25. HELPING HYPER CHILDREN

Anna Faye asked me, “My three and five year old girls are so hyperactive that their dad can hardly bear to be around them. Could the gummy bears they love to eat be causing them to be so wired?” Anna Faye asked me the question with a discouraged look on her face. 

Her question prompted this column, which I will send to her. Certainly this mother has come upon at least one item of food that needs to be eliminated from her daughters’ diets. Gummy bears, like many other packaged foods for children, are made in attractive colors to entice children to eat them. In spite of the fact that food manufacturers claim there is no link between food colors and hyperactivity, The Center for Science in the Public Interest on January 14, 2016 made the following statement: “Over the past 40 years, many double-blind studies have concluded that food dyes and other ingredients can impair behavior in some children.”

This evaluation agrees with the research conducted by Dr. William Crook who began medical practice in the 1980s. He kept records on hyperactive children who came to him and soon discovered three main food culprits: sugar, food coloring and milk. Later he added chemical additives and flavors, white flour and hydrogenated oils.

Another researcher who made the same correlation is Lidy Pelsser, who led a Norwegian team in a study which found that more than 60 percent of kids diagnosed with ADHD were actually experiencing hypersensitivity to processed foods.

I can add an experience which took place in the home of a young mother and her three-year-old son, Ned. She asked him to pick up his toys. “I don’t want to!” he responded. When she told him he must be obedient, he said, “No! I hate you!” Then he picked up a toy gun, pointed it at his mother, and said, “I’m going to kill you.”

I think Ned’s behavior came from his food intake. For breakfast he had pancakes made with refined flour and topped with syrup. For lunch, he refused all food except a salad with a chemically-laden dressing and a piece of chocolate cake with icing. The food was filled with  ingredients being blamed for hyperactivity.

Hopefully, Anna Faye will learn to read labels and pass by the crinkly packages with many ingredients on the label, some of which are unpronounceable, to buy fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. The girls could be motivated to eat the healthier food as they help their mom with the shopping, preparation and cleanup.

Determining what to eat could make an enjoyable project for the mother and daughters. Perhaps they could oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, baked potatoes and veggies with dip for lunch, and spaghetti with vegetables in sauce for supper. Whole grain crackers spread with natural peanut butter or avocado tastes delicious any time.

A change in diet is the most important step in healing hyperactivity, but Dr. Crook also recommends outdoor play in the fresh air and sunshine, and limiting all electronics time. Another valuable activity is family time with the four sitting on the couch together while Mom or Dad read stories.

A CHANGE TO A NATURAL LIFESTYLE SHOULD MAKE TWO NATURALLY GOOD GIRLS! 

SPAGHETTI SURPRISE
1 c broccoli flowerettes cut
1 c cauliflower cut
1 small onion diced
1 yellow squash cubed
1 16-oz pkg whole wheat spaghetti noodles
1 16-oz jar spaghetti sauce (low-sugar and low-fat)
Saute all vegetables in water until crisp tender beginning
with those you want the most tender. Boil noodles until
done, drain and rinse with cold water. Add the vegetables
to the sauce and serve on top of the noodles. (Alternate
recipe: omit all vegetables except onion and add a
package of frozen mixed vegetables.)

WHOLE GRAIN CRACKERS
1/4 c almond or pecan meal (blend nuts for meal)
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 T coconut oil
1 1/4 T honey
1/2 t salt
Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. If too dry, add
more water. Separate dough into two pieces. Place each
piece on the backs of lightly floured cookie sheets and
roll to desired thickness. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes.
Eat with natural peanut butter. Store in air tight container.

BLACK BEAN DIP
2 cans black beans drained
2 T olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
3-4 T water
3-4 t cumin
1/2 t salt
Saute onions and garlic in oil. Blend all ingredients until
smooth. Eat with vegetable sticks.