How your diet impacts ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is quite common in school-aged children. Studies have shown that 1 out of 5 children are diagnosed with ADHD.

ADHD has no known cause. Many scientists and medical researchers feel that it is due to a chemical imbalance in the brain caused either by environmental or genetic factors. Some environmental factors include; toxin exposure during pregnancy, food additives and allergies, sugar, caffeine, and food coloring. Report to your doctor if your child has undergone dramatic life changes such as; a divorce, a move, an illness, change in school, or other events that lead to a child acting out or becoming forgetful. If your child has already been diagnosed with ADHD one of the above life-changing situations can make their ADHD worsen.

For many parents, coping with a child who has ADHD can be an exhausting procedure. Some parents choose to medicate their children and follow a behavioral modification program to help control the symptoms of ADHD. Other parents struggle with the day to day frustrations ADHD can bring.

ADHD has recently undergone several studies linking it to the diet our children are eating. These studies have shown that simply eliminating certain foods or adding others may reduce symptoms or eliminate them altogether.

Many adults consume caffeine as a source of energy to get through their daily activities. Have you ever given caffeine or sugary soda to a child with ADHD? If you have, you have certainly noticed their `hyper' stage kick into full gear and drive everyone in the room crazy. Making healthy food choices is easy and will help your child to control their ADHD symptoms and live happier.

Like any diet, you need to be prepared to make sacrifices. Most diets start out with a "cleansing period" in which you are allow to eat only certain foods and eliminate many others until you can slowly re-introduce them.

Studies have found that a significant number of children with ADHD are deficient in essential fatty acids. Fatty acids have been shown to make the brain release nerve tissue in the body and they are critical for proper growth, mental function, immunity to colds and viruses, and brain development. Our body cannot produce two fatty acids called Omega-3 and Omega-6. By incorporating these fatty acids into your child's diet, you may help reduce the effects of ADHD.

Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in corn, sunflower, canola and sunflower oil, margarine, vegetable oil and shortening. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in salmon, mackerel, sardines and flax seeds. Many people are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids, especially children. Males require higher amounts of essential fatty acids than females. Studies have shown that many childhood learning problems are associated with Omega-3 deficiencies.

Here are a few other things you can implement to your child's diet:

• Vitamin supplements: Some children with ADHD may be lacking in critical vitamins such as iron, magnesium, and zinc. Before you begin giving them supplements, discuss this with your doctor since megavitamins may harm the liver.
  
• Herbs: Herbs can help calm a person, and they may play a role in memory and thinking. Discuss with your pharmacist how safe the herbs are to use before you or your child begin taking them. Some herbs can upset the stomach, cause sleep problems, result in headaches or dizziness, and other side effects.
  
• Antioxidants: There is no direct effect on ADHD by using antioxidants. However, many people use pycnogenol and claim that it has helped their child control excessive behaviors.

ADHD people can reduce the level of unfocused or misdirected energy by starting the day off with a healthy protein breakfast. Studies have shown that a sold protein breakfast can increase concentration, reduce restlessness, and increase mental health and physical calm. Supplement sugary cereals with toast, fruit and scrambled eggs. Even whole wheat toast with peanut better is a better option than a doughnut!

There are several ADHD diet programs you can implement to help your child with ADHD. Let's look at one of the most popular programs:

This program recommends not eating the following items for the first 2 weeks:

• No Dairy products. Do not under any circumstance allow cow's milk, this is the MOST important restriction you need to do when starting this diet. Water is the only beverage you should drink. Cut out soda, juice, tea, coffee, etc. You need at least 7 to 10 glasses of water a day.
  
• Avoid Yellow food. Do not eat corn or squash.
  
• Absolutely NO junk food. Sugary snacks, buttery popcorn, and greasy potato chips are all considered junk!
  
• No fruit juice. One small glass of apple juice has as much sugar content as 8 whole apples. Fruit juice has too much sugar and not enough fruit.
  
• Get rid of sugar. This will be hard, try to cut out sugar completely or at least cut it down to 90%.
  
• Cut out chocolate. Do not eat more than one piece, once a week.
  
• Absolutely NO NutraSweet.
  
• Do not eat processed meats. Avoid anything with MSG. If your meat has chemicals listed in it, don't eat it.
  
• Cut fried foods by 90%. Avoid fast food.
  
• Avoid food colorings whenever possible.
  

Eat foods that you can grow right out of your garden! Whole grains, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruits are the way to go! Now, after you have gone through the two weeks that may feel like a century, you can slowly introduce those foods back into your diet, one food every other day. Eat a lot of that food every day for four days if you have a problem with one of the foods, you will see some type of reaction within 4 days. The reaction can be red splotches to bright red ears to explosive tempers. This will show you what food is causing your child to have their ADHD issues elevated.

So now that you have identified one of the problem foods, you should focus on making a few dietary changes that will benefit your child with ADHD.

Dump the sugary cereals for high protein, low carbohydrate meals. Serve 60% Protein and 40% Carbohydrates for breakfast and 50% Protein and 50% Carbohydrates for all other meals. Protein shakes are recommended as a morning or afternoon snack, or as a supplement for breakfast. Many people have tried the following protein shake with excellent results:

• Make a cup of coffee, using one of General Mills' International Coffees, or something like that, with a flavor that you or your child will like. Pour the hot coffee into a blender with about 6 oz of ice. Turn on the blender for a bit.
  
• Add a good quality protein powder. There are many good ones available. If you can't find one that you like, ask at your local health food store. Get protein powders that are mostly protein and very little carbohydrate. Add between 15 and 20 grams of protein to the cold coffee in the blender.
  
• Turn on the blender again.
  
• Drink it up.
  

This protein shake is helpful for a lot of people. For many small kids, and many adults, this recipe works about as well as a small dose of Ritalin (100 mg of caffeine is roughly the same as 5 mg of Ritalin).

Again, remember to incorporate Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids into your diet. You can mix it into salad dressings by adding a spoonful of flax seed oil into the dressing your child will use. And of course, eat your fruits and vegetables. A child with ADHD should be eating 2 fish meals a week.

Remember there is no conclusive evidence that states using an ADHD diet program will work, but it may help. Of course, having a balanced diet is crucial to our bodies to maintain proper health. Removing sugar from your house is one of the best things you can do for your child and yourself. Any child, ADHD or not, eating sugar shows signs of irritability, high activity, and lack of focus.

Before you try using prescription medications on your child with ADHD, try making a few of the above changes first. An increase in ADHD diagnosis in the last 15 years has shown that currently 1.5 million children ages 5 through 18 are taking medication for ADHD. This means that approximately 3% of school children are on medication! The stimulant medication typically prescribed called Ritalin is up 250% since 1990. It's not hard to implement a few changes around your house that may save your child from consuming prescription medications on a daily basis. The ADHD diet has been successful for many people. Many people have reported changes in compulsive behavior, perseverations, skin-picking, and chewing on non-food items. The ADHD diet has reported a 70% success rate in patients using the diet plan, while actual users report a 90% success rate.

Why not try making a few changes in your child's diet? You could greatly impact their lives if you discover their behavior is linked to something they are eating. If the ADHD diet doesn't work for you, at least you improved your child's health!