Natural Remedies for ADD and ADHD
Finding Natural Cures for ADD and ADHD
Natural remedies for ADD or ADHD are rarely considered. Doctors are quick to prescribe the latest drug used for ADD treatment without considering how simple natural cures for ADD and ADHD, like a change of diet, can help the situation. Let's look at some diet changes and herbs that you can try to help this condition.
Diet
Diet is a big factor in natural cures for ADD and ADHD. Many people don't realize how profoundly diet can impact your health. There are a lot of chemicals in foods today that can affect your brain function. Cutting all additives out of the diet is imporant. Cut out artifical dyes, artificial flavors, MSG, perservatives, processed sugar and white flour. Your first step will be removing these things from your diet. That will basically mean cutting out all processed foods. That may seem like a difficult thing to do at first but once you get the hang of cooking all your meals and planning for meals ahead of time it will become routine.
Now that you've done that the next step is to try to figure out if there are any food sensivities that are contributing to the problem. The most common offenders are gluten (the protein found in wheat and other grains) and casein ( the product found in dairy products), but corn, eggs, yeast, and even honey can cause problems in some people. See if you notice a worsening in symptoms after any of these foods are consumed. If you do you may want to try cutting that food out of the diet all together and look for changes in behavior.
Make sure you're getting enough fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating a varied diet will ensure that you get all the vitamins and minerals you need. Lack of protein or vitamin B can exaggerate the symptoms of ADD/ADHD.
Vitamins
These vitamin supplements can also be used in natural remedies for ADD.
- B complex
- vitamin C
- vitamin E
- iron
- magnesium
- copper
- zinc
- cod liver oil
Herbs
Taking these herbs as directed on the bottle could also help increase the ability to concentrate.
Massage
Massage can be used to in natural remedies for ADD and ADHD also. Massage has a soothing effect that helps calm the nerves and regulate mood. Using essential oils like lavender, frankincense or cedarwood will help the massage work even better. Find out more about massage for ADHD.
Exercises
There are two programs that I know of that use exercises to help develop the brain. These programs are used to as a natural cure for ADD and ADHD. They also help treat people with dyslexia and autism.
The Dore Programme is done at a Dore Center. A variety of experts work with you to come up with an exercise program that is best suited for your needs. I know of one person who has put their child through this program. They were very happy with the results, but the program is quite expensive. The Dore Programme in the US has recently shut down so the only center is in the UK now.
Learning Breakthrough is a kit of exercise equipment and instructions for exercises you can do to devolop the brain. I know of one person who purchased this program who told me that he thought the exerciese where quite difficult, but he did niotice improvements in his ability to concentrate.
Do you have a favorite natural remedy? Share it with us here.
|
