Whether inattention is part of your child’s ADHD, ASD, SPD or something else…think about dietary adjustments. There are a few easy and well recommended suggestions to tweak the diet to achieve improved focus and attention to task. For many, the concept of going on a full blown diet can be downright intimidating, but you can always make small adjustments and achieve some great gains.
As I make these suggestions to improve focus for the kids…think about making these adjustments in your own diet. Improve your attention and focus so that you can be in the best place mentally you can be.
What do we watch closely in our house and do our very best to eliminate?
Sugar, dye and artificial sweeteners. Sugar is not completely eliminated and we will go with real sugar before ever reaching for an artificial option. Dye…well, it sneaks its way in but we do our darndest to avoid it. We might as well be giving our boys crack cocaine the way they respond to dye.
Sugar. We eat it. Blood sugar levels rise quickly. Our body releases insulin to decrease the blood sugar. Then adrenaline jumps in. Blood sugar levels are now riding a roller coaster, up and down. This roller coaster results in increased aggression. Culprits? high-fructose corn syrup, honey and raw sugar.
Artificial Dyes. Toxins, plain and simple. Some people’s bodies eliminate these with ease, while others, like my children, do not. On the 4th of July, we stopped at a convenience store and picked up a bottle of V8 Splash, thinking it was a healthy option for the kids. We lean towards those vegetable fruit combos all the time, but not this brand. Within 10 minutes of consuming the drink, our 4 year old was so out of control, I thought his head would start spinning like in the exorcist. It was literally like someone gave him crack cocaine. I looked at the label, quickly scrolled to the tail end of the ingredients. Low and behold, the worst culprit of all, Red 40!
Ok, now…what to add to your diet via food or supplementation.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Supplement or add fatty fish, avocado, and nuts to the diet.
Green Tea. Caffeine helps to improve focus. Not like you want to jack your kids up on a cup of joe, but maybe a very diluted iced green tea in the morning will help achieve the same result without going over the top.
Protein. This one is important. Protein offers amino acids that make dopamine and serotonin in the brain. These neurotransmitters control mood and concentration. If your child is not getting enough protein, start thinking like a sneaky chef. Get it in there somehow.
Complex Carbs. Healthy carbs…the right carbs. This is a challenge for families who are moving away from whole grains to remove gluten from their diets. If you are not on a gluten restricted diet, make sure that the carbs in the diet are coming from rich whole grains.
Supplements to think about and ask your doctor about: Zinc, L-carnitine, iron, magnesium, Sam-e and Tryptophan.
As our GFCF Expert, Barrie Silberberg, has pointed out several times, look at an elimination diet. Is your child sensitive to a particular food? The concept behind this diet is to remove potential offenders from the diet and then slowly reintroduce them. If symptoms of decreased attention and lack of focus along with agitation occur, you have yourself a food sensitivity. Look to www.Feingold.org for more info.
Have you tried any of these with good results? If so, let us know!
About Tiffani Lawton, R.N.
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