Secrets for Conquering Attention Deficit Disorder, Naturally

At this time of the year, children are back in school. This means the fun of getting new school supplies, reuniting with classmates, and the almost inevitable uptick of newly diagnosed cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If you have a child, or grandchild with ADHD, you know just how significantly it can hinder learning.

While the exact cause of ADHD is unknown, most agree that there’s a genetic component because ADHD tends to run in families. There’s also research on environmental issues—such as lead, mercury, thimerosol, DDT, and PCBs—and their effects on the developing brain that can result in ADHD.

There’s also ongoing debate as to whether or not ADHD is over-diagnosed, and consequently, stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Dexedrine are over-prescribed. While I’m sure that medications may help in some cases, I also know that there are more natural, less potentially harmful ways to treat this condition.

If a child or grandchild in your life has been diagnosed with ADHD, here are some natural solutions that can help:

• Eliminate all sugar and gluten from the diet.
• Read labels: eliminate/avoid boxed and canned foods with long lists of chemical names for product preservation as well as “farm-raised” products that contain dyes, etc. 
• Select “organic” and “all-natural” food products.
• Eat a diet rich in raw foods. Also include yogurt, whole fruit (organic juice or juice made from fresh, organic fruit in juicer), and eggs with DHA.
• Harness the power of music therapy. Listen to Mozart and have the child use headphones to drown out distractions and provide an object to “fiddle with” to help with focusing and concentration.
• Give the child a good multivitamin and mineral formula containing: folic acid (400 mcg), B2 (2 mg), B5 (pantothenic acid, 10 mg), B6 (pyridoxine, 4 mg), vitamin C (200 mg), vitamin E (100 IU) and the minerals calcium (500 mg), chromium (100 mg), copper (1 mg), magnesium (200 mg), and zinc (15 mg).
• Supplement with fish oil: up to 2 g daily.

Now it’s your turn: Have you found a solution that helps with ADHD?

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