Study: Diet May Help ADHD Kids More Than Drugs

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/12/134456594/study-diet-may-help-adhd-kids-more-than-drugs
(Hi, it's me Christin...I encourage you to click on the link and read through some of the hundreds of comments made on this story...very inspiring)

Hyperactivity. Fidgeting. Inattention. Impulsivity. If your child has one or more of these qualities on a regular basis, you may be told that he or she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. If so, they'd be among about 10 percent of children in the United States.

Kids with ADHD can be restless and difficult to handle. Many of them are treated with drugs, but a new study says food may be the key. Published in The Lancet journal, the study suggests that with a very restrictive diet, kids with ADHD could experience a significant reduction in symptoms.
The study's lead author, Dr. Lidy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre in the Netherlands, writes in The Lancet that the disorder is triggered in many cases by external factors — and those can be treated through changes to one's environment.

"ADHD, it's just a couple of symptoms — it's not a disease," the Dutch researcher tells All Things Considered weekend host Guy Raz.

The way we think about — and treat — these behaviors is wrong, Pelsser says. "There is a paradigm shift needed. If a child is diagnosed ADHD, we should say, 'OK, we have got those symptoms, now let's start looking for a cause.' "

Pelsser compares ADHD to eczema. "The skin is affected, but a lot of people get eczema because of a latex allergy or because they are eating a pineapple or strawberries."

According to Pelsser, 64 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD are actually experiencing a hypersensitivity to food. Researchers determined that by starting kids on a very elaborate diet, then restricting it over a few weeks' time.

"It's only five weeks," Pelsser says. "If it is the diet, then we start to find out which foods are causing the problems."

Teachers and doctors who worked with children in the study reported marked changes in behavior. "In fact, they were flabbergasted," Pelsser says.

"After the diet, they were just normal children with normal behavior," she says. No longer were they easily distracted or forgetful, and the temper tantrums subsided.

Some teachers said they never thought it would work, Pelsser says. "It was so strange," she says, "that a diet would change the behavior of a child as thoroughly as they saw it. It was a miracle, a teacher said. "But diet is not the solution for all children with ADHD, Pelsser cautions. "In all children, we should start with diet research," she says. If a child's behavior doesn't change, then drugs may still be necessary. "But now we are giving them all drugs, and I think that's a huge mistake," she says.

Also, Pelsser warns, altering your child's diet without a doctor's supervision is inadvisable.

"We have got good news — that food is the main cause of ADHD," she says. "We've got bad news — that we have to train physicians to monitor this procedure because it cannot be done by a physician who is not trained."

Slow Cooker Baked Beans and Corn Bread

The cold and rain that we’ve had the last few days has inspired me to drag out the Crockpot. I love to cook in the slow cooker because not only is it super easy…the smell in the house is amazing.

The kinds and I are going to be in and out all day so I thought this recipe would be perfect.

 

2 cups dried beans (navy or pinto)

1/2 pound bacon (or left over ham or a hammock )

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

3 tablespoons molasses

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup of hot water

Soak beans overnight in water. Drain and rinse.

Toss the rest of the ingredient into the slow cooker and let it cook for most of the day. All slow cookers are different. My mom’s you have to leave on high to get it to boil—mine will boil on low and sometime burn on high. So set yours accordingly. You may have to add a little water throughout the day.
 

For the corn bread I use a gluten free mix by Red Mills. Sometimes I doctor it up by adding a small can of chilies, or a half of can of drained corn, or even some piece of diced ham.

If I know we are going to eat the corn bread muffins with honey I just make it plain.

* One thing I’ve noticed about this mix is I have to add more liquid than it calls for. Every single time...so make sure the batter isn't too thick when you make it.

Trader Joe’s Baked Onion Rings

Here is our new favorite snack!! They are gluten, dairy, and soy FREE!!!!!!!!

Trader Joe’s Baked Onion Rings Ingredients: cornmeal, rice flour, sunflower and/or safflower oil, cane sugar, seasoning (salt, dehydrated onion and garlic, natural flavor, parsley, citric acid).

Be forewarned…they are ADDICTIVE. We buy them by the bags!

Alexia Sweet Potato Fries

My son loves Alexia Sweet Potato Fries which we get at Costco. Sometimes he eats them as normal fries with ketchup but I also will make them a sweet treat by tossing them with some cinnamon and sugar when they are still warm from the oven.

Last night we went for a hike with some friends in the evening and then we all went out for a treat. Everyone ordered milkshakes and ice-cream and John ordered sweet potato fries (he’s never ordered them from there before). Well this morning he woke up feeling like death…his behavior was not good. He didn’t want to focus on his studies... all he wanted to do was lay on the sofa.

On my way into town this morning, I drove past the diner John got his sweet potatoes fries from and pulled in. I asked the man if he knew what the ingredients were in the sweet potatoes fries. He went into the back and came out with a piece of torn out cardboard, “I ripped this off the side of the box they come in.” He handed it to me and before I can even read the ingredients I can see the BOLD words, CONTAINS: Wheat, Dairy, Soy.

It’s easy to make mistakes like this. Remember to always check the ingredient.

Alexia Sweet Potato Fries ingredients are:

INGREDIENTS: SWEET POTATOES, CANOLA OIL, RICE FLOUR, TAPIOCA STARCH, NATURAL CANE SUGAR, CORNSTARCH, TAPIOCA DEXTRIN, SEA SALT, SPICES, ONION POWDER, SUGAR, CHILI PEPPER POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, SALAD MUSTARD (DISTILLED VINEGAR, MUSTARD SEED, SALT, TURMERIC, PAPRIKA), CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN GUM.


~Sweet Potato Fries With Cinnamon and Sugar~

Bake according to package. Mix a little sugar and cinnamon together. Place hot fries into a large bowl and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture over fries, make sure to turn fries to coat all of them. Eat warm!!

Fast Paced Cartoons Detrimental To Your Children? I believe so!

Here is a recent study that basically suggests that fast-paced cartoons are hindering and detrimental to your children. I’ll let you read the study and decide for yourself however, I wanted to let you know that we noticed a different when Johnny watched fast paced cartoons compared to slower cartoons.  The faster paceed cartoons over stimulated him (no matter what his age). My son has always loved Sponge Bob, ever since he was 6, he’s now 14. However, we've only allowed him to watch Sponge Bob for 30 minutes on the weekends because he’d get so jacked-up after watching it (same with other fast paced cartoons and movies). Fortunately he’s outgrowing cartoons so it’s not much of an issue and more. My daughter who has no ADHD symptoms at all gets jacked-up as well so we have eliminated or greatly reduced cartoons like this.

The Associated Press

Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011 | 9:19 p.m.

The cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants is in hot water from a study suggesting that watching just nine minutes of that program can cause short-term attention and learning problems in 4-year-olds.
The problems were seen in a study of 60 children randomly assigned to either watch "SpongeBob," or the slower-paced PBS cartoon "Caillou" or assigned to draw pictures. Immediately after these nine-minute assignments, the kids took mental function tests; those who had watched "SpongeBob" did measurably worse than the others.

Previous research has linked TV-watching with long-term attention problems in children, but the new study suggests more immediate problems can occur after very little exposure _ results that parents of young kids should be alert to, the study authors said.

Kids' cartoon shows typically feature about 22 minutes of action, so watching a full program "could be more detrimental," the researchers speculated, But they said more evidence is needed to confirm that.
The results should be interpreted cautiously because of the study's small size, but the data seem robust and bolster the idea that media exposure is a public health issue, said Dr. Dimitri Christakis. He is a child development specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital who wrote an editorial accompanying the study published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Christakis said parents need to realize that fast-paced programming may not be appropriate for very young children. "What kids watch matters, it's not just how much they watch," he said.
University of Virginia psychology professor Angeline Lillard, the lead author, said Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob" shouldn't be singled out. She found similar problems in kids who watched other fast-paced cartoon programming.

She said parents should realize that young children are compromised in their ability to learn and use self-control immediately after watching such shows. "I wouldn't advise watching such shows on the way to school or any time they're expected to pay attention and learn," she said.

Nickelodeon spokesman David Bittler disputed the findings and said "SpongeBob SquarePants" is aimed at kids aged 6-11, not 4-year-olds.

"Having 60 non-diverse kids, who are not part of the show's targeted (audience), watch nine minutes of programming is questionable methodology and could not possibly provide the basis for any valid findings that parents could trust," he said.

Lillard said 4-year-olds were chosen because that age "is the heart of the period during which you see the most development" in certain self-control abilities. Whether children of other ages would be similarly affected can't be determined from this study

Most kids were white and from middle-class or wealthy families. They were given common mental function tests after watching cartoons or drawing. The SpongeBob kids scored on average 12 points lower than the other two groups, whose scores were nearly identical.

In another test, measuring self-control and impulsiveness, kids were rated on how long they could wait before eating snacks presented when the researcher left the room. "SpongeBob" kids waited about 2 1/2 minutes on average, versus at least four minutes for the other two groups.

The study has several limitations. For one thing, the kids weren't tested before they watched TV. But Lillard said none of the children had diagnosed attention problems and all got similar scores on parent evaluations of their behavior.

Allergy Friendly, Gluten-Free Chicken Fried Rice

• 4 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
• 2 scallions, chopped, white and green parts
• ½ cup minced yellow onion
• ½ cup diced carrots
• ½ cup sliced water chestnuts
• ½ cup chopped asparagus (fresh or frozen)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• ½ lb. ground organic chicken
• freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups cold cooked rice (I prefer Jasmine, day old is best)

1. Heat a wok over high heat, add 2 Tablespoons of the canola oil, and heat until it’s staring to ripple slightly and almost smoking. Add garlic and ginger, toss, add scallions, toss, then add onion. Cook, tossing often, about 2 minutes until onion is soft and turning golden.
2. Add carrots and water chestnuts, and cook until carrot is soft and water chestnuts are turning golden, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook, tossing, about 2 minutes more. Sprinkle vegetables with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, tossing well to coat, then transfer to a separate bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 more Tablespoon of the canola oil in the wok, and add the ground chicken.  Use your spatula or spoon to break up the chicken, really breaking up the clumps until it’s crumbly and browning nicely. When no longer pink and nicely browned up, sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt and little bit of freshly ground pepper. Toss well to coat. Transfer chicken to the bowl with the cooked veggies.
4. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of canola oil to the wok, add the rice, and cook, tossing often 2 to 3 minutes until rice is glossy and aromatic. Add back in the veggies and chicken, and cook, tossing well, until heated through.  Remove from heat, and serve!

ADHD From Allergy? Study Shows Benefit From Diet Changes

The kids in this study were basically fed white meat, rice, & some veggies. For those of you who have a child with ADHD you may want to try this diet to see if it helps. If you go back and read our story this is basically what we did and we saw improvements in 3 days!! I'd love to hear from you if you decide to give it a try.

By COURTNEY HUTCHISON
ABC News Medical Unit

Feb. 4, 2011

Many parents will acknowledge that too much soda and candy makes their kids bounce off the walls on a sugar high, but what if a child's persistent hyperactivity was caused by tomatoes, eggs, gluten or some other seemingly innocuous food?

That is what a Dutch study published Thursday found: In kids with ADHD, researchers found that putting them on a restrictive diet to eliminate possible, previously unknown food allergies or sensitivities decreased hyperactivity for 64 percent of kids.

It isn't the first time researchers have tried to link ADHD to things kids eat, such as sugar, food dyes or other preservatives, but even with this recent study, pediatricians remain skeptical of a true connection between diet and hyperactivity disorders.

For Lynne Edris, 45, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., an elimination diet was one of a series of non-pharmacological interventions that she tried with her son, Bobby, in hopes of keeping him off prescription meds.

"He was about three at the time and his hyperactivity symptoms were pronounced. I tried food elimination, [which] basically takes you back to white meat chicken and few other things that they can eat," she said.

Edris spent three months trying the diet and slowly reintroducing other foods, but never saw any effect on her son's symptoms.

Now Edris is a ADHD coach working with parents of children with ADHD and said that while every once and a while a parent will have a lot of success with food elimination, for the most part, hopeful parents are disappointed when it fails, especially because of the amount of effort that has to go into keeping a young child on such a strict regimen.

Bobby, now 15, currently is being treated with ADHD medication and behavioral interventions.

Proof in the Pudding or Placebo Effect?
Similar to Edris' experience, past studies on food elimination diets for ADHD have had mixed results, with elimination of specific "trigger" foods working partially or completely for some children but failing in others.

"There is a longstanding, somewhat inconsistent story about diet and ADHD," said Jan Buitelaar, the lead author of the Dutch study and a psychiatrist at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre. "On the one hand, people think it's sugar that's the trigger, others think that food coloring could be causing ADHD. Our approach was quite different. We went [with] the idea that food may give some kind of allergic or hyperactivity reaction to the brain" because of an allergy or sensitivity the child may have.

The past studies have been limited, Buitelaar noted, and many pediatricians are skeptical of the connection between diet and ADHD.

"This has long been viewed as a kind of a controversial approach," Buitelaar said. "When we started the research, I was skeptical, but the results convinced me."

In the study, of the 41 kids who completed the elimination diet, 32 saw decreased symptoms. When certain foods thought to be "triggers" for each child were reintroduced, most of the children relapsed. The eliminated diets, which lasted five weeks, consisted predominantly of rice, white meat and some vegetables.

Among 50 kids given a "control" diet that was just a standard, healthy diet for children, significant changes were not noted. Given these findings, Buitelaar recommended that the elimination diet become part of standard of care for children with ADHD.

Though pediatricians acknowledge the limited effectiveness that some patients see with diet changes, most were against including the elimination diet, which can be a harrowing experience for parents and children, as standard of care.

"People seem to think that dietary modification is essentially 'free,' but it is difficult, socially disruptive, and presents the risk for nutritional deficiency," said Dr. Michael Daines, a pediatric allergist-immunologist at the University of Arizona.

Currently, food elimination diets are not standard of care in the U.S. or in the Netherlands, where the study was performed. They are used limitedly when parents specifically request to attempt this alternative treatment for the hyperactivity disorder.

No Jujubes for Junior

Though Daines is willing to work with families who want to try an elimination diet for treating ADHD, he feels it will only have an effect if the child is having a true food allergy or intolerance.

Edris felt similarly: Because ADHD can only be diagnosed by a cluster of symptoms (and not something biological such as a blood test), she thought that it was more likely that some children had allergy-related ADHD and it was only such children who would see a benefit from the diet.

This could be the case for some children, agreed Dr. Anne Francis, a pediatrician in the Elmwood Pediatric Group in Rochester, N.Y.

There is "no question that allergic children show symptoms very similar to ADHD in terms of behavior," she said.

Edris was drawn to try the elimination diet because she was hoping to be able to avoid giving her young son prescription medication for his ADHD. While dietary changes are seemingly a non-invasive treatment option to explore, pediatricians, even those who support the diet as a type of ADHD treatment, warn against parents trying it alone.

"Restricted diets should be undertaken with caution and under close medical supervision to assure appropriate nutrition," said Dr. Karen Warman, an associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Children's Hospital at Montefiore.

Given the difficulty most parents may have with getting their kids to eat such a bland, restricted diet, many pediatricians feared that even trying the diet would prove impractical for many parents.

While Dr. Michael Manos, head of the center for Pediatric Behavioral Health at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, said the new study was well done, it didn't dismiss the fact that pharmaceutical and behavioral interventions are much more effective than even the benefit noted by some in the study.

"I would not go so far as to say this ... should be 'standard of care'," added Dr. Kathi Kemper, director of program in complementary and integrative medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

"What is standard of care is to take the entire child, including lifestyle, family values and culture, into consideration when helping them meet the challenge of ADHD so they can have better attention, focus, self-discipline and patience to help them succeed in school and in life," she said.

~Parfaits~

All you need for the parfaits is two jell-o putting boxes. I used banana cream chocolate fudge. Almond milk, a banana and cinnamon. Mix according to package directions.

Chill for several hours in the frig.

Add a dash of cinnamon on top

~Personally I don’t feel these mixes are the best but I find it’s okay for special occasions (someone just told me that Trader Joes has a better pudding mix so I will try that and let you know how it goes)~

~ADHD, stimulant drugs linked to heart disease and death, says doctor~

Very interesting article…it's from NaturalNew.com...

(NaturalNews) A major study recently published in the journal Pediatrics -- and republished by countless other medical and mass media sources -- made the bold claim that stimulant drugs like those used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children are not linked to cardiovascular events and death.

But a recent analysis by Dr. Robert Tozzi writing for FOX News explains that the study was flawed, and that the drugs will cause cardiovascular events or death, especially in individuals with certain conditions.

Like most studies that allege the safety of pharmaceutical drugs, the Pediatrics study was at least partially, if not completely, funded by the drug industry. It was also deliberately constructed in such a way as to artificially minimize the risks associated with stimulant drugs. As a result, its findings ended up mirroring claims long made by the drug industry that stimulant drugs are safe, and that children do not need to be tested for certain conditions prior to being prescribed them.

The study included two groups of children, one taking stimulant drugs, and the other not taking stimulant drugs. The idea was to simply compare the number of heart events between the two groups, and determine whether or not stimulant drugs are associated with an increased risk of heart events and sudden death.

Well, according to Dr. Tozzi, few, if any, of the high-risk children with conditions that would react negatively in the presence of stimulants were placed in the stimulant group. Most parents of children with such conditions, as well as their doctors, would not normally opt for giving stimulants to their high-risk children, and thus the vast majority of these children were placed in the non-stimulant group.

This inherent and obvious flaw completely debunks the credibility of the study. After all, the whole point of it was supposedly to identify whether or not children need to be pre-screened for certain conditions before being prescribed stimulant drugs. With this in mind, it makes sense to actually identify how children with existing conditions respond to stimulant drugs, otherwise the data is meaningless.

It is difficult to say which is worse -- testing dangerous drugs on high-risk children, or not testing dangerous drugs on high-risk children and simply declaring that they are safe (which is what the drug industry basically did in a recent study). One thing is for sure, though. The propositions made in the study that stimulant drugs are safe and do not raise the risk of heart disease and sudden death are patently false. And many children will likely suffer and die as a result of these lies.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/...

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033204_ADHD_drugs_death.html#ixzz1TvNLeWvB

~Pumpkin Bread~

Pumpkin Bread

4 tablespoons butter melted (I use real butter because butter is the only dairy Johnny doesn't react to) 

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 1/3 cups Pamelas ultimate baking and pancake mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon clove

Beat together butter, sugar, egg, and pumpkin. Add remaining bread ingredients and mix together.  Pour into a greased loaf pan (8 x 4). Mix nut topping ingredients and smooth evenly over batter to the edges. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or when toothpick inserted comes out almost clean.

Enjoy!

~Allergy Testing~

REPOST

Thought I’d give a quick update. I took Johnny to his pediatrician for allergy tests as well as a celiac test. It’s worth mentioning that this pediatrician doesn't feel that allergies have anything to do with ADHD so I just avoid the topic with her. We did a blood test because we'd already done the scratch test on the back and it didn't show any allergies. If you can do it the blood test is the only way to go.

He had to eat lots of wheat, dairy, soy, etc for 14 days. Then his blood was drawn. Of course during these two weeks he was feeling like crap. Headaches, had a bowel movement every 2 or 3 days, he couldn’t sleep, had dark circles under his eyes, his ADHD symptoms all reappeared…the list goes on and on.

The results are back and guess what, he doesn't have celiac…woo hoo! However, he had a major reaction to almost everything tested (which I found odd)—wheat, soy, peanuts, walnuts, corn, clams, sesame seeds,  & scallops. 

He didn't have a reaction to eggs or dairy. The eggs we knew but dairy he has a reaction to. So we tested dairy last week. He ate moderate amounts of milk, cheese, and sour cream (on his baked potatoes and on his tacos). He had diarrhea so badly that he couldn’t stand up without going in his pants. He said it was gooey slug coming out (sorry for being so graphic) so parents please make your decisions by how your child reacts NOT by what a test shows.

The Dr. wanted to do more testing for other foods but I declined—first, my son begged not to have to eat all that food for another 2 weeks, and secondly, I don’t’ really care what the test show…if he reacts to it we plan on removing it from his diet.  

So bottom line, my kid has some major food intolerances!!

~Camp Celiac in Beautiful Northern California~

I just found an amazing camp and I wanted to share it with everyone. It’s called Camp Celiac. This camp is especially for children who are allergic to wheat / gluten. I called a spoke with someone at the camp and asked about dairy and soy free options and I was informed at every meal they also offer dairy free options (he wasn’t sure about soy).

Camp Celiac’s mission is to allow campers to enjoy their summer camp experience and not have to always worry about whether they can eat the food. Campers will NEVER have to ask, “is there wheat in that?”. Their menu looks great and if your child is wheat, dairy, and soy free I think they will defiantly find enough to eat at this camp.

I think this type of camp and its concept is amazing and how fantastic for our children to be able to play and bond with other children who also have “special” diets.

When I last spoke with the camp they had a few spots left open so if you want to send your child to camp this summer I would seriously check into Camp Celiac. Also, this camp is only $25 for a week…though they accept donations that are more… and I encourage you to donate a little more because the food budget must be very high. If any of you do send your little on to Camp Celiac please let me know how it goes. Johnny can’t attend this year because we already have plans but I hope he can go next year.

~IN-N-OUT BURGER~

We made a huge mistake. We were traveling and just starving to death so we went through an IN-N-OUT BURGER.

We ordered Johnny a burger protein style. That is where they wrap the meat, tomatoes, and onions in lettuce (no bun). My son ate his burger and about half of his fries and was so sick he went to the bathroom immediately. Within twenty minutes he had huge darks circles under his eyes and a major headache. I didn’t have any Motrin with me (because he never gets headaches anymore) so I had to find a store and buy him some ibuprofen. He ended up curling up in the back seat of the car feeling so miserable.

It sooooo not worth eating out!

Next time I’ll remember to pack more food!

~Celiac Disease~

Celiac Disease A Hidden Epidemic by Peter Green is a must have for understanding wheat gluten intolerance. Dr. Green gives a check list of symptoms that amazed me.

-Bloating. Gas, and/or stomach cramping

-Diarrhea or runny stools

-Constipation

-Joint pain of numbness or tingling in your extremities

-Itchy skin

-Constant fatigue

-Frequent headaches or migraines

Does your ADHD child have any of these? I was so surprised when I read this check list because Johnny had almost all of them!

Johnny’s stomach always hurt him (no bloating though) gas and cramping. He had been constipated from the moment he was born. He’d complain every now and again (about once a month or so) about his hands tingling. His skin has always been a problem…bumps, rashes, hives, etc (remember we were at the dermatologists office when he told us that my son’s body was having a hard time. He could see this just by looking at his skin!). We used to call him lazy but I really think he was experiencing fatigue. He had headaches that boarded on migraines (he’s was sent to several specialists for CAT scans and MRI’s) weekly. He couldn’t even handle the light. I’d have to put him in a dark room. Johnny hasn’t had one headache since being wheat, dairy, and soy free! NOT ONE!

This book only has about a paragraph regarding ADHD and Autism and celiac disease. It says a wheat free diet is very common for these conditions. It also states that more studies and research need to be done.

About the Auhtor:

Peter H.R. Green, M.D., is the director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. He is a professor of clinical medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and attending physician at the Columbia University Medical Center (New York–Presbyterian Hospital). Celiac disease has been his focus for almost twenty years, with equal concentration on patient care and research. He is one of the few physicians in the United States with an intense clinical and academic interest and expertise in celiac disease

Chemical Cuisine ~Food Additives~

We try and stay away from food additives.

Here are a few that really trigger my son's ADHD. I wouldn't eat foods with these in them.

All nitrites

Saccharin, Aspartame, Acesulfame-K

Olestra

All Food Dyes

Sodium Benzoate

~Gluten Free~

You have to realize this diet is so much more than just gluten free. Because gluten free doesn’t mean dairy and soy free. So teach your child the difference.

Unfortunately most of the gluten free (wheat free) mixes have soy in them.

All of Betty Croker cookie, brownie, and cakes mixes have soy.

Gluten free Bisquick reads (may contain soy). My son has eaten this once or twice and never had a reaction.

We really the Pamela’s baking and Pancake mix. I’ve made ton of recipes from this, scones, pumpkin and banana breads, pancakes, pie crust., etc. Please not there is Cultured Butter Milk in this mix so it contains milk. We have discovered when making these treats every so often this mix doesn’t cause a reaction in Johnny.

Their bread mix is wheat, soy, and dairy free! We use this mix for most of Johnny’s bread. We’ll use it for sandwiches, French toast, croutons or bread crumbs.

 .



~Chili~

I usually make chili homemade but when we are in a rush or pressed for time here is a canned chili that my son loves. He makes chili and chips for snack or dinner.

Stagg Sliverado Beef Chili  (Not all Stagg Chili is wheat and soy free!)

My son eats a lot of tortilla chips.  We buy an organic bran at Costco.

~Fixing Meals Are Hard~

In the beginning I found it very hard to find things for Johnny to eat. It feels like everything has wheat and soy in it! Especially soy! We were religious for the first three months and NEVER cheated.

I felt like Johnny, was eating a lot of meat and potatoes. And actually he was. This was very hard for me to get use to because we never really centered our meals around a meat before.  Bacon for breakfast, chicken for lunch, hardboiled eggs for snack, steak for dinner. I knew the kid was going to have clogged arteries be the time he was 18. But he looked so good, and he was sleeping so well, and he was focused and his behavior had improved drastically.  I didn’t want to change anything and I haven’t.

So if you feel like your child is eating too much meat all I can say is stick with it because for whatever reason it may be the best thing for them.

I do try to keep red meat to only a few times a week. And most other meats are lean, organic, and either baked or barbequed (with the exception of bacon). I don’t fry much. My son eats a lot of deer. Which is good because there are no hormones and stuff in it.

You can get a whole organic chicken and make several meals out of it. This is my go to meal. The first night I bake it. I’ll season it, rub it with olive oil, set carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes around the baking dish so we have the veggies with dinner. We keep some of the breast for lunch the next day. The following night we boil the entire chicken and make chicken soup— if there are some veggies left over we toss them into the soup. Sometime we’ll also add a handful of rice too.

~Two Weeks Into Being Wheat, Dairy, Soy Free~

Two weeks into eating wheat, dairy, & soy free my son was still sleeping a full night and  there were no more dark circles under his eyes. We had one other surprise too.  One day he came out of the bathroom and said mom, “I have diarrhea.” I was totally surprised and worried that we had somehow let something slip into his diet. He hadn’t flushed, so I went in and inspected it. It looked, totally normal! Slightly loose and but still holding its shape. I told him that’s not diarrhea that’s how it supposed to me. He then explain for the last few days he’d “gone” every day and it would only take him a “minute” to use the bathroom (before he was in there for about 15 minutes).  Johnny has always been constipated. His movements were usually 2 to 3 days apart and were thick like paste and he usually struggled to get them out. Two weeks into his new diet he was no longer constipated.

~Three Days Into Being Wheat, Dairy, Soy, Free~

Something totally amazing happened on the 3^rd day of my son, Johnny, not eating any wheat, dairy, or soy.

Not only did he sleep a full night he slept in until 7:30 am. Now that may not sound like a big deal but Johnny hadn’t slept a full night in his entire 12 years of life! He would always be up and down. When he was a baby he’d toss and turn in his crib or just fuss (colic). As he became a toddler he’d sometime just get up and roam the house or play. When he was around 6 he started sleep walking and/or roaming the house. We’d find him sleeping on the floor at the foot of our bed, we’d find him on the sofa, in the guest bedroom, in his sisters room, really just about anywhere.  Johnny very rarely went to sleep and work up in the same place. Sometime he’d remember getting up at night and other times he didn’t. His morning normally started about 5 or 5:30…he just couldn’t sleep any longer.

Well, on his third day of no wheat, dairy, or soy he slept the entire night and also slept in! Whoo-Hoo! I’ll never forget… he came stumbling out of his room saying, “I’ve never slept that hard in my life! What time is it?”.

With this full night’s sleep, he had an amazing day. Very focused!

So the first thing we noticed when going wheat, dairy, & soy free was Johnny slept a 100% better!

~Going Wheat, Dairy, Soy, Free~

When the derma dermatologist said no wheat, dairy, or soy, I thought what am I going to fee this kid! He was ready to jump in removing everything all at once. He didn’t want to ease into this way of eating he just wanted to “just do it”. I wanted to be supportive so I scrambled to fix his first meal wheat, dairy, soy free.

Well the first night for dinner I baked chicken breasts (marinated in olive oil, garlic, & dried basil), made a huge salad and used a homemade dressing—a mixture of balsamic vinegar, olive oil,  garlic power, salt, & pepper (our salad dressing had soy bean oil in it), and canned green beans. He was happy with this meal and went to bed full.

Breakfast was usually cereal & milk. He was not longer allowed to have to have this so I made him beacon and eggs (I fired the eggs in the beacon grease)...it was all I have in the house. 

Lunch was usually PB&J or tuna on whole wheat bread. This is sooo not good for him…the bread of course is loaded with wheat, but what I didn’t realize was the tuna and the mayo had soy bean oil in it.  So for lunch I made him some hardboiled eggs with a small salad, an apple, and corn tortilla chips.

After lunch I dashed out the door to head to the market to get him some food!

~Our Story~

13 years ago I gave birth to my first child, Johnny. It was a relativity easy delivery. I used no pain meds and was in labor for only about 4 hours before he was born. Johnny was 6lbs 7oz. right off the bat he wouldn’t latch on to nurse. So I pumped the first night and bottle fed Johnny. My doctor set up an appointment for a lactation consultant the next day. So we began working with her. When we got Johnny, home he was very colicky. He fussed all the time and slept for about an hour at a time. Several weeks into working with the lactation nurse and Johnny never “learning” to latch on we gave up and I just kept pumping for 5 months (I felt he really needed my breast milk to ensure a good start). After the 5 months life was pretty much one fussy baby that never wanted to sleep (my son never slept a full night until he was 12!). He was constipated often and also burped up a lot. As he grew over the months we introduced the fruits, veggies, and rice cereals. He always ate well, but was still fussy and constipated.  By the time he was 2 and 3 he was your typical toddler—into everything. However, Johnny would never entrain himself (set some toys on the floor and let him play while I cooked dinner…he never did this). He’d get very frustrated and wanted to do things his way. I’ll fast-forward to kindergarten because that’s when he was diagnosed with ADHD. I began reading everything I could on ADHD. We began using rewards charts, were very structured, really worked with is teacher, and his manners / behavior…etc

By 1^st grade the teachers couldn’t handle them so we gave in and tried medication. We tried Ritalin for two weeks and took him off it. He would spin around in circles on the floor (something he’d never done) and he only slept four a few hours each night. The doctor thought it would be best to try a different medication over the Christmas break. So we gave Concerta a try. My son was a zombie and didn’t even participate in opening presents. He was six years old and he had no desire to play with his gifts. That’s when I swore off medication (yes, I know it takes time to get the right levels, and there are many different medication out there, but I just didn’t want him medicated.) By second grade I dreaded school because all I ever heard from the teachers was; Johnny can’t focus, he is disruptive, and he needs to be on medication. We tried Biofeedback therapy for the 2^nd grade year. I never really saw much change in him (we went twice a week for an hour at a time). By 3rd grade I knew I didn’t want to spend the year hearing how “bad” my son was so I pulled him out of school and began to home school. This was a life saver for my family! We chose a home school program that is through our local public school—basically he is a public school student but we take all our books and assignments home and complete them there. We meet with his teacher every two weeks to turn in assignments.  We love this format of schooling and have been doing it since third grade (Johnny will be in high school this next year and we plan on homeschooling until he graduates).

Over the years I’ve spent countless hours reading, surfing the net, talking to other parents, seeing specialists, just trying to find something that would really help my son and his ADHD.  Johnny has gone to brain specialists, allergists, neurologist, counselors, and biofeedback sessions— all the while we’d see little improvements but nothing significant as far as really helping his ADHD.  He was still fussy, love to line things up, drew repeated patterns on paper all the time, had allergies, had headaches daily, stomach hurt often, dark circles under his eyes daily, constipation daily, was up 3 and 4 times a night just wondering or sleep walking, hyper, unable to focus, sometime he’d break out in hives or a rash, …I know I leaving other symptoms out but you get the picture. This is how it was for him from birth to age 12.

 Now I must point out, Johnny is very intelligent (most ADHD kids are) we even have a prescription for an IQ test from his pediatrician (I have it in his baby book because we never went and got his IQ tested. To me a label is a label. He is a “genius”…he has “ADHD”…to me it makes no difference how smart he is or isn’t I just want a happy child who would be successful in life).

When Johnny turned 12 he was going through a growth spurt and eating all the time. He was eating lots of granola bars, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tuna fish, pretzels, fruit, yogurt, bean burritos, pizza, etc… I’m kind of a health nut so it’s worth mentioning that we eat mostly organic, hormone free, and usually whole wheat. The granola bars were either Kashi or organic ones from Trader Joes. The PB&J sandwiches were eaten on whole wheat sprouted bread and the peanut butter was organic from Trader Joes and the jelly was homemade by me. The pretzels again were whole wheat and from Trader Joe’s. The Pizza was Amy’s brand (chemical free).  Milk, cheeses, and yogurts were organic/hormone free. Johnny never ate junk food. No soda, very little sweets, and lots of fruit and veggies.  Johnny love’s veggies—he’s never been a picky eater.  About this time he was walking through the house with his shirt off and I noticed he had a ton of ting bumps on his back. I took him to the doctor who referred him to a dermatologist. The dermatologist looked at the bumps and said, “He’s having a reaction to something he’s eating”.  I told the doctor that we had him tested for food / pollen allergies last year and nothing significant came up. I also told him what our diet was like and that we ate very well and took vitamins daily. The doctor shook his head and said, "I don’t’ care what the tests said or how well you eat this boy’s body is having a hard time and it’s showing on his skin.” At this point I’m very frustrated because I feel like it’s never ending in this poor kid’s life. In complete frustration I looked at the doctor and said, “if Johnny was your kid what would you do.?” The doctor looked me right in the eyes and said very seriously. “I’d never feed him any type of wheat, soy, or dairy in any form ever again.”  I left the office stunned. Johnny and I talked about what the doctor said on the car ride home. Johnny said he wanted to try and eat that way. So guess what Johnny did…he instantly went wheat, dairy, and soy free. And it’s the BEST thing he ever did! This dermatologist changed our lives!!! This blog is dedicated to the one thing that has actually work and totally improved my son’s ADHD!