BY DR. PANCHAJANYA PAUL*
Ever wonder why your child’s homework turns into a two-hour battle? Or why you can’t focus on your tasks during the work-from-home day?
These scenarios might be more common than you think.
Many children have trouble focusing in class, miss deadlines, lose things, and are often hyperactive and easily distracted. This condition is called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Recent data shows that 1 in 10 children ages 5 to 17 in the United States has ADHD. With more people working from home, attention problems have also increased among adults, and now 1 in 16 adults are diagnosed with ADHD.
For children, inattention and hyperactivity can make learning harder and lead to poor grades. Adults with ADHD may miss deadlines, make mistakes at work, and have difficulties with relationships and social responsibilities.
As a psychiatrist, I see ADHD in my practice every day. I have worked with children who are close to failing in school and adults who are at risk of losing their jobs. Research shows that some foods, like fatty fish, whole milk, eggs, walnuts, blueberries, avocados, dark chocolate, and leafy greens, can help the brain work better. But just as some foods help, others can make it harder to focus.
Before starting medication, I suggest making changes to your diet and lifestyle. Here are some foods to avoid if you have trouble with focus and attention.
1. Sugar
Foods high in simple sugars, like cookies, candy, muffins, cake, and lozenges, can cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall quickly, making kids more cranky and irritable. Imagine starting a school day with a sugary breakfast, like a Pop-Tart at 7 a.m., only to find your focus dropping by 9 a.m., turning the morning into an uphill battle.
Processed foods often contain high fructose corn syrup, which is linked to obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Try replacing sugary snacks with whole fruits like bananas, apples, grapes, oranges, and avocados. Avoid store-bought juices and choose homemade protein shakes or juices with fiber instead.
Now, let’s look at how carbohydrates can affect focus.
2. Carbohydrates
Meals high in carbohydrates, such as bread, rice, pasta, pizza, lentils, and potatoes, raise blood sugar and trigger a response in the body that promotes sleep and digestion. This is why we often feel sleepy after eating a heavy meal with lots of carbs.
Instead of avoiding them altogether, consider when carbs can actually serve you best. Think of carbohydrates as an evening refuel. Consuming them at dinner can aid in a restful night’s sleep. For daytime meals, prioritize high-protein foods and vegetables like broccoli, salmon, eggs, and yogurt, which have a low glycemic index and are less likely to make you sleepy.
Besides macronutrients, some food additives can also affect focus.
3. Artificial Additives and Dyes
In the U.S., many artificial colors and dyes are allowed in food, more than in many European countries. Colors like Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, and Blue 1 and 2 have been shown to increase hyperactivity. Foods with the preservative sodium benzoate, which helps keep food fresh, can also make children more hyperactive and less focused.
When shopping, check food labels and try to avoid these ingredients. Foods with fewer ingredients are usually less processed. Many foods for kids, such as colored cereals, candies, soda, snacks, and cookies, have added colors to make them look more appealing, but these can lead to unhealthy eating habits.
Keep it simple: Fewer colors, calmer classroom, clearer mind.
Now, let’s look at another common ingredient in processed foods: seed oils.
4. Seed Oils
Most processed foods are cooked in seed oils like soybean oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil. These seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which are inflammatory. High omega-6 levels reduce omega-3 fatty acids, and research has shown that a higher omega-3-to-omega-6 fatty acid ratio boosts brain function.
Try making a simple swap tonight by replacing soybean oil with olive oil in your dinner preparation. Other healthy cooking options include fruit oils such as coconut and avocado, as well as grass-fed butter, ghee, and tallow. Healthy saturated fats rich in vitamins A and D are good for the brain and neurons and may help stabilize unwanted brain activity and reduce hyperactivity.
5. Marijuana and Alcohol
The use of recreational drugs like marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol is increasing. Legalization in many states has led to more marijuana and cannabis use. Marijuana affects dopamine in the brain, leading to less focus and motivation. I have seen many teens who use it daily and lose interest in school.
Vaping and e-cigarettes are also becoming more common among young people. While nicotine can make you feel more alert for a short time, using it every day can lead to addiction, cravings, and trouble thinking clearly when nicotine levels drop.
Alcohol abuse is also rising among minors, with many college students drinking on weekends. Alcohol slows down the brain, reduces focus, delays reaction time, and affects memory. Any long-term addiction can change the brain’s reward system, making it harder to stay focused and work deeply.
Food Sensitivities and Focus
Some foods can be harmful only to certain people. For example, some have lactose intolerance and can’t digest milk sugar, while others have gluten sensitivity or allergies to foods like eggs, beans, cauliflower, eggplant, shellfish, or peanuts.
If you notice that certain foods cause skin rashes, gas, bloating, bad breath, diarrhea, or mouth acidity, your body may not be able to digest them, and they could be doing more harm than good.
Consider this: What three foods leave you feeling foggy or unfocused? Reflecting on this question may encourage you to journal your reactions and create a feedback loop that can enhance emotional self-awareness.
If you have these problems, try an elimination diet by removing suspected foods for a few weeks to see if you feel better. Our gut and brain are closely connected. If your gut is upset or overloaded, your body sends more blood to your stomach and less to your brain, which can make it harder to focus.
So, try to eat simple meals during work hours.
Fasting and Focus
Some people find they can focus better when fasting. When glucose is unavailable, the brain uses ketones for energy, which can help maintain steady focus. Ketones reduce oxidative stress on the brain and stabilize neuronal connections.
I prefer to delay my first meal until 12 p.m., letting my brain run on ketones for energy. But there are also people who cannot perform on an empty stomach. They will do better with a high-protein breakfast to jump-start their day. My colleague, for instance, swears by his morning omelet, which fuels his creativity and keeps him sharp until lunch.
Try different approaches to see what works for you.
If you have severe ADHD and nothing seems to help, it may be time to seek professional help, such as cognitive therapy or prescription medication. Even if you are already taking medication for ADHD, an elimination diet can help reduce the amount of medicine you need. This means cutting out most processed foods. You may need to cook more at home and buy some organic foods, which can be more expensive. However, I believe the extra cost is worth it because better health can lower future medical bills, and improved focus can lead to better learning and higher earnings.
About the Author:Dr. Panchajanya “Panch” Paul, MD, ABIHM, ABPN, FAPA, is an Emory-trained Child and Adult Psychiatrist, certified in Holistic Medicine, and author of Stress Rescue and Sleep Coaching.
Take the first step toward better focus and well-being. Call 678-851-3512 or email info@hpsych.org to schedule your appointment with Dr. Paul and start your journey to improved focus today.
