If you have attention deficit disorder or attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD), your well-being will depend on a lot of factors like the health of your bodily systems as well as exercise, a healthy diet and spirituality.
Exercise
Regular exercise can stabilize your sleep patterns and mood, factors that are usually ADHD- related symptoms. You need, though, to utilize a workout program that makes you sweat. This will help remove the toxins in your body that may be affecting the function your brain.
Diet
Following a good healthy diet is one truly effective way of treating your ADHD. For individuals with this condition, you may need to undergo a change in the kinds of food you eat. You can talk to a dietitian or a healthcare professional for advice. These professionals may perform a modification elimination diet wherein foods are taken out from the diet, and then served again one at a time to observe for any allergic reaction. Close supervision by the professional should be done in case of serious reactions that might entail medical attention.
For people with ADHD, they need to remove from their diet vetsin (monosodium glutamate) and other flavor enhancers, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, food colorings and refined sugar as well as any food intolerances like wheat and diary products. Removing them can have dramatic good results in the treatment of ADHD symptoms.
Dietary Recommendations for ADHD
Eat grass-fed, antibiotic and hormone-free, organic and high-quality meats.
Eat foods rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids or take supplements rich in this fatty acid. Studies have shown that boys with ADHD have substantially low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their body. Moreover, another study has shown that high intake of fish oil provided more benefits for subjects with ADHD compared to olive oil and flax oil.
Beans, spinach, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and foods loaded with magnesium can help lessen the symptoms of people with ADHD. These people tend to have a lower than normal magnesium level in their body. Interestingly, the symptoms of ADHD are quite the same as the symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Avail regularly of a high-quality magnesium supplement.
Foods loaded with zinc can also beneficially reduce the symptoms of ADHD. Children with ADHD have low levels of zinc. Taking in zinc supplements then can help provide enough zinc in the body and help stabilize a child’s behavior in the process. Foods that are rich in zinc include wheat germ, beans, milk, brewer’s yeast and red meat. Zinc is usually found in animal products and vegetarians should consider taking in a zinc supplement for their daily zinc requirement.
Avail of organic, raw fruits and vegetables that provide the body with important health enhancing antioxidants.
Include organic flax meal and other types of high-quality fiber to your diet. Organic flax meal is vital since it also contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
Consume extra virgin coconut oil and other healthy saturated fats to your diet.
Include seeds and sprouted nuts to your diet as they contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and protein.
Probiotics like kefir and yogurt can improve the efficiency and health of your gastrointestinal tract.
Purified room-temperature water is good drinking water for people with ADHD symptoms.
If you have ADHD, try to avoid these foods:
Caffeine – If you can’t completely avoid taking in caffeine, take in limited or moderate amounts of it. Too much caffeine can cause disruptions in the body systems that can aggravate your ADHD symptoms.
Fully or partially hydrogenated oils – These unhealthy types of oils are found in junk food, fast foods, deep-fried foods and processed food.
Vetsin or Monosodium glutamate – This flavor enhancer is an excitotoxin which damages the gilial and nerve cells causing ADHD symptoms
Nitrites – These are often found in processed foods like bacon, luncheon meats and hot dogs
Fish that are farm-raised – These type of fish are loaded with poisons like PCBs and are low sources for omega-3 essential fatty acids since they are fed on land-based diets. If you love to eat fish, eat wild Alaskan salmon instead.
Swordfish, mackerel and tuna ad other deep-sea fishes that can be contaminated with high concentrations of mercury – If you can find these types of fishes with low levels of mercury, choose them instead.
Sea-bottom dwellers like lobster, clams and oysters that may have high levels of mercury
Drinks that are laced with artificial sweeteners or sugar – These include carbonated soft drinks and fruit juices using refined sugar.
Foods containing poisonous sugar substitutes like aspartame – Splenda and aspartame have been known to trigger ADHD symptoms. XyloSweet may be a better natural sweetener than these two poisons.
All refined and simple carbohydrates – These include processed snack foods, crackers, cakes, cookies, pasta, white bread, white flour, etc.
Wheat products
Dairy products
Food preservatives and food coloring – These are prime suspected factors in the development of ADHD.
Other tips for treating ADHD:
If you have mercury fillings or dental amalgams have them replaced with mercury-free substitutes. A mercury-free dentist is the best specialist for the safe extraction of your mercury amalgam fillings.
You may be suffering from ADHD-like symptoms due to heavy metal toxicity which can cause a number of psychiatric and behavioral symptoms. Consult with your healthcare professional regarding heavy metal toxicity with your healthcare professional and see if you indeed suffer from it.
Studies have been done suggesting that a dysfunctional immune system can cause developmental problems like autism and ADHD. A dysfunctional immune system can affect a person’s neurological system. Consult with your doctor regarding NIDS or neuro-immune dysfunction syndrome.
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Phone: (727) 785-5950
www.palmharboracupuncture.com