Summer, for us, officially starts next week so I will start this journey with some background... My son is 9 and in 3rd grade, soon to be in 4th.  He has always had difficulty at school and home.  Especially socially and emotionally.  For a long time we treated the situation as if he were a defiant child, until 1st grade when someone significant told us we should take him to his pediatrician for an LD (Learning Disability) evaluation.  That is when all hell broke loose.  At least we now knew that we weren't just awful parents (after all we had done this before with his four years senior brother!) and that hopefully there was a solution.

MANY evaluations, doctors appointments, phone calls, computer research hours and more later we have learned a ton about ADHD and what seems like nothing at all.  This past summer we were guided to follow a diet free from artificial colors (anything with a crayon color or number is off limits), flavors (vanillin), sweeteners (anything with a name that comes in a blue, pink or yellow packet), preservatives (BHT and TBHQ) and corn syrup.  It helps a lot, when he follows it (3rd grade is brutal and harsh on kids who don't just fit into the box.)  We call it the Superman Diet to encourage his buy in, we even call bad food kryptonite.  Don't be charmed by the possibility of an easy score just because it says "all natural" on the front of the package!  You MUST always turn the package over and read all ingredients.

I went to a conference just a couple weeks ago that discussed a lot of food issues, so we will be adding to our off limit foods list soon, I will post that additional list later.  But starting with the items above is a perfect place to begin your going natural food adventure!  Start in your own kitchen.  Pull everything off your shelves that contains any of the above ingredients and put it in a bag to be set out of sight-out of mind for at least six weeks.  If you don't experience exceptional changes within that time, pull the bag out again.  If you do, then chuck the bag and all its contents!  Don't donate it though, no one should be eating this stuff!  YOU MUST STAY COMPLETELY CLEAN during that six weeks, or all will be for not and you won't be able to tell if the diet is working!

If you have questions, please email me, I would happily help you get started.  Everyone deserves health and wellness.  The way you eat and the products you use make a significant difference in yours and your loved ones overall well being!  I'll talk more about products, Zija and Melaleuca soon.

Thanks for reading!