ADHD, Hormones & Food: The Missing Link in Women’s Mental Health
Why ADHD Shows Up in Puberty & Perimenopause (And What No One Tells You)
If you're a mother watching your teenage daughter struggle with focus, food, or emotional regulation
—this series is for you.
If you're a woman in your 40s or 50s wondering why your brain suddenly feels like it's betraying you
—this series is also for you.
After nearly ten years as a nutritionist and lifestyle coach, I've noticed a pattern. In my practice, I see it over and over: women and girls whose relationship with food doesn't make sense until you understand what's happening underneath. ADHD. Hormones. Gut Health. And a connection most people never talk about.
If you've been in my tribe for a while, you may recall I shared that my daughter was struggling with ARFID, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder.
I tear up as I write this. On one hand, this isn't my story to share; it's hers. On the other hand, as a health practitioner, mother, and advocate for root cause medicine, I wish I would have had people to turn to.
So I've decided to share what I feel will serve others and leave the personal details up to her.
This series is not about ARFID. It's about ADHD, and its often-hidden link to disordered eating, hormones, gut health, and lifestyle habits.
Here's what I've learned: there are two windows in a woman's life when ADHD often shows up for the first time, or becomes suddenly unmanageable. Puberty and perimenopause.
Both are periods of hormonal instability. In puberty, estrogen is finding its footing. In perimenopause, it's leaving. And in both, the brain's dopamine support system becomes unreliable, which can unmask ADHD that was always there, or intensify symptoms that were once manageable.
My daughter has been handed a challenging curriculum early. I believe this experience will serve her for the rest of her life but, it has been heartbreaking to witness and go through. A never-ending battle with medical professionals, insurance companies, and conventional thinking.
I could write a book on the damage of labels and viewing everything through a traditional medical lens. But that's another novel. 😉
For now, I simply want to share observations, learnings, and lifestyle practices that can serve those with ADHD, because it touches so many lives.
Over the next three weeks, I'll share insights, research, and practical tips.
If you or someone you know might benefit from this series, please forward this email and have them sign up for the newsletter [HERE].
And if you've lived this experience, I'd love to hear your story. Just hit reply. I read every email.
A note: I'm not a doctor or ADHD expert. I'm a certified nutritionist, lifestyle coach, and mother sharing what I've learned—in hopes of helping you be an advocate for yourself or your children.
