Nutrition Tips for ADHD: Protein + Fiber + Fat (Part II)
Eat fiber, like your ancestors.
This is Part III of a series. Start at the beginning.
You can also read this article on Medium.
When the environment in which an organism lives is significantly different from that in which it evolved, traits that were once adaptive may become pathological. This is termed an “evolutionary mismatch.”
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One of the most affirming perspectives I’ve found on ADHD is the evolutionary mismatch theory, which suggests that the very traits that get us labeled as dysfunctional in this society are attributes that once offered us an evolutionary advantage. In other words, they helped us survive.
These traits may have included:
Distractibility and high sensitivity to movement or changes in the environment: “What was that sound in the bushes?”
Impulsivity and decision-making related only to the present moment: “No time to waste, we need to pursue that food source now!”
Information-sharing, possibly paired with high emotionality (aka oversharing): “I have knowledge or personal experience that may help my community members survive.”
Restless and inability to sit still: “I listen, learn, and communicate best while I’m on the move, because this has always been beneficial.”
In the last few hundred years — just a blink of an eye from an evolutionary lens — people in our society have grown more sedentary as artificial distractions have appeared exponentially in our homes, schools, and workplaces. This equation has been particularly detrimental to those of us with this neurotype.
Termite colonies have three different castes, whose bodies are designed quite differently. Those differences benefit the group.
Complex systems scientist Helen Taylor has suggested that conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism might work the same way. From evolution’s perspective, these aren’t dysfunctions or diseases. They’re differences that make communities thrive.
I’m aware that the mismatch theory has been criticized by ADHD expert Russell Barkley, PhD, who doesn’t believe that there is any “compelling scientific, sociological, or scholarly evidence ever presented to support” it. However, I found some right here. I found some more right here. And here’s more.
As a woman with ADHD, I don’t find Dr. Barkley’s approach to be helpful or healthy. Apparently I’m not alone, according to these book reviews from female readers describing him as “patronizing and cruel,” “condescending,” and “offensive.”
Your Ancestors Evolved Eating Fiber
But hey, I’m not a neuroscientist or an evolutionary biologist, I’m a nutritionist.
My goal for you, reader, is the same goal I have for all my clients: to empower you with knowledge and beliefs about food and your body that help you feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally.
With that goal in mind, may we entertain the idea that our suffering may stem, in part, from a mismatch between our modern environments and the ones we evolved in? And to reduce the contrast of the mismatch, wouldn’t it make sense to create environments, both internal and external, that more closely resemble the environments our ancestors inhabited?
From a nutrition perspective, this means eating lots of plants, which means eating lots of fiber.
Fiber is found in vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and it’s sorely lacking in the standard American diet.
When you think of fiber, you might picture supplements like Metamucil and packaged cereals like Raisin Bran, because their colorful boxes and packages advertise their fiber value. But the healthiest, tastiest, and most affordable sources of fiber — vegetables, greens, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains — are unlikely to beckon you with any clever marketing. Food farmers don’t have the budget for that.
How Fiber Helps with ADHD
Fiber slows the absorption of sugars and carbohydrates into your bloodstream, preventing spikes and crashes in blood sugar that result in mood swings, sugar cravings, and the impossibly sleepy/unfocused feeling known as a “food coma” or “brain fog.” Some of these overlap with commonly reported symptoms of ADHD: emotional dysregulation, sugar cravings, and lack of motivation/focus/energy for monotonous tasks.
While including fiber in your meals and snacks won’t rewire your highly-sensitive nervous system or brain, it will prevent any compounding effects of blood sugar dysregulation, therefore reducing your symptoms dramatically if you’ve previously been poorly nourished or under-fibered.
Fibrous foods like beans, lentils, peas, almonds, pumpkin and sesame seeds, avocados, and leafy veggies often appear on lists of dopamine-boosting foods.
Also, fiber balances hormones. During the digestive process, fiber binds to excess estrogen in the body and flushes it out through the colon. If hormonal health, fertility, or perimenopause is on your radar right now, note that cruciferous veggies, leafy greens, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains all support healthy endocrine function.
Are Carbs Bad for ADHD?
Fiber occurs in carbohydrate foods, and is in fact a type of carbohydrate itself.
If you’ve read online or been told that a low- or no-carb diet is helpful in the treatment of ADHD, this is a good time to clarify something.
Carbohydrates are healthy components in any way of eating. We need them to think and to move. We are biologically inclined to pursue them and eat them in large quantities because (revisiting evolution once again) they were only available in late summer and early fall; gorging on them may have helped us weather a potential famine during the cold winter months ahead.
Foods rich in carbohydrates are pleasurable for humans to eat. They give us a rush of dopamine. This makes them extra attractive to those of us with ADHD, especially when our mood, energy, or focus is plummeting.
Carbohydrates in their naturally-occurring forms are almost always paired with fiber — think fruit, berries, sweet potatoes, and even sugar cane. We evolved eating carbs, but we didn’t evolve to ingest large amounts of sugar without fiber.
When you’re craving sugar or a carb-heavy treat (cookies, candy, ice cream, etc.) remember that pairing it with fiber and protein can still give you the boost you’re seeking without the negative impacts on your blood sugar. And if you’re looking to kick your sugar habit, make the PFF protocol I’m describing in these articles your BFF.
Find Your Favorite Fiber Foods
Now it’s time to make a customized shopping and snacking list for fiber, using the same exercise I shared in my last article about protein.
Set a timer for 10 minutes, then take a look at the list below to make a personalized reference sheet with all your favorite fiber foods. In each category, write down the types of food you like. For example, in the beans category, you might include black beans, chickpeas, hummus, baked beans, bean burritos, red beans & rice, etc. Don’t worry about doing this right; there’s no wrong way to do it.
If you get stuck on one of the categories and your mind goes blank, Google it for some ideas (like this list of leafy greens).
Avocado
Beans
Berries
Fruit
Leafy greens
Lentils
Nuts
Peas
Seeds
Tofu / Tempeh
Vegetables
Whole grains
Here is a reference sheet and a worksheet you can print out to help with this activity:
Check out the next article in the series:
Nutrition Tips for ADHD: Protein + Fiber + Fat (Part II)
Evolve: A Nutrition + Health Coaching Program for Women with ADHD
I’m launching a new program in May and would love to have you!
If you’re curious about it and wondering whether it makes sense for you, schedule a free consultation here.
This article is part of a series on simple strategies in food and nature for women with ADHD. The suggestions in these articles will help you feed your brain and balance your nervous system, therefore easing your symptoms, boosting your confidence, and improving your quality of life.
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