....What could it be? I was feeling like a bad mom at this point because I had no clue how to help my kiddos.

As I sat there thinking of what was different, but also what was the same between last time and this time, a realization hit me. Both times we had eaten at our favorite Chinese restaurant and the kids had the egg rolls with the red dipping sauce.

I googled the ingredients in the dipping sauce and found something called Red 40. It was a dye used in food coloring to make foods that un-natural red color.

What I learned shocked me! Red 40 is known to cause behavioral issues in kiddos. Temper tantrums, aggressive behavior, even headaches and migraines. It's also banned in food in other countries.

From then on we have been a Red 40-free home. But really, I couldn't stop there. I wondered about all the other dyes in foods?

No Bueno.

For the most part we try to stick to dye-free foods. There are enough colors to eat in the produce section. :)

But I wanted to share this in case you are a mama out there looking for answers. Racking your brain for what could be causing your little one so much angst.

Not everyone is sensitive to dyes, but it is definitely an easy one to try the elimination diet with.

Go without the dyes for 2 weeks. Keep records of how your kiddos react in situations, ask them if they feel better. You'll know by the end if it is something that you want to avoid.

There are so many dye-free options out there now. Even M&M-like candies without dyes.

Interested in learning more about how food may be the culprit to your kiddos behavior? Want to know how to use food to feel better, have more energy, lose weight, have less pain?

Follow me here and find me on Facebook @Megan Anderson Nutrition and on Instagram @ Megan.Anderson.Nutrition.