According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.6 million elementary school-aged children are diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity. Imagine that 1.6 million children are not able to lead a healthy life not to mention that some are medicated for an ailment that can, for the most part, be relieved by changing eating habits.
In my recent book – Just an Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure – I refer to ADD as an Inner Tsunami. That’s exactly what it is – but this inner storm can be calmed by a simple change in eating habits.
Let me tell you about Roger, a patient of mine diagnosed with ADD and who was a Type O.
Generally speaking, the O Blood Types have a robust and active nature and need daily helpings of animal protein. I recommended that Roger follow a high-protein diet, starting with a protein shake upon rising before breakfast; and then eating an assortment of seven small servings of fish, meat, turkey, buffalo, and/or lamb at two-hour intervals throughout the day.
I reduced his intake of:
- Carbohydrates—breads, pasta, and mashed potatoes, all of which, when digested, break down into glucose.
- Eliminated all sources of sugar from his diet including honey, candy bars, soft drinks, fruit juices, maple syrup (which Roger used in generous helpings on his pancakes on a daily basis)
- Eliminated foods sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (which also breaks down into pure glucose when digested).
Sugar in any form, including fruit sugars, jolts the body with a wave of energy. To a boy with ADD or a disposition to hyperactivity, the ongoing jolts produce a chaotic, surging force.
I liken it to a stormy internal sea. Imagine watching waves crashing into a shoreline or rocky coast. Sugar agitates and stirs the bloodstream with that same kind of wild energy. The forces raging inside Roger must have had the power of an inner tsunami in order to provoke him to set fire to his family home.
A body subjected to ongoing surges which is in constant motion is actually very tired and depleted. The constant intake of protein would supply slowly digested nourishment that, with the reduction of carbohydrates and sugar, would help even out Roger’s:
- Blood-sugar level
- Restore and rebuild his strength
- Allow his body to find its inherent energy
Also, a daily regimen of B vitamins, of doses specific to his condition and blood type – are also vital to nourishing and soothing his nervous system.
I’m happy to say, Roger responded to the diet fairly quickly, gained enough control over his emotional and psychological states, and within several months returned to school where, for the first time, he started to excel.
