ADD Student

Archive for May, 2009

Please allow me introduce myself. My Name is Brian McEvoy and I own Mind 1st USA. We sell a product that nobody else does and Brenda, obviously, thinks it would be good if I told you something about it and how you might benefit from using it.

I hope you enjoy the article.

It is nothing new for me to tell you that fish oils have been found to be good for the ‘mind’ and issues related to mental health. We have all heard of the ‘buzz word’ surrounding fish oil that is Omega 3. But do you know what is in Omega 3?

I’m here to tell you of the key ingredient called EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and the fantastic qualities it has.

Within Omega 3 is EPA and it’s close relative DHA, both of which are required for healthy brain development and function. These are essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce itself so it has to source them from diet. Unfortunately, most of us are not getting enough of the Omega 3’s in our diet, and instead, we are consuming far too much of Omega 6 fatty acids, which can be found in plentiful supply in vegetable oils such as corn oil and sunflower oil, meat products and processed foods.

Why have we, Mind 1st USA, produced and are marketing a capsule containing pure 90% ethyl EPA, with zero DHA?

EPA helps the brain to function and increases the blood flow around the body, including blood flow to the brain. The brain is constructed mostly of DHA, which is vital for healthy brain development in the early years. Both EPA and DHA are equally important but we can produce DHA if we are getting enough EPA.

If there is a lack of the right kind of fatty acids that the brain needs to develop and function properly, such as EPA, it will try to build replacement fatty acids with what it has to work with. This is obviously not ideal if we are not getting the right kind of fats through diet. Some studies have shown high levels of these replacement fatty acids in children with ADHD/ADD and this would appear to be linked to a diet rich in Omega 6 fatty acids and deficient in Omega 3’s. Males also need more essential fatty acids than females, which could explain why ADHD/ADD is more common in boys.

Several studies conducted in the UK showed that children taking high EPA fish oil had increased concentration levels, improved their exam results and demonstrated less hyperactive behaviour in the classroom. Research continues but there is a growing awareness of how high grade EPA fish oil can help to alleviate the symptoms of ADHD, ADD and other brain related disorders. One Australian study even suggested that fish oil could be just as effective as Ritalin in treating ADHD/ADD, and perhaps even more so.

For much more information you can visit our parent company Mind 1st in the UK.

I would like to thank Brenda for allowing me to post this article on her website and wish her all the best with her own personal trials of Pure EPA.

Has your child’s ADHD/behavior ever driven you over the edge to the point where you could hurt them?

A post on ADDitude Magazine’s ADHD Parenting Blog brought this subject up yesterday. I give the author credit for her honesty and in case you’re wondering, she has never hurt her daughter. The article is about how close she has come to letting “…that last thread of self-control snap.”

Her description of her daughter’s behavior (and the whole article really) shocked me. I’ve never associated this kind of out of control behavior with ADHD. Keep in mind that in addition to my own children, I worked as an ADD Coach for many years, so I’ve been exposed to a lot of kids with ADHD.

Is this something that you can relate to? Have I missed something? I would love it if you would read this article and give me your thoughts. I’m still just trying to process this.

Have you heard of The Brain Balance Achievement Centers? I hadn’t until today.

The Brain Balance Achievement Centers claim to be able to treat and sometimes cure Attention Deficit Disorder as well as a number of other things like learning disabilities and Autism.

Now right away, my first reaction was negative. I don’t like it when anyone claims to be able to cure ADHD because I don’t think it’s possible. You either have ADHD or you don’t and that will never change.

After taking a look at their website, I have changed my opinion somewhat.

They take a holistic view of all that’s going on with your child – their body, their mind, their environment. They look at things like diet, allergies, motor skills, social skills and so much more.

I can begin to see how, if they find deficiencies in some of these areas, that it might be possible that together they present symptoms very similar to ADHD. In that case, taking care of the underlying problems could result in little to no ADD like symptoms. But to me, that’s not curing ADHD, because the person never had it.

I myself believe that diet and allergies can have an effect on ADHD, and I’m not alone in that belief. It seems that in some respects, The Brain Balance Achievement Center takes an approach much like my Med Free with ADD program, although of course, theirs is far more comprehensive.

There are only 13 Brain Balance Achievement Centers in the country, but you might be interested in checking out their website and see what you think of it.

As I said, I’m still not convinced but I believe that many of their ideas are valid and worth a closer look. Maybe you can find something of use that you can try for your child.