by Priscilla Benfield

Created on: July 03, 2009   Last Updated: July 04, 2009

For some children with ADHD, medication is an absolute necessity. Medication alone is not the answer to helping an ADHD child. Along with creating a structured environment and working closely with your child's school, there are other things that parents can do in order to help with the symptoms of ADHD.

Research has shown that children can become hyperactive from food colorings and additives in their diets. We all know that eating a healthier diet is beneficial to overall health and well-being. If we eliminate "bad" foods from our child's diet, and it doesn't help with their ADHD, it will have positive effects on the child's health.

Adding more natural foods to your child's diet is the recommended ADHD diet that many parents have found success with. In a country where we have a growing problem with childhood obesity, leaning towards organically grown fruits and vegetables instead of highly processed foods is a benefit overall. It is frustrating for the parents of ADHD children to hear that the only course of action is to take stimulant medications that have many side effects. Some parents who have tried the ADHD diet have found that the dose of their child's medication can actually be reduced because of the healthier eating.

The key to parenting a child with ADHD is providing an environment where there is supervision, structure, and making sure the child understands the consequences for bad behavior. Using rewards to promote good behavior and achievement helps the child to focus and learn how to deal with ADHD.

Many parents have also found that along with a diet full of healthy foods, regular exercise and relaxation therapy can help greatly. Daily massage helps the hyperactive child to focus on relaxing. Eating foods free of additives that can cause allergic reactions might make a noticeable difference in your child's behavior. Adding supplements like Omega 3 and zinc can also help boost brain chemicals that can help your child to focus better.

If you search the Internet, you will come across studies that say there is no connection between a healthy diet and improvement in ADHD children. You can also find studies that say the complete opposite. You do not need to have a degree to figure out that eating a diet that is full of processed foods might not be the best choice. When your infant child first starts solid foods, pediatricians recommend introducing new foods slowly in order to determine if your child has any food allergies. Sometimes we do not show signs of allergic reactions to foods until later on. Experimenting by eliminating foods that could cause allergies is not harmful to do. You might even see a change in your child's behavior.

http://www.chadd.org

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