ADHD Chattering with Alex Partridge on his podcast
I recently met with Alex Partridge on his ADHD Chatter podcast, and our conversation is now live on YouTube. The episode gave me a chance to talk about ADHD, nutrition, the gut-brain connection, food sensory challenges, ADHD-friendly eating and why the way we nourish ourselves needs to be realistic, compassionate and rooted in capacity.
In the conversation, Alex and I explore why food can be such a complicated subject for many ADHDers. It is rarely just about “knowing what to eat”. In the real world, food choices aren’t as simple as “knowing what to eat”. Variability in executive function, sensory preferences, emotional state, digestive comfort, stress, shame, access, time and the nervous system’s sense of safety all contribute to making eating a little more challenging for us neurodivergent people.
This is why I always come back to the same idea: nutrition advice for ADHD needs to work with the brain and body people actually have, not the idealised version assumed by so much conventional health advice. For those of us with ADHD, autistic or indeed AuDHD nervous systems, the most helpful starting point isn’t perfection but capacity. What do I have enough energy, attention and steadiness to do today, and what might support my system without adding another layer of pressure? Those are typically more helpful questions to ask yourself than “what are the best foods for ADHD?”.
The episode also connects closely with the themes I explore in my book ADHD Body & Mind, especially the idea that ADHD lives through the whole system: gut, brain, nervous system, senses, emotions and lived experience. I’m really grateful to Alex for creating such a thoughtful and open space for this conversation. We covered some big themes, but also some very human ones, including my own story, the messy reality of food, and the importance of helping ADHDers feel less broken and more informed.
I hope this episode brings you a little more understanding and a lot more self-kindness.
With love,
