Research and experience shows that there is a relationship between the food ADHD children eat and how they act, think, and feel.  Neurotransmitters, the chemical messages that transmit actions and thoughts along the brain’s neural pathways, are affected by nutrients and minerals. Since food has this direct effect on neurotransmitter action and neurotransmitters are responsible for mood and behavior, it makes sense to conclude that food does affect mood.  This can also explain why ADHD diets are a popular natural treatment for the disorder. Some children are more sensitive to certain foods like bread or milk, while others can eat a sandwich without any changes in mood. While it’s easy to identify these kids, it makes you wonder how much of the ADHD behaviors we encounter are actually the effect of nutrition.

While the food-mood relationship tends to vary from child to child, here are the most common effects of different food groups.

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Ever wonder why your ADHD child gets more lethargic and fidgety after lunch? That’s because popular lunch time options put the brain to sleep rather than wake them up. Here are great lunch ideas that will help your child stay alert, calm, and attentive all afternoon.

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The brain’s growth is mostly complete by adolescence, but a lot of its vital connections are still being made during the teen years. Next to infancy, adolescence is a period that requires a nutritious diet for healthy brain growth, especially if this brain has ADHD. Diets of the average teenager, however, tend to be sorely deficient in important nutrients and fatty acids.  Teens either eat foods with high levels of hydrogenated fats and saturated fats, or they restrict their food intake in order to stay trim. Here are some ADHD diet tips to help your teenager develop healthy eating habits.

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One of the most difficult parts about natural ADHD treatments – besides figuring out which ones work best for your child – is the support or lack thereof of the people around you.  An ADHD treatment program is only as successful as the people who reinforce it, and there are many times when people allow your child to break the rules you’ve set for him or her.  One such problem is the issue of relatives and grandparents who slip the occasional cookie or forbidden food to a child on an ADHD diet.  Here’s what you can do when this happens.

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You’re probably familiar about the role of diet in causing and preventing ADHD, especially among children.  Certain foods can trigger hyperactivity or aggravate inattention because they contain substances or chemicals that have an adverse affect on the brain. Most ADHD diets revolve around eliminating such foods, but preparing dinner with alternative ingredients can be time-consuming, especially if the parent already has a busy schedule. It seems tempting to reach for that box of instant macaroni and cheese; in just five minutes, a meal is made. Never mind that it’s chock-full of artificial additives and has an abnormally orange glow; at least the kids are eating something!

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In the morning rush before school, it’s perfectly natural for kids to skip out on breakfast. However, try to make sure your child gets a bite of a high-protein meal in the morning. A new study published in the Environmental Health Journal discovered that a healthy breakfast is good for children with ADHD, not only for the energy it provides, but because it reduces the body’s absorption of lead. As you may already know, lead is one of the leading ADHD causes in children today.

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Exciting news for parents who want their kids to try an ADHD diet! A new study confirms once more that ADHD symptoms can be reduced by eliminating foods that trigger them. The study on the restricted elimination diet (RED) was recently published in The Lancet, with very promising results.

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Over the holiday season, I received a few questions from my adult clients about how to keep themselves from overeating because of their ADHD. Weight loss, dieting, and self control are things that adults with ADHD constantly struggle with; after all, those who live impulsively eat compulsively.  Why? Aside from the inability to self-regulate their behavior, those with ADHD also have a hard time interpreting signs – social cues from others, and signals from their body. In relation to overeating, those with ADHD might mistake feelings of boredom or anger for hunger. Alternately, they may also use food to cope with holiday stress or any family drama that may have occurred during the season.

Here is the advice I gave to those who asked about weight loss for adults with ADHD. I did not tell them to enroll in a gym or do a fad diet – instead, I suggested that they change the way they think, feel, or react to food.

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Getting your child to give up favorite foods for an ADHD diet is tricky, and the holiday season might make it more difficult.  The last few weeks of the year will be filled with dinner parties, family reunions, and other types of gatherings centered on food.  Your child might feel left out when cousins enjoy forbidden holiday treats, and relatives won’t understand why he or she can’t have just one tiny cookie.  It may not be a good idea to take a break from your child’s diet and start from scratch after a few weeks, but here are some tips that will make eating a fun occasion for your child during the holidays.

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We’ve long suspected that the typical Western diet might be the reason why so many children are diagnosed with ADHD today.  The brain requires a healthy number of nutrients, essential fatty acids, and amino acids to release and regulate neurotransmitters (brain chemicals responsible for mood, attention, concentration, and impulse control).  Although these nutrients can be obtained from a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, the typical Western diet has little room for such healthy options.  Why? This type of diet prioritizes the convenience of cooking rather than nutritional value. Unfortunately, these fast food meals are high in fat, refined sugar, and sodium, and offer few nutrients in return. Can such a diet be responsible for the increase of ADHD epidemic among children and teens today?

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