The Diet For ADD & ADHD

Studies have found that what we put into our bodies is so crucial to our physical health and our mental health, even our behaviors.

You're probable like me and many other out there that hear the sad and pathetic dunce responses like these for example:

But I love putting Splenda into my coffee!

Water is to bland, I'll stick to my soda thank you very much!

But processed foods are cheaper, why not buy it!

I'll live my life eating/drinking what I please even if it gives me cancer, it's my life to live not yours!

If you're one of them, just STOP!
Listen to how you're making yourself sound so ignoramus, stop embarrassing yourself.






Click HERE to read:

Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food

                 

BY: Eva Selhub MD

 
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Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the “waste” (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells.
Unfortunately, just like an expensive car, your brain can be damaged if you ingest anything other than premium fuel. If substances from “low-premium” fuel (such as what you get from processed or refined foods) get to the brain, it has little ability to get rid of them. Diets high in refined sugars, for example, are harmful to the brain.

In addition to worsening your body’s regulation of insulin, they also promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression.
-Eva Selhub MD



Someone with ADD/ADHD should not have lots of sugars.

Be warned, sugar labels are also being labeled to hide aspartame.

By: Dr. Mercola

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Aspartame Articles. Go here to read Dr Mercola on aspartame. And go HERE to read more on the danger of aspartame.


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According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame.
-Dr Mercola





ADHD? Stop Feeding Gluten!
-Dr Mercola

Eating gluten-containing grain may wreak havoc on your gut and manifest in symptoms related to your brain, including ADHD symptoms

A gluten-free diet may significantly improve ADHD symptoms



What is gluten?
It's a protein found in wheat grain and part of "gluey" proline and glutamine rich proteins known as prolamines. Prolamines are found in all cereal grains, even rice, corn and oats, but only wheat, and to a lesser extent rye, spelt and einkorn, are associated with the serious neurological and autoimmune reactions often linked to autism spectrum disorder.
Gluten is only found in wheat species. Spelt or einhorn gluten has dramatically lower antigenicity of common wheat (Triticulum aestivum) that is used in bread products. Other cereal grasses have what are known as prolamines (proline-glutamine rich proteins) with rye containing secalin, barley containing horedin, etc, but they have very little cross-reactivity with antigens associated with wheat intolerance.
It has long been known that people with celiac disease are also more likely to suffer from ADHD, another condition that is heavily influenced by dietary habits.

-Dr Mercola
Go here to read more on Are You What You Eat? The Best ADD/ADHD Diet.
By Dana Rayburn

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What you eat determines how well your brain functions. Yet many adults with ADHD have horrid diets and eating habits.
We forget to eat. We skip meals. We forget to grocery shop. When hunger catches up with us, we end up eating whatever we can get our hands on. We binge on junk food in an unconscious effort to self-medicate.
All this plays havoc on the ADHD brain.
ADHD guru Dr. Ned Hallowell says, “If you don’t eat properly, you can become distracted, impulsive and restless. You can look like you have ADD even if you don’t!”
Some of my coaching clients even report that eating a more ADHD-friendly diet lets them take less ADHD medication.
Let’s unwrap the mysteries of food and ADHD so you can eat a diet that supports your brain.

The Best ADD/ADHD Diet

Your goal is to give your brain a constant supply of protein and at the same time reduce artificial ingredients. You need: GO here to read more by Dana. https://danarayburn.com/are-you-what-you-eat-the-best-add-adhd-diet/

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ADD & ADHD DIET
By Dana Rayburn


What you should eat:

Protein with every meal. Found in meat, eggs, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, soy and beans; some proteins are high in fat so keep your portions small. Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.), cheese and beef jerky are all easy protein-rich snacks

Fruits and vegetables. Since ADHD adults avoid anything too challenging, select fruits and vegetables that are easy to prepare and eat. I find pre-washed and cut bags of lettuce and carrots are worth the extra expense!


Whole grains (complex carbohydrates). Think whole wheat: flours, crackers, cereals, and pasta. Brown rice, too. The words ‘whole wheat’ must be on the package’s ingredients list for the product to truly be whole wheat.

A complete vitamin and mineral supplement. Even if you do manage to eat a good diet, numerous studies show our bodies and brains need more vitamins and minerals than we get from our food.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Found in supplements, cold-water white fish such as tuna, salmon, and sardines. Also, in flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, olive and canola oil.

Healthy Fats. The ADHD brain needs healthy fat. Think plant-based fats like avocado, coconut oil, and olive oil.

Watch Out For These ADD/ADHD Diet Enemies

Foods with long ingredient names you can’t pronounce. Some studies show artificial colors, sugar substitutes, and food additives can aggravate ADHD symptoms. The results are inconclusive, but why take a chance?

Sugar, corn syrup, honey, and candy. I’m not going to say NEVER have sugar, but with sugar hidden in many foods, most people eat way too much so avoid it when you can. Especially watch out for high-fructose corn syrup; it’s sugar with a high punch.

Foods containing trans-fatty acids. Listed among the ingredients as “partially hydrogenated oils”, trans-fats are dietary bad-guys that play havoc with your cholesterol. Read the label. Some foods say, ‘0 grams of trans fats’ but still list it in the ingredients.

Watch your alcohol and caffeine intake. Some say to cut them out entirely. I’m a fan of moderation, though. I suggest you notice how your brain and body react. I’ve found too much caffeine makes me jumpy and too much wine makes my brain fuzzy for a couple of days.

Foods containing white flour. White bread, white pasta, and grains (white rice). ADHD can make you crave bread and other carbohydrates; it’s a form of self-medication. There are better ADHD treatments than diving headfirst into a bread basket!

Do you want your brain to work well? Then it’s up to you to give it the fuel it needs to operate at top performance. That means you need to eat healthy foods – an ADHD-friendly diet that supports your brain.

By: Dana Rayburn

Why eating organic is good for your health. By: Amy Myers, M.D.

Top Reasons To Eat Organic:


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Our great-great-grandparents subsisted on a completely organic diet.

Modern or conventional farming methods that involve the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides simply did not exist back then.

Over the last century, our diet and farming practices have changed significantly, however our bodies and our genetics have not.

You can’t expect to fuel your body and achieve optimal health by eating food, laced with toxic chemicals.

So, why settle for getting by when you can thrive?
Here are my top four reasons to eat like your ancestors and adopt an organic diet.

-Amy Myers, M.D. Click here















































https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14763/a-doctors-top-4-reasons-to-eat-organic.html

ADD vs. ADHD. ***ADD is an outdated term***

What’s the Difference Between ADHD and ADD?

By: Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP

Click HERE to read more.




He talks about:

This condition is sometimes called attention deficit disorder (ADD), but this is an outdated term. The term was once used to refer to someone who had trouble focusing but was not hyperactive. The American Psychiatric Association released the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in May 2013. The DSM-5 changed the criteria to diagnose someone with ADHD. Keep reading to learn more about the types and symptoms of ADHD.
- Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP






Adult ADHD
Adults with ADHD have typically had the disorder since childhood, but it may not be diagnosed until later in life. An evaluation usually occurs at the prompting of a peer, family member, or co-worker who observes problems at work or in relationships.
Adults can have any of the three subtypes of ADHD. Adult ADHD symptoms can differ from those of children because of the relative maturity of adults, as well as physical differences between adults and children.
- Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP



Severity
The symptoms of ADHD can range from mild to severe, depending on a person’s unique physiology and environment. Some people are mildly inattentive or hyperactive when they perform a task they don’t enjoy, but they have the ability to focus on tasks they like.

Others may experience more severe symptoms. These can affect school, work, and social situations.
Symptoms are often more severe in unstructured group situations than in structured situations with rewards. For example, a playground is a more unstructured group situation. A classroom may represent a structured and rewards-based environment.

Other conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or a learning disability may worsen symptoms.
Some people report that symptoms go away with age. An adult with ADHD who was hyperactive as a child may find that they’re now able to remain seated or curb some impulsivity.
- Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP 

Takeaway

Determining your type of ADHD puts you one step closer to finding the right treatment. Be sure to discuss all your symptoms with your doctor so you get an accurate diagnosis.
- Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP

Environmental factors for ADHD:

By: Banerjee TD¹, Middleton F, Faraone SV.However, several biological and environmental factors have also been proposed as risk factors for ADHD, including food additives/diet, lead contamination.

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The majority of studies performed to assess genetic risk factors in ADHD have supported a strong familial nature of this disorder. Family studies have identified a 2- to 8-fold increase in the risk for ADHD in parents and siblings of children with ADHD. Various twin and adoption studies have also highlighted the highly genetic nature of ADHD. In fact the mean heritability of ADHD was shown to be 0.77, which is comparable to other neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.




Although the majority of research shows that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is hereditary, a growing body of research suggests that childhood exposure to certain environmental factors may increase the risk and symptoms of ADHD BY: RD





Toxins in pregnancy:
Pregnant women who are exposed to environmental toxins like tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs may reduce the activity of vital nerve cells (neurons) which produce neurotransmitters in their baby’s brain. This reduction may increase the risk of having a baby born with ADHD. Along with a healthy diet, pregnant women should be mindful of the environmental factors they’re exposed to during pregnancy to give their baby the best start in life.
Food additives:
Kids who eat a wholesome diet may be far less hyperactive than their peers who consume a highly-processed diet. Health professionals have long debated the link between ADHD and diet; but only recently has the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped in to evaluate the theory. In 2010, the European Union placed warning labels on food that contained six food dyes and the Food Standards Agency in Great Britain has asked manufacturers to phase out their use of the dyes. In the United States, the FDA is interested in studying Yellow No. 5, which can be found in processed macaroni-and-cheese mixes, some sports drinks, and high-sugar cereals, among other food additives.

https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/can-environmental-factors-cause-adhd/


















Go to https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/difference-between-add-and-adhd