Why ADHD influences eating behaviours

In this week’s episode of The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast, we're unpacking the emotional and practical challenges many ADHD women face, from struggling to plan meals to dealing with shame around eating habits, and how to begin healing with grace and self-compassion.

I'm joined by Dr. Helen Lawal, an NHS doctor, nutritionist, and neurodivergent health coach with over 15 years of experience in women’s health, nutrition, and neurodiversity. Helen takes a neuroaffirming, compassionate approach to simplify nutrition and help ADHD women work with their brains, not against them. Helen's private practice supports late-diagnosed ADHD women who feel out of control with food, helping them reduce cravings, emotional eating, and lose weight without diets, shame, or overwhelm.

From executive function challenges around cooking to the emotional rollercoaster of bingeing and restricting, we dive deep into the real-life struggles and strategies that support your day-to-day life and healing after a late diagnosis.

My new book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit, is now available, grab your copy here!

What You'll Learn:

• Understanding our ADHD traits and how this can help with eating behaviours
• How to start your nutritional healing journey after an ADHD diagnosis with tools like food diaries
• What a "balanced diet" really looks like beyond social media
• Why counting calories, restricting sugar and weighing yourself actually makes eating healthier harder
• Tips to simplify meal planning, add in protein and fibre and reduce restriction
• The importance of incorporating joyful movement that energises rather than drains you
• A reality check on GLP-1 medications, including muscle loss, withdrawal, and the need for long-term support
• Common co-occurring conditions with ADHD/AuDHD and how they influence nutrition and wellbeing
• How to find trusted, evidence-based health advice that supports neurodivergent needs
• Creating a supportive community helps alleviate the feelings of isolation and provides shared experiences

Timestamps:

• 03:38 - Understanding Helen's Personal Journey of ADHD and Nutrition
• 11:02 - Understanding the Cycle of Disordered Eating
• 14:52 - Embracing Simplicity in Nutrition
• 21:06 - Building Trust with Food By Letting Go of Restrictions
• 26:28 - The Importance of Holistic Health in Nutrition
• 31:51 - Neurodivergent Traits and Their Impact on Nutrition
• 36:59 - Introduction to ADHD Support Resources

Join the More Yourself Community - the doors are now open!

More Yourself is a compassionate space for late-diagnosed ADHD women to connect, reflect, and come home to who they really are. Sign up here!

Inside the More Yourself Membership, you’ll be able to:

• Connect with like-minded women who understand you
• Learn from guest experts and practical tools
• Receive compassionate prompts & gentle reminders
• Enjoy voice-note encouragement from Kate
• Join flexible meet-ups and mentoring sessions
• Access on-demand workshops and quarterly guest expert sessions

To join for £26 a month, click here. To join for £286 for a year (a whole month free!), click here.

We’ll also be walking through The ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Toolkit together, exploring nervous system regulation, burnout recovery, RSD, joy, hormones, and self-trust, so the book comes alive in a supportive community setting.

Links and Resources:

• Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website [here].
• Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_pod
• Connect with Helen on Instagram: @drhelenlawal

Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed ADHD women find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity and clarity.