My mom shared this story with me and I recently shared it with a family struggling to help their son with severe ADHD. I had heard stories of parents helping their children with ADHD through diet and nutrition, and I have even met several of these amazing people. One thing I have never heard is that it’s easy. With all of the junk out there, how are we supposed to get children filled with proper nutrition rather than chemical food-like substances? Is it even worth the struggle? Read this story and look at the before and after pictures.
Nicholas’s Story
Hyperactivity creates many problems for the whole family. In the story below, Susan Pizzolato tells of the journey Nick took from diagnosis, through medication, to a wellness program and health.
One day, as I sat at the table, i looked across and saw a little boy staring out the window. He was so very skinny and pale. His skin was a grayish tone. He had dark circles under his eyes. He glanced at me for a moment, and my heart broke as I realized there was no more sparkle in his eyes. Where had it gone?
This little boy is my son, Nicholas. When he was six years old, he was diagnosed with ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. As any mother would be, I was tortured by the decision to give him medication to deal with the problem which was so new to me.
Without medication, Nicholas was very aggressive – sometimes to the point where he would get physical. He’d get so frustrated that he’d beat his head against the wall. For the most part, social interaction was impossible because he would fight with the children or be verbally overbearing. His self-esteem was rock-bottom. He walked around saying, “I’m so stupid.” “I’m so dumb.” while he would beat on his head with his fists.
We began medication a few months after he was diagnosed. First Ritalin, to which he was allergic; then Cylert for about a year, succeeded by Dexedrine. At first I thought we’d found the help we needed. However, Nick reached a point where he wouldn’t eat. The medication suppressed his appetite. About 11 p.m. he’d be ready to eat, saying he was starving.
He suffered tremendously with insomnia. He would not sleep before 3:30 a.m. Eventually I had to home-school him because there was no way I could send him to school with 3 hours sleep.
Nicholas wouldn’t go out to play. At soccer practice, he could hardly keep up. By the time he played one quarter, he’d be standing there, holding his sides, trying to breathe.
He constantly bit his fingernails or picked at things nervously. Most of all, I realized that he didn’t smile anymore. He seemed kind of sad, and when he would laugh, it would be just a slight smile.
I continued to search for a solution. We always ended back at the medicine bottle. When he was seven, a loving friend approached me with the idea that maybe trying Shaklee supplements would help. I had read articles on how important diet was and how deficient ADHD children’s bodies’ were in many nutrients. But my reply to her was that there would be no way I could get Nick to take all those supplements. That was MY opinion.
After going through another year with Nicholas on Dexedrine, I knew something else had to be done. I prayed each day that something better would come along, and so it did. My loving friend called again to say that Dr. Karen Craig had put together some information on ADHD and supplementation. I was at my lowest point. After listening to Dr. Craig’s tapes, I got all the supplements she recommended and sat down to have a talk with Nick.
We discussed all the bad things medication had done, and what we were about to embark on. Nick would be taking 10 to 12 supplements at each meal and some before bed. To offer support to Nick, the whole family went on the program with him!
The first three days were a challenge. Nick would fuss about taking the “stupid vitamins” and whine, “Do I have to?” On the third day, her really tried my patience. We had company very early in the morning. In the chaotic situation in the house, Nick became obnoxious. He got louder and louder about not taking the vitamins. It came time for “Truth or Dare!” I reached up, took a pill out of his medicine bottle and said, “If you won’t take your vitamins, then take your medicine.” He looked at me, slid the pill back across the counter and said, “I’ll take the stupid vitamins.”
From that point on, Nicholas has been a different little boy. He has abundant energy, and a new zest for life. Soccer games are a breeze now, no shortness of breath. He goes outside to play all the time, and he sleeps at night. He goes to bed and actually rests! His appetite is good. He has shiny hair and a glowing complexion. He no longer bites his finger nails, and he takes his supplements without complaining.
Best of all, Nicholas now has friends. He doesn’t feel that he has a problem in every situation. He’s a wonderful little boy with bright, shiny eyes and laughter that can fill a room. And he has a hug to share with everyone.
I don’t need to try to convince you that Shaklee has changed our lives. I’ve shared with you from my heart. Nick has been on supplements for 9 months without any medicine. I’m not going to say that it’s easy, because sometimes we get hung up on little things. The first time Shaklee was suggested, I was hung up on the number of supplements. How STUPID I was. It’s just food, you see. I forgot to ask the person it would truly benefit. I didn’t ask Nicholas what he would do about it.
Nicholas is the real hero of this story. If it hadn’t been for him saying, “I’ll do it,” our whole family would be without Shaklee food supplements. And his father, Joel, would still be having headaches. But that’s another story.
Products used (updated to current product names):
