| We all know how tiring our little darlings can be, and | | | | climbing the wall. They like to run and run, as if they've |
| we're often ready for a good night's sleep at the end | | | | only got 20 more seconds to fit everything in. |
| of a long day. But for parents with one, or even two, | | | | So sugar is the first thing that really has to be cut out if |
| children who suffer with ADHD, or just hyperactivity, or | | | | it seems to be affecting the child adversely. |
| just ADD without the hyperactivity, it can be an | | | | Nutritional therapists are often accused of cutting |
| exhausting never ending struggle. | | | | wheat out of everyone's diet. Well, that's probably true |
| Children fighting and arguing in the home, complaints or | | | | - but there's a good reason for this. Wheat has been |
| concerns from the school, and it's no wonder that | | | | shown to damage the gut lining in the majority of |
| parents can be exhausted and not know where to | | | | people - even people who are not diagnosed with |
| turn. | | | | coeliac disease are damaged by wheat, even if they |
| Understandably, many parents do not want to turn to | | | | don't know it. The mechanism for this will be covered |
| drugs such as Ritalin, and now that NICE have | | | | in another article - suffice to say that eating wheat will |
| recommended that Doctors only give them in the most | | | | cause the gut to be damaged and make you more |
| severe situations anyway, it's necessary for parents to | | | | prone to food sensitivity. |
| find other answers. | | | | However, it may not be necessary to cut out ALL |
| NICE generally recommend counselling, but as well as | | | | wheat - just reduce it whenever possible, i.e. |
| this it's a good idea to look at the child's diet. | | | | wheat-free cereals for breakfast for example. |
| Is he eating too much sugar? Some children are very | | | | Colourings, preservatives, dairy, soya, oranges, peanuts, |
| sensitive to even small amounts of sugar (sweets, soft | | | | corn, tomato, eggs, fish and oats are foods to pay |
| drinks, biscuits, cakes, white flour, white rice, white | | | | attention to, as these can be common allergens. |
| pasta, etc.). | | | | Many nutritional therapists have found that correcting |
| A Primary School Teacher colleague tells me that | | | | even mild imbalances or deficiencies can have a |
| after lunch (where the packed lunch contains some of | | | | substantial influence on learning and behaviour and the |
| the items mentioned above) the children are virtually | | | | suggestions above are usually a good place to start. |