Your article does a great job addressing the best way to work with children. I've worked with teens in the school system for over 20 years and know that most teens eat fast food and sleep less than 8 hours a night - I did it myself as a teen. Luckily there was a focus on fresh, healthy food at home. I did reach out to learn more about food when I realized that many poorly performing children ages 11-19 were being raised on take out/canned or frozen food and rarely if ever tasted fresh food except for occassional fruit!
If we don't learn to value food at home it's difficult to realize its' importance. I wish all schools taught this type of information to save children from the side effects of medicines and more importantly the damage of growing up thinking there's something wrong with them - that they're bad. . I think many people are unaware of the 504 law which mandates schools to provide children with any type of accommodation requested by doctors based on a diagnosis. This means laptop computers for students with dysgraphia, short breaks during exams, and a host of other individualized accommodations that can be had without a student being labed as 'special education" (see
http://www.mpf.org/SPIN/FAQ%20Sheets/504IDEA.html for more info).
Thank you for helping Jayson and the many others, and for mainstreaming this type of information.

I am a pediatric occupational therapist and have been fighting the "good nutrition" battle with doctors, colleagues and families for years. One of the first things I always look at is the child's diet/eating habits. However, only rarely have I gotten compliance when suggesting nutritional changes. For some reason, most of the doctors in my area will prescribe drugs at the drop of a hat but will not back up recommendations for dietary changes. Unfortunately, most of my families see the MD as the be all/end all authority in this area. I have even thought about returning to school to obtain an additional degree in order to have more "authority" in this area. Any suggestions/recommendations as to how to get through to these families in order to help their children would be greatly appreciated...and YES..I am definitely making copies of this article and writing samples to hand out at the clinic today.
Thank you Dr. Hyman

I've been concerned about my nephew's health for years now. He is 13 and has been on ADHD meds for approx 6 yrs. He has a lot of Jayson's symptoms. Allergies very badly, poor diet (which is mainly Mom's fault) and at one time has something called Apecia? - where patches of his hair fell out. His doctor constantly perscribes meds which I hate. I don't believe in so many kids on drugs for behavior some of it is just being a kid. How did our teachers make it w/out riddalin? In our area all doctors give meds. We don't have doctors like u that want to go to the root of the problems. How do I find someone to have Jake checked out? I'd take him myself if I knew who and where to take him. As far as nutrition, how do u make a kid eat well when the parent doesn't and won't? Please help w/any info u can.

Thanks,
Tammy

What can I do to convince my pediatrician to test for food allergies? Every time I ask all he wants is a food log for my children. That’s great but I have 3 kids a full time job and a 3 hour commute everyday. Granted that sounds like a lot of excuses, regardless I can’t very well make my 6 year old keep a food log everyday. Both my eleven year old and six year old seem to have allergies but I can pinpoint what they are. I believe my six year old has ADHA and my eleven year old always has stomach aches and gas. I have never had allergies so I don’t know anything about them. If I know what the problem is I can adjust the way they eat. Do you have any suggestions on how to convince the doctor to test for allergies?

I am trained in the work of Dr. Tomatis, which uses filtered music for memory enhancement, better school achievement, and many other tissues. I have found that first of all treating allergies and adding supplements makes my work more successful. The ear and the eye work together so for many people the use of filtered Mozart gets them going visually as well, and that in turn affects reading, and creativity, for starters. It helps with digestion depression and stress reduction, but the nutritional compnent is the one i address first. Sometimes I don't need to do anything more than refer them for allergies. I very much appreciate what Dr. Hyman is doing to raise consciousness about health issues that are normally ignored, in favor of the "putting out fires" model of medicine. Roberta Prada

Dear Dr. Hyman:
I usually read with interest your articles, but this is outstanding. Their implicancies ar far beyond for the Latino Community everywhere.
I have to ask your permission to translate your article to Spanish and then, after your approval, diseminate amongst tha Latino media and several of my friends in USA and Latin America.
I hope you can grant me with your aproval.
Regards
Wilfredo Bohorquez

I have followed your suggestions (phase 1 and 2)and made it a new way of life for myself and my husband and children. I don't suffer the PMS I did in years past and my daughter can better concentrate. My husband has lost 30 lbs and I have lost about 20.

My daughter was always been an "A" and "B" student and is now an all "A" student. She finishes her homework in a more timely manner and her soccer game has improved too! It seems her focus is more finely tuned.

My son, who is 8 and visits every other weekend, is trying to take on his own health matters. He's about 25 lbs overweight. He claims to have cut back on the "bad food" at his mom's and shows her the food to buy to help him be healthier when he's with her.

This has been the toughest part for us. It's so apparent; his weight, coughing, weezing, zero stamina on the playground and on his football team and his overall swollen appearance. It breaks my heart. When he's here with us, eating healthy and exercising at the park, it seems so foreign to him. When we drive by a fast food place he begs us to stop because he's "starving" for a jumbo jack!!!! We don't, of course, but when his mom picks him up on Sunday, she will greet him at the door with a greasy bag from somewhere.

When we were on vacation this summer, he was able to follow a healthy lifestyle and even lost some weight. He looked like a million bucks. In just that week, he lost that swollen look and was able to sleep better too.

We've tried everything, including court mediation, to help our little guy out. His mother and grandmother are killing him and we feel so helpless. How can we help?

My son has noticed the changes in all of us and even told me my butt was small! I'm sure he wants to feel like he did while we were on vacation, but we seem to be going in circles. Any thoughts or suggestions?

My son, younger daughter, and I were all diagnosed with ADHD in the last year and a half. The symptoms are real, all right, and explained so much of my life! I was glad to be able to take the medicine (dexedrine) and see so many things I'd been missing, like social cues and "subtexts," and to have a sense of perspective for once. This amphetamine actually calmed a lot of my anxiety; life is more secure when you can trust your brain to do what you want it to do. I also quite willingly gave my kids Ritalin, so that they would not have to suffer through ADHD the way I did.

When I read Ultrametabolism, it was because it made sense health-wise; my weight was already healthy. I decided to try an elimination diet. We got rid of preservatives and processed foods, as well as dairy and gluten and most sugar. (I figured that getting rid of all the common allergic foods at once would cause mutiny.)

The first week was sheer misery; we started the diet and the year's homeschooling in the same week. I realized later that it was exacerbated by the fact that, indeed, my kids were withdrawing from foods.

My older daughter (no ADD) actually noticed improvement first. Her eczema, which had caused her to have lesions on most of her fingers for about a year despite daily applications of Elidel, was almost entirely clear after two weeks! (I had also started her on probiotics, so I'm investigating the Candida angle now.) And when we rechallenged her with gluten, she grew anxious, so I think she is sensitive to gluten.

My younger daughter, who had been throwing tantrums, lying (and sticking with her lies) to cover impulsive breaking of rules, and constantly picking at her older brother, was a different kid after two weeks! She fessed up to a misdeed, telling me she needed to spend her 15 minutes in her room. She walked away from another kid who was trying to provoke a fight. And she was pleasant and fun to be around! One sandwich as a rechallenge, and 36 hours later, she was back to the old negative behaviors. (We won't do another rechallenge.) I think the rechallenge on dairy is making it harder for her to focus. Even off dairy and gluten, she still has ADHD; it's just milder.

My son doesn't seem to be much affected by either gluten or dairy. He still has ADD even off both.

I can't tell that either has helped my ADD (I'm not hyperactive), but I'm less fatigued now that I'm taking the supplements and am off gluten and dairy. (I haven't rechallenged, mostly out of solidarity with my younger daughter.) I am now investigating the possibility of Candidiasis for me.

I don't believe that ADHD is always caused by food sensitivities or the like; it's been described in the medical literature for much longer than we've been processing foods and eating gluten and milk in every bite. Most people think that ADHD is probably several different conditions, with several different causes. Our family is participating in an NIH genetic study to help the scientists sort this out.

I'm also not anti-Ritalin; this has been a Godsend to people who haven't known about any other (effective) therapies. Even if I knew it would take a few years off of my life or those of my kids, I'd give it to them and take it myself because a shorter life without ADHD symptoms is better than a long life with them. (Just because someone is achieving a lot in life does not mean that the ADHD is not hurting them! There are emotional issues to consider, not just academic!) Also, the medicine for ADD made me capable of planning, organizing, and cooking three meals a day that followed a diet counter to everything that you find in a regular grocery store. I couldn't have followed Dr. Hyman's advice without the medicine.

All that said, I think that when someone is diagnosed with ADHD, there ought to be testing for levels of heavy metals in the body, as well as for several different allergies and sensitivities. Especially with an elimination diet, there is no risk, and it costs the medical system nothing. There's no reason NOT to try it. We didn't get all that -- but we're going to now, one way or the other! If I can eliminate the ADD entirely, through diet, environment, and supplements, I prefer that to medicine of any kind!

I believe this child was misdiadnosed in the first place. He had food allergies that caused his
ADHD symptoms but did not have the disorder. It seems many kids are being misdiagnosed. Doctors need to get better informed on healthy eating instead of jumping to use medication so quickly.

Thank You for your reserch, that allows these kids to GROW. Its just fantastic.
Blessed Be!

This is great.Can you refer me to a professional like yourself in the state of Florida (south Florida)? I looked at the list of Functional Medicine and was not able to conect with one.

I have a son Joshua that was diagnosed with sensory intergation dysfuntion and ADHD. Josh went through occupational therapy for one and a half years. He did not talk until he was five years old. Joshua is now eight years old. I have tried Focalin and Adderall, but the side effects are horrible. Joshua is very sensitive to loud noises. He also have sinusitis and uses Zyrtec for allegergies. Joshua also takes a multi-vitamin, vitamin C and DHA everyday. His ADHD symptoms presist and I am going completely out of my mind trying to help him. I have spent hundreds of dollars on remedies that are not effective. I change his diet to organic foods. Are there any doctors in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area who work in the same line of medicine that you work in? I will apprieciate any help that you can give. Thanks and God Bless

What a dramatic story! Good news for Jayson and family. What is holding back pediatricians from this approach? Several factors:

One is time. It takes more history taking, more lab work, careful analysis, and staying current with the medical literature.

Another is money. When drugs like Daytrana come out (the new ritalin patch), drug companies provide free continuing education credits, free meals, and nice pens to advertise their wares. Moreover, if we "cure" a patient, they're not going to be coming back every few weeks for refills!

Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics has established a section on holistic care (see http://www.aap.org/sections/chim/ ). A little step in the right direction.

Good morning, Dr. Hyman:

It is really “refreshing” to confirm that in the USA, our new country (we are originally from Peru), there are still Doctors that practice integrative/functional medicine and treat the patience as a “whole”, going to the “root” of the problem, which is the only “key to solve the puzzle”.

To find a doctor that believes in this type of medicine is a privilege and a miracle in this modern world (I am sure almost anywhere, now). We have not found any in the 17 years we are here and the few times we have gone to see a doctor.

The doctors that we have known and treated my granddaughter, whose practices and procedures we respect, have treated only the sicknesses, prescribed strong antibiotics, but have not wondered about the origin of the recurrent ear infections, or strepto-throat infections, or prescribed something to boost her immune system.

Also, they have only prescribed drugs to help her with concentrating (Metadate and Concerta). We gave her some Metadate, but threw away the Concerta, when it was prescribed.

I had been readng/researching a lot, and we took her to a chiropractic, and the treatment changed her mood in general, eliminated her leg pain she had been complaining for years (diagnosed as “growing pains” by the pediatricians and some former chiro, all who gave “0” importance ???) ; and gave her a daily teaspoon of Artic Cod Liver Oil. She is now a happy kid !!!

I believe in trying natural/alternative medicine (chiropractic, acupuncture, herbs, Emotional Freedom Techniques/Tapping [EFT], protection against Electro-Magnetic Fields [EMF], natural food/food prepared from scratch, etc.) for health, before the application of traditional medicine and its drugs that should be used only when strictly necessary.

From the reference you provide in your Web Site we will choose one Doctor and will take her for a thorough examination and analysis.

We are glad to know that “integral doctors still exist” and that “you are one of them”.

Thank you again for your help!

Sincerely,

Teresa E. Pinillos

Dear Dr. Hyman,
My daughter was diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder at 15 she is now 25. I have always thought that her behaviors were caused by food allergies but nobody including my daughter believed me. After reading this story I am more convinced then ever that this is true.
She had chronic diaper rash as an infant caused from the antibiotic she was given from birth to treat bronchitis. She never slept and when I took her to her pediatrition he told me to give her benadryl. I was desperate for sleep so I did. This cause more behavioral problems. Over the years starting at 2 yrs old I have looked for help from health professionals to no avail. One day I was watching Oprah and she had a mother on that had a son with the same types of behavior problems as my daughter. They helped her change his diet took him off all sugars and refined starches, and artificial dies. The imporvment was amazing! So I tried it on a small scale with my daughter she was only a little over a year old. The change in her was just as amazing. I taught her to say that sugar makes her mean to remind her that it wasn't good for her. When Amber was 2yrs I got married and my new husband was so thrilled to have a daughter he wanted to "spoil" her. Her behavior problems returned. I tried to
convince him that it was caused from the candy and pop he was feeding her behind my back but to no avial. I did what I could to keep her off of the sugar. Fixing healthy meals and supplimenting her diet with the vitimans that were avilable at the time. When my daughter started school the problems became worse. I would pack her a nutritous lunch and she would trade it for the Garbage they serve in our schools. They had vending machines filled with juck food and pop.
By the time she was 13yrs old her behavior was so out of control she had to be placed into foster care. She had tried several times to kill herself and me. I feel that I negleted my other two children emotionally because all of my time and energy went into helping my daughter.
She has gone from bad to worse. Had 2 children out of wedlock married a man that abused her, is on SSI and is unable to work because of her panic attacks. She has been on drugs and has lost the custody of both of her children to their fathers.
I tried to convince her that it is because of her food alliergies. I am going to show her this email and have her take it to her doctor. The hand writing of the child in your email looks just like Ambers. I hope that this finally convince her that she isn't crazy just sick and this is the cure. Thank you so much for your book and this email. I hope and pray it will change my daughters life.
Sincerely yours,
Elizabeth T. McQuistion

Thank you for sharing all of your medical knowledge. It is wonderful !
RE: Drinking green tea
I have heard so many good things about green tea and its benefits. I also read in another book that you shouldn't drink green tea if your adrenal glands are burned out (caffeine)? Also, tea from China may be grown using a lot of pesticides (not banned). Like anything else, perhaps the good outweighs the bad.
RE: Eggs. I had been boiling hard boiled omega 3 eggs and eating one or two in the morning mostly to curb my appetite and for the intake of protein. In the evenings, again, to curb my appetite, I would eat another one. In the last couple of months I have been diagnosed as anemic, iron deficient. I bought a book on anemia and learned there is such a thing as "the egg factor." Eggs can block the absorption of iron in the body. I am trying to learn why I am iron deficient now and I wasn't before. The doctors and the book both indicate normally it is due to a loss of blood. Why now and not previously in my life? I love dark green leafy vegetables. I am wondering if I had been consuming too many hard boiled eggs (and taking zinc supplements). I read that zinc can block the absorption of iron as well. - Thanks

I have a nephew who was diagnosed with ADHD in the school system and my brother refused to have them treat him with Ritalin or any of those other medications. He recognized that they were drugs and that they would affect his son negatively. The other reason why he refused to let them prescribe drugs for his son was that the son had had numerous grand mal seizures when he was about 3 or 4 years old stemming from a very high fever and after the fever, he continued to have the seizures several times a day. They took him to a number of pediatricians over a period of a year and no one could help him. All they did was to prescribe drugs for him and although he took the drugs, he still had the seizures. Then someone told them about a herbalist and they took him to see her. She told them that his body was out of balance and gave them a number of herbs, vitamins and minerals for him to take. The outcome was that after about six months of treatment, he stopped having the seizures and never had another seizure. His father refused to let them treat him with drugs because he knew that they could cause him to start having seizures again.

I am definitely against the way kids are being treated for ADD and ADHD today and I am quite certain that the drugs might be one of the reasons why kids are shooting up the schools and hurting others.

After reading several of your emails I decided to stop eating any bread and sugars for a week. I am 45 years young. After a week my mental condition was very different, let alone the emotional state I was in was great. I felt like a FREE human being. By FREE I mean I was centered, focused, calm. I was not thrown emotionally into states I had before, including suicidal thoughts and imaginaion. So I decided to go on that way and I did for a month and a half. I lost about 4 pounds too. Unfortunately I have eaten some bread or cakes again which immediately led me to experience nervousness and have this need to eat often and binge. I am working on getting back to stopping any wheat and sugars as its a clear sign to me!
Thank you...I am getting a lot from your information. Shalom!

Hello Elaine,

I am experiencing the same story with Iron defficiency and have it extremely low now. I am also anemic although my periods are not unusual. I am looking too for an answer how to get my Iron up and after having both Clonoscopy and Gastroscopy, nothing was highlighted either. I have somehow a "feeling" that a toxin cleans could help.
Bye bye

Gluten problem? Okay, stop wheat bread. (It stopped hip pain). OH NO - read that wheat contains 90% more gluten due to bioengineering than we ate as kids. It is used as binders, thickening agents, and coatings in (estimated) 95% of the prepared foods we buy, causing gluten sensitivity. So Dr. Hyman says, if it has a label, forget it. The label does the same, that is, does not acknowledge it. Gluten sensitivity builds up over time and can mimic diseases. Wow, today's shockaroo. Alot more than wheat bread to give up! No wonder our kids are in trouble! What appears to be food is in fact man made concoctions. The legacy our kids face doesn't look promising.

That all sounds great and I really believe it is true, but how do you get kids to take all those supplements? I can't even get my 13-yr. old to swallow pills yet. I give all 3 of my children chewable probiotics, fish oil and multi's. Did you use liquids in this case?

I've experienced good and bad health changes in my life several times over; it's like using oneself as a guinea pig. When I ate right and exercised, everything stabilized: weight, mood, overall health. When I lived another lifestyle living among people who were not health conscious (and letting them decide the food I ate), everything in my life took a nosedive: I developed arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes 2, and depression (and a big weight gain). Lucky is the little boy with ADHD who gets his head start early for a life of good health!! I've returned to the Ultrametabolism diet and lifestyle for the longhaul. I've proved for myself that "you are what you eat" (and how you move), and I'm glad that my cousin brought Dr. Hyman's research to my attention: I've been a guinea pig, and am now enjoying the rest of my life as a happy, healthy human being!! And yes, I still live among people who can "get away" with eating a less than healthful diet. But I've proved to myself and those around me that I can't. And don't want to anymore! If you're like me, you'll have to ask yourself from time to time, "Is the pain and misery that is going to follow that piece of pizza/ mac and cheese/instant soup/etc, worth the momentary pleasure?" I answered "yes" off and on for awhile, can you imagine? However, giving myself a choice between a good food choice and a choice I know makes me feel sick (taking responsibility for every bite I put in my mouth) is a way I've found to feel "free" and not in the LEAST restricted!! I've outwitted feeling deprived!!!! And even though my house is stocked with foods I can't eat, it's also stocked with all the things I CAN. It took awhile to stock the pantry and fridge for myself--and what do you know--some of my food choices are also becoming choices for my husband and mother....!

Is there a cure for Exzema for children under 2yrs old?

Hello,
I loved your email with the brief info about fiber. However, you continue by asking for an unfair amount of money to see your seminar...over 1,000 dollars...way too much...who do you want to be healthy? Only the rich it looks like...way too much money actually for anyone...
Francine

I do not have IBS. I do have a chronic yeast infection that I have suffered from for about 5 years. I was wondering if the antibiotic Rifaximin along with the VSL3 and Florastor that you recommended in your blog might do the trick for me and my condition?

Sincerely, Patricia Bilbao

I do not have IBS. I do have a chronic yeast infection that I have suffered from for about 5 years. I was wondering if the antibiotic Rifaximin along with the VSL3 and Florastor that you recommended in your blog might do the trick for me and my condition?

Sincerely, Patricia Bilbao

I know, thankfully, you don't push specific products, however, you did say you prefer a GM fiber like the one produced by Natural Factors called WellBetX.
In addition to the item above, I'm looking for a good cost-effective, overall supplement too, that the body actually utilizes. I've have used many brands...can you point me in a good direction of potential products?
Thanks, Sherri

Hello,

I had Whole Foods look for the GM by Natural FActors (WellBetX) and she couldn't find it on the order form. There was a weight-loss powder, a soluble fiber, mulberry PMX?, etc. but no GM. She hadn't heard of konjac. Any info to help further?

Thanks

Me again,

I looked on-line and it's WellBetX - PGX Soluble Fiber thru www.affordable-natural-factors.com -- sounds like a great product at a great price! I'm ordering it.

Thank you!

I am very impressed by your approach to treat Jayson' illness. It makes me think of the similar condition of Parkinson's disease, I think even it cannot be cured, at last by following this approach, it will get better managed, what do you think? Can you help?

I loved the title of this one. Doctors are terrible in handwriting, and it worries me because those subject to them could make mistakes. On this basis, I forwarded it to to conventional doctors! However, your presenting "cases" and what you did with them is what I get feedback on from them. I heard about the chiropractor playing golf with the cardiologist, who said he would never give himself or his family what he prescribes to his patients everyday. So, I've become pretty brave at using these e-mails to my few conventional contacts to introduce them to a better way - if not for their patients, at least for their own. After med. training, they deserve a health break - as you learned!

Dr. Hyman, Rodale press has come out with a new book: The Gluten Connection How Gluten Sensitivity may be Sabotaging Your Health by Shari Lieberman. It describes the difference between allergy and sensitivity/intolerance. My concept has been that Celiac Disease is from a wheat problem and one is born with it. You have indicated that many people may have a problem with gluten/7 grains. Well, this book explains alot, including that as usual gluten is not listed on labels when used as a thickener, binder, or coating, even in some cosmetics! Also, the new GMO wheat has a much higher percentage of gluten in it. I highly recommend it for details on this subject.

Having been a psychiatric nurse for years.I agree with you.I became concerned about the medications given to children,and the poor results.I have seen many children with the symptoms you describe.One other concern was the children sent in from schools with sugesstions from the teachers about giving medicines to calm them down.this happend on a fairly regular basis.

i am currently taking dexamphetamine and on my leaflet for the medication it says taking vitamin c isnt good, i am embarking on beginning the ultrasimple diet but need advice on whether i can take vitamin c or not as it is a concern for me ....

I can't believe that only by the food you eat you can change your hand writing.  I mean what does food have to do with your writing?

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