For parents of ADHD children finding the right balance between therapy, both prescription and non prescription medications, and diet can be a challenging task. But one thing is for sure poor nutrition and/or eating habits can make a manageable condition into one that becomes unmanageable.
Diets for children with ADHD should be based in a what one would consider a healthy diet, void of snack foods and simple sugars. Diets for children with ADHD should also include plenty of water and perhaps supplementation with a essential fatty acids. Let's briefly explore these three basic cornerstones of diets for children with ADHD.
Water: In some ways water the oil that makes our engines run. About two thirds of a child's body is made up of water and is used for such basic functions as metabolizing food and eliminating waste. Both are important for the ADHD child to function well.
Simple carbohydrates spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E - Simple carbohydrates include corn, rice, white flour, potatoes, certain cereals, and pasta. Junk snack foods, which many use a quick energy fix these days, fall under this umbrella as well. It is this quick burst and the following low that creates problems for the ADHD child. The physiological sequence goes something like this; the rapid metabolization of carbohydrates triggers an overproduction of insulin, which then produces exactly the types of symptoms that appear in ADHD. These symptoms include: inattention, initial hyperactive behavior usually lasting about 45 minutes, extreme mental and physical tiredness after the initial rush, and scattered thinking.
Omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids: A lot of new information has come to light in recent years about the connection between omega 3 oils and brain function. Research is showing that a proper level of fatty acid can help with the symptoms of a variety of neurological and mental conditions, including ADHD. Both omega 3 and omega 6 are essential to good health but can't be manufactured by the body and thus must be supplied through diet or supplementation. Foods high in essential fatty acids are pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, brazil nuts, grains, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax oil, salmon, hoki, sardines, tuna, avocados, kale, collard greens, canola oil, fish oil, and wheat germ oil. Ironically, the simple carbohydrates discussed above will negate any positive benefits derived from omega 3 and/or omega 6 essential fatty acids.
In summary, a general rule of thumb for diets for children with ADHD would be to drink plenty of water, reduce or eliminate fast metabolizing sugars, and increase the intake of essential fatty acids through either diet for supplementation.
What Next? For those children struggling with ADHD sticking the right balance between treatment and diet modification can be a powerful combinations when achieved. The most common form of treatment for ADHD are stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Cylert. While effective all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings. The risk of side effects or perhaps lack of success with stimulants has prompted many to investigate other options. A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or natural remedies. Natural remedies for ADHD are a side effect free way to address such problematic symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other nonprescription alternatives.
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