A Holistic Approach to ADHD in Children

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects millions of children worldwide. It can manifest differently in boys and girls, and its prevalence unfortunately continues to rise. In this blog, we'll explore the statistics, signs, and symptoms of ADHD in children, how it can differ between males and females, and provide holistic tips to manage ADHD effectively.

According to the CDC, in the United States, about 9.4% of children aged 2-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD as of 2021. It’s important to keep in mind that a lot of these children fall through the cracks of our medical system and have signs and symptoms and do not get formally diagnosed.

Signs and Symptoms of ADHD in Children

• Inattention: Difficulty focusing, being easily distracted, careless mistakes in schoolwork.

• Hyperactivity: Restlessness, fidgeting, constantly in motion, inability to sit still for activities like reading books or eating

• Impulsivity: Impatient, difficulty waiting their turn, blurting out answers in class.

ADHD in Males vs. Females

ADHD often presents differently in boys and girls. Boys tend to exhibit more hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, making them more noticeable in the classroom. Girls, on the other hand, may display predominantly inattentive symptoms, which can often go unnoticed or misdiagnosed as anxiety or daydreaming.

Labs to Request from your Pediatrician

There are lots of root causes of ADHD and it is important to get to the root cause. Labs to request from your child’s pediatrician include: CBC with differential, CMP, ferritin, Vitamin D, whole blood lead, full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, anti-TPO and anti-TG antibodies),

Top Holistic Tips for Managing ADHD in Children

1. Nutrition:

• Increase Whole Foods: Encourage a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and high quality proteins. These foods will provide essential nutrients for brain health.

• Offer balanced meals throughout the day to support stable blood sugar.

• Decrease Processed Foods and Minimize artificial additives, colorings, and preservatives in your child's diet: The literature is very clear that food colorings and preservatives contribute to ADHD symptoms. 1 in 3 children who already have ADHD see improvements when artificial dyes are removed from their diet.

2. Balanced Breakfast:

• Offer a breakfast that is high in protein and healthy fats. This can help stabilize blood sugar levels, promoting better focus ,and mood regulation, and memory throughout the day. Instead of offering typical “breakfast foods” like cereals, pancakes, and granola, consider offering what many think of as “dinner foods”. Think: meat protein, vegetable, and complex carbohydrate. Ex: leftover shredded chicken, broccoli, and sweet potato slathered in olive/coconut oil for extra healthy fats.

3. Prioritize Sleep:

• Ensure your child gets adequate sleep. A consistent sleep schedule and a calming bedtime routine can be highly beneficial.

• Expose child to bright light first thing in the morning. Use natural light whenever possible (sunlight outside).

• Limit screen time at least one hour prior to bedtime

• Have a consistent bedtime routine with calming activities like epsom salt baths, reading books, deep belly breaths, and a time for connection.

• Consider putting your wifi router on an automatic timer to decrease EMF exposure while sleeping

4. Daily Movement:

• Children should aim for at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day, preferably outside. Remember, there’s no “bad weather”, just “bad clothing” for the weather!

• Creative ways to incorporate more movement include dance parties, family walks, creating obstacle courses, playing soccer/tag together, or family bike ride.

5. Gut Health:

• Include probiotics or fermented foods in your child's diet to support a healthy gut microbiome. We know that a significant amount of our neurotransmitters are born out of our gut, so we want it functioning optimally!

• A variety of colorful fruits and vegetables provide polyphenols that can be beneficial to the good microbes. Think: eat the rainbow! The goal is at least 20 different plant foods (including spices) weekly.

• Consider testing for gut imbalances using a reliable method like the Tiny Health stool test (use code: young20 for $20 off).

6. Environmental Toxin Exposure:

• Evaluate your child's environment for potential toxin exposure. Children are more vulnerable to environmental toxins.

• Tests like the Vibrant America Total-Tox Burden urine test can help assess toxin levels.

7. Limit screentime: Adults and kids alike are spending as much as 50 percent more time using digital devices than they did two years ago.

• How Does Time in Front of Digital Devices Diminish Health? 

  • All devices emit blue light wavelengths, something which used to only come from the sun. Compared to red or green light waves, blue light waves are shorter with a higher energy output. During daylight hours, blue light has its benefits: It has been shown to boost attention, reaction times, and mood. Digital devices, however, have brought blue light indoors, where we are exposed at all hours of the day. The disruption to health is particularly pertinent with nighttime use of blue light emitting devices. This is why many devices have a blue light filter (e.g. Night Shift on Apple devices). This does not change the impact, however, that persistent use of devices is having on the eyes, headaches, sleep patterns, and brain development, particularly in regard to focus and attention.

• Physical Effects of Too Much Screen Time:

  • Sleep disruptions (difficulty falling/staying asleep; lower quality of sleep)

  • Eye strain, blurry or double vision

  • Fatigue

  • Headache/migraine

  • Neck pain

  • Low back pain

  • Joint and muscle stiffness

  • Weight gain 

• Psychosocial Effects of Too Much Screen Time:

  • Increased feelings of depression and anxiety 

  • Mood instability

  • Poor body image 

  • Reduced time spent in outdoors

  • Poor communication skills

8. Individualized Supplementation:

• In addition to the tips above, sometimes high-quality supplements can be extremely beneficial.

• Supplements to consider:

  • Omega-3 fatty acids: Nordic Naturals Omega Focus Junior, Rosita cod liver oil, Nordic Naturals ProOmega gummy chews, Designs for Health Omegavail citrus sorbet

  • Probiotics: ideally this is based off of a stool test. You can purchase a Tiny Health stool test (Code: young20 for $20 off), which will offer a specific probiotic based off of your child’s individual microbiome. I commonly recommend Klaire Labs ther-biotic kids probiotic and Orthomolecular Ortho Biotic powder probiotic

  • Little DaVinci Focus Chewable: combo product of nutrients to support ADHD symptoms

*All supplements can be purchased on our Fullscript auotomatically at 15% off. Remember, this is not medical advice and does not qualify as doctor-patient relationship.

Join our membership community, Healthy Families Collective, to learn how to best support your child with ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms. There is so much we can do to support these children naturally!