Ensuring that the gut functions well is critical to the brain functioning well. -Dana Kay

Six million kids in America are diagnosed with ADHD – at least, that was the number in Fall 2021, but by the time this episode goes live, and by the time you’re listening – it may have gone up.

ADHD expert and health practitioner Dana Kay asks a very important question about that number: How many of those diagnoses are real ADHD?

Her story will bring tears to your eyes but also hope to your heart, and after helping her own son find healing, this fierce mama bear is now on a mission so that other families with this diagnosis don’t have to struggle as hers did.

The 2 BEST truth bombs of the interview?

  1. I learned what it looks like when a child whose gut is inflamed stops eating gluten. This may change your life!
  2. We established that chores build executive function, and since kids with ADHD struggle with executive function—what better muscle to build than their pre-frontal lobe?!

Whether you have a child with ADHD in your life, struggle with any other neuro-diversity including anxiety, or just want to learn more about the gut-brain connection and how you can bring hope to other parents, this interview is a fast-paced winner.

We discuss:

  • The powerful effect of the gut on our brain health and why that matters
  • The 3 inflammatory foods Dana suggests all her client families remove (and some crazy effects beyond what you’d expect!)
  • How community can make all the difference
  • Her tough confession about how she felt about her son when he was at his worst (and why despair doesn’t need to be in your vocabulary)
  • The role of chores and cooking in a child’s healing process
  • The HOPE she offers to all families who aren’t loving the slippery slope of medication (and the GRACE she offers to those who choose meds but want other options too)

Not only does Dana (pronounced “Dah-na”) have a lovely Australian accent which will make you want to keep listening, she’s a teacher and storyteller extraordinaire. Your brain will thank you!

Oh – and yes, we DO answer with a prediction about how many of those 6 million kids are probably “real” ADHD diagnoses…

Join Dana’s open Facebook group for support if you’d love to be around more families of kids working on healing ADHD!

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Can’t see the video? Learn what your child’s ADHD diagnosis might mean here on YouTube!

No time for the video? Here are the notes!

These timestamps align with the video, not the audio podcast (although they’ll be fairly close).

What Does an ADHD Diagnosis Mean?

  • 1:25: There are about 6,000,000 kids with ADHD diagnosis in the US. Dana wonders how many of them actually have ADHD and how many are dealing with other root causes with symptoms like ADHD. Here’s the first interview I did on ADHD.
  • 1:47: Dana changed course on her whole career to help her son with his ADHD symptoms. Now she uses her knowledge and training to help other families. 
  • 3:28: Dana shares some more details on her story with us. When her son was diagnosed with ADHD, she was immediately handed a prescription and no other tips and strategies to help her manage his symptoms. His dosage kept increasing and he was prescribed more medications to deal with side effects. 

Once I learned about the impact food has on behavior, I couldn’t keep that information to myself. -Dana Kay

  • 8:04: It wasn’t that the first medication wasn’t working, it did work and at first it seemed great, but side effects and medications begin to snowball until Dana’s son was given his 4th prescription within a year of his diagnosis. 

  • 9:36: What’s the connection between ADHD and anxiety? Many kids with ADHD also have anxiety. Sometimes it’s part of the initial symptoms, but other times it’s a side effect of the medications. Here are some strategies specific to managing anxiety.
  • 10:40: ADHD is in the brain, food is in the gut. Let’s get into how that’s connected. Neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine are produced in the gut and help balance your mood and manage emotions.

90-95% seratonin and 50% of dopamine produced in the gut (manage emotions and balance mood)

Diet is the foundation of everything you’re doing. A solid foundation is not optional. -Dana Kay

  • 15:02: It can sound scary and overwhelming to cut out gluten, dairy, and soy. You do not need to do it all in one day, take things slowly and focus on sustainable forward progress. Here are some tips for removing gluten and dairy with kids.
  • 16:32: There’s still value in making these dietary changes in combination with medication. Most kids on ADHD medication end up raising their dosage repeatedly, developing new symptoms, and adding on new medications over time. A solid dietary foundation will help mitigate that.
  • 18:06: These gut-healing practices aren’t just for ADHD. Dana has families who make dietary changes together in support of the child and other family members are surprised by how much better they feel as well. 

Kids don’t need plastic knives. They need real skills.

Teach safe technique, focus, and confidence in the all-time fav lesson from our kids cooking class! (ages 2-12)






Or find out more about the free knife class here.

  • 19:28: Dana estimates that only about 15% of the kids she works with actually have ADHD even though they’re all diagnosed with it. Just think how many people are struggling through symptoms and taking medication when they just have an inflamed gut!

Dana Kay quote on nutrition and meds

  • 20:55: It can be so hard to find someone to guide you through this. Dana shares a bit about the experience of having a child with ADHD. 

I loved my son, but I didn’t like him. -Dana Kay

  • 22:24: Dana gives a lot of support to parents. She has a free Facebook group where you can get connected with other parents of ADHD kids. It’s so important to know you’re not alone. Dana shares a story about a mom who was struggling with her daughter after going gluten-free, 50% of Dana’s clients suffer from gluten detox symptoms
  • 27:23: Of course, I love to talk about kids in the kitchen here at Kids Cook Real Food™. Let’s talk about the role of kids cooking in managing ADHD. 

When kids help in the kitchen they are more likely to eat the foods they help cook. -Dana Kay

  • 28:46: Dana is developing a kid-focused course that teaches kids to take responsibility for their own health and understand why they’re making these diet changes. I’m so excited to be a guest teacher in that course teaching some cooking skills. 

Chores build executive functioning! -Dana Kay

  • 30:11: We leave you with a message of hope and encouragement. 

So many parents feel trapped like nothing they ever do will help their neuro-diverse child. HOPE is possible! Peace is possible. -Dana Kay

If you’ve ever said…

“I just want my kids to eat what I make!”

This free 5-day challenge was made for you.

end picky eating power struggle

Spend just 30 minutes a day learning practical strategies that reduce mealtime battles and help kids build confidence with food.

Join the Challenge!

Resources We Mention for ADHD Diagnosis

Dana KayDana Kay is a Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner. She is the founder of Our Road to Thrive and the creator of the ADHD Thrive Method 4 Kids program. She is also the mother of a son with ADHD and has walked in the same shoes as the families that she helps. By the time her son’s doctor was suggesting the 4th medication (basically to treat the symptoms of the other 3 medications) she was done. She knew she could not continue on the same path and that there had to be a better way. So she embarked on a journey to find other more natural alternatives to help reduce her son’s ADHD symptoms. Today her son is thriving and completely off his medications. Through her long hard journey and years of education, Dana has developed a passion to help other families struggling with the same issues that she went through. In her own words, “I do what I do because it was so extremely difficult for me. It just doesn’t need to be that hard for other people.”

Does an ADHD diagnosis always mean medication?