In the public healthcare sector, getting an ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) diagnosis and proper care can take years. Privately, it costs a small fortune and is not a viable option for many.

As an adult displaying ADHD traits/symptoms, awaiting official assessment, I’ve been researching and reading up on strategies to try and manage it without medication. There are many ways to try and do that, some of which include:

• Music – having a positive and high-energy playlist on standby helps me get out of the slump, take action and improve the mood.
• Sleep – incredibly important for everyone, having a healthy sleep pattern and hygiene can help with the motivation-based choices the next morning.
• Meditation/Yoga – while it did not work for me, others might find it helps them relax and calm down.
• Exercise – while I am still one of the laziest people I know, exercise is now a non-negotiable. A quick but intense session in the morning helps me clear my mind and burn off excess energy for the day ahead.
• Creativity – giving my mind a new creative project to focus on helps reduce day-to-day anxiety and helps to feel the sense of purpose.
• Food – I never realised how much the food choices I make can affect the symptoms. And, hence, why I’m here today to try and educate myself on the process with ‘Brain-boosting foods for women with ADHD’, a book written by Estelle Rose.

The author had her ADHD diagnosis later in life. Since then, she has made it her mission to try and help other women with ADHD – to understand, to manage, to thrive. Estelle wrote multiple guides and workbooks on the subject, sharing with her readers her knowledge gained through self-discovery and personal experience. Estelle explored a variety of topics relating to meditation, nutrition, neuroscience, and more, to find techniques that effectively help manage ADHD. She is now sharing those insights with others, not only offering the books but also working as a coach.

‘Brain-boosting foods for women with ADHD’ is a book focusing solely on the nutritional aspect. It is a rather short but straight-to-the-point book, which I appreciate so much! It was easy to focus on its message, and it invites me to come back to it, if needed, in the future. It goes through nutrients and food items you can find them in, that can help boost your brain to improve its cognitive function and focus, fighting against the brain fog. The book also offers guidance in what food and drinks to avoid, which can aggravate the unwanted symptoms and traits, diving a little bit deeper into how they can affect your mood and behaviour, as well as your feelings. While this book might be short, it is filled with useful information, compacted into a format friendly for anyone, such as myself, struggling to focus for long periods of time.

My own journey of educating myself on ADHD is only beginning, so I had no idea how much nutrition can impact it. ‘Brain-boosting foods for women with ADHD’ is a good introduction to the subject. I think a lot of people might recognise the effect of the nutrients on the body but not necessarily on the mind/brain.

This isn’t, and neither does it claim to be, a book containing medical advice. I think anyone going into it knowing that, regardless of whether you’re a woman or have ADHD or not, can find benefits in it. This is the author sharing with us her experience, what food worked and didn’t work for her, and her advice on how to create a healthy dietary pattern. If you take this book for what it is, I think you will enjoy it, I know I have.

One of the key takeaways for me is the importance of regular protein intake throughout the day. As a pescatarian, it is a struggle to reach protein intake as it is and something I haven’t paid enough attention to in the past (having to endure co-workers’ stares when microwaving a fish in the office kitchen is not for the weak). Because of this, I especially appreciated the plant-based focus of the author. In a practical sense, she offers a week-by-week meal plan for four weeks, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snacks. They are not meat-based, but the main dishes can certainly be adapted to incorporate it without much hassle. The accompanying PDF I received with the purchase of the audiobook offers a blank planner, available for personal customisation.

Additionally, for those on the more forgetful side (and that’s me also), Estelle Rose offers a cheat sheet for her readers to save or print, and act as a quick reminder of the most beneficial vegetables, grains and the like, to include in your day-to-day. Particularly important during food shopping.

Personally, this book wasn’t life-changing, but it served as a great starting point. It made me hungry to learn more about the subject of ADHD and nutrition, and find actual science behind it. I do like that Estelle Rose gives you practical tips to try out. Particularly important for me because this is something any one of us can try out while still waiting for an official diagnosis, to try and improve on concentration, mood and even memory.