When The Sugar Addicts Attack You...
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I know that you didn't ask for advice, but would one small treat once a night help the kids? That way they wont feel to deprived (maybe a rice crispy treat or kettle corn popcorn, or a small piece of chocolate). I don't know much about how diet and ADHD do together so I might be completly off the mark here....
But this way, when the kids ask for things, you just say "not til tonight" instead of a flat "no"
I think candy every night is unnecessary for any child, even if they don't have ADHD! It should be a treat at a birthday party or Christmas or Easter, not part of their daily routine.0 -
I know that you didn't ask for advice, but would one small treat once a night help the kids? That way they wont feel to deprived (maybe a rice crispy treat or kettle corn popcorn, or a small piece of chocolate). I don't know much about how diet and ADHD do together so I might be completly off the mark here....
But this way, when the kids ask for things, you just say "not til tonight" instead of a flat "no"
I think candy every night is unnecessary for any child, even if they don't have ADHD! It should be a treat at a birthday party or Christmas or Easter, not part of their daily routine.
But do you really want to teach the children that candy is for special celebrations only? Think about it, they get a promotion at work and instead of going out to celebrate by spending time with friends in a party fashion, they choose to go out to eat and binge on a buffet dinner. Food should never be a special occasion or a reward; this is where our binge eating comes from. Same thing happens to shopaholics who buy things when they don't feel good about themselves.
I think there is a place in a child's diet for candy, but I want to have it be a controlled situation. School days are NOT a controlled situation. Weekends would make sense. I treat candy like most people treat booze; and considering sugar cripples my children's cognition (as well as my own and my wife's) I think it's safe to say sugar is like alcohol in most ways comparable.0 -
You have a whole family that has issues with ADHD?0
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You have a whole family that has issues with ADHD?
Believe it or not, yes. I have it and my wife has it. When both parents have it there are increased odds of offspring from 25% to 50% or 75% depending on which chromosome the ADHD gene is on.0 -
Maybe a good compromise could be to have a higher sugar content day on a day that the kids aren't in school. Maybe Saturday mornings get a more sugary breakfast and Saturday night they can have a sugary snack. That way it isn't all or nothing.0
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Sounds similar to phases described here: http://whole9life.com/2012/06/the-whole30-timeline/
I did a no-sugar diet for 30 days (well 45, but thats beside the point) and those sugar cravings are intense! You are doing the right thing, just stay strong and distract your sugar cravings with delicious veggies and meats! Your taste buds will change (so will your kids and wife) and eventually everything will be easy. I also suggest checking out the Whole9 resources blog since a lot of people will relate there. The whole9 also reduces grains and some other things (alcohol, etc.), but the concept is similar and it is also an effective treatment for ADHD as well. There is scientific stuff there that u can use as proof to people who criticize you.
Good luck and stay strong!0 -
I don't want to sound like a jerk but it sounds like your whole family needs to be re-evaluated by a new psychiatrist regarding ADHD. Natural sugars from fruit should not be causing those types of symptoms unless your entire family has some severe glucose sensitivities.0
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Would be nice to see the sugar in your food diary but you don't track it. While everything you say and do seems good, how did it ever get this bad in the first place?0
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Would be nice to see the sugar in your food diary but you don't track it. While everything you say and do seems good, how did it ever get this bad in the first place?
Fixed. I track it on my phone though.
But the sugar isn't a problem any more. It was before I placed the family on a diet though.0 -
I don't want to sound like a jerk but it sounds like your whole family needs to be re-evaluated by a new psychiatrist regarding ADHD. Natural sugars from fruit should not be causing those types of symptoms unless your entire family has some severe glucose sensitivities.
Imagine if your blood sugar peaked easily and sharply and your insulin was a little slow to push that glucose to organs, muscles, and your brain. so you stayed there for a while (but eventually came down). And when the blood sugar peaks, it wrecks havoc on ALL of your senses causing you to see/hear/smell/taste/touch things that most people can't (or rather shouldn't be) conscious of like the humming of bulbs and stuff and sudden movements in the corners of your eye.
As a person with a hypersensitive temperament (in every use of the word), I do what I can to keep the hyperactivity at bay knowing how destructive that can be. When not intoxicated with too much sugar, my body uses it's senses more than I'd like it to but I am very alert and can do things at a much more concentrated rate and "in tune" fashion than I'd say most people can. But when I'm on an extreme sugar high, I get double vision and it messes with my senses and causes my senses to feel impaired just like alcohol would. It's hard to explain really.0 -
Maybe a good compromise could be to have a higher sugar content day on a day that the kids aren't in school. Maybe Saturday mornings get a more sugary breakfast and Saturday night they can have a sugary snack. That way it isn't all or nothing.
Agreed. It just depends on the timing of the treat. But like I said, I can try to lace their foods with something sweet, but it has to have enough protein or fats to go with it to offset the carb and make it not so intoxicating.0 -
I will just add that I wound up bulimic entirely attributable to my parents having put me on a low-calorie diet when I was in my early teens. I grew an inch in height that summer, grew three shoe sizes, but I was on 1200 calories a day so I'd lose the fat. I stole food, I snuck food, I binged any time I thought I could get away with it, and when I got out of the house I put on weight and ate quite unhealthily. Had I been an alcoholic, I would have spent ten years drunk. I did the equivalent with food, because inside me was the starving teenage girl.
It took me until I was forty to unpack the messy emotions involved with food restrictions, to be able to say, "I don't want to eat that entire quart of ice cream because it will make me feel bad," and be okay with it. I had to do a lot of work to not binge when I felt emotions that had been considered unacceptable in the house I grew up in. And I was 38 before I got a diagnosis of ADHD and began to be properly medicated for it. I am fortunate that other relatives modeled for me better relationships with food than my parents did.
I feel sorriest for your wife; if you don't have a male dominance dynamic, you really can't tell her what to eat. Yes, it would be NICE if she would participate and not eat candy bars in front of the kids. But if she's not on board, she's an adult, and even if it would be better for her to eat as you say, SHE has to decide to do it.0 -
I will just add that I wound up bulimic entirely attributable to my parents having put me on a low-calorie diet when I was in my early teens. I grew an inch in height that summer, grew three shoe sizes, but I was on 1200 calories a day so I'd lose the fat. I stole food, I snuck food, I binged any time I thought I could get away with it, and when I got out of the house I put on weight and ate quite unhealthily. Had I been an alcoholic, I would have spent ten years drunk. I did the equivalent with food, because inside me was the starving teenage girl.
It took me until I was forty to unpack the messy emotions involved with food restrictions, to be able to say, "I don't want to eat that entire quart of ice cream because it will make me feel bad," and be okay with it. I had to do a lot of work to not binge when I felt emotions that had been considered unacceptable in the house I grew up in. And I was 38 before I got a diagnosis of ADHD and began to be properly medicated for it. I am fortunate that other relatives modeled for me better relationships with food than my parents did.
I feel sorriest for your wife; if you don't have a male dominance dynamic, you really can't tell her what to eat. Yes, it would be NICE if she would participate and not eat candy bars in front of the kids. But if she's not on board, she's an adult, and even if it would be better for her to eat as you say, SHE has to decide to do it.
Parents should never get involved with a child's caloric intake if they don't know what they are doing. You didn't get over the messy emotions of the food restrictions; your parents abused you and you were getting over the abuse Harry Potter locked under the stairs style.
I am not messing with my children's caloric intake, if they are hungry, they eat. They just don't eat sugar without adult supervision until they know how to handle it themselves and know how to self control.0 -
Would be nice to see the sugar in your food diary but you don't track it. While everything you say and do seems good, how did it ever get this bad in the first place?
Re-read your question and I know what you mean now. You see I came from a family that was excited and enthusiastic about food. Any commercial advertising new foods resulted in a new purchase. Despite being adhd diagnosed as a kid with ample studies pointing to a glucose sensitivity, my mother defied science to give me "the finer things in life". I took this sugar mentality into my relationship with my wife and never knew the difference because I've had sugar my whole life. After doing a sugar elimination, I started to notice the cognition improvements and the way my vision became crisp. I came to the conclusion that sugar is alcohol for people with adhd. And like an alcoholic, I have lowered inhibitions and terrible self control when I'm intoxicated. If you think about it, I'm explaining the clinical adhd stereotype precisely as it is seen. So to answer your question - it was always this way and I didn't know any better.0 -
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The most shocking thing about this post is your mention of white bell pepper. I had no idea those existed!! Thanks
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The "so what? shut the f up, I am unimpressed and I don't care!" dagger stare. Nice body language pic find. Lol0 -
The most shocking thing about this post is your mention of white bell pepper. I had no idea those existed!! Thanks
Yeah, found it by mistake at local supermarket.0 -
While I don't know your kids' ages, and it is an elementary-age book, maybe something like "Eat Healthy, Feel Great" by Dr Sears would help. I had my 8 year old read it to his dad as "science homework". Sometimes it works better when the advice comes from a neutral third party and not the "health-jerk" (what my loving child has dubbed me on occasion). The real victory here will be in helping them want the health benefits for themselves.
Also, have you looked into Mg vs Ca effects on ADHD-type symptoms? Made a significant impact here!!!0 -
While I don't know your kids' ages, and it is an elementary-age book, maybe something like "Eat Healthy, Feel Great" by Dr Sears would help. I had my 8 year old read it to his dad as "science homework". Sometimes it works better when the advice comes from a neutral third party and not the "health-jerk" (what my loving child has dubbed me on occasion). The real victory here will be in helping them want the health benefits for themselves.
Also, have you looked into Mg vs Ca effects on ADHD-type symptoms? Made a significant impact here!!!
Malnutrition is a huge concern for me and getting enough of all micronutrients is important to me. I just saw the Mg and B6 study, but I don't know about Ca, how is that connected? If there is a calcium deficiency that wouldn't surprise me because I have bone loss in my spine (I'm 30) but I have had 3 glasses of milk a day since I was a kid. I stopped drinking milk this past April because of lactose intolerance and a casein suspicion; since then I've been drinking almond milk fortified with calcium.
I'm suspicious that my gene pool has a huge case of Celiac and IBS in it. And my son is short for his age and he was having the same diet I was prior to April; since then, I've been feeding him a gluten free diet with limited sugar and more overall fruit/veggie varieties and he still hasn't grew any but I have noticed a significant improvement in his cognitive function and he is no longer bloated looking (he had a blimp for a tummy for the longest time).0 -
When I first went low carb I dreamed about eating sugary food every night.
The kids will survive.
However, I self-medicated with sugar for years because it actually did help me concentrate. And being low carb does NOT help my ADD. Either they need medication, or preferably good coping strategies for it and lives that don't revolve around being a clock punching, bored silly, precise employee.0 -
When I first went low carb I dreamed about eating sugary food every night.
The kids will survive.
However, I self-medicated with sugar for years because it actually did help me concentrate. And being low carb does NOT help my ADD. Either they need medication, or preferably good coping strategies for it and lives that don't revolve around being a clock punching, bored silly, precise employee.
I agree whole-heartedly on the clock punching, bored silly, precise employee comment. Mundane tasks with no creativity is not ideal for a person with this temperament.0 -
I don't see ADHD as a medical condition, I see it as a temperament or personality difference. You have your natural born "alphas" that go out and take charge of the world and their aggression is seen as charismatic by most; but then you have your natural born "omegas" or "betas" or "HSP" that may or may not go out in the world and if they do they won't want to take charge of it and aggressively push their weight around and be perceived as a "hard worker", instead they want to be known for their creative, fun-loving, free spirited mind and they do not care for norms/expectations/stereotypes.
Though Alpha style parents will want to raise an Alpha style child, not all children are born alphas. This would be perfectly fine if we tailor our lifestyle to the child's, but that's not normally the case is it? The HSP child would have to conform to Alpha protocol and since you can't make a person behave in a non-natural way, some of us turn to medicine to make them behave the way we want them to.
I grew up in a HSP family that wanted me to be the first Alpha. They were convinced that parenting was the way to turn me into something they were not. But this wasn't a choice on their behalf, I was born with genetically selected temperament and personality traits, and the only way I was going to go against these traits was if I put forth a great deal of effort to conform. I tried this (for the sake of my parents) for years, only to fail and lose every job I ever had because of the amount of effort it takes. My wife on the other hand came from Alpha parents and was expected to follow the family traditions; so you could say that she was abused to oppress her HSP temperament and now she struggles with anxiety and other internal conflicts. The moral of this story, don't try to change your children; go with their natural behaviors and allow their natural talents to flourish.
I don't want my children to grow up feeling like a square peg trying to go in a circle hole like I did. I treat them like HSP's and I expect them to behave themselves. By respecting my children, I get a lot further with them than any other "struggling parents" do with their HSP/ADHD children. But regardless of respect, I still think diet is a major concern that cannot be overlooked.0 -
Hey, "Eccentric Dad." I've fought the same sugar cravings FOR YEARS!! I am SO grateful to my friend who introduced me to ShakeOlogy.....it's labeled "The Healthiest Meal of the Day," but is disguised in a chocolate (or strawberry or greenberry) shake! You won't believe HOW MUCH just one scoop makes! Seriously! I have it everyday, mixed with 11 ice cubes, 1 c. vanilla almond milk, 1/2 banana, and 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter.....blended together, it fills 2 1/2 16 oz. glasses! Besides that, it's packed with 70 superfoods from all over the world. Check out the short video at: www.teambeachbody.com/PROwens. Go to Shop, select ShakeOlogy, and you'll see a little video window with a lady wearing green. I, literally, don't go one day without it anymore! And the NON-sugar energy it gives me.....oh I could go on and on.. Check it out and let me know what you think... 0
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I don't see ADHD as a medical condition, I see it as a temperament or personality difference. You have your natural born "alphas" that go out and take charge of the world and their aggression is seen as charismatic by most; but then you have your natural born "omegas" or "betas" or "HSP" that may or may not go out in the world and if they do they won't want to take charge of it and aggressively push their weight around and be perceived as a "hard worker", instead they want to be known for their creative, fun-loving, free spirited mind and they do not care for norms/expectations/stereotypes.
Though Alpha style parents will want to raise an Alpha style child, not all children are born alphas. This would be perfectly fine if we tailor our lifestyle to the child's, but that's not normally the case is it? The HSP child would have to conform to Alpha protocol and since you can't make a person behave in a non-natural way, some of us turn to medicine to make them behave the way we want them to.
I grew up in a HSP family that wanted me to be the first Alpha. They were convinced that parenting was the way to turn me into something they were not. But this wasn't a choice on their behalf, I was born with genetically selected temperament and personality traits, and the only way I was going to go against these traits was if I put forth a great deal of effort to conform. I tried this (for the sake of my parents) for years, only to fail and lose every job I ever had because of the amount of effort it takes. My wife on the other hand came from Alpha parents and was expected to follow the family traditions; so you could say that she was abused to oppress her HSP temperament and now she struggles with anxiety and other internal conflicts. The moral of this story, don't try to change your children; go with their natural behaviors and allow their natural talents to flourish.
I don't want my children to grow up feeling like a square peg trying to go in a circle hole like I did. I treat them like HSP's and I expect them to behave themselves. By respecting my children, I get a lot further with them than any other "struggling parents" do with their HSP/ADHD children. But regardless of respect, I still think diet is a major concern that cannot be overlooked.
Well you know, everything has to be labeled a disorder and medicated in a society where profit is more important than people.
Academics, the sciences, and the arts are great fields for those with these qualities. As you probably already know, most people-oriented jobs, low skill jobs, and detail oriented but un-challenging work is ruinous. Oh, and keep them out of the military! Talk about a recipe for disaster! They don't take kindly to people who always ask, "Why?" Instead of saying, "Yes sir!"0 -
Hey, "Eccentric Dad." I've fought the same sugar cravings FOR YEARS!! I am SO grateful to my friend who introduced me to ShakeOlogy.....it's labeled "The Healthiest Meal of the Day," but is disguised in a chocolate (or strawberry or greenberry) shake! You won't believe HOW MUCH just one scoop makes! Seriously! I have it everyday, mixed with 11 ice cubes, 1 c. vanilla almond milk, 1/2 banana, and 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter.....blended together, it fills 2 1/2 16 oz. glasses! Besides that, it's packed with 70 superfoods from all over the world. Check out the short video at: www.teambeachbody.com/PROwens. Go to Shop, select ShakeOlogy, and you'll see a little video window with a lady wearing green. I, literally, don't go one day without it anymore! And the NON-sugar energy it gives me.....oh I could go on and on.. Check it out and let me know what you think...
Um okay.... Would you be just as excited for me to go there if I went to teambeachbody without the PROwens on it? Probably not right? Yeah, this is a discussion about ADHD and sugar restriction, not sugar cravings and ways to help you make $ on your affiliation program...0 -
Well you know, everything has to be labeled a disorder and medicated in a society where profit is more important than people.
Academics, the sciences, and the arts are great fields for those with these qualities. As you probably already know, most people-oriented jobs, low skill jobs, and detail oriented but un-challenging work is ruinous. Oh, and keep them out of the military! Talk about a recipe for disaster! They don't take kindly to people who always ask, "Why?" Instead of saying, "Yes sir!"
Yeah, the HSP are definitely the "thinkers" of the world. Though we don't think about the average day typical problems. We think about the big picture and try to fix things from where we see the problem stemming from rather than the small details at the bottom. I'm actually very proud of my family. Sure, we don't blend well with the rest of society because we aren't sheep; but when it comes to individuality and self expression, we are nothing but full of character
But to think about the word "disorder", it means that something isn't being orderly. And the only people concerned with orderliness are the Alphas. You don't see a person who is fun/people oriented giving a peer who is like them a hard time? But we HSP's do a great deal of complaining about Alphas don't we? It's a shame HSP's have to live in the shadows of Alphas, we'd have more confidence if we weren't being discriminated against by the DSM and other conservative/political systems.
But as far as this thread is concerned. ARG! It is so aggravating trying to help my wife and children be successful in the Alpha world by restricting their sugar and having them defy me. I spent 29 years in the public trying to blend with the Alphas, and I know what it takes to make it work now; I hate that us HSP's would rather find out for ourselves than take other people's advice. It's both a blessing and a curse...0 -
Well you know, everything has to be labeled a disorder and medicated in a society where profit is more important than people.
Academics, the sciences, and the arts are great fields for those with these qualities. As you probably already know, most people-oriented jobs, low skill jobs, and detail oriented but un-challenging work is ruinous. Oh, and keep them out of the military! Talk about a recipe for disaster! They don't take kindly to people who always ask, "Why?" Instead of saying, "Yes sir!"
Yeah, the HSP are definitely the "thinkers" of the world. Though we don't think about the average day typical problems. We think about the big picture and try to fix things from where we see the problem stemming from rather than the small details at the bottom. I'm actually very proud of my family. Sure, we don't blend well with the rest of society because we aren't sheep; but when it comes to individuality and self expression, we are nothing but full of character
But to think about the word "disorder", it means that something isn't being orderly. And the only people concerned with orderliness are the Alphas. You don't see a person who is fun/people oriented giving a peer who is like them a hard time? But we HSP's do a great deal of complaining about Alphas don't we? It's a shame HSP's have to live in the shadows of Alphas, we'd have more confidence if we weren't being discriminated against by the DSM and other conservative/political systems.
But as far as this thread is concerned. ARG! It is so aggravating trying to help my wife and children be successful in the Alpha world by restricting their sugar and having them defy me. I spent 29 years in the public trying to blend with the Alphas, and I know what it takes to make it work now; I hate that us HSP's would rather find out for ourselves than take other people's advice. It's both a blessing and a curse...
All you can do for them is teach them to think for themselves, something they're probably naturally inclined to do anyway, and if you can, save that college money for them, because education can help get them out from under the thumb of some jock alpha McManager.
The world is a bad place for those of us who don't fit certain categories. What can you do? Well, personally, I plan to move out of this country, since it is the ultimate Alpha dreamland, but I'm sure I'll run into this wherever I go. And I'll fight it wherever I go, too.0 -
http://phosadd.com/support evidence/lsmith.htm
This is the article I ran into that described my son to a tee. Simplified version, as I understand...his body doesn't use the Ca well. Ca can also block the necessary absorption of Mg (same pathways). Mg is necessary for healthy nerve function and is lacking in modern processed diet.
I'd been giving him lots of Ca because he hates milk. When I switched to a balanced Ca/Mg supplement, his change in focus was substantial. Funny - I was actually looking for a solution to a completely different issue, but the difference in calmness caught my attention.0 -
For me it's an either or. I either do low carb, or 'nomal carb' (which i call normal diet without too much refined sugar). If I try anything inbetween, i end up feeling awful, having cravings, and no energy at all...
I don't think it's realistic to try and make anyone eat low carb if they don't choose to. It would probably be better to look into glycemic indexes and load and try and work with that.
Just my thoughts...0
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