concerning ADHD: Dietary Factors Mealtime habits and dietary factors provide yet another point of comparison between the U.S. and France. In the last thirty years, both the quality of food and mealtime habits has changed dramatically in the U.S. These days, junk foods and fast foods are frequently consumed. Families have fallen away from eating together and meals are often eaten while on-the-go. Children’s diets, even at school, are high in simple carbohydrates (sugar, white bread, white-flour food products), poor in protein and healthy fat and positively deficient in vegetables. If a person is vulnerable to ADHD, a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet typically makes their symptoms worse. In the United States: Children are allowed to snack throughout the day instead of waiting to eat with parents – processed snack foods are high in refined carbohydrates, sugar, gluten, dairy, synthetic flavors and synthetic colors. Separate “kids menus” are expected and encouraged – children do not eat the same foods as their parents. Mac and Cheese, chicken fingers and PBJ sandwiches are not brain healthy! Doctors do not make practice of addressing nutrient deficiency or food sensitivities during the diagnostic and treatment process. Parents and doctors are less aware of how foods affect the brain – then rely on medications to suppress symptoms. In France: Children do not snack all day and must wait to eat with their parents – this encourages better self-control and greater nutrient-density in foods they eat. There are no “kids menus” in France – children eat what their parents eat. French doctors consider diet as a reason for behavior changes. Dietary interventions that explore and remove culprit foods are part of treatment – thus reducing medication use.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 10:46:09 +0000
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