06.08.08
Why I failed at Goal #2, Plus new plan
Almost exactly a year ago, I made some goals for myself when starting this blog. Of couse, as with most things in my life, I eventually got off track, stopped using my progress chart, and stopped meeting my daily goals. I’m not sure which came first – Did I stop using my progress chart because I wasn’t meeting my goals and got discouraged? Or did I stop meeting my goals because I wasn’t regularly using my progress chart to keep track of everything? I don’t know, and I’m not going to worry about it. I’ll just try again!
So, I thought I’d analyze why I failed at a simple goal: Take Omega-3 supplements every day.
Here are a few possible reasons:
- I had put my vitamins by my computer so I’d be reminded to take them daily. They were by my computer in the basement, which I didn’t use every day, and now rarely use. One of my supplements (GABA) is still down there somewhere.
- The rest of the vitamins are in my cabinet in the kitchen – out of sight, out of mind, right? I only remember to take them about 2-3 times per week, if that.
- I really don’t like swallowing pills, especially large ones like the GNC vitamins.
- I have amassed several different types of vitamins, and have a hard time keeping track of which ones I took when, so then I just don’t take any for a while. I would like to rotate between: GNC Women’s Ultra Mega Vitamins, CitriCal (Calcium Citrate + Vitamin D), and Centrum (chewable multivitamin for when I don’t feel like swallowing the GNC ones), and also take Omega-3s every day.
So, I figured a good way to make sure I take at least one multivitamin and one Omega-3 supplement a day would be to use a pillbox. I looked on Amazon since I had a gift certificate, and I saw this cool one: http://www.amazon.com/Apex-Pocket-Med-Pack-Tray/dp/B000EGN1A6/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1212917207&sr=8-1
It’s handy because I can fill up the little pods at the beginning of the week and know whether I took a vitamin yet today, as well as exactly how many vitamins I’ve taken over the week. I can also take one of the little pods with me to go, in case I want to take one when I eat a meal at the office, or if I take a trip somewhere I don’t have to take a little baggie of vitamins that all get all dusty from each other and nasty looking like last time I went on vacation.
Anyway, just thought I’d share my new plan. When the little pill thingy arrives in the mail, I’ll post a picture of it with my vitamins. (Note: the containers would also be handy for those of you on medication.)
01.06.08
Waist-to-Hip Ratio, Omega-3s, and ADD
Joan, over at “Chaotic Order, Living with ADD” wrote a post, which is relevant to this blog, and is excerpted below. To read the entire post, click on this link: “She Get It From Her Momma“
The University of Pittsburgh and University of California @ Santa Barbara published a study suggesting that fat stored in the hips and butt are a privileged source of nuerodevelopmental resources. The study asserts that upper body fat particularly abdominal fat has negative effects and lower body fat (hips, butt) have positive effects on long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) that are essential for brain development. They used waist to hip ratio(WHR) as a marker for how much fat is located around a woman’s waist compared to how much is around a her hips, thighs and butt. They used the WHR to predict cognitive ability in women and their children. They used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey which included data on body fat, body mass index (BMI), waist & hip circumference, results of cognitive tests of adults & children, demographics such as education levels, income, age, race and etc.
They analyzed the data controlling for factors that correlate with higher intelligence and found that women with lower WHR and their kids have significantly higher cognitive test scores and teenage mothers with lower WHR and their kids are protected from cognitive decrements associated with teen births.
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Omega-3 fatty acids are the main LCPUSFA involved in brain development. Omega-3’s contain DHA and ALA and are essential fatty acids because they can not be made from the body. They have to come from food or supplements. ALA can be converted to DHA by the body. ALA mainly comes from flax seed, walnuts, olive oils etc, while DHA is primarily found in fatty fish. LCPUSFA’s make up 20% of the dry weight of the human brain. DHA is critical for fetal and infant brain development which is one of the reasons they add it to infant formula while it is found naturally in breast milk. A recent meta-analysis report estimates that a child’s IQ increases by 0.13 point for every 100mg increase in daily maternal prenatal intake of DHA. A study in England showed a positive relationship between a mother’s prenatal consumption of seafood (high in DHA) and her child’s verbal IQ.
Gluteofemoral(hips/butt) fat has higher amounts of LCPUFA’s than abdominal and visceral fat. In comparison, abdominal fat decreases the amount of a desaturase enzyme that is involved in the synthesis of important LCPUFA’s from dietary precursers. Other studies showed that 60-80% of LCPUFA’s in human breast milk come from maternal fat stores, rather than from the mother’s current dietary intake, presumably because of the rapid rate of infant brain development relative to limited dietary supplies of LCPUFA’s.
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The most important points of this study is that Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for the brain development of fetuses, infants and in adults as well and also that having excessive abdominal fat reduces the availability of those fatty acids and raise health risks in general. Low levels of Omega-3 fatty acids have been implicated in contributing to ADD, depression, anxiety disorders, aggression, hypertension and etc. So make sure that you are taking in enough omega-3’s especially if you are pregnant. Mommies, some children’s vitamins now contain DHA.
10.11.07
Back to GABAsics
OK, stupid title, I know. It just popped into my head and I couldn’t let it go.
Anyway, I just wanted to officially announce that I’m going to get back on schedule with my GABA and Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements. I didn’t really take them long enough before to know whether they were making a difference with my ADD symptoms, but all those things I was tracking on my Progress Chart did seem to be helping me, so it’s about time I stop looking at that bottle of supplements on my desk every day, and start using them.
I’ll let you know if I notice a difference!
09.03.07
Flax Oil, Omega-3s, ADHD
Here is a link to another blog where a lady is using Omega-3s (in the form of flax oil instead of fish oil) to help her son’s ADHD symptoms. She seems to have anecdotal evidence that it is working for him.
http://mrsghost.wordpress.com/2007/08/31/part-2-and-the-update/
07.15.07
Fatty Acids & Your Brain
Found this cute little article on The Franklin Institute Website:
http://www.fi.edu/brain/fats.htm
To be honest, I haven’t read the whole thing yet, but it looks to have a lot of interesting facts on Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, including their role in human evolution, the role they play in brain membranes, what the essential fatty acids are, and more! Check it out!
07.03.07
Feeling Tired?
Well, I’ve been taking Omega-3 fatty acids on and off for 3 weeks now. I love finding news tidbits that give me even more reasons to keep taking them!
Here is another potential benefit: staying mentally alert and therefore feeling less tired.
“Fuel your brain with omega-3s. Found in fatty fish (such as tuna and salmon), walnuts, and canola oil, these essential fatty acids play a role in keeping brain cells healthy and helping you feel mentally alert. Another potential bonus: Omega-3s encourage the body to store carbs as glycogen — the storage form of glucose (blood sugar) and the body’s main source of stored fuel — rather than as fat.”
Check out this list of 22 ways to feel more energetic during the day. Of course, exercise is on the list, too.
Since having low energy during parts of the day something I’m tracking in my progress chart, I’ll be able to see if things change over time in that area while taking the supplements.
Now if I could just get my goals done regularly, I’ll be on my way to a healthier (physically AND mentally) life, and I’ll be able to tell you whether these “natural” ways to theoretically control ADD are working!
06.18.07
GABA Supplements
Well I finally got over to the Health Foods Store, and they had the GABA supplements. I wanted “GABA Calm” because it also has Taurine and L-Tyrosine, but they didn’t have that. What they had is just called GABA, and is also by Source Naturals, and it cost $18.50 for 90 tablets! Much more than I would’ve paid online, but at least it’s in my hands now and I don’t have to worry about any shipping costs, waiting to get it, freshness of the product, etc.
On the bottle, it says:
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is an amino acid derivative and a key inhibitory neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry information between nerve cells or from nerve cells to other target cells. GABA is synthesized directly from glutamic acid. It has an inhibitory effect on the firing of neurons and supports a calm mood.
but warns that these statements aren’t approved by the FDA. I’m going by Dr. Amen’s advice on this one. Note that GABA is not an herb or drug, but something found naturally in the human body.
Interestingly, the lady at the checkout said “Oh, another lady buys these regularly and says they really work! She takes them until they build up in her system, and says then she doesn’t have to take them for a while.” OK… I’ll have to see if I find out what she meant by that. Also, I’m taking them specifically for my “Temporal Lobe” type ADD, so I’ll be able to evaluate how they affect me using my chart.
They are large tablets, 750 mg, so I am going to break them in half at first and take approx 375 mg until I see how my body reacts to them.
I’ll keep you posted! Here goes…
06.13.07
Daily Goal #3: GABA Supplement + Multivitamin
Here is an excerpt from Dr. Amen’s article, which you can read here: http://amenclinics.com/bp/articles.php?articleID=10
“From a medication standpoint I have seen antiseizure (also called anticonvulsant) medications be the most helpful for temporal lobe problems. One of the mechanisms these medications work is by enhancing the amino acid gama-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is an essential neurotransmitter in the brain. It is formed in the body from glutamic acid. It’s function is to decrease neuron activity and inhibit nerve cells from overfiring or firing erratically. GABA can be taken as a supplement. It acts like an anticonvulsant and also as an anti-anxiety agent. In the herbal literature it is reported to work in much the same way as diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), and other tranquilizers, but without fear of addiction. I have seen it have a nice calming effect on people who struggle with temper, irritability, and anxiety (all which may be temporal lobe symptoms). The doses of GABA range from 100-500mg a day for adults, half that for children.”
I’ve read about GABA elsewhere, including here: http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/news/20031204/brain-scans-reveal-adhd-differences
Since I most likely have the Temporal Lobe type of ADHD, and since GABA seems to have many other benefits, I have decided to start taking a GABA supplement in addition to my Omega-3 supplement. I am also going to up my Omega-3 supplement since I did well taking 2 per day last week and didn’t notice any adverse effects, so I will up my intake by using “Smart Balance” buttery spread instead of butter, cooking with Olive Oil instead of vegetable oil (which also has additional benefits), and also replacing my normal peanut butter with “Smart Balance” peanut butter. I’ll let you know if that seems to make any difference.
I also wanted to share this in-depth analysis of Omega-3 uses with you: UMM Omega-3 Article . This article recommends a slightly higher amount of Omega-3s per day, which is one of the reasons I will attempt to add more to my diet.
In addition to the GABA supplement, I’m going to now track my multivitamin usage. I like the GNC Ultra Mega Women’s vitamins, but they are pretty strong and have way over the necessary daily amounts of most of the ingredients. I also like Centrum chewable adult vitamins because they have 100% of everything and they are easy to take. So, I will take one or the other multivitamin every day. I will probably try to take the stronger GNC vitamin 3 times a week.
OK so now, my goals are
- #1: Exercise 15-30 mins a day (still working on achieving that one)
- #2: (modified) Take 2 Omega-3 capsules per day and also add Omega-3 fatty acids to my diet
- #3: Take 200 mg of GABA supplements and one multivitamin daily.
I will add the third goal to my spreadsheet and start tracking it as soon as I purchase my supplements. Now I’m off to the store to figure out which supplements contain GABA!
06.11.07
Progress Chart – Download
OK, so I am ready to upload the progress chart I created so I could have some way to objectively track my progress. I listed my major “add problems” in column A, then for each day, I gave myself a score (0 to 10, 10 being best) on how I did in that area. Some may seem repetitive, but to me they are each individual issues I am dealing with. Each day, I average the whole column to see how I did overall, and each week I will take the average of the daily scores for each row and add them up to get a weekly total. I’m hoping that over time this number will go up!
Goals: You will notice that the numbers for how well I accomplished each goal I set up on this blog is in grey. I figure that the number of goals will go up, but I don’t want to increase the overall possible total (160) so I can have a weekly score that is comparable week to week. So, all of the daily goal scores get averaged into one score (in row 20) that shows how well I did at meeting all of my goals that day. Now, if I add a goal, it will just get averaged into that number.
I also am going to make charts to show visually whether I improve over time, and if you download the file you can see the charts. You can also see the hidden columns with my daily notes if you download the chart.
So, here is a picture of the chart (click to enlarge) with the comment columns hidden so I could show all of the numbers. You can see that my total “weekly score” was a 79.9. The highest possible is 160, because there are 16 rows that get added in, and the highest possible average for each row is 10.
You can download the excel spreadsheet here: Renee’s ADD Progress List
06.04.07
Goal #2: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Daily Supplement
I forgot to mention something else. I take a multivitamin about 3-4 times per week so I can get nutrients that may not be included in my diet, though I generally eat a good variety of foods. A while ago, I tried to add an Omega-3 fish oil supplement to my regimen because of reading about the importance of Omega-3 fatty acids for brain health in Delivered from Distraction (a great book that I will write more about at a later date) and Dr. Amen’s website. I also heard Dr. Perricone (and maybe Dr. Oz, also?) mention them on Oprah, so I figure they’re generally worth adding to my diet. I didn’t really take them regularly, though, (maybe 3 times in a week if I remembered) so I couldn’t tell if the supplements made a difference.
So yesterday, I bought a large-ish bottle of them (making sure that they were from am approved manufacturer – be careful as some unregulated supplements may contain toxins) and I plan to take 2 per day regularly.
The contents include 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA in each 1000 mg capsule (1 gram) of Fish Oil Concentrate. I’ve read that up to 5 grams per day is safe, so I am well under the limits when taking 2 per day. I also eat either salmon or tilapia once a week, and I try to cook with Olive Oil, which add additional Omega-3s to my diet.
I will post about whether they seem to make any difference, though I am also increasing my daily exercise at the same time, so the effects could be combined.
See additional information at Wikipedia.
