ADHD, aka Attentive Deficiency Hyperactive Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that usually develops in childhood. It is often associated with issues such as irregular attention spans and uncontrollable impulses. There is an option available for ADHD holistic treatments for adults.
While ADHD sometimes goes unnoticed until adulthood, it can unknowingly wreak havoc on crucial aspect of a child’s school and personal life. The reason it goes undetected until later in life is that parents of such children usually define their child’s lack of focus as nothing but plain mischief or normal energy of their child.
In adults, the effects of ADHD can become severe. The affected individual might feel humiliated in not being able to undertake everyday tasks that are easily accomplished by their peers.
However, thanks to advances in science, ADHD can now be controlled and managed. But, there is a desire amongst a large number of ADHD sufferers for natural remedies because they don’t want the undesirable effects that come with the pharmaceutical options.
Thankfully for them, there is the option of ADHD holistic treatment for adults.
Symptoms of ADHD:
ADHD in someone can be identified with the help of a few core signs and symptoms. If you or anyone close exhibits these signs, then chances are they have ADHD.
• Weak Memory (Forgetfulness)
• Easily Distracted (Short Attention Span)
• Problems with Organization
• Procrastination
• Impulsiveness
• Easily Irritated
• Mood Swings
• Irrational way of thinking
• Racing Thoughts
Holistic Approaches for ADHD in Adults:
A fundamental way of fighting ADHD is by consuming quality foods and supplementing with vitamins and minerals. While fruits, and vegetables that are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals do provide the necessary ingredients for our body’s engines to optimize, the nutrient content in our produce has been depleted over the last 60 years because of over farming, so supplementing is recommended.
Holistic approaches for ADHD can act as a complementary addition to your doctor’s advice. The combination of both these methods can really help the body find the most efficient way to optimize and function better so that symptoms are greatly reduced.
Adopting a holistic diet plan means the substitution of an unhealthy diet plan with that of a much more organic, wholesome meal. The following list of food items is just some of the many food items that harm the body. To follow a successful holistic diet, one needs to partially or entirely stop the consumption of these products.
1 Gluten: Gluten and gluten containing products cause a certain level of inflammation in just about every human but for some people the inflammatory effect is much greater and can cause inflammation in the entire body, including the brain. Eliminating gluten has helped thousand of people struggling with ADHD as well as many other more severe mental health issues. Testing can be done to confirm and identify if a person is having a more significant reaction to gluten but just eliminating it altogether, along with the following other items to eliminate is an easy, DIY way of helping your brain to function better.
2 Monosodium Glutamate: The substance popularly known as MSG, is often a key ingredient in many food items. From salad dressings to packaged noodles, MSG has been used to enhance the flavors of them all. MSG can be tricky to identify on labels because it can be called by other names, so check your labels carefully. MSG causes brain inflammation which can lead to not only issues with focus, relating to ADHD, it can also cause anxiety and sleep issues too.
3 Caffeine: Caffeine has a dual impact on ADHD. While some say that small amounts of caffeine can help them concentrate, there have also been cases where caffeine has caused anxiety, nervousness, and other not so pleasant consequences. Finding a healthier alternative to the beverage is something we advise. Non caffeinated herbal teas and other coffee substitutes like Dandy Blend are favorites among many.
4 Sugar: This article isn’t long enough to list all the horrible effects of sugar on the human body. It does not contain any nourishment the brain needs. High intake of sugar causes major inflammation in the body, wreaks havoc on our metabolic system, depresses the immune system, and can also cause problems of memory loss in adults who have ADHD.
5 Dairy: Dairy Products like Ice Cream, Yogurt, Cheese, etc. can aggravate ADHD symptoms in individuals who are hypersensitive to milk products. In fact, Dairy is a major offender right next to gluten and sugar! Dairy causes inflammation in the body and the brain and many people ingest it daily having no idea that it’s contributing to their health issues. Testing can also be done to identify if dairy is causing major inflammation in your body.
6 Mercury: Mercury is a heavy metal that can trigger a plethora of serious health concerns including the symptoms of ADHD, cognitive, and memory issues. Mercury is very toxic to the brain and causes degradation of the grey matter in our brain. It is usually found in seafood like swordfish, King mackerel, and Tuna. Opt for fish like wild caught salmon instead.
7 Bottled/Canned Fruit Juice and Pop: These packaged fruit drinks with heaps of preservatives and sugar have no health benefits and have all the ingredients needed to cause major health issues including ADHD symptoms. Avoid them entirely and instead opt for fresh pressed vegetable drinks that have some added fruit.
8. Corn: Corn is also known to aggravate ADHD symptoms because of it’s inflammatory effect. Most corn is genetically modified and not organic. Corn isn’t one of the top offenders but can cause issues for some people more than others. If you go for corn, it’s recommended you do it sparingly and opt for organic and non GMO corn.
9. Processed Foods: Processed foods are filled with toxic ingredients, many which are known to cause major ‘brain allergies’ or inflammation to the brain (and body). Avoiding already prepared foods and shopping around the edges of the grocery store are the best options for clean eating. As a general rule, if you can’t pronounce the ingredient it’s probably toxic to your body.
Avoiding the above ‘offenders’ is crucial in Adults being able to manage and control ADHD symptoms. The alternative to the above diet is what a holistic diet is all about. Eat clean foods to flush out toxic and inflammatory ingredients that amp the nervous system causing increased symptoms of ADHD,
1 Iron:
Iron is used in many functions in the body including the production of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is crucial in fighting depression and other mental ailments that can be aggravated with ADHD. Food like lentils, beans, green vegetables, red meats, and some nuts are all rich in iron and can be incorporated in your regular diet.
2 Zinc:
Zinc is a mineral that helps regulate the dopamine created by iron. Lentils, chickpeas, meat, and eggs are all food that can provide ample amounts of zinc to the body.
3 Vitamins:
Vitamins that are usually found in fruits and vegetable are crucial in the battle against ADHD. Not only are vitamins essential in the regulation of hormones in our body, but they are also vital in increasing attention span and regulating mood swings often associated with ADHD.
4 Protein:
Protein is an essential nutrient needed by the body. Apart from stabilizing blood sugar levels, it also plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy brain. In fact, protein provides amino acids which are needed by EVERY cell and even by our DNA. These amino acids are also key players in the production and maintenance of all the brain’s neurotransmitters.
Adequate levels of protein are crucial in the smooth functioning of neurotransmitters, which have a positive effect on ADHD. Protein allows for more seamless conversation between neurotransmitters, the lack of which is usually what causes low attentiveness in adults with ADHD due to brain chemistry imbalance.
Fish, eggs, meat, and even vegetables and legumes are all naturally rich sources of protein.
Other things to consider when working to reduce ADHD symptoms include regular exercise, time outdoors, better sleep, stress reduction, and taking omega-3 supplements . These lifestyle modification help greatly for adults struggling with ADHD.
Conclusion:
ADHD is something that is easy to fix if you know what the underlying causes of the brain chemistry imbalances are. Because long term use of ADHD medications is known to cause unpleasant long term side effects many are switching over to more holistic approaches — and they are finding great relief. Avoiding the most common offenders known to cause symptoms of ADHD is a great place to start if you are looking for a non pharmaceutical approach and working with a holistic practitioner is another option as they can guide you based of lab work and help you trouble shoot along the way.
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Modern Holistic Health
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