Barb Bayne from Red Deer, Alberta, grew up in a family restaurant surrounded by sugar and desserts, never questioning its impact. By the time she had her own children, her household carried on the same North American diet heavy on sweets and light on vegetables. That changed in the early 1980s when her three-year-old daughter began struggling with hyperactivity—unable to sit still, prone to emotional outbursts, and restless even at bedtime. A doctor’s article linking sugar and artificial food coloring to children’s behavior caught Barb’s attention and changed her family’s trajectory.

In this interview, Barb recounts the Sunday when she realized sugar was at the root of her daughter’s struggles, recalling how church and Sunday school snacks of cookies and sugary drinks would leave her unsettled for hours. Instead of accepting medication, Barb sought nutrition-based answers. She discovered vitamin B could counteract sugar’s depletion effects, and through Amway connected with a doctor teaching nutrition courses. She began supplementing with vitamin B before parties or sugar-heavy events, noticing calmer behavior and improved emotional regulation. Over time, she cut out “the whites”—white flour, white sugar, white rice, white pasta—replacing them with whole foods, homemade bread, and quality nutritional supplements. Her daughter’s health improved, and the whole family grew more aware of nutrition. Barb reflects that despite 40 years of warnings, society has only increased its sugar consumption, leaving children vulnerable and many medicated for hyperactivity. Her message to Ottawa is clear: protect access to natural health products and promote education so parents have options beyond pharmaceuticals. For her, supplements were a lifeline that kept her daughter healthy and resilient.