Adult ADHD and Food Cravings

Adult ADHD Food Cravings

Over the past two years I’ve had an increase of adults aged 30 and upward who are only just now being diagnosed with ADHD. Did you know that ADHD can affect the way that you relate to food and can be linked to things like compulsive eating and sensory issues?

As a nutritionist I find it really rewarding to help those who have ADHD understand the link between their nervous system and how they experience food cravings. This can become particularly important around hormonal shifts such as ovulation and at the start of a new cycle. Supporting your hormones in general can be helpful with ADHD management.

In this article I'm going to be delving into how ADHD can affect food cravings and some of the most common ADHD symptoms that I see clinically in adults.

What Are The Most Common Adult Symptoms Of ADHD?

·       Impulsiveness - for example shopping eating or smoking

·       Disorganization and difficulty prioritizing.

·       Poor time management skills

·       Problems focusing on a task and seeing a task through to the end.

·       Picking up hobbies and dropping them

·       Trouble multitasking.

·       Excessive activity or restlessness.

·       Poor planning.

·       Low frustration tolerance, this seems to be particularly heightened during hormonal shifts.

How Does ADHD Impact Appetite?

Something to understand about your body is that it is amazing when it comes to getting what you need. We have all been there when we feel totally exhausted and yet somehow, we've gotten through that day. Perhaps the body was relying on things like fat or muscle stores for energy or cortisol and adrenaline. When it comes to ADHD and the suspected increased need for dopamine our bodies work in a similar way.

Certain foods make it very easy for our bodies to create dopamine and some of these are the foods which I see people going for the most who have ADHD. One of the top ones at the list is chocolate! Our bodies also make dopamine quickly from coffee and sugar - is your afternoon coffee and chocolate bar craving making a bit more sense now?

How To Support Dopamine Production With Food

My approach with my clinical work is that nothing is off limits overall, when you're managing something long term it's important to have a level of flexibility with yourself so the odd chocolate or coffee here in there is OK if it means that you find it easier to incorporate other dietary changes.

Ideally start building out your diet around some of these key foods at supporting dopamine production:

Apples

Avocados

Beetroot

Eggs

Chicken

Turkey

Chocolate and coffee in moderation

How To Support Dopamine Production With Lifestyle

There are a few habits which you can create that support dopamine production. I often find that my clients with ADHD find it difficult to meditate and I always say that there's not a one size fits all approach when it comes to relaxation and mindfulness.

Here are a few hobbies and practises which may be helpful with dopamine production that don't include meditation:

·       Tidying up a room - this may sound a bit strange but the accomplishment of completing a task like tidying up a room helps us create dopamine!

·       Having a to do list to hands of tasks that you do every day, for example making the bed and getting dressed.

·       Spending time in nature

·       Spending time with an animal such as a cat or dog

·       Gardening

Be sure to register for my free upcoming talk about ADHD hormones and nutrition. You can register for this talk and others similar here.

If you would like to discuss working with me one to one you can register for a free discovery call here www.michaellamazzoninutrition.com/discoverycall