Natural Treatments for ADHD

There are many natural treatments now available for the treatment of ADHD. This doesn't mean they actually work, but they are available. Sticking to simple and common sense treatments will work far better than any fad diet claiming to cure ADD.

First of all, diet is extremely important to all of us but especially important for the individual with ADHD. They can have a powerful effect on your mindset, emotions and how you behave. This, of course, can be negative or positive. The right diet can actually decrease the amount of medication you need. There are four important things in an ADD friendly diet; lots of water, high protein intake, moderate carbohydrate intake and a low to moderate fat intake. Taking extra vitamins such as a daily multivitamin can be beneficial as well.

Another important aspect of natural treatments for ADHD is exercise. Exercise releases lots of endorphins, increases brain blood flow and has positive effects on how well all your systems work. This is especially important for individuals with ADD who have sensitive systems and areas of the brain that are chronically underactivated. People with ADD should exercise at least five times a week, and it is good for them to do intense cardio to get their heart, body and mind going. Exercise allows the extra restlessness and energy to be released from the body and mind of the individual with ADHD. It quiets everything down a bit, and it really is the best medicine for them.

Meditation is another natural form of treatment that is great for the individual with ADD. Just sitting and breathing on your own for twenty to thirty minutes can significantly slow down your mind and settle your restless thoughts. Meditation can have an extremely positive effect on your life if you do it regularly.

There are also supplements you can take that are natural and can be considerably helpful to the individual suffering from ADHD. One of these is an amino acid that works somewhat like a stimulant but is not as powerful or as harsh. It is called L-tyrosine, and people may take from 500mg-1500mg three times daily for positive effect. Some people will be more comfortable on the lower side, some on the higher side. You take this before you eat to increase affect. Another supplement that can help with depressive and anxiety symptoms that tend to accompany ADD is 5htp. This can be taken 50-100 mg three times daily. It produces serotonin and works somewhat like an SSRI antidepressant. This supplement can be quite helpful if you do not want to take synthetic drugs. Another helpful drug is St. John's Wort, which is taken for depression. This also works like an antidepressant, but it is natural.

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on ADHD, please visit ADHD for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith's own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/

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