Are you sabotaging your ADHD brain by eating the wrong foods?
If you eat like most modern day people eat, especially modern day Americans, then honestly you probably are.
Thankfully there’s a new trend going on lately, where people are starting to pay more attention to what they’re putting in their bodies. But the focus is generally on weight loss rather than eating properly for your brain.
Luckily a lot of the foods you need to avoid in order to maintain a healthy weight are the same foods you need to avoid as an ADHD brain.
Today I’m going to list these foods for you, and I’ll also list some foods you should be eating that have been shown to help your brain rather than hurt it. And of course, I’ll include some resources for you to further explore.
Here’s the foods you should be avoiding:
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Gluten
Lots of foods contain gluten. The obvious ones are breads, pastas, and grains. Just because you don’t feel super sick after eating Gluten doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the clear to eat it. There is evidence showing that Gluten may be at the root of many neurological and psychiatric conditions, including ADHD. So I’d say avoiding it is a smart idea.
Here’s a good article to read if you want to know more about this: Click here to read it.
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Trans-Fatty Acids
There are healthy fats that you should be eating, but then there are Trans-fats. They are included in the list of “partially hydrogenated oils” and are the fats that wreak havoc with your cholesterol. It’s very important that you read the label every time. Some foods say, ‘0 grams of trans fats’ but still list it in the ingredients.
Check out this article to read more about this: Click here to read it.
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Alcohol and Caffeine
You could cut them out entirely, and some people even recommend that. But I like to say “everything in moderation” personally. I drink a couple beers on occasion, and I drink coffee daily. But I’ve experimented and found my own limit with these things. I know that I can’t overdo it on the coffee because while a certain amount is very helpful to my ADHD, too large an amount triggers my ADHD and anxiety big time. So I use moderation. And too much alcohol can actually cause me to be in a brain fog for a few days afterwards. Feel it out for yourself and find what works best for you.
Check out these articles to explore further: This one and this one.
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Long Ingredient Names that you can’t even pronounce
There are some studies that show artificial colors, sugar substitutes, and food additives can worsen symptoms of ADHD. The results of these studies are technically inconclusive, but I’m of the thinking that taking the chance is probably not smart. So I do my best to avoid foods with these ingredients the best that I can.
Check out this article to read more (it includes links to studies you can read as well): Click to read it.
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Most important of all: SUGAR
Now here is the mother of all evil. Sugar. The amount of data out there saying sugar is bad is truly staggering. And it is in everything. I mean everything. Corn syrup, and candy are pretty obvious. But it’s also in breads, salad dressings, juice, sports drinks, flavored coffees, pre-made soup, protein bars, canned baked beans, spaghetti sauce.. The list just goes on and on. Even things we think of as healthy contain sugar, like fruit and honey. Just because they’re a healthier form of sugar doesn’t mean that it magically isn’t sugar when it breaks down in your body. Sugar is sugar. If anything you should try to stick only to the “healthy sugars”, and have them only in moderation.
Check out these articles to explore further: This one and this one.
Now, what foods should you be eating?
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Healthy Fats, including Omega 3 fatty acids
Your ADHD brain needs healthy fats to function properly. Good examples of healthy fats are: Avocado, Avocado oil, coconut oil, and olive oil. Some ways of intaking Omega 3 fatty acids are: Fish oil or hemp oil supplements, cold-water white fish such as tuna, salmon or sardines. Flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and Brazil nuts.
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Protein with every meal
This is something I was severely lacking when I attempted a vegan diet a few years back. Morally the diet is pretty sound, and I understand that it’s possible to pull it off if you’re very meticulous and doing it just right… but as an ADHD brain, I had a lot of trouble doing the diet correctly and my health ended up suffering pretty badly. Especially my ADHD.
So I ended up trying a ketogenic diet instead, which encouraged healthy proteins and fats and my brain has literally never worked better. Like ever. The difference is incredibly obvious.
You can get your protein intake by eating meat, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts, etc. Cheese and beef jerky are also easy protein-rich snacks. My favorite way to get protein into each meal is this: eggs or yogurt for breakfast, some nuts with my lunch, and meat with my dinner. Maybe even yogurt for dessert to aid in digestion.
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A complete vitamin and mineral supplement
Even if you’re totally flawless with your diet, there are so many studies that show our bodies and brains need more vitamins and minerals than we get from just our food.
Find a good quality, trustworthy supplement that you can take each day.
I’m a big fan of Onnit, a company that specializes in total human optimization. They have supplement packs with all the vitamins and minerals you need, and you can subscribe to receive a monthly supply so you never have to remember to run out and buy more.
It’s called Total Human, and you can read more about it below if you’re interested in trying it (Just click the “shop now” button and it will bring you to more info). I’m an affiliate with Onnit, so I do get paid a percentage of any order made through my link. This is a company that I genuinely believe in, and one that I trust wholeheartedly. Which is why I’m comfortable sharing it with you.
So now you know what foods to be avoiding and what foods you should be eating. Try following this ADHD friendly diet for a while and see if your symptoms improve. I’d love to hear about your results in the comments 🙂
Until Next Time,
Keep Calm and Grow On