Excerpted from The ADD & ADHD Diet
By Rachel Bell and Dr. Howard Peiper
Eat as many raw foods and organic as possible.
Food Sensitivities
Avoid all foods that provoke an allergic reaction.
Discovering what individual foods may be causing
your or your child’s problems, you can do an Elimination
Diet at home.
Common dietary allergens are: wheat, corn, rice, oat, peas,
soy, peanuts, milk, artificial colors, pure baker’s
chocolate, eggs, can sugar, chicken, beef, pork, tomato,
potato, orange, lettuce, broccoli, green beans, coffee,
cheese, and alcohol.
An individualized diet based on a cause and effect
investigation of person specific sensitivities. 50 to 70
percent of the American childhood population is
allergic to cow’s milk and diary products.
People with ADD/ADHD require protein snacks throughout the day. High quality green foods supplement can provide additional dietary
protein. These supplements are convenient, as they can be
quickly mixed into a special drink or “shake”.
The nutritional value of any food depends upon its absorption in the
intestinal tract.
Decrease nerve interference through chiropractic care.
Proper balance of micro-organisms/potential yeast over growth
“Food Combining” – when to eat certain foods and how.
Natural alternative to sugar is stevia powder or “raw” honey.
WHAT NOT TO EAT:
Simple carbohydrates (candy, white bread, cookies, donuts,
commercial snacks) should be avoided.
Avoid all foods with artificial additives, chemical dyes, and
Preservatives.
Dr. Benjamin Feingold: This diet prohibits the intake of
synthetic (artificial) colors, flavors, and preservatives,
and all foods containing natural salicylates including:
Almonds, apples (also cider and cider vinegar), apricots
All berries, cherries, cloves, coffee, cucumbers and pickles, currants, grapes and raisins (also wine and wine vinegar), nectarines, peppers (bell and chilies), plums and prunes, tangerines, tea, tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant.
What is in your food that can play havoc in your body and
aggravate your symptoms? Over 2,000 additives are used in
shelves and save manufactures money.
BHT/BHA- Used to stabilize fats in foods.
Artificial Colors – Approximately 95% of the synthetic
Colorings used in the U.S. are coal tar derivatives. Dyes are
stored by the body tissues for a long time and are difficult
to remove.
Propylene Glycol- Used as a de-icing fluid for airplanes, this
chemical is added to food and skin products to maintain
texture and moisture as well as inhibiting bacteria growth in
the product. It inhibits the growth of ?friendly? bacteria in
your intestines and decreases the amount of moisture in the
intestinal tract possibly leading to constipation.
Sodium Nitrite- Used in the curing of meats.
MSG ? Flavor enhancer
Sweeteners – Especially Nutrasweet(aspartame)- It has been
reported to cause recurrent headaches, mental aberrations,
seizures, suicidal tendencies, behavioral disorders, birth
defects, skin lesions and urinary bladder disturbances.
Insecticides and Pesticides- Fruits and vegetables that are
Most susceptible to contamination from pesticides, (in order
of highest risk of contamination), are: strawberries, bell
peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, cantaloupe, celery,
apples, apricots, green beans, grapes, and cucumbers. Use
organic foods instead.
SUPPLEMENTS THAT WE NEED:
Most people need trace minerals, digestive enzymes, and
essential fatty acids.
Trace Minerals: Trace mineral deficiencies can cause anxiety,
limited attention span, and short term memory problems.
Enzymes: Cooked food diet depletes the body’s natural enzymes.
Proteins cannot be utilized without enzymes, nor can vitamins
and minerals. Raw foods contain their own enzymes, but when we
cook the food we kill the enzymes.
Essential Fatty Acids: These cannot be make by the body, and
therefore, must be ingested as food. EFA’s aid transmission of
nerve impulses that are needed for normal brain functioning.
These essential oils are easily damaged by heat, light, and
oxygen. Essential fatty acids can be obtained from
supplemental sources. The best sources of these unprocessed
oils are: Organic flax seed meal, cold pressed flax seed oil,
borage oil, salmon oil, evening primrose oil, and black
currant oil. Fish, especially Cod and Salmon are excellent.
Avoid all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Read
labels and stay away from foods containing these treated oils
(margarine, commercial cooking oil, most commercial snack and
prepared foods).
Eat as many raw foods and organic as possible.
Food Sensitivities
Avoid all foods that provoke an allergic reaction.
Discovering what individual foods may be causing
your or your child’s problems, you can do an Elimination
Diet at home.
Common dietary allergens are: wheat, corn, rice, oat, peas,
soy, peanuts, milk, artificial colors, pure baker’s
chocolate, eggs, can sugar, chicken, beef, pork, tomato,
potato, orange, lettuce, broccoli, green beans, coffee,
cheese, and alcohol.
An individualized diet based on a cause and effect
investigation of person specific sensitivities. 50 to 70
percent of the American childhood population is
allergic to cow’s milk and diary products.
People with ADD/ADHD require protein snacks throughout the day. High quality green foods supplement can provide additional dietary
protein. These supplements are convenient, as they can be
quickly mixed into a special drink or “shake”.
The nutritional value of any food depends upon its absorption in the
intestinal tract.
Decrease nerve interference through chiropractic care.
Proper balance of micro-organisms/potential yeast over growth
“Food Combining” – when to eat certain foods and how.
Natural alternative to sugar is stevia powder or “raw” honey.
What not to Eat:
Simple carbohydrates (candy, white bread, cookies, donuts,
commercial snacks) should be avoided.
Avoid all foods with artificial additives, chemical dyes, and
Preservatives.
Dr. Benjamin Feingold: This diet prohibits the intake of
synthetic (artificial) colors, flavors, and preservatives,
and all foods containing natural salicylates including:
Almonds, apples (also cider and cider vinegar), apricots
All berries, cherries, cloves, coffee, cucumbers and pickles, currants, grapes and raisins (also wine and wine vinegar), nectarines, peppers (bell and chilies), plums and prunes, tangerines, tea, tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant.
What is in your food that can play havoc in your body and
aggravate your symptoms? Over 2,000 additives are used in
shelves and save manufactures money.
BHT/BHA- Used to stabilize fats in foods.
Artificial Colors – Approximately 95% of the synthetic
Colorings used in the U.S. are coal tar derivatives. Dyes are
stored by the body tissues for a long time and are difficult
to remove.
Propylene Glycol- Used as a de-icing fluid for airplanes, this
chemical is added to food and skin products to maintain
texture and moisture as well as inhibiting bacteria growth in
the product. It inhibits the growth of “friendly” bacteria in
your intestines and decreases the amount of moisture in the
intestinal tract possibly leading to constipation.
Sodium Nitrite- Used in the curing of meats.
MSG ? Flavor enhancer
Sweeteners ? Especially Nutrasweet(aspartame)- It has been
reported to cause recurrent headaches, mental aberrations,
seizures, suicidal tendencies, behavioral disorders, birth
defects, skin lesions and urinary bladder disturbances.
Insecticides and Pesticides- Fruits and vegetables that are
Most susceptible to contamination from pesticides, (in order
of highest risk of contamination), are: strawberries, bell
peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, cantaloupe, celery,
apples, apricots, green beans, grapes, and cucumbers. Use
organic foods instead.
Supplements that we need:
Most people need trace minerals, digestive enzymes, and
essential fatty acids.
Trace Minerals: Trace mineral deficiencies can cause anxiety,
limited attention span, and short term memory problems.
Enzymes: Cooked food diet depletes the body?s natural enzymes.
Proteins cannot be utilized without enzymes, nor can vitamins
and minerals. Raw foods contain their own enzymes, but when we
cook the food we kill the enzymes.
Essential Fatty Acids: These cannot be make by the body, and
therefore, must be ingested as food. EFA’s aid transmission of
nerve impulses that are needed for normal brain functioning.
These essential oils are easily damaged by heat, light, and
oxygen. Essential fatty acids can be obtained from
supplemental sources. The best sources of these unprocessed
oils are: Organic flax seed meal, cold pressed flax seed oil,
borage oil, salmon oil, evening primrose oil, and black
currant oil. Fish, especially Cod and Salmon are excellent.
Avoid all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Read
labels and stay away from foods containing these treated oils
(margarine, commercial cooking oil, most commercial snack and
prepared foods).
Comments
2 responses to “Dietary Considerations for Challenged Children”
I commend you for gtntieg on board with your mom about these diet changes. To do it right, gtntieg and keeping the bad stuff out of the house is very important.You should be more specific about what kind of health food requirements for your mom less sugar? less fat? less sodium? It makes a big difference in the way to change a recipe.Small changes at first are important with a diet change. Think of this change as retraining your tastebuds. For example, cutting out fast food and soda seem difficult to some people, but it’s really not if the substitute food is decent. Browsing cookbooks at a bookstore or library is a fun way to think about a big, special meal. My favorite to start with is How to Cook Everything. It’s just great and the ingredients are pure, for the most part. The author educates the reader about techniques and strange veggies and stuff.Here are some ideas to get you started:*Change to whole wheat or whole grain everything. This means no enriched flour. If it doesn’t say whole it isn’t whole.*Stock up on veggies and fruits. I threw much of the fresh stuff away at first because it rotted. I was stubborn about choosing those as snacks over, say, toast and peanut butter. Frozen or canned veggies are super convenient and the shelf life is better. Eventually fresh stuff is easy to keep on hand in the appropriate amounts, once you learn what you should and actually will eat.*Pure sugar and oils are better when necessary to cook with them. Stay away from syrups (i.e. corn syrup) and processed oils. Pressed oil is better (i.e. extra virgin olive oil).*Use broth to cook meats or anything on the stovetop. Real broth is best, but canned is fine if sodium isn’t an issue. This helps reduce the amount of oil/fats in cooking.*Spices, spices, spices are key. Learn how to cook with them. Think of cooking as learning about cultures Italian cooking uses parsley, basil, garlic and onion Mexican food has cumin, cilantro, peppers, lime, garlic and onion Thai food includes cilantro, vinegar, ginger and peanuts etc. Pick up a cookbook and try a few, without worrying too much about the health value. It will greatly improve your fluency in the kitchen.*Buy a crockpot and let the meat/veggies cook slowly in healthy spices. One of the easiest things to cook in the crockpot is a lean roast (pork or beef) or chicken, and vegetables. The veggies will break down, mix with the juices of the roast/chicken, making a tasty sauce. (I always put a tablespoon of vinegar with the roast to make it more tender.) I make salsa from scratch (no salt) and dump a couple of cups of it with chicken breast. It cooks for a few hours and it super yummy! If you want to make the broth into a sauce after it’s all cooked, shake a little flour with milk, then stir it into the broth to thicken it. OR you can save the broth for cooking something later. It freezes for a couple of weeks.Expect to spend some money stocking your cabinets with the right things. It will save you money in the long run, believe me. Nothing beats a home cooked, healthy meal! Happy cooking!Oops forgot to add something about snacks. Until your mom can rely on a piece of fruit as a snack, she really needs to fill up at healthy meals and skip snacks (unless she needs them for a health reason). This particular issue relies solely on will power. Perhaps you can let her slide for awhile as she gets excited about changing what’s in the kitchen and how she’s cooking. Also, drinking fluids can be like a snack since it does bring about a full feeling. When all else fails, nuts can be a good choice, in moderation. Watch out for sodium and fat intake with these snacks. Instead, find recipes that have semi-sweet chocolate and oats, roll in some flax or other good option, and bring in some cashews into the snack. It can be like a trail mix. (Warning: dried fruit has much more sugar than fresh fruit.)
Thanks for your comments. For more helpful information, I have added an opt-in box for a free PDF report and five videos that will follow shortly. You can access them at Chappell Chiropractic Wellness Center’s website, http://www.chappellhealth, and go to the opt-in box on the right. These will give you a primer on daily activities and habits that are robbing us of our health and energy.