ADHD child. What to avoid

[Justwrong68]

My DS is 12 and has recently been diagnosed with ADHD and a couple of autism character traits. I remember years ago the advice was to avoid E numbers and certain colourings. Had this been debunked or banned more? Can other parents tell me what they avoid for their children? I guess the obvious is caffeine but should I limit sugar more than usual?

Healthy balanced diet with plenty of exercise can't go wrong. Nothing specific

Look up the Pomodoro Method for helping him study or do school homework. It breaks things down into short manageable chunks. Don't let him avoid activities that will help develop his brain/ language skills like reading or playing an instrument.

Diet has been debunked

Just be aware that lots of people with ADHD self-medicate with stimulants like caffeine, nicotine.

Also as there is a genetic element to being ND so check who else particularly women in the family e.g. you, aren't. As women don't have the same presentation as boys and men they have mostly been overlooked until this century.

You really want to post on the SEN children's board.
Though I suggest you do some research first.

The threads don't come up in active.

Ok thanks

More exercise than you can believe. A quick run around the block before hoping to settle down with homework. Be aware of the attraction of negative influences those serotonin hits are seductive. Schedule schedule schedule schedule. It's a drag for you, but so helpful for them. Be prepared to do a lot of correcting. Simple, direct, clear. Do not give lists of instructions. The only ones the DC will hear is the last one. Sequence, order, prioritize, repeat. You can't say, "Tidy your room" and expect it to happen cuz there is so much other fun stuff to do. You say, "Make your bed." Consistency, kindness, consistency, consistency, firmness. Seriously consider medication, all with all these other strategies. It was a game changer for us. Our DS is 27, healthy, happy, good job as a barber (lots of action!) and getting married. Hang in there. You can do it.

Seconding the exercise! They NEED to move, a lot. A day out which wore my friends DD out to the point where she needed to be carried to the car ended with me and DS going for a 5K run in the evening because “he still felt fizzy”. I’ve noticed his adhd traits are much worse when tired so prioritising sleep and downtime is also important. The downtime can be quite difficult, we find that a weighted blanket in front of the TV is a good way to help him settle.

Caffeine can actually help with focus in some adhders, but if I remember correctly it is contraindicated with stimulant meds but you will need to check that yourself if your son is on any medications.

Omegas and magnesium are helpful. Magnesium can be absorbed in the bath from bath salts (also helpful for winding down for bed.)

Obviously plenty of fruit & veg, avoid excess processed food but don't overstress - a 12 year old wants to fit in and eat fast food with mates sometimes).

Fish / seafood and grass fed organic beef (this is proven to be more nutritious, if you can afford it)

Nut butter. Seeds. So a slice of toast with almond butter and some fruit is a good breakfast. Wr do smoothies for breakfast too with oats, milk, frozen fruit, nut butter, honey.

One of my DC used to really climb the walls on sugar but seems to metabolise it better now older.

Sorry, just realised you asked what to avoid and I've don't the opposite

Iron supplements. My son is not yet diagnoses but his behaviour is night and day when his iron drops. Took a long time to see the correlation but now I can tell immediately when it drops.

Fish oil capsules or vege equivalent were recommended by my son’s consultant. These do help with brain functioning. Lots of water as well for the same reason.

Screen time should be limited if it isn’t already.

I haven’t seen anything refuting the studies that certain e numbers are linked to hyperactivity, can you point me to these please (if that’s what was meant by “diet has been debunked”).

The key with mine, is keep him busy.

The devil makes work for idle hands DS

I found with my Ds certain things effect him . Food colourings haribos and smarties .

caffeine has no effect .

i do find he is better with less processed food but then we all are aren’t we

Seconding magnesium and iron supplements daily - make a big positive difference. Following rest of thread with interest.

I have began using detox drops they are linked to parasites in the gut which feed off sugar and other processed crap! They are all natural and have no taste to them
we do these twice a year for few weeks and got to be honest noticed a massive difference in dd behaviour she was much much much calmer and chilled out

If your someone's gut contains "parasites" they should probably see a doctor...!

Everyone has parasites in their bodies the foods we eat etc take a look and do some research on it

If someone needs to detox they need to see a doctor urgently as they will be having multiple organ failure.

In terms of diet trying to eat more plants e.g. 30 different ones including seeds, fermented foods and less processed food helps everyone gut.

Normal people use the terms "gut microbiome" and "gut bacteria and microbes"

Looks like you haven’t done any research but thanks again for your insightful input it’s much appreciated