Diet and Attention Deficit Disorder

Research suggest that a healthy eating plan can influence the signs and symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. The foods most likely to trigger aggravation are dairy, wheat, corn, eggs and citrus fruits. Because each child is unique, the key is to test and find out what foods irritate cause ADHD symptoms. Finding the ideal diet for your child can take time – upwards to 8 weeks to show improvements. If your child is deficient in certain nutrients, dietary supplements like Attend can have a positive effect on your child’s signs and symptoms.

Helping Your Child Through Better Nutrition.

Did you know that almonds provide more vitamin E than any other nut? The vitamin E content works synergistically with flavonoids in the almonds to produce an antioxidant effect beneficial to the digestive tract.

So, much better for your child than a chocolate bar with almonds, is the following muffin recipe made with almonds. This recipe also is protein packed.

Protein Muffins with Almonds.

½ cup ground almonds
1 cup ground flaxseed.
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup whey protein powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 eggs
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 c soft tofu
2/3 cup grated carrot
Grated zest of 1 organic lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix together dry ingredients - flaxseed, ground nuts, baking soda, baking powder , whey protein powder, spices and salt - in a small bowl. Mix liquid ingredients – eggs, coconut oil, grated carrot, tofu, vanilla and lemon zest – together in a large bowl. Then gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients being careful to only mix until just combined. Overmixing will produce a less than desirable outcome.

Pour the mixture into muffin tins lined with paper cups and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean and dry. Overbaking will produce a dry, unappetizing muffin.

If there are any of these delectable muffins leftover, be sure to store in the refrigerator or freeze.

For more ADD-ADHD healthy recipes, click here.

Heart Tests Urged for Kids Using ADHD Drugs

Stimulant ADHD medications can increase heart rate and blood pressure. This can put some children with underlying heart conditions at a greater risk of sudden cardiac death. To help reduce the heart risks of children with ADHD, the American Heart Association recommends a pre-treatment heart exam, including an electrocardiogram (ECG).

The FDA reported that 19 children died suddenly while taking ADHD medications and another 26 children experienced serious problems, including cardiac arrest, stroke, and heart palpitations between 1999 and 2004.

Even children who don’t show any symptoms might have undiagnosed heart conditions. Furthermore, some heart conditions may not appear until adolescence so children who have had normal results on an ECG in the past may need to be retested again later.

Chances are, your child’s heart is strong, healthy and able to withstand the effects of stimulant medications. Just to be on the safe side though, have your child’s heart tested before starting treatment.

There are a number of pros and cons to using prescription ADHD medications. The best advice I can give is to follow your heart and do what you truly believe is best for your child.

ADHD Adults Annually Lose 3 Weeks Worth of Work

A recent Harvard Medical School study found that an inability to concentrate leads to poor-quality output (no surprise) and excess days off work. From the result of this study, researchers stated that ADHD affects work performance even more than depression does.

"It's more persistent and severe than many mental disorders, and it results in more sick days, more accidents, and more problems interacting with colleagues,” said study co-author Ron Kessler, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Researchers conducted country-by-country ADHD diagnostic assessments on more than 7,000 adult workers and what they found was that those diagnosed with ADHD spent more than 22 fewer days per year working compared with non-ADHD workers.

This included an average of;
- More than 8 days of which ADHD employees said they could not carry out their routine tasks
- Almost 22 days with reduced productivity
- Nearly 14 days of reduced quality in the work they produced.

Researchers noted that many adult workers with ADHD may not know they have a problem. Kessler further noted that it might be a smart and profitable business move for employers to screen their workers for ADHD.

Do we really want employers to start screening for ADHD? I am not sure that is the best route to better productivity.

If you suspect that you might have Adult ADHD, take this online Adult Attention Deficit quiz.

If you have ADHD, you want to find a safe and effective treatment to help you better function in all areas of your life.

Children's Suicide Attempts Raise Concerns About Strattera

The safety of Strattera, a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is in question amid reports that more than 40 Canadian children have attempted suicide after taking Strattera.

Atomoxetine, sold under the name Strattera, hit the market almost four years ago. Since that time, Health Canada said it received 189 reports of adverse reactions associated with the drug. Nearly one-third of the 189 reported adverse reactions were suicide attempts.

Suicidal tendencies are not the only concern that has been raised about Strattera. Just months after the drug was put on the Canadian market, Health Canada warned that the drug may trigger behavioral changes or increase the risk of self-harm. A year later, Health Canada issued a warning that all ADHD drugs, Strattera included, may be associated with agitation, hallucinations and other psychiatric problems among children.

Eli Lilly, the maker of Strattera, provided a written statement saying that Strattera is not the only ADHD drug that has been associated with suicidal behaviors.

If you were the parent of a child who attempted suicide, would Lilly’s statement pointing the finger other ADHD drugs make you feel better? I would think not.

Adult ADHD Tip: Where Did the Day Go?

Time management is a sticky widget for adult ADHDers.

One of the best things you can do to keep you on task is to make a "To Do" list the night before or first thing in the morning. Write down everything you want to get done during the day, even if the list is longer than you know you can realistic accomplish.

Once you have your list, highlight the top six priorities of the day and do those before anything else. Make sure you check each project off as you move through the day to help you keep track of what was done and what still needs to be done.

Another popular technique is to have a dry-marker erase board on hand. These can be purchased for just about nothing at any of the popular mass-merchandise stores. When you have something that needs to be done, just write it on the board!

Sticky notes are great too….

Lawsuit Alleges Drug Manufacturers Targeting Methods Too General

Richard Scruggs, an Oxford attorney, is most popularly recognized for his paving the way for a settlement between the tobacco industry and the U.S. States in 1998. More recently, he has set his eyes on another tragic situation reaching epidemic proportions: ADHD medication and our children.

Stating a conspiracy grouping psychiatrists and the drug manufacturer of Ritalin, Scruggs contends that over 4 million children are taking Ritalin when it is not even necessary. Filed in the state court in San Diego, CA and the federal court in Hackensack, NJ, the lawsuits claim that the American Psychiatric Association, Novartis AG, and a popular non-profit “support” group called Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder have inappropriately and unnecessarily expanded upon the definition of this disorder to include children that would otherwise not be diagnosed with ADHD.

But why expand on the definition of ADHD to include many “normal” children? For profit of course.

By playing on the basic nurturing nature of a caregiver, the defendants of the lawsuits are playing on the fears of the caregiver wanting a healthy child. But by the expanded standards, virtually every child within the United States would be diagnosed with ADHD.

With over 90 percent of Ritalin sales found in the United States, professionals are finding it hard to explain why Europe and other countries are not experiencing this enormous influx of ADHD diagnosed children.

This spring, the White House launched an important initiative to reduce the number of children using this popular treatment.

Scruggs hopes to alter the method by which Ritalin is prescribed.

UK Doctors Looking at US Model for Treating ADHD -- And Doing the Opposite

Recent UK clinical studies have led professionals to compose new guidelines and regulations concerning the use of stimulants such as Concerta and Ritalin to counter the symptoms of ADHD. Often used as a first-line of defense against ADHD within the US, these often harsh stimulants are being replaced by behavioral therapy for the child and family.

In the US, approximately one in ten children are being or have been treated with stimulants with over 420,000 prescriptions handed out in 2004 alone nearly doubling since 1998. The UK has gone to great lengths to avoid this popular rising trend of giving stimulants to children as is commonplace in the US.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) offers new guidelines involving the parents of children diagnosed with ADHD. Involving parents in an intense behavioral therapy to manage the behavior of the ADHD child coupled with teacher training for managing the students diagnosed with ADHD is just one part of the diversion from the ever-growing popularity of stimulants.

While stimulants may be utilized for treating severe ADHD in children, pre-school aged children are never allowed treatment with stimulants. In addition, stimulant use is always a small part of the much more intense treatment plan.

Educational instruction, behavioral guidance, and psychological interventions are all part of ensuring that children within the UK diagnosed with ADHD and those children’s care takers are taught to manage the behavior rather than mask the symptoms.

By taking a look at how the US has “handled” the rise in children diagnosed with ADHD, the UK has developed a positive step forward recognizing the need for intensive behavioral therapy rather than harsh stimulants.