We all know we should be eating healthy if we want to feel our best. But when it comes to ADHD, healthy eating is even more important because it can help manage our symptoms naturally.
Yet for many of us with ADHD, we don't always make the healthiest of choices when it comes to food. We may even have unhealthy habits like skipping meals, specifically breakfast!
Healthy nutritional foods and good eating habits are extremely important when you are trying to manage your ADHD symptoms. When you skip meals, your brain takes notice and you can become irritated, distracted, and restless. In fact, those who do not have ADHD may even show signs of the mental disease, even if they don't have it. Instead of skipping meals, make them as important as your appointments! Then, plan your meals with good healthy food instead of the junk food so many of us consume.
Consider limiting baked goodies, starches, sugar, and anything that isn't natural. Yes, this may mean you will be shopping the produce aisle rather than the packaged grocery aisles, but trust me your body and brain will thank you for it!
Include protein in every meal, especially breakfast! Protein not only fuels your body with energy, it also helps keep you full longer.
Eat your vitamins and minerals rather than popping them in pill form. Vitamins and minerals are essential for the ADHD brain, particularly vitamin C. Yes, it is so much easier just to swallow a pill, but they are not as effective as foods containing vitamins and minerals.
A few excellent brain food choices are:
Almonds, avocado, blueberries, broccoli, cashews, sweet potatoes, and spinach.
Keep in mind when consuming real foods, like the ones above, drenching them in sugar is not an option! This is one of the biggest mistakes I still see people make. They believe that if they are eating real food, it's okay to add sugar to the dish.
Yes, that sweet stuff might make those blueberries taste even better, but it's not healthy. In fact, sugar is addictive because it's found in almost every processed food known to man. Sugar is known for causing health problems like Diabetes and even tooth decay.
You will also want to limit your carbohydrates as well. Refined carbs are a specific no-no and should be used sparingly because they cause extreme fatigue in those with ADHD.
You should also consider omitting gluten foods from your diet since they have been known to increase symptoms of ADHD.
Dairy products have also been known to wreak havoc on ADHD symptoms. And if you need a real eye-opener, consider this, we are the only species to consume dairy products beyond the age of a newborn. We are also the only species to consume another species dairy source (milk). If you must have milk in your diet, consider a dairy alternative like almond milk.
Finally, don't just make it a habit of only consuming a liquid alternative like almond milk, however. Water is still one of the best resources to hydrate your brain and your body. When we are dehydrated, we tend to lose focus, become irritable, and more. Hydrating with pure simple water is essential in helping to minimize the symptoms of ADHD.
