Managing ADHD through food and movement is what I was doing for almost a year. Exercise took the edge off my infinite pep, and an ultra low carb, high fat (ketogenic) diet meant no sugar or grains to fog up my mind. I was functional, happy and making progress on my physical goals. Until I wasn't.
Recently, I had to make a choice between physical health goals and brain health goals. The ketogenic way of eating was causing some strange side effects. Namely, I kept getting horrible tonsil stones. If you haven't had them, Google and prepare to be horrified. They resulted from consumption of dairy which was my main source of fat. A high fat diet can vastly improve brain function. It certainly did for me, but not being able to swallow or talk or sleep from pain resulted in diminished cognitive abilities. Raise your hand if you know what I mean.
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At this time, my weight loss had stagnated as had my muscle gain. I still had body fat to lose and strength goals to meet, and my legs were sore all the time despite supplementing appropriately. I assessed my options. I could:
suffer through the tonsil stones and hope they resolved
or,
try a new way of eating knowing it might relapse my ADHD
A Spring macro sale at Kind Fitness Co. caught my eye on Instagram. I decided to buy one-time macros customized to my body, activity and goals to see how many carbs it would be recommended I consume. At that point, I was keeping it under 25 carbs a day. My macros came back in a near reversal of how I'd been eating fat vs. carbs. They also came back with an additional 400 calories. It turns out I'd been undereating which is why my weight loss/fat burning/muscle mass increase stalled.
The first two weeks were an enormous challenge. Finding carb rich foods I can safely digest is no small task. I am allergic to gluten, soy, pea protein, tapioca, most grains excepting long grain white rice and sprouted brown rice, sugar, and more. Even too much natural sugar makes me break out. Fortunately, my body is happy with bananas. I started eating 3 bananas a day plus drinking more almond milk and was able to, eventually, hit my goals.
The results were immediate. You can view them here. While my weight crept up around a half pound a week, I dropped a size and a half. After three months, I was lifting more, running further, and hungry all the time. I've had to buy shirts and pants a size down. Perhaps the most startling change is how quickly my muscles recover with carbs than without.
The downside, of course, is that I've needed and consumed more carbs, my ADHD has worsened. I can still manage the physical energy with exercise (I went from 3 to 8 workouts a week), but my focus is forever fractured. To the point I've resorted to resharing older posts here to keep my account active while I get my brain figured out.
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I've missed you, Steemit. I've missed Discord and the amazing communities here. I didn't realize how invested I'd become in this platform until my posting got spotty and I wasn't able to get over to your posts to comment and upvote. It was a part of my daily routine, and one I'm fighting to get back to.
I'm staying away from foods that wreck my focus as much as I can. I realized that I can't give up the carbs. Not due to addiction. I work to eat them every day. I can't give up what they've done for my physical health. Which meant I needed an intervention for the ADHD. I'll write more in another post about how it interrupts my enjoyment of life. What I want to talk about now is that I just have so much I want to do, but I can't think long enough to get anything done. So I called my doctor and restarted Adderall. I took my pill, sat down with my journal and made a to do list. Then I blew through that to do list with the discipline of a praying monk.
My point is that meeting one need can create another. I don't necessarily like taking medication, but I will take it to be a successful entrepreneur, mother, and partner. Again, that aspect of ADHD is for another post. Here I am sharing that I made a decision I know many of you have struggled with--which part of me to prioritize. I could frame it as choosing to protect the house for my brain, or I could argue a healthy mind leads to a healthy body. Any way you look at it, I needed help. Now I have it.
I eat from my gardens to help myself out. I was told I have ADHD but I don't take prescriptions for ADHD.
Sourcing your own food is a wonderful choice. I've had ADHD since puberty, but never had to medicate until I had a hysterectomy. Hormones change things, and the foods we eat affect our hormones. I hope you're always able to manage the way you do now, and/or that you are content in the choices you make.
Thanks. I do my best. It looks like you are doing great.
I'm struggling to find a balance bewteen my mental and physical self as far as food and exercise as well. I have been careening around the whole disordered body image thing, obsessive dieting, etc that I THOUGHT I had escaped for an entire YEAR. I still haven't found the answers, but it is eye opening reading about your experience.
I also wonder if my son's sudden issues with his tonsils have to do with dairy as well. I looked up tonsil stones and it does look like the exact thing he's been struggling with.
So you've given me a LOT of food for thought (and I'm also dealing with writing through past things as well right now, which I'm sure is triggering some of my issues as well)
Thank you, as always, for sharing.
<3 Writing through past things is a beautiful challenge. I hope you're finding release.
Tonsil stones are very painful. I'm sorry your son is dealing with that (or something like that). Dairy allergy is pretty common. It's a frustrating one, too, because dairy is everywhere!
Isn't it amazing/irritating how the body image/eating issues sort of pop back up? I had been in the clear for many years before the last relapse, and I am still struggling to stay on track with eating, quite honestly.
I hit the one year mark (the first time EVER that I've stuck with something that long) and some huge shift happened and I started struggling with every.damn.thing.
It's very irritating. I thought maybe I'd just outgrown it. Of course I'm ALSO writing through old stuff and 'clearing out' things as well, so that probably isn't helping.
He eats plenty of dairy anyway, but has recently really upped his dairy consumption. He won't like the idea that it could be aggravating his repeat tonsil issues, but he's frugal enough to probably try it to avoid doctors!
It's worth a shot. My life was changed forever by omitting dairy. Like coming out of a fog into the sun.
Do you need support with your writing? I wish you could take my class, but I'm happy to connect with you until that day comes. :) Obligatory class link: https://creativewritingcenter.com/online-writing-course/writing-through-trauma-to-truth/
I've been wondering if there is a link between the increase in mental issues and the correlation in increase of usage of pharma drugs.
Good luck with all your efforts and the way you've been testing and applying thoughts to your own health.
Most people just leave it for someone else to sort out, or want a quick fix in chemicals.
All the best
I think there is and it's related to chemical runoff (or the equivalent based on drugs passing through bodies or being flushed down the toilet). This must have an impact on our neurology. I'm lucky to have the privilege to try different techniques to manage my mental health. I have been in the position more than once of having to go for the prescriptions first in order to get a handle on life and be able to then pursue alternate options. An example is that I was unable to exercise more than 2 days a week until I went up on my antidepressant. When I was prescribed an anti-anxiety medication, I moved to 4 days a week at the gym. Then I was able to tackle diet and shift to the 8 workouts I now do. I love hearing others' stories about how they've gotten where they are. It's inspiring!
Well done by the way. Somebody taking their own life by short and curly's and making it work for them.
We grew some weed to assist my mother in law with her cancer and anxiety. It was a great move and for a very Conservative family this has been so good for her and us. It works like a bomb, and she actually got some results back today and she's clear....some natural remedies work really well.
BTW, she can sleep on the oil....and is happy and generally herself. Perhaps that will help you? I know Cannabis oil is quite expensive, but at least it's not chemicals with side affects or the like.