Attention Deficit Disorder Diet
January 31st, 2010 | by admin |Diana Ketchen asked:
While there are many reasons for ADD and ADHD, one of them that is both important and relatively easy to control is a modified attention deficit disorder diet.
Simply by removing certain foods from the diet, you can greatly reduce, if not completely eliminate, your child’s ADHD. A diet for attention deficit disorder may indeed take care of the problem altogether, although oftentimes, what happens is that symptoms are simply eased to the point of manageability.
Here are some things you should remove from your child’s diet, no questions asked. You should try removal of these items for at least two weeks before you decide the removal has no effect.
§ Sugar and most caffeine
Children with ADD already have difficulty controlling impulses. The inclusion of a lot of sugar or any caffeine in the diet can just make the symptoms worse. Therefore, removing these substances eliminates potential triggers for ADD symptoms. If you can’t go to absolutely zero sugar, cut it to just 10% of its previous levels.
§ Dairy products
Oftentimes, children’s ADD symptoms can be made worse or even manifest if they’re allergic to something. Dairy products are among the most common of allergens for children. Therefore, eliminate all dairy products, especially milk. If you need a milk substitute, try rice or almond milk, or a product called Better Than Milk.
Have your child drink a lot of water and eliminate other beverages that might also cause problems, like tea (because of the caffeine), soda (because of artificial colors, sugars, flavoring and caffeine), or sports drinks such as Gatorade. Try just water for two weeks. Your child will complain for a few days, but very soon will get used to the taste. It’s a good idea to buy a water filter if you use tap water so as to remove any unpleasant taste and odors. Again, this is healthier, and will also eliminate chemicals that are unhealthy. See? There is a plus side for an attention deficit disorder diet.
§ Junk food
No processed, salty, sugary, white flour foods. If it’s junk (meaning empty calories), your child can’t eat it. (That includes some breakfast cereals, by the way.)
§ Fruit juice
This might surprise you, but juice has a lot of sugar content, which can exacerbate your child’s ADD symptoms. If you must, dilute the fruit juice with water to at most 50% strength, less than that if you can.
§ Chocolate
A tiny amount is okay VERY occasionally, but no more than a tiny piece once a week.
§ NutraSweet or other artificial sweeteners
Absolutely no artificial sweeteners.
§ Processed meats or MSG
Avoid processed meats or foods with MSG in them.
§ Fried foods
At most, your child can have 10% of the previous amount eaten.
§ Food coloring
Many children are sensitive to food coloring used in food substances like Kool-Aid. Eliminate these for two weeks completely.
Now, you might think that this attention deficit disorder diet is very restrictive, and it is, based upon modern standards. However, good, simple, natural foods are available. They just require some cooking. Get yourself some recipe books or go on the Internet to search for recipes that use only whole ingredients with nothing added. Things like meat, potatoes, fresh and frozen vegetables with no salt, sugar artificially ingredients added, and so on.
After the elimination period, you can begin to add some of these listed foods back, slowly. Keep in mind, though, that these are not healthy foods for the most part, anyway, so you may want to just eliminate them permanently from your child’s diet and from the rest of your family’s, too.
Once you begin to add these foods back in (especially things like dairy, which can be quite healthful and which you may want to keep in your diet), watch your child for reactions. Usually, you should see this type of reaction within four days of the foods’ ingestion. You may see physical subtle signs like red blotches or red ears, or behavioral changes like explosive temper tantrums. After about a month, you should know what foods to avoid.
Feeding your child’s brain
A healthy brain needs healthy foods. Breakfast is best done as a high-protein, low carbohydrate meal. Shoot for 60% protein and 40% carbohydrates for this meal and choose things like eggs. If your child doesn’t like eggs, you can use protein supplements like shakes to help your child get extra protein. There are many “just protein” shakes on the market that have no artificial colors, flavors, or sugar. They can be quite bland, so you can be creative and make shakes from rice milk, a banana, some protein powder and a little carob powder, if you wish.
§ A good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement made for children
Remember to buy one that has no artificial colors and flavors added.
§ Fish oil
These come as capsules so your child doesn’t have to taste the “fish” taste if he or she doesn’t like the flavor. Fish oil feeds the brain with omega-3 fatty acids for proper food. Most children need between one and two capsules a day. (Avoid these capsules if your child has any type of blood coagulation problem or other condition that may result in blood thinning. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor, too.)
§ Fruits and vegetables
Go organic if at all possible. This helps ensure that your child has no pesticides in his or her diet, either.
You should see improvement in as little as two weeks to a month. Again, the diet for attention deficit disorder may not completely eradicate behavioral symptoms, but most likely, they’ll certainly lessen. An attention deficit disorder diet will be much more effective when combined with other natural ADHD alternative treatments, such as homeopathic remedies.
© 2009 EzineArticles.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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While there are many reasons for ADD and ADHD, one of them that is both important and relatively easy to control is a modified attention deficit disorder diet.
Simply by removing certain foods from the diet, you can greatly reduce, if not completely eliminate, your child’s ADHD. A diet for attention deficit disorder may indeed take care of the problem altogether, although oftentimes, what happens is that symptoms are simply eased to the point of manageability.
Here are some things you should remove from your child’s diet, no questions asked. You should try removal of these items for at least two weeks before you decide the removal has no effect.
§ Sugar and most caffeine
Children with ADD already have difficulty controlling impulses. The inclusion of a lot of sugar or any caffeine in the diet can just make the symptoms worse. Therefore, removing these substances eliminates potential triggers for ADD symptoms. If you can’t go to absolutely zero sugar, cut it to just 10% of its previous levels.
§ Dairy products
Oftentimes, children’s ADD symptoms can be made worse or even manifest if they’re allergic to something. Dairy products are among the most common of allergens for children. Therefore, eliminate all dairy products, especially milk. If you need a milk substitute, try rice or almond milk, or a product called Better Than Milk.
Have your child drink a lot of water and eliminate other beverages that might also cause problems, like tea (because of the caffeine), soda (because of artificial colors, sugars, flavoring and caffeine), or sports drinks such as Gatorade. Try just water for two weeks. Your child will complain for a few days, but very soon will get used to the taste. It’s a good idea to buy a water filter if you use tap water so as to remove any unpleasant taste and odors. Again, this is healthier, and will also eliminate chemicals that are unhealthy. See? There is a plus side for an attention deficit disorder diet.
§ Junk food
No processed, salty, sugary, white flour foods. If it’s junk (meaning empty calories), your child can’t eat it. (That includes some breakfast cereals, by the way.)
§ Fruit juice
This might surprise you, but juice has a lot of sugar content, which can exacerbate your child’s ADD symptoms. If you must, dilute the fruit juice with water to at most 50% strength, less than that if you can.
§ Chocolate
A tiny amount is okay VERY occasionally, but no more than a tiny piece once a week.
§ NutraSweet or other artificial sweeteners
Absolutely no artificial sweeteners.
§ Processed meats or MSG
Avoid processed meats or foods with MSG in them.
§ Fried foods
At most, your child can have 10% of the previous amount eaten.
§ Food coloring
Many children are sensitive to food coloring used in food substances like Kool-Aid. Eliminate these for two weeks completely.
Now, you might think that this attention deficit disorder diet is very restrictive, and it is, based upon modern standards. However, good, simple, natural foods are available. They just require some cooking. Get yourself some recipe books or go on the Internet to search for recipes that use only whole ingredients with nothing added. Things like meat, potatoes, fresh and frozen vegetables with no salt, sugar artificially ingredients added, and so on.
After the elimination period, you can begin to add some of these listed foods back, slowly. Keep in mind, though, that these are not healthy foods for the most part, anyway, so you may want to just eliminate them permanently from your child’s diet and from the rest of your family’s, too.
Once you begin to add these foods back in (especially things like dairy, which can be quite healthful and which you may want to keep in your diet), watch your child for reactions. Usually, you should see this type of reaction within four days of the foods’ ingestion. You may see physical subtle signs like red blotches or red ears, or behavioral changes like explosive temper tantrums. After about a month, you should know what foods to avoid.
Feeding your child’s brain
A healthy brain needs healthy foods. Breakfast is best done as a high-protein, low carbohydrate meal. Shoot for 60% protein and 40% carbohydrates for this meal and choose things like eggs. If your child doesn’t like eggs, you can use protein supplements like shakes to help your child get extra protein. There are many “just protein” shakes on the market that have no artificial colors, flavors, or sugar. They can be quite bland, so you can be creative and make shakes from rice milk, a banana, some protein powder and a little carob powder, if you wish.
§ A good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement made for children
Remember to buy one that has no artificial colors and flavors added.
§ Fish oil
These come as capsules so your child doesn’t have to taste the “fish” taste if he or she doesn’t like the flavor. Fish oil feeds the brain with omega-3 fatty acids for proper food. Most children need between one and two capsules a day. (Avoid these capsules if your child has any type of blood coagulation problem or other condition that may result in blood thinning. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor, too.)
§ Fruits and vegetables
Go organic if at all possible. This helps ensure that your child has no pesticides in his or her diet, either.
You should see improvement in as little as two weeks to a month. Again, the diet for attention deficit disorder may not completely eradicate behavioral symptoms, but most likely, they’ll certainly lessen. An attention deficit disorder diet will be much more effective when combined with other natural ADHD alternative treatments, such as homeopathic remedies.
© 2009 EzineArticles.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Painting Vinyl Siding
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