Alternatives to drugging our children…

 A recent article by Megan Johnson in U.S. News & World Report explored 9 natural, drug-free treatments for ADHD that have all shown to have promise and positive outcomes for the children involved.  Her list includes; positive parenting, treatment programs, neuro feedback, interactive metronome training, meditation, a natural environment, better sleep, diet, and exercise.
Positive Parenting:  Apparently there has been research that shows some similarities among the parents of ADHD kids.  A study published in Clinical Pediatrics, suggests that having a child with ADHD elicits high levels …

These days there has been a lot of attention placed on aging and along with that Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.  Emerging research has shown that the simple act of reading, playing crossword puzzles, or doing crafts can decrease your chances of mental decline as you age.  Some neuro-scientists have taken this a step further and have been developing specific, targeted exercises to not only stave off dementia, but to also improve mental sharpness, memory, attention, processing speed and cognitive control (decision making and planning).  I don’t know about you, but …

The levels of insulin in your blood may be the single most important chemical level to your health and wellness.   Most are aware that insulin has something to do with regulating blood sugar, but what is less well known is that insulin has its fingers in almost every organ system in the body, and as the regulation and then levels of insulin in the blood get thrown off, its effects are generally detrimental, and in fact, most of the diseases of aging have direct relationships to the balance of this …

As the drumbeat of global swine flu pandemic grows louder by the day, and the pop media makes sure to keep it in the forefront of your attention, consider the following about the flu vaccine. Also you may want to give a little thought to who might be benefiting, or even profiting from the mass panic and ensuing vaccine creation.

-A recent study published in the October 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations …

I was reading the Seattle Times the other day and came across the article describing  the link between sudden cardiac death in children and Ritalin, a popular ADHD drug.  The FDA response to this was essentially that the benefits outweigh the risks.  This is where our story take a dive off the deep end.  Just consider that for a moment, the benefits of giving children a drug that can control a behavioral “disease” outweigh the risks.  The risk we are talking about is death.  ADHD, whether you believe in it or …

1.  Limit free-radical formation
 
The most potent generator of free-radicals in your body is respiration, i.e. breathing.  As far as free radical creators that you can do something about, inflammation is the most potent.  This means that not only does inflammation cause the discomfort of pain and dysfunction; it is also causing damage to your whole body, degrading your overall health and causing you to age more rapidly.  Now, I would never promote the regular use of anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or acetametaphin, these have their own host of harmful side-effects …

·       Free radicals what they are and what they do
At this point in our story it is important to understand what a free radical is, and what it does.
A free radical is a highly reactive molecule with an unpaired electron in its outer shell.  What this means is that it is a particle floating around in your system looking to steal an electron from some other molecule.  Free radicals are generally not too picky, they will take an electron usually from the first molecule they bump into, usually the membrane …