ADD/ADHD

Can you heal from Attention Deficit Disorder naturally?

add whatWe have a very specific nutritional protocol we use to give the body what it needs to restore proper brain function.  One of the supplements we use has grape seed extract, buckwheat, red wine extract, green tea extract and bilberry extract.  It is a powerful antioxidant, which offers neuroprotective qualities to those with ADD/ADHD.  Come in and see me or call now for a phone consultation if you are outside the Orlando, Florida area.

Attention Deficit Disorder is a passionate subject for me.  The first person I ever helped to heal suffered from a severe case of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).   It is also something that I feel is relatively easy to help someone heal from.  My friend couldn’t concentrate. Tasks that too most people one hour to do would take her several hours.  She would often run into things in her home because her brain couldn’t process two things at the same time.  She described the feeling as their being a lot of “noise” in her head.  She was very easily distracted and had trouble finishing tasks that she started.

One of the most startling things I discovered about Ritalin and other ADD/ADHD medications is that they are virtually the same as cocaine.  They both block the ability of neurons to absorb dopamine, which floods the brain with this feel good chemical.  The only major difference is in how fast one feels the effects of the drug.  Cocaine is felt within seconds and Ritalin can take upwards of one hour to feel the effects.  When you put the two together and ask, will cocaine really make someone better in the long run?    Will it heal the body?  Will it cause dependency and addiction?  When you consider the answers to these questions, they are scary.  That is why there is another way.  If you understand the real causes of this disorder (see my video on toxicity and deficiency), and deal with it from this perspective, people see awesome results in relatively short periods of time.

What is ADD?  What is ADHD?  Understanding ADD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

–          ADD is the fastest growing childhood disorder in the USA.

–          10 times more boys than girls are affected.

–          These children are often highly creative with above average intelligence.

Symptoms associated with ADD/ ADHD

–          Getting very easily distracted

–          Being scattered and often losing things

–          Not able to be organized

–          Does not follow directions very well

–          Cannot stay quiet, fidgets or moves constantly

–          Very impulsive and have trouble waiting, being patient

–          Often interrupting others

Factors linked to ADD

–          Heredity, anxiety, allergies, smoking during pregnancy, hyperinsulinemia, oxygen deprivation at birth, chemical toxins, heavy metal toxins, vaccinations, artificial food additives, preservatives, and food colorings.

–          The most common factor now linked to this problem is nutrition.  Kids/Adults today don’t get what their bodies need to function optimally.

–          The most critical factors appear to be linked to vaccinations, heavy metal and chemical toxicity, food coloring and a poor diet.

–          Many with the condition react very strongly to preservatives, dyes, and salicylates in food.

–          All these factors can disrupt and damage brain chemistry.

–          Many children and adults with ADD have been tested to have abnormal levels of harmful bacteria/fungus.  It is critical to take a digestive enzyme with every meal and often times between meals to help cleanse the colon and reestablish healthy bacteria.

A Four Faceted approach is what can reverse ADD/ADHD and give people their life back.

  1. Provide the body with good nutrition by eating lots of varied vegetables and fruits (6-8 servings a day of organic produce – vegetables and fruits).
  2. Avoid foods with preservatives, colorings, artificial flavorings and other foods which are harmful such as dairy, sugar, white flour, white rice, and others.
  3. Use a specialized product to pull out toxic chemicals and heavy metals from the body.
  4. Provide specific nutrients that are known to help rebalance proper brain function.

Those nutrients are as follows (The products below come from good, reliable companies.  I would not recommend buying supplements that are synthetic that can be easily purchased at Walmart.  The body was designed for food and whole food supplements will have the most positive effects on the body.)  Most people with ADD are deficient in all of the nutrients listed below.  The only way to know exactly what the body needs and how much of each substance it needs to heal the fastest is through Nutrition Response Testing.  Taking the below supplements will help, however, not knowing how much of a particular substance your body can take or handle at a particular time is a disadvantage.  NRT will also tell you if you may have an allergy to a particular substance and if it keeps your nervous system open so that you can heal.   I would highly recommend Standard Process products over others because they are a great company that makes responsible organic products.

  1. Essential Fatty Acids (super important).  You can literally start to see differences in kids and adults within 18 days of taking a high quality Omega 3 supplement.  I would recommend a chewable for kids such as Tuna Omega 3 Chewable – Standard Process.  Use Tuna Omega 3 – Standard Process or Cataplex F Perles for adults.   Carlsons is another brand that I highly recommend and the cost is good, with lemon chewables and also in liquid which can be taken like a syrup and it actually tastes decent.  Take 2 or 3 capsules a day or 2 teaspoons or more of the liquid per day.
  2. Bacopa Complex – An amazing mix of powerful herbs that have been known throughout history to improve brain function.
  3. OPC Synergy – A powerful mix of antioxidants that support and maintain healthy cell function and brain function.
  4. Whole food green supplement.  Natrol Juice Festiv is a great option (2 veggie and 2 fruit capsules per day).  The capsules can be emptied and the contents can be mixed in a smoothie.   Garden of life makes a great one called Perfect Food and the caplets contain enzymes and probiotics.  The powder is great too.  This is loaded with chlorella, spirulina, many vitamins, minerals and other things that are super important for health.    Take 3-5 caplets per day.
  5. Whole food multivitamin – Catalyn or Catalyn Chewable for children.  Supplies a natural source of vitamins and mineral for complete, complex nutritional supplementation.  Supports healthy cell function and overall well-being.
  6. Whole food B Complex – Cataplex B or Cataplex G.  3-6 per day for most people.   This is super important too, these vitamins are desperately needed for proper brain and body function.
  7. Tyrosine.  One of the main neurotransmitters that is needed to restore proper brain function.  1-2  per day.
  8. Bentonite Clay and Zeolite (15 drops a day for 6 months).  To remove heavy metals from the body.  Every patient that I have seen to date tests for at least one heavy metal or chemical that affects the nervous system.  It is fairly safe to assume that everyone needs to detox from heavy metals and chemicals.  To be taken for 3-6 months.
  9. Digestive Enzymes or plant enzymes.  To help digest food and clean out food sensitivities from the body.  Take one with each meal.  This is one of the most overlooked supplements today.  Health starts with a clean colon and we eat a lot of cooked food that has no enzymes.  Enzymes also help to desensitize the body of food sensitivities.  It is one of the most important supplements in our enzyme-less world.  If you crave certain foods, they are normally a part of the problem…so I would avoid them.

I highly recommend Standard Process because they are of the highest quality and are farmed organically.  These supplements are very potent so just be aware of the effect that they have on your body.   Standard Process products are among the purest and best in the entire world, which is why I use only these products in the clinic.  Therapeutically and clinically, they change lives.   SP also makes an awesome chewable multi vitamin, omega 3 and immune system boosting products for children (or adults that don’t like swallowing pills).   Please call me if you wish to order these products, they can be shipped anywhere.

Here are some other things that are recommend for ADD/ADHD from the book “Prescription for Nutritional Healing” by Phyllis Balch.

–          The most important thing someone with ADD can do is eat massive amounts of raw organic vegetables and fruits.  We should get 6-8 servings of veggies and fruits per day, two times as many veggies as fruits.  This is where 85% of all the nutrients our bodies need to function correctly come from.  Without veggies and fruits, the body will surely malfunction.  Raw veggies and fruits also contain enzymes.  Juicing vegetables is an even better way to get loaded amounts of nutrients.  I highly recommend the Champion Juicer.

–          Incorporate eating things with omega 3 in them such as Salmon, Flax seeds, and raw organic Walnuts (not roasted non organic as is found in most supermarkets – roasted or baked = kill nutrients).  A handful of walnuts per day provide a good source of protein, fat and other nutrients.

–          Limit dairy products severely, or even better is to eliminate them completely.  Use other sources of “milk” such as Almond, Rice, Coconut or Oat Milk.  The very best thing is to make your own nut milks at home.  Recipes are available online.

–          Remove all forms of sugar from the diet.  Sugar literally depletes and sucks nutrients out of the body.

–          Antibiotic free, hormone free, free range sources of meat should be eaten. Eggs are also a good source of protein and they contain lecithin, which is good for brain function.  My preference to the best health is a 100% raw plant based diet.  Anything cooked loses its nutrients.

–          Eliminate junk food from the diet.

–          Most with ADD have food sensitivities, and avoiding certain known foods can help alleviate many symptoms.  Variety is the key.  Eating the same foods day after day is what develops food sensitivities.  The common ones are dairy, sugar, white rice, corn, wheat, eggs, and milk products.  This why it is critical for most people to take a digestive enzyme every day.

–          Raw coconut oil is another great way for the body to get a type of fat that is very healthy.  1 to 2 tablespoons per day is great.  It must be Organic cold pressed.

–          Start the day off immediately upon waking by drinking 12-16oz of purified water.

–          Eat a lot of raw organic almonds (make sure to soak them for 8 hours before consumption), which contain decent amounts of calcium and magnesium, both of which are needed to help calm individuals with ADD/ADHD.

–          Lesson your toxic load on the body by switching to organically made soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, perfume, lotion, etc…  All regular commercial products are loaded with toxic chemicals that can greatly affect biochemistry and damage health.

If you follow the above recommendations, I have seen the body heal itself from ADD/AHDH within 3-6 months in many cases.   Remember, no one substance cures or heals, the body is what heals itself if it has the right tools to do so.   Changing your life is a challenge, but the reward of regaining control of your mind is priceless.

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About Dr. Scott

Dr. Scott Graves, AP is a Board Licensed Acupuncture Physician who specializes in Naturopathic Medicine, Chinese Medicine, Nutrition Response Testing, General Health and more.