ADHD Diet
ADHD diet... and ADD diet... An alarming increase in the numbers of children (and adults) who are being diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) has seen an accompanying rise in people looking for treatment information. Sadly, most of the treatment methods focus almost exclusively on prescription medications, which can have very serious side effects. For example, the prescription drug Ritalin has side effects that range from: diminished appetite, weight loss, stunted growth/growth delay, insomnia, nervousness/restlessness, elevated heart rate/heart palpitations, and more. Adderall, another common prescription drug used as a treatment, has similar side effects that include: weight loss, dizziness, insomnia, irritability, nausea, restlessness, dry mouth, and more. If you are taking any medications for ADD or ADHD it's important you don't abruptly stop, but talk to your doctor carefully if you are concerned about side effects. ADHD diet and ADD dietFirst of all, if you or someone you know (such as your child) has ADHD or ADD, it's very important as a first step to start eliminating junk foods from their diet.That should be the starting point of any ADHD diet and ADD diet. For example, get rid of the sodas, which are laden with sugar. Replace it with only pure water. Keep your kids away from fast foods. When going grocery shopping, read labels. An alarming number of foods (even ones we commonly think of as healthy...such as yogurt, smoothies, etc., are often loaded with high fructose corn syrup...which is just another form of sugar). One must be very diligent to not buy products with high fructose corn syrup, even though you will have to spend more time shopping and carefully reading labels. One testament to the power of a proper diet in the behavior of kids was witnessed about 8 years ago at a school called the Central Alternative High School in Appleton in Wisconsin. The school was rife with disciplinary problems from the students. Then, in 1997 a local business named Natural Ovens implemented a Nutrition Program in the school based on a wellness diet. Steps included: eliminating soda and vending machines that sold junk food. The school's menu was then switched to one that consisted of fruits and veggies, whole grains, healthy stews and healthy entrees, drinks made up of fresh fruit and ground flax seeds, the latter of which are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, a crucial nutrient for brain health. The resulting changes were amazing: After four years on the program there were:
Even shortly after the program, improved attention, attendance and cooperation were all reported.
This experiment, although not scientific, shows very strong anecdotal evidence the impact of a proper diet. In our opinion, an ADHD diet or ADD diet should be similar to the Wellness program that this school implemented.
First, it's important to take a very high quality source of Omega 3's. The best we've found, and which we take ourselves is: Xtend-Life Omega 3 Esters Second, consider using an all natural product with herbs that may be very beneficial for this condition.
The best we've found for this is called Focus ADHD from Native Remedies.
Get More Info on Focus ADHD for Children and Adults with ADHD
We hope you have found our ADHD diet and ADD diet page beneficial.
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