How can I help improve my son's concentration?

[Guest guest]

Valerie, I would investigate just what a 'healthy diet' is. You may be

surprised. First thought is that he lacks sufficient essential fatty acids.

If he is eating little or no animal fat, eats mostly low-fat foods, and gets

his energy from sugars and starches, you may have a problem. Vegetable oils

in any form are high in trans-fats that are detrimental to good health and

are used in place of saturated fats. My opinion is that soy and soy based

products and ingredients are not good either.

 

There are many sites that have good information about healthy diets,

especially this site. I suggest you stay away from the government and

allopathic organization sites. Do some research and you may be surprised at

what you learn.

 

Mike

[Guest guest]

First off Valerie, the question should be " does your son have the average

concentration of a 6 year old child? " If he does not have A.D. D. or A. D. H. D.

he could just have an active imagination. I myself have a 7 year old daughter

whose concentration comes and goes depending on how well she likes what she is

seeing or doing. Your son may be VERY creative and I have noticed in my own

daughter that working on a creative project that the child enjoys helps with

concentration in overall performance in other areas. Does your son have any

hyperactivity at all? Maybe after certain meals etc.. If so he could be reacting

to an allergen that would shorten the attention span which is small to begin

with in a young child. My daughter has a normal level of concentration for her

age group which is probably around five minutes or so. If what a young child is

working on is not highly stimulating to them or their likes their attention span

or concentration will naturally be shortened. Think of

any subject you had in school that you hated, and consider how well you were

able to concentrate in that area. He is just six and beginning his social life

and is around alot of new people, he naturally wants to go do something fun

instead of learn A B C and 1 2 3. ahis attention span will grow as he does and

gets better aquainted with his new surroundings and friends.

Sean

 

Valerie <moktah wrote:

My six year old son is having a lot of trouble with his concentration

at school and I was wondering if anyone knows of any natural

supplements that may help him.

He eats a healthy diet, never misses breakfast, does not have ADD

or ADHD, or any other behavioural problems.

Blood tests did not reveal any abnormalities and I do nightly

meditations with him especially aimed at children.

Any advice will be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Valerie.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/25/2003 4:12:10 PM Eastern Standard Time,

mhysmith writes:

 

> While some people think they do not consume very much sugar, frequently

> they actually do consume products that have quite a bit of hidden sugars in

them

> that they do not realize - fruit juice is a good example.

 

I agree. Being hypoglycemic, I am real careful with my sugar intake. I have

been for the past 15-17 years, but a few years ago when I started feeling worse

with my HG I started learning more about it from various sites on the

Internet as well as various sugar-related e-lists. It really blew my mind. I

learned

about all the names for hidden sugar, including some I was told by a dietitian

when I was first diagnosed were OK for my HG, and the impact of other refined

carbs, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, etc. Once I cut all that out too, it

is amazing how much better I felt and how much clearer I was able to think. I

definitely believe that a good, clean diet will do your son wonders.

 

Myra

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/25/03 6:02:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

gvellis writes:

 

 

>

> > My six year old son is having a lot of trouble with his concentration

> > at school and I was wondering if anyone knows of any natural

> > supplements that may help him.

> > He eats a healthy diet, never misses breakfast, does not have ADD

> > or ADHD, or any other behavioural problems.

> > Blood tests did not reveal any abnormalities and I do nightly

> > meditations with him especially aimed at children.

> > Any advice will be much appreciated.

> > Thank you.

> > Valerie.

>

 

Valerie

Does you son get enough omega3 fatty acids? Magnesium? B complex

viatmins? All affect brain function...... others do too.

mjh

 

MJH

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Valerie,

 

There are three important things to good health, and healthy body and healthy

mind go together. Those three things are diet, exercise, and sleep.

 

I would agree with Mike in clarifying what your definition of a healthy diet is.

While some people think they do not consume very much sugar, frequently they

actually do consume products that have quite a bit of hidden sugars in them that

they do not realize - fruit juice is a good example. Also, if your child has

started school, they are horrid about giving high sugar snacks to kids and he

may being getting stuff there you are not aware of. If he is not getting sugar

at all at home, he will have an even rougher time dealing with what he gets at

school because his system is not accustome to it. Another aspect of bad school

influence is school meals - my kids experienced mainly junk food and highly

processed, canned and frozen foods at their schools. Fresh is a nonexistant

commodity at schools.

 

There is also the issue of good fats which are very important to consume as Mike

mentions. There are also food allergies to consider. Wheat and milk are the

most common allergies that could possibly be a factor. Again, schools push milk

on kids - they usually give them a choice of white or chocolate. The chocolate

has higher sugar than the white. There is also the issue of food additives and

preservatives. I've known people who found their kids particularly sensitive to

the color dyes. Hydrogenated fats are another that my kids cannot tolerate

without feeling groggy and sluggish. Again, the schools are bad about products

such as kool-aid or so called fruit drinks that are loaded with dyes as well as

sugar, and about hydrogenated fat products.

 

From my experience as a parent and seeing other kids, few got high protein

breakfasts. Many kids we knew did not get meals on a consistent schedule

because of the hectic lifestyles we tend to live these days with most moms

working out of the home. I didn't work outside the home and still had trouble

with it all.

 

Another area to consider that I saw when my kids were young is their level of

exercise. Kids today get very little. When I was young, we spent most of our

free time running around outside. It was a neighborhood thing to play baseball

or kickball - with no parents around to spoil it. We walked to school and the

schools were following President Kennedy's fitness program making us exercise

every day with jumping jacks and toe touches and running and jumping. Our

society today does afford kids the freedom of running lose in the neighborhoods,

nor do many young children in school get much more than simply a short recess

break. Day care centers are very restrictive as well using TVs and videos to

occupy time. When my kids were younger, I learned real quick that an hour at the

park was worth every second ten fold. The kids would then come home and sit to

work on quiet projects such as coloring or painting or reading, etc. They were

much more manageable and focused.

 

The third important component is good sleep and lots of it. It too should be

very routine with very rare exception given at any time to a set bedtime,

including the weekends. Sleep is important to memory consolidation - i.e.

learning. I recently read that the thing with college kids now is not to stay

up all night cramming for a test - rather they are realising it is more

important to be well rested above anything else. Being tired does not go with

being well focused as most everyone has experienced at some time or other.

Quality of sleep is important as well wherein the person goes though all the

sleep phases properly during their resting period. This can be affected by

things such as leaving a light on in the room or a TV, radio etc - a common

habit for kids but a very bad one. Sleep is also a function of diet with the

body needing particular nutrients. But carbohydrates produce energy and too

many counter the opposite - rest. It's not just sugar but total carb intake less

what was burned up in energy expended.

 

Mary

 

 

 

-

Mike Frost

Thursday, September 25, 2003 8:59 AM

Re: How can I help improve my son's

concentration?

 

 

Valerie, I would investigate just what a 'healthy diet' is. You may be

surprised. First thought is that he lacks sufficient essential fatty acids.

If he is eating little or no animal fat, eats mostly low-fat foods, and gets

his energy from sugars and starches, you may have a problem. Vegetable oils

in any form are high in trans-fats that are detrimental to good health and

are used in place of saturated fats. My opinion is that soy and soy based

products and ingredients are not good either.

 

There are many sites that have good information about healthy diets,

especially this site. I suggest you stay away from the government and

allopathic organization sites. Do some research and you may be surprised at

what you learn.

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Valerie

First I would look at what his 'healthy' diet is.

What many of us think is healthy is quite often just the opposite.

Regards

Graeme Ellis

The Goldfields

Western Australia

 

 

-

" Valerie " <moktah

 

Thursday, September 25, 2003 6:03 PM

How can I help improve my son's

concentration?

 

 

> My six year old son is having a lot of trouble with his concentration

> at school and I was wondering if anyone knows of any natural

> supplements that may help him.

> He eats a healthy diet, never misses breakfast, does not have ADD

> or ADHD, or any other behavioural problems.

> Blood tests did not reveal any abnormalities and I do nightly

> meditations with him especially aimed at children.

> Any advice will be much appreciated.

> Thank you.

> Valerie.

>

>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

Yes Valerie,

 

Thru no fault of your own, You may be trapped in the conventional healthy

diet thinking!

 

Please advise what the diet is and you will get suggestions for other diets.

 

Best Regards,

 

Lorenzo

 

 

Mike Frost [lincolnp1]

Thursday, September 25, 2003 8:00 AM

 

Re: How can I help improve my

son's concentration?

 

 

Valerie, I would investigate just what a 'healthy diet' is. You may be

surprised. First thought is that he lacks sufficient essential fatty acids.

If he is eating little or no animal fat, eats mostly low-fat foods, and gets

his energy from sugars and starches, you may have a problem. Vegetable oils

in any form are high in trans-fats that are detrimental to good health and

are used in place of saturated fats. My opinion is that soy and soy based

products and ingredients are not good either.

 

There are many sites that have good information about healthy diets,

especially this site. I suggest you stay away from the government and

allopathic organization sites. Do some research and you may be surprised at

what you learn.

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

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