When you’ve found an effective ADHD medication, there’s another hurdle to get over: your diet. It’s not just what you eat, but when you eat that matters. Since food interacts with how your medication works, you need to be on it when it comes to the timings.

The relationship between food and stimulant medication is an important issue to get your head around. When you’ve found the right balance for you, it can mean that your meds have a positive effect. However, get this wrong, and you may find that they don’t work as well as they should. Speaking to your doctor or prescriber is the best way to go. In this guide, we will talk about how food can interact with stimulants, and what you can do about it.

The Protein Problem

Stimulant medications work best when your body absorbs them properly. One of the ways that you can support that is by making sure you get enough protein. Protein can have a positive effect on ADHDers, since it helps neurotransmitters that require protein-rich foods.

Making sure you get enough protein in your diet can be something of a challenge, especially since stimulant medication can lower your daily appetite. Here are some of the best sources of protein you can include in your eating plan:

• Meat, fish, and eggs

• Dairy products

• Legumes (e.g. chickpeas and beans)

• Nuts and seeds

• Wholegrains

• Protein smoothies

• Cottage cheese

High-protein meals enhance how stimulant medication works. Protein helps create dopamine and norepinephrine, the exact neurotransmitters your ADHD medication targets. Eating protein-rich foods around medication supports the chemical processes your brain needs.

Beating the Appetite Lulls

While you may not always be hungry, trying to include some of the above in your diet is a must. However, when your meds kick in, you might lose your appetite completely.

Many ADHD people struggle with appetite suppression from their medication, but there is a way to get around this. Front-loading protein early in the day, before medication takes effect, helps you to get adequate nutrition even when hunger disappears.

When you eat depends on when you tend to take your medication. Consider how long it takes before you start to lose your appetite, and work around that. It may mean having a protein-rich breakfast, such as boiled eggs and wholegrain toast. Figure out what works for you.

How to Create a Time Strategy

While everyone is different, you can use this as a rough guide: Take your medication 30-45 minutes before you have breakfast. This window typically gives the medication to enter your system without food interference.

If you take extended-release medications, this timing can be even more crucial to your diet. These types of medications release gradually throughout the day, so you will need to have a decent breakfast to keep you going.

Of course, if you take multiple doses throughout the day, apply the same strategy to each dose. That means enjoying small protein-rich snacks before your afternoon dose to help maintain steady medication effectiveness. Here are some snack options:

• Handful of almonds

• Cheese sticks

• Hard-boiled eggs

Planning Your Evening Meal

It doesn’t end there. What you eat for dinner also affects morning medication effectiveness. Going to bed on an empty stomach or eating mostly simple carbohydrates, for example, can leave you depleted by morning. That means your medication won’t absorb well.

Skip the pasta meals, and opt for something that is rich in protein when the evening comes. That may be lean meats, lentil-based dishes, or even something hearty like a bean stew. There will be an element of trial and error here. Try tracking your medication effectiveness alongside your new eating patterns for two weeks. If it doesn’t work for you yet, you can always tweak it.

Takeaway

Finding the right food schedule for you and your stimulant medication can be a challenge. However, it’s worth the time and energy. Working with your body’s needs is the best way to make your meds more effective and avoid crashes.

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