And yet, there is plenty about her book and her stand that makes sense. The Crazy Makers was a five-year project for Simontacchi and is based on findings from her clinical nutrition practice, her experiences with her four daughters, who range in age from 10 to 16, and other scientific research. The book is heavily footnoted and often technical. Most children get far more calcium, through milk and other dairy products, than they do magnesium, which is found in raw nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains and dark-green leafy vegetables. Low levels of magnesium, Simontacchi writes, are linked to excitability, anxiety, attention deficit, depression and fatigue.
Potassium works with sodium to bring nutrients to cells and pull out waste.
The body needs about 2.5 times more potassium than sodium, but often the ratio is reversed because of the abundance of sodium in the American diet. Sodium overload can cause tiredness, weakness and anger, she writes. Good sources of potassium include bananas, oranges, apricots, pears, celery, tomatoes, potatoes, squash and beans. And you thought you were just packing lunch. If there is one thing parents can take away from The Crazy Makers, it is that fruits and vegetables help children's bodies function properly and efficiently.