

Healthy Habits to Reduce ADHD Symptoms.
Managing daily healthful life habits: Sleep, stress management, exercise, and nutrition
Managing daily healthful life habits: Sleep, stress management, exercise, and nutrition
It’s the time of year when you wonder if your child will ever be healthy again. They get sick over and over and over. Is there a time to worry that colds and other infections are becoming too frequent?
Almost all children get RSV at least once before they are 2 years old. For most healthy children, RSV is like a cold. But, some children get very sick with RSV.
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Sleep Strategies
Of primary importance in managing ADHD — lack of sleep adversely affects executive functioning, energy level, stamina, and immune system. Sleep architecture is disturbed in ADHD-delayed sleep phase syndrome. Common problems include falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking/getting up.
› Avoid over-stimulation 1-2 hours before bed — television shows, news, Internet, video games, engaging books, active play — turn off media 1½ hours before bed.
› Try a warm, quiet bath; melatonin; neutral reading; soothing massage; soft, slow music; nature sounds, a fan, or white noise machine; a mixture of warm milk, tsp. Natural vanilla, tsp. Sugar; “Brain Train” tape atmindworkspress.com; relaxation/meditation.
› Hints for waking up and getting going — take the stimulant medication 45 minutes before get-up time, set the alarm across the room with motivating music, find motivating morning activity, and get enough sleep.
Stress Management
Simplify your life as much as possible — reduce extra activities, clubs, committees, and commitments.
› Take care of yourself — get enough sleep, exercise, downtime, and healthful food.
› Learn and practice relaxation, meditation, yoga, and deep breathing.
› Get yourself out in nature — very ADD-friendly!
› Maintain one or two close relationships for support.
› Develop ADD-friendly job and home environments. Hire an ADD coach and organizer to help.
Exercise
Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain and increases serotonin availability. Recommended exercise is 30-45 minutes at least five times per week.
› Suggestions to enhance compliance — exercise buddy/personal trainer, regularly scheduled class (pre-paid), Curves, add movement during the day (use stairs, park far away, dance around the house to favorite music), take brisk walks.
Nutrition
Protein is essential to a concentrated diet. We are maintaining a proper balance between proteins, carbohydrates, & fat. Higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate diet enhances energy and concentration. Eat protein at all meals, especially at breakfast on an empty stomach.
Many ADHD individuals have hyperinsulinemia and crave sugars and carbs. Fiber/complex carbs and protein stabilize blood sugar levels, sustain energy, and focus — raise cerebral dopamine levels. Fiber/complex carbs and protein stabilize blood sugar levels, sustain energy, and focus — raise cerebral dopamine levels. High sugar/simple carbs cause the pancreas to release more insulin in response to higher blood sugar levels; this paradoxically causes an overproduction of insulin, resulting in low blood sugar — feeling tired, sluggish, and inattentive.
• Healthy protein choices include chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish (salmon and tuna), low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat string cheese, milk, soy, protein powder, and eggs. Healthiest carbohydrates — apricots, pears, grapefruit, apples, kiwi (avoid grapes, dates, and bananas); vegetables; beans (black and kidney best); whole grains.
• Healthiest fats — olive oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, avocados, nuts (Brazil, macadamia, cashews, almonds, pistachios).
• Omega-3 fatty acid (DHA) — essential for diet (healthy nerve synapses, development of new brain pathways); increases dopamine and serotonin levels.
Guidelines
› Eat three meals daily and one or two snacks — breakfast is necessary for fuel, increasing metabolism and blood flow. Eat protein at every meal.
› Increase the complex carbohydrates in the diet — vegetables, fruit, and whole grains.
› Reduce or eliminate most simple carbohydrates — white flour bread or pasta, white rice, white potatoes, sugar, corn syrup, honey, and candy. This can reduce anger outbursts, increase energy and weight loss, and increase focus.
› Watch fruit and fruit juice intake — most are high in fructose.
› Increase the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet (tuna, salmon, walnuts).
› Breakfast ideas — omelets with lean meats, cheese, or vegetables; eggs and lean sausage; whole-grain cereal (low or no-sugar); cottage cheese and fruit; whole-grain bagels and cream cheese; oatmeal; breakfast burritos.