Let's Talk About ADHD and Nutrition
Hey! My name is Brian Lau, and today I want to highlight one of the many aspects of ADHD that isn’t given enough attention – our relationship with food. Honestly, I would LOVE to talk forever about how ADHD affects every aspect of life in a wonderful, unique, exciting, and colorful way, but for today we’ll focus on the ADHDer’s relationship with food and nutrition!
There’s no doubt that people with ADHD often have a unique relationship with food. In a very oversimplified way of explaining things, having ADHD means that your mind is constantly in motion. When your brain is always on the go, you can be sure it’s going to affect how you approach eating – one of the many daily activities ADHD influences.
Now, the different perceptions and experiences that ADHD allows people to experience is not inherently bad, but they can make you feel as though you’re not in control if you’re not aware of them. Especially when unchecked, ADHD eating habits can resemble a nutritional rollercoaster, swinging from super healthy to not-so-healthy in the blink of an eye! As I always say, awareness is key for growth and development! Now let’s get into that food bit shall we?!
Impulsive Eating
Picture this – you’re a bit bored, and sudden cravings strike. Without a second thought, you’re snacking away from the big bag of chips you picked up the other day. People with ADHD may be more prone to impulsive eating, which can lead to binge eating episodes, and contribute to the development of eating disorders such as binge eating disorder. If you know you experience impulsive eating, something you can try is to organize a dedicated group of healthier foods to snack on, or to portion out your snacks to grab whenever your mind is itching for a snack!
Hyperfocusing Away Meals
On the flip side, during those ADHD hyper-focus episodes, ADHDers can often forget to eat altogether! Euphorically lost in a task or project, food and nutrition can often take a back seat for ADHDers who swirl away into their fascinating endeavors. On the other hand, some individuals with ADHD may hyperfocus on certain aspects of their lives, including dieting or exercise, which can contribute to the development of restrictive eating patterns.
While hyperfocusing can be an incredibly productive and satisfying experience for the person, it’s really important to remember to also keep your body nourished with food! If you find yourself forgoing meals because of your hyperfocus and are making a habit out of it often, something you could try is to set alarms or reminders to ensure that regular meals are part of your productive routines!
Sensory Sensitivities
For some ADHDers, certain textures, tastes, and sensations can be a minefield to navigate through which can make eating consistently a bit tricky. Sensory issues can affect an individual’s food choices by limiting their available options for nourishing themselves. One thing you can try to accommodate your sensory specificities is to mindfully and cautiously experiment with different textures and flavors on your own terms. Doing so will help you understand what works and doesn’t work for you, and you might be surprised how much more food-adventurous and excited you can be when you explore something scary on your own accord!
Emotional Eating
Let's not forget the emotional dysregulation aspect that comes with ADHD. ADHDers can often struggle to manage their emotions especially if they’re unaware of their gift of being able to experience the full depths and breadth of their emotional spectrum. An unaware ADHDer’s emotional highs and lows can lead them down a path of emotional turmoil that extends into souring their relationship with food!
My advice for this would be to practice identifying your emotions and seek healthier coping mechanisms like talking to a friend or therapist, practicing cognitive behavioral therapy skills to help you make sense of things, meditating, or mindfully allowing yourself to express yourself creatively and process away those uncomfortable feelings! The role of mindfulness ultimately allows you to develop a healthier relationship with food and get better at avoiding bouts of emotional eating.
ADHD Medications on Appetite
Something else worth highlighting is the effect of common ADHD medications on your appetite. ADHD medications, especially stimulants can make you eat less by suppressing your appetite and lead to weight loss, which may be a concern for individuals with or without pre-existing eating disorders. In some cases, some individuals may even misuse these medications as a means to control their weight or eating behaviors.
A common occurrence with ADHDers on stimulant medications is that their appetite gets curbed during the day, and for many, when night falls, that appetite comes back with a vengeance. It's like a switch flips, and folks can find themselves binge-eating, which can feel pretty out of control! This nighttime food-frenzy can be the result of not regularly nourishing your body properly during the day, which triggers your brain and body to demand those missing calories and nutrients later on, often in the form of cravings for less-than-healthy snacks that aren’t very nutrient dense.
If you are aware of the appetite suppressing effects of your medication, consider leaning into mindfully choosing to nourish your body and eating consistently with your food choices throughout the day, even when you’re not feeling super hungry. Keep the appetite suppressing effect of your medication in mind, and gently pad for it by snacking or nibbling on something whenever you can, or practice eating smaller, more frequent small meals and snacks instead of bigger meals at dedicated meal times!
ADHD changes the playing field of the human experience drastically, and if you’re not aware of just how different things are for you compared to most others, common aspects of life like eating can become difficult! Ultimately, food is fuel. It's essential for an ADHDer to learn how to strike a balance that suits our unique ADHD minds over time so that we can continue to grow and continue living our exciting lives!! I feel strongly about embracing the quirks of our being, including our tendency to have a unique relationship with food! It's all part of the journey of navigating life on your own terms, and together, we can do it healthfully and enthusiastically all while spreading awareness and understanding!