Natural Remedies for ADHD and ADD

ADHD:

Daycare wanted to drug my son when he was 3. Want to know the ironic thing? Hillary Clinton referenced his daycare in her book, "It Takes a Village." I fought tooth and nail. I finally gave in and put him on ritalin, dexadrene (sp), concerta, strattera. These are all of the drugs I tried on him at different times. Needless to say my son almost died in the ER of an overdose. It's funny because it was supposed to be a "low dosage". You trust your doctor and do what they say because it is good for you right? WRONG! I didn't know any better.

I took my son's life and well being into my own hands. First I had to acknowledge the fact that I needed to have a spine and stop giving him empty threats. I let him get away with anything because I would get to the point where I was just so tired from working all day- I couldn't parent. I needed a break. I wouldn't follow through with things, etc. When I did he was just his bouncing self. I finally set rules, followed through, and there were consequences. Do not join CHADD. They are funded by drug companies. They will think you are a freak for not putting your kid on meds. I got absolutely no support there. I got pamphlets on why I should give my kid a pill. I do not believe they are there to support you. They are there to push drugs. Follow the money if you don't believe me.

First thing I did was watched Dr. Fred Baughman's video on ADHD. You can purchase that at www.adhdfraud.org - I bawled when I watched it. Completely amazing. It is worth every penny. You might be able to find it free online if you search well enough. You have to watch this video before you do anything else.

#2. I read every page and watched all of the YouTube videos of Steve Plog, founder of www.resultsproject.net - READ EVERY PAGE.

#3. I got my son a lab test from Steve Plog's site for delayed food allergies. Delayed food allergies are different from your classic food allergies. My son was allergic to everything I was feeding him. Wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, beef, all citrus, peanuts. We had to do research on a wheat free gluten free soy free dairy free diet. No, he was not a celiac but we had to say that so schools would adhere to his dietary needs, but we started packing lunches anyway. You have to change your lifestyle and we did. That is what prompted me to go vegan but that is another story. He still eats chicken and loves bacon. The best book I found for making him goodies like pizza, breads, and cakes was by Cindy Moseley "Great Foods Without Worry". It was my saving grace.

#4. I read everything on the drugging of children on www.spice-of-life.com - Click on "Articles" and read.

#5. I absolutely cut out pop, all juice "drinks", anything with Splenda, Sweet N Low, NutraSweet--ANYTHING WITH ASPARTAME. Wanna know why? Because it is cancer! A sweet slow death. Don't believe me? Go read www.dorway.com and see for yourself. I get all of the drink things from www.steviasmart.com - He absolutely LOVES the chocolate drink. And what do we do without dairy? We drink rice milk and almond milk. Stop cooking with vegetable, soy, corn, canola, and animal fat oils. Cook with extra virgin coconut oil instead. Read up online about the benefits of extra virgin coconut oil. My favorite is http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm

#6. Find a doctor who does not believe in drugging children (I know that seems hard but they are out there). Look for alternative doctors. Call around and ask around.

#7. You wean your kid off drugs. It is your responsibility. I am not a doctor, but I have lived almost 9 years of hell.

It is against the law for a teacher to reccommend that you drug your kid. If any teacher tells you to get meds. Ask her if she is a doctor. Tell her it is illegal to practice medicine without a license and that she could be fined and arrested for that.

I have slowly introduced certain foods back into my son's diet. The only things that makes him go through the roof are soy and beef.

I put my son on 2 - 250 mg pills of L- Tryptophan (NOW brand)and give him 2 time released melatonin (Source Naturals) pills every morning. He gets another dose at school before lunch. I pulled him out of regular schools and got him into a private school. He is a normal kid, just like everyone else. He also takes a daily vitamin at night. I have a flourishing 9 year old boy now in the 3rd grade. He also gets flax seed oil from www.omeganutrition.com -

Don't ever let anyone convince you to drug your child. You are the parent and you know what is best. Set rules and boundaries. Kids that are "over active" need structure, routine, rules, consistency, and boundaries. Even kids that aren't "over active" do. Let your kids be kids but be their parent.rnrnIf you have any questions feel free to post under me and I will check back to answer them.

P.S. My son in a public school was sent to the office every day. His scores were passing on his report cards. This year in a private school, and last year... he took his Iowa Test of Basic Skills tests. Everything except LISTENING SKILLS were at almost a 5th grade level. So, for anyone to tell me that I am crazy.... you can stick it where the sun don't shine for all I care. I have living proof that what I did with my own son works. Different strokes for different folks. I do not believe in ADHD. I believe in drug companies making a profit off kids being kids. Follow the money.

There are studies showing Pine Bark extract improves ADHD in children (study link below). I started taking it myself and it has helped me concentrate and focus better as I've been feeling all over the place these past few years...can't get my act together, forgetful/terrible memory, brain fog, not organized. I supplemented and after a week or so (not right away) I started noticing changes. I was able to stick with tasks longer and finish them...I was doing things faster without getting distracted anymore. My overall focus was so much better! I would get through my lists so quickly. I could also remember people's names again! I've always been horrible with names...to the point where it's embarrassing (b/c I really know some of these people). Walking my child through orientation I was remembering the names of kids I haven't seen in several years...that was a shock to me.

And it's so subtle. You remember like you never had forgotten it...not a lightbulb eureka moment where you have to concentrate and finally have it...but rather it's just there as if you never forgot it. Basically, I forgot I was bad at names. Not until the 4th time and suddenly I realized...wait, how are all these names coming to me?? Also you have energy but you don't feel wired or anything, like with caffeine. Suddenly you're just focused...but in a normal way...like how you're supposed to be! I was quite pleased. It's more of a feeling of blocks being lifted...rather than a stimulant creating these scenarios if that makes sense.

PBE has also been shown to alleviate anxiety and improve test scores in college kids. I take 1/8 tsp in a capsule each day. I bought the loose powder an fill my own 00 capsules. My son has ADD, OCD and anxiety (I believe caused by heavy metals) and I plan to start him this week as school begins (but I wanted to test it on myself first for any side effects).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16699814

Incidentally, I originally discovered Pine Bark Extract (PBE) b/c I was searching natural ways to lighten to lighten melasma (and then stumbled upon the ADHD research). PBE has been shown to lighten is successfully. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12237816

It's my deepest belief that ADD/ADHD is caused by heavy metals in the brain and ultimately these kids (and adults) need to be detoxed from them. This is why many kids w ADD/ADHD are deficient in zinc and magnesium...because heavy metals are the "heavier" of these good/bad metals and thus displace these lighter good metals/minerals out of our body.

I told a wellness business owner (previously a pharmacist until she converted to natural health medicine) that I'd like to test my system for heavy metals and she said "sure, I will give you a full spectrum vitamin/mineral test to see if you're mineral deficient". I said 'why"? She said...if minerals are low it's well-known that it's b/c they're being displaced by heavy metals in the body. I held off on the test in order to research this myself...and sure enough I found it to be true. (Heavy metal detox should be done carefully and slowly so I'm still in the research phase in order to detox my son...he had an amalgam cap and vaccines.)

Heavy metals also cause leaky gut...so it's important to detox and heal the gut btw. Interestingly...in you search on earthclinic for Ted's ADD & ADHD remedies...he recommended things like magnesium and zinc, probiotics (that heal the gut) and selenium, NAC, ALA which detox the body of heavy metals.

I believe Pine Bark helps with focus and concentration b/c its a powerful polyphenol that boosts glutathione which is critical in detoxing heavy metals. Here's a study showing an increase in glutathione (GHS) in children with ADHD by taking pine bark extract. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16984739

The moment he was born he showed aggression and the midwives said "We've never seen a baby do that before". My son has adhd. It seemed as if the lights were on, but nobody was home for his first 11 years, we couldn't seem to get through to him. He's 27 now. I did the diet, did the ritalin, did the chiropractor, did everything. Somehow, I knew that preserving his self esteem was paramount. In class he failed, with friends he failed, with family he failed. We had to get some success into his life. We tried a few things and found acting was what he could succeed at, others admired him. He took to computers and was the 'expert', others admired him. His diet was clean, that was a biggie that actually helped all of us in the long run. We decided to forgo the ritalin. I had to become an expert in child rearing, long before the Nanny gave us a few pointers. I was his advocate, having a few standups with doctors and teachers who didn't believe ADHD existed at that time. He's turned out a sociable, happy young man. He still can't organise his way out of a paper bag, which brings a few work related problems, but if his bosses can work out his strengths and use them, then he becomes their most valued employee. Same with his flatmates, if they can ignore the mess, he's great fun to live with.

My mum and sister have ADHD, and so do a lot of my friends (I'm the only one who understands them and will be their friend). As far as I'm concerned, ADHD is simply a variation of normal. Nature makes a variety of people so that we can survive. When war, tsunami, earthquake or hurricane hits, who is out there first on the front line with fearless and boundless energy? Not me.... Them. We need them. Don't try and fix what ain't broke, just manage them, small doses helps!

I agree. I am on Adderall right now as both Adderall & Ritalin are both supposed to be the best medications thus far, in order to treat ADHD/ADD. I have it really bad too. This is why I had never done well in school at all and it is upsetting. Especially when I look back on all of those years in the 80's when it was not properly diagnosed or even known of as far as I know anyhow. Because of it, I have barely made it through life to where I could have a semi decent life. I have a decent job but it could have been a lot better had someone known what was wrong early on. In my opinion, I feel that both Ritalin and Adderall are too strong for a child to be taking. If they are on it, I hope that they start out on the smallest dosage possible. I wish that I knew of a natural cure for it rather than taking over the prescription medication. However, I will tell you what would have helped me. If I had a parent that gave me a lot of love, attention and moral support when I was young. I think that it helps to also slowly involve your children on activities very early on because having some type of self esteem and support from parenting would have helped a lot. My mother took care and raised 2 daughters on her own. Therefore, that just unfortunately did not happen. I also grew up in the 80's when ADHD was not well known. Everyone thought that I was just hyper active and did not listen. To this day that still bothers me when people accuse me of not focusing, listening, paying attention. I would if I could and I would also do better around people who have a little bit of patience and understanding. If I feel like this in my adult life, can you imagine how a child must feel? It's really a sad thing to have to go through folks. Love, be patient and encouraging to the children who have this. Encouragement from a young age will help a lot. I feel that this also causes low self esteem as it makes you feel like everyone thinks that you aren't smart or good enough because they just so not understand what ADHD/ADD is all about. Especially children that do not have it. Support, Encouragement, sports and/or some type of school activity(s) and attention would help a child A LOT, who is suffering from this a this type of disorder. Trust me, I'm 48 years old and I've been there and know that I would have done a lot better if I had those things from a parent. I scored an 80 on my test for ADHD. I could relate to every single question. Even the ones that did not pertain to me. It's difficult even when you get older but could be a lot better with age with what I had mentioned above. Thanks so much for listening to my two cents worth of advice. I apologize that this is so lengthy and the fact that I really do not have any natural remedies to apply here other than a good night sleep and what I had mentioned above. Good Luck To All Of You and thanks for taking the time to read this. V.V.B

The Doctor wanted to put my son on ADHD medicine when he was 4 years old, I almost fainted I told him I would have to think about it, but I knew there was no thinking about it that was not going to happen I would have to find another way. This was in 1978 so I went straight to the library after about 3 hours I wasn't finding anything and then it hit me like a ton of bricks it had to be what he was eating. AT THAT MOMENT everything changed I pulled everything that was processed, sugared, refined or had artificial flavoring or colorings in it and got rid of it. He had whole grain cereal fruit and fruit juice in the morning all he wanted. fish,eggs salad,fruit juice in the afternoon and chicken, green vegetables and whole grain bread with real butter for dinner fruit and fresh veggies were always available at anytime.He had no difficulty with dairy so that was always there.He had a marked improvement in 24 hours and I don't know if people realize how much food dye is in kool-aid just removing that will make a difference but removing sugar and processes food for 48 hrs will show a big difference in kids. He is 34 now and I can still tell weather he has been eating right or junking it up. I tell everybody I know with small children if you cant make big changes remove food dyes, processed food and sugar. I know its hard to cook like that I used to cook everything on Sunday and freeze it and pull it out as needed you will get the hang of it after a while. I was hard when he started school because he would slip up sometimes but if I kept everything else in range it was manageable. There were no food allergies.

I myself am ADHD and have been taking ACV three times a day (for weight loss) and I noticed it made me calmer and made me want to fall asleep.

Rubigirl, magnesium deficiency has been linked to ADHD (do some research on that). Kids given magnesium have geat results. Iodine deficiency as well has been linked to ADHD.

I read recently that for kids with autism the parents first reach for magnesium and iodine to supplement the kids with.

I agree about the tryptophan and potatoes, but not fried versions of potatoes. If we could just get people to eat whole foods (baked potatoes) with tryptophan that would help them sleep. Regardless, here are the necessary things to help those with ADD/ADHD (I am a dietitian):

1. Stop blood sugar spikes by eating a diet high in protein with complex - not simple - carbs.

2. Get more fatty acids, especially omega 3's (EPA, DHA) from fish & seeds

3. Keep iron levels up. Most people, even professionals, are unaware of the important role iron plays in controlling ADHD symptoms. Studies show that those with ADHD tend to have lower levels of ferritin, so be sure to eat enough meat, poultry, fish, beans, dark leafy greens & get your levels checked to see if you need supplementation.

4. Have your Dr.check your zinc & magnesium levels because about 25% of those with ADHD tend to have low levels. Zinc regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine & helps improve the brain's response to dopamine. Magnesium helps make various neurotransmitters involved in attention & concentrations, plus it has a calming effect on the brain.

5. Cut out the chemicals. The UK recommends that parents remove sodium benzoate & 6 different artificial food coloring agents from the diet. Check labels & remove foods that are brightly colored such as Gatorade, & brightly colored cereals like Fruit Loops or Lucky Charms.

6. Watch for food sensitivities. The most common are artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame), dairy, wheat/gluten, soy, high fructose corn syrup/too much sugar.

These methods don't work for everyone, but they have been shown to reduce symptoms in many with ADHD, so it's worth a try!

Jus wondering if ACV will help my sons with their learning troubles of adhd and add deficeit.. I have started to take if for the weight loss part of it.. And I rather like it.. But.. They have been medicated for soo long with the troubles.. If I could find a way to mask the smell and the taste.. They would drink it like juice I would hope... pls get back to me thank you ..

hi all, for about 2 years we have been trying different treatment for my grandson who has adhd, every since he started school he has had a hard time staying on track. We have had to remove him several times from class, because he was so distracting to the other kids. We have tried several treatments short of ridilin. I feel that drug is not for young children. The side effects are horrible. So in my quest I have come across vetiver oil. We have had him on it for a few days now and it is like night and day, I just cant believe it. It is like he is a totally different child. He just inhales the fumes a few times a day, and I rub some under his chin at night. It is just unbeliveble!!!! Just thought I would share this with those of you out there at the end of your rope. Who refuse to let your child be put on those drugs!

Hi this is Mehernosh. I am father of a wondeful daughter Nicole. She has aspergers and adhd ,we live in Mumbai

presently i am getting postiive results with

for ADHD:
Omega 3/6/9
Evening primrose oil
flax seed oil
sankpushpi( indian herbal mix for brain tonic )
Panchamrut( Indian Aruyvedic with Amla + bel patta etc)

For Aspergers:
Epsom salt cream massages
Lots of Vitamin C( I give Chyvan prash ) this also has amla

Flax seed oil is main thing + fish oil , I use natural Organic honey to make every thing sweet so she can drink same

God Bless you all , please consult your naturopath before doing any thing I my self first try treatment on my self

my daughter and I both are on Eggs and vegetable diet

WARNING!

I was diagnosed with ADHD with my severity level being somewhere around the 97th or 98th percentile while in college--studying psychology, ironically enough. I was part of a research study where cat scans and brain imaging was used to "map" the brains of the participants after different interventions. The researcher at my school and I began discussing the different results and I was surprised when she told me coffee would help people with ADHD. Often ADHD's underlying cause is a lack of functioning neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft of the neuron responsible for passing along information. Basically--there aren't enough little message carriers making it to their destination--the next neuron. So, the message that came from the original brain neuron intended for another brain neuron will often stop before it reaches the final destination. It's sort of like the neuron short circuiting and stopping temporarily--the signal gets lost. (I wish I could draw a diagram on here--it's how I finally understood it! ) Ritalin, Concerta, and many other ADHD "medicines" are really just stimulants. They work the same way coffee does. Basically, they stimulate the neurons to release more neurotransmitters than they are used to--which helps the message get to where it needs to.

However, some research in its infancy is starting to show that these stimulant drugs (and coffee falls into this category) can do more harm than good in the long run. Yes, the child may be sitting still right now, but with repeated stimulation of the nervous system comes issues. That means that the neurons are being overworked and overstressed constantly. In addition, your body has to process out much more stimulant than it is used to. Think about it--if you overstimulate your pituitary glad for too long, what happens? It breaks down. While much more research needs to be done on these effects, using caffeine and other stimulants to treat ADHD may not be the best idea.

My ADD has improved drastically with Progesterone as seen in the lumosity score attached.

This comes from Dr Michael E. Platt's book, the miracle of bio-identical hormones. I was skeptical too, which is why I strongly urge everyone to read this book! I have looked for 24 years for something this powerful.

As per Dr Platt's recommendations, I also removed sugar, simple carbs (I only eat carbs with resistant starch now), and I eat vegetables every 3-4 hours for brain-powering glucose AND I use coconut oil for frying. I eat a small serving of veggies right before sleep. And when I can afford it, I top each serving of veggies with brain octane (MCT oil).

I keep cole slaw and/or salads prepped and ready to eat at all times, for convenience.

For the love of all that is good, I urge everyone to read the book and just try it! A 20$ bottle of naturally-derived progesterone (from wild mexican yam) has done more than anything else that I have tried!

I used coffee with my 10 year old son who has mild adhd. It worked a miracle - a difference between manageable and unmangeable. I have since found out that coffee for adhd is a common advice in Germany and is recommanded by many doctors before going down the ritalin route. My son has one or two cups a day. However, if he eats anything with food colouring in it he is terrible for two days. He is otherwise on a immaculate diet free of any additives etc.

My son has been taking Melatonin for almost 4 years now. He is now taking up to 6 mgs at age 10 and he sleeps great and has had no side effects. He is ADHD and never slept well thru the night before melatonin. It really makes a difference in his behavior as well. I would strongly recommend it.

Hi August, It doesn't sound as if you've tried that hard regarding your ADHD. And I disagree with you. I don't have ADD/ADHD but have dealt with plenty of people who do. I know for certain diet can make a huge difference and exercise. I have seen the results in students of mine and family members. Personally, I think staying away from medication is always the first and best solution in trying to find answers. In this case, especially since alternatives can have a profound effect on this issue. I have spoken to some of my students who were put on medication and they have told me how strange it makes them feel and they'd rather not take it and have opted out of it. Some have said that dancing on a regular basis is what helps them control it. Without it, they feel completely scattered. Obviously, dance is a form of exercise.

And your argument for medication, "had it been dangerous, healthcare professionals wouldn't have thought of prescribing it in order to save their ass. " doesn't hold up at all. Witness all the medications handed out daily by the thousands and the disclaimers then attached to them! Also, for the most part, everyone who comes on this forum is actually looking for choices outside of turning to medications, surgeries, etc. You might want to ponder on this. Lisa

I just came here after reading a NYtimes article describing parents who administer ADHD drugs to kids who don't have the disorder. They do this to improve grades... There can be some serious side effects to these medications. Some are, after all amphetamines. The article I read describes one side effect one young boy suffered: he saw people and heard voices that were not there.

Here's a list of things I do, and I find they help.

1. Work out every day. Even if you just jump up and down til you sweat.

2. No MSG _ever_; this will only exacerbate problems. This means no yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable/soy/other proteins, etc. There are sites where you can find lists of MSG type substances.

3. Make sure you get enough proteins - but try not to use processed foods (sausages, fast-food burgers, pre-prepared meats, etc. are all usually inferior and usually contain a flavor enhancer akin to MSG).

4. Very important!! : Consider a creatine supplement; find your dosage. I don't know how this works, but it helps a lot.

5. Take Phosphatidyl Serine. You can get soy or sunflower based. It doesn't work right away, but has a long-term healing sort of effect.

6. Supplement with a good B complex, Magnesium (I use a glycine complexed magnesium, not oxide), and omega 3 fats. It is important to get enough vitamin D3, so maybe a supplement is a good idea.

7. This one is important!!! : A little before any mental struggle, take 500mg acetyl-l-carnitine. This really helps enhance my problem-solving capacity, and focus. The benefit is enduring. I cannot say enough about this one. I can feel my brain making new connections, my focus and memory retention are better, I think faster. It is amazing. Make sure the acetyl-l-carnitine is pharmaceutical grade.

8. Before bed, drink about a tbsp of good quality gelatin in broth or hot milk (even coconut/rice/almond milk - I don't drink soy milk b/c my body doesn't like it). I like to put barley sugar in milk, or even make some cocoa. Yes, it has sugar so it is not the best thing for you, but I find malted milk very comforting! This really improves quality of sleep, and seems to regulate mood. If you use broth, make sure there is no MSG or MSG analogue in the ingredients list.

9. Apart from all this, I take cod liver oil vitamin k2 every day, eat lots of fruits and veggies, and make sure to get enough vitamin C.

In the 1960's my brother was diagnosed with ADHD. Caffeine was his first choice to help him, in real ADHD patients, they react to sedatives as if it is speed, and anything that causes a normal person, to be hyper caused him to calm down, coffee has been a big help in my family to my brother, and cousins and nephews. It's only part of their therapy, but it helped keep them off ritalin and other strong drugs. A cup in the morning before school and it helped alot with my brother, during the morning etc.

Actually, for adults with ADHD.... Potatos & Potato Chips Are AWESOME!!! They have Tyrptophan... So it helps my insomnia... I sleep so much better when I eat them before bed. Eggs have it also.... Americans have it all wrong... They eat hash browns & eggs for Breakfast... When actually they should be eaten as a Bedtime Snack.

When I was a kid I there was no label for this but they recognized that some kids had these issues-sometime the problem is not the child but what they are learning-they are not interested and see no real reason to learn it-they tested me because they were so concerned but turned out my IQ was higher than most of my teachers. I just was not interested.... but of course that wont sell any drugs.

I've been dealing with ADHD for 22 years now and I can tell you all without the slightest degree of hesitation that Ritalin is pure evil. As of late however I've reconsidered subjecting myself to the self imposed zombification that is induced by this medication. I'm scared shitless. Finding this site and these articles has been rather encouraging. I'm now aware of supplemental vitamin and dieting that may help alleviate the more...constraining aspects of ADHD. Obviously I don't sound like someone who suffers from it, but I assure you all that I do and it is a constant struggle...battles are not won...it is a constant fight. However stubborness alone will no longer suffice. As for children I've read that you should have the doctors check their tonsils. Sometimes the removal of them can be beneficial. Also I've begun taking an anti-stress pill. It's a vitamin pill, not a drug. I've always been against drugs...I suppose drinking counts as well, so in light of my current lifestyle I'm something of a hypocrite.

Someone here wrote something about structure...and they are absolutely right about saying how children need it, regardless of their psychological state of being. Order within ones life often produces order within the mind. What you see your child doing is merely the tip of the ice berg. It is chaos...untamed wildness. If I had to compare my mind today to what it was then...

Today my mind is as a rabid animal. Then it was as a race car that kept going faster and faster. It is torture.

Unfortunately I'm rather absentminded so I've left my email on the off chance that someone has any questions about my life experience with ADHD. If you have the right questions I'm sure I can answer them. I'd like to help as many people as possible...it makes me feel useful, and by extension...normal.

Which brings me to my final point.

You are your childs best friend. Without you they will crumble. This is true with many children, but only with children who suffer from ADHD is it a certainty. No matter what you decide to do, you must be with them every step of the way. No amount of medication, drugs or otherwise, will be an adequate substitute for a parents love.

I speak from experience, because I have seen many others who were not so lucky as I am. You see...I thrive in isolation. But when I was a child and my mother had left my siblings and I for whatever her reasons were at the time...two years...the foundation on which our lives are built crumbles when the only person who loves and understands us abandons us. I can think of nothing so horrible as a child suffering from ADHD forced to confront it alone.

Of course I'm perhaps being a bit melodramatic, or over exaggerating things to make us seem as though we are as delicate as glass houses. But even if you won't believe how terrible it really is to suffer from this monstrous thing...understand that we are listening on some level. We do hear and understand what you say and how you say it. When you tell us you love us we hear that too...and it can make all the difference.

Right then...hopefully that helped someone.

My parents used an all natural solution to ADHD when I was a child: Discipline. They discilplined me and it taught me to discipline myself. Also playing sports really helped me to focus (and still does). As I got older, I found other methods, certain music low in the background and Fish Oils have helped me immeasurably. I don't want to give a dosage because I work with my doctor on that and it may be different for others, especially children.

MSG is rampant in fast food. They do it for a few reasons. MSG is a flavor enhancer. Processed foods are heated to such a high temperature that there is no color, no flavor, and no nutrients left in the final product. It is cooked at high temps to kill the enzymes. This way, the food will not rot after being stored for years. Canned food is cooked right in the can. God only knows how much metal ends up in the "food". Now, they coat the inside of some cans with plastic. Yum plastic flavored "food".

They may have started with real food, but when they are done, it is not really food anymore. Just some bulk to make you feel as if you have eaten. Since this "food" is devoid of flavor, They have to analyze the food to make it seem like food.

First, they make a recipe with real food by real cooks and then cook it in a regular oven.

Then they run it though a chemical analyzer which lists the chemicals they will need to make the food taste like the original item, lets say a chocolate chip cookie. The machine will also spit out a list of chemicals need to make the cookie look like a cookie. and finally, we need some vitamins and minerals, so the machine spits out a list of more chemicals.

The MSG lets soup companies use less meat, because the MSG make the soup taste more meaty. Vegetarians can even buy flavor packets to make food taste like meat.

So far sounds yummy huh?

They bake up the cookie and then add the petro chemicals (chemicals derived from the by products of making gasoline, kinda sounds like you are eating plastic) to make it seem like food again. OK bad enough right!

MSG is very addictive. This a huge reason fast food restaurants love MSG so much. It keeps you coming back everyday if you addicted enough. This of course causes obesity. For a few reasons, you can't stop eating the food, so you eat too much, plus you are very hungry for real food that God put on this planet with all the nutrients that you need to survive. Ah, but you say the soil is depleted. Well chemical fertilizers do not provide the plants with enough to make non organic food nutritious, so that is why people take vitamins. Most vitamins are not natural made from food but UN-natural chemicals.

Your body treats these as poisons, as if you drank some motor oil. So, if you choose to take supplements, take food based ones with no added chemicals. Standard process makes food based supplements, and are available at doctor's offices. Mostly alternative doctors. like chiropractors.

Remember when coke always came in a glass bottle. this is because when they tried to put in a can, it ate through the metal can. God only knows what soft drinks do to your insides.

If you think unprocessed organic real food, is expensive, consider this. Processed food is expensive. I do not even eat organic processed food. If you cook your own food, it tastes better and it is better for you.

If you do not have time, use a crock pot and cook at night or while at work. Cook larger quantities and freeze the extra. I freeze in individual sized servings.

If you can not afford pastured raised meat, try pasture raised eggs. Eggs are cheap. My eggs are 63 cents for 2. A cheap source of protein. Cholesterol is not bad for you, as long as it is not hydrogenated. This was a myth propagated by the vegetable oil companies. Eat butter and meat fat. Free range is not what you are looking for. This just means the farmer left the barn door open so they can go outside if they choose. And outside could be a slab of concrete. But they won't go outside since they feed them inside.

Hens need to eat grass and bugs for the eggs to have a nice orange yolk and not end up all runny. Broth made form pasture raised meat or poultry is also inexpensive. I just fill the pot with bones and water. I use joint bones to make the gelatin quality marrow bones for the nutrients in there, and meaty bones such as necks or ribs for flavor and more gelatin. I leave it on the stove for 2 days, and never let it boil. If it boils it does not jelly up. I strain it and keep it in the frig uncovered till it jellys up (a day or two). I store the fat that solidifies on top to use instead of oil or butter, which I can't eat. I store broth and fat separately in canning jars and store in the freezer If you eat pasture raised broth and eggs and can't afford anything else organic, use non organic but buy fresh or frozen. Canned food is dead.

I saw a show about the making of a new snack food long ago that explained the process of making processed "food". It was kinda hard to believe. I wish I could link to the show but have never been able to locate it on-line.

Even if you never go organic or pastured raised, eat whole food not packaged. Packaged food is not food. If a product list a bunch of vitamins at the end, this food was devoid of vitamins after processing. The government will not allow them to sell empty food and require them to add a few vitamins.

You will save a lot of money on medical bills if you eat whole foods.

OK, now I am stepping off my soap box.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD(oppositional defiance disorder) when he was 4. I know that is a really early age for that type of diagnosis, but he would have horrible temper tantrums and bang his head on the floor or destroy everything he could get his hands on. It didn't matter what we did. We thought, at first, he had a touch of autism, but after taking him to a doctor that specializes in pediactric nerology we were told ADHD/ODD was the diagnosis.

He was too young to go on meds so we were assigned an in-home therepist by Family Services. She talked to us at length about diet and how it effects kids. One thing she mentioned was Red dye #40. It was in EVERYTHING. From Kool-aid to jello, and even in some chocolate products. She convinced us to get rid of the dye to see if it made a difference.

It did. We got rid of everything with dye and taught our boy that he couldn't have it. While we still have some issue now and then, the effect of removing the dye was noticable in about 3 days. The temper lessened and he was easier to talk to and even quit getting into as much trouble at school. He is now 8 and we have introduced Red dye #40 a few times to make sure that the results were from taking the dye away. Each time we have given it to him, even in a small dose, and then removed it, it has been several days of horrible tantrums and anger and crying. Once it is out of his system again, he is back to normal.

I read the article on ADHD by Terese written on 5/13/08. I found all the information very helpful. I would like to talk to her and get some more information on how her son is doing now and how to start this process for my son. Thank you for your help, Jill

A friend of mines daughter was just diagnosed with ADHD and she said that the Dr. told her to get her off of potato chips it's the worse thing for children. She did admit that her daughter ate large bags of chips with soda's everyday. He also said chips affect adults in much the same way. First time I have ever heard a Dr. not give a child retlin. Hat's off to this Dr.

I was doing research on grape seed oil/extract when I came across a reference to it helping people with ADD/ADHD and thinking that my cousins son (7 years old) had one of those because of his behavior I told my cousin about it. She tried him on it with good results in that he quit hitting and was able to concentrate on one thing for a much longer time. I later found out that he was autistic and that too much made him chatter excessively so she was careful to not give him too much - less than 1mg per pound of body weight.

Unfortunately we only know what it did for him short term as about five months after he started on it both him and his mother were killed in a car accident. Some people I know that tried the liquid form of grape seed extract had stomach problems from it so I recommend the caplet form which is just the solids of the grape seed and skins after pressing the oil out. I hope this info helps some of you out. Al

Thanks for the info in ADHD. I am so excited to learn more on the subject. I know I had it as a child, but learned how to cope, and have a son now 10 diagnosed with ADHD and ODD. I have to share custody with his father and their family doesn't even want to hear about diet being an issue, so he gets lots of fast food and processed foods no matter what I try. so I try to do what I can when I have him, He was breastfed for 2 years, mostly for security and comfort during the last year, just at bedtime, we had experienced a hurricane and then his father and I seperated so the comfort was mainly before bed to help him to fall asleep. We had to move 5 times that year until i was able to get us settled. I raised him on my own for the most part until he was 8, his dad was moving away and back and away, and so on, now he is close by and so involved more which my son needs, but not having the same views on nutrition and such make it hard. I am chef and teacher, so food is not something I take lightly, but I am made out to be the bad guy when I get upset when I find out my son has been to fast food joints with his fathers side. I plan on trying many things on this site that I haven't tried, and if anyone has any suggestions please feel free to respond! May God's peace surround you always.

High Potency Fish Oil w/ Virgin Evening Primrose Oil Has Made My Little Boy "Normal" I have two children aged 3.5yrs and 21 months. My eldest was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder at the start of the year (Jan 2007). Because my eldest son is classed as Autistic, the health professional seem to think that my youngest may have a problem. Okay, my youngest is very hyperactive, used to run into things (like the kitchen table) and not feel any pain and he had a serious biting problem that went waaaayyy beyond teething. After geting sick and tired of hearing "your youngest maybe suspected Autistic/ADD" I decided to see a homeopath and ask (beg) for help. The lady there was wonderful and recommended that I try a mixture of high potency fish oil that also contained virgin evening primrose oil that was recommended for children and adults of all ages. Well, after a week of giving him 5ml a day (mixed with food), our little boy is all cool. calm and collected. He stills runs around but he has stopped running into walls and tables. The biting was gone and he interacts well with his autistic brother. He has also started talking again. And to think, only 2 weeks have passed now and he will only improve. Just wanted to share this with you. Thanks, Roxy

Yes! I agree with this. Same happened with my boys and Syntonics light therapy and VT made a massive difference!!! It is often overloooked! Check out the "Vision Therapy Parents Unite" Group on FB. Lots of help and info there!

As someone who has ADHD, I know that merely excerising and changing diet doesn't help. I don't really think that eating too much sugary food contributes to ADHD either. Sure, potato chips and sweets arn't healthy, but which children doesn't eat them? I think that ADHD is just in your mind, hard to get rid of, constantly there to bug you, no matter what you do. You have this constant urge to do something else when someone talks to you. No matter how much you focus it just seem so difficult to concentrate and make careless mistakes and say thoughtless stuff. I have tried taking iron, omega-3 fatty acids. None worked. Even the effect of caffeine is temporary. That's why I believe that medication is the most effective way to help people with ADHD. After all, the effect is instantanous and its the product of science and research. It's safe, so calling it a "dangerous mind altering drug" isn't logical, it's nonsense. Had it been dangerous, healthcare professional wouldn't even have thought of prescribing it in order to save their ass.

Apple Juice can be the trick. I take ACV daily. 2TBLS with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda. The baking soda takes some of the sharp bite out of the ACV. NOW instead of mixing with a glass of water, add to a glass of apple juice or cider. Cider is the best of apple juice and does not include added sugar.

WARNING!

I was giving both myself and my children high vitamin cod liver oil with butter as recommended on westonprice.org and was hospitalized w/ hypervitaminosis a. I had increased intracranial pressure and almost died. I had only been taking this for about a month, and I belive I took 200000 units total during that time.

HI U MARY from Texas,,,,,,,,,,, as far as Coke Cola is concerned, you got the right string, but the wrong yoyo. Soft drinks today are light years from their start. A Pharmacist named John Pemberton from Columbus, Ga. first concocted the drink in the 1880's. It initially contained coco leaves which added a small amount of cocaine. He sold his formula to the Candler family in Atlanta.

However, the first bottler, Joseph Biedenharn, was from Monroe, La. and he was the one who got the show on the road. The old coke was highly carbonated and the glass bottles were designed to handle this extreme pressure. Back in 1954 I measured the pH of a coke and it was 2.3. Today, if you have an upset stomach then you dissolve two alka seltzers in a glass of ice water. In my youth you just drank a cold coke cola, which did the same thing.

Now, all soft drinks have little carbonation and are just a sweet syrup. The cans of both soft drinks and beer are now like tissue paper because both have little carbonation.

Years ago, you had to be a strong man to bend a beer can. Now your six year old can handle that chore.

I get a kick out of folks who only know the history from the date they were born. My grandkids are like that. Makes me want to cry.

As far as orange hen yolks are concerned..... they come about because of the carotene in the grass they eat. Even in the South, your eggs will have yellow yolks in the winter when there is no green grass to eat. The orange carrot gets it's name from the carotene it contains.

Mary,,,,,,, you have given some very sound advice in your post that folks should heed. I just thought that some additional info was needed to explain why you said what you said. Hope that is good with you.

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Hi Corinna, ever thought of having him try a trampoline? It seems to work wonders and it is a lot healthier for a child than coffee. I have sessions with someone in Zurich because of my myopia and he told me that trampolining works well for children like your son because they get very worked up only in order to find the balance they miss and calm themselves down. I bet he would love the trampoline and you can buy a small one for the living room which is what I have.

I Concur! Adults with ADHD are made more mellow w/ caffeine -- My Favorite Choice is Chocolate--It has Magnesium, which, ADD & ADHD people are typically deficient in. Its hard to take Mag in pill form, cuz it causes the runs :-(... Chocolate is easier, although the refined sugar isn't so good, so if you can stand 70% cocoa Dark Chocolate... That's the way 2 go :-)