The ADD and ADHD Cure: The Natural Way to Treat Hyperactivity and Refocus Your Child [Hardcover]

Another amazing book by the brilliant Dr. Jay Gordon. I found it to be utterly fantastic. It is concise and to the point and provides excellent nutritional advice from one of the world's finest pediatricians (and IMHO, THE FINEST pediatrician). Dr. Jay specializes in pediatric nutrition and this, coupled with the fact that he has ADD/ADHD and has helped countless children with ADD/ADHD in his practice, makes him an expert in this subject. He is a prime example that it can work for ADD/ADHD sufferers. He advocates a healthy lifestyle, which should be paramount to every family - regardless of ADD/ADHD.

In the book, Dr. Jay simplifies the "how to" by providing recipes, weekly meals, even shopping lists. Every busy parent will certainly appreciate that. He discusses the importance that food plays in our ability to focus, concentrate, learn, listen, adapt, adjust, etc. There are countless studies that support his findings. Simply removing sugar in the diet will make a huge (and wonderful) change in a child with (or without) hyperactivity. Glutten is a trigger so avoiding that will help calm an otherwise overactive little one. He also stresses the importance of exercise and outlet and even lists the benefits of different forms of exercise, as well as a specific program to implement. I loved this book!

To the previous reviewer, whom I suspect did not actually read the book, I want to state that Dr. Jay does mention that some severe cases may still warrant medication; however, it should NOT be the first resort. Many (if not most) cases can be lessened and *cured* to the point that even without medication, no one would suspect that child has ADD/ADHD. I'm sure most parents would prefer to go the natural route and avoid as many side effects as possible. And certainly many have done so (including Dr. Jay himself). So if you are considering this book (and I mean no disrespect here), don't let the previous reviewer lump your child into the category of his son, who very well may have a severe case that could only be "lessened" by following the advice in this book. But it still goes without saying that even if his son wasn't *cured*, he would benefit from this healthy lifestyle.

Every child is different and deserves a chance at being as healthy as possible. It certainly can't hurt to try this - if nothing else, you will be implementing a healthier lifestyle with less disease, illness, and a longer lifespan for your child. The diet is heavily plant based, but does list where meat can be added to the recipes so it is very flexible to fit just about every family's eating style. The recipes are very tasty (we are enjoying them immensely) and are fun to make as a family. For those who eat a plant-based diet, I'd also like to recommend a wonderful book by Dr. Fuhrman called "Disease Proof Your Child".

This book also has a section on additional treatments and discusses how the mind and body are linked, how yoga/meditation/tai chi can calm a child with ADD/ADHD. He also briefly discusses herbal remedies and accupuncture.

This book, I am recommending even for those who do not have ADD/ADHD. My twins are patients of Dr. Jay and thanks to him, have been eating and exercising optimally since birth. My husband and his mother both have ADHD and one of my children may have it, but I honestly can not tell for sure because we've always been on Dr. Jay's healthy lifestyle program. When she eats healthy and follows his advice, she acts like a calm, concentrated child. So if she does have it, her symptoms are masked and she is *cured*. Now, I do notice that if we slip and she has sugar or doesn't sleep enough, her behavior changes dramatically, and this has led me to suspect she has a case which is cureable by following the advice recommended in Dr. Jay's book. (I should note that my children are homeschooled so I have not had a teacher slap the label on her. She certainly doesn't *sit still* behind a desk all day or I suspect the call would have come on a day when cookies were passed around the classroom.) Regardless, this is a lifestyle change that needs to be followed thoroughly. I will continue to follow his advice and watch my children flourish.

I'd highly recommend this book as a must read for all parents who want to follow a healthy lifestyle, as well as those who suffer from ADD/ADHD in their family. The recipes can be easily adapted to meet special needs (like rice allergies or nut allergies) and I guarantee that your family will thrive in this beautiful, healthy family lifestyle! Good luck to all of you!

-mom of 5 yr old twin girls

The main idea of the book is to eliminate sugar, dairy, and artificial ingredients from your child's diet. From what I've learned so far in my research this is a pretty common plan. This book did not provide much information on why these things can lead to ADHD behaviors in children and did not provide an extensive list of what to stay away from on food labels. Sometimes labels include items that you might think are ok but are actually another term for a dairy product or something artificial. But most of all, I was disappointed in the menu plan and recipes. They are all vegan/vegetarian and not kid friendly at all. For example, Tofu Lettuce Cups and Three-Bean Salad. I understand that it is definitely a healthy diet however I expected recipes that would be more appealing to children as this is a book about ADHD in children. There were very few recipes that I imagine my daughter would even try let alone enjoy. I understand that changes have to be made and it won't be easy but come on. Where are the recipes that are more "average" children's dishes that have been modified to fit in with the plan? I don't know, maybe I should give them a try and see what happens . . . maybe my resistance is the real problem?

Social disorders receive much talk nowadays and among the disorders that inflict children, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are the ones that seem to garner the most attention. These disorders were not officially known/named in the past, but they are now widely known and millions of youngsters have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, with no hope for a cure but plenty of promises for effective treatment. These treatments are almost always in the form of prescription drugs and while these pharmaceutical products have made a difference in some children, many parents are rightfully concerned about the long- term effects of feeding their children these and other drugs over an extended period.

Parents naturally want their children to succeed academically as well as socially, but these ADD and ADHD drugs have led many parents to wonder if the treatment is worth it. For these concerned adults, authors Jay Gordon and Jennifer Chang present The ADD and ADHD Cure, a book that offers a natural cure to these two common social disorders. Gordon and Chang are firm believers that ADD and ADHD are curable through natural means. They do not see any need to load children up with prescription drugs and other substances that may end up causing more harm in the long run than the social disorders themselves. They feel that the increase in the instances of ADD and ADHD can be controlled fairly easily with a concerted effort.

How does The ADD and ADHD Cure propose that parents solve their child's disorder? Well, Gordon and Chang know a few things about children's health and they feel that the problems of ADD and ADHD are easily relieved by changing the diet and by teaching a child to focus. Starting with the diet, the book recommends switching to an organic diet that is mostly plant based and they also recommend eliminating or greatly reducing refined sugar and dairy products in a child's eating routine. Along with this change in eating habits, a child needs to learn to focus and focusing can also be accomplished without drugs. All that is necessary is some simple behavioral modification and this can be accomplished by parents, without the need for a professional. By finding an activity or subject that an ADD or ADHD child is passionate about and focusing on that passion, a child can quickly learn to concentrate more fully than before. And because the focus is on something the child already likes, the task of learning to focus will be much easier than attempting to focus on something that isn't enjoyable. This is the first step toward breaking the ADD or ADHD grip.

Gordon and Chang agree that some ADD and ADHD cases are too intense for natural treatment and therefore will need prescription drugs, but prescriptions should be the last resort. The majority of ADD and ADHD problems can possibly be resolved the old fashioned way through a change in eating habits, an emphasis on concentration, and plenty of sleep. I am a little skeptical that what this book proposes will really work, but it is at least a potentail alternative to questionable prescription drugs, helping to put parents' minds a little more at ease as they work to fight these distracting and often frustrating social disorders.

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