ADHD and Nutrition
“You are what you eat” is a phrase many of us may have heard throughout our lives. What we consume on a daily basis can often have a direct impact on how we feel physically and psychologically and how productive we are regarding our job, our household chores or how we interact with our environment and our loved ones. We also know we can significantly improve or even prevent many diseases if we pay more attention to our diet and don't constantly overload our bodies with processed foods, sugar or fat. A balanced and healthy diet is therefore important for our overall well-being.
We can apply this insight to how we deal with ADHD. Scientific studies have shown that increased consumption of sugar in particular - even though it does not cause or worsen ADHD symptoms (see my blog post here) - can contribute to behavioral problems and our difficulty focusing and should therefore be greatly reduced. A similar category includes white flour products, additives or, for some people, gluten. A healthy diet is no guarantee that your ADHD symptoms will decrease, but it can, under certain circumstances, contribute a lot to your general well-being, which often leads to an increased ability to focus, to more self-confidence and simply to a better attitude toward life.
Below you will find a brief overview of the foods that work particularly well for ADHD and a list of items you should try to reduce or even avoid if they make you feel tired, slow or even sick. Scroll down farther and you can try out some delicious recipes or visit my resources page for books on meal prep or more meal inspirations for ADHDers.
Foods that can improve concentration and inner peace if you have ADHD
Fruit: pear, banana, peach, apricot, melon, apple, avocado (citrus fruits are not recommended)
Vegetables: cabbage, leeks, asparagus, carrots, pumpkin, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, kohlrabi, potatoes
Legumes: specifically lentils
Whole grain products, such as brown rice or whole grain pasta
Fats and oils: vegetable fats, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, olive oil
Sugar: apple and pear syrup, date sugar (but even these so-called healthier alternatives should only be consumed in small quantities)
Beverages: mineral water, herbal and fruit tea, rice and oat milk
Foods that can increase ADHD
Sugar: Sugar is one of those foods that should be avoided as much as possible. Sugar stimulates us, makes us restless and weakens our ability to concentrate. Our attention decreases because our blood sugar levels fluctuate greatly due to sugar consumption. To slowly wean ourselves off sugar consumption, we can try cutting back on sweet things. Over time, our body slowly gets used to less sugar and reacts negatively to foods that are too sweet.
Additives: Before we buy a product, it is important to read the list of ingredients carefully. In particular, additives such as the preservative sodium benzoate and azo dyes can be found in many foods and drinks and can negatively affect our attention span and our energy levels. Try to only consume these chemicals once in a while or eliminate them completely from your diet.
Gluten: Gluten is not bad at all if you are not gluten intolerant or have celiac disease. If you are not sure, avoid all products that contain gluten for a few months (very hard to do, I know), and then slowly reintegrate them to test whether your body is able to deal with the allergen better.
Animal products such as cheese, cow's milk, eggs and fish can also cause food intolerances, as can soy products or nuts. If this is you, try to eliminate these products on a daily basis and eat them sparingly.
Easy Recipes for Every Day
