Comments on: ADHD and Young Children: Unlocking the Secrets to Good Behavior http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/ Timeless Parenting Advice for Toddlers through Teenagers Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:41:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Julie http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-51970 Julie Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:03:01 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-51970 Thank you so much , I will put him on a diet for a few weeks and see the difference . I will let you know!!! Thank you so much , I will put him on a diet for a few weeks and see the difference . I will let you know!!!

]]> By: Kim http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-51968 Kim Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:50:15 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-51968 Julie: check out www.Feingold.org. I can tell you that it IS the food dyes and preservatives. Sugar high & low is over in about one hour. These dyes and additives stay in for days at a time and manifest themselves as behavior problems. I believe that while some children are in fact ADHD, many are simply battling the additives in modern foods and are misdiagnosed. We should not be a culture that needs "Nanny 911" -- children aren't just worse these days and parents aren't necessarily more lax. Food dyes and sodium benzoate (and others) were making my son distracted and hyper at school and angry at home for ten years. Now that I figured it out, he is absolutely a new boy -- an excellent student and an angel for over a year now. It's not hard once you figure it out and no one will advocate for your child like you will. good luck. Julie: check out http://www.Feingold.org. I can tell you that it IS the food dyes and preservatives. Sugar high & low is over in about one hour. These dyes and additives stay in for days at a time and manifest themselves as behavior problems. I believe that while some children are in fact ADHD, many are simply battling the additives in modern foods and are misdiagnosed. We should not be a culture that needs “Nanny 911″ — children aren’t just worse these days and parents aren’t necessarily more lax. Food dyes and sodium benzoate (and others) were making my son distracted and hyper at school and angry at home for ten years. Now that I figured it out, he is absolutely a new boy — an excellent student and an angel for over a year now. It’s not hard once you figure it out and no one will advocate for your child like you will. good luck.

]]> By: Julie http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-51844 Julie Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:55:43 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-51844 Hi , my son has a LOT of energy and sometimes is hyperactif . He will go 3 days jumping from morning to evening , I thought it was sugar (candies ) , but as I am trying to check what he eats when he is like this , it is not candies. Could he have a food allergie that makes him be this way??? Thanks Hi , my son has a LOT of energy and sometimes is hyperactif . He will go 3 days jumping from morning to evening , I thought it was sugar (candies ) , but as I am trying to check what he eats when he is like this , it is not candies. Could he have a food allergie that makes him be this way???
Thanks

]]> By: Jan http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46740 Jan Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:55:32 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46740 By the way, the grandsons food allergies include wheat, soy, corn, peanuts, almonds, apples, grapes, oranges, melons, brocolli, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, and bannnas. He also has reaction to shrimp cooking!! (we found this out when shopping at a store that prepared them in store. We had to leave when his throat started acting funny, And yes, I carry an Epipen at all times) So you can see, shopping for foods for this boy is VERY challenging. Especially with him being a teenager and wanting the occasional junk foods. Organic "junk" foods are more expensive than normal foods!! For those of you that need to have gluten free breads, try CHEBE breads @ www.chebe.com. They have retail outlets all over the country that you can shop at, or order online...Good luck By the way, the grandsons food allergies include wheat, soy, corn, peanuts, almonds, apples, grapes, oranges, melons, brocolli, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, and bannnas. He also has reaction to shrimp cooking!! (we found this out when shopping at a store that prepared them in store. We had to leave when his throat started acting funny, And yes, I carry an Epipen at all times) So you can see, shopping for foods for this boy is VERY challenging. Especially with him being a teenager and wanting the occasional junk foods. Organic “junk” foods are more expensive than normal foods!!
For those of you that need to have gluten free breads, try CHEBE breads @ http://www.chebe.com. They have retail outlets all over the country that you can shop at, or order online…Good luck

]]> By: Jan http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46739 Jan Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:39:46 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46739 I've been reading everyone's comments here and I couldn't agree with all of you more about the diet of these kids. I have 1 grandson that has been diagnosed with bipolar and ADHD at age 3 and a half(I know it sounds young, but he was textbook early onset bipolar). Fortunately, the doc put him on a mood stabilizer first instead of any stimulants for the ADHD. He's now 11 years old and on Strattera, which has been a blessing as he CANNOT tolerate stimulants of any kind, as well as his bipolar meds, and behaviior therapies. My 13 year old grandson has just been diagnosed with ADD rising from a tramatic brain injury from a biking accident 1 and a half years ago. This has caused personality and cognitive changes in this boy that at times make him unrecognizable to his family. We also have recently found that he has 14 food allergies that I have researched extensively on the internet. It's amazing, the different behaviors that different foods and additives produce in a child! But I've learned that wheat can cause many different unwanted behaviors if an allergy is present! One thing for all to remember, if you think your child is reacting to foods, a simple blood test for food allergies can be done. In my research of food labels, I've found that the wheat, soy, corn, and HIDDEN GLUTEN are in almost everything that kids want to eat. Google hidden gluten in foods, and you'll be amazed at the results. Yes, it's expensive to shop for foods that are more organic, but when you see the improvements in the children in your care, it's worth every second it took for the knowledge, and every cent you spent for the foods. You just have to stay with it, and keep the kids staying with it...it's their health at stake I’ve been reading everyone’s comments here and I couldn’t agree with all of you more about the diet of these kids. I have 1 grandson that has been diagnosed with bipolar and ADHD at age 3 and a half(I know it sounds young, but he was textbook early onset bipolar). Fortunately, the doc put him on a mood stabilizer first instead of any stimulants for the ADHD. He’s now 11 years old and on Strattera, which has been a blessing as he CANNOT tolerate stimulants of any kind, as well as his bipolar meds, and behaviior therapies.
My 13 year old grandson has just been diagnosed with ADD rising from a tramatic brain injury from a biking accident 1 and a half years ago. This has caused personality and cognitive changes in this boy that at times make him unrecognizable to his family. We also have recently found that he has 14 food allergies that I have researched extensively on the internet. It’s amazing, the different behaviors that different foods and additives produce in a child! But I’ve learned that wheat can cause many different unwanted behaviors if an allergy is present!
One thing for all to remember, if you think your child is reacting to foods, a simple blood test for food allergies can be done. In my research of food labels, I’ve found that the wheat, soy, corn, and HIDDEN GLUTEN are in almost everything that kids want to eat. Google hidden gluten in foods, and you’ll be amazed at the results.
Yes, it’s expensive to shop for foods that are more organic, but when you see the improvements in the children in your care, it’s worth every second it took for the knowledge, and every cent you spent for the foods. You just have to stay with it, and keep the kids staying with it…it’s their health at stake

]]> By: Malka from Israel http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46647 Malka from Israel Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:23:25 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46647 I have two boys ,8 and 12 years old and they got Ritalin for years.The teacher from school and kindergarden did not want to take in their class them without Ritalin.The youngest got it for years and started to complain about stomachache,headache and was sick when he came out the bus,threw up and did not eat at all.The older one did not get Ritalin in the 2 month holidays and it was the only time he had no headache he usually complained about. The food they got last schoolyear was thrown away each day because they were not hungry. This schoolyear I am not giving them any drugs.We eat already healthy from home,selfmade bread and meals.We live not close to a city and have no opportunity to buy vegetables and fruits we need - but we try to eat as healthy as we can. The boys are much happier now and eat 4 times as much as they did before with Ritalin. About a natural sweetener -Bonnie asked about- we have the liquid sweetener called Stevia (known through a factory we worked at) that is very healthy.It should be available in USA too. Good luck. I have two boys ,8 and 12 years old and they got Ritalin for years.The teacher from school and kindergarden did not want to take in their class them without Ritalin.The youngest got it for years and started to complain about stomachache,headache and was sick when he came out the bus,threw up and did not eat at all.The older one did not get Ritalin in the 2 month holidays and it was the only time he had no headache he usually complained about.
The food they got last schoolyear was thrown away each day because they were not hungry.
This schoolyear I am not giving them any drugs.We eat already healthy from home,selfmade bread and meals.We live not close to a city and have no opportunity to buy vegetables and fruits we need – but we try to eat as healthy as we can.
The boys are much happier now and eat 4 times as much as they did before with Ritalin.
About a natural sweetener -Bonnie asked about- we have the liquid sweetener called Stevia (known through a factory we worked at) that is very healthy.It should be available in USA too.
Good luck.

]]> By: Bonnie http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46605 Bonnie Sat, 20 Sep 2008 23:13:51 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46605 My 2 boys have severe nut allergies, so I already closely monitor our diets. We have tried to avoid preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, food colorings, and nitrates as well. I can tell a definite difference in their behavior when they have the occasional soda or sweet treat. Does anyone have any suggestions for a natural sweetener that is not chemically altered? My 2 boys have severe nut allergies, so I already closely monitor our diets. We have tried to avoid preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, food colorings, and nitrates as well. I can tell a definite difference in their behavior when they have the occasional soda or sweet treat. Does anyone have any suggestions for a natural sweetener that is not chemically altered?

]]> By: Diane http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46511 Diane Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:01:24 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46511 Sorry - I had to make a correction. Rice Dream is NOT gluten-free. Trader Joe's Rice Drink is, though. Sorry – I had to make a correction. Rice Dream is NOT gluten-free. Trader Joe’s Rice Drink is, though.

]]> By: Diane http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46506 Diane Fri, 19 Sep 2008 01:48:18 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46506 I'm writing again to offer suggestions about what the heck to feed a kid once you take out all the "good stuff"... I actually keep a list of things my son CAN eat on my fridge as a reminder, and this makes going to the grocery store easy! If your kids are choosing to eat only wheat and dairy, it's probably because they are addicted to the opiate effect. Keep in mind that there will be WORSE behavior for the first three days after eliminating these addictive foods, which is like withdrawal to them. If the behavior worsens, stick with it - it is likely an addiction they need help getting over. Here is an example of what my kids eat: Breakfast: (gluten-free, dairy-free) waffles (made from a Trader Joe's mix) made with egg whites and Rice Dream, (with organic blueberries and pure maple syrup), fried egg whites, preservative-free, nitrite-free ham. Lunch: preservative-free, nitrite-free turkey and pepperoni, rice cakes, macadamia nuts, a nut & seed treat made with honey, water. Dinner: organic chicken breast cooked in olive oil, rice pasta, sweet potatoes, broccoli, peas, water. Dessert: coconut sorbet sweetened with agave. He takes a multi-vitamin, fish oil, calcium/magnesium, and probiotics. Yes, some of this stuff is really expensive. But I save a lot of money buying no juice, soda fruit, cereal, cookies, candy, crackers, etc. Most of that stuff is just expensive empty calories. At 6, my son is about a head taller than all of his classmates (and is not fat) - he's extremely healthy because he's getting mostly protein, rice products, and vegetables. I recommend reading books like "Dangerous Grains," "Lick the Sugar Habit," and "The Yeast Connection" to understand the damage that gluten, dairy, and sugar can do (to the mind and body). Once the system has been cleared of an aggravating substance, introducing it back in will reveal obvious problems: a few days ago my son had ONE BITE of zucchini bread (with gluten), and two days later he was drooling without noticing it, he peed his pants a little without noticing it, he couldn't get his words out easily, and he had major diarrhea. This stuff is very real (and damaging) for some kids. Even if your child isn't as sensitive as mine, I can guarantee that a diet without sugar, artificial colors and flavors (and most likely dairy and gluten) will improve his/her health (and more importantly perhaps for you mamas, his behavior). My advice is to seek the help of a naturopath so you aren't grasping at straws blindly (and alone). You can make a huge difference in your children's lives! I’m writing again to offer suggestions about what the heck to feed a kid once you take out all the “good stuff”… I actually keep a list of things my son CAN eat on my fridge as a reminder, and this makes going to the grocery store easy! If your kids are choosing to eat only wheat and dairy, it’s probably because they are addicted to the opiate effect. Keep in mind that there will be WORSE behavior for the first three days after eliminating these addictive foods, which is like withdrawal to them. If the behavior worsens, stick with it – it is likely an addiction they need help getting over.

Here is an example of what my kids eat: Breakfast: (gluten-free, dairy-free) waffles (made from a Trader Joe’s mix) made with egg whites and Rice Dream, (with organic blueberries and pure maple syrup), fried egg whites, preservative-free, nitrite-free ham. Lunch: preservative-free, nitrite-free turkey and pepperoni, rice cakes, macadamia nuts, a nut & seed treat made with honey, water. Dinner: organic chicken breast cooked in olive oil, rice pasta, sweet potatoes, broccoli, peas, water. Dessert: coconut sorbet sweetened with agave.

He takes a multi-vitamin, fish oil, calcium/magnesium, and probiotics.

Yes, some of this stuff is really expensive. But I save a lot of money buying no juice, soda fruit, cereal, cookies, candy, crackers, etc. Most of that stuff is just expensive empty calories. At 6, my son is about a head taller than all of his classmates (and is not fat) – he’s extremely healthy because he’s getting mostly protein, rice products, and vegetables. I recommend reading books like “Dangerous Grains,” “Lick the Sugar Habit,” and “The Yeast Connection” to understand the damage that gluten, dairy, and sugar can do (to the mind and body).

Once the system has been cleared of an aggravating substance, introducing it back in will reveal obvious problems: a few days ago my son had ONE BITE of zucchini bread (with gluten), and two days later he was drooling without noticing it, he peed his pants a little without noticing it, he couldn’t get his words out easily, and he had major diarrhea. This stuff is very real (and damaging) for some kids. Even if your child isn’t as sensitive as mine, I can guarantee that a diet without sugar, artificial colors and flavors (and most likely dairy and gluten) will improve his/her health (and more importantly perhaps for you mamas, his behavior).

My advice is to seek the help of a naturopath so you aren’t grasping at straws blindly (and alone). You can make a huge difference in your children’s lives!

]]> By: Treena http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46503 Treena Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:18:33 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46503 More and more I read about how many more toxins and chemicals our children are exposed to now and how it directly relates to an increase in allergies, illnesses and behavior issues in children. It is interesting how every year it increases. When I was younger... I never heard of nut allergies in school, peanut butter and jam sandwiches were staples in my lunch. Our childrens bodies are getting so bogged down with pesticides from foods, chemicals/toxins from the soaps we use etc. I have chosen a natural product, no drugs for my daughter and I am incredibly amazed with the results. More and more I read about how many more toxins and chemicals our children are exposed to now and how it directly relates to an increase in allergies, illnesses and behavior issues in children. It is interesting how every year it increases. When I was younger… I never heard of nut allergies in school, peanut butter and jam sandwiches were staples in my lunch. Our childrens bodies are getting so bogged down with pesticides from foods, chemicals/toxins from the soaps we use etc. I have chosen a natural product, no drugs for my daughter and I am incredibly amazed with the results.

]]> By: Amanda C - MN http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46497 Amanda C - MN Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:19:31 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46497 Julie, Thanks for the valuable information on your diet choices! I've done some but not all...I didn't know dairy could have such an impact. I also wanted to comment on my above message. I forgot to include that when I took my son off all meds and they finally left his system he was a completely different kid. He was happy and laughed. I cried because I felt I had my little boy back again. From that moment on I said I would never put him on meds again...there are other ways to work with it. (Please don't think I'm getting on anyone who chooses that route; what ever works for you works for me!) Even family commented on what we were doing differently because Tyler seemed so much happier! The school really pushed back at us saying the same things Cass mentioned about not staying on task but yet he got good grades. Cass, we just kept pushing back at the teacher and letting her know we see her negativity toward him wearing on his performance in school and that we were not going to medicate him to make her job easier. (We did not have a good relationship with this teacher.) Long story short...we ended up moving to a new school district that has been fantastic about working with us. Good luck. Julie,

Thanks for the valuable information on your diet choices! I’ve done some but not all…I didn’t know dairy could have such an impact.

I also wanted to comment on my above message. I forgot to include that when I took my son off all meds and they finally left his system he was a completely different kid. He was happy and laughed. I cried because I felt I had my little boy back again. From that moment on I said I would never put him on meds again…there are other ways to work with it. (Please don’t think I’m getting on anyone who chooses that route; what ever works for you works for me!) Even family commented on what we were doing differently because Tyler seemed so much happier! The school really pushed back at us saying the same things Cass mentioned about not staying on task but yet he got good grades. Cass, we just kept pushing back at the teacher and letting her know we see her negativity toward him wearing on his performance in school and that we were not going to medicate him to make her job easier. (We did not have a good relationship with this teacher.) Long story short…we ended up moving to a new school district that has been fantastic about working with us. Good luck.

]]> By: Charlene http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46496 Charlene Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:07:10 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46496 My daughter is 2 1/2 years old and has not been diagnosed yet with ADHD. My husband has ADHD along with all 4 of his children from his first marriage. I have read the whole article and all of the comments posted so far. Currently my daughter is very prone to hitting/pushing her soon to be 1 yr old sister and I constantly have to "save" my youngest daughter from her. We've tried everything from talking to her, explaining to her how to have fun with her sister (and hence not hurt her) and to love and protect her (mostly to give her a sense of purpose so she's less prone to hurt her). We have also had to do time-outs (which she really doesn't like, but seem to work some of the times) and time on her own in her room (short amount of time followed by a talk about loving and having fun with her younger sister). Part of the problem I think is simply the usual sibling jealousy, however, she hardly has any naps (she will fall asleep on her own on a fairly regular basis and she will also sleep in the car or when she's sick she'll sleep a lot too) and she seems to really have a TONNE of energy, all the time! We have a relatively strict diet (we grow our own meat and produce and we don't have anything except goat/donkey milk in our home--the closest to breast milk with none of the allergies as we are all allergic to raw dairy) and eat very healthy. No packaged foods, no food colouring, etc. We encourage our 2 1/2 yr old to apologize to her younger sister when she does hurt her (which is usually when she realizes she's in trouble for doing something to her) - which she is actually really good about doing. Her younger sister absolutely adores her older sister and LOVES to play with her (when they do play together nicely it is so beautiful to watch!) and continuously "asks" to play with her, cuddle her, love her, etc. (she is a very loving baby) We encourage them and play with them a lot (we're both home full time so that part is easy to do for us). Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get over that hump of my eldest daughter hurting my youngest daughter so that they can just play nicely and have more fun? Either my husband or I (or most times both) are there with them all the time and have witnessed our oldest daughter elbowing her younger sister in the head or back on the way by, putting her knees on her sister's back when she's already down, etc. It's unbelievably painful/upsetting to watch and we stop her as soon as we catch her (we're also not afraid to follow up). Anyone have any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated! My daughter is 2 1/2 years old and has not been diagnosed yet with ADHD. My husband has ADHD along with all 4 of his children from his first marriage. I have read the whole article and all of the comments posted so far. Currently my daughter is very prone to hitting/pushing her soon to be 1 yr old sister and I constantly have to “save” my youngest daughter from her. We’ve tried everything from talking to her, explaining to her how to have fun with her sister (and hence not hurt her) and to love and protect her (mostly to give her a sense of purpose so she’s less prone to hurt her). We have also had to do time-outs (which she really doesn’t like, but seem to work some of the times) and time on her own in her room (short amount of time followed by a talk about loving and having fun with her younger sister). Part of the problem I think is simply the usual sibling jealousy, however, she hardly has any naps (she will fall asleep on her own on a fairly regular basis and she will also sleep in the car or when she’s sick she’ll sleep a lot too) and she seems to really have a TONNE of energy, all the time! We have a relatively strict diet (we grow our own meat and produce and we don’t have anything except goat/donkey milk in our home–the closest to breast milk with none of the allergies as we are all allergic to raw dairy) and eat very healthy. No packaged foods, no food colouring, etc. We encourage our 2 1/2 yr old to apologize to her younger sister when she does hurt her (which is usually when she realizes she’s in trouble for doing something to her) – which she is actually really good about doing. Her younger sister absolutely adores her older sister and LOVES to play with her (when they do play together nicely it is so beautiful to watch!) and continuously “asks” to play with her, cuddle her, love her, etc. (she is a very loving baby) We encourage them and play with them a lot (we’re both home full time so that part is easy to do for us). Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get over that hump of my eldest daughter hurting my youngest daughter so that they can just play nicely and have more fun? Either my husband or I (or most times both) are there with them all the time and have witnessed our oldest daughter elbowing her younger sister in the head or back on the way by, putting her knees on her sister’s back when she’s already down, etc. It’s unbelievably painful/upsetting to watch and we stop her as soon as we catch her (we’re also not afraid to follow up). Anyone have any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

]]> By: Julie http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46493 Julie Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:24:33 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46493 Melissa- My sons typical diet before I made the switch was sugary cereal(fruit loops) with Milk, Lunch was (hot lunch at school which is full of dairy/fat/perservatives)...Dinner was chicken nuggets/frozen pizza/mac-n-cheese. He ate tons of string cheese and go-gurts (which I thought was healthy)...Ice cream for dessert. He was miserable. He said things like Amanda's son said: "I wish I was never born. Why did you ever have me? I wish I was dead." I was so sad and was "sick"..so i knew I had to do something and when I talked with his pediatrician, he was happy to put him on medication. That mother's instinct kicked in and I was just not convinced. I told him ...give me the summer to experiment on diet and then if that doesn't work we'll go with meds. A friend of mine at work told me about a website www.notmilk.com. I grew up on milk and was very skeptical, but reading some of the articles I was like...what is there to lose. I also looked at some articles on Autism diets (Jenny McCarthy) about eliminating sugars/food coloring/etc. My son's glazed over look completely disappeared. He loves to hug/cuddle/talk and rarely has outbursts. We are a 'team' like that article stated. He knows I'm on his side and want him to succeed. I had to stop nagging and work with him to get his stuff done...like a race to get his shoes on or who can clean up the fastest. It is time consuming, but worth it. I am not advocating that you are so strict that he can't ever have cake/ice cream again or pizza at a party. I let him have it but then I just control what he has when he is with me. What to feed your child can be tricky but if you actually figure out how much money you were spending on "packaged" foods/pizza deliveries etc it can actually be about the same. The only difference is TIME. You actually have to cut fruit and veggies and make meals. I am a full time working mom and so this has been a challenge. If you can't do organic, I would just start with eliminating "packaged" foods. A typical meal for my son is oatmeal/with rice milk. Large glass of OJ with Calcium. I give him a salad in his lunch box or a natural turkey sandwhich...Hormel has a natural "packaged" turkey for about the same price of regular turkey with nitrates/perservatives. Fruit (grapes, pears, apples) have substitued the fruit snacks. I still give him chips- all natural or organic. Mott's also has an organic applesauce that is the same price as the "regular" applesauce. Honesty Kids have organic juice boxes...that my son loves. No artifical flavoring. I buy them at Sams...I think $8.00 for 24. I make fruit smoothies using Rice Milk instead of any dairy. My husband is a therapist and works primarily with teens. He has seen such a difference in my son and has started suggesting to parents that they try the elimination diet to see which foods might trigger impulsivity/anger etc. Melissa-
My sons typical diet before I made the switch was sugary cereal(fruit loops) with Milk, Lunch was (hot lunch at school which is full of dairy/fat/perservatives)…Dinner was chicken nuggets/frozen pizza/mac-n-cheese. He ate tons of string cheese and go-gurts (which I thought was healthy)…Ice cream for dessert. He was miserable. He said things like Amanda’s son said: “I wish I was never born. Why did you ever have me? I wish I was dead.” I was so sad and was “sick”..so i knew I had to do something and when I talked with his pediatrician, he was happy to put him on medication. That mother’s instinct kicked in and I was just not convinced. I told him …give me the summer to experiment on diet and then if that doesn’t work we’ll go with meds. A friend of mine at work told me about a website http://www.notmilk.com. I grew up on milk and was very skeptical, but reading some of the articles I was like…what is there to lose. I also looked at some articles on Autism diets (Jenny McCarthy) about eliminating sugars/food coloring/etc. My son’s glazed over look completely disappeared. He loves to hug/cuddle/talk and rarely has outbursts. We are a ‘team’ like that article stated. He knows I’m on his side and want him to succeed. I had to stop nagging and work with him to get his stuff done…like a race to get his shoes on or who can clean up the fastest. It is time consuming, but worth it. I am not advocating that you are so strict that he can’t ever have cake/ice cream again or pizza at a party. I let him have it but then I just control what he has when he is with me.
What to feed your child can be tricky but if you actually figure out how much money you were spending on “packaged” foods/pizza deliveries etc it can actually be about the same. The only difference is TIME. You actually have to cut fruit and veggies and make meals. I am a full time working mom and so this has been a challenge. If you can’t do organic, I would just start with eliminating “packaged” foods. A typical meal for my son is oatmeal/with rice milk. Large glass of OJ with Calcium. I give him a salad in his lunch box or a natural turkey sandwhich…Hormel has a natural “packaged” turkey for about the same price of regular turkey with nitrates/perservatives. Fruit (grapes, pears, apples) have substitued the fruit snacks. I still give him chips- all natural or organic. Mott’s also has an organic applesauce that is the same price as the “regular” applesauce. Honesty Kids have organic juice boxes…that my son loves. No artifical flavoring. I buy them at Sams…I think $8.00 for 24. I make fruit smoothies using Rice Milk instead of any dairy. My husband is a therapist and works primarily with teens. He has seen such a difference in my son and has started suggesting to parents that they try the elimination diet to see which foods might trigger impulsivity/anger etc.

]]> By: Cass Collins http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46491 Cass Collins Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:13:25 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46491 Reading all these comments makes me wonder what to do about teachers who say that our 8yo is not "staying on task", yet is NO kind of behavior problem and makes no less than 95's on all his papers. They say they have to constantly stay after him to keep working..and they say (Hmmm can this be true?) that no other kids have this problem. When we ask him about it, he says he is thinking. At home, he voluntarily does his homework, working consistently until he is finished.Every day. We're confused. Reading all these comments makes me wonder what to do about teachers who say that our 8yo is not “staying on task”, yet is NO kind of behavior problem and makes no less than 95′s on all his papers. They say they have to constantly stay after him to keep working..and they say (Hmmm can this be true?) that no other kids have this problem. When we ask him about it, he says he is thinking. At home, he voluntarily does his homework, working consistently until he is finished.Every day. We’re confused.

]]> By: Gramma http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46489 Gramma Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:06:52 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46489 My son had/has ADD but never showed signs of hyperactivity - perhaps that was due to the fact that we generally ate healthy meals from whole foods not pre-packaged, and my kids drank milk, water and juice - never any pop or even powdered drink mixes - they didn't like them. They never ate sugar on their cereal either - until my ex remarried and they learned about sugar coated cereal. But - my son STILL had attention problems, and still does, he will be 30 this year and is a chef who is now using food to treat his son's hyperactivity - he has been diagnosed with ADHD. My son had/has ADD but never showed signs of hyperactivity – perhaps that was due to the fact that we generally ate healthy meals from whole foods not pre-packaged, and my kids drank milk, water and juice – never any pop or even powdered drink mixes – they didn’t like them. They never ate sugar on their cereal either – until my ex remarried and they learned about sugar coated cereal. But – my son STILL had attention problems, and still does, he will be 30 this year and is a chef who is now using food to treat his son’s hyperactivity – he has been diagnosed with ADHD.

]]> By: Amanda C - MN http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46486 Amanda C - MN Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:27:29 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46486 My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 7. We put him on medication right away per the Drs. suggestion. (Dr. knows best, right?!) He literally tired every single medication they had available for ADHD at the time...Adderall, Adderall XR, Concerta, Strettara, Ritalin, and an herbal supplement. The side effects these medications caused where absolutely HORRIBLE! My 7 year old was so angry all the time he looked like he was possessed by the devil. He would say things like "I wish I was never born. Why did you ever have me? I wish I was dead." not to mention that these drugs are an appetite suppressant so he wasn't eating anything. He was a twig...the slimmest jeans were still too big for him. He couldn't sleep at night because these medications cause insomnia. He constantly complained of stomach and headaches. This doesn't include the liver and kidney damage that goes along with prolonged use of these drugs. When my Dr. suggested another medication to deal with the side effects of these I said, NO WAY! That's when I took my son off everything. (He was 8 1/2 by this time.) We tried the diet alteration thing too...it is really hard to do but can be done if you stick with it. We went organic with as much as we could. We eliminated any foods with red dye (hot dogs, lunch meat, etc.). That's when we really started to work with him, train him if you will, on recognizing when he is having a hard time focusing and really teaching him how to redirect himself when this happens. It's not perfect and it takes time but it is working for us. He is 13 now and with age and maturity it gets easier for him to recognize. I would MUCH rather deal with this than the nasty side effects of the drugs. We also tried to really focus on the awarding positive behavior and ignoring certain bad behaviors like the article mentions. Other tips we learned and where told along the way…if they can’t sit still at the table while doing homework but can laying on the floor…let them lay on the floor and do it! (My husband had a really hard time with this one!) A couple of my sons teachers suggested letting have a water bottle in class so he can fidget with that while in class. They say most kids get antsy in class because they are either thirsty or hungry. They also allowed him to chew gum. This technique was suggested because it is a form or constant movement and distraction for him. They suggested a squeeze ball so he could be fidgeting with this in class instead of getting out of his chair and being disruptive that way. Sitting on exercise ball was also suggested because this again forces the body to be in constant movement but yet not be disruptive to everyone else. I would love to tell you these things worked for us but my son wouldn’t do any of them except the water because he didn’t want to be “different” than the rest of the kids. Some things to think about though if your child and teacher are willing. Oh, one other comment…I also did the touch thing to calm my son down when he got really crazy…I would rub or scratch his back…it worked every time! Good luck everyone. It is a battle but with love and patience is very workable. My son is the most loving, caring, wonderful 13 year old boy I know! (Yeah, I bias too!) My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 7. We put him on medication right away per the Drs. suggestion. (Dr. knows best, right?!) He literally tired every single medication they had available for ADHD at the time…Adderall, Adderall XR, Concerta, Strettara, Ritalin, and an herbal supplement. The side effects these medications caused where absolutely HORRIBLE! My 7 year old was so angry all the time he looked like he was possessed by the devil. He would say things like “I wish I was never born. Why did you ever have me? I wish I was dead.” not to mention that these drugs are an appetite suppressant so he wasn’t eating anything. He was a twig…the slimmest jeans were still too big for him. He couldn’t sleep at night because these medications cause insomnia. He constantly complained of stomach and headaches. This doesn’t include the liver and kidney damage that goes along with prolonged use of these drugs. When my Dr. suggested another medication to deal with the side effects of these I said, NO WAY! That’s when I took my son off everything. (He was 8 1/2 by this time.) We tried the diet alteration thing too…it is really hard to do but can be done if you stick with it. We went organic with as much as we could. We eliminated any foods with red dye (hot dogs, lunch meat, etc.). That’s when we really started to work with him, train him if you will, on recognizing when he is having a hard time focusing and really teaching him how to redirect himself when this happens. It’s not perfect and it takes time but it is working for us. He is 13 now and with age and maturity it gets easier for him to recognize. I would MUCH rather deal with this than the nasty side effects of the drugs. We also tried to really focus on the awarding positive behavior and ignoring certain bad behaviors like the article mentions. Other tips we learned and where told along the way…if they can’t sit still at the table while doing homework but can laying on the floor…let them lay on the floor and do it! (My husband had a really hard time with this one!) A couple of my sons teachers suggested letting have a water bottle in class so he can fidget with that while in class. They say most kids get antsy in class because they are either thirsty or hungry. They also allowed him to chew gum. This technique was suggested because it is a form or constant movement and distraction for him. They suggested a squeeze ball so he could be fidgeting with this in class instead of getting out of his chair and being disruptive that way. Sitting on exercise ball was also suggested because this again forces the body to be in constant movement but yet not be disruptive to everyone else. I would love to tell you these things worked for us but my son wouldn’t do any of them except the water because he didn’t want to be “different” than the rest of the kids. Some things to think about though if your child and teacher are willing.

Oh, one other comment…I also did the touch thing to calm my son down when he got really crazy…I would rub or scratch his back…it worked every time!

Good luck everyone. It is a battle but with love and patience is very workable. My son is the most loving, caring, wonderful 13 year old boy I know! (Yeah, I bias too!)

]]> By: Kelly http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46484 Kelly Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:33:38 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46484 My son has ADHD. Things were sooooo difficult when he was little. He's 9 now. I attribute much of the improvement in him to diet. We used an ellimination diet just until we figured out which foods were triggering his problems. It was tricky at first, but now that we know what to look for, it's really not that difficult at all. I do much of our cooking from scratch, which is healthier for all of us. We used the Feingold program. You can get much of the information right off his internet site. If you order his program they give you very detailed shopping lists that save tons of time in the grocery store. They do the research on the products so that you don't have to. My son has ADHD. Things were sooooo difficult when he was little. He’s 9 now. I attribute much of the improvement in him to diet. We used an ellimination diet just until we figured out which foods were triggering his problems. It was tricky at first, but now that we know what to look for, it’s really not that difficult at all. I do much of our cooking from scratch, which is healthier for all of us. We used the Feingold program. You can get much of the information right off his internet site. If you order his program they give you very detailed shopping lists that save tons of time in the grocery store. They do the research on the products so that you don’t have to.

]]> By: Camille http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46482 Camille Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:48:41 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46482 I was just about to write the same thing when Melissa said: "sooooo what are they feeding them?" My son seems to live on air to begin with. He is a very picky eater (breads, crackers, ham on a certain kind of roll, cereals chicken nuggets and occasionally cucumbers. He is also a big milk drinker. And that about sums up his diet.) He just started Kindergarten and he is definitely exhibiting signs of "I don't want to go to KG!" stress...stomach-aches, MAJOR meltdowns, nighttime accidents. He's pretty much a happy go lucky boy but he's reacting to KG in a way I wasn't expecting. I am worried the stress will amplify his inability to focus. I will try some of the tips suggested (I already do some of them) but I would appreciate some specific suggestions regarding changes in diet if anyone has some. Thanks. I was just about to write the same thing when Melissa said: “sooooo what are they feeding them?” My son seems to live on air to begin with. He is a very picky eater (breads, crackers, ham on a certain kind of roll, cereals chicken nuggets and occasionally cucumbers. He is also a big milk drinker. And that about sums up his diet.) He just started Kindergarten and he is definitely exhibiting signs of “I don’t want to go to KG!” stress…stomach-aches, MAJOR meltdowns, nighttime accidents. He’s pretty much a happy go lucky boy but he’s reacting to KG in a way I wasn’t expecting. I am worried the stress will amplify his inability to focus. I will try some of the tips suggested (I already do some of them) but I would appreciate some specific suggestions regarding changes in diet if anyone has some.
Thanks.

]]> By: Melissa http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46476 Melissa Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:07:57 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46476 Hi! My son is 8 and has been on medication for over a year. I fought since he was three to keep him off meds but did when he was 7. There is an amazing difference. Even friends who have just met our family can tell if he does not have his medication. My question is the diet part. I was reading the above comments about what they are not giving their kids.......sooooo what are they feeding them. I also read it was expensive for this diet. Please help I am a single mom with four children. Buying groceries is expensive without buying "healthy or organic" Any suggestions? Hi! My son is 8 and has been on medication for over a year. I fought since he was three to keep him off meds but did when he was 7. There is an amazing difference. Even friends who have just met our family can tell if he does not have his medication. My question is the diet part. I was reading the above comments about what they are not giving their kids…….sooooo what are they feeding them. I also read it was expensive for this diet. Please help I am a single mom with four children. Buying groceries is expensive without buying “healthy or organic” Any suggestions?

]]> By: Diane http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46457 Diane Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:16:00 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46457 I agree with Julie. Diet is everything. In desperation to figure out what was aggravating my (5 1/2-year-old) son's system, I am trying an elimination diet -- along with gluten, dairy, citrus, artificial colors and flavors (which were already obvious problems), I eliminated sugar, soy, corn, yeast, (most) fruits, peanuts, chocolate, beef, egg yolks and phenols from his diet. He is a different kid - happy, compliant, and sweet. And I am a different mama! I haven't been mad in a week and a half, and I have had no need at all for time-outs. It may sound extreme, but believe me, it's much easier to control a kid's diet than to live with certain behavior problems. And, with the supplements I give him, he has a MUCH healthier diet than any other kid I know. Our lives have changed! I agree with Julie. Diet is everything. In desperation to figure out what was aggravating my (5 1/2-year-old) son’s system, I am trying an elimination diet — along with gluten, dairy, citrus, artificial colors and flavors (which were already obvious problems), I eliminated sugar, soy, corn, yeast, (most) fruits, peanuts, chocolate, beef, egg yolks and phenols from his diet. He is a different kid – happy, compliant, and sweet. And I am a different mama! I haven’t been mad in a week and a half, and I have had no need at all for time-outs. It may sound extreme, but believe me, it’s much easier to control a kid’s diet than to live with certain behavior problems. And, with the supplements I give him, he has a MUCH healthier diet than any other kid I know. Our lives have changed!

]]> By: Julie http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46434 Julie Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:18:01 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46434 I agree with Rosemary... My 9 year old son was one Dr. visit away from getting on medication for ADD. I poured over websites/treatments and then a co-worker suggested treating it nutrionally. I took my son off of all dairy, food coloring and "packaged" foods. I've gone organic as much as I can. It was hard/expensive at first don't get me wrong BUT my son is doing incredibly well. His ability to focus is just amazing. He's not as impulsive as he used to be and his anger issues have all but disappeared. I would have never believed nutrition had anything to do with it, but seeing is believing. I agree with Rosemary…
My 9 year old son was one Dr. visit away from getting on medication for ADD. I poured over websites/treatments and then a co-worker suggested treating it nutrionally. I took my son off of all dairy, food coloring and “packaged” foods. I’ve gone organic as much as I can. It was hard/expensive at first don’t get me wrong BUT my son is doing incredibly well. His ability to focus is just amazing. He’s not as impulsive as he used to be and his anger issues have all but disappeared. I would have never believed nutrition had anything to do with it, but seeing is believing.

]]> By: karen http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46433 karen Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:09:14 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46433 This information couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me as I had received a call from my son's 1st grade teacher this morning on her frustrations with his inability to focus on the tasks given to him and his hitting other children at school. Although this was a frustration at home with some behavioral issues ie: outbursts, hitting, not following thru,and having a hard time consentrating on his homework etc. I still wanted to believe that he could grow out of it and that it was a "maturity" issue as this was happening in Kindergarten as well. I have been struggling as to where to turn for the best advice. I do not want to put him on Ritalin just because the doctor advises it. I am very excited to have this information! Thank you for sending to me on a day that I was so consumed by where to turn for some direction! This information couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for me as I had received a call from my son’s 1st grade teacher this morning on her frustrations with his inability to focus on the tasks given to him and his hitting other children at school. Although this was a frustration at home with some behavioral issues ie: outbursts, hitting, not following thru,and having a hard time consentrating on his homework etc. I still wanted to believe that he could grow out of it and that it was a “maturity” issue as this was happening in Kindergarten as well. I have been struggling as to where to turn for the best advice. I do not want to put him on Ritalin just because the doctor advises it. I am very excited to have this information! Thank you for sending to me on a day that I was so consumed by where to turn for some direction!

]]> By: mom http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46429 mom Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:29:37 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46429 For years my son has struggled with all these things and i believe we have done many things wrong for his brain. thank you for the tips. For years my son has struggled with all these things and i believe we have done many things wrong for his brain. thank you for the tips.

]]> By: Rosemary http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46426 Rosemary Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:44:44 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46426 Dear Laurie and Jamie, It is the same as with learning about autism - very many different ideas about causes and solutions, training techniques, etc. Overwhelming! After studying these spectrums for 8 yrs, I've realized from many published articles out there, that these disorders will keep increasing as long as our diets keep declining in nutritional value and as we keep adding many more toxic elements into our environment. Fortunately there are many methods and advice for helping to rid our kids of some of their toxic exposure and ways to increase their nutritional intake. I don't want to recommend any one way here because there's many ways to do these things. The internet is the greatest source for learning many helpful options. Good luck to both of you! =) Dear Laurie and Jamie,
It is the same as with learning about autism – very many different ideas about causes and solutions, training techniques, etc. Overwhelming!
After studying these spectrums for 8 yrs, I’ve realized from many published articles out there, that these disorders will keep increasing as long as our diets keep declining in nutritional value and as we keep adding many more toxic elements into our environment. Fortunately there are many methods and advice for helping to rid our kids of some of their toxic exposure and ways to increase their nutritional intake. I don’t want to recommend any one way here because there’s many ways to do these things. The internet is the greatest source for learning many helpful options.
Good luck to both of you! =)

]]> By: C. M. http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/comment-page-1/#comment-46424 C. M. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:42:31 +0000 http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/adhd/#comment-46424 Thank you for these tips. There are so many ups and downs with my daughter with ADHD. She is seven, a bundle of joy, and a bundle of ENERGY!!! Thank you for these tips. There are so many ups and downs with my daughter with ADHD. She is seven, a bundle of joy, and a bundle of ENERGY!!!

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