– Are You Giving Your Child The Right Fats?

In looking at , people usually have a one-track mind in that they think exclusively about medication, especially if they live in a society where meds are regarded as a quick fix. That is great for certain conditions but not really the solution when it comes to ADHD.

Most medical experts are telling us now that medication for ADHD is just one part of the equation. What about all the others?  Are there routines and structures in your home to help your child?  You may have already thought about diet, green time, and healthy exercise as well or you may have put them on the long finger.

Let us mention diet and especially the right fats or the wrong facts. If your child is eating a lot of crisps, biscuits, and other snacks, then the consumption of the trans fatty acids (TFAs) is probably far too high.

The UK Faculty of Public and Royal Society for Public hopes that these TFAs can be eliminated from products in the UK by next year. An ambitious project but it is justified by the fact that these TFAs really can damage our

Dr. Alexander Richardson who is a researcher at the University of Oxford has written a book about all this. She advocates the increased use of essential fatty acids, rather than the TFAs, as the way to raising healthier children and also influencing behavior in a positive way.

Dr. Richardson’s book is appropriately entitled ‘They Are What You Feed Them’ and is essential reading for anyone concerned about how food affects a child’s brain, attention, and mood. It is no accident that a majority of ADHD children have a marked deficiency in omega 3, one of the most common essential fatty acids.

This is why the UK is so keen now on getting rid of the bad trans fats and hoping to educate the public to include more EFAs in their children’s diets.

The best foods with these EFAs are salmon (go for wild instead of farmed which has more Omega 6 which are not as healthy.). Then we have other oily fish such as mullet, anchovy, and tuna. You do not need to buy fresh fish every day as canned fish will do just fine.

Then there are nuts, legumes, soy, and tofu. Canola oil is also rich in EFA and altogether a healthier choice.  In addition, we can use pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, and linseeds in salads, and so on.

Now one dietary change is not going to constitute ADHD treatment but it will definitely help.  I know loads of parents who have noted improvements in their children’s behavior when they are fed simple, healthy food. It is as simple as that!

Robert Locke is an expert on ADHD, parenting, and children’s health. He is a Diamond level author at Ezine article and has won many awards for his writing.

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