23/06/2012
ADHD--Improve their diet and you could improve their behaviour.
1. Are they fired up on sugar?
Watch your child's sugar intake - eating too many sugary items can cause swings in blood sugar levels which in some children leads to behavioural problems, it's not just in their puddings. I couldn't believe it - they were eating stacks of sugar morning, noon and night without me realising.
2. Cut out the problem additives
It is thought that certain additives can cause hyperactivity in some children. These are the main culprits all found in children's cakes, drinks, yoghurts and crisps:
E110 Sunshine Yellow
E124 Ponceau 4R
E122 Carmoisine and
E211 Sodium Benzoate
Use our handy shopping list to help you avoid foods containing these and other additives.
3. Cook more foods from scratch
Cooking more meals from scratch is the best way of knowing exactly what your children are eating and controlling the amount of sugar and additives they eat.
It's not as costly or time consuming as you might think to cook family meals from scratch every night.
4. Consider Fish Oils
There isn't enough scientific evidence to be completely sure about for this one (yet) but initial studies and anecdotal evidence suggests that increasing the amount of omega 3 oils in your children's diet can improve disruptive behaviour.
The evidence so far suggests that taking fish oil supplements which contain sufficiently high concentrations of omega 3 oils may well have a beneficial effect on dyslexic, dyspraxic and ADHD children and possibly undiagnosed children too.
So, while the most important way of helping your over-active child is by improving the quality of their diet, giving fish oil supplements may also be worth considering.
