We are very concerned, as wellness practitioners, about the health and well being of children. We work very closely with parents who are more and more concerned about their children's lack of focus in the classroom, inability to sleep, mood swings and weight problems. Lately, we have seen many students who are showing signs of serious attention problems. These children seem unable to listen, they are unorganized, and just can't seem to follow directions. Because of this, they fall farther and farther behind in school. They show poor behavior and self control, they get frustrated and give up. After a while, it leaves parents with really only one choice; to medicate their child so that he or she can learn. A better alternative to medication, we believe, is looking at a child's diet. Documenting what the child is eating on a daily basis for at least three days could uncover some amazing things!
You are probably not surprised to hear that sugar and additives in food have been studied for many years and has been found to be huge contributors to ADD and ADHD in our country. Also, studies have shown that boys that had already been diagnosed with attention deficit disorders had low "healthy fats" (Omega 3's and 6's) in their blood. If you put this research together with a recent study of 3,300 children, ages 5-19 years old, that showed that ONE PERCENT met the required standards of a healthy diet, you may start to make connections. Add to that the findings that added sugar in their foods and snacks constituted close to a fourth of their total calories per day and you have good reason to believe that medication may not be the best answer to the problem of attention and poor health issues in our children.
