ADD, or Attention Deficit Disorder, is a neuropsychiatric condition that usually occurs in childhood but may linger into adulthood. People with adult ADD may exhibit difficulty concentrating, lack of organization and a tendency to procrastinate. If you suffer from this disorder, your doctor may prescribe medication. You may also wish to change your diet, but the link between food and hyperactivity remains unclear.
Elimination
Consult with your doctor before making changes to your diet. A diet for adult ADD may eliminate such foods as sugar, caffeine, wheat, milk and eggs. Artificial food colorings and additives may also appear on the list of do-not-consume items on adult ADD diets. If you delete dairy from your diet, you find could find alternate sources of calcium in soy products or calcium-fortified juices. You can substitute rice pasta for wheat pasta. None of the deletions from your diet will necessarily improve your symptoms. One way to test your tolerance is to eliminate all items from your diet for a week, then introduce each one at a time to judge whether any change in symptoms occurs.
Healthy Diet
Some dietary changes suggested for persons with adult ADD align with a healthy diet recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. Improve your overall health and, possibly, symptoms of adult ADD by eliminating trans-fats and processed foods from your diet. Trans-fats include margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Processed foods include canned soups and vegetables as well as a lot of breakfast cereals. Processed foods may adversely affect persons with adult ADD to a greater degree than those without the disorder. But anyone could benefit from a diet that includes more fresh foods and healthy oils, including olive oil.
Metabolism
People with adult ADD may enjoy speedy metabolisms. Medicate to alleviate symptoms of adult ADD could also cause you to lose weight. If you wish to gain weight, add more fats to your diet. Fats from fish include omega-3 oils and olive oil includes antioxidants. Both types of fat can help reduce your cholesterol levels and protect you against heart disease. Limit your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol found in meat, eggs and liver. You can also eat bigger portions. Add extra servings of grains, protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables to your diet. For optimal nutrition, choose grains from whole sources such as brown rice and oatmeal and choose fresh fruits and vegetables over canned
Lifestyle
Research about the benefits of diet to symptoms of adult ADD continues with current evidence providing hope but no firm evidence. Check with your doctor to make certain that experimenting with your diet will not exacerbate your condition. Other lifestyle changes that could provide beneficial include exercise, both vigorous types such as running and relaxing varieties, including yoga. Proper sleep habits could also help alleviate symptoms of adult ADD.
References
- Phos Add Australia: The Connection Between ADD and Diet; Hertha Hafer
- MayoClinic.com Adult Attendtion Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Natural Health and Longevity Resource Center: Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity Success; Dr. Allen Buresz
- Born to Explore: Nutrition
- United States Department of Agriculture, My Pyramid: Food Groups
