Speedy Gonzales

I bet that there are a lot of you out there that have children that are the apple of your eye, right? Well, I also would bet that a good portion of you have had children that weren’t quite what you wanted them to be when they were growing up, especially from the 5 to 12 year old range. We always dream of bringing home that sweet little bundle of joy, to listen to the little pitter-patter of small feet running through the house, and to the days when you could take them to the park to play. But I bet you never thought they would be tearing through the house like Speedy Gonzales, did you?
The ADD Terror
How could they go from that sweet little innocent bundle of joy to a little hellion on wheels? Gone are the days of being able to take a peaceful afternoon nap, or enjoying a good movie with no interruptions. No, this will never happen in your household, because Junior is bouncing off the walls and dancing in front of the television set wanting more attention, or using the pathway through the living room and kitchen as his own personal race track. Aside from being hyper, they can also display “anger spells” that can be directed at no one and everyone at the same time. So you suspect your little bundle of joy might just have ADD, so you take him to the doctor to see why he can’t stand still or focus for more than five minutes and the doctor confirms your fears and suggests putting little Junior on Ritalin. But before you take that step, let’s stop right there.
Doctors Aren’t Always Right
ADD can be a rather frightening word for some folks, but it doesn’t have to be. One thing that most doctors won’t tell you is that almost all “hyperactive” children are nearly always diagnosed with allergies and sensitivities, especially food allergies. There has been proven a direct link between food allergies and attention deficit disorder. Not all detection techniques work for everyone, but there are many ways of determining if little Junior has allergies, such as skin tests, blood tests, muscle testing, electrodermal testing, and radionics. All of these different types of testing can be helpful in determining what types of allergies or sensitivities he or she suffers from.
Knowing your little bundle of joy might have something as simple as allergies that are causing him to be stuck in “hyper” mode sounds a lot simpler than it really is. One thing to remember here is that allergy and sensitivity testing can be as individual as the allergies themselves. And treatments are also very individualistic. One of the easiest ways for a parent to “test” their child is with an elimination diet. This starts with setting a baseline diet of what to feed them, usually starting with foods like rice, spinach, and beef. Then you can start adding back foods that you normally eat, one at a time, to determine what might cause the symptoms to return. Exploring other options of testing will require a physician’s help and knowledge. You can find one near you by contacting the American Academy for Environmental Medicine at 316-684-5500.
Don’t expect changes overnight though, as this testing period can last for quite some time. When you add foods back into the diet, you have to give them time to show results, if any, and make sure you note any changes in behavior during this time frame. This is called the desensitization period, and can take months to complete, but it is better than subjecting your child to the side effects of drugs such as Ritalin. Adding a good multivitamin/mineral combination along with B6 and magnesium will help with the process of desensitization and give additional supplementation during the elimination diet. So stay on track for your sake and your child’s, and get back that peace of mind that you long for. Strive for better health and better wealth, and I will see you on the beaches of the world.