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News
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It seems that everywhere I turn, I hear about another child being tested for ADD or ADHD - mostly boys, who are naturally more rambunctious and overactive.
There are so many questions as to the root cause of this seeming epidemic. Some wonder if class sizes could be part of the problem, with children receiving less individualized attention. Others suggest that the two-parent working family is the cause (I have two friends with kids who have both been diagnosed, both of whom are full time moms so I doubt this theory).
Others point to diet. This resonates much more strongly for me. With diets today often very high in processed foods, there are many nutrients that are, unfortunately, now missing in our children's diets.
Fat has been given so much bad press and yet there are fats that are absolutely essential for us to function - hence the name "essential fatty acids."
You have all heard of these, but what are they and why are they important?
Essential fatty acids are fats that cannot be produced by the body so they must come from food sources such as nuts and seeds, Omega 3 eggs and cold-water fish.
A child's brain is made up of approximately 60% fat and fat is necessary for the normal functioning of the brain and the nervous system. A deficiency of the Omega 3 fatty acid (found in abundance in flax oil) is evident in the majority of children with eczema, asthma and other allergies.
My six-year-old daughter has suffered. When I started adding flax oil to here yogurt (to hide it, of course), her eczema disappeared. Over the last few months, she decided that she didn't like yogurt anymore (and I couldn't find another place to hide the oil) and her eczema started to return.
I started her on the strawberry-flavoured Children's DHA and, within a week, I noticed an improvement again.
If your child has been diagnosed with ADD or has allergies, I encourage you to experiment with their diet and consider adding natural supplements. The chart below gives you a basic guideline to follow but keep in mind that a child with ADD may require more than average.
Health Canada has recommended the following intakes (RDI means recommended daily intake) of Omega 3 essential fatty acids:
Age RDI
0-1 year 500 mg
1-2 years 600 mg
2-3 years 700 mg
4-6 years 1,000 mg
7-9 years 1,200 mg
for boys
1,000 mg
for girls
10-12 years 1,400 mg
for boys
1,200 mg
for girls
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