Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are two of the most commonly diagnosed and treated mental health conditions in children. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
“ADHD is usually diagnosed in school-aged children, but it can continue to cause problems into adulthood. Researchers aren’t sure what causes ADHD. A few examples include your genes, the environment you live in, and your life experiences.”
Are there links between diet and disorders like ADHD?
Psychosocial interventions and medication for chemical imbalances are common ways to treat the symptoms of ADHD such as trouble concentrating, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. However, lifestyle changes are also important, so assessing your diet should be part of a multimodal approach.
As previously reported, processed foods do not deliver adequate nutrition, and what we eat impacts our mood and energy levels.Furthermore, research by the European Union’s Food Standards Agency (EFSA) showed a link between hyperactivity in children, artificial colors and the preservative sodium benzoate. As such products containing the suspect artificial colors now carry the mandatory label ‘May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children‘.
While North America tends to lag in such swift interventions in our food supply, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese did recently announce it will replace synthetic colors with natural sources like paprika, annatto and turmeric by January 2016. (meanwhile Annie’s Homegrown Mac and Cheese has always been free of artificial flavors, synthetic colors or preservatives).
Try an Elimination Diet
So how do you know if specific foods or additives are having a negative impact on your family’s health?
Dr. Andrew Weil says “the only reliable approach to determining food intolerances or sensitivities is to use avoidance and provocative testing – in other words, an elimination diet followed by a ‘challenge’ to see whether a suspect food really does set off a reaction.”
While treating illnesses should come under the direction of your healthcare practitioner, you could always see how removing certain foods from your diet makes you feel. The foods that accompany Dr.Terry Willard’s Wild Rose D-Tox are a great place to start. Replace wheat with whole grains like buckwheat, millet, and quinoa, and try removing sugars like cakes & cookies, candy, ice cream, soda, and juice from your diet for ten days and notice the effects.
Additional resources
If you, or a loved one have been diagnosed with ADHD there are a plethora of supportive resources from the Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada (CADDAC) to Canadian comedian Rick Green’s (remember the Red Green show!?) advocacy website TotallyADD. The Holistic Solution to ADHD might pique your interest as it features 30 experts on the subject and offers “mutually supportive tools” to manage the condition.
Come in and talk to our staff today about supplements to help treat ADHD.
