Does gluten have anything to do with the symptoms of ADD/ADHD? I share our experience with our daughter: gluten and ADD / ADHD.
ADD. ADHD. Whatever you would like to call it, those of us who live with it know: it is no walk in the park.
Living with someone so full of energy and ideas can be truly exhausting and require enormous amounts of patience and consistency.
Our oldest daughter has shown signs of ADD since she was a wee baby. It runs in the family, and it was no real surprise. The hard part as parents is knowing exactly what to do about it. There are lots of different opinions. Medicate, leave it alone? And of course, as toddlers and preschoolers, so much of the ADD behavior can ALSO be consistent with typical developmental behavior of those young ages. It becomes more clear as the child enters school-age and their immature behavior starts to stand out, and their lack of focus starts to put them behind in their studies and make school a frustrating endeavor.
When my daughter was 3 or 4, I had wanted to try diet changes to see if it helped her . We already ate real food and mostly healthy offerings. We didn’t buy a lot of processed foods, and things with food dyes. But it seemed like an ENORMOUS leap to cut out gluten at the time. I talked myself out it more times than I can count. But when my third child was born with a host of food allergies and gluten went out the door in a hurry, the whole family went gluten free, and I could really test this whole idea out and how it effected my daughter (and by unintentional default, the rest of us!)
Before I share our personal experience, let me first say that I am no doctor. I am not a health professional. I am not an ADHD expert. I am just a mom (who used to be teacher) who is determined to do the very best by my child in the best way I can! Here is a our story:
Background:
From a young age, my eldest daughter has always had plenty of energy. She used to literally shake with excitement at the sight of another baby. Once she started walking, it was all about walks in our house. Multiple times a day. She wanted to be going and doing things all the time. Nap-time was a playtime..how many ways could she destroy her room and explore new and exciting things in a 10 x 10 foot space? We even had curtains set on fire at one point, she was not even two!
As she progressed into preschool, she was successful academically. She’s got a great little brain that remembers things quickly, and an UN-ending curiosity. Preschool fit well into the constant stimulus she was always most happy with. The only area that continued to pop up was social and behavioral issues. She was always socially immature for her age, not handling things like most kids her age. She was a bit more volatile, and less-able to handle the social ups and downs. There was never a real best friend because most kids could only take her in small doses…her energy and inflexibility was exhausting for THEM too!
At home, her tantrums were remarkable. She had had a difficult time assessing personal boundaries (still does) and quickly escalated into ‘crazy girl’ when anything exciting or physical started. And once crazy girl hits there is no hearing…she is in her own super-hyped up world with those eardrums turned off. I learned quickly that routine was our friend and ally. Deviate, and our toddler/young girl would meltdown or cause major problems. I learned to talk about changes or plans before they happened…and then repeat that same conversation lots of times. I learned to avoid crazy, over-stimulating environments whenever possible.
Moving into Kindergarten, she did pretty well too. She has a very likable personality, and Kinders never sit still for more than 10 minutes at a time anyways. She also had a handle on the vast majority of content covered in the Kinder curriculum before she even started, making the content a mental breeze for her. She still struggled socially finding best friends. Kids all seemed to like her, but in small doses.
First Taking the GF Plunge:
Not long after starting Kinder, we made our diet changes and took all gluten and dairy out (among other things). I noticed an improvement in her behavior at home. She would meltdown less often, listen a little better, control her emotions a bit more. Homework was more doable.
The problem over the next year and half was not what to feed her, I had that nailed down. The issue was my own self-doubt. I knew many people doubted the path we had chosen, thinking me neurotic and extreme. I wondered if maybe they were right. What if it WAS all in my head? Afterall, all blood, stool, body system tests came back normal. There was no Celiac. There was no obvious medical signs or tests that told us gluten was an issue for her.
So I decided it was time to test this out once and for all. I was tired of doubting myself. And if I didn’t HAVE to worry about food at play dates and school functions, that would be great! My idea was simple. Let gluten back into her diet on a consistent basis., and don’t tell anyone at school what we were doing. We committed to 4 weeks.
The Gluten Challenge:
By the start of the second week, I noticed a change. My daughter would come home from school and meltdown. Homework was a joke: she would roll around screaming and yelling,”mommy, mommy. mommy, mommy! I can’t do it, I can’t do IT!” The homework hadn’t changed, and I knew the content was easy for her. I knew I was probably in for a wild and exhausting ride at this point. Her behavior deteriorated too. Less flexible, more tears, more tantrums, more of everything BAD!
By the third week, for the first time ever, we started getting school papers back exclaiming, “PLEASE FINISH!” scrolled across the top . This hadn’t happened ALL YEAR, and now it was happening almost daily. In addition, we started getting daily calls home from the counselor about recurrent negative behaviors. My child is not defiant and never has been. She is a people pleaser. So when many teachers talked with her about the problem, and mommy too with no change….I knew where the REAL problem lie.
I sent an email to her teachers this third week asking about focus and behavior recently. Both teachers (remember, they have no idea we changed anything) reported that she was harder to redirect, harder to manage, and was annoying her peers even more. They also both noticed she was having a much harder time getting her work done.
What Happened When We Removed Gluten Again?
FOUR WHOLE WEEKS of daily gluten intake, and finally, we could take her back off and see what happened.
We started on a Saturday. That following THURSDAY we had a conference with the teacher.
“Hey, how has she been this week?” Both teachers said my daughter was back to normal and having a great week! Then I let them in on our little secret. They couldn’t believe what a difference it made in her. And you know what…that negative behavior I was receiving almost daily calls home about for two weeks? GONE. Abruptly stopped!
At home, my daughter still has ADD and some of the annoying traits that go along with it, but instead of things happening every 10 minutes, we were looking a couple of times a day. Instead of getting wild and crazy multiple times a day, it was a few times a week. Better control of her body. Homework was a breeze again, she would complete all work of her own accord with little or no assistance.
Interestingly, when we got the year end report card with all the year’s reading assessments..it was no surprise to see there was mostly 90% and the month we challenged gluten it dropped to the 70’s.
Our Conclusion:
To say that gluten affected my daughter’s ADD poorly would be an understatement. And now, the whole family knows for SURE, this is the right path for us to be on!!
I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea that something that so many medical tests do not point to could have such a dramatic effect on our child’s life. Kelly over at The Spunky Coconut finally put it in a way that made sense for me in one of her cookbooks:
- “in individuals with leaky guts, when wheat proteins are passed undigested and whole into the blood stream, they go straight to the same part of the brain and have a similar effect as heroine.”
So that wild and crazy-eyed girl that sometimes visited our house suddenly made sense: she was ‘high’ on gluten!
I feel grateful that we we really know now that gluten is a major detriment to our daughter at this point and time.
We will continue to evolve and change our diets as needed to give her the best base to spring from. It was a hard leap to take, but only in the beginning, and has opened so many new doors for our family. Maybe it will for YOU too.
What is your experience with ADD/ADHD?
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Thanks for the article about the dangers of gluten, very helpful. How did you feel when you realized your daughter had ADHD? Was it scary?
I’m cutting Gluten out slowly from my family. Thanks for some info’s here, Tessa. It pays to live healthier! 🙂
Yes it does Kate!! Food can be medicine…………
Great story and thank you for sharing it. My son has many of the behavioural issues you are mentioning. After much research we are considering goiong GF ( well, my husband will be allowed to cheat a bit 🙂 ). Hopefully we will be seeing a difference
Hi Daniela! I am here for you as you embark on this new journey!! hang in there, let me know if I can answer any questions for you!
ADD is not new to me. All through elementary and high school, I had an issue with staying focused on the lesson. I would look out the window, or daydream, or draw World War II battle scenes. It wasn’t diagnosed back then. It was called “not paying attention.” My parents hauled me into the principals office. Needless to say my grades were not spectacular. After a conference with my parents, the principal, and me in attendance, the overall opinion was “he’s not paying attention.” This did nothing for my self esteem. This was followed by a stern warning from my father. I had to heed or suffer the consequences. Believe or not, I graduated from college but it was a long haul. Today I can barely get through a magazine article without a break or two, and these are the subjects I like. I am glad about the strides taken over the years to identify and help people with this. PapPap Simpson.
Yes PapPap, times have changed. I don;t think atypical neurological kids were not quite as common back then. Now-a-days it seems like 1 in 4 kids have some sort issue! Makes you think! I appreciate your thoughtful comment!
Oh I wish this would happen for my daughter! We have tried every elimination diet I can think of. Gluten-free helps (she has been gluten-free since 18 months old), dairy-free helps, obviously no food coloring (she gets crazy with a trace of that.) But still we live with massive temper-tantrums and she is almost 7. (We don’t know what her diagnosis is in terms of ADHD or Aspergers or what?) She does have trouble having friends. Your story gives me hope… We are also trying the Feingold program.
Oh dawn, I know your pain! Have you looked into Leaky gut? Our daughter is not 100% better, she still has her ADD and some of the headaches that go along with it….but gluten out = a major reduction in the negative behaviors/outbursts. We are currently trying to reduce inflammation in her gut and then hope to get busy repairing that gut lining! Fingers crossed we can make some progress, it would be a huge relief to be able to to stress less on the various foods she encounters at school and in restaurants…only worrying about gluten would be a relief! And seeing her more like her peers in social situations would be a dream come true (mostly for her, every parents worst nightmare is watching their kid get picked on/excluded because they are so different and the ensuing sadness in your own child when they notice)
Thanks for your words! There is a GAPS practitioner locally that I was considering trying. Right now she is almost grain-free and low sugar (only a little bit of honey and just a bit of fruit each day). I would love to do things like bone broth (I drink it), but I can’t figure out how to get her to do it. Unfortunately she can be so difficult to be around – and this being summer(no school)- I am really starting to feel miserable. Her outbursts are so extreme and her little sister gets really stressed too. Thanks for listening.
yes, my son likes almost no foods, I can not get him to eat anything new Dawn…bone broth would be a celebration!! My eldest is having days of major toughness too, you are not alone, hang in there momma. We will get through this!
Totally agree with you! I did the same thing with my son, then aged 7. And the difference was nothing short of amazing. We also found out he couldn’t tolerate anything artificial. The hard part was explaining to every one why he couldn’t eat wheat and gluten containing foods (as well as no artificials) so now we just use the term celiac and as soon at it is mentioned people “kind of” understand. Good luck with your daughters food plan.
Thank you for sharing your experience so openly and honestly, Tessa. I was interested to read the link between gluten and ADHD in your daughter – I honestly didn’t realise that gluten in particular could affect this, although I realised diet could. I am sure this post will help a lot of people going through this with their own children. Thank you for sharing it with the Hearth and Soul hop.
Amazing story, and so glad you’ve found a way to manage your daughter’s ADD. I don’t have experience so much with ADD, but I know that what really clued me in to the fact that something was wrong with my diet was when I felt exhausted and couldn’t focus on anything anymore (well, that and the giant hives and indigestion!) I felt like I was in a fugue all the time and was seriously cranky! That would be a horrible thing for a child to have to deal with, nevermind and adult.
Thanks so much for sharing this on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Tessa, I’ve pinned it : )
Thanks for sharing your story, Tessa! My son hasn’t been diagnosed with ADHD, but the term has been bounced around for awhile and I’m quite certain that it is there to some degree. I’ve been wondering if this could help, but I’m really nervous about finding gluten-free and dairy-free foods that he will eat and likes. Any suggestions for sites or resources to get us started? T
Hi Krissy! It is so normal to be anxious and nervous about changing things. Although it is certainly and adjustment, and there is a learning curve, with today’s resources, it is a very doable endeavor! In fact, some of he favorite foods may only need a couple of subtle tweaks to make them allergy friendly. A good place to start is by choosing a handful of favorite foods and recreating those particular items successfully. I am sure I could help you there, but there is a LOAD of other blogs and cookbooks out there for support too. If you contact me with more specifics, I can help hold your hand through it!!
Hi,
I have been dealing with an ADHD son and husband so I am basically so worn off that I am on antidepressants myself! Can you please inform me on how the gluten/grain test is done? Where should I go? Is it something expensive? Thanks a bunch!
Mary
Hi Mary! This is not an easy answer. There are many tests available, but all them can be grey in the results. Majority of the tests are blood draws. You can test for celiac disease, a gene test. My kids did not have this.
You can test for IgE antibodies in the blood stream: this is a common typical allergy test that any allergist can or a family dr can order it and you go to the blood draw. Problem with it is that this is only one type of antibody and people with intolerances usually don’t show up here.
You can ask to run IgG panels on any foods too…this test looks for these antibodies which are sometimes associated with people who are intolerant to things as opposed to allergic. Again, this is just one little snapshot into the blood sample they pull…so results are not black and white. Both of my kids came back with lots of hits here.
If you have NAET practitioner in your area, the testing is a muscle resistance test: in the end, this ended up being the most accurate believe it or not…might seem hokey, but it is surreal how it works! Worth seeing if you have a practitioner in your area, usually a naturopath.
There are stool tests that look for excessive bacteria and inflammation…..signs that digestion is off.
Any testing you choose to do should be done before you try eliminating anything for the most accurate picture….a mistake I made.
The best and least expensive method, but often the most difficult for people to venture forth with is an elimination diet. Usually within a week or two with kids (the younger the better) you start to see some changes. It requires a 100% commitment though to see the real benefit. For kids with neurological issues, and people with depression/mental issue too (one of the most common symptoms of gluten issues) it is suggested to remove all casein and gluten proteins: the most difficult to digest for people with compromised guts. This mean dairy and gluten.
It may seem overwhelming, but it can be a real life changer for lots of people. I have seen it over and over again.
Cost will depend on your insurance coverage….some of the blood tests can be expensive, but often covered. Naturopaths are usually more affordable, but often not covered!
I wish I had an easier answer for you Mary! How can I help you?!
Thank you for sharing your story. Mt son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 4 (I know, pretty early). It broke my heart to make the decision to put him on medicine at such an early age but ever since I have been experimenting with his diet to hopefully find the “magic pill” so to speak to calm him. He tried the no partially hydrog & no dairy diet in addition to a ton of supplements. After 9 months he had lost weight and we saw pretty much no difference in his behavior so we went off that diet. I recently decided to try gluten free full go. We had dabbled in it before but never completely. Well, last Wed we went totally gluten free for him. By Friday I was mentioning to my husband that our son seemed a little calmer but it may be my imagination. My Sunday both my husband and I agreed that there was definitely a difference. For 3 straight days we were able to go out and do activities as a family that would have never been enjoyable before. Full day of hiking, long walk to a park, a trip to Cabelas and an archery lesson!! All was well…. but maybe it was just coincidental. Well, this past Tuesday (almost a week after we began), my son comes stomping into our van at school pick up yelling at me because I had messed up my 2 sons lunches and he had to eat half of his brothers peanut butter and honey sandwich. My other son was crying because he had gotten verbally abused by his brother the entire walk to the car. I can’t believe I messed everything up with the mixed lunches but now I am 100% convinced that he needs to be gluten free. Ever since Tuesday (it is now Thursday) we has been off the charts. So now we just wait for the gluten to leave his system and hopefully he goes back to the calm that he had a few days ago. The change that we saw in just a few days was life changing and gives me hope for him (for all of us really). If we could eventually wean him off of his medicine that would be an absolute dream come true and an answered prayer. Fingers crossed. Goodluck to you all.
I am hoping for you and your family that gf makes big changes in your lives. I know what you are going through!! Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you and thank you so much for sharing your story!
I LOVE this piece. I think so many parents don’t realize that there could even be a food connection to our children’s health (and mental health) issues. My middle son sounds a lot like your daughter – high energy, very sensitive and sometimes hard with transitions. We’ve been going more gluten-free because my husband has been diagnosed with an intolerance and my oldest son is gluten sensitive. I should test and see how his behavior changes with gluten in his diet as well.
Yes, throwing the whole towel in and just going for it with the whole family revealed a lot in ALL of us, and made it easier for me not be switching back and forth! Thanks for commenting Tracey!
Thank you for this post! It sounds so very much like our son. He was never diagnosed with ADD but the affects of gluten can cause these symptoms any any child!!! So glad that you were able to find answers on your own! I agree – it is NO walk in the park!
My son’s story is here: http://www.mypickyglutenfreekid.blog.com
Also wanted to share this:
http://voogtrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/addcould-it-be.html
Great story and really appreciate the fact that you did the self experimentation and nailed down the problem. I am a big fan of self experimentation with food to see what works for me and what doesnt (gluetn and certain dairy products I have had to boot.) Not too many people take the time to do this. My boyfriend has ADHD and I am REALLY trying to get him to go gluten free, but I think his first step will be to eliminate the processed sugar from his diet. I believe that sugar can have a HUGE impact on ADD/ADHD as well. One step at a time, no? Thanks again for the story!
Thanks Hilary….yes I agree, sugar can be a huge contributor to loads of problems. We have cut out all can suagr, and we eat no processed food. We have been doing that for a long while (years). And you know how the saying goes…you can lead ahorse to water, but you can’t make him/her drink! Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!
Great information. Thank you for sharing your story with Hearth and Soul.
My son came to be with me as a tiny 2 yr old. He had behavioral moments and was all over the place but that was blamed on his past experiences and lack of good nutrition and a positive environment in which to develop. In Kindergarten he was very active, always talking and busy and I was asked to consider testing him for ADHD. I am a teacher as well and thought he was just exhibiting normal 5 yr old behavior esp. considering his life story..and I did not want him on medication unless absolutely necessary so I procrastinated until kindergarten was over. First grade also proved to be a continuous challenge…sitting, listening, completing work, getting along with others. Although he was pleasant and wanted to be friends,his social skills were lacking. Finally I accepted that if med’s were what he needed to be more successful at school then off we would go to the pediatrician. Of course, he was placed immediately on ADHD med’s. This prescription helped a little but not that much so the med’s were doubled…. but without much positive outcome so a different kind was prescribed.. and then that was increased. The next thing I knew my little guy was on a lot of med, seemed to be very sad and his infectious giggle was gone. The day he asked me why he never felt like laughing broke my heart so we went back to the ped. who prescribed an antidepressant to go with his ADHD med’s. Oh NO… That felt just so wrong!!! so I did not use the prescriptions. Thankfully first grade was soon over. During the summer between first and second, I had the opportunity to have him tested for gluten intolerance..something I knew nothing about and had not considered, but the opportunity presented itself so I thought why not?? He was found very gluten intolerant as was I and my 2 biological sons. We became a gluten free family. Second grade began about a month later. He had a beautiful year..no complaints about behavior, and work and learning were successful. His laughter again began to ring through our home.
I found your blog searching for a new recipe for something different and yummy for our gluten free diet. I have 2 breadmakers baking a delicious recipe for GF bread as I type. As a family we feel better, have less tummy issues and this precious little son of mine is happy and ready to enter third grade totally med free. Being GF worked for him..maybe it isn’t the answer for all ADHD kids but for him, going gluten free has changed his life in such a positive way. After reading your daughter’s story I had to share my son’s! He is 8 yrs old and takes being gluten free very seriously. He will ask if offered a treat if it is gluten free. He keeps himself gluten free!!Now I am going to continue my GF recipe hunt!!
Your story brought tears to my eyes, probably because I can relate So well! Good for you, and good for your son, thanks you so much for taking the time to share with us Kate!
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
Check back tomorrow when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your story! We are starting the process of trying to figure out if my 4yo daughter is ADHD. Just from the research I’ve done and dealing with her daily I say yes! We’ll see how she does in a few weeks when preschool starts. I want to avoid drugs if at all possible. I’ve debated about trying a GF diet. I hesitate b/c I’ve struggled with so many health issues myself and have had to restrict my diet in so many ways over the years (GF did NOT work for me). But it’s definitely something I will consider. I’m glad it works for you. If I could find something that would turn of the “crazy” I would love it. You just don’t understand what it’s like until you live with it all day every day. You just want an off switch…and they do too. I want to do what’s best for my daughter and stay positive. But as you know it gets hard to be patient and encouraging all the time with ADHD.
Mary, thank you for sharing! Preschool is still very young for any sort of diagnosis…it is more your mommy sense at this point. Does your daughter do GAPS with you? I have considered doing that not only for my daughter but my young son with all the allergies. I believe both of my kiddos have some sort of leaky gut, which is why my daughter has been so reactive to gluten. I am hopeful that we can heal their guts and move fwd! Being a mommy is tough work and it is hard to always figure out the best path to choose. Listen to your gut and go with it!
No, my daughter did not do GAPS. It’s so restrictive…and when I started GAPS I didn’t think she had any need for it. The ADHD behavior wasn’t noticeable until after my son was born (he’s 15m now).
After my experience I don’t recommend doing GAPS for very long unless there are severe problems. It can be helpful but you have to be very careful about getting a balanced diet and all of the essential vitamins and minerals. You also have to be careful not to overdo on protein and neglect carbs…especially for young kids.
If you ever have questions about it feel free to ask.
I know preschool is early, but I can just tell something is not “normal.” I am seeing my psychologist…for how to better deal with my daughter/how to parent her better. It’s for me at this point. But she will be coming with me to my appt. next week just for some observation. After seeing the psychologist and seeing how she does in school then we’ll decide if we want to experiment with her diet. I have heard some people have good like with omega-3s, B vitamins and magnesium. I think ADD/ADHD is largely impacted/could be caused by nutritional deficiencies…which are largely caused by leaky guts.
Just wanted to come back and say my psychologist met with my daughter for 30 minutes…and pretty much confirmed that she likely has ADHD. I re-read your post. It was like reading about my own daughter. It is soooo tiring. Our biggest battle is meal times. She just can’t focus enough to eat. It wears on me. She wants the food/is a good eater/loves just about everything. But she just won’t put food in her mouth. Anyway, thanks again for sharing. I am going to wait until she starts preschool and see how she does. Then I might do some diet experimenting. I hope we can find something that works. I do NOT want to medicate if at all possible.
Wow, Tessa. Thank you for sharing your story. My little Abbi is much the same. We’ve often referred to her as Dr. Jeckal & Mr. Hyde. Abbi’s story is one that hopefully one day I’ll share, but it’s still too raw. Abbi doesn’t have ADD/ADHD, but has many of the tendencies (if that makes sense). I’m very glad your daughter has you as her mom – I can’t imagine all the other families that experience similiar behaviors in their children and don’t understand gluten might be the culprit.
Hugs,
M
Yes Megan, it can be super hard living with that kind of volatility daily! I feel so exhausted some days and then become the mommy I don’t want to be….it is is such a juggling act, but I am grateful for the help from the gluten free diet….it has made life just a bit less crazy for this mommy!
Oh.my.gosh. This story totally hits home. We pulled my son, who was diagnosed with ADD in first grade, off his medication and changed him to a gfcf diet to help control his behavior and focus after he tested positive for glaucoma. GLAUCOMA at 11 years old, and his medicine was a contributing factor (quite possibly the cause). 18 months after the initial diagnosis, 16 months after taking him off gluten and dairy, his eye pressure dropped 3 points, and while he is still in the ‘at risk’ category, he no longer tests positve for glaucoma. And, AND his grades are “A’s” and “B’s”. All without medication. All after his psych laughed at me when I asked if an alternative treatment would help.
Who’s laughing now? 😉
So happy you have found success in this too, Tessa. Looking back, there are so main ailments that my son would have never had to suffer from had I just known a different way to treat him.
Amazing what food does to the brain.
(you can read a bit more on his story here: http://andloveittoo.com/blogiversary-celebration-vegan-samoa-cake-and-giveaway-winner/)
xoxo,
Sunny
I know SUnny…food effecting the brain seems so abstract…but we have lived it!! It DOES make a HUGE difference! I look fwd to reading your sons story…
My daughter has ADD but wasn’t diagnosed until she was older. We went the Adderall route but eventually it became less and less effective. We would take her off of it for the summer and she would shake for a few days like a drug addict going through withdrawal – which I suppose she was. We finally took her off of it completely.
My daughter is 18 now. Over the past couple of years, I have many times talked to her about going gluten-free to see if it helps her, but she is not willing to do it. I have a nutrition degree and I have often told my husband that if I ever got the notion to pursue my PhD, I would definitely research the link between diet and ADD/ADHD. I find it sad that no research is being done in this area.
I am so glad that going gluten-free is helping your daughter!
Everyone has their breaking point that pushes them beyond their comfort zone…your daughter will probably eventually get there! It really does have to be self-motivated for adults as it takes real intention to stick to it. I agree, we are sorely lacking in research that porves what so many of us are finding in our experience!
My son is 18 now and, while he’s never been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, he has always had problems with behaviour and school was pretty awful, for him and for us.
I am now gluten-free for other reasons and it’s made a huge difference in my life. I think it would make a difference for my son too but, like your daughter, he is not interested in trying it.
My naturopath tells me it can take a while for teenagers to take responsibility for their eating habits (she has kids who are now young adults) so I’m not giving up hope just yet.
This is awesome! I have really bad ADD and eat really healthy, limit sugar, and still doesn’t really help. I’m for sure going to try to go gluten free and see if it helps! This would be a miracle! Thank you!
Good luck Amy, I hope you see some improvement, I would cut out dairy too, and the other choices you’re already making sound up the right alley! Let me know if i can help you…i know it is quite an adjustment in the beginning!
Hi Tessa, reading this post was almost like reading my own story. I have a 9yrold son who was diagnosed with ADHD about 12months ago. I didnt want to go down the drugs path so visited a Homeopath & bio chemist instead. She quickly put him on a wheat & dairy free diet(Casien in dairy has the same effect as the proteins in wheat) We avoid as many additives as possible & take some homeopathic remedies. I can say that this approach is like a miracle in our world. Im no longer “THAT MUM” with “THAT BOY” we constantly get comments on how lovely or kind or helpful he is. These comments bring a tear to my eye & my sons chest swells with pride, he doesnt enjoy the feeling he gets if his behaviour is out of his control. One of the things he takes is his OMEGA oils(fishoil) which the homeopath told me these are like chill pills for ADD sufferers & I truly believe they help , he is really calm these days, we use Mongolian seabuckthorn oil capsules.
Good Luck, Im so happy to find someone following the same path as we are with great sucess!!!
Thanks for sharing Trish…we use fish oils too, I will have to check your out!! I hoping to see a chinese practitioner soon too,
Tessa, you are one amazing Momma. Thank you for sharing your story. It is amazing how removing gluten from one’s diet can have such profound effects on the body. Your daughter and whole family are so lucky to have such a determined mother who is familiar with the relationship between diet and behavior.
It wasn’t an overnight process Laura, but I am so happy to have stared on this path!
Thank you so much for sharing. My daughter has a lot of behavioral and developmental issues, and I have been very unsure what the best route is food-wise for us. I have tried gluten free for a few weeks, but saw no difference. How long did you notice it took to see a difference when you first started?
Every child is different Heather, and the changes can be gradual or sudden….subtle or dramatic. It is very common for kids with leaky gut to respond to lots of allergenic foods negatively. Have you ever had her tested for anything?
No, but that’s our next step I think.
It might help narrow the pool of possibilities!! If I can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to ask….
Thank you, thank you, Tessa for sharing your daughter’s story. I remember you mentioning this trial period when we talked. I’m so amazed by your discovery. You’re an amazing mother and I’m so glad your daughter is able to thrive and do the best she can without this toxic affect from gluten. I’ve seen this behavior 1st hand myself with some of my clients (with mild autism/Aspergers). It’s unbelievable.
Enjoy your blogging break! We are off camping in a few days. Can’t wait.
Hugs,
–Amber
that is just an amazing story! isn’t it remarkable how diet affects behavior! way to play detective:) enjoy your blogging break!