Forget Fidget Spinners! (Yep! We Said It.)

Check out our advice on holistic help for attention struggles.

You probably know that fidget spinners were originally designed to helpkids with ADHD (specifically, the hyper part). But if you’re lookingfor other holistic help for your child or teen with attention struggles, read on.

A growing number of research studies are revealing the impact that manyof our choices have on how well we pay attention. Among these choicesare what we eat, how we move, and even how we exercise our mental skills.

The impact of diet on ADHD

According to a study published in the internationalJournal of Attention Disorders, kids who eat a typical “Western” diet are twice as likely tohave been diagnosed with ADHD by the age of 14. The study looked at theeating patterns of 1,800 adolescents, classifying diets into two categories:”Healthy” or “Western.”

A Western diet, as defined by the study, includes a lot of fast foods;sugary, fried, or processed foods; and high-fat dairy. A “healthy”eating pattern consists of a diet high in fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, and fish.

The results showed an association between being diagnosed with ADHD, anda diet high in dairy, sugar, fast food, fried foods, and processed foods.

Associate Professor Wendy Oddy, leader of Nutrition Studies at Perth’sTelethon Institute for Child Health Research where the study was conducted,suggests that “a Western dietary pattern may indicate the adolescenthas a less optimal fatty acid profile, whereas a diet higher in omega-3fatty acids is thought to hold benefits for mental health and optimalbrain function.”

Other studies support the idea that diets rich in fatty acids can improveADHD symptoms. For example, areport released by the University of Copenhagen reviewed the scientific literature on diet and ADHD. According to Dr.Kim Fleischer Michaelsen, who is heading the study, research shows that”fatty acids from fatty fish moderate the symptoms” of ADHD.She also said that the review indicated that elimination diets are alsopromising.

While experts agree that more research is needed on this topic, it makessense that parents of kids with ADHD should opt for the healthiest dietarychoices possible. The Amen Clinic has published a list of the 50 bestfoods for the brain. You can find the entire list here, but here is a sample:

Avocados Bell peppers (yellow, green, red, and orange) Chicken, skinless Beets Blackberries Yams and sweet potatoes Broccoli Wild salmon Cranberries Kiwi Almonds, raw Oats Tuna Bananas Turkey, skinless

And if you think that healthy cooking is time consuming, consider pulling out your crock pot. Preparing healthy dinners in a slow cooker is a great way to avoid all that cutting and slicing in the kitchen at the end ofa long day. Try this recipe:

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

The impact of physical exercise on attention struggles

“Exercise turns on the attention system,” says John Ratey, M.D.,as associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.When he talks about the “attention system,” he explains thathe’s talking about the brain’s executive functions, includingsequencing, working memory, prioritizing, inhibiting, and sustaining attention.

The author of the bookSpark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, Dr. Ratey says that, “On a practical level, [exercise] causes kidsto be less impulsive, which makes them more primed to learn.”

He goes as far as to tell people to think “of exercise as medication,”adding, “For a very small handful of people with attention deficithyperactivity disorder (ADHD ADD), it may actually be a replacement forstimulants, but for most, it’s complementary-something they shouldabsolutely do, along with taking meds, to help increase attention andimprove mood.”

Dr. Ratey specifically mentions taekwondo, ballet, and gymnastics as activitiesthat give the attention system a good workout, although he said that evenwalking for half an hour, four times a week, will make a difference.

The impact of brain training on attention skills

One-on-one brain training is a form of cognitive training that pairs clientsof all ages with their own personal brain trainers for intense mentalworkouts. A one-on-one brain training program at LearningRx, for example,consists of working face-to-face with a personal brain trainer about fivehours a week. Programs typically run for 12 to 32 weeks, depending onthe program.

LearningRx is the largest one-on-one brain training company, with 80 centersin the U.S. and an additional 40 global locations. And while LearningRxdoes not diagnose or treat ADHD, it does strengthen the brain’s foundationalcognitive skills, including the skill of attention.

One study measured the attention performance of 5,416 children and adultswho came to LearningRx having been diagnosed with ADHD. On average, theseclients scored in the 42nd percentile in attention, indicating that their attention skills were belowthe skills of 58 percent of their peers.

After completing a LearningRx brain training program, the average performancein attention for these clients rose to the 66th percentile. In other words, after brain training, attention performancewent from “below average” to “above average.”

If your child is struggling with attention, changes in diet, physical activity,and brain training can make a difference.

To learn more about brain training, contact a LearningRx Brain TrainingCenter near you.