How Diet and Supplements Can Help

A Healthy Diet Can Help Sustain Attention

Diet, along with good rest, a good life balance and loving support are critical to mental alertness and cognitive function. The predictability of good nutrition can offset unpredictability, both of life and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Low blood sugar can cause anxiety, which is possibly the greatest interference with focus and attention. Protein in the diet is preferred over glucose, because it has a more sustaining effect, especially at breakfast.

I advise having a child with ADD/ADHD, depending on their age, participate in their lunch preparation so that their “recognition memory” might remind them to stop talking and eat. When I prescribe stimulant medication, my preference is a medication that is mild, smoothly delivered to the brain and long-acting. Medication needs to work throughout the day, since ADD/ADHD symptoms after school tend to be stimulated by mental and physical fatigue and the demands of homework.

I advise ADD/ADHD adults to pretend that they are athletes in training, determined to drink and eat to maintain their energy reserve. Reminders to eat, regular breaks and energy bars are helpful.

Exercise is Critical to ADHD and ADD Function

One of the many benefits of mountain climbing is the intense physical exercise it demands of the individual and the rewarding sense of well being it provides. All individuals with attention deficit disorders benefit from the mental alertness and stamina that are the natural byproduct of muscle movement.

There are many great athletes who emerged from the restlessness and hyperactivity of childhood to master a sport and achieve greatness. The notion of what we may yet become can be very motivating to anyone struggling through life with ADD/ADHD challenges.

Supplements and Environmental Toxins

The use of supplements is worthy of trial, but I believe that they should clearly make a difference to a given individual. I do recommend taking natural fish oil for everyone – for its beneficial effects on the neuron sheath to augment nerve conduction (for ADD/ADHD and aging).

There is great concern about the effects of environmental toxins, including food dyes, on the emergence and severity of disorders of attention. While it is important to provide healthy food, I don’t believe that unduly restrictive diets are necessary, although avoidance of toxic or allergic substances is always a wise choice.