ADHD Mama Stories: Monica Garcia,RD
One of my very favorite parts of blogging about ADHD Parenting is meeting other parents who are on a similar path. I truly believe that we have so much to learn from each other.
There is a lot of trial and error in parenting, so getting ideas and hard won advice from other mamas is absolutely, incredibly valuable.
I came across Monica Garcia on Instagram and was immediately enthralled by her nutritional advice. I am always looking for the latest advice on natural remedies for ADHD, because like so many families, prescription medication did not work for my kids (in fact, it made things worse!!)
It can be so helpful to get nutritional advice from a professional, like Monica! So, I was ecstatic when she agreed to be part of our ADHD Mama series. She is a wealth of practical, up-to-date advice about natural remedies for our ADHD Kids. Enjoy!
Monica, thanks for being part of our ADHD Mama Series!!
Tell us a bit about your family:
I am a wife, a mom of two wonderful girls, 10 and almost 15, and two wonderful fur babies. We recently moved from NYC to Fort Lauderdale, FL, where most of my family lives. We are a blended family as my oldest is from a previous relationship. My husband works and travels a lot so I have been the one to do most of the parenting. This is the main reason why I chose to work from home – so I can be around for whatever my girls need.
Tell us about the work you do – were you inspired by your daughter to learn about natural solutions for adhd?
I became a registered dietitian when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was always intrigued with health and wellness and even became a vegetarian in my 20s. But when my daughter was diagnosed with moderate ADHD in 2020, I was told by all of her doctors that nutrition had nothing to do with it and that medication and therapy were the only solutions.
After trying these for a year, we were really unhappy with the side effects and started our journey down the nutrition path.
What are some of the early symptoms you were noticing in your daughter?
She was always very energetic and in constant motion. Even the days after being born she would cry if she was put down and wanted to be carried and entertained. She was very colicky as a baby too.
As a toddler, she was always hyper and had trouble falling and staying asleep. I always thought that was how other children were since she was my only child at the time.
What were some of the first things you tried as you were experimenting with natural remedies?
I initially tried doing a food sensitivity diet for my daughter. It was very difficult and restrictive. I remember her having to pack food to take to a restaurant when a friend invited her out to dinner. And she was amazing about it and rarely complained.
The problem was that I didn’t realize at the time that her food sensitivities were not the Root Cause of her symptoms.
There was a reason she was having reactions and the foods were not to blame. And although I do think sometimes it can help parents out when symptoms are out of control, I don’t think it’s a good long term solution. And it can be a bad idea to restrict foods for long periods of time as it can create eating disorders and nutrient deficiencies.
I also started giving her loads of vitamins because her tests showed that she had so many deficiencies. But although it did help some, I do think it was a mistake. Supplements can be useful for certain things but, overall, we should be very cautious.
I think we sometimes assume that just because it’s sold in stores that it must be safe. But that is nowhere near the truth.
Synthetic vitamins are often times contaminated or the ingredients are not properly labeled on the package. And I’ve now learned that balancing nutrients is not about just giving them what they are missing. All the nutrients depend on others, so it’s about figuring out where things are going wrong.
And so my thoughts on supplements has drastically changed. I no longer recommend most synthetic supplements unless there is a true need.
What were some of the first natural supplements you tried?
Aside from a multi-vitamin and omega 3s, I never really tried anything because she was an exceptional eater. Some of her favorite foods were oyster, squid, kale, tofu, pureed greens, even raw onions and garlic. So I always assumed she was getting all the nutrients she needed. It wasn’t until after I tested her that I learned that she had several nutrient imbalances and her gut was a mess.
Are there any of those first things that have become your absolute go-to’s , even now?
To be honest, I have come so far from where I started that I don’t have many go-tos. The field of nutrition changes so fast that I’m always learning and growing. The only thing I have kept the same is that I still believe that food comes first.
I also think that teaching your children how to appreciate real food is important. They are always watching us and mimicking our behaviors.
It’s important to set a good example for them. Sitting at a table to a home cooked meal with your children is a blessing that I don’t take for granted. I know that they won’t be living with me forever, so I try to have dinner with them as often as possible. And I think this has taught them how to enjoy a variety of foods.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always have time to make fancy meals and sometimes my food turns out terrible. But once we are all at the table sharing a meal and talking about life, I forget the challenges of having to get food on the table every night.
Fun fact: I was a structural engineer for about 20 years before switching over to nutrition.
What Do You wish someone Had told You when Your daughter was first diagnosed?
That ADHD symptoms are often-times the bodies way of telling us something is off. My daughter had off the charts copper in her system that was wreaking havoc. Had we not learned about this and treated her, she would still be struggling with school and big emotions.
Her low zinc was also contributing to many of her symptoms and left her stomach so vulnerable to h. pylori, candida and dysbiosis. Finding the root cause of the symptoms can really make a big impact in their lives so I urge parents to keep asking questions and continue to advocate for their children to find what works for them.
What are your tips for parents struggling with picky eaters?
I’m so glad you asked this question. I have many, many parents coming to me about picky eating and how much they struggle to get their kids to eat healthy food. My youngest was picky for some time, so I know how real the struggle is. BUT I think it’s important to bring awareness to the fact that there may be an underlying reason they are picky.
One big reason I see is a zinc deficiency. Every one of my clients has this issue although the symptoms can be different for some (over eaters also have this issue). Zinc is crucial for the taste buds to work properly. So if they are low in zinc, and 96% of kids with ADHD are low in zinc, then they will struggle with tasting food.
The real foods will taste terrible, and the highly processed foods will taste better to them because they have so many chemical flavor enhancers. It’s not their fault that they prefer those foods. So I tell parents to make sure their child does not have a zinc deficiency first.
Once that issue is fixed, they will become more open to trying new foods. It takes time to fix it but it works. And I also think limiting ultra processed foods is important. As well as, making sure their child is ravenous when dinner is ready.
This last point is so important because if they have a snack too close to dinner, it will ruin your hard work in getting dinner on the table and expect them to eat well.
What are the first tests you suggest to your clients?
I always like to start with an HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) to look for mineral imbalances and toxic metals; a GI Map to look at gut health; a urine test to check for pyrlouria; blood work (if possible) to look at methylation status and other markers.
What does the Hair Test tell you?
Hair Testing is one of my favorites. It’s pretty affordable and so easy to do at home. And the information you get is so valuable. It tells us their mineral status for the past 3 months and if they have toxic heavy metals being stored in their bodies for that time.
When you do blood work, it only tells us what is going on at the moment. And the body tightly controls what happens in the blood so you don’t really get an accurate picture of many things, like electrolytes for example.
Checking electrolytes in blood is not a useful marker for this reason. Having a good mineral status is the first step in healing. Minerals are what drives the body and so without a good balance, things just start to fall apart. With the soil being depleted and increases in stress (which uses up more minerals) and processed foods, it’s a recipe for disaster for our mineral status.
We know every kid is different, but are there some deficiencies that come up often when you are working with ADHD kids?
Yes! I almost always see a zinc deficiency! This needs to be addressed because zinc is needed for proper gut health, for taste buds to work properly (aka picky eating), brain health, immune health and so many other areas of the body. Copper is another big one. It’s common to see high copper which really affects neurotransmitters. Zinc and copper work against each other so having them balanced is the goal.
I also think pyroluria should be ruled out. I see it in about half of the kids I help. The test is a simple blood test but if it’s positive, it’s a big deal because it means your child needs really high doses of zinc and b6 (more than you can get from food alone). I sometimes see this being overlooked by many health practitioners.
But if it’s missed, and the correct nutrients aren’t given, the child will never feel better. Pyroluria causes sever deficiencies in these two nutrients and they are very symptomatic.
Do you find that many of your clients have tried the conventional path, first, and have had bad experiences?
Oh yes, I have quite a few that have been put on so many pharmaceutical cocktails that it is hard to undue. Some of these kids are being put on Prozac (as young as 5 years old!) and antidepressants which we now know have so many long term side effects, including increased suicide risk.
It’s unbelievable that this is even allowed. And these kids are NEVER tested for anything prior to starting. So the doctors have no clue if it’s a nutrient deficiency or mold exposure or gut issues. They just write a prescription. And the worst part is that these medications rarely work, otherwise they wouldn’t be calling me for help.
Stimulants are not much better. They don’t get to the cause of the problem. They are simply band-aids with a long list of side effects. I’m not against all medications. BUT I do think they should rule out other things first. Getting someone off anti-depressants is not an easy task.
Are there key supports that you have put in place around you that help? (tutors, therapists, etc)
When we first found out my daughter had ADHD, we worked with a behavioral therapist for some time. It was very helpful in the sense that she helped us understand different parenting styles for our daughter based on her specific behaviors.
For example, we learned how negative comments/punishments caused her to shut down but positive reinforcements really helped her.
We also joined The Learning Lab at the beginning of the year to help her stay on top of her homework. In her previous school, they had very little homework but her new school had a much larger workload. The Learning Lab was there to help her complete and submit her homework on time.
Things are so technological these days that doing the homework is only half the battle. Turning it in and making sure it’s all submitted is the other half. I also find that they respond better in that environment where a tutor is overseeing their work and keeping them on task. They would go Monday through Thursday after school for one hour. It also helped them build the routine of doing homework every day.
What are some things your family does to stay organized?
I find that routines are very helpful for us. We also have a family calendar that helps us remember events. Although we just moved so we are still trying to find our groove!
What are two or three routines that you find absolutely essential?
As I mentioned earlier, dinner is a routine that I find essential. The days we don’t have dinner as a family, things just feel off and incomplete. I try to start prepping dinner at around 6 pm. Some nights I have more time to prepare stuff and make something special, but most nights I just roast a bunch of stuff in the oven.
I also find that a nighttime routine helps a lot. Reading a book before bed is what I prefer but honestly the kids sometimes just watch a little ipad in bed before lights out (I know, I know – not ideal but it works for us).
What does your family do for fun?
 We like to travel and visit friends and family. We also enjoy trying new restaurants. At home, we like playing board games or video games as a family. The beach is also a favorite!
How do you stay sane as a working mom? Do you have a favorite self-care routine?
I’m not sure I do, haha! I’m always working on finding a balance. It’s very hard, especially since I work from home. But I do try to incorporate meditation, strength workouts, and lunch on the patio (away from my computer!) daily.
I don’t consider that self-care so much as a necessity to keep me in shape for my job. For self-care, I like to take magnesium baths and schedule time to watch a great show or read a novel.
Do you have any parenting or nutritional books you recommend to parents of adhd kids?
I like Dr. Greenblatt’s book Finally Focused for parents. I also really liked Dr. Walsh’s Nutrient Power, although that one is more technical. I incorporate both of their work into my practice as they have really changed the way I view ADHD.
Can you share a favorite snack recipe?
We love popcorn!
I make a kettle corn in the microwave that is good and easy – although not as sweet as the real stuff. It’s essentially making microwave popcorn (I use a glass container from Public Goods) with a teaspoon of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and a tablespoon or two of fine sugar and popping in the microwave.
I also like apple chips made in the oven at 200 deg F for a couple of hours or until firm, flipping after one hour. I thinly slice them with a mandoline and sprinkle with cinnamon before putting them in the oven. So good!
Are there any tools you or your kids can’t live without?
Screentime for phones and ipads are a must around here. Otherwise, we lose track of time (me, included) and spend too much time on electronics. And Alexa for timers are always helpful. I find that my kids are motivated when they are being timed.
What kind of services do you offer ?
As you can imagine, I love doing functional testing with my clients. I feel it is the only way to find out what is going on inside their bodies.
I do private packages where I work one-on-one with the parents to help figure out what is going on and improve things using nutrition. And I just started doing a group program where I work with several parents at the same time to give it more of a community feeling.
All of my sessions are virtual so it’s easy for us to meet.
where is the best place for people to get ahold of you?
They can visit my website for more information www.adhdnutrition4kids.com or my Instagram adhd.nutrition.4.kids
