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ADHD diet?

Mom2ADHD profile image
7 Replies

ADHD diet?

Has anybody tried a diet for their child. We have a super picky eater but have decided to change simple thing like white bread to whole grain bread. Certain things are easy to change at home but school lunches are bit harder. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Mom2ADHD profile image
Mom2ADHD
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7 Replies
Sullivan47 profile image
Sullivan47

I have found protein is the key to stabilizing some moods, and we take magnesium

Skapfam profile image
Skapfam in reply to Sullivan47

We have also been monitoring our daughter to make sure she is getting protein throughout the day to help wih the low blood sugar crashes etc. We have been doing a micronutirent that has magnesium in it too (see post below). Magnesium was recommended by our pediatrician for migraines specifically -which has been effective in reducing her migraines - but am curious as to why you suggest this for ADHD diet? I dont believe I have come across anything in my research recommending this specifically but would like to find out what you know :)

Skapfam profile image
Skapfam

We havent specifically changed diet as in eliminating any foods (although we try to limit sweets and foods with dyes as much as we can). We did start our daughter on broad spectrum micronutrients a few months ago and have noticed a significant change to her ability to express her feelings verbally which I believe has helped with her emotional dysregulation. Before she would just have blow ups and major tantrums and melt downs on a daily basis, and I feel with her ability to vocalize her feelings more these blow ups have lessened considerably. (My guess is there must have been some thing her body was deficit in that prevented the brain-body connection to function as it should affecting her ability to express herself). I believe this has also helped with her sleep and the sensory processing, anxiety, oppositional and impulsive behaviours she has struggled with for the past few years as well. It has not eliminated any of these things completely but I definately have seen an improvement. I would highly recommend this to others and offer the suggestion that if you give it a go to be patient as we did notice some changes soon after starting them but it took a good 8 weeks or so to really notice a significant change.

katcald profile image
katcald in reply to Skapfam

How old is your daughter?

Skapfam profile image
Skapfam in reply to katcald

6 years old

CoffeeTalk profile image
CoffeeTalk

We have not tried an elimination diet because my son is so terribly picky. I try to keep away from artificial dyes and preservatives for the most part. No frakenfood except sports snacks because he looks forward to the game snack every week. I have managed to get him to eat bananas. So I pack one everyday. Plus, a cheese stick, PB and J sandwich with organic peanut butter and organic bread, whole milk yogurt or smoothie sometimes. I use a bento box so he has it all out to eat a little of everything. He also likes the Made Good rice crispy snack for dessert and the Simple Mills chocolate cookies both of which are low sugar for desserts. Sometimes a thermos of last night's dinner works if it's noodles or something he likes.

Nats2005 profile image
Nats2005

We have somewhat. Our child psychiatrist gave us a 1-page list of ADHD-friendly foods from Jill Castle. Also told us to avoid refined sugars, artificial coloring, nitrates/nitrites, MSG and aspertame.

A number of things on the good list (e.g. salmon, whole wheat bread, walnuts and almonds, chicken breast) are already in our diet. Need to work on adding more things. Hard to tell whether it is helping or not, perhaps because as you mention it's harder to know what a child is getting at school or when out with a nanny.

The actual list we got is not on Jill Castle's website (jillcastle.com/childhood-nu... but there is a lot of other information there.

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