Medication is an important part of controlling the symptoms of ADHD, but it's not effective to rely on this alone. This is why it is important to work with a doctor in order to approach this in a more holistic way. Medication combined with therapy (individual and family therapy sessions) as well as a diet determined by elimination can be very helpful in effectively controlling the symptoms of ADHD. Elimination diet is important because according to research, some foods affect different people in different ways. For example, some people see a significant improvement when they eliminate red food coloring in their diet, some don't notice any improvement. In general, here are a few diet tips to help parents with ADHD teens:
1. Eat more complex carbohydrates - Complex carbohydrates include vegetables and lots of fruits. As an additional benefit, this could also help your teen sleep better at night. In as far as teens diet and ADHD goes, eating junk food can affect your teen's sleeping patterns, making it difficult to start the day right. For teens with this disorder, the inability to start the day right means something different than for teens without the disorder.
2. Avoid simple carbohydrates - This means avoiding sweets like candy, chocolates, sugar, white flour, and similar ingredients. Aside from giving your teen a harder time to sleep, such foods fuel a hormone in the brain that causes people to lose concentration or make it more difficult to focus on something.
3. Eat more protein - Foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, meat, and more contain a healthy amount of protein. However, there are some people who experience an increase in the symptoms of ADHD when they eat almonds and grapes.
4. Eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids - Some examples are tuna, walnuts, olive oil, and others. It's also possible to find this in nutritional supplements.
When eliminating certain foods from your teen's diet, you start off with a basic diet like a specific type of vegetable and meat for a week or two. If you're starting out with two or three types of vegetables and meat and are still experiencing heightened symptoms of ADHD, try to narrow the suspects down by eliminating further. Once you notice a difference in your teen's behavior, try adding one type of food at a time each week or every other week, while avoiding those that are known to cause the allergic reaction to most people with ADHD.
It takes time and a lot of effort (preparing food isn't an easy feat, especially when you're working), but it's an important part of your teen's wellness.
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