Working with a specific and focused
diet for ADHD kids
can have profound affects on attentional problems, hyperactivity and
behavioral issues. A diet for ADHD decreases refined and processed foods, as well as artificial food additives and preservatives.
Parents are often dismayed to discover that many of foods commonly
eaten are the very foods to avoid in the diet. Prepackaged meals,
snack crackers, breakfast bars, cookies, sugar cereal, processed meats, doughnuts
and other highly processed foods should all be removed when following an
ADD and ADHD diet.
However, adding a list of
best brain food
items to the diet can be even more important than eliminating items
from the diet. While eliminating specific foods in the diet is
beneficial
A relatively high-protein diet that
includes complex carbohydrates is generally the dietary approach
suggested. The benefit to this type of diet is that it offers many
health benefits beyond improving ADHD symptoms.
Many studies that look at the relationship between sugar consumption
and ADHD show inconsistent results. Some of these trials have met
with criticism that states that poor study design, among other
problems, could explain the differences reported between studies.
While the jury is still out, so to speak, as far as sugar is
concerned, other studies make a positive correlation between blood
sugar and symptoms consistent with ADHD.
There is some evidence that low blood sugar can trigger aggressive
and irritable behavior in people with ADHD. Because highly processed
carbs including high-sugar diets cause spikes and rapid drops in
blood sugar, these types of diets can aggravate ADHD symptoms.
Additionally, increasing the carbohydrate ratio can cause
drowsiness, a decline in cognitive function due to difficulties in
metabolizing glucose.
Better grades and behavior
almost always follow when adding brain-boosting foods to the diet
and eliminating foods likely to cause behavioral and learning problems.
The biggest problem with this approach to curing ADHD is the
difficulty in controlling the child's diet.
ADD supplements can help ensure
that the right amount of nutrients are received. Some
ADHD herbal medicine and other
ADD alternative
medicine methods show
promise in reducing the symptoms of ADHD when used as an adjunct to
diet modifications.
The
ADHD holistic
diet avoids refined carbohydrates and other foods low in nutrition
and high in sugars. It is also important to eliminate foods that
contain artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and additives until
you have had an opportunity to test the diet to find out if your
child has a sensitivity to these items.
You might notice your child behaving differently after eating brightly colored foods,
cereals or soft drinks. These reactions are often the result of a
sensitivity to the chemicals, and not a sugar buzz that is commonly
blamed for hyperactive behavior.
The first step in testing the diet is
to remove all food additives and preservatives. If after two to
three weeks you witness a decrease in hyperactivity and behavior
issues, slowly add back foods, one at a time, into the diet. If a
specific food causes hyperactivity or behavioral problems, remove
this food permanently from the diet.
Many ADD
alternatives consider diet modification. Following a natural, whole foods approach might seem difficult at first.
Those who have stuck through it and witnessed a drop in symptoms realize that
changing the diet is far easier than dealing with ADHD.
