ADD - ADHD - Are you part of the problem or the solution?
Our country has gone nuts over drugs! There is such a strong financial interest in all types of drugs that our common sense has been thrown away. Hopefully I can attempt to WAKE YOU UP! People, we are natural beings, and our bodies were NOT designed to take inorganic substances such as heavy metals, or Drugs! Have we become that dumbed down that we actually believe otherwise? I would hope not. Most of the time there are other options, most people just are not told what they are.
Don't get me wrong. I do think some drugs have uses to help our bodies. But the goal used to be to use these drugs as tools to get our bodies to a point where we didn't need them anymore. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case for most drugs. How many people do you know who are on at least one or more prescriptions at all times?
One scary fact is that the International Coalition for Drug Awareness cites over 200,000 deaths in 1998 from the use of LEGALLY prescribed drugs. What is even scarier is that government controlled schools have been cashing in on the drug boom. Pressed for funds, many local schools have found a cash cow in placing students on Ritalin and other drugs. The schools receive funds for each student that is prescribed these drugs. Fortunately some schools have said "No to Drugs" like the Colorado State Board who was the first to do so. "If mental depression and hyperactivity is a problem with children, it should be controlled with nutrition, not drugs," says Editor of EEO Newsletter. When 50% of school kids are labeled with this problem, something is wrong. Many times children are labeled incorrectly.
There are so many books out there now that illustrate nutritional deficiencies and their links to depression and anxiety as well as just about every other illness out there. If you don't know about these by now WAKE UP out of your prescription fog and educate yourself! Are you really that busy that this topic isn't important to your family? Look at your local library or on Amazon.com for a plethora of books on the subject - you could read on for years, there is that much out there.
Specifically for your children. Are you really going to put your kids on prescription cocaine or speed (Ritalin) or other mind altering drugs? Aren't we supposed to be telling our kids not to take drugs? Beyond that, what lesson is a child learning when adults put them on medications to make him behave? Are you really going to deny them a healthy childhood with normal healthy experiences? Or are we setting them up for future drug use by getting them addicted to these drugs now while they are young? (No wonder there’s a drug problem in this country.)
Causes of ADD/ADHD
Before you do anything, it might be useful to figure out what is causing the problem. After reading many books on the subject myself, there are some main themes running through most of the books as to the cause: Nutritional deficiencies caused by organisms; such as parasite, and fungus/yeast also known as candida; deficiencies from a poor diet; dehydration; childhood vaccines; and toxins from food (artificial colors and flavors and preservatives) or environment (lead, mercury, pesticides, etc.) Remember that our bodies act out when something is wrong - this isn’t rocket science, it is just common sense - if the body is giving you a sign, figure out what is wrong and fix it - it doesn’t mean that the body is drug deficient - it almost NEVER means that.
Okay, so now you have it narrowed down to what the problem might be (it can even be a combination of a few), what do you do about it? Well, as Dr. Phil says "You are the Parent." That means it is time to take responsibility. Yes, this may take you a little extra of your time, and some challenges to get your child and yourself to change behaviors. But isn't your family worth it? I think so!
Basic Changes
Dehydration
How much water does your child drink? American children are so accustomed to sweet beverages, often used by parents as pacifiers, that more than 70% of pre-school children drink NO water at all. How sad is that? If your child has been labeled as having these issues, the first thing I would recommend is get the child off of all beverages other than water. Nothing hydrates the body better than pure water. Try giving your children only water every time they ask for a drink for 21 days. Make it a “fun” experiment, and see if you notice the difference in your child.
Diet
What does your child’s diet consist of? How many zero nutrition foods do they eat each day? These are foods that have NO nutritional value, and contain only toxins. Do you really expect that "food" to feed your child effectively? Come on - get real. I know you are busy, so am I, but I manage to give my son 3 very solid meals a day. It doesn’t take a professional chef to fix whole grains, fruits & vegetables, and meats for your child and/or your family. How many fruits and vegetables does your child eat each day? Are they even close to the FDA's recommendations? Our children's diets should consist of organic fruits and vegetables - and if you can't get organic (which I find very hard to believe) then just fruits and vegetables. Then also organic meats, and whole grains - this means NO wheat, which is a major source of problems as well as dairy, which should also be eliminated from the diet. (See the March 2005 issue of Voice of Choices on How Food Effects Your Mood). There are many other grains such as spelt, kamut, quinoa, brown rice and millet that are highly nutritious for our children.
In addition to diet, there are many companies that sell fruits and veggies in capsules, and/or powder forms. These are great to augment your child’s diet, and many parents have told me once their children have been on them a few months, they actually start to crave more fruits and vegetables. It is important that these are meant to augment and not replace. If you are having trouble getting your children to eat these foods, find out which ones they will eat, and make them always available, on the table, in their lunch, etc. If they are out and prepared, kids are more likely to eat them. At our house, I get a box of organic produce each week from The Klesick Family Farms. I chop up many of the veggies and put them in a Tupperware container and place that on the table every night. This way we fill up on the good stuff first. We almost always have a salad as well, and at least 1-2 blanched or stir-fried veggies as well. Then we have pasta, grain or a meat as well.
Essential Fatty Acids
Our brains our made out of essential fatty acids (EFA's). That is why they are essential! These are the good important fats that our body needs not only to work efficiently but to help us focus and maintain clarity. Foods that are rich in these fats or EFA's are avocados, nuts, salmon and other fishes, olive oil and flax seeds. Most people do not eat enough EFA's and must supplement their bodies with fish or flax seed oil. It is best to rotate these oils (for example every month) for your body to utilize them correctly.
Organisms
If your child has been diagnosed or you feel there may be an organism involved, don't fret, there are many solutions, all of which are very safe. For parasites, black walnut is a good choice to start with. If for some reason that isn't strong enough, there are many other parasite killers, such as herbal pumpkin, artemesia, and paw paw. Check with your health professional to learn which product would be best for your issue. It is also important to make sure that your child’s bowel movements are moving regularly, otherwise you will end up with a bunch of dead organisms in their colon, which won't do them any good either. Don't panic, organisms are very common in our bodies - we all have good organisms in our bodies, sometimes we have the bad ones - once you get your body balanced out, the bad ones won’t want to be there anymore. To help their bowels move, the water and fruit and veggie issues can help. In addition, you may need to add some Vitamin C, or magnesium - both of which act as laxatives in the body (take to bowel tolerance). If there is a Yeast/fungus issue, probiotics can be very useful, as well as other fungus killers such as pau'darco, black walnut, oregano, or caprilic acid. Again, check with your health practitioner to find the best product for your child.
Drug Alternatives
True ADD/ADHD people are “parasympathetic dominant” in their nervous system. These people are constantly in sensory overload, which keeps them constantly agitated. This is why stimulants are prescribed to help them. Many herbalists will recommend ma huang, (which was pulled off the market in 2004) or Brigham Tea to help stimulate their brain in a more natural way.
A child who is just hyperactive or tense, is probably just stressed and calming herbs such as valerian, skullcap, passion flower, or chamomile can help. Homeopathics can also be a very safe and effective assistance.
So how do you tell the difference with your child? It is very simple. Look at your child’s eyes. If the pupil is enlarged, this is an excess sympathetic nervous system reaction and will respond to calming products. If the pupil is small, however, this indicates excess parasympathetic activity and stimulants can be helpful in small doses. (Sunshine Sharing Vol 12 No 8)
There are other supplements that you may find beneficial once you make sure these other changes are in place at your home. There is not room here to go into all the many products that could help children or adults with these issues. Here are a few: DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) is a biodynamic nutrient used for memory and learning enhancement; Gota Kola – an herb that has a reputation for improving memory and brain function; GABA (Gamma amino butyric acid) – a neurotransmitter in the brain that serves to slow excess brain activity, thereby reducing anxiety and hyperactivity; and B Vitamins – many studies have shown that children with ADD/ADHD are deficient in B Vitamins.
In addition to all of this, most of the children that I have worked with that have this issue are extremely bright. And let’s face it, school is a restricting environment and can be boring for many children. I encourage you to work hard to find the right environment for your children. You may be happily surprised with some simple changes and a new environment that is more balanced in helping your child have a wonderful childhood.