If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, you may wonder if what you eat impacts how you feel or your disorder. The answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes!”
Modern science is now proving that diet contributes to many of the major diseases we encounter in life, such as heart disease and type II diabetes. One of the findings is how food affects inflammation in the body, inflammation being the root cause of all diseases.
Inflammation can also affect the brain, and many health experts are now making a connection between diet and diseases like Alzheimer’s, depression, and ADD/ADHD.
Yes, that’s right – your diet does affect your/your loved one’s ADD or ADHD. This means the extra boost to your treatment that you’ve been looking for has been hiding in your fridge all this time.
With this in mind, let’s talk about what you should… and should NOT be eating if you have ADD/ADHD:
The more we find out about this white substance, the more it starts to feel like none of us should be eating it. Excessive sugar intake can tamper with the reward pathways in the brain that are involved in drug addiction. Many believe it can also tamper with the hyperactivity trigger. Sugar also causes erratic blood sugar levels, which cause dramatic mood swings in some people.
Besides the obvious culprits like candy, cookies, and soda, it’s also important to avoid most packaged foods, which often have high amounts of hidden sugars. This includes condiments, soups, and cereal.
Colourants and Other Additives
Colourants and other additives are meant to make our food look more appealing or last longer on store shelves. Still, many believe these substances also contribute to inflammation in the body.
As with sugar, a good rule is to avoid prepackaged foods as much as possible. Artificial drinks are a big culprit. Always read labels, and when you see the word “flavour” or “flavoured” anywhere on the package, the safest bet is to set the box back down and walk away.
Common Food Allergens
Many children and adults have allergies or sensitivities to foods that contain gluten, wheat, corn, and soy. These have been associated with inattentiveness and hyperactivity. Consider getting tested for these sensitivities and allergies with your doctor to see if you need to avoid any other foods.
Are you eating enough protein? Most people don’t get enough into their diet. Protein is not only responsible for building muscle but also for building and repairing every tissue, organ, and even hormone.
Research has also shown that an imbalance causes ADD/ADHD symptoms in the catecholaminergic systems in the brain areas that control memory, motor functioning and emotional regulation. The two most abundant catecholamines in the brain are the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. Both are derived from the amino acid tyrosine, and amino acids are derived from proteins, so make sure to get enough into your diet from sources such as lean meats, eggs, and nuts.
Omega-3 fats are essential to anyone for a variety of reasons. They reduce inflammation and also help to transmit brain signals. Health experts have also linked ADHD to an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency. You can increase your omega-3 consumption by eating cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna.
If you have a kiddo that doesn’t like the taste of fish, consider a quality omega-3 supplement. Indeed, the less expensive supplements can occasionally have a harmless fishy smell. Still, through trial and error or asking a pharmacist, you’ll quickly find many options available that are no more offensive smelling than household aspirin.
Remember those neurotransmitters I just mentioned in the section about protein? B vitamins help to synthesize those neurotransmitters. You can eat all the protein in the world, but if you are deficient in B vitamins, you won’t get the full benefits. While foods like fish, meat, and eggs are excellent B vitamins, most health experts agree supplementation is the easiest and most effective way to get enough into your body.
After adjusting your diet, if you feel you need some extra help getting your ADD/ADHD symptoms under control, please reach out to me. I would be happy to discuss treatment options with you.
Ikiwa wewe au mtu unayempenda umegunduliwa kuwa na ADHD, unaweza kujiuliza ikiwa kile unachokula kinaathiri jinsi unavyohisi au ugonjwa wako. "Jibu la swali hili ni ""Ndio"" - sayansi ya kisasa inathibitisha kwamba chakula huchangia magonjwa mengi makubwa tunayoyapata maishani, kama vile magonjwa ya moyo na ugonjwa wa kisukari wa aina ya pili." Utafiti huo unaonyesha jinsi chakula kinavyoathiri uvimbe katika mwili, ambao ndio chanzo cha magonjwa yote. Uvimbe pia unaweza kuathiri ubongo, na wataalamu wengi wa afya sasa wanafanya uhusiano kati ya lishe na magonjwa kama vile Alzheimer's, unyogovu, na ADD. Ndiyo, hiyo ni haki - mlo wako haina kuathiri yako au mpendwa wako ADD au ADHD. Hii ina maana kuongeza ziada kwa matibabu yako kwamba umekuwa kuangalia kwa imekuwa siri katika friji yako wakati huu wote. Kwa kuzingatia hili, hebu tuzungumze juu ya nini unapaswa... na haipaswi kula ikiwa una ADD au ADHD: Kadiri tunavyojifunza zaidi juu ya dutu hii nyeupe, ndivyo tunavyoanza kuhisi kama hakuna yeyote kati yetu anayepaswa kula. Kula sukari kupita kiasi kunaweza kuharibu njia za thawabu katika ubongo zinazohusika katika uraibu wa dawa za kulevya. Wengi huamini kwamba pia inaweza kuharibu kichocheo cha utendaji mwingi. Pia, sukari husababisha viwango vya sukari katika damu visivyo sawa, na hivyo kusababisha mabadiliko makubwa ya hisia za watu fulani. Mbali na wahalifu dhahiri kama peremende, biskuti, na soda, ni muhimu pia kuepuka vyakula vingi vilivyopakiwa, ambavyo mara nyingi vina kiasi kikubwa cha sukari zilizofichwa. Hilo latia ndani vikolezo, mchuzi, na nafaka. Rangi na nyongeza nyingine za chakula zinatumiwa kufanya chakula chetu kiwe chenye kuvutia zaidi au kudumu kwa muda mrefu kwenye rafu za maduka. Hata hivyo, wengi huamini kwamba vitu hivyo pia huchangia uvimbe mwilini. Kama ilivyo na sukari, sheria nzuri ni kuepuka vyakula vilivyofungwa mapema kadiri iwezekanavyo. Vinywaji bandia ni kisababishi kikuu. "Sasa soma lebo, na unapopata neno ""ladha"" au ""ladha"" mahali popote kwenye kifurushi, betting salama ni kuweka sanduku chini na kuondoka." Vichwa vya kulevya vya kawaida Watoto wengi na watu wazima wana mzio au unyeti kwa vyakula vinavyokuwa na gluten, ngano, mahindi, na soya. Hizi zimehusianishwa na ukosefu wa uangalifu na utendaji mwingi. Fikiria kufanya uchunguzi wa mzio na mzio na daktari wako ili uone kama unahitaji kuepuka vyakula vingine. Je, unakula protini za kutosha? Watu wengi hawapati chakula cha kutosha katika mlo wao. Protini si muhimu tu kwa kujenga misuli, bali pia kwa kujenga na kurekebisha tishu, viungo, na hata homoni. Utafiti pia umeonyesha kuwa ukosefu wa usawa husababisha dalili za ADHD katika mifumo ya catecholaminergic katika maeneo ya ubongo ambayo husimamia kumbukumbu, utendaji wa motor na udhibiti wa hisia. Catecholamines mbili zinazopatikana kwa wingi zaidi katika ubongo ni dopamine na norepinephrine. Amino asidi hutokana na protini, na amino asidi hutokana na tyrosine, kwa hivyo hakikisha kupata chakula cha kutosha kutoka kwa vyanzo kama vile nyama isiyo na mafuta, mayai, na karanga. Omega-3 mafuta ni muhimu kwa kila mtu kwa sababu mbalimbali. Huzuia uvimbe na pia husaidia kupitisha ishara za ubongo. Wataalamu wa afya pia wameunganisha ADHD na upungufu wa asidi ya mafuta ya omega-3. Unaweza kuongeza matumizi yako ya omega-3 kwa kula samaki wa maji baridi kama vile samaki wa samaki na tuna. Ikiwa mtoto wako anapenda samaki, unaweza kumpa omega-3 ya kutosha. Kwa kweli, nyongeza zisizo ghali mara kwa mara zaweza kuwa na harufu isiyo na madhara ya samaki. Hata hivyo, kwa kujaribu na kukosea au kuuliza daktari wa dawa, utapata haraka chaguzi nyingi zinazopatikana ambazo hazina harufu mbaya zaidi kuliko aspirin ya nyumbani. Kumbuka neurotransmitters kwamba mimi tu zilizotajwa katika sehemu kuhusu protini? Vitamini B husaidia kutokeza viashiria hivyo vya neva. Unaweza kula protini zote ulimwenguni, lakini ikiwa una upungufu wa vitamini B, huwezi kupata faida kamili. Ingawa vyakula kama vile samaki, nyama na mayai ni vitamini B bora, wataalamu wengi wa afya wanakubaliana kwamba kuongeza ni njia rahisi na yenye ufanisi zaidi ya kupata kiasi cha kutosha katika mwili wako. Baada ya kurekebisha lishe yako, ikiwa unahisi unahitaji msaada wa ziada kupata dalili zako za ADD chini ya udhibiti, tafadhali wasiliana nami. Ningekuwa na furaha kujadili chaguzi za matibabu na wewe.