Focus on Food

By Nora Simmons

Through his work as an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, William Sears, MD, has found that as many as 50 percent of the kids who get diagnosed with ADD or ADHD also have poor nutrition. Sears believes they actually suffer from what he calls Nutrition Deficiency Disorder (NDD). “The quality of food our children eat has a profound affect on behavioral problems like ADD and ADHD,” says Sears. “For many children, nutrition alone can work as an effective alternative to drugs.” Here’s what he recommends:

Raise a grazer: Grazing is good for the brain because it helps steady blood-sugar levels. Sears calls it the rule of twos: Eat twice as often, half as much, and chew twice as long.

Feed them fish (or the next-best thing): “Kids who eat plenty of omega-3 fats and protein are almost guaranteed to have better school performance,” says Sears. Since it is next to impossible to get kids to eat enough fish to meet this demand, a high-quality supplement is essential. Sears recommends Go Fish Children’s Omega-3 DHA supplements and Go Fish Brainy Kidz Children’s Omega-3 DHA Fruit-Based Soft Chews because they have the right balance of omega-3s and were created specifically for developing children.

Give them the blues: Blueberries are a great brain food because their skin is full of flavonoids and antioxidants that help keep growing brains healthy.