Outsideandin.me

If you have been diagnosed with ADHD or are supporting someone with ADHD, it is essential to consider the broader approach to health when supporting someone with ADHD. Nutrition, sleep, gut health, stress, trauma, environmental toxins, and metabolic imbalances are all factors that are often overlooked and yet significantly influence attention, mood, and self-regulation. Understanding the complex interplay between body and brain can open up new, empowering possibilities for long-term wellbeing in association with ADHD.

Sleep

Sleep is vital for brain health, playing a key role in cognitive function, emotional balance, and neurological repair. During deep sleep, the brain consolidates memories, processes emotional experiences, and clears metabolic waste through the glymphatic system – a crucial detoxification process. Inadequate or poor-quality sleep disrupts these processes, leading to impaired attention, reduced impulse control, heightened emotional reactivity, and slower cognitive processing. Over time, chronic sleep deprivation can increase inflammation, dysregulate neurotransmitter activity, and contribute to mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and attention difficulties. For individuals with ADHD or similar concerns, improving sleep quality is a foundational strategy for supporting brain function and overall wellbeing. See my blog post on ‘The Science of Sleep’ for information on supporting sleep.

Diet

Diet plays a fundamental role in brain health, influencing everything from neurotransmitter production to inflammation and energy metabolism. A nutrient-dense, balanced diet supports stable blood sugar, reduces oxidative stress, and fuels the brain’s complex biochemical processes. Deficiencies in key nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins (especially B6, B12, and folate), magnesium, iron, and zinc – have been linked to cognitive and behavioural issues, including those seen in ADHD. Functional testing can help identify imbalances that may be impacting brain function; useful assessments include micronutrient panels, fatty acid profiles, organic acid testing (to assess neurotransmitter metabolites and mitochondrial function), and food sensitivity or GI function tests. Based on results, targeted supplementation with omega-3s (especially EPA), magnesium glycinate, B-complex vitamins, iron (if low), or zinc may help support focus, mood, and neurological health – especially when combined with personalised diet and lifestyle strategies.

Gut Health

Gut health plays a crucial role in brain function through the gut-brain axis, a complex communication network linking the digestive system and the central nervous system. An imbalanced gut microbiome or conditions like dysbiosis, leaky gut, or chronic inflammation can affect neurotransmitter production, immune responses, and even behaviour and mood. For individuals with ADHD, gut imbalances may contribute to symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and emotional dysregulation. Comprehensive gut testing – including stool analysis, markers of intestinal permeability, and inflammatory markers – can help identify underlying issues. Supporting gut health through targeted probiotics, prebiotic-rich foods, digestive enzymes, and an anti-inflammatory diet can enhance cognitive function and overall wellbeing by restoring balance along the gut-brain axis. Please see my blog post on ‘The Microbiome Explained – Your Hidden Health Superpower’ for information on supporting the microbiome.

Metabolic imbalances

Metabolic imbalances such as blood sugar dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired methylation – can significantly impact brain function, energy levels, and emotional regulation. Fluctuating blood glucose, for instance, can lead to irritability, brain fog, and difficulty concentrating – these symptoms often overlap with ADHD. The energy-producing structures in our cells (mitochondria), are particularly important for brain performance; when they’re under-functioning due to oxidative stress, nutrient deficiencies, or toxin exposure, mental fatigue and mood instability can result. Additionally, poor methylation (a key biochemical process affecting detoxification, neurotransmitter synthesis, and gene expression) may contribute to anxiety, impulsivity, or focus issues. Functional testing such as organic acids panels, blood sugar/insulin testing, homocysteine levels, and nutrigenomic analysis can help identify these root-level imbalances. Supporting metabolic function through a nutrient-rich diet, blood sugar balancing strategies, and targeted supplements like CoQ10, B vitamins (especially methylated forms), alpha-lipoic acid, and L-carnitine can significantly enhance cognitive clarity and mood stability.

Toxins

Environmental toxins – including heavy metals such as lead and mercury, pesticides, plasticisers (such as BPA), and air pollutants can negatively impact brain development and function. These toxins may interfere with neurotransmitter systems, increase oxidative stress, and disrupt hormonal balance, all of which can contribute to cognitive difficulties, mood instability, and behavioural challenges commonly associated with ADHD. Children and adults with impaired detoxification pathways or genetic susceptibilities may be particularly vulnerable. Testing for toxin exposure can involve heavy metal panels, chemical sensitivity assessments, and evaluation of liver and phase I/II detoxification function through specialized urine or blood tests. Supporting the body’s natural detox pathways with targeted nutrition including antioxidants (vitamin A, C, & E, and glutathione), minerals (selenium, zinc), and compounds found in cruciferous vegetables – can help reduce toxic burden and improve neurological health.

Stress

Chronic stress has a profound impact on brain health, influencing everything from memory and focus to emotional regulation. When the body is under persistent (chronic) stress, it produces elevated levels of cortisol – a hormone that, in excess, can disrupt communication between brain cells, reduce neuroplasticity, and impair the function of key brain regions including the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex – areas that are critical for learning, decision-making, and impulse control – all functions often affected in conditions like ADHD. Over time, unresolved stress can also contribute to inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, further compromising cognitive performance and mood stability. Addressing stress isn’t just about mental wellness – it’s a crucial step in protecting and optimising overall brain function.

Trauma

Whether acute, chronic, or developmental trauma – it can have a lasting impact on brain structure, function, and regulation. Early life adversity, emotional neglect, or high-stress environments can alter the way the nervous system develops and responds to the world. These changes often involve heightened activity in the fear centre of the brain (amygdala), reduced connectivity in the prefrontal cortex (responsible for attention and regulation), and imbalances in stress hormones like cortisol. Such neurobiological shifts can mimic or exacerbate symptoms of ADHD, including impulsivity, distractibility, and emotional dysregulation. Understanding the role of trauma is essential when taking a whole-person approach to ADHD. Trauma-informed care, nervous system regulation strategies (like somatic therapies or mindfulness), and addressing the physiological effects of stress – such as inflammation or HPA axis dysregulation, can be transformative in supporting long-term healing and cognitive resilience.

How to move forwards?

While functional testing can offer valuable insights into nutrient status, gut health, metabolic function, toxin exposure, and more, it’s not the only way to begin supporting brain and body health and there may be financial constraints. I work with people on these areas, with and without testing, using a personalised, observational approach where we fill-in likely gaps by evaluating and improving diet quality, reducing toxic exposures, supporting sleep and stress, and adding foundational nutrients commonly found to be low. This method involves a degree of educated guesswork, but with careful tracking of symptoms, it can yield meaningful improvements. If budget allows, however, functional testing can provide a detailed map of what specifically needs support, helping to avoid unnecessary supplements and fast-track progress. Whether you start with a comprehensive lab profile or a food-first, lifestyle-based strategy, both approaches have value and the most important step is simply getting started.