While food doesn't cause attention deficit disorder it can make the symptoms much worse as well as counteract the effectiveness of certain medications. So the topic of attention deficit disorder food is an important one both from a behavioral management perspective as well a prescription medication perspective.
For years it was thought that food/diet caused ADHD and this conclusion was not surprising especially since foods such as simple carbohydrates and sugars produced symptoms that mimicked those found in ADHD children.
Simple carbohydrates metabolize rapidly in the body and produce a rapid outburst of energy. This is particularly troublesome for ADHD children with extreme hyperactivity who already are described as being driven by a motor. You yourself may have experienced that pick me up feeling only to crash and experience extreme hunger an hour or two later. The cause of this sensation is an overproduction of insulin. The solution is fairly straightforward, to substitute complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat, grains, and beans for processed cereals, white rice, pasta and white bread. Of course it may be hard to explain to your six year old why he is having whole wheat toast instead of that sugary processed cereal that he so loves.
Sugars also fall under the umbrella of simple carbohydrates and are important enough to justify some additional explanation. The insulin rush triggered by sugars such as glucose, sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, corn sweetener, fructose and maltose can be rapid and intense. Most ADHD children and adults alike find this rapid energy boost addicting. While the sugar rush is at its height the number of thoughts and ideas running through the ADHD child's brain increases dramatically masking some of the inattention while accelerating hyperactivity. But once the rush is over their inattention worsens along with a period of scattered thinking and possibly tiredness. Brain scans of ADHD children have found that activity increases dramatically in the area of the brain responsible for attention during the adrenaline high only to fall far below normal levels once the rush is over.
As a parent I know how difficult it can be to say no to the high sugar and high carbohydrate foods that your child craves. Even as adults sometimes it is difficult to resist that perfect cake with the perfect icing that is so prominently displayed during most birthday celebrations.
Attention deficit foods such as carbohydrates and sugars are poison are one of the worst things a child with can eat and healthy options which produce a more uniform release of insulin should be the ADHD food of choice.
In summary, it may not be possible to eliminate all attention deficit foods such as simple sugars and carbohydrates particularly since many times these ingredients are lost in label details or disguised under the guise of healthy. A prime example of this would be yogurt and bread. Certain yogurt brands contain 25% sugar with breads bordering on 15%.
Additionally, many parents of ADHD children have found in an unlikely area, homeopathic ADHD remedies. Rather than putting your
child's health at risk by giving them potent prescription drugs, try alternative ADHD remedies so you can help your child live a productive, symptom-free life safely and naturally.
For years it was thought that food/diet caused ADHD and this conclusion was not surprising especially since foods such as simple carbohydrates and sugars produced symptoms that mimicked those found in ADHD children.
Simple carbohydrates metabolize rapidly in the body and produce a rapid outburst of energy. This is particularly troublesome for ADHD children with extreme hyperactivity who already are described as being driven by a motor. You yourself may have experienced that pick me up feeling only to crash and experience extreme hunger an hour or two later. The cause of this sensation is an overproduction of insulin. The solution is fairly straightforward, to substitute complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat, grains, and beans for processed cereals, white rice, pasta and white bread. Of course it may be hard to explain to your six year old why he is having whole wheat toast instead of that sugary processed cereal that he so loves.
Sugars also fall under the umbrella of simple carbohydrates and are important enough to justify some additional explanation. The insulin rush triggered by sugars such as glucose, sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, corn sweetener, fructose and maltose can be rapid and intense. Most ADHD children and adults alike find this rapid energy boost addicting. While the sugar rush is at its height the number of thoughts and ideas running through the ADHD child's brain increases dramatically masking some of the inattention while accelerating hyperactivity. But once the rush is over their inattention worsens along with a period of scattered thinking and possibly tiredness. Brain scans of ADHD children have found that activity increases dramatically in the area of the brain responsible for attention during the adrenaline high only to fall far below normal levels once the rush is over.
As a parent I know how difficult it can be to say no to the high sugar and high carbohydrate foods that your child craves. Even as adults sometimes it is difficult to resist that perfect cake with the perfect icing that is so prominently displayed during most birthday celebrations.
Attention deficit foods such as carbohydrates and sugars are poison are one of the worst things a child with can eat and healthy options which produce a more uniform release of insulin should be the ADHD food of choice.
In summary, it may not be possible to eliminate all attention deficit foods such as simple sugars and carbohydrates particularly since many times these ingredients are lost in label details or disguised under the guise of healthy. A prime example of this would be yogurt and bread. Certain yogurt brands contain 25% sugar with breads bordering on 15%.
Additionally, many parents of ADHD children have found in an unlikely area, homeopathic ADHD remedies. Rather than putting your
child's health at risk by giving them potent prescription drugs, try alternative ADHD remedies so you can help your child live a productive, symptom-free life safely and naturally.
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