This blog began as an attempt to explore the possibility that food affects the brain.  As a mother of an ADHD child, I want to know all the ways I can help my child to better function. Because of his ADHD, my son struggles to focus and perform in school.  As much as he tries, he has a hard time following through with chores at home. He often gets frustrated with his impulsivity. While medication and other methods help, I want to know if there is more we can do, specifically with diet, to thwart the effects of ADHD.  

We started by examining stories throughout history where significant characters such as Hippocrates, James Lind, and Daniel used food to positively influence a person’s health.  It makes sense that if food can make a person feel better physically, why not mentally as well. After all, what our body does is a result of what our brains tell it to do. If we are what we eat, which is a point we have examined, then why not take at the foods we are eating first?

As we’ve examined how foods affect our brain we have seen that our culture, environment, and folklore all play a role in what we eat.  We are inundated with, if not unhealthy, then certainly less optimal food options. Advertisements coerce us into believing we need certain foods to be happy.  No accomplishment is complete without a treat to celebrate it. And, cereal loaded with sugar is part of a nutritious meal needed to start our day right. Sadly, our farms and ranches have responded to our demand.  

So, now what? Whether or not you buy into food affecting mental health, if you or someone you love struggles in one way or another with it, isn’t trying out a new diet worth a go? It certainly couldn’t hurt, and maybe it will even help.  No doubt, it will be an uphill battle. It isn’t easy to go against the grain of popular culture and ready-made food choices. We may have to mute the commercials when watching television or turn a blind eye to all the fast-food restaurants as we drive by.  We might have to spend a little more time in the kitchen, get up a little earlier, or be a little better at planning. Planting a garden in the summer will help to connect us with our food and help us to make better choices for our brain in what we eat. Watching a child suffer is torture.  Finding solutions brings relief to both the child and the parent. Let’s get rid of the cereal, fast food, and soda. Our children’s brains will thank us, even if their words do not.