A guest post by Lindsay Roberts

I have been a teacher for almost ten years now, and it has been a whirlwind of ups and downs. But today, I will tell you an extraordinary story about one of the ups. 

A day in the life of a teacher requires an immense amount of energy and vitality. In 2018, I was very overweight with little vivacity, constant mood swings, itchy skin, and a constipated gut. This made the energy-demanding teaching life difficult, and I struggled to meet learners in a space they demanded.

I chased the answers in books

I knew that sugar might be the culprit. I didn’t have the best diet and I craved sugary sweets and treats. My breakfast was a sugar-laden frosty cereal that didn’t carry my energy levels beyond 10 am. This was when the energy slumps started. I noticed that the children mimicked the same energy slumps as me. Was it my teaching? Surely not? 

I dove headfirst into the subject matter of sugar, and I came across Sugarproof by Michael Goran and Emily Ventura. I was interested in this book because I figured out that a sugar-laden diet could affect learning. Sugarproof also started to equip me with tools to understand how sugar functions. The energy slumps could be coming from the sugar in my diet.

So with the help of Sugarproof, I started to equip myself with the correct tools to remove added sugar from most of the food I was consuming. Within two weeks of reducing sugar, my life was already turning around. The best part was this reborn energy that gave me the motivation and ‘oomf’ to be productive again. It was an incredible cycle that just allowed me to live life again. My skin began to glow, my moods were stable and happy, I started to lose weight rapidly, and I found love for teaching again. Who would have thought that reducing sugar in my diet would do all of this!

I started to look outward.

After my incredible journey of reducing sugar, I started to look at how it affected the learners in my class. I now understand what sugar does to the brain, motivation, energy levels, and mood. Children in my class were having issues with learning and socializing because of their eating habits.

Meet Jonty*

Jonty is a wonderful little boy. He is thoughtful and switched on. However, he struggled to stay awake in my lessons, and I reverted to wondering if my teaching was boring. However, he was the only one in the class falling asleep. I spoke to his parents, who reassured me that he got enough rest every night with an early bedtime routine. He always fell asleep after the first break when he had a snack. It was embarrassing for him, and I could see he struggled because all the children laughed at him. He did try hard not to stop those eyelids from failing him. 

I started to observe what Jonty was eating at break-time, and it was often a juice box, a sweet of some kind, and a strawberry jam sandwich. I spoke to his parents and recommended that they purchase the Sugarproof book on Amazon. I also gave them some snack ideas to switch with the sugary ones, such as cheese and nuts.  

His parents quickly implemented the tips and tricks from the Sugarproof book. They learned all about the Sugarproof Kitchen and lunchbox ideas from the @sugarproofkids Instagram account, which is jam-packed with delicious ideas and the kids love them! Examples include banana bars or pudding pops. Every time I search for recipe ideas on the @sugarproofkids Instagram account, my mouth waters.

Do you know what happened to Jonty after swapping sugary lunches for Sugarproof lunches? He stopped falling asleep every day after 10 am in the classroom and began to stay wide awake with a clear focus. His grades even improved, and he seemed to be so happy, more confident, and more motivated.

I cannot recommend the Sugarproof book more if you are concerned about how much sugar your child consumes. Take it from me, a teacher who has witnessed how a high sugar diet affects learning, energy, and motivation. I experienced it first hand both with my own sugar journey and those of the learners in my class. 

I continue to spread the good word about reducing sugar. I urge you to read Sugarproof to empower your family, children, and yourself. It is transformative, and you will never look back.

* I have changed the learner’s name for privacy reasons.

Lindsay Roberts has been a teacher for over ten years, both in mainstream schools and special needs schools within South Africa and the United Kingdom. She has recently shifted her career into the writing space. She writes high-converting copy and content for businesses within the Health and Wellness niche. You can contact her at lindsay@lindswrites.com or hop over to her website at www.lindswrites.com