Millions of children and adults are diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, or LD, all of which fall under the category of ADD. With this diagnosis also comes the prescription of medication, some commonly known to the public, such as Ritalin. There is much debate over the drugs given to treat children with ADD. Many say that the drugs are making their child’s health and disorder worse over time.
If your child has been diagnosed with ADD, try natural remedies for ADD first. One of the best natural remedies is to change your child’s diet.
Since those with ADD struggle with paying attention and staying focused, diet changes that address this issue are essential. Some foods need to be eliminated from your child’s diet to see an improvement in their behavior. Furthermore, adding certain supplements or vitamins can also help your child focus well.
Whole Foods That Help Concentration
Anyone would benefit from eating more whole foods, especially children with ADD. Try adding whole grains, fish rich in Omega-3s, avocados, and berries into your family’s diet as one of the natural remedies for ADD.
To get your child to eat healthier, simply make the food more appealing to them. Some easy and tasty ways to serve them the vitamins and minerals they need are as follows:
- Add baby spinach and berries in smoothies. They will not taste the spinach!
- Serve them fish sticks, especially if you can find or make salmon fish sticks.
- Puree healthy vegetables such as butternut squash and mix them into their favorite pasta dishes
- Put mashed avocado in sandwiches or quesadillas
- Add walnuts and almonds pieces to baked goods
Whole grains are another important factor in your child’s diet. Whole grains prevent blood sugar spikes and may even help your child sleep better at night. The best whole grains are brown rice, quinoa, and barley. Whole-wheat pasta and bread can be used too, although many parents find that eliminating gluten from their child’s diet helps tremendously.
Eliminating Trouble Foods
Many doctors and parents agree that eliminating certain foods from a child’s diet will also eliminate many problems. Eliminating certain foods can be one of the best natural remedies for ADD. The main foods to eliminate are processed foods and foods that contain food dyes. Read nutrition labels to avoid foods that have dyes, aspartame, MSG, and nitrates in them. To make grocery shopping and meal preparation simpler, just stick to whole foods that come from nature, such as fruits and vegetables.
Eliminating foods with sugar and caffeine are also helpful in treating ADD. Anyone can have a negative affect from too much sugar or caffeine, so it is even likelier for a person with ADD to be affected by it. To eliminate sugar and caffeine, avoid processed foods that have sugars, fake sugars, or hidden sugars (think high fructose corn syrup).
No one wants to see their child with ADD suffer from the side effects of medication. Try making diet changes in your child’s life first to see if there is a difference. It might take a month or two before your child feels and acts better with a whole food, vitamin-rich diet.
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