by Silkbutterfli

Created on: July 11, 2009   Last Updated: July 13, 2009

As the parent of two ADHD children, I have learned so much. My middle daughter was put on Ritalin, it lasted three days. She became utterly violent on it. At that time, there weren't a lot of other choices. We were able to control her symptoms with diet. My youngest daughter was lucky and the newer medications have worked for her. We started out with Strattera, then to Concerta and we are currently on Vyvance. As she has gotten older, diet has become a major issue. Part of the medications side effect is weight loss. She burns as fast she gains. With the Vyvance, its been better, she has actually gained weight, which is a great thing.

With both girls, I learned there are things that they just can't have in their system. It makes them both worse. With all the sugar free foods available, that is a big plus. Excessive sugar intensifies the hyperactivity. Natural sugar can too, yet it is not as bad as processed sugars are. Crystal light, which is sugar free, (or the generic brands) are wonderful for juices alternatives. There are a variety of flavors available and the bonus is, they are sugar free. My youngest loves them. My middle daughter carries the single packs with her everywhere. It's easy to add one to a bottle of water. Just add and shake, instant juice.

Another thing I have learned is that certain food colorings, Red 40, Blue (not sure of the number of this one), can cause issues with not only with the hyperactivity, but the attention issue. ADHD was just becoming a big thing when my middle daughter was younger and first diagnosed. There was a lot of hit and miss and done mostly on my own. We started with eliminating certain foods that contained the Red 40. That helped immensely. She was able to sit still for longer periods of time, she could focus better on some things. Then, we eliminated anything with the Blue in it. With both colors out of the mix, she was much calmer. It is mostly a trial by error. Spaghetti O's are loaded with Red 40, so be careful with that. Eliminate things and see how it goes, if it works, then keep doing it.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are always a good thing. They have natural sugar and vitamins, and even better, no dyes. The problem sometimes is that they don't always have the calories that may be needed. Breads have sugar in them as well, substitute with tortillas. They can be rolled up even with peanut butter and jelly. Potatoes have natural sugar in them, but are high in carbs and calories, just watch what you put in or

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