How To Know Which Foods To Avoid If Your Child Has ADHD

Author:

Robert William Locke

Nutrition and ADHD is a hot topic right now in the ADHD blogs and forums. You, as a parent will be paying more and more attention to the foods to avoid if you have an ADHD child.

Foods to avoid for ADHD can be summed up very easily - less sugar, salt and food colourings/additives. Let us look more closely at what this involves for a parent running a family with a thousand things to think about and remember. In the UK, there are far too many schools still serving fast food in the form of chips/French fries, pizza and sausages. In spite of Jamie Oliver\'s best efforts, there are not many schools which will serve fruit and vegetables, salads and other healthy snacks. That is the healthiest diet any child can have whether they have ADHD or not.

At home, it is best to avoid any instant food such as powdered soups which are bound to contain MSG (monosodium glutamate). This latter additive has a very high salt content.

Sugar itself does not cause hyperactivity but it can lead to spikes in glucose levels which will cause mood swings. Sugary foods to avoid if you have a child with ADHD child will range from sweetened yogurts, ice cream, chocolate, breakfast cereals, energy bars and any sweetened drinks. All sugars are not created equal and if you opt for honey that can be beneficial as the pollen it contains can help with allergies. Molasses also contain trace minerals and iron. Soda and pop are also to be avoided as the additives they contain have been shown to be a contributing factor to ADHD symptoms such as hyperactivity and inappropriate behaviour. The UK and the EU have how taken steps to ban these and some colourings from food products.

As well as thinking seriously about which foods to avoid if you have an ADHD child, you will also have to think of what kind of medication to help your child cope with ADHD symptoms. There are now more and more doubts being raised about ADHD meds which are basically psychostimulants. Medical authorities and experts now tell us that a combination therapy of medication, diet and behaviour therapy is the best approach. But which medication? Natural cures which use homeopathy for ADHD are now regarded as being more effective, safer and free from side effects. As well as the foods to avoid if you have a child with ADHD, why not think about which medications to avoid?

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/how-to-know-which-foods-to-avoid-if-your-child-has-adhd-849456.html

About the Author

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children\'s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available.

My Son Can\'t Focus - What Every Parent Needs To Know

Author:

Robert William Locke

What can have happened? What is in the environment, kids\' food that has made the number of cases of ADHD to skyrocket in the last ten years? These are really important questions. The most common symptom of ADHD is lack of focus and most parents of ADHD kids say \'my son can\'t focus\'.

The question of focus was even brought up recently in the British Parliament when an MP put forward some research which suggests that increased use of Internet could be a possible cause of ADHD. Why could this be true? More research needs to be done, obviously, but it has been pointed out that online relationships do NOT require a sensitivity to the inflection of the voice, eye contact, tone of voice or body language. Too much time online could mean that the child will not focus because of the ease of instant gratification obtained by the media. The same goes for texting and cell phones.

Many parents are unaware or simply forget that when they complain that \'my son can\'t focus\' they are forgetting the fact that sometimes hyperfocus comes into play and they forget about this. The fact of the matter is that kids with ADHD often have widely different levels of inattention and this can go from one extreme of complete inattentiveness to that of a hyperfocused state where the activity is so riveting for the child, that he becomes oblivious of everything else around him.

Often boring and necessary tasks like homework will have no appeal to the ADHD child because it does not give the instant gratification that other tasks or activities give, such as a movie or computer game. \'My son can\'t focus\' will not just include a lack of attention to detail or forgetting his schoolbag. It seems to be a much more complex issue.

When and if ADHD is diagnosed, there will be many types of treatment competing for your attention. You may not want to blast your child\'s brain with powerful mind altering psychostimulants such as Strattera and Ritalin which can have some nasty side effects such as chest pains, irregular heart beat, blurred vision, liver damage and sometimes even stunted growth. What about a homeopathic remedy which will use non addictive ingredients in a gentler remedy which will improve concentration, memory and will calm your child? The child will not focus will be a thing of the past. There are no side effects either. Soon, you will not be repeating the complaint that \'my son can\'t focus\'.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/my-son-cant-focus-what-every-parent-needs-to-know-1212955.html

About the Author

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children\'s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what natural ADHD medications are available.
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Inattentive ADHD- Three Action Points For Parents

Author:

Robert William Locke

Inattentive ADHD which is a subtype of ADHD is often under diagnosed for one very simple reason. The fact that hyperactivity is not the prominent symptom means that it often goes unnoticed. The inattentive ADHD child is quiet and daydreaming and this does not disturb the teacher or the class. Very often inattentive ADHD children sit at the back of the class which is another reason why it tends to get ignored.

The first action point is to determine whether you should seek a medical diagnosis. It is important that this should be done not before the age of four or five. Very often a child forgets things, is distractive and impulsive too, on occasions. It is when these symptoms start impinging on the child\'s home and school life that you should start to think of getting a diagnosis.

The second action point is to talk to the child\'s teacher and ask just what is the problem and what things the teacher has observed. Obviously, for this type of ADHD, if indeed it is eventually diagnosed, daydreaming will be most often mentioned. But there are other things to ask about too. For example, are there problems with instructions? Very often with this ADHD predominantly inattentive type, the frontal and parietal parts of the brain are affected although neurologists do not know exactly how or why. This is the part of the brain which is sort of an action or planning unit which helps us to organise and execute actions when we have to do them and how we should carry them out. This is often called executive functioning..

The third action point for parents, if inattentive ADHD type is diagnosed, is to consider carefully what type of medication will be the most suitable for their child. The problem with ADHD drugs and psychostimulants is that they often help with some of the symptoms of inattentive ADHD and may help the child to focus but the side effects and the long term risks need to be evaluated. The most important thing is that the parents and the school are concentrating on teaching the child skills whereby he or she can cope with tasks. Breaking the task down into smaller chunks is an obvious way to help.

Thousands of parents are no longer falling for hype about ADHD drugs and will have nothing to do with them. Why not find out what alternative treatments are available for the ADHD predominantly inattentive type?

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/inattentive-adhd-three-action-points-for-parents-909408.html

About the Author

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children\'s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what Natural ADHD treatment is available

Adhd Success Stories and Challenges

Author:

Robert William Locke

Success Stories

Parents of children with ADHD are often a bit worried that their children will be considered inferior and may well not be successful in life. There is a great debate at the moment about whether ADHD is to be thought of as a gift or as a challenge. Look at the famous people who have had ADHD:- Richard Branson, Ty Pennington, Charles Schwab and Whoopi Goldberg. They have been enormously successful.

Many people forget that the gift ADHD children possess in abundance is the ability to focus - I know some who can write extraordinarily well and I know others who can do certain things with great skill. Oftentimes they need to be guided and encouraged by their teachers and parents but they can and do make a go of it!

I have just seen press reports from New South Wales in Australia where doctors have seen a worrying surge in the number of psychostimulant drugs being prescribed for children with attention deficit disorder. Ritalin and Concerta, two popular drugs have seen an increase of almost 70 Figures are similar in the USA and in Britain.

Challenges

These medications for attention deficit have had a very bad press at times. They are NOT a cure for ADHD but rather will keep symptoms under control. Some good news is that in a recent study, no damage to the DNA or chromosomes which is normally linked to cancer was found in the children who took the trial. This was a very limited trial though, I must say.

Adult attention deficit disorders, on the other hand have had not much press at all and this is worrying. We all know the ADHD symptoms in a child. Did you know that between 1 and 2of the adults in America have problems in controlling their impulses and have great difficulties in concentrating ? Very often symptoms in adults are difficult to spot. Have you noticed yourself (or colleagues) who are easily distracted, are notorious multi-taskers, get extremely irritated when driving, have difficulty in remembering details and also may have even hourly mood swings? They could well be suffering from ADHD but very often this will go undetected and undiagnosed.

Medications for attention deficit and/or hyperactivity still pose problems. Those with heart conditions are likely to suffer from related cardio problems and even have high blood pressure. Add to that that there is often a suppression of appetite and you have a cocktail which will probably create more problems for the patient than they solve.

ADHD Help

Parents often seek an ADHD alternative therapy. Diet, exercise and changes in routine can all have a beneficial effect. The great advantage in using herbal or homeopathic remedies is that they have no side effects and sedation is not a problem either. Find out more about a natural cure for ADHD by clicking on the link below.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/adhd-success-stories-and-challenges-666540.html

About the Author

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children\'s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD.

Discover what ADHD Alternative Therapy is available.

ADHD Alternative Treatments - 4 Powerful Non-medical Treatments For ADHD

Author:

Abhishek Agarwal

The movement away from using stimulants and medication that includes stimulants for the treatment of ADHD has resulted in a growing market for alternative treatments. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has grown massively as a recognized illness in the past twenty years. What is surprising is that there is still a limited amount of treatments available which could be classed as \'alternative\'. What follows are four powerful non-medical treatments.



1. Brainwave Bio-feedback Training

2. Behavior Modification Therapy

3. Eating / Diet Interventions

4. Nutraceutical Medicines known as Extress and Attend



These therapies can be very helpful and give significant advantages in some situations. They are excellent when combined with the expertise of a counselor who has experience working with ADD and ADHD. Unfortunately many counselors will have little knowledge of working with people with these disorders.



'Attend' and 'Extress' have both been found to be superb substitutes for stimulant treatment medicines. Both of these are complicated procedures, engineered so as to achieve optimum efficiency in brain activity in individuals experiencing problems with concentration, with overcoming rage, with impulse control, with listening and paying attention, or with hyperactivity.



EEG Biofeedback training which is also known to many as Neuro feedback, has been around for at least twenty years. In that sense it may be seen by some as old technology, but it has not stood still in that time. With the development of super fast computers the technology has grown into a recognised alternative treatment for healing of ADD. And over the time it has taken to enhance the methods, a huge amount of study has taken place into EEG Biofeedback. There are many websites and a wealth of information available on this including EEG Spectrum, and other treatment alternatives are also documented well.



Eating plans and diet improvements can also have significant constructive effects on people with ADD or with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Even though we are reluctant to accept that this involvement can be applied as effectively overall as either Attend and Extress, or a session of EEG Biofeedback methods, we certainly do consider that each person with ADHD should try diet involvement.



A lot of people with ADD and ADHD will be assisted by nutritional supplements. Among the most effective supplements are often Essential Fatty Acids also often known as Omega Oils. It is also important to use supplementary minerals such as Zinc. The 'Attend' nutraceutical will provide the necessary fatty acids. You also get them in Borage Oil or Flax Seed Oil. They can in addition be found in fish, and you can just give your child more of tuna fish to eat.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/adhd-alternative-treatments-4-powerful-nonmedical-treatments-for-adhd-703338.html

About the Author

Abhishek has got some great ADHD Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 76 Pages Ebook, 'Understanding And Treating ADHD!' from his website http://www.Health-Whiz.com/67/index.htm .Only limited Free Copies available.

New Adhd Drug - Advantages and Drawbacks

Author:

Robert William Locke

What have Hitler\'s troops and ADHD children got in common? Well, they were/are both on amphetamines! The troops had to have energy to perform their \'blitzkrieg\' and the ADHD kids need them to focus. It is no secret that GIs in WWII were given amphetamines to combat fatigue. The ADHD psychostimulant drugs which contain amphetamine and dextroamphetamine are now getting a bad press because of their nasty side effects, especially as they can become addictive and lead to drug abuse. A new non-stimulant drug Tenex used for ADHD has now hit the scene.

Tenex and ADHD
Tenex is a drug for high blood pressure which helps the arteries to relax allowing the heart to beat more easily. Basically the drug acts on the prefrontal cortex of the brain and lessens the impact of incoming stimuli, thus helping the patient to focus much better. It has been estimated that up to 30of children on ADHD psychostimulants have problems with their side effects and therefore Tenex used for ADHD seems to be a valid alternative. . You may see it advertised as Guanfacine or Dipresan in countries outside the USA.

Side Effects of Tenex
Of course Tenex has side effects which range from drowsiness, headache, constipation, feelings of weakness, dry mouth and feeling dizzy. There are also reports of heart rate slowing down (even below 60 beats a minute) which can be quite alarming for a child. Sometimes blood pressure can oscillate between very high and very low. In addition, children have reported the sensation of their throat closing and a swelling of the tongue and lips. Hives, depression and a feeling of fatigue complete the picture! This drug has been used also to rehabilitate drug users who find that the slowing of the heart rate helps them in their withdrawal symptoms. Tenex used for ADHD could be the usual two edged sword.

The jury is still out on Tenex and ADHD and understandably so ! It seems that we are replacing one set of side effects with another. The fact that it is a non-stimulant drug does not matter. What matters is that the side effects may cause more problems than it solves. Because of this, many parents refuse to go down the ADHD medication road and especially that of Tenex used for ADHD as it is a relatively new drug and the long term effects are uncharted waters. They are looking for alternative ADHD remedies which are non-addictive, safe and above all free from side effects. The link below will answer all your questions about this treatment so that you can make an informed choice.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/new-adhd-drug-advantages-and-drawbacks-762686.html

About the Author

Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children\'s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD. Discover what ADHD Alternative Therapy is available.

Autistic Children And Music - Good Activities For Children With Autism

Author:

Autism Advisor

Autistic Children And Music

Here\'s select fine and fun activities suggestions for autistic children:

1. You could play with him in a swimming pool. Make a splashing game or a kick game. Get some clear pool toys or beach toys covet beach ball, floating rings, etc. Sing a song so he could easily swim with the beat and feel relax. Remember to keep a good eye on the child additonally in a pool. Autistic Children And Music

2. In a class, you could print out some pictures of eating, sports, going to the bathroom, sleep and everything that may happen in his daily life. Let him make a schedule for himself, he should like this activity, because children with autism take constant schedules very seriously. And if the schedule they followed everyday is broken, it will ruin their day badly.

3. Big tupperware items filled with rice or beans will be fun, you can put little toys in them and have the autistic child put his hand into the rice or beans to find them. The game could make a mess, but they would love it.

4. Sensory play is widely suggested, too. You could take the child to a children\'s museum if there\'s one nearby. Commonly, there will be something that could interests the child.

5. Structured activities with a clear start, middle and end are always good for children with autism because they like rules, organization and structure. Gymanasitics is a common game that autistic children do well at since there is less reliance on language(children with autism often have little communication skills) but a lot of motor movement and imitation. Autistic Children And Music

6. If music can calm the child down, you can introduce different instruments to him, with some music playing gently in the background. You can let him beat a drum and learn different rhythms.

7. There are some therapeutic horse riding groups that you can participate in, children can learn to feed and take care of horses in their lessons.

8. Every child with autism is different, you should find out his likes and dislikes and continue to do the things he seems to enjoy. Autistic Children And Music

Hope this helpful! Don\'t let your love ones suffer anymore! Lead them out through Autistic Children And Music program now!

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