| There are many environmental factors that | | | | these proteins, and their undigested form creates |
| trigger attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and | | | | peptides, amino acids that work like morphine on |
| one of the leading food-related triggers of the | | | | the brain. |
| condition is food intolerance. Researchers have | | | | 2) Feingold Diet. All foods containing synthetic |
| discovered that foods with certain substances | | | | coloring, flavoring, and preservatives are removed. |
| affect the brain wave activation pattern of | | | | 3) RPAH Elimination diet. This diet, developed by |
| children with ADHD, causing uncontrollable | | | | the Royal Prince Albert Hospital in Australia, |
| hyperactivity or inattention. | | | | eliminates all foods with synthetic additives, like |
| The complicated part about treating food | | | | the Feingold Diet. However, the RPAH Elimination |
| intolerances and food allergies is that traditional | | | | Diet also removes fruits and vegetables high in |
| allergy tests do not detect them due to their | | | | salicylates, a group of chemicals that are natural |
| delayed reactions. To make it even more difficult, | | | | pesticides in plants. |
| these allergic reactions often manifest themselves | | | | Start the diet by maintaining a daily food journal |
| in behavior, not through typical symptoms like | | | | of what foods are removed and what foods are |
| rashes or watery eyes. Even though there are | | | | reintroduced. Every day, write down what foods |
| now special muscle and blood tests that can | | | | were eaten, what time meals were served, and |
| detect these delayed reactions, these tests are | | | | your child's moods or reactions. This allows you to |
| not designed to identify which particular groups of | | | | compare changes and spot the reactions to food |
| food are responsible for the symptoms. Treating | | | | intolerances. In three weeks or a month, you |
| food intolerances is useless if the child continues | | | | should be able to detect a pattern in how your |
| to eat the foods he or she cannot tolerate. | | | | child reacts to different foods. |
| One way you can detect food intolerances is by | | | | The hardest part about putting your child on an |
| implementing an elimination diet. An elimination diet | | | | elimination diets is that your child will probably |
| requires removing particular food groups from | | | | have to give up his or her favorite foods. Potato |
| your child's diet for several weeks, then slowly | | | | chips, pizza, ice cream, and milk are just a few of |
| reintroducing these foods and noting how your | | | | the foods that these diets eliminate. If you think |
| child reacts to them. If the symptoms return | | | | going cold turkey might be too drastic a change, |
| upon reintroduction, then that particular food | | | | try eliminating certain food groups at a time and |
| should be removed from the diet for good. While | | | | observe your child's reactions. For instance, |
| this method is time-consuming and will require | | | | eliminate wheat products for two weeks. If there |
| nutritional and lifestyle changes for the whole | | | | are no improvements, eliminate dairy products, |
| family, an elimination diet is the most accurate | | | | and so on until you start noticing positive changes |
| way to identify which foods your child is intolerant | | | | in your child's behavior. If you notice your child's |
| of. | | | | symptoms start to subside, your child was |
| Currently, there are three elimination diets widely | | | | probably intolerant to the food that was most |
| used by children with ADHD, with high success | | | | recently removed. You can then start adding back |
| rates. | | | | the other foods to the diet, carefully watching for |
| 1) Gluten-free, casein-free diet. All dairy products | | | | the return of any symptoms. |
| and wheat products are removed for several | | | | Once you've positively identified the foods that |
| weeks, because they contain proteins called | | | | cause the symptoms, keep them off the menu |
| casein and gluten. The gastrointestinal tract of | | | | for around 90 days before slowly reintroducing |
| ADHD children normally has difficulties digesting | | | | them. |