{"id":5367,"date":"2012-10-07T23:28:57","date_gmt":"2012-10-07T21:28:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents-blog\/?p=5367"},"modified":"2022-06-15T21:49:22","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T19:49:22","slug":"healthy-eating-my-journey-to-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/lifestyle\/food-nutrition\/healthy-eating-my-journey-to-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy eating – my journey to change."},"content":{"rendered":"

I was fortunate enough to recently attend a workshop that literally changed my life.<\/p>\n

The program was organized by ADHASA<\/a> the Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Support group for Southern Africa.<\/p>\n

Speaker after speaker explored and demystified the issues surrounding a condition often incorrectly only linked to young children & treated with a drug called Ritalin, regarded as the only cure.<\/p>\n

Identifying ADD or ADHD and that it\u2019s normal<\/h2>\n

A range of symptoms, many of which I could relate to, were identified by Dr David Benn. These include inattention, distractibility, impulsiveness, hyperactivity, some of the lesser known symptoms are vision problems, thyroid disorder and sleep apnea.<\/p>\n

We were told that while these may be health conditions of their own they are also symptoms of someone suffering from the disorder, a condition that requires a full medical diagnosis by a medical professional<\/p>\n

Exciting for me was when Psychologist Margaret Barry listed careers that people who have ADHD can excel at. It affirmed my chosen path in IT, acknowledged as a great skill for ADHD as it allows for the immediate reaction to problems and solutions.\u00a0 Other careers on the list were game rangers, fireman, police officers and air traffic controllers. It makes one realise that career choice in the right field can help people with ADHD perform extremely well.<\/p>\n

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Credit: parade.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Identifying myths<\/h2>\n

\u00a0Eating the right food!<\/h3>\n

By far the most inspiring for me personally were the insights offered by ADHASA founder, Heather Picton, into how much changing one\u2019s diet can help, in\u00a0 particular replacing sugar & non-essential fatty acids with foods rich in essential fatty acids.<\/p>\n

I have always resisted taking drugs to help me cope with my condition because of the inevitable side-effects. So here was my chance to see if healthy eating could make a difference.<\/p>\n

Changing my eating habits hasn\u2019t been easy and requires plenty of discipline,especially when it comes to staying away from msg laden crisps! I have also become\u00a0more conscious about genetically modified products and their possible side effects.<\/p>\n

The effects in a relatively short space of time have been astounding.<\/p>\n

I can start feeling a difference and my need for sugary supplements to keep me stimulated almost gone.<\/p>\n

I highly recommend that if you think you have symptoms of the disorder seek help from ADHASA and your medical practitioner and you would be surprised what you can achieve.<\/p>\n

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