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Best adhd foods


Foods to Eat & Avoid to Help ADD Symptoms

Your ADHD Diet: What to Eat For Symptom Control

The bad news: Deficiencies in certain types of foods can worsen symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adults. The good news: An ADHD diet that boasts adequate levels of the right foods actually optimizes brain function.

Protein for ADHD Brain Function

Foods rich in protein — lean beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, soy, and low-fat dairy products — can have beneficial effects on ADHD symptoms. Protein-rich foods are used by the body to make neurotransmitters, the chemicals released by brain cells to communicate with each other. Protein can prevent surges in blood sugar, which increase hyperactivity and impulsivity.

“Because the body makes brain-awakening neurotransmitters when you eat protein, start your day with a breakfast that includes it,” says Laura Stevens, M.S., a nutritionist at Purdue University and author of 12 Effective Ways to Help Your ADD/ADHD Child. “Don’t stop there. Look for ways to slip in lean protein during the day, as well.”

Try: thinkThin protein bars, Larabars, Raw Revolution bars, or Berry Blendz fruit smoothies.

An ADHD Diet of Balanced Meals

Faye Berger Mitchell, a registered dietician from Bethesda, Maryland, has a nine-year-old daughter who received an ADHD diagnosis two years ago. While her daughter takes stimulants to control her ADHD symptoms, Mitchell concluded that a pill is not enough. She finds that when her daughter eats a well-balanced diet, including vegetables, complex carbohydrates, fruits, and plenty of protein, her behavior tends to be more consistently under control.

Ned Hallowell, M.D., founder of the Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health, in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and New York City, advises all of his patients with ADHD to think about their plates when preparing a meal. Half of the plate, he recommends, should be filled with fruits or vegetables, one-fourth with a protein, and one-fourth with carbohydrates.

[Read This: Free Guide to Delicious (and ADHD-Friendly!) Eating]

Hallowell also advocates eating several servings of whole grains, which are rich in fiber, each day to prevent blood sugar levels from spiking and then plummeting.

Vitamins and Minerals to Supplement Your ADHD Diet

“Many diets are deficient in key vitamins, minerals, and fats that may improve attention and alertness,” says Richard Brown, M.D., author of How to Use Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health Care. He suggests that children and adults who have been diagnosed with ADHD be tested for nutritional deficiencies.

“Supplements and diet can correct nutrient shortfalls that exacerbate ADHD symptoms,” adds Brown.

Zinc, Iron, and Magnesium In Your ADHD Diet

Zinc regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine and may make methylphenidate more effective by improving the brain’s response to dopamine. Low levels of this mineral correlate with inattention. Iron is also necessary for making dopamine. One small study1 showed ferritin levels (a measure of iron stores) to be low in 84 percent of children with ADHD compared to 18 percent of the control group. Low iron levels correlate with cognitive deficits and severe ADHD. Like zinc, magnesium is used to make neurotransmitters involved in attention and concentration, and it has a calming effect on the brain.

All three minerals are found in lean meats, poultry, seafood, nuts, soy, and fortified cereals. While diet is the safest way to increase all three mineral levels, a multivitamin/multimineral with iron will ensure that you or your child gets the daily reference value (DRV) of these minerals.

B Vitamins In Your ADHD Diet

Studies suggest that giving children who have low levels of B vitamins a supplement improved some IQ scores (by 16 points) and reduced aggression and antisocial behavior. “Vitamin B-6 seems to increase the brain’s levels of dopamine, which improves alertness,” says Brown.

Try: Bio-Strath, a Swiss formula, available in pill and liquid forms at vitacost. com, was used in many studies on vitamin B and ADHD. Drugstore chains also offer inexpensive, high-quality, store-brand B-vitamin formulations.

Multivitamins In Your ADHD Diet

If your child is a picky eater, or if he eats lots of take-out food, chips, and soda, he probably isn’t getting the daily recommended value of vitamins and minerals. A daily multivitamin/multimineral will ensure that he does, no matter how finicky he is.

Try: Hero Yummi Bears Multi-Vitamin + Minerals. They contain no artificial colors and flavors, which increase hyperactivity in some children with ADHD.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids In Your ADHD Diet

Omega-3s are believed to be important in brain and nerve cell function. A new study2, conducted at Göteborg University, in Sweden, concluded that daily doses of omega-3s — found in cold-water, fatty fish, such as sardines, tuna, and salmon — reduced ADHD symptoms by 50 percent. Dr. Sven Ostlund followed a group of ADHD children aged 8-18 who took fish oil daily. Within six months, there was a noticeable decrease in ADHD symptoms in 25 percent of the children.

Another study3 showed that omega-3s tend to break down more readily in the bodies of patients with ADHD than in those without the condition. “People with ADHD who have low blood levels of omega-3s will show the biggest improvement in mental focus and cognitive function,” says Brown. “Sometimes the change is dramatic.”

John Ratey, M.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, recommends that you choose a supplement that contains more EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) than DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). You should consult with your physician about finding the best omega 3 supplement for your specific needs.

Try: OmegaBrite, Omega Rx, MorEPA, or Nordic Naturals pills; or Barlean’s Omega Swirl drink

“Herbs may improve blood flow to the brain, increasing alertness while reducing aggressive behavior,” Brown says. Talk with your doctor, or a psycho-pharmacologist, before starting an herb regimen.

Ginkgo and Ginseng In Your ADHD Diet

“These herbs are cognitive activators,” says Brown. They act like stimulants, without the side effects of ADHD medication. Typically, adults and children who take ginkgo and ginseng improve on ADHD rating scales, and are less impulsive and distractible. Asian ginseng may overstimulate younger children. If this happens, switch to American ginseng.

Try: Hsu’s Ginseng is a reliable mail-order source for American and Asian versions of the herb. According to Brown, Ginkoba and Ginkgold are the best brands of ginkgo.

[ADHD Directory: Find an ADHD Specialist or Clinic Near You]

Pycnogenol In Your ADHD Diet

An extract made from French maritime pine bark, pycnogenol was found to improve hyperactivity and sharpen attention, concentration, and visual-motor coordination in students after one month, based on standardized measures and teacher and parent ratings. The herb is also rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that protect brain cells from free radical damage. “The first double-blind study4 on the herb was published in 2006, confirming its benefit,” says Brown. “Larger randomized trials, though, are needed.”

Try: Purchase pycnogenol from Nature’s Best.

Rhodiola Rosea In Your ADHD Diet

Made from a plant of the same name that grows in the Arctic, this herb can improve alertness, attention, and accuracy. It can be too stimulating for young children, and is occasionally beneficial in children ages eight to 12. It is most useful, says Brown, for students in junior high, high school, and college, who have to complete long papers and spend hours reading.

Try: Rhodiola rosea is available from Ameriden International and GNC.

What Foods Should Be Avoided with ADHD?

High-Sugar Foods and Snacks

Several studies suggest that some kids who have ADHD are “turned on” by copious amounts of sugar. One study5 concluded that the more sugar hyperactive children consumed, the more destructive and restless they became. A study6 conducted at Yale University indicates that high-sugar diets increase inattention in some kids.

Some common items to avoid include fruit “drinks” or “cocktails,” both of which are higher in sugar than 100 percent fruit juice. Read food labels carefully, looking for the following ingredients (code words for sugar): high-fructose corn sweetener, dehydrated cane juice; dextrin; dextrose; maltodextrin; sucrose; molasses; and malt syrup.

Artificial Dyes and Preservatives

Studies published in The Lancet7, Pediatrics8, and The Journal of Pediatrics9 suggest that some children with ADHD are adversely affected by food additives. A recent study10 indicates that artificial food coloring and flavors, as well as the preservative sodium benzoate, make some kids without ADHD hyperactive.

Avoid colorful cereals, like Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms. Cheerios are better, and lower in sugar. Substitute 100 percent fruit juice for soft drinks and fruit punches, most of which are artificially colored and flavored. If your child wants a treat, offer him Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies, which are free of dyes and low in sugar.

Foods That Cause Allergies

According to studies, gluten, wheat, corn, and soy cause some children to lose focus and become more hyperactive. Vincent Monastra, Ph.D., author of Parenting Children with ADHD, suggests that all children be screened for food allergies before being prescribed medication for ADHD. Talk with your doctor about testing for allergies.

[10 Vitamins and Minerals Recommended for ADHD]

How to Treat ADHD in Children: Next Questions

  1. What ADHD medications are used to treat children?
  2. Is ADHD medication right for my child?
  3. What are common side effects associated with ADHD medication?
  4. What natural treatments help kids with ADHD?
    • What are the most effective natural ADHD treatments for kids?
    • What foods can help control ADHD symptoms?
    • What vitamins and supplements should my child take?
    • Does brain training help with ADHD?
    • How much and what type of exercise helps kids with ADHD?
    • What types of therapy help patients with ADHD?
  5. What if the medication stops working?
  6. How can I find an ADHD specialist near me?

1 Konofal, Eric, Michel Lecendreux, Isabelle Arnulf, and Marie-Christine Mouren. “Iron Deficiency in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, vol. 158, no. 12, 2004, pp. 1113.
2 Johnson, M., S. Ostlund, G. Fransson, B. Kadesjo, and C. Gillberg. “Omega-3/Omega-6 Fatty Acids for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial in Children and Adolescents.” Journal of Attention Disorders, vol. 12, no. 5, 2009, pp. 394-401.
3 Young, Genevieve, and Julie Conquer. “Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Neuropsychiatric Disorders.” Reproduction Nutrition Development, vol. 45, no. 1, 2005, pp. 1–28., doi:10.1051/rnd:2005001.
4 Trebatická, Jana, Soňa Kopasová, Zuzana Hradečná, Kamil Činovský, Igor Škodáček, Ján Šuba, Jana Muchová, Ingrid Žitňanová, Iweta Waczulíková, Peter Rohdewald, and Zdeňka Ďuračková. “Treatment of ADHD with French Maritime Pine Bark Extract, Pycnogenol®.” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 15, no. 6, 2006, pp. 329-35.
5 Prinz, Robert, et al. “Dietary Correlates of Hyperactive Behavior in Children.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, vol. 48, no. 6, 1980, pp. 760–769.
6 Jones, T W, et al. “Enhanced Adrenomedullary Response and Increased Susceptibility to Neuroglycopenia: Mechanisms Underlying the Adverse Effects of Sugar Ingestion in Healthy Children.” The Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 126, no. 2, 1995, pp. 171–177.
7 Mccann, Donna, et al. “Food Additives and Hyperactive Behaviour in 3-Year-Old and 8/9-Year-Old Children in the Community: A Randomised, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.” The Lancet, vol. 370, no. 9598, 2007, pp. 1560–1567., doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(07)61306-3.
8 Kaplan, Bonnie J., Jane Mcnicol, Richard A. Conte, and H. K. Moghadam. “Overall Nutrient Intake of Preschool Hyperactive and Normal Boys. ” Pediatrics, vol. 17, no. 2, 1989, pp. 127-32.
9 Rowe, Katherine S., and Kenneth J. Rowe. “Synthetic Food Coloring and Behavior: A Dose Response Effect in a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Repeated-Measures Study.” The Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 125, no. 5, 1994, pp. 691-98.
10 Mccann, Donna, et al. “Food Additives and Hyperactive Behaviour in 3-Year-Old and 8/9-Year-Old Children in the Community: A Randomised, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.” The Lancet, vol. 370, no. 9598, 2007, pp. 1560–1567., doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(07)61306-3.

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Foods To Eat & Foods to Avoid

Written by Beth Roybal

Can what you eat help attention, focus, or hyperactivity? There's no clear scientific evidence that ADHD is caused by diet or nutritional problems. But certain foods may play at least some role in affecting symptoms in a small group of people, research suggests.

So are there certain things you shouldn't eat if you have the condition? Or if your child has it, should you change what they eat?

Here are answers to questions about elimination diets, supplements, and foods that may ease symptoms of the disorder. But remember to check with your doctor to make sure these foods and diets don't affect your medicine or the way it's absorbed.

What Is an ADHD diet?

It may include the foods you eat and any nutritional supplements you may take. Ideally, your eating habits would help the brain work better and lessen symptoms, such as restlessness or lack of focus. You may hear about these choices that you could focus on:

  • Overall nutrition: The assumption is that some foods you eat may make your symptoms better or worse. You might also not be eating some things that could help make symptoms better.
  • Supplementation diet: With this plan, you add vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients. The idea is that it could help you make up for not getting enough of these through what you eat. Supporters of these diets think that if you don’t get enough of certain nutrients, it may add to your symptoms.
  • Elimination diets: These involve not eating foods or ingredients that you think might be triggering certain behaviors or making your symptoms worse.

Eat Nutritious Food

ADHD diets haven't been researched a lot. Data is limited, and results are mixed. Many health experts, though, think that what you eat and drink may help ease symptoms.

Experts say that whatever is good for the brain is likely to be good for ADHD. You may want to eat:

  • A high-protein diet. Beans, cheese, eggs, meat, and nuts can be good sources of protein. Eat these kinds of foods in the morning and for after-school snacks. It may improve concentration and possibly make ADHD medications work longer.
  • More complex carbohydrates. These are the good guys. Load up on vegetables and some fruits, including oranges, tangerines, pears, grapefruit, apples, and kiwi. Eat this type of food in the evening, and it may help you sleep.
  • More omega-3 fatty acids. You can find these in tuna, salmon, and other cold-water white fish. Walnuts, Brazil nuts, and olive and canola oils are other foods with these in them. You could also take an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. The FDA approved an omega compound called Vayarin as part of an ADHD management strategy.

Foods to Avoid With ADHD

Simple carbohydrates. Cut down on how many of these you eat:

  • Candy
  • Corn syrup
  • Honey
  • Sugar
  • Products made from white flour
  • White rice
  • Potatoes without the skins.

Learn More: What to Eat (and Avoid) for Improved ADHD Symptoms

Nutritional Supplements for ADHD

Some experts recommend that people with ADHD take a 100% vitamin and mineral supplement each day. Other nutrition experts, though, think that people who eat a normal, balanced diet don’t need vitamin or micronutrient supplements. They say there's no scientific evidence that vitamin or mineral supplements help all children who have the disorder.

While a multivitamin may be OK when children, teens, and adults don't eat balanced diets, mega-doses of vitamins can be toxic. Avoid them.

ADHD symptoms vary from person to person. Work with your doctor closely if you're considering taking a supplement.

Elimination Diets for ADHD

To follow one of these, you pick a particular food or ingredient you think might be making your symptoms worse. Then you don’t eat anything with that in it. If the symptoms get better or go away, then you keep avoiding that food.

If you cut a food from your diet, can it improve your symptoms? Research in all these areas is ongoing and the results are not clear-cut. Most scientists don't recommend this approach for managing ADHD, though. Still, here are some common areas of concern and what the experts suggest:

Food additives: In 1975, an allergist first proposed that artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives might lead to hyperactivity in some children. Since then, researchers and child behavior experts have hotly debated this issue.

Some say the idea of cutting all those things out of a diet is unfounded and unsupported by science. But one study has shown that some food coloring and one preservative did make some children more hyperactive. But the effects varied according to age and additive.

Based on this and other recent studies, the American Academy of Pediatrics now agrees that eliminating preservatives and food colorings from the diet is a reasonable option for children with ADHD. Some experts recommend that people with ADHD avoid these substances:

  • Artificial colors, especially red and yellow
  • Food additives such as aspartame, MSG (monosodium glutamate), and nitrites. Some studies have linked hyperactivity to the preservative sodium benzoate.

Sugar: Some children become hyperactive after eating candy or other sugary foods. No evidence suggests that this is a cause of ADHD, though. For the best overall nutrition, sugary foods should be a small part of anyone's diet. But you can try cutting them to see if symptoms improve.

Caffeine: Small amounts of it may help with some ADHD symptoms in children, studies have shown. But the side effects of caffeine may outweigh any potential benefit. Most experts recommend that people eat or drink less caffeine or just avoid it. It you take medication for ADHD, caffeine can make some side effects worse.

Food and ADHD

After three days, when his father finally left the house and bought a goat, Adam greedily pounced on the milk: he drank his fill, then he vomited, then he began to drink again, and he became sick again. The father was not at all alarmed, because the same thing was happening to him at that time.
John Steinbeck, East of Eden.

Food that is biochemically useful and compatible with humans is

    • remedy for existing diseases
    • effective immunity builder
  • a remedy for the prevention of new diseases.

Biochemically harmful and/or incompatible foods are:

    • remedy for aggravating existing diseases
    • immune destroyer
  • means for inviting new diseases.

Fidget symptoms can be substantially alleviated if healthy and compatible food is found. In some cases, there may be a complete cure.

's restless symptoms will be greatly aggravated if he eats unhealthy and/or incompatible foods.

…

Knowledge of healthy and proper nutrition should be taught in schools. But since these are practical things, and such things are not taught in school, we ourselves must learn to understand the subject.

Healthy eating includes cooking at home and/or eating whole organic food . Healthy food costs less than unhealthy food because

    • unhealthy food (including tasty treats such as sausages and cakes) is usually already cooked food, and, therefore, you need to pay for someone's work, and who knows what these hard workers put there and in what conditions they put our food cooked
  • The consequences of an unhealthy diet are a deterioration in health to such an extent that no amount of money will help.

Abroad (in particular, Holland) will help us

In 2011, an experiment was conducted in Holland, which gave hope for healing to many Fidgets.

The experiment consisted in the fact that 50 children, who were considered Fidget by doctors, were put on a diet (another 50 were the control group).

Started with a carefully designed diet and gradually eliminated certain types of food if the symptoms of the Syndrome did not improve in this particular child. The most spartan option was the following diet:

    • rice
    • turkey
    • pears
    • lettuce
  • water.

Five weeks after the start of the experiment, 64% of Fidgets (32 out of 50) were completely free of the symptoms of the Syndrome.

In an interview with NPR (National Public Radio) when asked about the reaction of teachers and doctors to the results of the experiment, the leader of the experiment Dr. Lidy Pelsser (Dr. Lidy Pelsser) said:

“ They (teachers and doctors — R.S.) were dumbfounded! After the diet, they were normal children, with normal behavior. They were no longer easily distracted. They were no longer forgetful. They stopped having hysterical seizures (temper tantrums - R.S.). Some teachers said that they could not imagine that the approach would work - it was strange to them that a diet can change the behavior of a child so profoundly, as they saw it. It was like a miracle. "

Further: “Now we know that in those 64% of children ADHD was caused by food. Super Food Sensitive ”.

Next: “ We have good news: food is the main cause of ADHD . We have bad news - we need to teach doctors how to observe this procedure, as this procedure cannot be performed by a doctor who has not been trained in this.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple...

After reading about Dr. Pelsser's success, there is a wild temptation to switch to rice, turkey, pears, lettuce and water. But let's not rush out of the fire and into the frying pan. It takes a smart approach, and we'll talk about that in a minute.

Here are some important things:

    • First , diet experiments are conducted with a small number of participants (tens).
  • Secondly , these experiments give different results, for example, in some cases it is an improvement in Symptoms, in others it is a cure, and sometimes worsening .
    • Thirdly, , it is not so easy to conduct a methodologically clean experiment with a diet.
  • Fourth, , different experiments give opposite results about some things. For example, removing food with dyes and food additives from the diet works in some cases (Feingold diet) and does not work at all in others (see Levy and colleagues (1978) and Mattes and Gittelman (1981)).

Where can a poor student go?

Here's a better approach:

1. Watch Fidget and try to figure out what food causes him to have a negative reaction and/or worse Syndrome symptoms (we'll talk about the usual suspects in a minute).

2. Find an experienced nutritionist who is knowledgeable about ADHD, the elimination diet, and fixing a leaky gut (more on that in a minute).

3. Start working with this nutritionist.

4. Remember that there are many tests that can help you diagnose.

Here are examples of these tests:

    • Food and Chemical intolerance test
    • Neurotransmitter and cortisol test
    • Micronutrient test (Micronutrient test)
  • Stool test (Stool test)

Two approaches to the elimination diet

Lidi Pelsser and colleagues used the so-called elimination diet (eliminate - to destroy, exclude). There are two approaches to this diet:

Approach 1. Eliminate one food/food known to be an allergen or cause hypersensitivity, such as milk, from the diet and observe for a couple of weeks whether there will be an improvement in behavior, well-being, concentration, energy level , other mental/physical aspects.

Approach 2. Remove from the diet all foods that are known to be allergens or cause hypersensitivity, and add them one at a time with an interval of a couple of weeks. This method is more difficult to tolerate and may cause deterioration, but positive results may not be long in coming.

Brainpoison Champions

Below I will list the main foods and ingredients to which Fidgets are often hypersensitive and, therefore, the removal of which from the diet can bring positive results.

But first, I would like to name four suspects who have a persistent negative reputation for brain poisoning:

First place: artificial colors and other food additives .

Second place: white bread and other products containing gluten .

Third place: milk .

Fourth place: sugar .

Candy chips are bad for toddlers

Most store-bought chips, sausages, dry soups, corn flakes, chocolate candy cakes, jams, ice cream, pickles, sweet soda, etc. etc. contains a whole palette of chemical poisons in the form of artificial dyes and other food “improvers”.

The less “food” we eat from these colored boxes, the healthier we will be.

Look at the ingredient list for a regular chocolate bar. Chocolate should be cocoa bean powder and sugar, not 30 ingredients that break your tongue.

Solution: Don't buy commercially prepared food, cook at home with whole and, if possible, organic ingredients.

Where can I get these ingredients? For example, grow it yourself or arrange delivery with the farm - there are already such in Moscow. But even by itself, the exclusion of industrial chemicals from the diet can give good results.

Color examples:

    • Tartrazine (yellow pyrazolone dye; English, Tartrazine or Yellow #5)
  • Erythrosine (Erythrosine or Red #3)

Examples of flavor enhancers:

    • Benzoic Acid
  • Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Examples of preservatives:

    • Sodium benzoate
  • Potassium sorbate

You can make your own toothpaste or buy it from manufacturers that do not use fluoride and artificial colors.

Man does not live by bread alone

worsen ADHD symptoms:

    • Products containing gluten (gluten): white bread, pasta, other products made from wheat and similar crops
    • Dairy and sometimes fermented milk products, such as yogurt
    • Soya
    • Corn
    • Peanuts
    • Eggs
    • Nuts
    • Citrus
    • Chocolate
    • Tomatoes
    • Yeast
    • Legumes
  • Oatmeal.

…

Situation unclear for fermented milk products:

    • On the one hand, they are recommended for the GAPS diet and the treatment of leaky bowels (more on that in a minute).
  • On the other hand, some doctors recommend Fidgets avoid yogurt.

Of course, yogurt that you make at home from milk and sourdough is not even close to store-bought yogurt in terms of both taste and nutritional properties. In addition, for your child, you will not tint yogurt with different chemicals or put 6 teaspoons of sugar in it.

But since I found a few mentions of MF for yogurt, I think should be careful with any dairy/sour milk products just in case.

This is where I think food intolerance testing and/or elimination of milk or dairy products from the diet and observation of the body's reaction can help.

It's not milk

Talking about food is difficult because we are out of touch with the earth and do not see the difference between a natural organic product and its "improved" store version.

Let's take some milk. Can a boiled fat-free drink that we buy in a store compare with live fresh milk from under a cow?

Or honey. For a store product, bees are fed with sugar syrup. Can such "honey" be compared with the healing elixir that the bees bring from the flower fields?

Cattle and poultry are fed antibiotics and hormones, which then enter our bodies and destroy our health. Can the meat of a cow that grazes in the field, drinks clean water and lives without stress, compare with the meat of a cow that lives in an industrial stall, eats feed with growth hormones and does not see white light?

Even water, the most basic and necessary element of life, is served to us in a sterilized and chlorine-treated form, and even with fluoride, which causes a number of illnesses, from arthritis to male infertility and, perhaps, even ADHD.

…

If 100 years ago milk was milk, honey was honey, beef was beef, and water was water, then today we need to clearly understand where our food comes from, who and how it grows, extracts, processes.

I think one of the most important things for parents of Fidget kids is to understand that a product under the same name, like milk, can range from cloudy water with lactose and casein to a wholesome healthy product.

Diet can significantly alleviate the suffering of Fidgets and the right choice of food plays one of the most important roles here.

Sugar - legal cocaine

"Sugar calories are the most dangerous, as they are converted into fat in the liver, causing insulin resistance and increasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease."

- Dr. Robert Lustig

The danger of cocaine is that it builds strong dopamine chains between neurons, and, consequently, ordinary dopamine chains, for example, from simple human joys: love, friendship, fishing - weaken and are less "quoted" by the brain. Dependence is formed and part of the thoughts is aimed at waiting for a new dose.

Sugar has the same effect. But it is more dangerous than cocaine because:

    • sugar is cheap and available 24x7
    • sugary foods - sweets, cookies, cakes, milk, alcohol, soft drinks - these are common things on the dinner table.
    • more addictive than cocaine
  • sugar causes over HUNDREDS of health problems : here and cancer, and diabetes, and obesity, and a significant deterioration in the functioning of the brain, and suppression of the immune system, and mineral imbalance, and senile dementia, and cardiovascular disease.

…

While scientists are arguing about the effect of sugar on the Fidget brain, the parents of Fidgets and Nerds know from their own experience what consequences, for example, a good portion of ice cream or a glass or two of Coca-Cola can lead to.

Of course, each child may have a different reaction (age, biochemistry, amount of sugar, type of sugar), but we, parents, can often observe the following effects of dolce vita:

    • distractibility
    • head fog
    • moodiness
    • difficulty in maintaining attention
    • impulsivity
    • hyperactivity
    • fatigue
    • sleep problems
  • anxiety.

…

Parents notice significant improvement

    • behavior
    • perseverance
  • diligence

in their children after monitoring was started

    • how much sugar and
  • what kind of sugar

these children use.

How to reverse the situation? For example, two things can be done:

1. Significantly limit (ideally, completely eliminate) the consumption of sweet soda, fruit juice from the store and purchased sweets (cakes, sweets, pastries, ice cream).

2. Teach your child to eat fresh fruits, prepare smoothies (water + fruit and in a mixer), cook at home as much as possible, use honey or organic sugar in cooking, cook compotes.

We are not talking about some wild prohibitions, but about the fact that the parent

    • was informed about the dangers of uncontrolled eating of sweets and
  • knew what his child was eating/drinking.

Maybe your child is not a Fidget, but a Botanist who simply "sits" on sugar, like an alcoholic on vodka.

…

If you're into the subject of sugar, you might fall for the Sugar Free trap.

These products are even more dangerous than sugar products because they use, among other things, aspartame, an artificial sweetener that causes epileptic seizures, cancer, mood disorders, migraines... about 90 health problems.

According to reports received by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) aspartame causes 75% of all negative effects attributed to dietary supplements.

Aspartame is found in diet cola, for example. With such a "diet" and not far from the cemetery ...

...

...

Here are the names and in what forms manufacturers can add sugar (the list is not complete):

    • glucose/dextrose (glucose)
    • sucrose
    • fructose/fruit sugar (fructose)
    • lactose/milk sugar (lactose)
    • maltose/malt sugar (maltose)
    • high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
    • corn syrup (maize syrup is another name for HFCS)
    • Glucose syrup (another name for HFCS)
    • tapioca syrup (another name for HFCS)
    • crystalline fructose (another name for HFCS)
  • isoglucose (isoglucose is another name for HFCS)

…

Fidget is addictive and the first addiction many Fidgets develop is sugar addiction .

The brain, having known an unnaturally sharp burst of dopamine, will look for this high in the future. And find it in the form of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

Fidget Food

Up to this point, we've mostly talked about food that needs to be eliminated from Fidget's diet.

Below is a list of products recommended for Fidget. This list also includes foods that can cause hypersensitivity. There is no contradiction here - each case is unique and the same product can act on two Fidgets in completely different ways. Therefore, Fidget watching and testing is of the utmost importance.

So:

    • Foods high in protein: meat (without antibiotics and hormones), beans, eggs, cheese, nuts.
    • Complex carbohydrates: vegetables, greens and some fruits such as apples, tangerines and kiwis. Naturally, it is desirable to buy ALL products organic.
    • Antioxidants - eg cranberries, blueberries, turmeric. Here is a recipe for the most powerful antioxidant: turmeric golden paste —> More…
  • Minerals, such as magnesium and zinc, if the body is deficient in them. Here is the recipe for the most delicious and healthy Pho soup —> Read more…

The general rule for the fidget diet is if the diet is good for the brain, it's good for the fidget.

But again, you need to remember about the possible individual intolerance even to products that are considered beneficial for the brain.

Here is an article in English that talks about healthy non-native food.

…

Intervals between meals (including snacks) for Fidgets should not exceed 3 hours. This will help maintain acceptable blood sugar levels, which will reduce irritability and help maintain focus.

Each meal should include proteins and complex carbohydrates. For example, a sandwich made from whole grain bread with a slice of turkey and a leaf of lettuce.

Fix your guts, fix your brain (the second one too)

A healthy gut lets in useful vitamins and minerals at the cellular level and doesn’t let anything through between cells, as they are tightly connected to each other:

Due to a number of factors, the intercellular bond can be weakened. Factor examples:

    • stress
    • toxins (including antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. Advil)
    • infections (e.g. candida)
    • drugs (e.g. alcohol)
    • products containing gluten (e.g. white wheat bread)
    • products from animals given antibiotics and hormones.
    • parasites
    • imbalance between good and bad intestinal bacteria
  • chronic constipation, etc.

After that, toxins, microbes, undigested food molecules and other creatures that should have remained in the intestine seep through the gaps between the cells and enter the blood.

As a result,

    • immune system
    • lymphatic system and
  • liver

perceive the flow of these guests as an attack by an enemy army, and turn on defense mechanisms that lead to inflammatory processes throughout the body and are expressed in a whole bunch of diseases: asthma, food allergies, eczema, migraine, fungus, arthritis, and about more a dozen or three not the most pleasant things.

…

Some foods are capable of causing an active inflammatory response each time that food enters a leaky small intestine.

Inflammatory reaction leading to food allergy.

Food that often causes allergies:

    • milk
    • eggs
    • products containing gluten (wheat, oatmeal, rye)
    • corn
    • legumes (especially soybeans)
  • nuts (especially peanuts).

…

What does ADHD have to do with it, you ask?

The fact is that inflammatory processes weaken the whole body and, consequently, worsen the symptoms of the Syndrome.

On the other hand, due to a leaky gut, many minerals that are important for the restless body (such as magnesium, iron and zinc) are not properly absorbed.

On the third hand, it is known that incompletely digested food particles after leakage from the intestines into the blood cause hyperactivity in some people.

But that's not all!

…

The expression “I feel in my gut” or in English “I have a gut feeling” has a very specific material basis.

The gastrointestinal tract, reaching 9 meters in length, has throughout its entire length the enteric nervous system , which consists of 100 million neurons. The role of the enteric nervous system is so important that one expert dubbed it the “second brain.”

Here are some interesting facts about our second brain:

    • it uses about 30 neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin
    • he uses about 50% dopamine and 90% serotonin available in the body
    • there is a suggestion that the leakage of serotonin from the second brain is related to the causes of autism
  • second brain neurons “communicate” with intestinal bacteria.

The exact mechanisms of the second brain, its functions and delimitation of duties with the brain are not yet completely clear, but it is already known that many diseases can be avoided if the second brain is healthy.

…

When we treat leaky guts, we treat both brains:

    • brain affected by inflammation and
  • the second brain, which is responsible not only for digestion, but also for processes, possibly related to other most important things: mood, energy, concentration.

The results of treatment can be amazing.

Treatment of the second brain

Treatment should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor and after passing tests to understand the essence of the problem.

There are a number of diets, such as GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) and its forerunner SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet), which have been tried and tested for many people ( but not for everyone! ).

Here is an example protocol. I am providing it for purely educational purposes and the following steps are not a guide to action.

Work with your doctor.

—> More...

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Children with hyperactivity need to eat these foods for the brain: An important conclusion of scientists0004

June 2, 2022 10:33

American scientists have found that diet plays a key role in correcting the behavior of children

Photo: Shutterstock

The scientific world has presented another good reason to eat fruits and vegetables. Especially for children. And especially - to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

A new study has shown that this diet helps reduce symptoms associated with inattention in children, a hallmark of the disease, including problems with concentration, failure to follow instructions, difficulty remembering and regulating emotions.

NOTE

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological behavioral disorder that begins in childhood and is manifested by difficulty concentrating and maintaining attention, excessive motor activity (hyperactivity), incontinence and impulsivity. The prevalence in children is approximately 5%.

The study was conducted by Ohio State University scientists. Parents whose children had a history of ADHD were invited to participate. A total of 134 families, they had to fill out two systematic questionnaires.

The first was to answer questions in detail about the foods the children eat, including portion sizes - and the reference period was a 90-day period.

The second questionnaire asked parents to rate their children's behavior, with particular attention to symptoms of inattention, a hallmark of ADHD.

Combining and examining the responses, the researchers found one pattern: children who consumed more fruits and vegetables showed less symptoms.

BTW

Attention Deficit Disorder is not a sentence, and sometimes it even helps to achieve success - people like "propellers", they need to constantly do something and move somewhere (or towards something). And if you direct this activity in the right direction, successful people grow up. Sometimes very famous. As an example - Tom Ford, Lord Byron, Picasso, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Jim Carrey, Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan. Moreover, often ADHD is the cause of genius (or vice versa), a clear proof of this is Albert Einstein.

Irene Hatsu, Research Director, Associate Professor of Human Nutrition at The Ohio State University, explains the value of the results:

- To date, there is no single protocol for the treatment of behavioral disorders in children. Doctors usually prescribe drug therapy, constantly increasing the dose when symptoms worsen, which often only harms the body. In the meantime, eating a healthy diet that includes fruits and vegetables and provides all the nutrients a child needs may be one – and perhaps the best – way to reduce some of the symptoms of ADHD.

She also points out that this study is the first to examine the relationship between symptoms of the syndrome and the quality of children's nutrition:

- Many people tend to get irritated when they are hungry, and children are no exception. And if a child with attention deficit disorder is not getting enough nutrients, it can exacerbate symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity.

Why can diet be so important in ADHD? Researchers believe the disorder is linked to low levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, and vitamins and minerals play a key role in helping the body produce these important neurochemicals.

The full results of the study were published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience.

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