ADD/ADHD

I first came into personal contact with children with ADD and ADHD over 25 years ago when I was a schoolteacher. I saw the problems up close and could tell many stories of how these problems disrupt the classroom and learning process for every student in the room, and, of course, can impact nearly every aspect of the life of the child who has to live with these disorders. ADD and ADHD also take a toll on the teacher and parents. Plus, I had several young relatives whose lives were affected by these disorders, so I know of the emotional problems it causes those personally afflicted, and how it plays out within families.

How to help these kids is one of the most controversial issues currently at work in the education system. The most common solution is to put the child on Ritalin, or some other medication, to make it possible for them to function in the classroom. Of course, most parents are reluctant to start their child on a program of medication that could become a permanent part of their lives. They look for alternatives, and there are many ideas and theories of how to deal with ADD and ADHD without medication.

One of the many things that parents, doctors and researchers have investigated over the years is the effect of diet on ADD and ADHD. There are a number of theories about the role of diet in these behaviors, and many different approaches have been tried and tested.

I have personally witnessed the incredible improvement that can come about just through diet. So it was no surprise to me when I read the following research summary last year:

Elimination diet has positive effect on the behavior of young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

A preliminary study sought to determine whether a standard elimination diet could reduce ADHD-symptoms in a group of young children diagnosed with ADHD (Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2002 Dec 28;146 (52): 2543-7). In this study, 40 children, who met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD followed their usual diet for two weeks, followed by an elimination diet for two weeks. The elimination diet was based on a limited number of foods, including rice, turkey, pears and lettuce. According to the evaluation by the parents, 62% of the children showed significant improvement in behavior at the end of the elimination diet. Based on this preliminary study, an elimination diet can lead to a statistically significant reduction in symptoms in young children with ADHD.

This new research is not really new, though. “Elimination diets” themselves are hardly a new idea, especially in the area of ADD and ADHD. For over 20 years, I have been sharing a book by Dr. Benjamin Feingold, called The Feingold Diet, with students, parents, and my patients. Dr. Feingold led a research team at UCLA investigating the role diet plays in control or exacerbation (to make worse) of ADHD. Some of the most significant information about how to control symptoms, which came out of that research, would be the elimination of processed sugar and the elimination of artificial food colorings and flavorings. While such dietary monitoring and control can be tough at first, the results are truly rewarding. The changes were so great that my young nephews (at the time only 10 and 12 years old) learned that if they traded something in their lunch for a sugary treat they would not only be getting into trouble (at school) that afternoon, but they would also be feeling “funny” the rest of the day. For the most part, they learned to control the urge to cheat.

Of course, any time you modify a diet, you need to be sure that you are covering all the bases nutritionally by supplementing your diet with a good quality multi-nutrient. This will help replace any nutrition that might be reduced through the elimination of certain foods from the daily diet. (Although reducing the sugar and processed foods will probably result in better nutrition!)

Diet affects neurotransmitter activity as well as the development, repair and regeneration of brain cells. According to Dr. Andrew Rubman, for a healthy brain you should eat a balanced diet that is rich in:

• Dietary fats. The brain's primary 'back-up' fuel source. There is some absolutely fascinating research being done with phosphatidyls today.
• Proteins and complex carbohydrates. Both are glucose sources used to stabilize brain glucose levels.
• Omega-3. Cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel, halibut and herring and unhydrogenated, polyunsaturated oils, such as canola, flaxseed and soybean, provide omega-3 fatty acids. These "good" fats regulate mood and keep brain cells healthy.
• Omega-6. Evening primrose seed and borage seed oils. They complement the omega-3s and keep them from "misbehaving."
• B vitamins -- especially B-6, found in chicken, fish, liver, eggs and pork... and folic acid, found in in lentils, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, spinach and peanuts (they strongly relate to brain function). Take these in the form of a multi-B twice a day.
• Vitamins A, C and E. These antioxidants bind up the free radicals that could otherwise damage nerve cells. Vitamin A is found in whole milk, eggs and liver. Vitamin C is in many fruits and vegetables. Vitamin E is in nuts, sunflower seeds, spinach and cold-pressed oils, such as corn, safflower and canola.

It was this information and clinical evidence that triggered me and the rest of the TRAC team to develop some targeted products for the Symmetry lines. Over the years I have seen tremendously positive results treating ADD and ADHD by eliminating certain foods from children’s’ diets, combined with careful nutritional supplementation. Please talk these alternative approaches over with your family doctor before you decide how best to deal with your children’s health and well-being.

 

Advanced Omega and Calcium

Advanced Omega:

Advanced Omega, at 3 tablets per day, provides 1000 mg fatty acids complex and 525 mg calcium. This calcium is complimentary to the function of the fatty acid complex, much like carnitine and methionine that are also part of this formula. Calcium has always been a part of this product, as a binder to prevent the tablet from falling apart. Due to the vast number of recent scientific studies documenting the importance of calcium for its many roles in the body, we are highlighting this ingredient on our label.

Calcium has some very important life-supporting functions but is probably best known for its role in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth. Circulating calcium performs many vital functions in the blood, nerves, muscles, and tissues, particularly in regulating heart and muscle contraction and nerve conduction/ transmission. Calcium ions influence nerve and cell membranes and the release of neurotransmitters. Calcium activates specific enzyme systems, such as choline acetylase, which helps generate acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter. Norepinephrine and serotonin are also affected by calcium.

Calcium also plays a vital role in cellular processes as; it is necessary for cell division. It is needed to activate prothrombin, which helps convert fibrinogen to fibrin and is essential to blood coagulation.

Calcium supplementation can be helpful in reducing the leg cramps of pregnancy and the fatigue and depression after delivery. It is often helpful for menstrual problems, particularly menstrual cramps, irritability or apprehension, and muscle cramps that occur around menstruation. Generally, muscle cramps or leg and foot cramps can be helped by calcium. Calcium is said to be calming to the nerves, as higher concentrations tend to decrease nerve irritability.

Calcium deficiency in the blood can cause a wide range of other symptoms, such as toxemia of pregnancy, anxiety, hyperkinesis, otosclerosis, and alcoholism. Mild calcium deficiency can cause nerve sensitivity, paresthesias, muscle twitching, brittle nails, irritability, palpitations, insomnia, confusion, or a feeling of chronic depression. As it progresses, leg and foot or other muscle cramps, heart palpitations, numbness, tingling, and, finally, tetany, the sustained contraction of some muscles causing severe pain, may all occur.

The role of calcium in preventing osteoporosis is well known. Now there is increasing evidence that calcium may help decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and colon cancer. In many recent studies obtaining adequate calcium has lowered systolic pressure by an average of five to seven points and diastolic pressure by two to three points. Calcium prevents the body from absorbing fat by binding and inactivating saturated fats suggesting that extra calcium may reduce low- density lipoproteins (LDL). A high-calcium diet could reduce the risk of heart attack by more than twenty percent by decreasing hypertension and cholesterol.

In fact-here is an exerpt from a recent news clip that emphasizes some of the important health benefits of calcium and highlights how this essential mineral would work synergistically with the fatty acids in Advanced Omega.

Source: Business Wire

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE) via NewsEdge Corporation -- Calcium has been gaining much attention lately, with a number of studies released in the past year citing calcium as the nutrient associated with preventing colon cancer, high blood pressure, PMS and osteoporosis.

Unfortunately, calcium is one of the nutrients most likely lacking in the American diet. In fact, only 10 percent of adult women and 27 percent of adult men are getting their recommended daily intake of calcium. The current guidelines for women and men aged 19-50 is 1,000 mg. After age 50, the number jumps to 1,200 mg, and goes even higher for lactating and post-menopausal women.

Allergies

I first started working on OptiBreathe in the spring of 1984, over 20 years ago. I had been practicing in Torrance, California as an intern and then in private practice (with Dr. Deke Kendall) but decided to return to Michigan, my home-state to live and work. It didn’t take long for me to be severely reminded that I had hay fever. I had left Michigan some years before to attend the United States Officer Training School in San Antonio, Texas. When I got out of the Air Force I was living in Sacramento, California and later moved to the Los Angeles area for graduate and doctoral work. During those years I forgot I was allergic to Michigan. (One of the worst states for hay fever.)

Spring and fall are the two worst times for sufferers of hay fever. Hay fever is also known as allergic rhinitis. Symptoms can include itchy, runny, sneezy, or stuffy noses, and itchy eyes, mouth and throat. Hay fever is a very common illness affecting an estimated 20-40 million Americans, and results in 10 million lost days of school or work each year.

The most common causes or irritants are pollens from a host of trees, grasses or weeds. Hay fever subsides with the onset of cold weather. Perennial allergic rhinitis, however, occurs year around and is caused by indoor allergens such as dust, dust mites, mold spores, and animal dander.

Typical treatments range from avoidance, which works the best but is perhaps the hardest to accomplish (I just moved and didn’t want to move again.) to simple over the counter decongestants and antihistamines, then prescription drugs of the same type or steroids, topical sprays or oral pills. None of these remedies really do anything to treat the actual problem but address the symptoms you suffer. Unfortunately many, if not most, of these carry some side-effects, the most common being drowsiness.

There are many traditional herbal formulas with a very long history of safe use that support the functioning of the respiratory system. I looked at the best aspects of many of these to incorporate into one mixture. The resulting formula was of great help not only for me but also for many of my patients over the years. Later, when Symmetry was started this formula was improved upon by adding additional nutritional elements that support proper functioning of the respiratory system. If you look at the ingredient deck of OptiBreathe you’ll see the “Allergy herbal blend”, this was the original mixture of traditional Chinese herbs to which we added the B vitamins, magnesium and zinc as well as quercetin. We also added an additional herb, used not only China but around the world; garlic.

Not all that long ago we updated the formula once again by adding Symmetry’s exclusive ingredient; DeltaZorb. This helps insure your body will absorb the maximum amount of bio-active nutrients from OptiBreathe.

 

Aphrodesia 136
Anatomy of a Problem (Content of a sexual nature)

The following information is geared towards explaining Aphrodesia 136 and deals with problems of a sexual nature. You may delete this information if it does not interest you.

‘Tis often said, “We get better with age”. Of course, this is usually said by those of us that are older - trying to convince someone younger or possibly even ourselves that this is really true. From a sexual standpoint, there is definitely some truth to this, thank God! However, age is often a double-edged sword, even in this regard.
For men, we reach our sexual peak at about 18 and it’s all downhill from there on. Our hormones are at their highest and our bodies at their fittest at this young and tender age – problem is, we often don’t know what to do with all the feelings we have or we are not in a committed relationship to express those feelings. (Even when we are, we still don’t know much of what to do with all we feel.) With age comes wisdom, or so it is said and at least we can hope that this is true. Younger men have the blessing, or curse, of becoming aroused with a warm breeze. A warm breeze often builds too quickly to a fiery storm and is consumed. With age comes the ability to endure the breeze and turn it into the burning glow of hot embers that last. But, as anyone that’s tried to BBQ knows, sometimes it can be really hard to get that fire started in the first place. And, it’s really embarrassing to go through match after match and not have the coals catch fire at all.
Why is physical arousal such a problem? (The heart is willing but the flesh is weak.) As men age there are a number of factors that can impair the ability to become erect. Actually these are not all caused by age but rather they get worse over time so we notice them more as we age, it’s a cumulative effect. Some of the major risk factors are:
• Smoking
• Lack of physical exercise
• Lack of energy
• Tired, lack of sleep
• Mental or physical stress
• Being overweight
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Hormonal disturbances
• Lack of proper nutrition
o Vit E
o Omega fatty acids
o Zinc
o Selenium