Why seeing a dietitian can help with ADHD:
Denelle Cosier, Accredited Practising Dietitian specialising in eating disorders & ADHD/Autism
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is important for supporting a healthy mood and brain function1,2,. Working on having a healthy diet can therefore be a useful strategy if you have ADHD. However, there are a few challenges unique to having ADHD that can make healthy eating difficult.
1. Executive functioning:
People with ADHD often struggle with executive functioning, which includes skills like planning, organizing, and prioritizing tasks. These challenges can make it difficult to grocery shop, meal prep, or even decide what to eat in the moment. Making food choices can feel very overwhelming, and this means you might be more likely to skip meals, rely on convenience foods or take-away, or make impulsive food choices that aren’t the best decision. Skipping meals or eating convenience foods often can make it hard to meet your body’s nutrients needs.
Working with a dietitian who understands the executive function difficulties can support you to simplify food shopping and meal planning to meet your needs. A dietitian can support you to come up with the basic building blocks of a healthy meal that you can incorporate to assist you in making food decisions.
2. Dysregulated appetite:
A lot of people with ADHD find it hard to recognise hunger and fullness cues and can have a dysregulated appetite. This can be further impacted by taking ADHD medications as many of these suppress your appetite. You may forget to eat for long periods of time due to not feeling hungry or due to hyperfocus. This can lead to tiredness, mood, and energy crashes. Skipping meals can also result in intense cravings and binge eating.
A dietitian can support you to recognise and listen to your hunger and fullness signals, and to create other structures in your day to support regular eating. A dietitian can suggest nutrient dense foods that support sustained energy and focus and help you to be meeting your nutrient needs.
3. Dopamine or sensory seeking behaviours
Research has shown that people with ADHD tend to have lower dopamine levels in the brain3, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in motivation, reward, and pleasure. As a result, the brain is constantly seeking ways to boost dopamine levels, and this might lead you to make impulsive food decisions for a quick reward. Often, processed, salty or sugary foods are sought after for a quick brain boost. These “dopamine hits” offer temporary satisfaction but don’t provide lasting benefits, often leading to cycles of impulsivity. These processed foods usually don’t contain the key nutrients your brain needs for focus, energy, and stable mood.
A dietitian can help you identify patterns of emotional or impulsive eating and can teach mindful eating strategies to improve self-regulation around food choices. A dietitian can also support you to choose nutrient-dense foods to pair with or replace the foods you might naturally gravitate towards eating.
Working with a dietitian who understands the unique food challenges of ADHD can support you to improve your focus, energy, and overall wellbeing. If you are interested in personalised nutrition support for ADHD, book an appointment with Denelle through our online booking portal or by calling Mind Mode today.
References:
1. Opie RS, O’Neil A, Jacka FN, Pizzinga J, Itsiopoulos C. A modified Mediterranean dietary intervention for adults with major depression: Dietary protocol and feasibility data from the SMILES trial. Nutr Neurosci. 2018 Sep;21(7):487-501. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2017.1312841. Epub 2017 Apr 19. PMID: 28424045.
2. Firth J, Marx W, Dash S, et al. The Effects of Dietary Improvement on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials [published correction appears in Psychosom Med. 2020 Jun;82(5):536. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000807.] [published correction appears in Psychosom Med. 2021 Feb-Mar 01;83(2):196. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000914.]. Psychosom Med. 2019;81(3):265-280. doi:10.1097/PSY.0000000000000673
3. Volkow ND, Wang GJ, Newcorn J, Telang F, Solanto MV, Fowler JS, Logan J, Ma Y, Schulz K, Pradhan K, Wong C, Swanson JM. Depressed dopamine activity in caudate and preliminary evidence of limbic involvement in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007 Aug;64(8):932-40. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.64.8.932. PMID: 17679638.
