Has your child been labeld with ADD?

If so, he has probably been put on a medication because it is perceived that this eases school disturbances and makes them more manageable.  But, should they be on medication?  Hyperactivity and behavior issues are not diseases and some of the medications come with serious side effects.  What if changing your child’s diet helped? 

ADD is diagnosed by a specialist who compares the behavior of your child with the criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association.  The diagnosis of children with ADD/ADHD is rising.  Characteristics include:  excessive fidgeting, trouble paying attention, easily distracted, restlessness, irritability, excessive crying, temper tantrums, excessive talking, poor sleep with night awakenings, inability to perform simple tasks that are developmentally appropriate, inattention when attention is needed, out of control impulsivity.  There is no known cause as to why children exhibit these behaviors but there are very strong links to underlying nutrition deficiencies/excesses, heavy metal toxicity, food allergies, reactions/toxification of vaccines, food allergies etc. 

By using nutrition intervention many children can experience improvement in behavior.  The following are some suggestions of what you might want to eliminate: 

• Salicylates  - these can occur naturally or artificially.  Naturally occurring include foods like almonds, apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, cherries, cucumbers, grapes, grapefruit, lemons, melons, nectarines, oranges, peaches, prunes, raisins, raspberries, peas, green peppers, hot peppers, pickles and tomatoes.  Artificial Salicylates include artificial colors like food dyes commonly identified by the color with a number and preservatives like BHT, BHA, EDTA, TBHQ, Benzoates, Proprionates, Nitrates and sulfites  are synthetic and are usually more of a problem than salicylates found in food.
  

• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• Refined sugars
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) - a flavor enhancer

• Trans fatty acids (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils) – a manmade fat that is solid at room temperature.

• Gluten (proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and spelt)
• Casein (a protein found in dairy)

For the above whole foods I would recommend an elimination/provocation diet to see if these foods affect your child.  When doing the elimination/provocation diet make sure to eliminate all supplements because some vitamins in the supplements may increase the behavior problems. 

What to include: 

• A high nutrient dense diet with plenty of fiber and antioxidants. Make sure to include green leafy vegetables! 
• Organic foods
• Fruits and veggies (including blending and juicing them)
• Water
• Essential fatty acids – food sources include leafy greens, flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds.  If using fish oils use cleanly sources oils. 

The key to helping your child is to find out as best you can the underlying cause and start the healing process.   And always remember that food is the foundation to which your build your body, it is a factor in everything and a great place to start your journey.