Do you have ADHD and struggle with your diet? You are not alone. ADHD symptoms affect an individual's entire life and can bring with it its own set of nutritional challenges. Challenges in the area of sport and training are also not uncommon (more on this here). Difficulties with perseverance and planned action, easy distractibility and poor impulse control, for example, can pose their very own challenges when it comes to nutrition, which neurotypical people encounter less frequently as well as to a lesser extent. As I have ADHD myself, I can understand these problems very well. Important: A person's ADHD symptoms are as individual as the person themself. Therefore, these possible problems do not necessarily apply to everyone affected, but can still be challenging for many.
What is ADHD?
I could write a novel on this topic, but I assume that you already know a little about it. So here's the short version: ADHD is short for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD is considered a behavioral disorder, although I would describe ADHD as a different way of being and experiencing the world. It can be difficult to navigate in a neurotypical world.
One of the main symptoms of ADHD is severe attention and concentration problems, but only when it comes to things that don't interest us or don't release enough dopamine. If we are interested in something, we can concentrate on it for hours on end, keyword hyperfocus. Other main symptoms are high impulsivity and strong physical restlessness (hyperactivity).
Side symptoms often include anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, burnout, disorganization and low stress tolerance. ADHD manifests itself differently in people who identify as females than in people who identify as males, as the former are usually more introverted and do not “misbehave” as much. For this reason, the former are often diagnosed much less frequently and, if at all, much later in life than the latter. Many of the main and secondary symptoms can lead to problems in the area of nutrition.
Impulse control
In ADHD, there is an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly in terms of dopamine. Dopamine regulates a variety of brain functions, such as mood, motivation and the reward system. People with ADHD often experience low levels of dopamine, which can lead to difficulties with impulse control, for example. Consuming foods with a high dopamine concentration - which are often foods containing simple carbohydrates - for a short period of time can temporarily increase the release of dopamine in the brain. As our brain is always on the lookout for dopamine, it can happen more often that we don't eat what we actually intended to eat. Instead, a food that provides dopamine quickly, such as sweets, is being consumed instead. There is also often a connection between binge-eating disorders and ADHD.
Multitasking
You've decided on a particular dish, the recipe is at hand and now it's time to start cooking. But where to start? Do you chop the vegetables first or put the rice on first? Many people with ADHD have problems with decision-making and prioritizing things. Following recipes step by step can also be challenging. Especially if they are also very complex and, for example, two things have to be done at the same time. It can quickly happen that one gets distracted and forgets a step, only notices this later in the cooking process and then gets stressed. And what do you do when there are suddenly two pots and a pan that need your attention? It can quickly become overwhelming and instead of getting on with the cooking, it's easier to order food or just make a quick sandwich. Of course, the latter requires the sandwich to be in the house in the first place.
Grocery shopping
Simply going to the shops and always having enough food in the house can't be an issue, can it? Far from it. In order to have any food in the house at all, going grocery shopping is essential. And going to the supermarket can be a huge challenge for people with ADHD. It's crowded and noisy and there are lots of different smells and noises all the time. People with ADHD are “open to stimuli”, so they lack the filter to block out certain things from their surroundings that are actually unimportant. They see and hear everything. Being exposed to these stimuli at all and trying to block them out takes up a lot of energy. A visit to the supermarket can quickly become extremely stressful and consume a lot of energy. The barrier to go grocery shopping is then very high. On top of that, you have to remember everything you need to buy or have the shopping list with you and work through it meticulously. This is also a big challenge in a crowded and noisy supermarket.
Taking care of oneself
You need energy to be able to look after yourself. Taking care of yourself is a form of self-care. However, when living with ADHD symptoms is already very demanding, sometimes there is not enough energy to take good care of yourself. The motivation to cook or eat can therefore be low and it can be challenging to prepare a healthy and balanced meal for yourself. Instant meals are much easier to make. Creativity with food can also sometimes fall short here, so that the same recipes are being prepared and the same types of food are frequently consumed. This is not a bad thing in itself, but it can also reduce the enjoyment of eating, as eating is not just about the process of eating.
Simply forgetting to eat (hyperfocus says hi)
The topic of “taking care of oneself” sometimes goes hand in hand with simply forgetting to eat or having no energy or desire to eat at all. Especially when you're hyper-focused, eating and drinking can quickly fall by the wayside. You just have to finish writing a paragraph, making a phone call or sending an email and another two hours have passed. You often don't even notice until you're really hungry and parched. And then everything has to happen as swiftly as possible: On the one hand, you are now extremely hungry and thirsty, which need to be satiated immediately, and on the other, you want to carry on with your previous activity, which has released plenty of dopamine. Often, however, you may simply have too little energy to get something to eat or drink and simply skip it, even though this is not the right solution. After all, our body needs energy from food to keep us going in life.
Conclusion
ADHD is the abbreviation for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Existing ADHD symptoms have an impact on people's entire lives and there are also a few things to bear in mind when it comes to nutrition that affect people without ADHD less. For example, ADHD is often associated with a lack of impulse control, problems with multitasking, challenges with going to the shops and self-care and a tendency to forget to eat and drink regularly. All of these challenges should be taken into account in fitness and nutrition coaching for people with ADHD, so that their diet can still be balanced and goal-oriented and a success story becomes the rule rather than the exception.
I am a fitness and nutrition coach and have ADHD myself. The chances that I know your struggles and have a solution for them are therefore very high. That's why I also offer special fitness and nutrition coaching for people with ADHD. Please get in touch with me so that you can finally enjoy your diet, reduce your effort and integrate it into your daily routine. I look forward to hearing from you!
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