Do you find yourself having difficulty paying attention at work or managing to stay focused on the task at hand? Do you often forget to pay your bills or show up for important meetings or appointments? If this kind of thing happens to you a lot it may be more than disorganization or forgetfulness, you may instead be suffering from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

ADHD often begins in childhood; recent research suggests in fact that 8% of the world’s children are affected. Of these children 2/3 will still be disrupted well into their adult lives.

Drugs used to treat ADHD are controversial, and how effective they are versus the damage they may possibly cause is a topic for continual heated discussion. For this reason, more and more people are exploring the alternative treatments available. One place they are turning is to the ancient Indian practice of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is an integrated system of healing that has been practiced in India for centuries. Practitioners provide a blueprint to balance the three doshas, or natural energetic humors of the body: vata (air element), pitta (fire) and kapha (water and earth) by way of diet, cleansing, and spiritual healing.

For those who suffer from ADHD, Ayurveda practitioners have some specific suggestions that relate to both diet and lifestyle:

Ayurvedic Suggestions for Diet Modification:

Replace sugar-laden packaged and processed foods with whole grains like wheat, quinoa, and brown rice.

Replace cold juice drinks with fresh fruits (according to Ayurveda practitioners, ice cold beverages are especially bad for the balance of the vata so should be avoided where possible).

Choose warm or hot food over cold and refrigerated food as much as possible.

Ayurvedic Suggestions for Lifestyle Modification:

Use herbs to relieve ADHD symptoms. Herbs such as brahmi (Bacopa monniera), shankhapushpi (Evolvulus alsinoides), jatamansi or spikenard (which is Nardostachys jatamansi, traditionally used but currently endangered) and valerian (Valeriana officianalis) are nerve tonics that can help calm the mind.

Make yoga a part of your daily routine, ending always with the savasana (relaxation) pose.

Indulge yourself with a daily massage (preferably courtesy of a partner, but if none is available self massage is perfectly acceptable).

Take up a hobby that requires the mind to focus such as drawing, painting, or knitting, all of which require a degree of concentration that can help the mind retrain.