“FEEDING” THE ADD BRAIN
The foods available in markets today are colorful and appetizing thanks to artificial dyes, flavoring etc that are all chemically enhanced to make the food last longer too. All these foods are the type of food we consume everyday from the simple macaroni and cheese we eat as TV dinner to cute looking party cakes for our child’s birthday.
Not long ago, World News Tonight on ABC featured a segment about food dyes and the possible connection to ADD. The Center for Science in the Public Interest asked the FDS to ban artificial coloring in all U.S. foods. According to them, they claimed that artificial coloring was contributing to the rise of ADD in kids. This is a controversial claim and one that probably needs further research.
But what if it’s true? There have been cases of parents who have tried everything to curb their children’s ADD symptoms to no avail. Yet when they changed the diet and restricted the foods that contain artificial coloring and other non-natural chemicals, symptoms began to subside. Magic or pure coincidence?
Neurotoxins that are found everywhere even in foods have very negative side effect on the brain. It can result to violent or aggressive behavior. For more information on this, check out www.foodnews.org.
While the FDA maintains there is no link, if your child has ADD, you are certainly not going to cause harm by limiting foods with artificial coloring. What’s the easiest way to do this? The first step toward treatment is to avoid those things that cause ADD or make it worse. Then, learn to “feed” your brain the stuff that makes it healthy, strong, and fueled!
It is a good idea to keep track of what you eat by keeping a log book to note done your menu. By doing this, you can see what are the foods that should be permanently avoided due to the positive effect on managing ADD. For instance, eating food high in sugar for breakfast might result in your child’s hyperactivity in the afternoon. You should replace the food to something that will minimize his or her tendency to become hyperactive.
Symptoms of ADD can subside with eating healthier food and cutting down on food that can cause harm to the brain. Using medications for treatment is not curing the disorder but manipulating the brain unlike getting a dose of good food, natural supplement and herbal remedy.
There are the type of nutrients those suffering ADD are usually short of:
- “B” vitamins
- Tyrosine
- Zinc
- Iron
- 5-HTP
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- DHA
While no one vitamin is going to satisfy all of your child’s symptoms, there are
certain products that do a better job of feeding the brain’s neurotransmitters. Along with a good multi-vitamin (preferably a liquid form that absorbs more efficiently), you might consider Neu-be-Calm – this has quite a positive effect on taming ADD symptoms. (www.Neu-be-calm.com).
The other dietary change you might want to consider is feed your child foods with a low glycemic index. The glycemic index basically refers to how quickly your body processes the sugar from the foods you eat. Your body cannot tell whether the food it is processing is high in sugar or low. What you want to do is to eat those foods low in the glycemic index so that your body will process the sugar very slowly. So what you are essentially doing is eliminating the junk food from your diet and replacing it with whole grains, low amounts of sugars, and using natural sweeteners.
- Whole grains, fruits and veggies
- Cultured dairy foods or non-dairy sources of calcium
- Wholesome protein sources such as free range meats, poultry, and legumes
- No hydrogenated oil or deep fired oils – instead use fish oil supplements, flax oil, etc.
- Water, water, water – believe it or not, most of our kids are dehydrated!
Discovering what foods might be causing your child’s ADD symptoms to exacerbate will take some time and careful observation. If you do discover a link, making the changes difficult and tricky, but it can be done with great results! You won’t believe what a difference a well-fueled diet can make in your child and your family.

About the Author:
Jimmy Brownen is a leading expert in the field of ADD/ADHD and has years of experience in the treatment of it. For more information on the disorder or for alternative means of curing ADHD, please visit his site.

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