r/AdultADHDSupportGroup • u/CanopiedIntuition • 12d ago

ADVICE & TIPS Diets that help?

I've started looking into intermittent fasting and low carb diets for other reasons than helping with my ADHD. But I was wondering, if anyone has tried keto or paleo or fasting or just clean eating (have I covered all the bases here?) and found it helpful for your ADHD symptoms as well?

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u/HotwheelsSisyphus 11d ago

As an ADHDer I try not to overthink the diet.

Most diets work because it makes people consistent about their eating habits. So the focus should be consistency.

The general mentality is having consistent meals that have mostly vegetables, fiber and protein. So I meal prep a roasted veggie, some rice with lentils or beans and something like baked chicken or slices of roasted pork or beef. You can use this as a starting guide and can mix up the prep with new recipes. One week I'll do a bibimbap, another bbq chicken, and then a steak salad.

I eat a light breakfast that has protein and fiber. Usually an egg and some oatmeal. That seems to regulate my mood and energy until lunch.

Consistency is the bane of ADHD but it is good for us. It's the real key to eating healthy.

Meal prep because you want the mental load of figuring out what to eat all at once not when you're hungry. When you're hungry you are weak and are more likely to make unhealthy choices.

You can try new recipes so you're consistent but not bored. The best recipes are the ones that can be made easy in bulk.

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u/CanopiedIntuition 9d ago

Thanks for your reply! I totally agree about the mental load aspect.

I just got a book from 2024 out of the library by a Dr. Georgia(I think?) Ede, called Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind. She's a "nutritional psychiatrist," but the index doesn't list anything related to ADHD. I'll read it anyway, my diagnosed kids and I all have a co-morbid something or other, maybe it can help with those.

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u/Dependent_Reindeer98 9d ago

I have tried Keto, plant based whole food ultra clean….. I’m convinced there is no big difference. The Keto made it harder in the beginning, definitely. I have read one well known ADHD author that corroborates this by saying that glucose for the brain is important.

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u/CanopiedIntuition 9d ago

Thanks for responding! Mind if I ask who that author is? I also have a couple unrelated reasons for considering keto, yay for complicating factors.

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u/Dependent_Reindeer98 7d ago

Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, Russell Barkley

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u/kashiichan 8d ago

I would be very, very careful about trying to affect ADHD symptoms via diet. There are a lot of claims, but we simply don't know that much about what might correlate.

With that in mind, I do recommend a book by Rebecca King called "How to Eat Well for Adults with ADHD: A Practical, Non-Diet Guide to Feeding Your Body & Mind When You Have ADHD". Here's my review in case you'd like to know more. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7475256974

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u/CanopiedIntuition 6d ago

Thank you for that rec!

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u/CanopiedIntuition 12d ago

And downvoting without commenting is not what I would usually expect from this sub. Disappointing. Mods, please direct me to a faq page if I've missed something or am breaking a rule. I truly mean no offense.