Why is Omega 3 so important when you have ADHD?

omega3Why is Omega 3 so important when you have ADHD?We hear lots about information about various fats, Polyunsaturated, Monounsaturated, Trans fatty acid and Saturated fats. However, as your ADHD Coach the fact that I am most interested in is Essential Fatty Acids. Aptly named ‘essential’ as they are vital for your health. Yet, despite being so important our bodies cannot produce this fat, so we need to make a conscious effort to consume it.

The main categories of essential fats are Omega 3 and Omega 6.

Omega 3

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) are all members of the group of fatty acids known as Omega 3.

DHA is found in cold water fish.
EPA, also found in fish, however the fish don’t produce it, instead they get it from eating algae.
ALA is found mainly in seed oils like flaxseed. We then convert in our bodies to DHA and EPA.

Why is Omega 3 so important when you have ADHD?
Studies show that DHA and EPA are very helpful as they improve attention, learning, memory and behavioral problems connected with ADHD as well as helping with co-morbidities such as anxiety, aggression and depression.

Omega 6

If you are eating a typical western diet you don’t need to worry about getting enough Omega 6. You will be getting lots in the form rapeseed soybean and sunflower seed oil.  The ratio between the Omega 6 and Omega 3 you consume is vital in order to experience the benefits for your adult ADHD.  100 years ago the ratio between the 2 fats in the average person’s diet were 1:1, now our average ratio is around 20:1, weighed towards Omega 6.

How do you get Omega 3 into your diet?

Include cold water fish in your diet, e.g. Salmon, tuna, mackerel, rainbow trout
Walnuts
Flaxseed
Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale

Even if you are eating a diet rich in Omega, it’s still important to take an Omega 3 supplement that includes both DHA and EPA, I recommend Dr. Barry Sear’s brand http://www.zonediet.com/omega-3-fish-oil.

ADHD and Fun

Life must be lived as play” ~Plato

It’s well known that play and having fun is a vital part of a child’s development. A little less known is that having fun is very beneficial both mentally and physically for adults. For example, in relieving stress (with the release of endorphins)  and boosting the immune system. Yet having fun as an adult is sort of frowned on and viewed as lazy and ‘slacking off’ the important business of being an adult. This resistance is amplified among ADHD adult population. As they feel there is  so much they ‘should’ being doing, like decluttering, paying the bills or any task on their long to do list that they don’t deserve to have fun. You can’t postpone having fun until the ‘hard stuff’ is out of the way because hard stuff will always be  there.

Making fun a top priority in your life is vital when you have ADHD. This is why it’s the 10th step in my book, Untapped Brilliance. After spending time enjoying yourself, you are energized, motivated and inspired to do the ‘important’ things.  You can cross things off your to do list much faster when your batteries are recharged.  When you work hard and play hard you will notice benefits such as feeling happier, energetic, more focused, increased confidence, and increased productivity.

puppet funADHD and FunHere are 5 suggestions to include more fun into your life:

1) First think of what you like to do for fun. If you honestly don’t know, think back to what you enjoyed when you were younger. That will be a good starting place.

2) Be open to trying new things. Look in your local paper for ideas and listen to what activities your friends are doing. If you aren’t sure if you will like it, try it once and then decide.

3) Have a range of activities that can be done with people and alone, that vary in time, from a few minutes to a whole day. That are passive (watching a movie), active (hiking) creative (crafts, decorating).

4) Remember everyone has different ideas of what is fun for them. Don’t be swayed by what other people think is fun. It has to be fun for you.

5) If have fun is a scary concept, gradually build ‘fun’ into your life. However start this process today!

Can you have ADD and ADHD?

Great question. However, it isn’t possible to have ADD and ADHD as both terms describe the same condition. It is a little confusing because over the years the official name for ADD and ADHD has changed (ADHD is currently the official sunflowerCan you have ADD and ADHD?and most up to date title). Here is the time line of how it happened:

In 1980, ADD described a person who had Attention Deficit Disorder and ADHD or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was the phrase used to describe someone who also experienced hyperactivity.

In 1987, the official term changed, now the term ADHD is used for anyone who was diagnosed with what was previously ADD and ADHD.

In 1994, ADHD was divided into 3 subtypes:

ADHD-Predominantly Inattentive Type: characterized by mainly inattention; people have problems focusing, completing tasks, are easily distracted and seem forgetful, disorganized, and careless.

ADHD-Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type: characterized mainly by hyperactivity and impulsivity. Paying attention is not a major problem; however, you might seem to act and speak before thinking, have lots of energy and always on the go.

ADHD-Combined Type: Characteristics of both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsivity are present.

Even though ADHD is the official title, ADD and ADHD are the same thing, confusion continues because many people use ADD and ADHD interchangeably (including me). Medical journals regularly still use ADD and people who were diagnosed in the early to mind 1980′s with ADD, identify strongly with that term not ADHD, since in their mind it would mean they had hyperactivity.

If ever you find yourself a little confused in how the person you are talking to is using ADD and ADHD it’s fine to ask them to clarify how they use the terminology. That way there is no confusion.

When talking about ADHD do you use ADD, ADHD or a mixture of both?

 

 

 

 

Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder

This week, rather than an article I wanted to show you a video.

The title is Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder, however it gives an insight into what life is like when you have ADHD regardless of your age. After you have watched it, send it some of the closest people in your life so they can get an understanding of what it’s like to have Adult ADHD.

 

Living with ADD can be challenging and no one wants to use having ADHD as an excuse. However, when your loved ones get even a glimpse of how your mind works, it helps them to understand why you operate the way you do. They can appreciate that you are trying hard, even if you don’t produce the results they hoped for. That understanding goes a long way in every relationship, whether life partner, best friend or family member or co-worker. 

Remember too, there are lots of ways to help minimize your unwanted aspects of ADHD. Untapped Brilliance, How to Reach your full potential is a great place to start.

Are Computer Games Bad For ADHD?

When we tend to think ‘computer games = bad for us”. Usually because they involve sitting still for long periods with zero social interaction and they eat up time when there is something more productive to be done. However, there is a new breed of games that is good for you, your brain and your ADHD.

Here are 3 that I recommend:

www.lumosity.com

Lumosity is a web-based cognitive training program designed by neuroscientists that allows you to improve your mental abilities by playing games. The games are based around 5 cognitive functions: memory, attention, speed, flexibility, and problem solving. Based on the areas you particularly want to focus on, Lumosity creates a personalized training program just for you.

pac manAre Computer Games Bad For ADHD?P.S. it has a 3 day free trial so you can test it out.

www.attengo.com

Like Lumosity, Attengo is a web-based cognitive training program. However, the key difference is that it was specifically designed for people with ADD and learning disabilities. The emphasis of the training is on memory and attention. When you sign up, you are assessed on both of these areas and then a program is created for you.

www.brainage.com

Brain Age is played on The Nintendo DS. The premise behind the game is that the opium brain age is 20 years old. Your brain’s age is assessed when you start (I was horrified to find my brains age was 87. Over twice my biological age!). However, with fun games and problems you can quickly lower your age. Brain age was designed to stimulant your prefrontal cortex the anterior part of the frontal lobes and home to executive functions. It is thought that by using this area of the brain with these games you can sharpen intelligence.

As more is learned about the brain, we realize that just like the body, we need to exercise the brain to keep it in good shape. These programs help to develop and improve the cognitive functions that  ADHD adults struggle with…and what better way to do this than by playing games!!

101 Things To Do

Do you feel like you have 101 things to do and never seem get any of them done?

You aren’t alone, I do too, I really do!  Perhaps, because I just celebrated my birthday and wanted to start my New Year with a clean slate. Or perhaps because the days are getting longer and Spring is just around the corner that I felt encouraged to Spring Clean.

washing machines101 Things To Do Whatever the exact cause, I was tired of having items pop into my head, and think…oh I must do that…and then not actually doing them.  I got a large piece of paper and a colourful pen and started to write all the items that came to mind. When I got to 50, I was surprised I had so many, so I challenged myself to make it to 101. It didn’t take long to get there! I walked around my home and did a mental tour of my office. I looked in my inbox for reminders and within an hour I had 101 things to do.  Rather than feeling overwhelmed, I felt excited that I had everything written down and was inspired to get them done.

This week, I am challenging you to write your own list of 101 things to do so that you can do a Spring clean of your life too.

To help, I have included some of the categories that my list included. When I was writing the list I didn’t write them in categories, but afterwards I realized they naturally fell into them.

Arranging Appointments
Doctors annual check up
Routine eye exam

Organizing My Home
Declutter hall closet
Tidy book cases
Throw out 50 things

Keeping In Touch With Friends
Arranging to see people I haven’t seen for awhile
Emailing or writing to friends that don’t live locally

Work Stuff
Changes to my website
New Business cards printed

Paper Work
Changing addresses to new address book
Set up a new filing system at home

When you have your list, think of how you are going get the task done. For example, I am going to do a minimum of one per day. I know some days I will be inspired to do more. For the items that will take longer than 1 hour, I am scheduling them into my agenda.

When we are finished, not only will our lives be all caught up and up to date. Our brains will be clearer too, because aren’t we always thinking of everything we have to do. Also, there will be space for new and exciting things to come into our lives!

Happy Writing!

Sugar and ADHD

One urban myth that has been successfully ruled out is that sugar doesn’t cause ADHD.

candySugar and ADHDHowever, sugar does effect how your brain functions.  Since ADHD is neurological in nature, it’s interesting how to see how sugar affects our brain.

When you eat carbohydrates your body turns them into glucose (a type of sugar) and your organs (including your brain) and muscles use it for energy. Since, the neurons in the brain can’t store glucose they need a steady supply of it.  Spikes in the glucose supply to the brain are bad news as they result in hyperactivity and sugar crashes.

As with fats there is good and there is bad sugar.

The bad sugar is the refined sugar in cookies, candy and soda.  When you consume refined sugar, the affect is immediate your brain gets flooded with glucose and serotonin is released.  Serotonin makes you feel happy.  Because of large increase in blood sugar the pancreas produces large amounts of insulin, to absorb the sugar.  This is when you feel the ‘crash’.  You feel tired (more so than before you ate the sugar) and cannot focus.

When you eat too much sugar over time you can have problems with processing information, memory, depression and anxiety.  All of which many ADHD adults are prone to have problems with.

Good sugar comes from of fruit and complex carbohydrates.  Because fruit also has fiber its sugar is released at a steady speed while being digested.  Complex carbohydrates are also broken down into sugar. They take longer to progress and give energy for many hours.

For some reason we think of sugar as being harmless; yet there is nothing harmless about the ailments it causes.

As well the obvious ones such as Diabetes and obesity and tooth decay there are also things that ADHD adults are already susceptible to, such as:

  • Hyperactivity
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia
  •  Mood swings
  • Drug addictions
  • Alcoholism

I have to admit I am a former sugar addict!  I would eat little pieces of chocolate all day.  It was a great way for me to have energy without the hassle of meal planning.  However, I noticed my brain was really foggy and thinking took lots of effort.  One month ago I stopped eating processed sugar.  No more chocolate, no more deserts.  The first few days were hard because I had to break the habit and the times I would normally enjoy a chunk of chocolate, I needed to remind myself I didn’t eat chocolate anymore.

After the first few days my energy became low and I felt very sad. A quick Google search told me this was normal sugar withdrawal symptoms.  Now those have passed I feel amazing, both mentally and physically very strong.

When you eat a healthy diet that gives your body the chance to have a stable blood sugar throughout the day you will have increased mental focus and attention, and balanced moods.

How to get the sugar out of your diet:

1) Start with the obvious culprits. Chocolate, cakes, sugar in your coffee etc.  Later on in your sugar elimination process you can cut out the hidden stuff.

2) Go Brown
Change all the white products in your cupboards to brown, for example bread, pasta, rice.

3) Eat regularly
Never go too long without food. This keeps your blood sugar in your brain stable.

4) Withdrawals
If you notice some withdrawal symptoms like me, try to stick it out. They aren’t pleasant, but the grass is greener on the other side! (also constant a doctor if you are worried)

5) Notice the benefits.
In fact, don’t just notice them, enjoy them!!

How To Do The Activities You Don’t Like Doing

Recently, I heard that Jillian Michaels, former trainer for the TV show “Biggest Loser”… doesn’t like to exercise. That really surprised me; I thought TV’s toughest trainer would love exercising.

However, she likes the benefits of exercise, rather than actual exercise. This example, beautifully illustrates that sometimes we have to do actions that aren’t enjoyable, but they are essential to our well-being.

carousel horsesHow To Do The Activities You Dont Like DoingPsychologist, Dr. Ari Tuckman, identifies the difference between Product and Process activities. Process activities are actions that are done for pleasure, for example, spending time with people you love, listening to your favorite album or watching a movie. Product activities are the day to day actions that need to get done in order to function and live. Things like paying a bill on time, taking the trash out and cleaning the kitchen after supper.

Neither one is superior, both are essential to live a happy, healthy life. If your life is full of product activities you become emotional drained. If life is full of Process activities, then there are negative consequences, unpaid bills and dirty living environment etc. So balance is key.

Everyone has a different idea of if an action is a product or process activity. For example, someone who loves to cook thinks cooking an evening meal is a process activity. Yet for someone else cooking is definitely a product activity.

When you have ADHD product activities are more problematic carry out than process activities.

This is because ADHD is less issue of attention and more a motivational problem. Adults with ADHD find it hard to change from an activity they are enjoying to a different one. It is also hard for them to stay motivated and to follow through on uninteresting tasks.

What can you do to ensure you have a balance of Product and Process tasks in your life:

1) Acknowledge not all actions are fun, but they still need to be done. It sounds obvious, but it is a freeing idea. When you are next cleaning your bathroom with a sinking heart, remind yourself, this isn’t meant to be fun, but having a clean bathroom is a good thing.

2) Make product activities as enjoyable as possible. Use your timer; put music on while you are doing these activities.

3) Create habits around Product Activities so they get done as painlessly as possible.

4) Include Process activities in your life, at least one a day. Adults with ADHD tend to forget or feel they don’t deserve fun things in their life. However, when Process activities are in your life,
they give you energy so that the product activities become less hard.

ADHD Goals for the New Year

 

When we think of the New Year we automatically think about New Year Resolutions. However resolutions are usually a highly ineffective way to achieve what we would like in our life.

For example, if your new years resolution is to lose weight, or get fit, you will likely to do really well for the first few days or even a few weeks, eating an extreme diet or going to the gym every day. But then the resolution way of life becomes hard and boring and its more comfortable to revert back to old ways.  New Years Resolutions are based on pure will power, and without a compelling goal, or big enough why,  Resolutions will not be sustainable.

2012ADHD Goals for the New YearHowever the New Year IS a great time to set goals. I have just read an inspiring book called ‘Taming Tigers, Do things you never thought you could do’ . The author Jim Lawless tells of how he achieved his goal of riding his first televised horse-race in the space of one year.  Before he set this goal for himself he had only been pony trekking twice!  In order to achieve this ambitious goal he had to get up every day at 5am to train, continue his day job, lose 1/4 of his body weight (jockeys are very light), move houses to be near the training ground, and give up alcohol (which can’t have been easy for someone that hadn’t gone to bed sober for 17 years).

It would have be extremely hard to do these things if Jim hadn’t had a compelling goal. This year when you are thinking about what you would like to achieve think BIG. What would you move heaven and earth to achieve?

Start with your big goal and then work backwards. You are much more likely to stick to a diet, declutter your house, get fit, etc. when the big goal excites you.

The sense of exhilaration that Jim felt when he completed the race was ‘ Absolute Elation’. Not only did he achieve his goal but he now has the knowledge that he can do anything that he sets his mind and this will stay with him forever.

When inspired ADHD adults can achieve incredible feats in a very short space of time, so can you. So your first action for 2010 is to create a compelling and exciting goal. Don’t worry about how you will achieve your goal, your only job today is to think WHAT you would like to achieve!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

Other articles you will enjoy

How to Realize Your Goals

10 Reasons To Set Goals When You Have ADHD

ADHD and Motivation

Dr. Russell Barkley says that ADHD is more about loss of interest and motivation than attention and concentration. This makes sense, as we know ADHDers can pay attention for hours  on tasks they love.

Motivation is a characteristic that makes us want to ‘do’ an activity. Unfortunately, there is lotsof moral judgement about motivation and people think lack of motivation is a sign of laziness or not caring. The good news is that in recent years studies have found evidence that motivation is more about brain chemistry, than will power. It has been found that motivation problems in people with ADHD are due to lower levels of dopamine in their brains. The larger the disruption of the dopamine pathway, the greater the ADHD symptoms and the lower the  levels of motivation.

Now that you are armed with this knowledge what can you do?

happenADHD and Motivation1) Take good care of yourself the Untapped Brilliance way. This means, taking Omega 3 supplements, eating an ADHD friendly diet, getting enough sleep, exercising and meditating. All these activities increase the dopamine. If you need help incorporating these into your life check out Untapped Brilliance book.

2) What do you love to do? What are you highly motivated to do? When you know what those activities they are, make some changes in your life so you spend more time doing the activities you are motivated to do. Your life will become more productive and enjoyable.

3) Get creative with the activities you have to do, but don’t enjoy. Use your timer, as that creates a challenge and a sense of urgency. Set up a reward system that motivates you. For example, put one dollar in a jar every time you do X. Apply it to something that does interest you. Michael Phelps’ (Olympic Swimming Champion) Mom did this for her son. Michael hated math, but loved swimming. So she customized his math problems ‘If you swim one meter per second, how long would it take to swim 800 meters?’

When you make these changes in your life, you will definitely notice a new level of productivity and purpose in your life.