Temper tantrums pretty much suck - not for just you - but for the little ones as well. They want that thing now and if they don't get it, well - you know.

Problem is how can they be angels and other times far from it?

Simple answers if you pause a moment.

• Tired is an obvious one which I'll throw a twist.
• Role-modeling of other little temper tantrum-causing rascals is another.
• Hungry is another obvious one which I will throw a twist on also.
• Parent giving in before to temper tantrums - the rascal winning.
• Food intolerances causing brain fog and digestive upset.

Tired: Yes, tired seems obvious. But why are they tired? Common reasons of tired are they are past nap time, parent not being consistent with bedtime, or them not getting enough sleep overall. Obvious? Yes. Ok. Now there is another major reason for fatigue causing temper tantrums.

Low blood sugar. This is huge. If there is only one thing to remember from this blog post, remember this: less sugar, more protein. This is easily accomplished for some and not for others. The trick is to have tasty forms of protein that compete with the tasty sugary snacks.

There are numerous energy bars out there that you can get but they don't have enough protein. Get one that has ample protein, healthy forms of fat and complex carbohydrates. The Biogenesis Gluco-Support bars have all that. Keep them in your purse and when you walk from your car with you kids to the store, give them a bar to snack on - or some almond butter and jelly on whole grain bread.

Basically, feed your little one before you go out anywhere. If you are home all day, it is easy to forget to feed them as they are playing like mad or watching the tube - indifferent to eating. Well, make them eat something every hour or so to keep their blood sugar balanced. When I say make them eat something, I mean just a bite of something if they are not hungry.

Food Intolerance: This is a big one. Many kids have been introduced to some foods too early in life or are fed the same food over and over - predisposing them to an inflamed gut lining. Parents must look at the foods being fed to Rascal and make sure it isn't the same all the time. If it is, rotate that food around - say feed it every 3rd day or so. Yes, you'll need to find another food that Rascal likes but believe me - as a parent I know these kids put on a show about this or that not tasting good. My kid told me our bread had 'dark places on the edge' and he wanted them off because it wasn't good. I told him that whatever kid told him that in school is wrong - go tell that kid the 'dark places' are good. My kid then ate the crust. Your kid isn't the boss. You are.

Anyhow - back to the food intolerances. Main food intolerances in people are: peanuts, dairy, wheat, egg, corn syrup, citrus fruits, highly processed foods like chips. Find a healthy snack alternative from your store and see how your kid goes. Pick up some healthy almonds, Brazil nuts, raisins, almond butter, celery, jerky without nitrites, etc.

Foods to avoid in order to avoid temper tantrums:

• Refined sugar.
• Soda pop.
• Fruit juice.
• White breads.
• Sugary peanut butters (read labels).
• Sugary energy bars (read labels).
• Corn syrup.
• Food colorings.
• Perhaps dairy if they are acting in rage and anger (I've seen many kids become less nuts when off dairy - uhmm - mine for one and patient's kids as well).

Foods to offer the rascals:

• Almond butter.
• Wild salmon (some kids love it) - comes prepackaged in handy fillet slices.
• Whole grain rye breads, whole grain wheat (if not intolerant).
• Balanced energy bars.
• Protein smoothies in the morning.
• Healthy jerky - nitrite free.
• Goji berries! They have protein and minerals...lots.