Alternatives to Medication For the Treatment of ADD-ADHD

Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food -Hippocrates
Although a significant number of studies are have found that "natural" treatments, can substantially improve the condition of ADD/ADHD patient, other than prescribed medicine, no other form of treatment is not recognized yet in the US. With this development, some health professionals are turning to behavioral and dietary interventions to cure this disorder. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still only supports drug therapy as the treatment for ADD/ADHD.
What can be said about prescription medication is that it is still new to the practice of medicine but plant extracts and other holistic remedies have existed before our time. Modern medicine possesses the wondrous capability to alter natural substances to form a chemical derivative that has absolutely nothing to do with the original material in its final form.
It is, however, very interesting that it was the advent of chemically-based foods, sweeteners, additives, and, yes, medications that signaled the advent of the ADD/ADHD "epidemic".
Is there a connection?
As the environment that people lived in changed, so did the ability of the body to function naturally. It stands to reason that any substance capable of producing biochemical reactions within the body is capable of altering the body's functioning to elicit unnatural symptoms, including those displayed by individuals diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.
In essence, for the most part, the symptoms of ADD/ADHD are not caused by any natural malfunction of the human body, but rather by the introduction of unnatural substances which, in turn, create a toxic environment in which the body can no longer function properly. In support of this argument, it is obvious that the incidence of ADD/ADHD and the use of chemical additives, preservatives, and substances have risen at roughly the same rates.
The rate of ADD/ADHD diagnoses has risen with the rise of chemical usage.
Individuals who are more sensitive to extraneous toxins are prone to reacting to allergens. Those who are not sensitive would not develop any. You can safely say that some have it in their genes to have severe reaction to toxins than other people.
It stands to reason that, if the body reacts to a toxic environment by displaying a host of symptoms such as fidgeting, distractibility, impulsivity, hyperactivity, forgetfulness, and behavioral problems, removing the individual from the toxic environment can lessen, and even eliminate, the problem.
The issue of ADD/ADHD treatment is that many people knows that the toxin effecting sufferer of ADD/ADHD must be removed from them and this goes for removing the individuals from the toxic environment too but the vast number of us are still unclear about how to go about doing that. With the many non-medication method available today, prescribed medication should be the last choice in anyone seeking out ways to deal with this disorder.
It is found that many ADD/ADHD cases can be treated by managing the following issues: - proper nutrition needs of the patients. - any existing behavioral issues - toxins that are currently in the patients environment
Not many have found the need for medications, even if it is during emergencies.
Many researchers suspect, and are now investigating, the correlation between food allergies and behavioral problems. These researchers have gone so far as to suggest that more than 60% of individuals suspected of having ADD/ADHD might be "cured" by eliminating such toxins as sugar, artificial colors and preservatives, soy, milk, chocolate, wheat, some citrus fruits, and eggs from their diets.
Here are the methods of elimination diet that can be used to control ADD/ADHD. Elimination diet can be done using the following ways: 1. Take food that is suspected to be the culprit away from diet. If it is diary product then you can take it off the diet and only introduce it back after symptoms disappear. When doing so, make sure you do it one at a time. By doing this, you can easily identify food that is responsible for the symptoms. 2. You can start eliminating food such as diary, wheat products, sugar, eggs, nuts, soy products, corn, and citrus fruits and juices because they are usually the type that are responsible for these symptoms. 3. Eliminate foods for a minimum of two weeks. Keep a careful diary of the individual's behavior, breathing, and general health during this period. 4. Foods should then be introduced one at a time and for the period of three days minimum. Introducing food should be done at three days interval until a reaction appears. 5.Do not neglect reading food labels because important information such as finding out that the food have an offending food as the ingredients can be missed thus creating reactions.
Another method that can be used to determine food allergies, sensitivities, and toxicities is the food diary. For a period of about a month, write down all foods, beverages, snacks, candies, etc. that are consumed. Everything that goes into the mouth must be recorded; even such innocuous substances as gum, medications (even over the counter meds), and candies. Record behavior, breathing, and general health in the diary. Remember to record sleep patterns, activity levels, and attitude. At the end of the month, patterns should be detectable according to what was ingested, when. Food diaries are often used in conjunction with an elimination diet.
Elimination diets and food diaries are now being used to uncover toxins that may be responsible for such conditions as Autism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, general food allergies, Fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, and even depression!
Jimmy Brownen is a leading expert in the field of ADD /ADHD and has years of experience in the treatment of it. For more information on the disorder or for alternative means of curing ADHD, please visit his site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Brownen
Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food -Hippocrates
Although a significant number of studies are have found that "natural" treatments, can substantially improve the condition of ADD/ADHD patient, other than prescribed medicine, no other form of treatment is not recognized yet in the US. With this development, some health professionals are turning to behavioral and dietary interventions to cure this disorder. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still only supports drug therapy as the treatment for ADD/ADHD.
What can be said about prescription medication is that it is still new to the practice of medicine but plant extracts and other holistic remedies have existed before our time. Modern medicine possesses the wondrous capability to alter natural substances to form a chemical derivative that has absolutely nothing to do with the original material in its final form.
It is, however, very interesting that it was the advent of chemically-based foods, sweeteners, additives, and, yes, medications that signaled the advent of the ADD/ADHD "epidemic".
Is there a connection?
As the environment that people lived in changed, so did the ability of the body to function naturally. It stands to reason that any substance capable of producing biochemical reactions within the body is capable of altering the body's functioning to elicit unnatural symptoms, including those displayed by individuals diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.
In essence, for the most part, the symptoms of ADD/ADHD are not caused by any natural malfunction of the human body, but rather by the introduction of unnatural substances which, in turn, create a toxic environment in which the body can no longer function properly. In support of this argument, it is obvious that the incidence of ADD/ADHD and the use of chemical additives, preservatives, and substances have risen at roughly the same rates.
The rate of ADD/ADHD diagnoses has risen with the rise of chemical usage.
Individuals who are more sensitive to extraneous toxins are prone to reacting to allergens. Those who are not sensitive would not develop any. You can safely say that some have it in their genes to have severe reaction to toxins than other people.
It stands to reason that, if the body reacts to a toxic environment by displaying a host of symptoms such as fidgeting, distractibility, impulsivity, hyperactivity, forgetfulness, and behavioral problems, removing the individual from the toxic environment can lessen, and even eliminate, the problem.
The issue of ADD/ADHD treatment is that many people knows that the toxin effecting sufferer of ADD/ADHD must be removed from them and this goes for removing the individuals from the toxic environment too but the vast number of us are still unclear about how to go about doing that. With the many non-medication method available today, prescribed medication should be the last choice in anyone seeking out ways to deal with this disorder.
It is found that many ADD/ADHD cases can be treated by managing the following issues: - proper nutrition needs of the patients. - any existing behavioral issues - toxins that are currently in the patients environment
Not many have found the need for medications, even if it is during emergencies.
Many researchers suspect, and are now investigating, the correlation between food allergies and behavioral problems. These researchers have gone so far as to suggest that more than 60% of individuals suspected of having ADD/ADHD might be "cured" by eliminating such toxins as sugar, artificial colors and preservatives, soy, milk, chocolate, wheat, some citrus fruits, and eggs from their diets.
Here are the methods of elimination diet that can be used to control ADD/ADHD. Elimination diet can be done using the following ways: 1. Take food that is suspected to be the culprit away from diet. If it is diary product then you can take it off the diet and only introduce it back after symptoms disappear. When doing so, make sure you do it one at a time. By doing this, you can easily identify food that is responsible for the symptoms. 2. You can start eliminating food such as diary, wheat products, sugar, eggs, nuts, soy products, corn, and citrus fruits and juices because they are usually the type that are responsible for these symptoms. 3. Eliminate foods for a minimum of two weeks. Keep a careful diary of the individual's behavior, breathing, and general health during this period. 4. Foods should then be introduced one at a time and for the period of three days minimum. Introducing food should be done at three days interval until a reaction appears. 5.Do not neglect reading food labels because important information such as finding out that the food have an offending food as the ingredients can be missed thus creating reactions.
Another method that can be used to determine food allergies, sensitivities, and toxicities is the food diary. For a period of about a month, write down all foods, beverages, snacks, candies, etc. that are consumed. Everything that goes into the mouth must be recorded; even such innocuous substances as gum, medications (even over the counter meds), and candies. Record behavior, breathing, and general health in the diary. Remember to record sleep patterns, activity levels, and attitude. At the end of the month, patterns should be detectable according to what was ingested, when. Food diaries are often used in conjunction with an elimination diet.
Elimination diets and food diaries are now being used to uncover toxins that may be responsible for such conditions as Autism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, general food allergies, Fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, and even depression!
Jimmy Brownen is a leading expert in the field of ADD /ADHD and has years of experience in the treatment of it. For more information on the disorder or for alternative means of curing ADHD, please visit his site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Brownen