To understand how the plant-based diet works, we need to first understand the chemistry of the human body and the possible causes of ADHD.

Don’t worry…I’m not going to pull out my organic chemistry or biochemistry hat and start lecturing.

What I want to get to is that the human body is a giant water bag filled with interacting chemicals that include vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, hormones, neurotransmitters, etc, etc, etc. 

The human body is kept alive and functioning by thousands of biochemical reactions. Every single one of these reactions requires a “catalyst” to make the reaction happens.

And coincidently, these catalysts are minerals and vitamins found in lots of fruits and vegetables that God made for us.

So in order for the human body to function well to include staying focus, having energy, fight diseases, etc, we need all our chemical reactions to work at their best, which requires lots of minerals and vitamins.

Antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables also play a significant role in our body functions. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful free radicals and speed up the healing process.

The living body is a dynamic structure where cells are constantly dying and being replaced with new ones. With proper nutrition (or ingredients) our body can build better replacement cells and tissues that work even better than the last.

It’s true that animal protein does provide all 20 essential amino acids (building blocks of protein) in one source. However, it turns out animal protein is not the best or only source of protein or amino acid, or calcium, iron, zinc, etc.

High intake of animal protein (to include dairy and eggs) are associated with increased risk of certain cancers and chronic conditions. According to the China Study, dairy products are not even a good source of calcium as we’ve been told by the Dairy Council.

It’s a big fat lie by the Dairy Council to get everyone to drink loads of milk and eats tons of cheese so dairy farmers can make money.

In fact, the milk protein in dairy products also increases the risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia. Studies have also shown that countries with the most dairy consumption also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis and osteopenia.

Despite the fact that plant protein is considered “incomplete”, it is the best source of protein. The human body does have 20 essential amino acids that we just can’t create on our own, and we need to acquire these essential amino acids from food that we eat. 

We’ve been told for decades that animal protein is ‘the best” source of protein because it provides ALL 20 essential amino acids. However, our body does not care where these amino acids come from.

Consuming animal protein to acquire these amino acids comes with a price – carcinogens, hormones, antibiotics, free radicals, etc. Red meat, as we know, increases the risk of cardiac disease due to the oxidative effects of iron. Therefore, animal protein should be consumed sparingly, such as once a week.

In Dr. Weston’s book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, he discovered that native cultural diets that are free from modernized western influence have the most profound positive physical outcome and that these native people consume a plant-based diet composed of mostly food found in their native environment and animal protein is consumed about only once a week.

Assuming you’re eating a wholesome plant-based diet with a variety of unprocessed fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, and whole grains, you’re guaranteed to have all your essential amino acids complete.

A plant based diet focuses on whole, unrefined, or minimally processed plants, such as organic fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes. 

It excludes or minimizes animal protein, such as meat (including chicken and fish), dairy products, and eggs. This diet also excludes highly refined or processed foods like bleached flour, refined sugars, and oil.

It’s very interesting that a vegetarian or vegan diet is often frowned upon. I get lots of consults from concerned pediatricians and parents.

A plant-based or vegan diet is almost synonymous with starvation or malnutrition or a cover for an eating disorder in teenagers.

Pediatricians freak out if parents are vegan, and the child is at imminent risk of malnutrition. Parents freak out if their child wants to be vegan. The consult is either for me to educate the family of a proper vegan diet or the parents want me to persuade their child to change their mind.

Despite all the things we’re taught in school about risks of protein deficiency, iron deficiency, calcium deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, and vitamin B12 deficiency in a vegan diet, I have never, in my professional life, seen a vegan with any of these deficiencies.

I’ve seen iron deficiency in teenagers who eat so-call “vegetarian diet” that consists of mostly processed carbs – bagels or cereal with milk for breakfast, some kind of crackers, cookies, or bread for lunch, then more carbs in the form of pasta for dinner. Their “vegetarian diet” has barely any real food, such as vegetables or fruits, no plant protein either. 

Just carbs and dairy. That’s their “vegetarian diet”. 

And you wonder why people think a vegetarian diet is bad. I’ve seen much severe iron and vitamin D deficiency in the single digits who eat a standard American diet (SAD). 

Interesting.

Research shows that saturated and trans fats found in dairy products, meats, pastries, and fried foods can increase the risk of cognitive decline. Instead, a plant-based diet helps protect brain health by reducing chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which leads to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Berries and foods rich in vitamin E, including nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains are especially beneficial for brain health.

Studies show that a whole food plant based diet that includes a high intake of whole plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, tea, coffee, red wine, and olive oil, decreases levels of oxidative stress and inflammation, which are associated with the development of degenerative brain diseases, autism, and ADHD.

Much nutrition research has examined plant-based eating patterns such as the Mediterranean diet and a vegetarian diet. The Mediterranean diet has a foundation of whole food plant-based foods. However, it does include small amounts of fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt a few times a week.

The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce risks of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, certain cancers, depression, and in older adults, a decreased risk of frailty, along with better mental and physical function.

Many kids with ADHD have bowel problems that prevent them from digesting and absorbing food properly. Bowel flora is the microbes we need in the GI tract to help digest and absorb food, and to fend off invasive pathogens (viruses, microbial parasites, or detrimental bacteria).

If your child has abnormal bowel habits, such as frequent diarrhea; constipation; poorly digested food in stool on a regular basis; frequent unusual stool color or odor; or onset of urine or stool incontinence in previously potty-trained children; extreme tantrums or irritability; sensory irritability, especially for noise; or silliness or hyperactivity following a starchy meal; and ringworm, rash, acne; oral thrush, persisting diaper rash and bloated belly, he or she may benefit from probiotics from plant-based diet to help regulate bowel gut bacteria.

There is increasing evidence that suggests a fiber-rich, plant-based diet promotes healthy gut microbiota, linked to immune support and digestive health.

Related: Probiotics

A whole food plant based is packed with life-saving antioxidants that can help boost your immune system and strengthen your body’s defense against diseases and infection.

Antioxidants, such as carotenoids, flavonoids, stimulates activities of the T-cells, which is your body’s first line defense system. 

Eat the Rainbow. The coloring antioxidants that give fruits and vegetables their colorful appearance are not just for look. They gently cleanse your body and get rid of cell damaging free radicals, and facilitate cell repairs.

5. Reduce Exposure to Environmental Toxins

All meat is not created equal. Lamb, beef, pork, and cheese generate the most greenhouse gases. Meat and dairy products require a large amount of pesticides, chemical fertilizer, fuel, feed and water and generates greenhouse gases, toxic manure, and other pollutants that contaminate our air and water.

Not only that…you’ll save so much energy and water.

When you eat a SAD (Standard American diet), you’ll end up with all these greasy dishes at the end of the meal, which require a lot of soap and water to clean.

 When you eat a clean whole food plant based diet, you’ll have so much less dishes to wash because you no longer have to worry about cross contamination between raw meat and ready to eat food. 

And your dishes are barely greasy or dirty after eating. 

That’s the other reason why’s it’s called clean eating. 

You’ll also safe energy because for some meals you do not even have to turn on the stove or oven. 

No dangerous bacterial contamination to worry about. 

You don’t have to be Iron Chef to cook a plant-based meal. The worst you could do is burnt the food. Other than that, you can over cooked or under cook your vegetables and it’s still good. 

You don’t need to worry about unsafe food because it’s uncooked. And some meals you don’t even need to turn on the stove or oven to prepare at all.

When I first started, I’d make a list of all the vegetables that I’d eat. And this is my shopping list. I still have this list on my phone today. 

When I’m at the grocery store, I just buy all the fresh and frozen vegetables that I like for the next couple days. 

At mealtime, I just peel and cut whatever vegetables are available and cook them all together into a “Buddha Bowl”. 

I usually have at least 3 vegetables and a very small amount of rice and quinoa mix. 

I didn’t start out vegan right away. I was just eating mostly clean food still eating meat. But after my daughter went away to college, I got tired and bored of cooking for myself. Eventually I just do the bare minimal cooking with no meat because it’s too much work to prepare and cook meat. 

After a few weeks of not eating any meat, I suddenly noticed that I have more energy and mental clarity. I don’t feel sluggish after eating anymore. I stopped taking naps in the afternoons and after dinner. 

That’s when I realized the benefits of a plant based diet. All these time I thought I was eating well and healthy according to the US dietary guidelines that include lots of animal proteins from animals and animals products.

I’m still not 100% vegan. I use bone broth occasionally when cooking vegetables to get the collagen and flavor. 

And once a week, we go out on date night and eat a nice fancy restaurants, where we do eat meat, but only in small portion and we share. 

Do you want clear mind, clear skin and body full of energy?

With a plant based diet you can save a lot of money by buying mostly whole foods even in Hawaii. 

The whole idea of whole food plant based diet is eating real food. It can become unhealthy and expensive when you start buy all these packaged processed fake meat products. 

You can also buy many fresh local produce from farmers’ markets. 

And of course…

As opposed to common wisdom, the human does not need to eat animal protein every single day. According to Dr. Weston Price’s research the world’s indigenous tribes not touched by modern influence, he found that almost all indigenous tribes eat seasonal plants and food found in their environment, and animal protein was only available only x1-2 times a week.

What he concluded was that the human who ate a diet of mostly natural unprocessed food found in his or her environment with seldom animal protein had the strongest and well-developed bone and dental structure.

Ok, there you have it…

I hope you find this information helpful. Let me know what you think and comment below. 

Remember ADHD does not doom your child to a life of under-achievement. You know your child is bright, full of potential, and deserves the best. In fact, many of the world’s greatest discoveries and inventions were made by people with ADHD.

I helped my crazy wild child who couldn’t read or write when she was little overcome her learning difficulties, and become a merit scholarship student majoring in premed at Loyola Chicago University.

So don’t give up, everything is possible. 

If you’re just starting out on this natural ADHD treatment journey and still in the research phase, check out my new book Eat to Focus.

Inside this book, you’ll learn why your ADHD child is always hungry, why he or she seems addicted to milk and bread, the reason why most ADHD treatments do not work, and the exact four strategies I’ve used for my daughter to help her calm down to focus and finally learn normally.