| Of all the diets designed to manage ADHD, the | | | | whole rice on the table. Include a side dish of |
| gluten-free, casein-free diet (GFCF) is among the | | | | green leafy vegetables during every meal, and |
| more well-studied and recommended. The theory | | | | offer fruit for dessert. Use your child's favorite |
| behind the GFCF diet is that wheat and dairy | | | | food as an incentive to try out a new gluten-free |
| products contain gluten and casein, respectively - | | | | or casein-free food. Start the diet by changing |
| proteins that form harmful amino acids called | | | | one meal at a time, starting with snacks. When |
| peptides when they are digested improperly. | | | | your child is used to eating gluten-free and |
| These peptides behave much like morphine on the | | | | casein-free snacks, move on to breakfast, lunch, |
| human body and trigger hyperactive and | | | | and dinner. Eliminate one food at a time so as not |
| inattentive responses from children when they | | | | to shock your child. Remove cereal, then bread, |
| enter the bloodstream. Parents who have tried | | | | then pasta, and so on until all gluten-containing |
| the GFCF diet on their ADHD children have seen | | | | foods are gone. Then remove cheese, then milk, |
| amazing results - increased attention span, | | | | then ice cream, and so on until all casein-containing |
| improved social skills, and fewer incidents of | | | | foods are out. |
| aggression, fidgeting, and tantrums. Unlike taking | | | | Watch your child's behavior very closely with |
| medication, the benefits received from the GFCF | | | | every new casein-free or gluten-free food you |
| diet last a lifetime and have absolutely no side | | | | include in the meals. At the start of the diet, your |
| effects! | | | | child may get worse before he gets better, and |
| Putting your child on the GFCF diet will require | | | | experience withdrawal symptoms like |
| many dietary and lifestyle changes, as well as a | | | | gastrointestinal problems, rashes, and more |
| lot of tough love. Most of the foods kids love | | | | severe ADHD symptoms. Like morphine, gluten |
| eating - ice cream, pizza, cake, spaghetti, cookies, | | | | and casein are addictive substances; once they |
| etc. - contain gluten and casein. If your child is | | | | are gone, the body will "crave" them. The |
| younger than four years old, you might have an | | | | withdrawal symptoms can last from a few days |
| easier time implementing the diet. At that age, | | | | to two weeks. If there are improvements once |
| children have yet to develop their food | | | | the withdrawal symptoms have passed, continue |
| preferences and you can help form these by | | | | the strict diet for at least a month. If you choose |
| simply placing the right foods on the dinner table. | | | | to introduce foods slowly, it will take longer until |
| Even if your child is older, you can still get him or | | | | you reach the strict diet point, but make sure |
| her to follow the GFCF diet, but you may meet | | | | your child does a month of the strict diet. After a |
| some resistance at the start. | | | | month, you can slowly reintroduce gluten- and |
| There are two ways to start the GFCF diet. The | | | | casein-containing foods, but if your child starts |
| first is to go cold turkey and remove all gluten | | | | acting up again, return to the strict GFCF diet. |
| and casein-containing food at once. This method is | | | | When buying groceries, make sure you read the |
| highly recommended by health care practitioners | | | | food labels very closely. There are many food |
| because it is easier and faster to check if your | | | | products today with the gluten-free or casein-free |
| child is responding well to the diet. | | | | label, but there are other foods that serve as |
| The second method is to remove the foods | | | | hidden sources of these proteins. Be on the |
| slowly and gradually. Before implementing the diet | | | | lookout for ingredients like whey, malt, malt |
| itself, start introducing foods that have no casein | | | | flavoring, vegetable protein, hydrolyzed plant |
| or gluten in them. For instance, if pasta is your | | | | protein, and artificial additives. |
| child's favorite food, start placing more quinoa and | | | | |