Healthy Diet is a Good Choice for ADHD and ADD
Eating the Right Foods for Attention Hyperactivity Disorders
Oct 27, 2009
There is no denying that eating healthy has all kinds of benefits for both children and adults. Eating a diet that is nutritionally sound will help anyone who has been diagnosed with an illness or disorder, but is especially important for addressing hyperactivity and behavior in ADHD and ADD. There is a well-known connection between focus, behavior and and nutrition.
According to neurologist and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition Dr. Perlmutter, MD, organics are the best choice for feeding your children. He has written extensively on behavior and nutrition in his books, Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten and The Better Brain Book. Perlmutter suggests bypassing pesticides, additives, and toxins that are known to impair concentration and increase hyperactivity in some children. In his practice, Dr. Permuller focuses on nutrition as a means to treat ADHD and ADD and suggests using medications as a last resort.
Good Diet Choices for ADHD
There are a few simple ways to adjust a diet to incorporate nutrition as a focus for helping treat ADHD and ADD:
- Eliminate sugar. This is not old news but certainly has merit. Some suggest cutting sugar intake by up to 90%, which seems drastic but is very practical and better than removing all sweets, which might be more difficult to enforce.
- Reduce or eliminate fruit juices; they are just too sugary. If this is too difficult, try drinking the diluted waters that are flavored with a little juice. Be careful, though, as some contain preservatives or artificial sweeteners that are also detrimental. Look for water with only juice added.
- Reduce or eliminate dairy products. Use rice or almond milk and drink lots of water in place of milk. The Pediatric Association estimates that a large number of children have milk allergies.
- Avoid foods that have preservatives and food coloring.
- Eat raw, fresh fruits and vegetables frequently.
- Eat fish in moderation. While fish is a natural source of important fatty acids, which are shown to help with brain function and many other things, some fish can be contaminated with toxic mercury, which is detrimental to neurological-based disorders. Use only fish from deep waters in cold regions. Avoid farmed fish that are given lots of antibiotics and chemicals or fish from highly industrial cultures.
- Eat healthy proteins like lean meat, beans and legumes. Proteins help the neurotransmitters in the brain function better.
In addition to following a healthy diet, eating meals regularly, especially breakfast, is extremely beneficial for children and adults with ADHD. Eating breakfast restores energy reserves that have been depleted overnight and start the day with a full tank of nutritional brain fuel. Small, nutritional snacks between meals are helpful for keeping blood sugar elevated and help with focus.
According to well-known pediatrician and medical authority Dr. William Sears, nutritional studies linking diet, behavior, and school performance concluded that students who ate a nutritious diet showed improved behavior and academic performance. Dr. Sears also suggests that when it comes to eating healthy and helping treat attention and behavior, common sense prevails.
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