A Beginner’s Guide to Fighting ADHD Symptoms Naturally

One of the most common questions I get asked about how to naturally reduce ADHD symptoms is this: “Where do I start?” 

I remember asking this same question years ago with my son with ADHD. 

There’s just SO much information out there that it can be very overwhelming. 

That’s why I wanted to write up this quick post today with a clear, concise guide to help you know exactly where to start in fighting ADHD symptoms naturally. 

A Beginner’s Guide to Fighting ADHD Symptoms Naturally 

Step 1: Remove gluten, dairy, and soy from your family’s diet. 

The first step in any healing journey is to remove foods that cause inflammation in the body such as gluten, dairy, and soy. 

(If you want to know more about these foods and why they’re so bad for children with ADHD, check out my YouTube channel, where I share lots of information on this and other topics). 

These highly inflammatory substances can lead to an autoimmune response and increased intestinal permeability (also known as “leaky gut”).

While this “leaky gut” condition is only temporary for most individuals to begin with, once they cross the threshold where their immune system starts to produce antibodies against these substances, they are then considered to have a gluten/dairy/soy sensitivity. 

Kids with ADHD are more likely to have compromised immune systems so the effects of these substances tend to have a great effect on the whole body.

Step 2: Eat a balanced, whole food diet that is rich in micronutrients. 

Step 1 is all about what you take out of the diet. Step 2 is about what you put INTO it. 

You want to eat a diet rich in whole, nutritious fresh fruits & vegetables, gluten-free whole grains (unless you are grain-free), grass-fed animal protein such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and also plenty of healthy fats such as avocado, coconut, and olive oils.

Where possible avoid over-processed and packaged goods, replacing them with whole and fresh produce.

Here is a sample meal plan for one day:

Breakfast: Smoothie, 2 x boiled eggs, and gluten-free toast

Lunch: Peanut butter topped rice cakes, beef stick or nitrate-free lunch meat, veggie sticks, and coconut yogurt

Dinner: Grilled chicken breast, roasted potato chunks, side salad

Treat: Dairy-free sorbet topped with fruit, chia seeds, and nuts

Step 3: Consider functional lab testing.

Functional lab testing is used to identify and remove underlying body system malfunctions. It identifies hidden stressors and vitamin and mineral deficiencies in your child’s body. These malfunctions contribute to your child’s overall symptoms.

Testing will ensure you can have a targeted bio-individual plan on how to correct these underlying malfunctions. There is definitely no one size fits all approach here.

If you’d like to know more about how we use functional lab testing to help children with ADHD, check out this video: https://info.adhdthriveinstitute.com/lab-testing-for-adhd1

Step 4: Consider parenting therapy. 

Parenting a child with ADHD can be incredibly taxing on the parent-child relationship. Parental therapy and coaching have shown to really improve the child-parent bond and benefit the entire family unit. 

It teaches the parents important communication techniques to reduce conflict and gain their child’s empathy and respect. It helps families identify the child’s needs, set goals, and build strategies that help in utilizing their strengths to compensate for their weaknesses. 

It also helps the child understand their own unique strengths and challenges, learn appropriate behavior, and learn social and academic skills that will be useful throughout their life.

If budget is a constraint, research positive parenting techniques or check out our ADHD Thrive Jumpstart 4 Parenting online course. 

Step 5: Remove artificial coloring and other additives. 

Studies have shown that artificial flavors and colors can aggravate ADHD symptoms, so get these out of your pantry! 

Countries such as those included in the European Union (EU) require that foods containing certain food color additives include a statement on the label that this color “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” 

Nonetheless, you would be amazed by how many foods contain artificial flavors and colors here in the USA. 

Go on a treasure hunt through your pantry to look at the package labels. Remove any that have artificial colors (Blue #1, Blue #2, Red #2, Green #3, Red #3, Red #40, Yellow #5, Yellow #6), artificial flavors,  and other additives.

Step 6: Ensure your child has adequate outdoor time. 

The last, but not the least, of the natural remedies is to exercise regularly! Exercise and regular time outdoors are critical pieces of the natural ADHD puzzle! 

Hope these tips are helpful! 

And remember, I’m here to help if you need any additional support. You can schedule a free ADHD Thrive Breakthrough call and we can walk you through our process and answer any questions you might have.