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.

Energizing carbohydrates

Refined sugar, such as those found in soft drinks and pastries, tend to make children crankier because of the fluctuations in blood sugar levels. First, the child experiences a boost of energy, then a low as the sugar finally runs out.  The child becomes more irritable as his or her mood parallels the highs and lows of blood sugar.  The mood fluctuations caused by refined sugar tend to be less severe if these foods are eaten with a fiber or fat that slows its absorption into the blood stream, but children with ADHD are generally better off without these carbohydrates.

Calming carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates like fruits, legumes, and whole grains, or foods with a low glycemic index, provide a constant stream of energy without causing a crash. That’s because they do not disturb blood sugar levels as much and do not trigger the release of stress hormones.

Happy foods

If your child tends to be gloomy and moody, consider adding more bananas, milk, and leafy green vegetables to his or her diet. These “happy foods” aid the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which causes feelings of pleasure and motivation. Foods that contain the amino acid tryptophan relaxes, so you might want to consider enriching your hyperactive child’s diet with red meat, soy products, turkey, and tuna.

Using foods to regulate mood

Every child has a unique response to each food type, and you need to identify which foods bring positive effects to your child’s mood. Here are a few ways you can do so.

• Make a food journal to record what your child eats and what time of the day this was eaten.
• Record when bad moods, ADHD symptoms, or behavior problems occur.
• At the end of the week, examine your food journal and try to find connections. If, for instance, you see that your child becomes more irritable after having an energy drink, you might want to consider eliminating this from your child’s diet.
•  Continue keeping the food journal to help you decide what dietary changes need to be made.

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.

Achieve the right balance between carbohydrates and protein

Your child’s ability to absorb information after lunch has a lot to do with the amount of carbohydrates and proteins he or she eats. Turkey, milk, eggs, and bananas contain high amounts of the amino acid tryptophan, which sedates the brain and can cause drowsiness. Eating carbohydrates with these tryptophan-rich foods only increases its sedative effect. Carbohydrates trigger the production of insulin, which drives the tryptophan into muscle tissue and helps it reach the brain more quickly.

On the other hand, eating more protein and fewer carbohydrates improves alertness after lunch, especially if they contain the amino acid tyrosine. Seafood, legumes, tofu, and tuna are just some examples of tyrosine-rich foods. Try a salad topped with legumes, turkey, and tuna if you want to improve how your child works and learns in the afternoon.

Even the order by which the food is consumed can influence afternoon performance. A high-protein breakfast or lunch enables tyrosine to wake up the brain. On the other hand, if the brain needs to relax, eating a high-carbohydrate dish before protein will neutralize the effect of tryptophan.

Provide a light and healthy lunch

High-calorie, high-carbohydrate dishes like pasta with meat sauce might sound like an appetizing lunch for kids, but it will only diminish their performance when their meal is done. Same goes with fatty meals – high-fat foods divert blood to the stomach instead of the brain because they are difficult to digest. Instead, serve your child a healthy lunch that has only 600-800 calories. A great example of this is a whole wheat tuna sandwich with tomato, lettuce, and low-fat mayonnaise and a glass of milk.

Discourage your child from eating desserts or consuming soft drinks with the meal. The junk sugars in these foods might increase energy, only for your child to “crash” in thirty minutes or so. Aside from being lethargic and inattentive, this blood sugar low will also cause mood swings.

Fight for healthy school lunches

Parents who do not have time to prepare lunch for their kids need to lobby for healthier school lunches. Lunch options in most public schools are nutritional failures; fast food options like burgers, pizza, and French fries are quickly taking over the menu. Get involved in your child’s parent-teacher organization if you can and make nutrient-rich school lunches a top priority.

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.

Practice what you preach

Instead of telling your child what foods to eat, model healthy eating habits by practicing what you preach. Take your child to the supermarket with you and demonstrate how to buy nutritious foods. Point out which types of foods are just empty calories and which ingredients trigger ADHD, such as artificial coloring, preservatives, and flavoring.  Encourage your child to help plan meals at home so that he or she becomes more motivated to eat healthy.

Say no to processed foods

Resist the temptation to buy frozen foods, canned foods, and other highly processed foods. Not only do these foods offer low nutritional value; they are also loaded with harmful ingredients that aggravate ADHD symptoms.  For instance, processed foods contain high levels of hydrogenated oil, which can be incorporated into the brain structure. Once in the brain, these oils make neuron membranes rigid and inefficient at transmitting and receiving neurotransmitters, which affects brain function and behavior.

Use teenage thinking as a weapon

Teenagers are conscious about their physical appearance, and you can use this to your advantage when it comes to nutrition. Talk to your child about the relationship between a healthy diet and acne-free skin, or say that empty calories will only facilitate weight gain.  This type of teaching uses the idea of “relevance”. In order for a teenager to accept the message, he or she has to believe that it has a direct impact in their life. Be specific – talk to your child about how eating well can improve their growth, their sports performance, their attention span, or whatever issue seems to be important to your child at the moment.

Here are some of the specific nutrients needed by your ADHD teen.

• Iron. Teens with ADHD, especially menstruating girls, tend to be low in iron. Addressing this deficiency is important, because iron aids in the production of neurotransmitters.
• Zinc.  The trace mineral zinc is responsible for brain wave processes, producing serotonin, and vitamin B6 metabolism, to name a few. Dark meat, oysters, and legumes are excellent sources of zinc.
• Calcium. Besides aiding growing bones, calcium helps produce neurotransmitters and aids in vitamin absorption and enzyme digestion.  Instead of adding more milk and dairy to your child’s diet, use dark green vegetables like broccoli, which are healthier sources of calcium.

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.

Clarify the rules with your child

Children are smart enough to realize that their parents’ rules are different from their grandparents’ or aunts’ rules. If your relatives indulge your child by breaking routine and allowing your child to stay up late, make sure your child knows that regular routines will resume once he or she comes home.

Educate your relatives

The issue of ADHD treatments warrants a more serious discussion with your family. Since the relationship between ADHD and proper nutrition is not well-publicized, grandparents and other relatives might not understand why you child can’t have just one small bag of chips or a bowl of candy.  Educate your family by loaning books or showing them articles about ADHD and how symptoms are aggravated by artificial food additives, gluten, casein, and other allergens. Explain that your child has been well-behaved ever since the diet started and that avoiding these foods is crucial to your child’s ADHD recovery.

Consider desensitization techniques

If your family still refuses to cooperate, especially if your child is allergic to a number of foods, it might be worth it to try desensitizing the body. This involves specialized approaches that make the body less sensitive to the effects of gluten, casein, and other allergens. There are currently three types of desensitization techniques.

NAET

Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET) was created Dr. Devi Nambudripad, a chiropractor and medical doctor. Not only does this approach desensitize the body from known allergens, but it can also detect hidden food intolerances.

ASERT

Allergy/Sensitivity Elimination and Reprogramming Technique (ASERT) is a more expansive version of NAET because the desensitization technique is only one part of a multi-step treatment plan. This is also the desensitization technique used in our clinic.

Bioset

Developed by chiropractor Dr. Ellen Cutler, Bioset makes use of enzyme therapy and organ-specific detoxification technology to desensitize the body.

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!

If you’re in dire need of a quick meal that won’t make your child’s ADHD flare up, try cooking with quinoa.  This grain-like crop is closely related to spinach and beets, and is often eaten for its leaves and seeds. Quinoa is also considered a “super cereal” because of its rich amino acid content, high protein content (12-18%), and dietary fiber.   In fact, it was one of the staple foods of the pre-Columbian Andes and is used by NASA astronauts for manned space flights.  And despite being a grain, quinoa is completely gluten-free.  You can even buy certified organic quinoa, if you’re concerned about pesticide residue in your food.

Quinoa seeds can be used as a substitute for rice and couscous, and takes only about fifteen minutes to prepare.  Prepare two cups of water or soup stock (vegetable or chicken) and boil them in a saucepan.  Add a cup of rinsed quinoa once the liquid boils. One cup of quinoa might not seem like much, but the grain increases in size when cooked in water, just like rice.  Let it boil for about fifteen minutes, then check to make sure that the grain absorbed the water well.  Allow the quinoa to stand away from the heat for two or three minutes, then fluff the grains before serving.  Additional ingredients like salt, pepper, fresh herbs, and garlic can be added to enhance its flavor.

If your child is hesitant about trying new food, you can slowly introduce quinoa to the dining table by hiding it in soup. Quinoa grains function as a thickener, enhances flavor, and adds more nutritional value to the broth than any instant soup mix. You may also serve it for breakfast and present it as an exciting new cereal; simply use coconut milk instead of water to create a hot, creamy cereal. If it’s allowed by your child’s diet, you can also cover it in cheese, tomato sauce, or salsa. Just keep presenting the quinoa to your child, and he or she will eventually grow to enjoy eating it.

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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.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, lead is the primary environmental health threat to children today because of its harmful neurological impact. Aside from causing ADHD, lead is responsible for learning disabilities, violent behavior, and hearing loss. Children absorb more lead than adults because of their underdeveloped immune systems, and the study discovered that lead absorption is ten times higher on an empty stomach.

The study looked at blood samples from 1,344 children and assessed the amount of lead, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, and calcium. The parent of each child also filled a questionnaire about their child’s diet and eating habits. After looking at the data, the researchers observed that children who ate regular breakfasts had lower blood levels of lead at 6.1 micrograms per 100ml. Those who had irregular breakfasts had higher lead levels at 7.2 micrograms per 100ml. Interestingly enough, the researchers also discovered that low amounts of lead is also related to high zinc levels in the blood.

How do children get exposed to lead? Even though lead-based paint and leaded gasoline has been banned, traces of this heavy metal can be found in most foods and drinking water because of lead in the soil and industrial waste containing lead.  Lead can sometimes be found in toys and certain cosmetics.  So aside from providing a good breakfast every morning, take a few minutes to wash all new toys, filter water, and use organic products to protect your child from lead’s harmful effects.

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.

How do ADHD diets work?

If you have been following the UnRitalin Blog for some time, you might already be familiar with how ADHD diets work to relieve symptoms. But for the benefit of those who are new, let me explain the relationship between food and ADHD.  While ADHD is known to be the result of a neurotransmitter deficiency, many cases of childhood ADHD are actually allergic reactions to certain types of food. Dr. Doris Rapp explains that allergic reactions are not limited to familiar symptoms like coughing or watery eyes; some allergies affect how the brain works, which manifests itself as problematic behavior. If you click on the link, you’ll see an amazing video that demonstrates how exposure to allergens can completely transform a child’s behavior.

Most ADHD diets are designed to eliminate foods known to trigger allergic reactions. The tricky part about using a diet to treat ADHD is that each child is sensitive to different foods. For instance, while foods with gluten and casein are generally known to trigger ADHD symptoms, some children may be allergic to certain fruits and vegetables on top of gluten and casein. ADHD diets are not a quick fix; every child has to go through a trial and error process to determine which foods have to be eliminated.

Restricted Elimination Diet

The study on the restricted elimination diet shows more evidence that removing certain foods can indeed improve the behavior of children with ADHD. The study was led by Jan Buitelaar of Radbound University and involved the participation of one hundred children with ADHD between the ages of 4-8. The children were equally divided into two groups – one group was given a general healthy diet, while the other group was given a diet that was restricted to certain foods. These foods included rice, white meat, water, and fruits and vegetables that are least likely to cause allergies. Foods with tomatoes, eggs, oranges, dairy, and wheat were also kept out of the second group because they are related to food intolerances or allergies.

In the second group, 41 of 50 children completed the five-week period, and 32 of the 41 children (78%) responded well by having fewer symptoms.  Not only were their ADHD symptoms less pronounced, but they also had fewer symptoms of oppositional defiance disorder, which is characterized by temper tantrums, stubbornness, and defiance.

All the children who completed the five-week period went on another diet where the allergenic foods were reintroduced. After another trial, the symptoms returned in the children who showed positive improvements.

Going on an ADHD diet

Parents who are looking for an alternative ADHD treatment might find success in doing an ADHD diet. However, it is important that you do the diet with the help of a doctor or nutritionist. Some ADHD diets require the elimination of nutrient-rich foods, which can increase the risk of malnutrition if a balance of nutrients is not achieved.  ADHD diets will also require the involvement and participation of the entire family. In order to keep your child from getting tempted by the eliminated foods, everyone in the family has to go on the diet as well.  Getting used to a restrictive new diet will take some adjustment, but I never fail to get surprised by children’s high response rate to an ADHD diet.

Source

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.

Your over-active mind is a weight loss tool

Being easily distracted and having a million thoughts running through your mind at once can be used to your advantage when you’re trying to shed your holiday pounds. Instead of willing yourself to “not eat”, redirect your attention to a positive activity – bury yourself in a fun hobby, or use your hyperfocus to look up healthy meals you can cook.

Admit that you cannot resist temptation

At this point, you shouldn’t even try to test your will by being around foods you cannot resist. Try to avoid these goodies instead.  Skip the ice cream fridge at the groceries, and drive by a McDonald’s instead of driving through.

Stimulate your brain

As an adult with ADHD, you’ve probably felt the need for constant stimulation, and saw that food is one of things that can temporarily sate your craving for something new.  Instead of relying on food for amusement, engage in tasks that stimulate your mind – read a good book, learn a new skill, or start a DIY home project.  As with the first bit of advice I gave, it’s all about redirecting your pent-up energy towards something positive and fulfilling. Avoid watching TV, which does not give your brain enough stimulation and is an easy trigger for compulsive eating.

Schedule your meals

ADHD makes you think three steps ahead, which can be a wonderful asset at work. On the flip side, this also means that you tend to feel disconnected from your feelings and needs in the here and now. When you get hungry, you tend to overdo your eating.  Schedule your meals, or make it a habit to eat small portions every four hours.

Enjoy the experience of eating

Most binge eaters don’t actually enjoy their food; the pleasure from anticipating the next yummy treat is what makes them eat fast and eat lots. Then next time you’re faced with a guilty pleasure, ask yourself if you are genuinely enjoying your food. Keep asking yourself this every five minutes. Do you taste every delicious morsel, or are you merely gulping it down to move on to the next goodie?  Form the habit of savoring your favorite foods by chewing thoughtfully and swallowing completely before the next bite.

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.

Host the party

Offer to host this year’s holiday dinner party or family gathering.  This way, you can make sure that all dishes being served is allowed by your child’s diet, be it the Feingold diet or the gluten-free casein-free diet. If your house cannot accommodate all your guests, offer to prepare the food for the party instead.

Look for alternatives to forbidden ingredients

The holidays won’t be as magical for a child without a steaming mug of hot chocolate, gingerbread cookies, or candy cane.  The problem is that these foods are normally eliminated in most ADHD diets.  However, you can easily give your child some holiday treats if you can find additive-free, gluten-free, or casein-free alternatives to these unwanted ingredients.  Gluten-free casein-free cookbooks are easily available in all bookstores, but you can also find useful recipes when you search online.

Consider a desensitization treatment

If you do not have time to host parties or prepare holiday feasts, consider a desensitization treatment to make your child less sensitive to food allergens. Look for chiropractors or doctors who specialize in enzyme therapy, food allergy elimination, or organ-specific detoxification. A caveat: these techniques won’t work overnight; it may take several months before you see any noticeable results.

Ask for support

Support from family and friends can make it easier for your child to stick to a diet but it’s likely that your relatives don’t understand why your child can’t just take a pill. When planning the holiday festivities, take time to educate them on the logic behind your child’s diet – certain food substances or ingredients influence brain activity and trigger hyperactive behavior, aggression, or inattention.

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?

An exciting new study from Perth’s Telethon Institute for Child Health Research may have just confirmed the link between ADHD and Western-style diets.  This study, which was published in the Journal of Attention Disorders, examined the dietary habits of 1,800 adolescents from the Raine Study, an ongoing long-term health research project. The Raine Study has been tracking the health and diet of these kids since they were born in the late 80s and early 90s.

The diets of the adolescents were classified into two groups. The “Healthy diet” group is characterized by high intakes of fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, and whole grains. This diet tends to be higher in fiber, folate, and omega-3 essential fatty acids.  The “Western-style diet” is characterized by fast food takeout, fried food, refined foods, and processed foods. This diet is higher in total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and refined sugar.  The dietary patterns were then compared to whether the individual received an ADHD diagnoses before the age of 14. In this study, 115 adolescents were diagnosed with ADHD – 24 girls and 91 boys.

After adjusting the data for other social influences, it seems that those in the Western diet group had double the risk of having an ADHD diagnosis compared to those who ate healthier foods. Lead researcher Dr. Wendy Oddy says, “When we looked at specific foods, having an ADHD diagnosis was associated with a diet high in takeaway foods, processed meats, red meat, high fat dairy products and confectionery.”  She also pointed out that the typical Western diet does not provide the essential micronutrients required for proper brain function, especially for tasks like concentration and attention. Not to mention that Western diets contain more artificial additives, flavors, and food dyes, which have been linked to the onset of ADHD in the past. Finally, Dr. Oddy suggests that impulsivity, a hallmark symptom of ADHD, may also lead to poor dietary choices like quick snacks.

Although the study was not able to determine a causal relationship (e.g. researchers are not sure if a poor diet leads to ADHD or if ADHD leads to poor dietary choices), there is definitely a link between ADHD and the typical Western diet.  Here’s a little experiment you can try: remove junk food, processed food, fast food, and fried food from your child’s diet for a week. Replace these with lots of green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, and non-processed meats.  Are there any noticeable improvements in behavior and overall symptoms?