Natural Ways To Help Manage ADD and ADHD

Brian Strickland  00:06

Hey everyone, welcome back to Nutrition Made Simple a series that we created that takes a look at ideas surrounding natural health. And then we break them down into easy to understand and actionable steps. I'm joined today again by Ed Jones, he is the owner of Nutrition World. And for the month of August, we're actually going to be taking a look at just some back to school basics. We know that this is a difficult season for a lot of families trying to get back into that new rhythm can be tough. So we wanted to just break down a few simple ideas that may be helpful. But this week, we actually wanted to discuss ADD and ADHD because we know that these rates continue to rise diagnoses continue to increase, but we feel that there are some things that you can do from a holistic approach that can be helpful. So before we get into the solutions, Ed why is it that you think that these diagnoses continue to increase over time? 

Ed Jones  01:04

Thank you, Brian. I really feel like looking back at course, I'm almost 64. And I remember a time in high school Grammar School and, and junior high that I don't remember maybe two kids that had what we would call diagnosable ADHD. And here we are today with huge percentages. Well, one thing that shifted the whole complexion of our health was when the invalid studies were done, showing that fat caused us to die early. And what that created was a panic for decades to eat low fat foods, the only way to eat low fat foods is to increase your carbohydrate intake, generally, because you can't just increase protein. And so we became a nation of addicts, addicts of processed food, cereals. Even things like rice and pasta, we get our fix from these fast acting carbs. Well, those people in the 70s have had kids who've then had kids who then have kids, and it continues the vicious cycle. You cannot if you have a genetic tendency for ADHD or ADD, you almost cannot get better unless you work on your lifestyle, which is your knife and fork backing it up with some possible supplements. But the lifestyle itself has to be put in place for things to change. 

Brian Strickland  02:29

That's really interesting. Just so in general terms, when we talk about a holistic approach to these issues, what can that look like?

Ed Jones  02:39

What it looks like first off is there's different philosophies. The traditional medical philosophy is that we're basically like a computer or a automobile, and there's something broken, and they are going to try to patch it or fix it. We are not broken, what we are is out of balance, we have lost the level of optimal blood chemistry one, and then that parlays into the less than optimal gut bacteria, which then goes into the less than optimal brain neurotransmitters. So it's a very big web that resonates with all parts of this whole puzzle. And that's where more of a holistic view or functional view, takes a step back and looks at the bigger picture and understands it's like an orchestra out of tune. And we need to tune up a lot of instruments for the music to be beautiful and harmonious. And that is the approach that I believe is best because it has zero side effects. It has long term benefits. It does require knowledge and some self discipline. But it's not that hard. I've got a few tips I'm going to give you in a minute, that will be a game changer without having to use too much effort. 

Brian Strickland  03:47

Okay, that sounds great. As you mentioned before, obviously cutting sugars or reducing sugar significantly is a big part of this approach. And that looks like increasing your healthy fat intake. And one of our biggest ones that we always recommend to people is a high dose omega three. So can you just speak for a minute on why omega threes are so important when it comes to this issue? And what kind of dosing should families be looking at for their kids? 

Ed Jones  04:17

Yeah, great point because half the brain is made of omega threes. But that's only if you consume omega threes if you don't, and you're consuming canola oils, omega sixes, process fats, fried foods, while the brain still contains 60% fat, but it's very inferior. Why does that matter? Because if you think about a brain cell, we've got billions of them, maybe trillions of them, and their membranes are what send and connect messages and information. Well, the membrane is made of guess what fat? Well, if you're going to build a house with inferior materials, you know you're going to have trouble down the road. The same with the brain cells omega three in every single person, adult and kid that we ever test is very low. We sell test kits that you can prick your finger, and you can get results back in two weeks that determine how low are you in omega threes? 

Brian Strickland  05:16

So as far as dosing I know for an adult for you know, someone that's my size or age, we're looking at about 2000 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA. Does that change for kids? Is there such a thing as too much omega three? 

Ed Jones  05:32

It generally won't be a problem with too much. And I tend to, would never do with medication. But I tend to err on the side of being a little more generous with omega threes because of the safety. And with an ADD ADHD person kid, they actually have higher requirements because their gas tanks so empty. You know, you can base it on weight. I mean, the 2000 milligrams of EPA DHA is kind of based on 175 pound person, but it's still guesswork. So you could you know, if your child white half of that you could do maybe half the dose, but I would be no less than 1000 milligrams of EPA DHA at any point in that. Of course, you know, legally check with your doctor, if there's any health conditions. We're certainly not prescribing or treating ADHD. We're just giving out, you know, good advice here. 

Brian Strickland  06:19

Yeah, absolutely. And, of course, we're talking about kids in particular, because it's back to school season. But obviously, this translates to adults as well, all these recommendations stay the same. So on the topic of supplements, we've got omega three, which is definitely a high priority. What are some of the others that people should be aware of? 

Ed Jones  06:39

Well, there's a newer one, I don't say new, it's really came to the surface after a big study was done with about 56 children comparing one group had Ritalin and one group had saffron. What is saffron? Saffron is one the most expensive spice in the world 

Brian Strickland  06:57

Yes it is. 

Ed Jones  06:58

And it's actually known as crocus sativus. And it's has these little red threads. So it's very, very unusual and very pretty. And you can buy capsules of it, of course, and you know, what it does is increase the re uptake inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine. Well, that's similar to what the drugs can do. And in studies, it was all most equal to the drug. Now, I tend to hesitate to say this because a lot of people want the of course, the easiest road and they want a pill for every ill, that's still not fixing the underlying imbalanced chemistry. So please don't think that oh, we just have to give my child one pill in the morning, one in the afternoon. That's not that's putting a piece of tape on the red light of your dashboard, we need to dig deeper with this lifestyle, omega three what we're talking about, but saffron, love the product. It's good for adults, it's good for children, it's also been studies and anti depressant. Again, don't give this if your child's on the drugs of any kind for brain chemistry. Check with your health care professional, find one who knows about these options, or simply don't do it. 

Brian Strickland  08:05

Okay. Now, in the adult world, or even college students, there's been kind of this resurgence of nootropics. And I'm throwing you a curveball here because we actually didn't talk about this beforehand. But is that something that could be effective? Is that something that parents should be looking at as well? I don't really suggest that because it's a patchwork. Because coffee can be a nootropic. Yeah, and nicotine is a nootropic. This why many people with ADHD will smoke. Well, is that really helping? Yes, it is helping for two hours. Is it really helping the long run, of course, it's not helping in the long run. I do have a remember story of gentlemen here. That actually is part of our center. And when his child was very young, they would send her in before school with some espresso coffee beans that had no sugar chocolate, it truly made enough difference for that child to function in school. That is a better alternative for nootropic. But it's still not addressing all of the underlying reasons.  I laughed because chocolate covered espresso beans are like one of my favorites. So I can definitely get on board with that. So outside of supplements, obviously, our environment plays a big role in our health, and with ADD and ADHD that's no different. In fact, that's a big contributor to it. So what are some of the environmental factors or contributors that people should be aware of when it comes to these disorders? 

Ed Jones  09:32

Well, one that's not spoke of is EMF electromagnetic fields. We know absolutely without question, we expose the brain to electro magnetic fields, it changes some of the chemistry. Well guess what the most potent one is on earth is this right here. And it's putting out huge amounts. And I believe truly that in years to come it's going to kind of be like the cigarettes of the 50s where doctors actually recommended smoking. And now I think this may stay hidden because I think they may end up fixing it silently. But at this point, you know, exposing yourself adult or child to these excessive emfs, especially during sleep by having the phone to close. Number one recommendation five feet away all electronic appliances for all of us once we hit the bed.

Brian Strickland  10:24

And obviously blue light plays into that as well, because there's not a single one of us that doesn't look at some type of screen during the day. And the majority of us are continuing that into the evening as well, which can be harmful for your sleep patterns as well.

Ed Jones  10:37

It can it can destroy brain chemistry, and we offer blue blocker glasses at a reasonable price. My phone, the iPhone does have a setting that at 6pm, I have set it to put out no blue light. Why does blue light affect us? Because it completely changes the circadian rhythm of what nature has put into us for 10s of 1000s of years, which is the sun goes down, we change the structure of what goes in our eyes, which then changes brain chemistry. Well guess what the whole body is so confused, because we live in such an artificial of daily existence with these electronic appliances. And we've completely lost the rhythm of our life.

Brian Strickland  11:16

And last, but certainly not least, we have nutrition. And we've already hit on a couple of these points already. But when it comes to ADD and ADHD, what should parents be looking for as far as nutrition goes? 

Ed Jones  11:31

Well, I have learned over my four plus decades, the one absolute rule of 99% of all ADD children and adults and that is that the brain chemistry is addicted to carbohydrates. It's not very much unlike cigarette smokers who try to quit smoking. It's a very disciplined process, you have to have a commitment to do this. And when we don't think of foods as almost a drug, we kind of just throw the baby out with a bath. And we don't really put together a plan. If you want your child to have a more laser focused ability, we have to get the brain disconnected from the need of excessive carbs. That's why I only do about 50 to 60 carbs Monday through Friday, and I do pretty much unlimited up to 200 on Saturday and Sunday. I'm not saying that's what children should do. But I am saying for breakfast, they should not consume more than 10 grams of carbohydrates. Do you realize it only takes a few spoonfuls of cereal to exceed 10 grams of carbohydrates? And I want people to consider a high protein and a high fat healthy fat breakfast at least five days a week and on weekends it doesn't you can do more, but not Monday through Friday, because it's going to take two weeks for this craving of the brain to start lessening its grasp on us and on our physiology. And it's a plan. And you do have to put it in action and be on top of it every day. But I'm telling you after two weeks, most people see such a change in their focus and other sense of well being that they realize how devastating this excessive carbs have been.

Brian Strickland  13:20

For sure. All right, everyone. I think that about covers it. Of course if you ever have any more questions, please feel free to reach out to us leave a comment here on YouTube. Give us a call, see what's in store, leave comment on social we're always happy to help in any way that we can. We really hope this helps some people out. Thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you next week on Nutrition Made Simple. Take care everyone. 

Ed Jones  13:41

Thank you.