So many school age kids are being diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. The result is very typically a prescription for a medication such as Ritalin. Many parents dread the notion of medicating their kids. One reason is that most of us have heard about (or know people who have directly experienced) the icky side effects of the medications, including dizziness, nausea, insomnia, weight loss, headaches, drowsiness, and abdominal pain. As a Nutraceutical Consultant, I make it my job to help people who are seeking alternatives to find effective non-pharmaceutical solutions. I also work with health practitioners to assist them in helping their patients find alternatives. Here are my recommendations for those who want to try a natural approach for managing ADD/ADHD:
1. The #1 thing you can do for your child is to get white table sugar and simple carbohydrates out of his or her diet. These are often huge contributing factors in ADD and ADHD. Convert to whole grains, and for sweets you can make home baked items that are sweetened with applesauce. I use Xylitol as a direct sugar substitute for a cinnamon-sugar blend. You can find Xylitol at your local natural foods store. (Note that some people do have issues with digesting Xylitol. Be sure to read up on it so you’ll know what to look for in a potential reaction.)
2. Supplement with a high quality children’s multi-vitamin. The one I recommend is Might-a-Mins Spectrum Isotonix Multi-Vitamin (www.newvitalitywellness.com > Health & Nutrition > Children’s Health). It is drinkable and easy for kids to take. The new Spectrum supplement line from Market America is designed specifically to serve children in need of digestive, metabolic, or neurological support. Please email me if you would like testimonials.
3. Supplement with a super-antioxidant containing Pycnogenol(R). Either OPC-3 (www.newvitalitywellness.com > Health & Nutrition > Antioxidants) or the Might-a-Mins Spectrum Isotonix OPC-3 are highly recommended. The OPC-3 supplements are also drinkable and can be mixed with the Might-a-Mins multi-vitamin.
4. Add a good pro-biotic supplement. There is a high rate of digestive issues among kids with ADD/ADHD, as well as children in the autism spectrum. The Might-a-Mins Spectrum line includes a great product for this as well, called Might-a-Mins Spectrum Isotonix Digestive Enzymes.
5. And you can go a step further and add a high quality Omega-III fish oil. Make sure that it is guaranteed to be free of mercury and other toxins. The one I recommend is Heart Health(TM) Essential Omega III Fish Oil with Vitamin E (www.newvitalitywellness.com > Health & Nutrition > Heart Health). A lot of people balk at the idea of having to get their kids to choke down fish oil, and for good reason. The pills are quite large, for one thing. What we’ve found is that you can snip them open and squeeze the oil into apple sauce and mix it up for easy ingestion. The benefits for overall health, mental wellness, and good disposition, cannot be overstated.
Over and out,
Ms. Jayna
Filed under: Children, Diet, Kids, health, personal | Tagged: ADD, ADHD, autism, children's health, children's vitamins, digestion, natural health, Ritalin, supplements
