Primal diet may reduce ADHD symptoms page

[cavemanj]

Kind of interesting...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20110204...ceadhdsymptoms

[newlyprimal]

As a mum with an ADHD son, the article was very interesting. I would like my ten year old to eat primal but he is a very fussy eater and not very open minded. Today is a saturday and weekends at home with him are so challenging that it gets very tempting to reach for the cake/bread/ milkchocolate. If I were a smoker I would have a 2 pack a day habit to control my nerves. Since I dont smoke, I have overeaten for emotional reasons, and to preserve my sanity, for years instead. Any other parents with kids who drive them nuts ? (macadamia of course)

[it1958]

As a mum with an ADHD son, the article was very interesting. I would like my ten year old to eat primal but he is a very fussy eater and not very open minded. Today is a saturday and weekends at home with him are so challenging that it gets very tempting to reach for the cake/bread/ milkchocolate. If I were a smoker I would have a 2 pack a day habit to control my nerves. Since I dont smoke, I have overeaten for emotional reasons, and to preserve my sanity, for years instead. Any other parents with kids who drive them nuts ? (macadamia of course)

mama newlyprimal - I want to encourage you to change your son's eating. Primal is not just for us adults in order to lose weight. Primal is a way of eating FOR LIFE FOR LIFE! in other words, it is for every body, for every day, to live!!! Remember, he is the child and you are the parent. At age 10, the only food available to him should be what you provide (ask MY 10-yo as she opens the cupboards looking for CARB-based meals! Poor thing!)...

When I started this WOE (way of eating) just over a year ago, I started also changing the eating habits of my children. Yes, I got grief. I STILL get grief. But it is so encouraging to hear my 14-yo DD tell me of health improvements she has seen lately. She did a little test of consuming 2 eggs for breakfast one day with a piece of toast (prepared the Nourishing Tradition way: soaked grains). She was hungry by 11 am. The next day, she ate the 2 eggs w/NO bread. We had our workout before lunch and she was getting hungry just as lunch time (1230) was rolling around... Grains seem to be the devil!

I'm also reading "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" and it says this about ADHD: "the typical American b-fast consists of cold cereal, bread, jam, pastries, and sweet juice is a recipe for ADD. Such foods provide few nutrients and rapidly flood the bloodstream with sugar, resulting in a letdown an hour or two later. More than any other organ, the brain needs sugar in the form of glucose, so when our blood sugar drops after the morning rush brought on by low-fat, high-sugar foods, distraction and fuzzy thinking inevitably result. Instead, assure a steady supply of glucose by eating not sugar but fats, which slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. A good high-fat b-fast...ensures even energy though out the morning... Anyone with ADD must avoid all trans fats. Research has demonstrated that trans fats promote ADD/ADHD in children." (pg 141)

[krassi]

I've think I've heard multiple times that diet can significantly affect ADD/ADHD

[Dr. Bork Bork]

I have adult ADD (though have probably had it all of my life). That's one of the reasons I was excited about PB. It promised new mentally clarity & focus. I'm kind of a cross between Hammy from Over The Hedge & Dory from Finding Nemo. Still waiting for the magic to happen.

[Christina]

My 10 year old son has ADD (no hyperactivity) and we're trying to treat it through diet and supplements. It's a challenge, as he has some sensory issues that contribute to his picky eating habits. As he's getting older it's getting much easier to get him to try new things. We still have a long way to go though.

[Sue]

What supplements are you using?

[SophieE]

I had ADD as a kid and still have it as an adult. Since going primal I've definitely noticed increased mental clarity (less thoughts flying all over the place) and more ability to remain productive throughout the day rather than just watching tv or surfing the net.

Also on the days I take my ADHD medication (not so primal...) I experience way less side effects. When I wasn't primal, noises would "scream" and me and inanimate objects seemed to have intentions (Haha i swear Im not crazy but it makes you really anxious and on edge.) When I take my medication now I also feel like I have more ability to switch between tasks whereas before it would take a hell of a lot of momentum to get me started on something new. Obsessive compulsive behavior while on medication has also reduced, increasing productivity because I don't need everything to be excessively perfect. I feel like I have less attentional "tunnel vision."

Of course, I don't think this will make much sense to anyone without ADD!!

Parents with kids with ADD: seriously, get your kids on this diet. I really wish I would have found it earlier. I feel like when my brain was more malleable as a child that I would have developed more organizational and motivational skills that I'm limited in developing as an adult.

[Knifegill]

I am even more alert now that I'm properly fed! Unless it's the BPA from my daily fish...

[paleo_hailey]

I've just made a connection I've never thought of before. My best friend as a child had severe ADHD. In fourth grade, he was "cured" because his mom cut all the bread out of his diet. I remember her going on the local news to talk about it... she thought it was one of the preservatives in the bread that was causing the problem. Now I wonder if it was just the bread?

I've heard many, many families who got good results with ADHD by cutting out all sources of sugar. It isn't that much of a stretch that grains might have similar effects on these children.