ADD & raw?

[Ariella]

help! a little boy i am watching (5 1/2) i think has ADD tendencies. he also was neglected at a younger age so all that kind of compiles. i have been watching him for 5 months and his behavior is SUPER draining on me. is there anything that i could add to his diet that may help with ADD issues?? anybody seen any positive results themselves with diet change and ADD?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Ariella

[swiss_miss]

Try removing refined carbohydrates from his diet (white sugar, white flour and white rice) That would probably help big time.

More info on how sugar affects childrens behavior here:
http://www.healingwithnutrition.com/adisease/add-adhd/sugar.html

[karenisraw]

I agree with SwissMiss,

Also, 100% ORGANIC!!!. Those chemicals cause learning and ADD problems. It helped me. I have never been diagnosed with these problems, but able to concentrate and focus much more on 100% Organic Raw.

k
:) :)

[Ariella]

well he doesn't get any white rice or white sugar. he does get an occasional tuna sandwich on wheat bread. i am watching him for free and he eats a TON of food at least the sandwich seems to sit with him for awhile but that is about the only non raw thing he gets at my house.

any other ideas??

thanks :)

ariella

[Ariella]

organic - well i buy mostly organic as it is. sometimes i have to buy non organic things just because of price. like i said i watch him for free and we are on a limited budget anyway - greens, veggies and bananas and usually apples are always organic, the rest is some times conventional. if i was getting paid i would be able to buy all organic, but i can't even do that for my own family even though i thoroughly believe in it!

thanks for the suggestions!

Ariella

[karenisraw]

Also, make sure he is getting dnough magnesium and also watch out for heavy metals caused by fish and deoderants etc. Also check into electromagnetic pollution. You can buy filters to put into your outlets that defer the transient currents back into the neutral lines. Check into that at www.ecopolitan.com. Look there under EMF pollution on that website. There is also an article written by my raw vegan doctor about this topic on the website. Look under the articles section.


k
:) :)

[Beanie]

I'm ADHD. The only things that helped, didn't "cure" it were eating: 1) 100% all organic 2) NO additives, preservatives, sugars, processed foods, grains especially wheat, or chemical anything. 3) DHA/EPA supplement and 4) energizing foods like wheatgrass juice, E3 live (to a lesser degree) and other green grasses/seaweeds and raw cacao (no arguments please, I have researched it deeply and presently now there is raw cacao, but lets agree to disgree, OK, I like to be a peaceful happy vegan, and for me its a mute point anyway). 5) Excercise, especially yoga and meditation when possible. Helps you to develop a focus and an energy outlet (exercise that is!)

I hate to admit this but going raw created a lot of energy that made my ability to focus (and ADHD) seem worse and hightened my anxiety since my mind was going so fast from thought to thought. I just had to go back on ritalin and now I'm very settled, focus and have no anxiety. No food remedy helped that one! My inability to afford all organic and eat certain superfoods really made the ADHD worse lately I will admit. Most of these were stimulants though which help me to settle/slow down. I don't drink coffee nor soda anymore so that didn't help me controlling the ADHD either (I used to self medicate myself this way), but they caused too many other health problems. I hope others write things here with SOLVE the problem, not just help. I have not found that answer yet beyond medication and I'm very against medication.

Take care!

[Ariella]

what foods are magnesium rich? i started supplementing with freshly ground flax seed this week so i am hoping to see some improvements from that. we shall see though. a typical day for him right now involves green smoothies, freshly made almond milk, lots of fresh fruit, sometimes vegetable juice or citrus juice, sometimes raw deserts, and then 3 days a week a tuna or salmon sandwich. me and my biological children are vegans, but this kiddo is just SO incredibly hungry all of the time. truly he would eat me out of house and home if i did not give him a sandwich. i may try and test out the wheat theory though and see if his behavior improves some if he does not get the wheat bread teh 3 times per week. when the weather is nice he does get to go outside and play in the yard with my son - this summer we will be getting into bike riding etc. so there will be more outlets available then.

Thanks again!

Ariella

[tvillemom]

My ADHD son will eat me out of house and home! He is almost 11 and I feel your pain. My question is this, why are you keeping him for free? I mean don't really answer that, but don't his parent know you have to FEED him? Not to mention your time, but that aside, he still has to eat. Maybe they could give you a few dollars a week to help buy food! OK, sorry, I'll get off my box. Something that did help my son was a product from the herb store called DHEA. They sell it in children's tablets. Also the herbalist "prescribed" Evening primrose oil and passionflower oil...I used the dropper to drop x amount in apple juice. The combination of these things kept my DS off drugs...where his moods evened out, and he was able to focus (and SLOW down! ;) ) By the way, the herbs helped my son gain a much needed 20lbs. he was underweight! (caused by the drugs!) Maybe you could talk to his parents and if they aren't going to pay you, maybe they will at least pay for the herbs to give it a try?? Hope I don't sound too "preachy", I truly want to help, I know what you're going through...well to some extent (the child in my case was my own, and I'm sure made it easier to tolerate certain behaviors, if you know what I mean!) Best of luck.
Wendi

[Ariella]

tvillemom - as to keeping him for free - well - his mom uses a government funded program to pay for daycare but since we are foster parents (although at the moment we dont have a foster child with us) they will not pay me. they say it is like double dipping. his mom is a single mom and only makes like $8 an hour..... also the boy is my sons best friend. she lost her job last summer due to not being able to find daycare. she went for 3 months and my friend agreed to take him as she was a licensed daycare provider. well they moved and he was going to have nowhere to go again so i agreed to take him, thinking the government program was going to pay me, but it didn't work out. i didn't have the heart to tell her she would have to take him elsewhere, and risk having the mom lose her job again.... so i kept him for free.

i will ask her if she thinks she might be able to give me a little bit of money for the herbs. i will price them out when i go shopping this sunday and see how much they would be. he is VERY underweight also, even though he eats like non stop. he will have a big plate of food and if i go to make myself something he wants what i am having in addition to what he already has even though he hasn't finished it yet! it would be great if he could gain some weight. he has grown quite a bit since being in my care though - developmentally and physically - but he still is not totally caught up yet though. he is at about a 3 to 4 year old level mentally even though he is 5 1/2. so a lot of times it is like having twins as my bio son is almost 4. but i can leave my bio son unattended or not be watching over his shoulder every minute and he wont get into trouble. the other little guy, the minute i leave the room he is doing something he is not supposed to.

THank you for the suggestions about the DHEA and the herbs. i definitely will price them out and see if she thinks she might be able to afford them or not. if not, i will see if hubby can try to work it into our budget somehow.

Thanks again!

Ariella

[tvillemom]

God Bless You! I didn't mean to pry. I know I spent about $40 for everything, and that lasted about a month. (maybe different in your area) Alittle steep for someone in her position. Maybe someone else has better ideas. I know fish oil was one of the first recommendations, and it helped alittle, and was alot cheaper! If I think of anything else. Oh yeah. My DS would be BOUNCING off the walls at his age....first thing in the morning. For a LONG time I thought he was scarfing cookies or something he'd found sweet before I got outta bed...come to find out....it was bread. He was eating 2-3 slices of white bread before I got up. Now I know you said you only do Wheat bread, but wheat could be a MAJOR problem. I would cut sandwiches for a couple of weeks....also watch other foods that may be breaded (like chicken nuggets that come "ready" you just have to heat them). What does his mom give him in the morning? He may already be "high" when he gets there. God Bless.
Wendi

[Allison]

Ariella,
Hi, I haven't been here in a while but had a few minutes and decided to stop by. Your post made me think of our newly adopted children. They will eat and eat and eat, even when they have stomachaches or are so full they are sighing and shoving the fork in their mouth with great effort. The reason I mention this is because you said the boy was neglected, and I wonder if he is afraid of the food running out or that maybe he won't get anymore the next time he is hungry. I'm just wondering if there are emotional reasons he is overeating. Our children lived in an orphanage in Africa where they got two small bowls of food a day, and the day after we brought them home, I found one of our daughters collecting everyone's apple cores, saving them for later, yuck. I had to teach our children (and actually it's something they are just going to have to learn to trust) that, Lord willing, there will be more food later, and that they don't have to eat everything in sight right now.

I don't know if this applies to your situation, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.

Allison
http://www.tribeofbarberi.com

[tvillemom]

WOW, Allison, your post made me remember how lucky we are! To save an apple core. It also made me think of what WE waste! Maybe you could start a compost, so your children can see that we can use "waste" to renew the earth! just a thought. Take care.
Wendi

[Ariella]

hi allison! good to hear from you, it has been awhile. well i think that he is just genuinely hungry. i watched him part time for 13 months and then have had him full time (6 days per week with 2 overnights) for 5 months. when i first started getting him he could put away PILES of food. i kid you not. now he doesn't do that, he just eats a lot for a little boy! he has been with me long enough that he knows that we have plenty of food around the house. i knew that was the case at first, but now it is not so much the amount of food he puts away that i am worried about but more the ADD behavior, and how to handle it. my kids are very quiet and can entertain themselves for awhile and well that is just not the case with the other little boy. anyhoo! it was good to hear from you! (i have been checking your website for updates to see how you guys are doing! :) ) i have gotten some good ideas so hopefully something will work to help calm him down a bit :)

Thanks!

Ariella

[NFrawRUNNER]

WOW! I feel connected on so many levels! I have 2 adopted daughters + am a special education teacher for grades K-2. Firstly, overeating is quite common for children who have been either neglected or otherwise felt "powerless" for whatever reasons...It's a way of having control over something when you have control over nothing....I am not sure of the ages of your children but reassurance that there will always be plenty of food helps...it takes awhile though.
As a teacher in school it seems we are constantly (unofficially) diagnosing kids with something such as ADD/ADHD...I am totally against medication except MAYBE in extenuating circumstances...There are so many alternatives. In our school I lead a goup of about 60 "at risk" kids each morning in "brain gym" exercises which are kinesthetic movements to activate the brain and prepare the brain for learning...You can research these exercises via a search engine I am sure...diet also plays a critical role. Someone mentioned bread affecting behavior and I agree. I know the NIDS diet for autism excludes gluten and dairy. I have found this diet can help adhd children as well so you may encourage a more organic raw vegan diet for him....I am also a mother of 5 in a family of 7 so wholeheartedly understand the financial aspect....Sometimes I just buy regular produce, use my "produce wash" and hope for the best!!! I figure a natural diet is better than cooked or processed any day! Now that the weather is warming fresher produce should get easier to find good luck! Fresh air and exercise works wonders too. Typically, an ADHD person hits the ground running :D and can be more "focused" after a bout of exercise. I hope some of this helps. Good luck!!!

[karenisraw]

I would make sure he is being cared for emotionally as well as physically by his bio parent. He may be "stocking up" on food at your house because he may not be getting what he needs at home.

k
:)

[Rawmommyof2-Sacramento]

Here ia a great book on Enzyme Therapy
Enzymes for Autism & other Neurological Conditions by Karen DeFelice
www.enzymestuff.com
Hope this help's

[Punky]

WOW! I feel connected on so many levels! I have 2 adopted daughters + am a special education teacher for grades K-2. Firstly, overeating is quite common for children who have been either neglected or otherwise felt "powerless" for whatever reasons...It's a way of having control over something when you have control over nothing....I am not sure of the ages of your children but reassurance that there will always be plenty of food helps...it takes awhile though.
As a teacher in school it seems we are constantly (unofficially) diagnosing kids with something such as ADD/ADHD...I am totally against medication except MAYBE in extenuating circumstances...There are so many alternatives. In our school I lead a goup of about 60 "at risk" kids each morning in "brain gym" exercises which are kinesthetic movements to activate the brain and prepare the brain for learning...You can research these exercises via a search engine I am sure...diet also plays a critical role. Someone mentioned bread affecting behavior and I agree. I know the NIDS diet for autism excludes gluten and dairy. I have found this diet can help adhd children as well so you may encourage a more organic raw vegan diet for him....I am also a mother of 5 in a family of 7 so wholeheartedly understand the financial aspect....Sometimes I just buy regular produce, use my "produce wash" and hope for the best!!! I figure a natural diet is better than cooked or processed any day! Now that the weather is warming fresher produce should get easier to find good luck! Fresh air and exercise works wonders too. Typically, an ADHD person hits the ground running :D and can be more "focused" after a bout of exercise. I hope some of this helps. Good luck!!!


I totally agree with Diantha! I won't repeat everything but my son had lots of autistic characteristics and ADHD and the gluten/dairy (casein) free diet
has helped lots! People are so surprised now (he's 9) that he was ever considered autistic at all. Still ADHD, but much better. We are so blessed. We have never medicated (not that I am against it, we just did everything else 1st to see if it helped....I am a stay at home mom so I have the luxury of experimentation as well). We did diet (lots more restrictions than the gfcf) and sensory integration therapy. Right now he's in tae kwon do and it's helped a lot. EXCERCISE really helps. Anyways he eats a ton too! I always figured since he had so much energy and a high metabalism runs in the family.
Sounds like you are feeding him well though! There are gluten free breads available at some health food stores or you can just do without and see if it helps.
We never did the Brain Gym...I am intrigued and will have to investigate!
Best Wishes,
Punky

[NFrawRUNNER]

I totally agree with Diantha! I won't repeat everything but my son had lots of autistic characteristics and ADHD and the gluten/dairy (casein) free diet
has helped lots! People are so surprised now (he's 9) that he was ever considered autistic at all. Still ADHD, but much better. We are so blessed. We have never medicated (not that I am against it, we just did everything else 1st to see if it helped....I am a stay at home mom so I have the luxury of experimentation as well). We did diet (lots more restrictions than the gfcf) and sensory integration therapy. Right now he's in tae kwon do and it's helped a lot. EXCERCISE really helps. Anyways he eats a ton too! I always figured since he had so much energy and a high metabalism runs in the family.
Sounds like you are feeding him well though! There are gluten free breads available at some health food stores or you can just do without and see if it helps.
We never did the Brain Gym...I am intrigued and will have to investigate!
Best Wishes,
Punky

Punky,
Maybe you can advise me on some basic literature for other parents. I am switching to a self contained K-1 classroom next year with autistic/MR kids. I am excited to have the kids that are just starting school in the hopes I can influence parents to try dietary/alternative strategies before succumbing to medicines, etc...any tips on specific literature that is BASIC??? ...I can't be too pushy or over the top because "I am not a doctor" so I can't diagnose :D However, I plan on making sure parents know I lead a healthy lifestyle and will provide healthy snacks in the hopes someone approaches me. If they do I want to be able to provide them with something tangible to get them started without overwhelming them. Do you have your son on the NIDS diet? Do you feed your kids raw meals too or just Gluten-dairy free? just curious because I want to "experiment" with my own children this summer when I am home with them! Thanks for sharing YOUR story!
Di

[Lay-Lay]

Do you or anyone have advise for fostering? I just had orientation and filling out of forms today. I start classes soon. I would love to hear experiences from some of you who are alreading doing this. My heart saids yes 100% on taking this step, but my mind is sayng caution Lay-lay, caution? I really could use some help on getting my head around this. know will face ADD issues, emotional, mental, and physical. I know my husband and I have alot to offer.

[berrymarymac]

That's so great of ya'll thinking about fostering children!! I have no real advice, but just wanted to say that!

[Lay-Lay]

thanks mrandal!

[NFrawRUNNER]

We have 5 children....3 boys, 2 girls. The girls were each adopted (at different times). We went through the classes many years ago before our first daughter came along. Fostering/adopting children is a big step...but so is giving birth! We felt it was something we were "meant to do" and I can't imagine our life any other way...to know you changed the course of someones life for the better is a tremendously rewarding feeling. We cannot change the world on our own but we can change the world for one child! That's the way I look at it. If you feel you and your husband have the unconditional love to provide go for it! Don't get me wrong there will be challenges/difficulties but that's parenting no matter how your children come to you! Good luck and pm me if you want more info. I'd be glad to help! ;)

[luvnraw]

Ariella ~ You asked for things high in magnesium.....some might not apply as some are SAD but take from the list what you can use ok?

Nuts and Seeds (http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-012120000000000000000.html)
Spices and Herbs (http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-002120000000000000000.html)
Cereals, Grains, Pasta (http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-020120000000000000000.html)
Vegetables (http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-011120000000000000000.html)
Fruits (http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-009120000000000000000.html)
These are all based on a 200 calorie serving size too.

Oh and one more link that may or may not help you is this the Healing Food Reference (http://www.healingfoodreference.com/attention_deficit_disorder.html)

Hope that helps! You are a saint to be doing all of that for free with the healthy foods too! :D

[Lay-Lay]

We have 5 children....3 boys, 2 girls. The girls were each adopted (at different times). We went through the classes many years ago before our first daughter came along. Fostering/adopting children is a big step...but so is giving birth! We felt it was something we were "meant to do" and I can't imagine our life any other way...to know you changed the course of someones life for the better is a tremendously rewarding feeling. We cannot change the world on our own but we can change the world for one child! That's the way I look at it. If you feel you and your husband have the unconditional love to provide go for it! Don't get me wrong there will be challenges/difficulties but that's parenting no matter how your children come to you! Good luck and pm me if you want more info. I'd be glad to help! ;)

Thank you so much. I wll be emailing you. Thanks for responding.