Thoroughly ADHD
I'm Alex Delmar, a certified ADHD coach and person with ADHD. I'm here to share what I've learned so other people with ADHD can enjoy better lives!
Thoroughly ADHD
Your ADHD is Hijacking Your Eating Habits
Disordered eating is common among people with ADHD; it exacerbates our symptoms and contributes to the longevity gap where we tend to die younger than those without ADHD. People with ADHD need to establish external supports to maintain healthy eating habits due to weak interoception, which affects our ability to interpret hunger signals.
• Set alarms to remind yourself to eat at consistent times
• Prioritize protein and healthy fats which help you feel full longer and support brain health, and learn the appropriate serving size.
• Limit simple carbohydrates and sugars but allow small treats to prevent rebound overeating
• Use the pause-scan-ask method before eating to identify if you're truly hungry
• Store unhealthy snacks out of sight, preferably behind healthier options
• ADHD medication helps control impulsivity that leads to unhealthy eating, but it needs to be combined with sufficient sleep, daily exercise, and mindful eating habits.
• Practice mindful eating by putting your utensil down between bites
• Document everything you eat for a week to uncover unconscious patterns
• Implement a standard rotation of 7-10 easy-to-prepare meals to reduce decision fatigue
• Always shop with a detailed list heavily weighted toward healthy staples, and write your food-related goals on the list!
• Read food labels and avoid ingredients your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize (I think this tip is from Michael Pollan)
Credit for the nutritional and physiological information to Dr. Roberto Olivardia, a clinical psychologist specializing in ADHD and nutrition. Any errors are on me.
Remember to be kind to yourself on this journey and celebrate all successes. Let us know how you're doing in the comments! Come back next Tuesday for more Thoroughly ADHD.
If you have ADHD, chances are good that it wasn't very long ago that you mindlessly ate something you wished you hadn't, or forgot to eat all day and suddenly realized you were starving. Disordered eating is a common problem among those of us with ADHD, exacerbates our ADHD symptoms and because it contributes to the longevity gap where, as a group, people with ADHD tend to die younger than people without ADHD, which is an outcome I'd like to avoid. I'm Alex Delamar, a certified ADHD coach and person with ADHD. Welcome to Thoroughly ADHD, where I share what I've learned.
Speaker 1:To help other people with ADHD enjoy better lives, feeding yourself well should be a priority, but with ADHD, you need to set up external supports to pull it off. There's some research that shows that people with ADHD have weak interoception. That means we're not great at interpreting signals from our internal organs, including those from the stomach, and that means we don't consider hunger cues leading to impulsively overeating or skipping regular meals or skipping regular meals. You may be able to mitigate this by following a routine where you eat at the same time every day and set alarms that remind you when it's time to eat. It will also help to learn what a portion size is supposed to look like for various foods, so you don't overeat. When it comes to what to eat, dr Robert Olivardia of Harvard, who specializes in ADHD and nutrition, stresses the importance of protein and healthy fats. Protein helps you feel full for longer and stabilizes blood sugar, which reduces impulsive snack attacks. Healthy fats, like those found in salmon, tuna, nuts and olive oil, also contribute to feeling full longer and support brain health. On the flip side, he advises limiting simple carbohydrates and sugars, but allowing yourself a small treat like like one Oreo, to prevent intense cravings and rebound over eating.
Speaker 1:Curbing impulsive eating is key. Try drinking a glass of water first, as you might be misinterpreting I'm thirsty as hunger. Have a designated area for eating, not in front of the TV. Serve yourself one portion and put the rest away immediately. Or, if you're at someone else's house, put as much distance as possible between you and the rest of the food. This is an area you can use my pause scan ask method, for instance. In a restaurant pause before ordering, scan the entire menu and ask yourself which option best supports your goals. At home, if you find yourself in the kitchen outside of mealtime, pause, do an internal scan and ask yourself if you are really hungry or are you bored, upset or procrastinating? Finally, for less healthy snacks, remember out of sight, out of mind, and try to store them in the most inconvenient place, out of immediate view and preferably behind a healthier option. It turns out my brain has no idea what I'm consuming when I'm compulsively snacking in front of my computer, and raw carrots serve just as well as cookies. I wish I knew that about 15 pounds ago.
Speaker 1:Adhd medication can help control the impulsivity, restlessness and inattention that often lead to unhealthy eating. But the other cornerstones of ADHD symptom management getting enough sleep daily, moderate exercise and practicing mindful eating habits are necessary elements of success. Concentrate on your food and try to slow down. A classic mindful eating trick is to put your utensil down after every bite and only pick it up again after you've fully chewed and swallowed. Develop awareness of what you are actually eating by documenting everything you eat for a week. This helps you honestly assess your intake and uncover unconscious patterns. Start with a small change, like adding one more serving of vegetables or fruit daily, and build from there.
Speaker 1:Structured meal planning and preparation are vital for overcoming executive dysfunction. It's best practice to plan your meals for the coming week, but, man, there are a lot of recipes out there to choose from, so I'm a fan of having a standard rotation of 7 to 10 easy, quick-to-prepare meals. This way, you don't have to come up with a whole new menu and shopping list every week and you know how much energy and time each meal will take to prepare. Of course, you can always switch it up if you're feeling inspired or for special occasions. Proactive planning reduces daily decision fatigue.
Speaker 1:Always shop with a list. It should be heavily weighted to healthy staples like lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Avoid buying anything not on your list. Also, make sure you write your goal try two new vegetables this week or lose 10 pounds right on the list in big letters, so you cannot miss it. Get into the habit of reading food labels to understand what you're consuming and avoid ingredients that your great-grandmother would not recognize as food. Many of the weight management tips from reputable sources are useful for the ADHD brain to stay on track with healthier eating, but anything that keeps your goals front and center will be especially helpful.
Speaker 1:For more information about why executive function difficulties negatively impact your ability to consistently provide yourself with healthful meals, or tips on where to start, you can check out the Thoroughly ADHD episode. Why Can't, I Feed Myself. Remember, eating well with ADHD isn't about perfection. It's about building sustainable habits that work with your brain. By embracing realistic goals, prioritizing protein and healthy fats, ensuring adequate sleep and exercise, and implementing practical strategies for mindful eating and structured planning, you can foster a healthier relationship with food for long-term well-being. Remember to be kind to yourself on this journey and give yourself credit for all successes. This has been Thoroughly ADHD. I'm Alex Delmar and I know your time is valuable, so I hope you found this useful and that you'll like follow or subscribe. Let me know how you're doing in the comments and come back next Tuesday. Thanks for listening.