Attentional Priority Disorder Attention Deficit · 2005-03-28 · ADD/ADHD: The Causes & Natural Cures I n this first of a three-part series which examines Atten-tion Deficit Hyperactivity

© 2003 • GreenerMagazine.com 1

Part I: Ritalin manages symptoms, but doesn’t cure ADD/ADHDPart II: Bio-chemical toxicity & disorganized/weak

neural pathways/vestibular system is the primary causePart III: Effective drug-free therapies can reverse the

symptoms of ADD/ADHD, permanentlyPlus: • ADD/ADHD: A natural cure overview

• ADD/ADHD: Why some children can’t sit still and listen• Miso Soup: A grounding way to start your child’s day• Organic growing: The safer & tastier way of growing food• Potent supplements for ADD/ADHD

Created by: Larry Cook, www.greenermagazine.comWriten by: Carmela D'Amico & Larry CookEdited by: Cynthia Logan & Annie Beckman

Consultant: Judith Bluestone, The HANDLE Institute

Attention Deficit Disorder

Attentional Priority Disorder

NOT

2 GreenerMagazine.com • © 2003

ADD/ADHD: The Causes & Natural Cures

In this first of a three-part series which examines Atten-tion Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and its cure,

we will focus on its most common treatment: Ritalin (meth-ylphenidate). Because of the alarming proportions in whichthis drug is being prescribed to American children—most re-cent statistics estimate somewhere around five million prescrip-tions are now being written each year1 —we will seek to un-cover the reasons behind this fact. We will present the moreprominent statistics as well as some of the professional opin-ions that surround this controversial drug.

In the next article we will uncover the underlying causesof ADHD—causes that are as wide and varied as the symp-toms the label seeks to define. While analyzing the variouscauses, we’ll attempt to convey that the path to curing ADHD,rather than merely suppressing the symptoms with daily dos-ages of pills, lies in comprehending and then addressing thesource(s) of the disorder itself.

Some of the information that will be presented in thefirst two articles may, at first glance, seem discouraging to thosewhose lives are affected by ADHD. However, there is hope:Contrary to what many people have been led to believe, ADHDis often a curable condition. In the third article, we will discussthe methods of healing ADHD.

What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ?Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a labelthat seeks to define and simplify an extremely complex set ofindividualized “symptoms.” These symptoms most commonlyinclude: an inability to sit still for extended periods of time,difficulty in paying close attention and following through withprojects, forgetfulness, fidgeting, hyperactivity, impulsivity,inability to concentrate and excessive, disruptive chattering.Children who exhibit these behavioral traits often suffer bothacademically and socially as they struggle to conform to theexpectations of their peers and authority figures.

The debate over whether or not ADHD is a valid diseasedoes not arise from disagreement over the fact that upward of sixmillion US children exhibit some or all of these traits. Instead,the controversy is rooted in the two-fold question of what shouldbe done about it. First, what causes these symptoms? Secondly,what is the best way to treat them? The camp is divisively splitand which side you take is dependent on what you perceive to bethe purpose of medicine and the definition of healing.

Allopathic “Management” or Holistic Cure?Those holding an allopathic (Western medicine) view of healthare likely to view relief of the symptoms as a “cure” in and ofitself. They see ADHD as a biological, genetic disease, whichmost successfully benefits from treatment with psychotropicdrugs (most commonly Ritalin, with Adderall as a close run-ner-up). By choosing medication to suppress the symptoms ofADHD, they tacitly affirm that there is no cure for this disor-der, and that the best treatment is long term, even life-long,stimulant/psychotropic management of the condition.

Those who hold a more holistic (alternative) view arelikely to see the relief of the symptoms as secondary to gettingto the root of what has caused them in the first place. They

Part I: Ritalin manages symptoms, but doesn’t cure

assert that ADHD is environmentally and/or biologically in-duced and therefore highly treatable via natural, non-pharma-ceutical means which “reverse” the causes which produced thesymptoms in the first place, and that using pharmaceuticaldrugs as a means of relief is a short-term fix that subsequentlydelays or halts altogether the prospect of an actual cure.

The following question often arises: If a drug like Ri-talin works (meaning that it relieves the symptoms ofADHD)—which it does, then what’s the harm? If a child isable to refrain from disrupting his classroom or from drivinghis parents crazy, who’s to say that drugs aren’t benefiting ev-eryone involved?

One of the biggest difficulties parents confront whenthey receive an ADHD diagnosis is deciding whether or not tomanage their child’s symptoms with medication. Though per-haps concerned about this, parents have been led to believethat ADHD is not curable. Consequently, they do not thinkin terms of actually healing their child and accept the Ritalinprescription as the primary means to restore normal behaviorin their child and bring peace back into their lives. And, as ashort-term solution, it may well be an appropriate choice ofaction for some.

Our research, which will be presented more fully in thesecond article, suggests that symptoms of ADD/ADHD is of-ten caused by: 1) disorganized neural pathways, 2) too thin ofneural pathways, 3) a compromised vestibular (inner ear) sys-tem, 4) toxin overload, 5) chemicals in our food supply (espe-cially dyes and preservatives), 6) sugar and 7) inadequate nu-trition. These are caused by numerous environmental andlifestyle factors and can be corrected with appropriate non-drug therapies.

How Ritalin “Works”Ritalin, an amphetamine, unnaturally increases the speed at whichthe child can process external information (sight, sound, touch,smell and cognitive information) by forcing faster processingthrough weak and disorganized neural systems. Though from anoutside perspective it may seem as though the child is function-ing normally, what is truly happening is that even more damageis being done, since, in order for the symptoms of ADHD topresent themselves in the first place, the child’s neural pathwaysmust already be in a frail, compromised state. To rush informa-tion through these passageways at such an accelerated pace is tofurther tax a debilitated system.

The Dangers of RitalinRitalin (methylphenidate) has been classified by the US DrugEnforcement Agency (the DEA), as a Schedule II drug, alongwith cocaine, morphine, methamphetamines, opium and barbi-turates. Chemically, it most closely resembles cocaine, which mayexplain some of the more disturbing truths associated with it.2

A study conducted at the University of Berkeley (one ofthe few long-term studies conducted in regard to Ritalin use)concluded that Ritalin tends to act as a “gateway” drug. The study,which followed 500 children over the course of 26 years, foundthat Ritalin “makes the brain more susceptible to the addictivepower of cocaine and therefore, doubles the risk of abuse.”3 A


similar study, documented by Richard de Grandpre in his book,“Ritalin Nation,” showed that when given the option of choos-ing between Ritalin or cocaine, laboratory monkeys did not showa preference for one or the other. In fact, many preferred Ritalin,which has a slower “let down” period than cocaine.

Given the drug’s proven similarity to cocaine, it is nowonder that the DEA has recently reported that “Ritalin ranksin the ‘Top 10’ controlled drugs stolen from doctors and phar-macists,” concluding that the reason for this is that “kids crushand snort it or inject it” in order to get high.4 But, the fact ofthe matter is that most kids don’t have to steal it. They can buyit, for, on average, seven dollars a pill.5 In fact, recreational useof this drug has elevated right along with its prescription rate.The DEA reported a 16% increase in Ritalin abuse from 1992to 1995, while the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN)states that “the sky-rocketing use of Ritalin represents the greatestincrease in drugs associated with abuse, and causes the highestnumber of suicides and emergency room admissions.”

The International Journal of Addictives lists over 100adverse reactions to Ritalin, including paranoid psychosis, ter-ror and paranoid delusions.13 It’s no surprise that much of theschool violence our nation has witnessed over the past decadehas been instigated by teens who were being prescribed Ritalinor similar psychotropic drugs. Often, a fluctuation in dose pre-cipitates such an episode.14

Aside from such adverse reactions, Ritalin also has nu-merous potential side effects, many resembling those of cocaine’s:nervousness, insomnia, blood-pressure fluctuations, dizziness,loss of appetite, motor tics, depression and headaches. With-drawal symptoms are also strikingly similar: fatigue, disturbedsleep, depression, psychosis and suicide.6

Ritalin as A Performance PillWhat about the effects on a child’s self-esteem (the reason mostteachers encourage parents to consider the drug)? By forcing achild to be dependent on a drug, we are telling that child s/he isincapable of functioning on an acceptable level without it.Though many psychiatrists attribute feelings of isolation andloneliness to untreated cases of ADHD, many children reportsuch feelings as a result of taking medication.

According to the National Institutes of Health, “Thereis currently no independent, valid test for ADHD,”7 whichmakes prescribing medication for it more or less a crapshoot.Additionally, symptoms of ADHD can be easily confused with,among other things, certain learning disabilities, clinical de-pression and post traumatic stress disorder. Giving medicationto a child suffering from one of these can all but muzzle a cryfor help, since one of the observable characteristics of Ritalin isthat it makes the children taking it much more compliant.

It is a natural parental instinct to want children to suc-ceed and to be accepted, even if it means conforming to presetsocial norms. Dr. Lawrence Diller, author of the best-sellingbook, “Running on Ritalin” has written that, “Ritalin will helpround and octagonal peg kids fit into rather rigid square educa-tional holes.”

Research shows that classroom performance is the onlypositive short-term outcome of Ritalin use. Richard deGrandpre writes in a recent article, “Dozens of objective stud-ies have assessed the long-term effectiveness of stimulants onchildren’s academic performance, social development and self-

control. None has shown them to be effective for anything butcontrolling the kids’ behavior—an effect that vanishes oncethe drug wears off.”8

It is interesting to note that Ritalin prescriptions beganto escalate at the same time corporal punishment was beingbanned in the schools. It seems that once the behavioral toolthat teachers had so long had at their disposal got revoked, adifferent tool, inevitably, rose up to take its place.

Because of its short-term effect and its only positive at-tribute being that the child’s classroom behavior improves, manydoctors and educators are beginning to consider Ritalin notmuch more than a performance pill. There is growing concernthat ADHD is just a convenient label to throw over those whoselearning styles are perhaps more hands-on and activity-orientedthan others. Clearly, there are children who exhibit behavioralproblems, but whether these problems are biologically rootedand not just a valid response to an increasingly information-addled society, is at the ethical crux of the Ritalin debate.

In the words of Dr. Peter Breggin, a leading spokesper-son on the detriments of prescribing medication to treatADHD, “We are the first adults to handle the generation gapthrough the wholesale drugging of our children. We may beguaranteeing that future generations will be relatively devoidof people who think critically, raise painful questions, generateproductive conflicts or lead us to new spiritual or political in-sights.”

Many children who are intellectually gifted also displaysome or all of what are considered to be traits of ADHD.Throughout history, there have been stories of the genius orinventor who was mistaken as a problem child. But is taking adrug like Ritalin going to affect a child’s mind permanently, orif the child is gifted, “dumb” him down to a level of normality?We don’t know. We do know that long-term stimulant abusenegatively affects the physical structure of the brain, causing“cortical atrophy (i.e. brain deterioration).”9

Who Stands to Gain?If the only benefit a child may gain from taking Ritalin is bet-ter performance in the classroom, while the negative side-ef-fects and possible adverse reactions are greatly disproportion-ate, who stands to gain from the sale of these drugs?

Clearly, the over-worked teacher, whose classroom is thetwice the size it should be, breathes a sigh of relief over the factthat the boy who was loudly interrupting and bouncing in andout of his seat last week, sits quietly and pays attention nowthat he’s taken his pill. And the parents of the girl who refusedto do her homework and responded defiantly to every requestare greatly pleased when she sits down to study unpromptedand obsequiously obeys their commands. But behavioral im-provements wear off when the drug does and, eventually, chil-dren, parents and teachers will be forced to confront the reper-cussions of delaying real coping mechanisms in lieu of a chemi-cal straitjacket.

With an income of between “30 to 60 dollars per monthper medicated child”10 it seems that pharmaceutical compa-nies are the big winners here. Through alliances with suppos-edly unbiased organizations such as CHADD (Children andAdults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), drugmanufacturers have created additional avenues for “hyping” theirproducts. It was recently discovered that over the course of a

Ritalin Manages Symptoms



In the past decade, diagnosis of ADD and ADHD has increased more than twenty percent. Our nation is facing a

full-blown epidemic and, unlike with influenza or AIDS, a causehas not been pinpointed. In fact, much disagreement existsamong parental, medical, natural health and psychiatric com-munities about both the cause and subsequent treatment of theseconditions. Part two of our three-part series on “ADD/ADHD—Cause and Cure,” seeks to uncover the causes that result in thefrustrating symptoms of ADD/ADHD.

Traditional Treatment of ADD/ADHDA child with ADD/ADHD generally possesses thinner thannormal and/or disorganized neural pathways, a weakened ves-tibular (inner ear) system and/or biochemical-toxins whichcauses him/her to process information more slowly. Ritalin“works” because it forces information to process through theneural pathways more quickly. By rushing information throughfrail and disorganized neural pathways, the stimulant proper-ties of Ritalin exact a debilitating toll on an already compro-mised system.

Part II: Bio-chemical toxicity & disorganized/weakneural pathways/vestibular system is primary cause

few years CHADD had received over 1 million dollars fromthe maker of Ritalin, Novartis11 .

Dr. Lawrence Diller says, “I’ve been offered $100 to sitand listen to someone talk about ADHD, funded by Adderall,for fifteen minutes…”12 The marketing of these drugs doesn’tstop with physicians, “parent groups” or researchers, however.Drug companies are now going straight to the consumer.

In a recent issue of Parade magazine, a full page spreadclaims to be “Putting control of your child’s ADHD right whereit belongs...in your hands.” The beneficent company so con-cerned with your child’s well being is Shire US Inc., “yourADHD support company.” Nowhere does the ad mention thatShire US Inc. is Shire Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturers ofAdderall.

Ritalin is Not the AnswerAs the consumption of psychotropic drugs reaches an all-time high,few of us seem willing to question why. However, since the phar-maceutical empires who create these drugs are big businesses whichmust turn hefty profits in order to survive, individuals not onlyhave a right, but a responsibility to question their motives. In noarea is this questioning more important than in the realm of ourchildren’s health.

The symptoms of ADHD are curable through nondrugmethods. Giving Ritalin or any other stimulant or psychotro-pic drug to a child masks the actual health problems s/he isexperiencing, and postpones an actual cure. Parents, doctorsand teachers should realize that, in general, when children “mis-behave” they are actually trying to communicate to us that some-thing is wrong. An incapacity to sit still and listen, to pay atten-tion or to follow through with things indicates that somethingin the brain is not working properly.

Our next article will delve much deeper into the under-lying causes of ADHD, as well as discuss what differentiates anormal but “high-spirited” child from a child who is genu-inely suffering from the effects of a neuro-behavioral disorder.It is our hope that in doing so, it will be clear that ADHD isnot a set of behavioral defects which require medication.

Endnotes1 “Does ADHD Even Exist?, John Breeding, Adbusters, July/August 20002 “Why Ritalin Rules,” Policy Review #94, April/May 19993 “Ritalin: Violence Against Boys,” Massachusetts News, Octo-ber 29, 19994 “Ritalin: Violence Against Boys,” Massachusetts News, Octo-ber 29, 19995 “Factline on Non-Medical Use of Ritalin,” William J. Bailly,Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University,Factline #9, November 1995.6 Physician’s Desk Reference, 1995 Edition, Montvale, NJ;Medical Economics Co., 19957 “Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD,” NIH Consensus State-ment, Online, November 16-18, 19988 “A Dose of Reality,” Adbusters, July/August 2001, Page169 A Dose of Reality,” Adbusters, July/August 2001, Page1610 “Ritalin: Violence Against Boys,” Massachusetts News, Oc-tober 29, 199911 “The Business of ADHD,” Frontline, PBS, April 200112 “The Business of ADHD,” Frontline, PBS, April 200113) “An Outline of Hazardous Side Effects of Ritalin,” TheInternational Journal of the Addictions, Richard Scarnati, (Vol-ume 21, p 837-841)14) “Ritalin: Violence Against Boys,” The MassachussettsNews, October 29, 1999

The ADD/ADHD child, functioning in this unnaturallyaccelerated state, can now respond appropriately to environ-mental stimuli (sight, sound, smell, touch, body-in-space, cog-nitive commands)—until the effect of the drug wears off. Es-sentially a “performance pill” which offers successful tempo-rary management of symptoms, the drug poses significant riskin the realms of side effects, adverse reactions, potential addic-tion, stigmatization and abuse. Though it affords relief in somecases, Ritalin is not an actual cure, and masks the symptoms ofthe underlying cause(s).

The True Underlying Causes of ADD/ADHDThe symptoms of ADD/ADHD can be a result of neurologicalchallenges and/or bio-chemical toxicity and lack of nutrition.Research conducted in the complementary healthcare field hasshown the primary cause of disorganized/weakened neural path-ways or the vestibular (inner ear) system to be: recurrent ear-infections and/or intubation of the ears, head trauma, physicalor emotional abuse or neglect, and an under-developed brain.Bio-toxicity may come from over-consumption of processed


ficult to break.Excessive antibiotic use can cause Candida Albicans (an

excess of intestinal yeast), which inhibits protein assimilation.Norepinephrine and dopamine, key neurotransmitters, are someof the essential building blocks of the brain’s neuropathwaysand are derived solely from assimilated protein. Without accessto these vital protein derivatives, the state of the neuropathwayscan become severely compromised.

Both physical and emotional stress can suppress the im-mune system and can obstruct the normal, healthy function-ing of a child’s brain, “scrambling” the neural pathways andpotentially causing symptoms of ADD/ADHD. This infor-mation was reported by Richard De Grandpre, author of “Ri-talin Nation: Rapid-fire Culture and the Transformation ofHuman Consciousness,” in a recent article on a ten-year, fed-erally funded study conducted in the US. This study foundthat “the more time children spent in daycare the more un-manageable they became. Kids who spent more than 30 hoursa week in daycare scored significantly higher on such things as‘explosive behavior,’ ‘talking too much,’ ‘argues a lot,’ and ‘de-mands a lot of attention’—the very behaviors that so oftenlead to stimulant treatment.”3

Finally, a brain which fails to grow to normal size inutero due to malnutrition or harmful intoxicants, such as alco-hol or cocaine, appears to signal a proclivity towards ADD/ADHD. (Occasionally, a smaller than average brain can belinked to genetic factors). When a case of ADD/ADHD canbe traced to this source, the hope of full recovery is lessened,though improvements in cognition and behavior can almostalways be attained.

Many sufferers of ADD/ADHD lack sufficient essentialfatty (Omega) acids, the primary manufacturers of myelin, oneof the elements responsible for determining the health of ourneural pathways. Thin neural pathways process information moreslowly than thicker neural pathways, which contain more my-elin, the “white fatty sheath that is laid down over neural fibersto speed and focus their conductivity, much like the insulationaround an electrical wire.”4 For children suffering from ADD/ADHD, Omega fatty acid supplementation (such as with FlaxSeed Oil) often relieves symptoms and promotes recovery.

The correlation of mineral depletion/deficiency andsymptoms of ADD/ADHD are succinctly covered in the book,“A.D.D. The Natural Approach,” by Nina Anderson andHoward Peiper. They state that, although sugar consumptioncontributes to mineral deficiency, mineral-depleted soils andaqueducts are an even larger part of the problem. Refined salt,chemical dyes, artificial flavorings, and empty calorie mealsalso disrupt the assimilation of minerals such as magnesium,calcium, iron and zinc, which are essential to nerve and neuralhealth. “A ramification of long-term mineral deficiency is thatthe body will latch on to heavy metals in an attempt to satisfyitself,’’ they warn.

Heavy metal toxicity has been proven to cause physicaland mental imbalances. High copper levels in the bloodstream,for example, as well as low levels of zinc, have been linked toviolent behavior in numerous studies. One such study con-ducted by Dr. William Walsh, president of the Health ResearchInstitute (HRI) states the following results: “Our preliminaryfindings show that young men who have varying levels of an-gry, violent behavior also have elevated copper and depressedzinc levels; the non-assaultive controls in our study did not.”

foods (especially refined sugar) or inadequate nutrient intake.Biochemical toxins pervade the vast majority of foods

that make up the average American’s diet. Food colorings andpreservatives are some of the more harmful agents found amongsuch toxins. Dr. Ben Feingold, M.D., in his influential book,“Why Your Child is Hyperactive” was the first to propose thetheory that hyperactivity and ADD/ADHD can be caused byphysical reactions to artificial food flavors and colors. His “Elimi-nation Diet” relieved children of their symptoms in a majorityof cases, many of which are documented in his book. Feingold’stheories and diet are not as well known as they might be hadthey not surfaced around the same time the “magic bullet”known as Ritalin did.

While most Americans enjoy plentiful food, they areoften under-nourished and are not truly healthy. With the con-tinual bombardment from food advertisers, it can be difficultto create and maintain good eating habits, particularly for chil-dren. By the time a child is 18 years old, s/he will have watchedclose to 20,000 food commercials—80% of which advertise“junk food.” The layout of an average grocery store providesfurther insight. About fifteen percent of the store is comprisedof fresh produce, another fifteen percent of packaged meatsand dairy products, while packaged, processed and syntheticchemicalized foods take up the remaining seventy percent ofmarketable floor-space.

By consuming processed foods stripped of essential vita-mins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes, many children lackoptimal physical health. The damage that such a diet can wreakshould not be underestimated, as a group of students at theCanyon Verde School in California discovered. They performeda study to demonstrate the effects of synthetic chemical foodadditives on health and behavior. Using four groups of rats,they fed the control group natural food and clean water. An-other group was fed natural food, clean water and hot dogs.The third group was fed sugar coated cereal and fruit punch.The last group was fed only doughnuts and cola. The rats thatwere fed clean water and natural foods remained alert and at-tentive. Those who also ate hot-dogs became violent and foughtaggressively. The group fed the sugary cereal became nervousand hyperactive, and behaved aimlessly. The group that livedon doughnuts and cola became unable to function socially, ex-hibited fearfulness and had difficulty sleeping.1

Over-consumption of sugar is thought to contribute toand/or cause ADD/ADHD and can produce mineral imbal-ance, chromium deficiency, interference with the absorption ofcalcium and magnesium, a temporary increase in serotonin, an“acid stomach” (which produces further mineral depletion), alowering of the ability of enzymes to function properly, hor-monal imbalance, hypoglycemia, hyperactivity, anxiety, and el-evated adrenaline levels in children.2

Another suspected cause of ADD/ADHD is recurrentear infections because of the effect on the vestibular (inner ear)(neurological) system. Many studies have correlated healthyauditory functioning to a child’s ability to processes and reactappropriately to external stimuli. Unfortunately, the commonantibiotic treatment for ear infections can further weaken achild’s immunity and propagate his/her disposition to futureinfections; antibiotics have also been proven to become auto-resistant and ineffective over time. They also destroy intestinalbacteria (good and bad) indiscriminately, further weakeningimmune functioning, which creates a vicious cycle that is dif-

The Primary Causes of ADD/ADHD



This study led Dr. Walsh to conclude that “behavioral disor-ders are correlated to abnormal metal metabolism or other bodychemistry irregularities.”5

Iron deficiencies have often been associated with a lim-ited attention span and low mental acuity. Chromium deficien-cies have also been linked to ADD/ADHD, as well as to hyper-activity and depression. “Chromium is required for regulatingblood sugar levels. Many hyperactive children are sugar and car-bohydrate intolerant, which leads to severe mood swings.”6

Head trauma caused either during the birthing process orfrom an accidental injury is often overlooked as a potential causeof childhood behavioral problems. Such trauma can result indamage to both the vestibular (inner ear) system and the neuralpathways. The vestibular system stabilizes vision and supportsequilibrium and balance, unconscious awareness of the body inspace, muscle tone and hearing. It is connected to other neuralsystems responsible for the successful operation of most of thebrain’s functions (e.g. higher reasoning, speech, reading, com-prehension, action, etc.) The vestibular system can become weak-ened from head trauma, inadequate nutrition, poor audio/visualprocessing, lack of coordinated physical activity, ear infections/intubation of the ears, or an underdeveloped brain before birth.

Neural pathways transmit information from all of thesense organs through the brain. These highly complicated sys-tems interact with past (memory) and present (sensory) infor-mation, communicating appropriate plans for action (throughspeech, reasoning, movement, etc.). When the neural path-ways become disorganized and/or are underdeveloped and thin,messages tend to be transmitted at an abnormal, sluggish pace,causing “bottle-necks” and sensory overload. Messages maysubsequently be discarded because they haven’t received therepeated transmissions required to connect them from one syn-apse to the next. The brain is then susceptible to becomingoverwhelmed by normal sensory input, resulting in a “shut-down” of some of the neural systems. This shut-down of neu-ral systems is what causes the outbursts sometimes seen in chil-dren suffering from ADD/ADHD—they are acting out inanger and frustration over not being able to concentrate on,comprehend and respond appropriately to the tasks at hand.

Attentional Priority DisorderThe link between a weakened vestibular system, disorganizedand/or thin neural pathways and ADD/ADHD has been stud-ied and explained extensively by Judith Bluestone, founder anddirector of The HANDLE Institute® located in Seattle, Wash-ington. In the third of our three-part series, we will focus onsome of HANDLE’s uniquely integrated perspectives and thera-pies.

HANDLE (an acronym for Holistic Approach toNeurodevelopment and Learning Efficiency) considers labelssuch as ADD/ADHD to be confining and impractical. ThoughBluestone admits they may serve the purpose of providing “asort of shorthand with which to discuss clusters of symptoms,”she emphasizes that, “no one yet knows how to treat a label.”7

HANDLE asserts that there is no such thing as an at-tention “deficit.” As Bluestone points out, “everyone is alwaysattending to something.” The problem a child with ADD/ADHD has is differentiating between the importance of at-tending to instructions, to the glare of fluorescent lights, tothe sound of the copy machine, to his fellow student’s tappingfoot, or to any other external stimuli. All of these things ap-

pear to be entering his consciousness at the same priority level,causing him sensory overload, and a consequential “shut-down.” It is this observation which prompted Bluestone to re-name Attention Deficit Disorder to “Attentional Priority Dis-order,” which she feels more accurately describes the condi-tion. HANDLE believes that each child’s problem stems froma different set of circumstances; therefore, standardization intesting and labeling tends to obstruct a true understanding ofwhat is at the root of the child’s disorder.

Bluestone states that, “if a situation is causing us dis-tress, we will engage in self-protective behaviors. All of us pro-tect ourselves in the areas of our greatest vulnerability.” Chil-dren with Attentional Priority Disorder have varying areas ofvulnerability, which often surface via strange or disruptive be-haviors—an unconscious attempt to sift through the onslaughtof information that seems to be bombarding them from allsides. Once the health of the vestibular system and other neu-ral pathways is restored, toxicity removed and nutrition levelsimproved, these children become capable of prioritizing theirattention and controlling their behavior.

SummaryThe key to curing children of ADD/ADHD or “AttentionalPriority Disorder” is to understand that they are not deliber-ately obstinate or defiant. Each child is a unique individual withvery particular circumstances surrounding his/her behaviors. Itis important to avoid labeling complex underlying causes andeffects. Self-esteem is damaged by excessive admonishment.These children want to learn. They want to be accepted andpraised. They do not understand that not everyone processesinformation in the same way they do.

Bibliography1. Anderson, Nina & Peiper, Howard. A.D.D. The Natural Approach.East Canaan, CT: Safe Goods, 2000.2. Feingold M.D., Ben F. Why Your Child is Hyperactive. New York, NY:Random House, 1975.3. Reichenberg-Ullman N.D., M.S.W., & Ullman N.D., Robert, Ri-talin Free Kids. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1996.4. Sahley Ph.D., Billie J. Is Ritalin Necessary? San Antoinio, TX: Pain &Stress Publications, 1999.5. Weintraub N.D., Skye. Natural Treatments for ADD/ADHD and Hy-peractivity. Pleasant Grove, UT: Woodland Publishing Incorporated,1997.

Endnotes1 Leading Edge Research Group, Food ADD/ADHDitives and ADD/ADHDitives and Intelligence, page 1.2 Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. “Lick the Sugar Habit”, Avery PenguinPutnam, New York, NY 19963 “A Dose of Reality,” Richard De Grandpre, Adbusters, July/August2001, #364 Judith Bluestone speaking on “The HANDLE Approach”, takenfrom a recording of an informational seminar5 “Violent Behavior May Be Linked to Abnormal Copper & ZincLevels”, Physiology & Behavior Journal, Dr William Walsh, Ph.D,August 12, 19976 Skye Weintraub, N.D., “Natural Treatments for ADD/ADHD andHyperactivity”, Woodland Publishing, Pleasant Grove, UT, 19977, 8 Judith Bluestone speaking on “The HANDLE Approach”, takenfrom a recording of an informational community seminar, 1997


At five years old, Jessie was a highly imaginative child.She could spend hours making up stories and play-acting

the parts of the characters. She was strong-willed with a ten-dency to exhibit very high highs and very low lows. Physically,she had shown great caution, shying away from attempts to learnto swim or ride a bike. Her strengths were more verbal and cre-ative. Because of this, her mother Anne thought Jessie would dowell in school academically, but that the controlled atmospheremight present a bit of a challenge. She was not, however, pre-pared for the extent of that challenge.

Shortly after Jessie started kindergarten in Seattle, Annebegan receiving calls from Jessie’s teacher, informing her of herdaughter’s disruptive behavior, which continued and worsenedthroughout the school year. Jessie was obviously intelligent.The fact that she was having difficulty adapting to life in theclassroom was frustrating for everyone involved. In retrospect,Anne recalls Jessie’s kindergarten year as marked with some veryrough spots.

It wasn’t until the first grade, however, when the class-room environment became more structured and regimented,with more emphasis on sitting still, focusing and paying closeattention, that it grew increasingly difficult for Jessie to cooper-ate. A typical school day was punctuated by periods of Jessiebursting into tears, for reasons that were not understood andthat she could not articulate. Anne, who was a part-time volun-teer assistant in Jessie’s class, saw how these outbursts influencedthe teacher’s ability to successfully teach the rest of the class.

Anne knew that something needed to be done to helpher daughter cope, to preserve her self-esteem and to ensurethe success of her education. On the advice of a friend, shetook Jessie to see a psychiatrist.

Ten minutes into their visit the psychiatrist pulled out adiagnostic manual, asked Anne to answer yes or no to a list ofabout 10 questions, then promptly suggested Jessie be givenan I.Q. test. After they left the cold and clinical environment,Jessie begged her mother to never make her go back again.Jessie took the I.Q. test, and she and Anne did return to thepsychiatrist. When asked to interpret something visually, Jessiehad categorically scored in a much lower percentile than inany other area. However, the psychiatrist failed to suggest thatJessie might need an eye exam.

Instead, the psychiatrist simply parroted the obvioussymptoms back to Anne. “I felt as though she’d had her mindmade up about what was wrong with Jessie since the minuteshe flipped open that diagnostic manual, 10 minutes into ourfirst visit. I could have done that myself,” Anne said. “After sixhours altogether of intensive evaluation, all she was saying, ba-sically, was ‘here’s your label, here’s your medication.’”

The label was “a mild case of Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD) with co-existing anxiety.” The medication was an anti-depressant.

A red flag went up for Anne. She had heard of ADD andknew of other parents whose children had been diagnosed simi-larly and then subsequently medicated. But a gut instinct toldher that putting her 7-year-old on a psychotropic, anti-depres-sant drug was not the right choice.

Part III: Effective drug-free therapies canreverse the symptoms of ADD/ADHD

On the same day Anne was researching alternative treat-ments on the Internet, she received another phone call fromJessie’s teacher, reporting that Jessie had cried all day, consis-tently interrupting her ability to teach. “At that point, I hadalready begun researching various schooling options. I was pre-pared to start home-schooling if I had to,” Anne says. “Thingshad reached a breaking point. Something had to give.”

It was on that very day that Anne came upon TheHANDLE Institute’s Web site. Her interest was sparked andshe gave them a call. “I must have kept the person who an-swered the phone on the line for at least an hour. It was thefirst time I felt like I was getting answers to my questions thatreally made sense.”

Soon thereafter, Anne attended the community infor-mation night that The HANDLE Institute provides regularly,where Judith Bluestone, the institute’s founder and director,or another certified HANDLE practitioner, gives an overviewof HANDLE’s basic philosophies and treatment methods.(“HANDLE” is an acronym for Holistic Approach toNeurodevelopment and Learning Efficiency and the Institute islocated in Seattle.) “I learned more in those two hours than inall the previous months combined,” Anne says. “Needless tosay, I was relieved. Not only were my questions finally beinganswered, Judith was the first person to say to me, ‘we can fixthis.’” Judith also explained that while stimulant medicationmay help a person focus attention by speeding up neural pro-cessing, the same thing can be encouraged to develop naturallyby increasing the white fatty myelin sheath on connective neu-ral fibers. Fatter nerves process more rapidly. And myelin, the“fat,” increases with repeated organized stimulation/movementand proper nutrition.

Once Anne began to understand the neurobiologicalroots of Jessie’s disorder, things that hadn’t previously connectedbegan to come together. For instance, in the classroom, Annehad seen a certain look come over Jessie just before she wouldsuffer one of her meltdowns. Her body would tense and stiffenand her eyes would seem to lose their focus. Anne had seenthat same look come over her just before she’d suffer a bout ofcarsickness. She’d sensed a connection, but it wasn’t until shebegan to learn about the vestibular system that it all started tomake sense. The vestibular system is in the inner ear and notonly controls balance but also aids in processing all informa-tion from the body, eyes and ears—everything other than smell,taste and touch. [Publisher’s note: many children who havebeen diagnosed with ADD/ADHD also have had repeated earinfections; and ear infections can disrupt the vestibular sys-tem.]

Jessie’s first appointment at The HANDLE Institute wasremarkably different from her previous experiences with otherhealth-care professionals. “Judith made Jessie feel at ease, al-most at once. For one thing, she spoke directly to her, as op-posed to speaking to me about Jessie as if Jessie wasn’t even inthe room.” While speaking to her and asking her questionsand directing her to perform certain tasks, Judith observedJessie’s behavior—essentially, how she used her body while per-forming these tasks.

Effective Drug-Free Therapies



For one task, Jessie wrote something as she normallywould, with her eyes open, and then was asked to write thesame thing again, this time with her eyes closed. Another in-volved tracking moving objects with her eyes without movingher head. For Judith, such tasks were insightful in determiningwhat was happening neurologically with Jessie. As analytical asthe tasks were, Jessie never felt pressured or scrutinized. In fact,she was having fun. “She was laughing much of the time dur-ing that first visit,” Anne says. As opposed to the experiencewith the psychiatrist, Jessie literally “couldn’t wait to go back.”

When they did go back the next day for the follow-upappointment, Judith presented Jessie with a profile of her neu-rological strengths and weaknesses. No label, no medication:just an outline of what the specific neurological challenges werethat Jessie was facing as an individual, and then a program ofnon-drug, gentle at-home activities aimed at correcting them.

Anne and Jessie began the suggested at-home activitiesimmediately, many of which seemed deceptively simple. Forexample, one activity that builds and strengthens neural con-nections between the left and right sides of the brain, enabling aperson to integrate or communicate between the two more eas-ily, resembles a pat-a-cake game. “The Seated Clapping Game”is specifically designed to simulate cross-pattern crawling, andin so doing, enhance “interhemispheric integration.”

Another activity Jessie performed was designed to helpher establish which of her eyes would be “dominant.” We allhave a dominant eye that is responsible for focusing, and a non-dominant eye that monitors the periphery. In Jessie’s case, whichof her eyes would play the dominant role had not been estab-lished. This caused her eyes to rapidly and consistently switchdominance, which in turn caused her attempts to read to bedifficult and frustrating. In the activity “Blind Copy,” Jessiewould wear a pair of glasses with two different colored lenses,then draw or write with a colored pen that disappeared behindthe lens of the non-dominant eye. Through this activity, whichtook only a few minutes a day, her visual problem was beingcorrected by training her dominant eye to stay dominant. It wasextremely important to monitor that Jessie did not overdo this,or any other activity, because that, too, could weaken or evendamage the very systems that needed strengthening.

The results of such activities, employed through theHANDLE philosophy of Gentle EnhancementSM, were not im-mediate, but they have been permanent. “We began the therapyin March of her first grade year. Definitely, by the summer wewere noticing huge improvements in her large motor skills.”That summer, Jessie learned to do a cartwheel, bicycle and swim,feats that had appeared much too daunting to her before. “Wewere very anxious to see what the next school year would bring.”

They devotedly followed the individualized therapiesthroughout the summer, as Jessie’s program changed in keepingwith her progress in various areas of development. The begin-ning of Jessie’s second grade year was uneventful. “One of theeffects of her disorder was that she had tended to miss socialcues. Because her eyes were not able to properly focus, shecouldn’t make eye contact for long, and was not adept at read-ing emotions, like anger or sadness from peoples’ faces. For thefirst time ever, she started not only making friends, but alsokeeping them.”

Academically, she had some catching up to do, but shewas managing it well. “She was keeping up. For the first time,

Jessie was just another kid in the classroom. Not a behavior prob-lem.”

Anne feels this could not have happened without thehelp of The HANDLE Institute. She is grateful for what theyhave done for her family, and especially for Jessie. “I overhearparents talking about how they won’t be satisfied unless theirchild is at the top of their class,” Anne says. Considering Jessie’slevel of intelligence and her vivid imagination, there’s a finechance that once she’s completely caught up, she might just beone of those kids. However, it’s always a matter of perspectiveand after everything they’ve been through, the fact that “Jessiefits in now,” is satisfaction enough.

Other Effective Non-Drug Treatments for ADHDJessie’s success story is inspirational, but it isn’t unique, exceptfor the fact that her mother chose not to go the conventionalroute. Many to most children who have ADD (which TheHANDLE Institute has renamed “Attentional Priority Disor-der”—see article II), frequently require a program such asHANDLE or Brain Gym (organized patterned movement tostimulate brain function) to organize the body-brain for per-ception and motor response. However, the use of natural heal-ing remedies and the adjustment of diet also play a major rolein healing.

Remove Foods with Additives & Eat OrganicAs far back as 1967, Dr. Ben F. Feingold, a pediatrician andallergy specialist, came to suspect that hyperactive behavior inchildren—or what was being referred to back then as “mini-mal brain dysfunction”—can often be linked to artificial col-ors and flavors in foods. He found that since WWII, there hadbeen a dramatic rise in these cases that directly coincided withthe rise of synthetic additives in certain foods and soft drinks.Contrary to what he suspected at first, he found that childrenare not allergic to these additives, but that the adverse reactionstems from “no natural body defense against the synthetic ad-ditives.”

After putting numerous hyperactive children on his nowfamous “Elimination Diet,” and witnessing a success rate thatwas impossible to ignore, Dr. Feingold became convinced thathis theory was correct. His book, Why Your Child is Hyperac-tive, covers many of these cases. It also explains how the elimi-nation diet works and offers advice on menu planning as wellas some basic, easy-to-prepare recipes.

Organic food is the safest and best food to eat, especiallyfor those with ADD. Organic food is usually free of syntheticpesticides and herbicides, don’t contain synthetic preservativesand additives, are minimally processed, are more nutritiousand taste better. The health benefits far outweigh the little ad-ditional cost associated with organic foods.

Reduce or Eliminate SugarUnfortunately, a common food we feed our children also hap-pens to be the most detrimental to their health. Sugar has beenimplicated in countless studies as being the key or sole con-tributor to hyperactivity in children. Skye Weintraub, N.D.,the author of Natural Treatments for ADD and Hyperactivity,writes “Many children are highly sensitive to sugar and mostof the sweets in their diet. This is because most children arefast metabolizers. When there is the combination of a fast


metabolism and excessive sugar intake, the result can be be-havior that is bizarre, anti-social or even destructive.”

All of us who have eaten sugar have experienced the lowthat overcomes us once the initial speedy effects of the sugarhave moved through our blood streams. This low is exagger-ated in children and can take the forms Weintraub mentions.As you attempt to find a long-term cure for your child’s symp-toms, eliminating sugar from your child’s diet—in all of its slyand well-disguised forms, including cereals, baked goods andespecially soft drinks—is a good first step.

See a Naturopathic Doctor for Detoxification, NutritionBoosting, Herbal Treatments and HomeopathyAnother successful natural treatment for ADD involves theprocess of detoxification and reversing nutritional deficiencies.Either inadequate intake of vitamins and minerals or an in-ability to assimilate vitamins and minerals because of toxinoverload can cause nutritional deficiencies, which in turn de-bilitate the overall health and the capacity of the brain to func-tion normally. When attempting to determine the cause of aproblem, naturopathic doctors routinely screen for nutritionaldeficiencies as well as for the prevalence of various forms oftoxicity. Naturopaths will often prescribe a dietary change, useherbs and other natural substances to detoxify the body andsuggest supplements which will build overall nutrition.*

Homeopathy has shown a high success rate in treating thesymptoms of ADD. Relying on a principle called “the Law ofSimilars,” homeopathic medicine maintains that “substances thatcause symptoms can also cure them.” Ironically, Ritalin works ina somewhat homeopathic manner. It is a stimulant, yet it calmsdown hyperactive children. However, as a psychotropic drug,Ritalin has many harmful side effects that homeopathic remedies,because of their extensive dilution and the fact that they are givenin microdoses, simply do not1 .

In their book, Ritalin Free Kids, Judith ReichenburgUllman, N.D., M.S.W., and Robert Ullman, N.D., present nu-merous case studies of children who end up showing remarkableimprovements after being treated homeopathically, often afterjust one dose.

The Ullmans say that the key to treating a child who issuffering from ADD lies in determining what is unique aboutthat child’s behavior and circumstance. “Each individual has astate. That state is the mental-emotional-physical stance that theperson has adopted. For every imaginable state, there correspondsone homeopathic medicine” that best matches it.

One of the first cases presented in their book involves ayoung boy named Jimmy. Jimmy suffered profound abuse andneglect from his mother. Because of this, he “kept in constantmotion out of a subconscious effort to dull his pain or to es-cape.” After evaluating him, the Ullmans prescribed the homeo-pathic remedy they felt matched his state most accurately, andafter only two days, improvements could be seen in the level ofhis hyperactivity. They followed his progress for two years, dur-ing which time he continued to improve.

There are too many cases like Jimmy’s to ignore. Home-opathy is a valid and viable, safe and non-toxic approach tohealing. It is also relatively inexpensive. “The only significantcost of homeopathic treatment is office visits. Once the personhas responded well to the medicine…appointments are infre-quent.” It is not recommended that you attempt to diagnose

your child yourself and purchase a remedy from a health-foodstore. It takes a skilled naturopathic physician to properly evalu-ate a person, so that she or he can then prescribe the mostappropriate medicine for the person.

Follow Your IntuitionJust as there are varying causes of ADD, there are also varyingcures.

If your child has been diagnosed as having ADD, andyou would like to avoid the conventional route of labeling andmedicating, but you’re confused about which direction youshould take, perhaps the wisest thing you can do is what Annedid: Follow your gut instinct, because there are highly success-ful natural options for curing ADD.

*More information on nutrition and toxicity specific to ADD/ADHD can be found on The HANDLE Institute’s Web site:www.handle.org/index2.html.

Bibliography1. Anderson, Nina & Peiper, Howard. A.D.D. The NaturalApproach. East Canaan, CT: Safe Goods, 2000.2. Feingold M.D., Ben F. Why Your Child is Hyperactive. NewYork, NY: Random House, 1975.3. Reichenberg-Ullman N.D., M.S.W., & Ullman N.D., Rob-ert, Ritalin Free Kids. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1996.4. Sahley Ph.D., Billie J. Is Ritalin Necessary? San Antoinio,TX: Pain & Stress Publications, 1999.5. Weintraub N.D., Skye. Natural Treatments for ADD/ADHD and Hyperactivity. Pleasant Grove, UT: WoodlandPublishing Incorporated, 1997.

Endnotes1. Judith Reichenberg-Ullman, N.D., M.S.W., and RobertUllman, N.D., “Ritalin Free Kids”, Prima Publishing, Rocklin,California, 1996.

1 “Healing With Whole Foods,” by Paul Pitchford, pages 188-1892 “Healing With Whole Foods,” by Paul Pitchford, page 5293 “Healing With Whole Foods,” by Paul Pitchford, page 1914 “Wheat Grass—Nature’s Finest Medicine” by SteveMeyerowitz, page 235 Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, by Michael T.Murray, N.D., pages 359-364; The Encyclopedia of NaturalRemedies, Louise Tenney, M.H., page 176-177; ProbioticsBalance Digestion & Improve Overall Health, by AnthonyCichoke, D.C. (reprint) Nutrition Science News, August 1997,pages 380-3826 Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, by Michael T.Murray, N.D., pages 249-2687 Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James Balch & PhyllisBalch, page 51

Supplements—Continued from page 15

Effective Drug-Free Therapies



The macrobiotic philosophy–primarily from Japan–holdsthat all of the universe, including food, has an inherent

polarity, either yin/feminine or yang/masculine, and that ourgoal is to eat and live in balance with both polarities. Yin isexpanding and yang is contracting. When people are too “spacey”or unable to hold their thoughts, they are considered too yin.When they are too aggressive or uncreative, they are consideredtoo yang. The primary goal in macrobiotics is to bring the con-sciousness to a slightly yang state, to attract the creativity of yinenergy while retaining the grounding yang energy.

Sugar is considered extremely yin, and drugs are mostyin. Salt is considered very yang, with meat, especially red meat,a close second. The ideal is to stay away from extremes in foodso we can avoid extremes in consciousness.

Many children often have trouble focusing their thoughtsin school. If we look at the problem macrobiotically, we’ll findthat many children eat sugar-coated cereal in the morning.Eating this type of breakfast is a contributing factor to ADD/ADHD and non-attentiveness in school because the sugarcauses a yin condition—the consciouness of the child expandsand then s/he becomes “spacy.”

This morning miso soup is a very tasty, and grounding,way to start the morning. The miso itself is very grounding,the ginger gives the soup a “punch” and the almond buttermakes it “sweet,” which is perfect for children. Try it, yourwhole family will enjoy it.

Miso Soup—A grounding way to start your child’s day

ADHD: Why some children can’t sit still AND Listen

By Carmela D'Amico & Judith Bluestone

Afew examples follow that illustrate the philosophy thatwhen children are exhibiting symptoms of “ADD/ADHD”

they are actually engaging in self-protective behaviors. Theseare taken taken directly from “Turning Point: Some Pivotal In-sights into Behavior and Learning,”a paper written by JudithBluestone, the founder of The HANDLE Institute:

One common mistake teachers make is to direct childrento ‘Sit still and listen.’ Without getting into the technicalities ofnervous system structure and function, let me explain briefly why,for some children, those are two contradictory statements. Thereare actually several explanations, depending on the nature of themovement the child is exhibiting.

One scenario:The behaviors you see: The child is stretching, yawning,

pushing off from the table, bouncing her head around, rock-ing from side to side in her chair, getting up and jumping fromtime to time, or engaging in other fast and sudden movements.She is telling you something important.

What this might mean: This child is saying that her ves-tibular (inner ear) functions are too weak to simultaneouslyserve awareness of body in space, looking and listening. Sheknows that what you really want and what is important for herto learn is that she listen. And so she moves and bounces to

keep her vestibular system alert, energized, so she can listen. Ifshe were to heed the first part of the direction and sit still, thenshe would tune out, and miss the learning that is taking place.

This is only one example but it illustrates quite clearlythe link between faulty processing and anomalous behavior.Another example would be a child who looks away a lot, usesher hands as a visor or has difficulty copying or reading frombooks and whiteboards. These behaviors may be her way of at-tempting to communicate that her vestibular system, whichsupports visual functions, isn’t operating correctly. This has prob-ably made her sensitive to light, as well, and she may also havean underlying problem of binocular functions, so that each eyeis processing light differently.

Since the inner ear system also regulates muscle tone,another example of an attempt to communicate a weakness ofthis system would be a child who can’t seem to sit up for long,and who is always sliding way down or back in his chair. Thischild may be trying to communicate that he does not have astrong enough vestibular system to support muscle tone and body-in-space and at the same time look and listen. He feels that inorder to look and listen, he must first tend to the feeling that hecannot hold himself up. If he doesn’t tend to that first, and in-stead attempts to skip that step and look and listen first, he willbe too distracted by his physical discomfort to do so.

Morning Miso Soup (2 bowls of soup)

3 cups water1/8 cup diced burdock root (very grounding)1 tablespoon grated ginger1/3 cup chopped broccoli1/4 cup pinto or black beans1/2 cup chopped kale (high in “B” vitamins)2 heaping tablespoons of almond butter1/8 cup diced scallions (green onions)1 heaping tablespoon dulse seaweed (great for the thyroid gland)1/4 cup chopped tofu2 heaping tablespoons of miso paste (Master Miso brand is best)1 tablespoon flax seed oil

Bring the water to boil. Boil grated ginger for 2 min-utes. Add broccoli, burdock root and chili beans, bring backto boil and boil 1 minute. Add kale and tofu and boil 30 sec-onds. Turn heat to low. Add almond butter and stir until dis-solved. Add scallions, tofu and seaweed and stir briefly. Turnoff heat. Add miso paste last, and to taste. Stir until dissolved.(When re-heating the soup, do not boil as it destoys the liveenzymes!) Pour into bowls and add 1 tablespoon of flax oil ineach bowl. Rotate different veggies and beans for variety. Ifyou feel really industrious, cook up some squash, puree it, andadd it to the soup (this is really delicious!).


What is organic food?According to the Organic Foods Production Association ofNorth America (OFPANA) in Greenfield, MA, organic refersnot to the food itself, but to how it is produced. Organic foodproduction is based on a system of farming that maintains andreplenishes the fertility of the soil. Organic foods are producedwithout the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertiliz-ers. Organic foods are minimally processed to maintain theintegrity of the food without artificial ingredients, preserva-tives or irradiation. Organic means as natural as possible.

What is organic certification?"Certified organic" means that the food has been grown ac-cording to strict uniform standards which are verified by inde-pendent state or private organizations. Certification includesinspections of farm fields and processing facilities, detailedrecord keeping and periodic testing of soil and water to ensurethat growers and handlers are meeting the standards whichhave been set. Organic certification is the public's assurance

Organic growing: The safer & tastier way of growing food

ADD/ADHD: A natural cure overviewGather Information1) Read “Natural Treatments for ADD/ADHD and Hyperac-tivity” by Dr. Skye Weintraub, N.D.2) Read “Why Your Child is Hyperactive” by Ben Feingold,M.D.3) Visit The HANDLE Institute’s Web site: www.handle.org4) Surf the Web for “Holistic Treatment of ADD/ADHD” &scan the various Web sites.

Improve The Diet & Take Supplements1) Eliminate all foods with preservatives and additives of anykind.2) Eliminate or reduce dramatically all sugar foods, includingcandy, baked goods, soft drinks (7 teaspoons of sugar!), gum,honey, syrup, sugar cereals, etc.3) Don’t use chemical sugar substitutes such as Aspartame (seewww.greenermagazine.com/aspartame.html).4) Use herbal sugar substitutes such as stevia.5) Minimize eating packaged foods and instead eat fresh food.6) Reduce or eliminate dairy, which has been shown to cause aller-gies in children. Children don’t require it to be healthy.7) Eat mostly or all organic, whole foods.8) Eat flax seed oil daily, because the Omega 3 fatty acids buildthe white fatty myelin sheath on connective neural fibers.9) Take a good mineral supplement and a green superfood suchas Spirulina, Blue Green Algae or Chlorella.10) Drink fresh organic carrot and beet juice for superior nu-trition several times a week.

Visit Holistic Practitioners1) Go to The HANDLE Institute in Seattle—they have theneurological understanding that’s missing with most otherholistic practitioners. Based on research into the cause and cure

of ADD/ADHD, The HANDLE Institute’s programs are es-sential for the successful reversing of ADD. Their number is:206-860-2665 or visit www.handle.org2) See a naturopathic doctor. Get a full physical, including ablood test and heavy metal toxicity test. A Naturopath will helpget the bio-chemical balance back to optimum levels.3) Cranio-sacral therapy has been shown to improve ADD/ADHD symptoms.4) Consider other holistic therapies such as acupuncture, net-work chiropractic care and even massage.

Interacting with an ADD/ADHD Child1) Allow him to rock, drum or otherwise move when you aretalking to him, because the movement keeps his vestibular sys-tem working so he can pay attention (See article II).2) Allow her to look away when talking with her, because thenshe doesn’t have to be overloaded with visual information whilefocusing on the cognitive meaning of your words.3) Remove the child from fluorescent lighting—the fast flick-ering causes severe disturbances for ADD/ADHD children (askthe child’s teacher to move him next to a window seat).4) Create a peaceful, quiet and visually non-distracting envi-ronment where he can do schoolwork.5) Give only one command at a time, and allow more timethan usual for the child to respond. Wait until the task is com-pleted before giving another task.

Additional NotesFor most adults and children, ADD/ADHD is quite curable,so don’t be intimidated by anyone who tells you otherwise. Ifyou follow the above guidelines, you can expect to see positiveresults, probably within three months, if not sooner.

that their food and products have been grown and handledwithout persistent toxic inputs.

Why Eat Organic?When you purchase organic foods, you're supporting a com-plete agriculture system that:- Reduces the amount of toxic and persistent chemicals in ourfood supply;- Protects the health of future generations by creating long-term solutions to agricultural problems;- Uses practices that eliminate polluting chemicals and reducesnitrogen leaching, thus protecting and conserving our waterresources;- Supports farmers who replenish and maintain soil fertilityand build a biologically diverse agriculture; and- Produce foods that taste better because well-balanced soilsgrow healthy plants which make vegetables and fruits taste likethey're right off the farm.

Msio Soup & ADD/ADHD Overview



Potent Supplements for ADD/ADHD

By Larry Cook

Eating an organic, whole-food diet with no refined sugar isthe best diet for children with ADD/ADHD. Unfortunately,

such a diet may not be enough nutritional support to bring thebiochemical imbalances back to normal. In this article I coversome of the most common supplements which will help build asolid nutritional foundation for any child with ADD/ADHD.Consult with a naturopathic physician for specific herbal and/or homeopathic remedies that can be helpful to your child.

WHOLE FOOD SUPPLEMENTSIf you walk into a natural food store, the number of availablesupplements is mind boggling. Probably the most importanttype of supplement to take on a regular basis is called a “wholefood” supplement. The supplements are so named because eachpackaged supplement is derived from a plant source(s)—it’s anot synthetic creation—and because the processing of thesupplement is primarily intended only to remove moisture andany harmful microorganisms so as to preserve as many vitalnutrients as possible. The result is an unadulterated source ofhigh-quality nutrients just the way Mother Nature makes them.

Most natural food stores organize this category of supple-ments into a specific section, making it easier for them to befound. You’ll find products such as: alfalfa, barley grass, chlo-rella, spirulina, wild blue-green algae (Aphanizomenon flos-acquae), as well as custom blends which sport many or all ofthe above mentioned plants and algae. Go to the “green foods”or “whole foods” section of the supplement isle, or ask a clerkwhere they can be found.

ChlorophyllWhat’s particularly unique to all green whole food supplementsis that they contain large amounts of chlorophyll. Chlorophyllis the molecule that absorbs sunlight and uses its energy tosynthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. Thisprocess is known as photosynthesis and is the basis for sustain-ing the life processes of all plants. Since animals and humansobtain their food supply by eating plants, photosynthesis canbe said to be the source of our life also.

Interestingly, the molecular structure between chlorophylland our hemoglobin (red blood cells) is remarkably similar.The main difference is that the central atom in chlorophyll ismagnesium, whereas in hemoglobin it’s iron. Thus, chloro-phyll is considered a major blood purifier, and is very benefi-cial to overall health.

According to Paul Pitchford, author of “Healing withWhole Foods,” chlorophyll is attributed to numerous healthbenefits: it stops bacterial growth in wounds, eliminates badbreath and body odor, removes drug deposits, counteracts alltoxins, builds blood, renews tissue, counteracts radiation, pro-motes healthful intestinal flora, activates enzymes to producevitamins A, D, and K, reverses anemic conditions, reduces highblood pressure, strengthens the immune system, relieves nervous-ness and serves as a mild diuretic.1 The following green supple-ments contain high amounts of chlorophyll (some more thanothers) to give you the benefit of it’s highly rejuvenating effect.

AlfalfaAlfalfa, as a liquid extract, has a rich mineral profile and abun-dant chlorophyll. Alfalfa roots can dig down over 100 feet,giving it access to minerals and trace minerals that other plantscan’t acquire.

The Arabs were the first to name alfalfa, which means“father of all foods.”2 Alfalfa cleans and tones the intestinesand takes harmful acids out of the blood. It contains eightenzymes which help assimilate protein, fats and carbohydrates.It’s rich in protein, carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, potas-sium, phosphorus, sodium, sulfur, silicon, cobalt and zinc, andhas vitamins K and P. The minerals are in a balanced form,which promotes absorption.

Barley GrassBarley is an annual cereal plant that has been cultivated forhundreds of years. Although in the past the grain of the barleywas mainly used, the true nutrition of barley is in its leaves—the young green shoots that form before the grain. Barleygrass—the green shoots of the barley—is reputed to be theonly vegetation on earth that can supply sole nutritional sup-port from birth to old age.

Barley grass has an astounding amount of vitamins andminerals. Some of the vitamins in green barley grass are five Bvitamins, including Vitamin B12. It also contains folic acid,panthothenic acid, B1, B2, B6, beta carotene, and C and E.And recent laboratory analysis on green barley grass has turnedup traces of more than 70 minerals, among them calcium, iron,magnesium, and phosphorus (which is determined, in part, tothe soil conditions).

Barley grass also contains 18 amino acids, which are thebuilding blocks of proteins. Because barley green’s proteins arepolypeptides, or smaller proteins, they can be directly absorbedby the blood.

Green barley grass is also said to have a high alkalizingeffect (the body is naturally a little alkaline but becomes acidicwith an animal food diet), because it contains the buffer min-erals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

ChlorellaChlorella, spirulina and wild blue-green algae (Aphanizomenonflos-acquae) are micro-algae (spirulina and wild blue-green al-gae are mentioned in amoment). All three micro-algaes con-tain the highest sources of chlorophyll, protein, beta-caroteneand nucleic acids of any animal or plant food, making thesemicro-algae some of the best possible supplements you cantake on a regular basis. Chlorella contains 10 to 100 timesmore chlorophyll than leafy green vegetables.

Chlorella is grown in controlled mediums where miner-als are added to optimize the algae for human consumption.The small size of chlorella requires centrifuge-type harvestingand special processing to improve the digestibility of the toughouter wall, which tends to make it more expensive thanspirulina. However, the cell wall binds to heavy metals, pesti-cides and carcinogens such as PCBs and escorts the toxins outof the body, making it a valuable supplement.

Chlorella has less protein and a fraction of the beta-caro-tene as spirulina, but more than twice the nucleic acid and


chlorophyll. Nucleic acid (RNA/DNA) in the body is respon-sible for cell renewal, growth and repair. Insufficient nucleicacid causes premature aging and a weakened immune system.Chlorella is also abundant in iron, zinc and vitamin A, givingthe immune system a boost.

SpirulinaSpirulina is a naturally digestible food that helps protect theimmune system, lower cholesterol and facilitate mineral ab-sorption. Just like chlorella, spirulina is high in chlorophyll,protein, beta-carotene and nucleic acids. Interestingly, the pro-tein digestibility of spirulina is rated at 85%, versus about 20%for beef.3

The cell wall of spirulina is composed entirely of muco-polysaccharides (MPs), which are complex sugars interlacedwith amino acids, simple sugars and sometimes protein. MPsare fully digestible and help strengthen body tissues, especiallythe connective tissues, which makes them more elastic and re-silient. MPs also help reinforce the tissues of the heart andguard against artery deterioration.

Spirulina is packed with other nutrients including vita-min B12, a nutrient that many believe is only available fromanimal foods (although some scientists dispute just how bio-available the B-12 is in spirulina). It has a rich supply of theblue pigment phycocyanin, a biliprotein which has been shownto inhibit cancer-colony formation.

This amazing whole food detoxifies the kidneys and liver,builds and enriches the blood, cleanses the arteries, enhancesintestinal flora, and inhibits the growth of fungi, bacteria, andyeasts. A number of manufacturers make it available as a pow-der, capsule or tablet, and you may want to buy it for less moneyin the bulk section. Just stir it into your favorite juice drink.

Wild Blue-Green Algae (Aphanizomenon flos-acquae)Wild Blue-Green Algae (Aphanizomenon flos-acquae) growswithout human intervention in Upper Klamath Lake in South-ern Oregon, making it a particularly unique whole-food supple-ment. Upper Klamath Lake is on average only 8 feet deep, yetthe Wild Blue-Green Algae feeds on a mineral rich sedimentthat is believed to be at least 35 feet deep. This single-celledmicro-algae was first harvested over 15 years ago in one of themost diverse and rich wetland habitats in North America, andis harvested at the peak of its bloom in Summer, and thenquickly freeze-dried to preserve its nutritional profile and en-zymatic activity.

One attribute that makes it a favorite among people whotake whole food supplements is that it grows wild and is har-vested directly from the lake, rather than grown in large vatsby humans, such as spirulina and chlorella. Many believe thatit is the “wild” nature that gives it such an excellent nutritionalprofile. The chlorophyll content is twice as high as spirulina.

Aphanizomenon flos-acquae (AFA) is nutritional pow-erhouse. Over 98% of its nutrients can be used directly by thebody in the same form. AFA contains up to 68% more proteinby weight than any other whole food, and in the shape andform that the body requires to use it. Amino acids are the build-ing blocks of proteins and muscle tissue, and AFA contains all8 essential amino acids, in the correct profile, for optimumabsorption and use by our bodies.

AFA has high concentrations of the building blocks “neu-ropeptides” to help repair, rebuild and strengthen neurotrans-

mitters in the brain, so that the brain’s neurons, or nerve cells,can communicate at optimum effectiveness with the rest ofthe body, which is great for ADD/ADHD children. Interest-ingly, nearly 50% of its lipid content is the essential fatty acidalpha-linolenic acid (Omega-3). Omega-3 fatty acids supportthe immune system and build the white fatty myelin sheathon connective neural fibers in the brain. People who eat AFAon a regular basis report an overall increase in mental alertness,mental stamina, short and long term memory, problem solv-ing, creativity and greater sense of well being.

AFA has a full spectrum of naturally chelated mineralsand trace minerals, giving the body the best access to thesevital nutrients. There is also a wide range of vitamins found inAFA. One gram of Wild Blue Green Algae gives 48% of therecommended daily requirement of Vitamin B-1 (beta caro-tene), 133% of Vitamin B-12, and significant amounts of allthe B Vitamins. B vitamins are required for optimum nervefunction, something that ADD/ADHD children often lack.

The cell protein wall of AFA is a source of glycogen, usedby the liver for energy, which is one reason why people oftenreport an increase in energy once they start eating it.

AFA gives the body many nutrients difficult to obtainfrom other sources, which could be why many people who eatit report that it has helped offset obesity, depression, autism,hypoglycemia, diabetes, ADD/ADHD, anemia, ulcers andmany other symptoms of nutritional deficiency.

Wheat Grass Juice“15 pounds of wheat grass is equal in overall nu-

tritional value to 350 pounds of ordinary garden veg-etables. We have not even scratched the surface ofwhat grass can mean to man in the future.”4

—Dr. Charles Schnabel, Father of Wheat Grass

In 1930, American Dr. Charles Franklin Schnabel dis-covered that feeding young oat grass to 108 hens helped themovercome disease, and soon afterward doubled what is consid-ered to be normal egg production. With a background in agri-cultural chemistry and soil fertility, his interest was so perkedby this discovery that he began a quest to find out if younggrass from grains could improve the health of other animals,and humans. For years he fed the young grass to animals andhumans and had the grass analyzed at laboratories. He discov-ered that grass from grains, especially barely and wheat, waspacked with all the necessary nutrients we require to survive—in abundance—and that when grass was fed to animals andhumans, they overcame disease and attained vibrant health.By 1940 Dr. Schnabel’s research proved to be so valuable tothe health of Americans that cans of his grass were for sale inmajor drug stores throughout the United States and Canada.

Unfortunately, WWII changed all that. After the end ofthe war, large corporations shifted the American eating andmedical lifestyle to chemicals and drugs, and with that, thecompanies that Dr. Schnabel associated with dropped out ofdistributing his grass. By 1950, Americans had been shiftedfrom a natural “cure” approach to healthcare to a synthetic“manage symptoms” approach to healthcare, and it wouldn’tbe until the 1970’s when grass would make a comeback intoour lives, largely due to a few committed individuals. Today,you can find fresh wheat grass juice in most natural food storesand juice bars because of those pioneers, and for good reason.




Grass from grains (e.g. barely, wheat, oat, kamut andrye)—when harvested right before they switch from vegetativegrowth to reproductive growth (e.g. to produce a grain)—are apowerhouse of nutrition. Think of how massive cows, ante-lope, deer, bison, elephants and many other animals become—just from eating grass! That’s because grass has all major andminor minerals we require, they’re packed full of vitamins—including all the B vitamins (even B-12), have all the essentialamino acids and then some (20), contain essential fatty acids,pack in over 80 enzymes, provide protein in the form of poly-peptides which allows for faster assimilation over meat pro-tein, and are very abundant in chlorophyll.

When chlorophyll releases the magnesium bond, a cel-lular vortex starts sucking in heavy metals and cleansing theblood. Thus, chlorophyll is considered a major blood purifier,and when blood is purified, the whole body begins to get puri-fied. Chlorophyll has the unique ability to be absorbed directlythrough the mucous membranes, especially those of the nose,throat and digestive tract.

Wheat grass juice is usually consumed daily in 1 or 2ounce “shots” for health maintenance and 4 or more ounces aday (for adults) during cleansing and/or for overcoming healthchallenges. The sweetness of the juice is part of its power—thesugar in the grass helps deliver the chlorophyll quickly into thebloodstream and the sugars crystallize in the intestinal tract,which draws toxins out from the tissues. One ounce of wheatgrass juice can contain up to 18,000 units of beta-carotene (pre-curser of vitamin A—an immune builder), has abundant vita-min E (which fights cancer growth) and a large amount of vita-min K (for proper blood clotting). The juice is loaded withenzymes which help detoxify harmful substances.

Although a nutrition powerhouse, probably the mostunique aspect of fresh wheat grass juice is its “aliveness.” This“liquid sunshine” is alive with the electromagnetic life force(sometimes referred to as “Chi” or “Qi” energy) and when thatconcentrated energy enters the body, it has a profound healingeffect on everything it comes in contact with.

You can either drink the juice at your local juice bar ornatural food store, or buy a wheat grass juicer (different from avegetable juicer) for around $200 and juice wheat grass at home.Whoever sells wheat grass juice can usually sell you trays of it.

OTHER ESSENTIAL SUPPLEMTS

Probiotics (friendly bacteria)Probiotics, literally meaning “for life,” is a term used to de-scribe the “friendly bacteria” which inhabit the small and largeintestines. There are at least 400 known different species ofmicroflora that live in the human gastrointestinal tract. Thereare billions of these bacteria, which amounts to about 3 poundsof bacteria for each adult. The most important bacteria areacidophilus (Lactobacillus acidophilus) which inhabit the smallintestine, and bifidus (Bifidobacterium bifidum) which inhabitthe large intestine.

Children who eat a lot of sugar usually have impairedintestinal tract flora, and that flora is vital to a healthy im-mune system. When the flora is out of whack, due to poor dietand sugar, the immune system is weakened, and then ear in-fections become likely. And, as you learned earlier, ear infec-tions can lead directly to ADD/ADHD symptoms.

All of our organs are important, but the colon requires

our attention first, because when it doesn’t function properly,it affects the ability of all other organs to function properly.The friendly bacteria acidopholis and bifidus are two supple-ments I suggest to take daily because they are easily destroyedby factors such as: anti-biotics, stress, sugar, alcohol, high meat/fat diets, drugs and poor diet.

The small intestine is involved in the digestion, absorp-tion, and transport of food. In the small intestine, food breaksdown further after passing through the stomach, and the ab-sorption of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and fattakes place. Microvilli—hair-like projections along the wall ofthe small intestine—perform two important functions: theyprovide necessary surface area for the absorption of nutrientsand they help move food through the small intestine. Acido-philus helps to keep the spaces between the microvilli clear sothey can function efficiently. Acidophilus promotes the normalperistalsis (movement of food) through the small intestine.

Acidophilus plays a role in the prevention of and defenseagainst disease, especially of the gastrointestinal tract and va-gina. As part of the “normal flora,” they inhibit growth of harm-ful organisms through competition for nutrients, alteration ofPH to a more acidic level, and shifting oxygen levels to thedetriment of pathogens (disease causing organisms). They alsoprevent the attachment of pathogens to attachment sites byattaching themselves to those sites.

Other benefits of acidophilus include: production of theirown vitamins which are absorbed into the blood; the synthesisof many of the B vitamins, including biotin and folic acid; anincrease in the absorption of calcium, phosphorus and magne-sium; normalization of cholesterol levels in the blood; produc-tion of digestive enzymes; and they help maintain bowel regu-larity. Taking acidophilus supplements has shown to help re-duce or eliminate yeast infections of Candida albicans in boththe intestines and the vagina and reduce or stop urinary tractinfections. Because this friendly bacteria promotes good intes-tinal functioning, it has been found useful in helping over-come many other diseases.5

Bifidus helps repopulate the large intestine with friendlybacteria to create a favorable environment for the growth of“good bacteria” to keep the large intestine healthy. Bifidus lowersthe pH of the intestines, manufactures specific B-vitamins,ensures regular bowel movements, and can help stop gas andbloating while promoting proper immune function and over-all health.

Taking acidophilus and bifidus supplements on a dailybasis is highly recommended. I use Cell Tech brand, which con-tain over 1.2 billion live bacteria per capsule at the time of manu-facture. Interestingly, Cell Tech mixes into their friendly bacte-ria products the wild blue green algae from Upper Klamath Lake,and the algae helps ensure that as many bacteria as possible sur-vive the trip through the stomach acid to the intestines.

EnzymesEnzymes are considered the “sparks of life.” Without enzymes,all life ceases to exist. For this reason, enzymes are said to pos-ses a life force. These energized protein molecules play a neces-sary role in virtually all biochemical activities throughout thebody. They are required to digest food and to repair tissue,organs and cells. In fact, they regulate and govern all livingcells in plants and animals, and are responsible for providingthe energy to all biochemical reactions that occur in nature.


And they can’t be synthesized by Man.Enzymes and coenzymes (molecules that help enzymes

do their job) work together to either join molecules togetheror split them apart by making or breaking the chemical bondsthat join molecules together. Most enzymes are composed of aprotein along with an essential mineral and possibly a vitamin.

There are three major classifications of enzymes: meta-bolic, digestive and food. Metabolic and digestive enzymes areproduced in the body, but food enzymes are not—they onlycome from food. Furthermore, processing food or cooking itabove 112 degrees destroys food enzymes.

Metabolic enzymes are the workers that build the bodyfrom proteins, carbohydrates and fats. All of our body’s organs,tissues and cells are run by these enzymes. They are responsiblefor chemical reactions within cells, such as energy productionand detoxification. Each body tissue has its own specific set ofmetabolic enzymes. You cannot take a supplement for theseenzymes—they are produced only in our bodies.

Digestive enzymes are secreted along the gastrointestinaltract and help break down foods, enabling the nutrients to beabsorbed into the bloodstream. Our bodies manufacture and se-crete about 24 different digestive enzymes depending on the typeof food we eat. Digestive enzymes break down food particles forstorage in the liver or muscles. This stored energy is later con-verted by other enzymes for use by the body when needed.

Food enzymes are not made by the body, and are vulner-able to processing and heat above 112 degrees. These valuableenzymes predigest the food we eat, and when we get them inour diet or as a supplement, they aid greatly in digestion andabsorption of nutrients. However, when we don’t get them, anundue strain is placed on our digestive enzymes, hampering thefull digestion process designed by Nature: internally produceddigestion enzymes working synergistically with food producedenzymes for maximum digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

The three major food enzymes are: Amylase, to breakdown starches into sugars; Lipase, to break down fats into fattyacids, and Protease to break down proteins into amino acids.Protease is also used therapeutically for digesting viruses, bac-teria and eliminating allergies.

Enzymes can be found in many different plant foods,but the plant must be fresh and whole for there to be live en-zymes (unless it’s been specifically processed to retain the en-zymes). Some foods that contain high amounts of enzymesinclude avocados, papayas, pineapples, bananas and mangos.Sprouts is one of the richest sources of enzymes. Many compa-nies process these foods into enzyme supplements. Some pick-led foods, as well as miso paste, also contain live enzymes. If atleast half of the food you eat is not organic, whole, and raw,then you may want to take a daily enzyme supplement.

Flaxseed Oil (for Omega-3 and 6 Essential Fatty Acids)Flaxseed oil is one of the best sources for essential fatty

acids—the basic building blocks of fats—which are essentialfor normal cell structure and body function. These essentialfatty acids, called Omega-3 and Omega-6 (with the numberbased on its carbon to hydrogen ratio), are called essential be-cause our bodies do not manufacture them, yet are requiredfor proper functioning of nerve cells and cell membrane walls,and help create hormone-like substances called prostaglandins.

All cells throughout the body are enveloped by a mem-brane composed mostly of essential fatty acids in a form of

compounds called phospholipids. Phospholipids play a majorrole in determining the integrity and fluidity of cell membranes.The type of fat consumed determines the type of phospho-lipid in the cell membrane. Unfortunately, the Standard Ameri-can Diet (SAD) severely lacks essential fatty acids, and insteadis high in saturated fats, animal fatty acids, cholesterol andtrans fatty acids (due to chemical and high-heat processing ofnuts into oils as well as the hydrogenation of oils), which givesour cells the wrong ratio of fatty acids. This imbalance leads tocell membranes which have less fluid than optimum, makingit virtually impossible for cell membranes to do their primaryfunction—to act as a selective barrier that regulates the pas-sage of nutrients and wastes in and out of the cell.

Without a healthy membrane, cells lose their ability tohold water, vital nutrients and electrolytes. And they lose theirability to communicate with other cells and be controlled byregulating hormones. A diet high in animal foods, combinedwith improperly processed oils (heat/chemical extraction andhydrogenation) puts us a great risk.

On the flip side, research has shown that diets high inOmega-3 fatty acids help prevent heart attacks, lower bloodpressure, reduce allergies, reduce inflamation, relieve or reversesymptoms of multiple sclerosis, offers anti-cancer propertiesand has been used to help effectively combat a host of degen-erative diseases.6 This is because the essential fatty acids 3 and6 are also transformed into regulatory compounds known asprostaglandins, and then the essential fatty acids and prostag-landins regulate steroid production and hormone synthesis;regulate pressure in the eye, joints and blood vessels; mediateimmune response; regulate bodily secretions and their viscos-ity; dialate or constrict blood vessels; regulate the rate cells di-vide; regulate the flow of substances in and out of cells; trans-port oxygen from the red blood cell to bodily tissues; regulatenerve transmission and fulfill a host of other bodily functionsas well. As you can see, essential fatty acids are, well—essen-tial—in our diet, yet few of us get enough because most of usdon’t eat foods which are high in essential fatty acids and we eatfoods which diminish or neutralize these required fatty acids.

Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in raw nuts, seeds, andlegumes, and in unsaturated vegetable oils such as flaxseed oil,borage oil, grape seed oil, primrose oil, sesame oil and soybeanoil. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in deepwater fish, fishoil, and vegetable oils such as canola oil, walnut oil and flaxseedoil.7 Based on my research, I believe that organic, expeller-pressedflaxseed oil is the best source of omega-3 and omega-6 essentialfatty acids. Flaxseed oil contains 58% omega-3 fatty acid, whichis twice the amount found in fish oil. Plus, with fish oil, there’sa possibility of pesticide/chemical residue contamination.

Two tablespoons of flaxseed oil a day seems to be therecommendation by most sources. I pour some on my morn-ing miso soup, and the nutty flavor of flax oil is also deliciouson salads, baked foods such as potatoes, and on bread. You’llfind this oil in the supplement refrigerator section of the natu-ral food store, encased in an opaque bottle to keep it fromgoing rancid. Omega Nutrition and Barleans are my two fa-vorite brands.

Endnotes are Continued on page 9




Larry CookPublisher213-422-2066

This publication is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

As you have read, ADD/ADHD is reversible, whencertain procedures are followed. The importance ofswitching to a whole food, organic diet withoutrefined sugar cannot be stressed enough. In my opin-ion, visiting The HANDLE Institute is essential so thatthe child’s neurological challenges can be assessedand a program implemented to address those chal-lenges. Finally, taking high quality supplements willhelp bring the child back to full health. I recommendCell Tech brand wild-blue green algae, acidophilusand enzymes. Check out their products at:http://healthyfutures.net/HealthySolutionsand/or call Jan Warren at: 888-841-7648 for moreinformation. We’re here to support you!

For additional copies, please call 213-422-2066

There is hope: ADD/ADHD is curable!

ADD/ADHD families report positive resultsusing HANDLE® home-implemented therapy

“Sit still and listen” are two contradictory demandsfor people with attentional priority disorders. To see howThe HANDLE Institute treats attentional disorders, readthe three-part series on ADD/ADHD by The EcoVisionJournal at: www.theecovisionjournal.com.

After just 3 weeks a mother writes:“I just received one of the most wonderful phone calls EVER! It was from my son’s teacher. Youcan imagine my first reaction—Uh Oh, here we go. She was calling to tell me what beautifulwork he is doing and how hard he is working. She just couldn’t believe that the only time hestarts to have a little problem is towards the end of the day. I give full credit to HANDLE!”

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Documents

Attentional Priority Disorder Attention Deficit · 2005-03-28 · ADD/ADHD: The Causes & Natural Cures I n this first of a three-part series which examines Atten-tion Deficit Hyperactivity