Focus on Me, Bae: Treating ADHD

So first of all, let’s just skip the discussion on whether we think this is an actual disorder or not. There’s no use arguing.

If your poor focus is affecting your day-to-day life and leading to some dysfunctional performance in some area of your life, you might want to keep reading.

OR if you feel like your focus is ok, but you wonder what it might be like to have the genius information-retention skills (albeit, awkward social interactions) of Dr. Sheldon Cooper one day you can keep reading too.

These are the top supplements to help with FOCUS and CONCENTRATION (I could give explanations, but let's face it, you're going to Wikipedia this anyway):

Omega 3 fatty acid fish oil

L-phenylalanine

B3, B5 and B6 vitamins - but WATCH liver function with these.

Zinc

Magnesium

Phosphatidy-l-serine is great for recall, especially in combo with L-tyrosine.

FOCUS from Solaray is a brand with a good combo of some of the above ingredients.

Other recommendations for kick-starting your brain:

Yerba-mate tea is helpful for mental sharpness.

Rosemary, sage, and jasmine are appropriate essential oils to enhance attention.

Keep a rigid schedule. Your brain likes predictability. Set cell phone alarms as reminders if you’re unreliable or forgetful. Exercise your butt off. Don’t overload your brain with too much alcohol or sugar. Consider that very-much-talked-about gluten-free diet  (it’s a passing fancy for good reason).

As always, a thorough blood work-up should be performed to rule out any metabolic issues. Review this post and also check testosterone, zinc, and ferritin.

Remember the rules of supplement purchasing by reviewing this post.

When it comes to medications, stimulants should be saved as a last resort. Strattera, Clonidine, Intuniv are possible options too.

DISCLAIMER: Thanks for reading the above, but whoever you are: unless you are living in my household (which I think I would have noticed), it’s very unlikely that I have any idea what sort of medical history, medication regimen, allergies, and any other health intricacies you carry. Therefore, you should NOT interpret the above as medical advice for yourself, and instead present this information to your personal clinician for consideration.

Another DISCLAIMER: Obviously, the best way to get the best nutrition is through FOOD, not supplements. But for those of us who are still getting the hang of this work-life balance thing, supplements are a way to stay sane when you don’t have time & dinero for meal-planning & organics. Don’t beat yourself up.

 

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Supplements: Where to Begin

Upfront fact: I am a HUGE fan of nutrient therapy. I’m actually a little nutty about it. I have 3 shelves in our kitchen devoted to storing them.

Another upfront fact: It’s important to know the difference between the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) and the Tolerable Upper Limit (TUL). You can read more about these here and here. As you can see, there is a large gap between the minimum you should take in so you can KEEP LIVING and the maximum you can take in before you STOP LIVING.

Where to purchase: it’s up to you. However, I would advise you to follow the wise guidance of Heather Lounsbury when it comes to CHECKING THE LABEL. Don’t assume that when you pay $4 for a 1000-tab tub of multivitamins at Sam’s Club that you are getting QUALITY. Check the label for the presence of any of the dreaded fillers. Fillers = junk. A superb reference can be found in Ms. Lounsbury’s Fix Your Mood with Food, page 136.

A Good Start:

Daily Multivitamin (with iron is a bonus)

Fish oil 1000mg twice a day

Vitamin D 2000 units daily

Probiotics 16-20 billion cell cap daily

Magnesium 400mg daily

B-Complex daily

Phosphatidyl-serine

An anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory twice a day - Green tea, Turmeric, Cinnamon and Ginger root are amazing. Throw in some red wine and dark chocolate if you want to get crazy.

Gluthianone (the uber-antioxidant) cannot be consumed in an effective supplemental form, BUT Dr. Mark Hyman gives an extensive list of how to increase your body’s natural production of this here.)

Now you’re off to a good start with the basics!

DISCLAIMER: Thanks for reading the above, but whoever you are: unless you are living in my household (which I think I would have noticed), it’s very unlikely that I have any idea what sort of medical history, medication regimen, allergies, and any other health intricacies you carry. Therefore, you should NOT interpret the above as medical advice for yourself, and instead present this information to your personal clinician for consideration.

Another DISCLAIMER: Obviously, the best way to get the best nutrition is through FOOD, not supplements. But for those of us who are still getting the hang of this work-life balance thing, supplements are a way to stay sane when you don’t have time & dinero for meal-planning & organics. Don’t beat yourself up.

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