Coeliac (Celiac) Disease and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), are both serious health conditions in their own right. But when you combine the two, life itself gets a whole lot more complex and complicated. But I’m okay with it.
My journey with these two complex health conditions has been a massive learning curve in both health and mental well-being. And although having both conditions is tough, it’s taught me many things about how looking after my health, must be the top priority.
It’s led me down a path of wanting to help others, those with and without ADHD, that no matter what life throws at us, there are always ways of thriving, and not just surviving.
Using knowledge to help those with Coeliac Disease & ADHD
If you’ve read my previous posts, my journey with Coeliac Disease (CD), started at the beginning of 2019. From then on, I’ve researched the crap out of it, trying to establish the connection between CD and ADHD.
Related post:
Is ADHD and Coeliac Disease Connected?
After completing (and still doing) what could be hours towards several Uni degrees, I wanted to share the knowledge I’ve gained plus how I’m doing it.
One way to achieve this is to create moving video infographics for Pinterest, to try to get what I’ve learned, out to people on mass. I’m a former teacher so this is a way I get to still ‘teach’, but just to larger numbers of people.
ADHD and CD can make life complicated
Having a dual diagnosis of anything, or just a diagnosis, can be a massive strain on life itself. Pretty much everyone knows what ADHD is these days. CD, on the other hand, is less known and understood.
CD is a complex autoimmune disease that also impacts every facet of life where the protein ‘gluten’ causes an inappropriate immune response causing damage to the small intestine.
Anyone with CD will tell you, it’s certainly no picnic because it requires planning and organisation that could be attributed to walking through a maze of unknowns.
Now anyone with ADHD will tell you that planning and organisation, is noooooooooot something that just comes naturally to us. It’s bloody hard most times to just get the right things needed for a task, let alone DO the task. So when you put these conditions together, it can be a recipe for disaster if you’re not of the organising kind.
ADHD and Organisation
ADHD and organisation look a little like the picture above. These two words don’t go that well in a sentence and I’m laughing even while I’m writing this. A lot of shifting things from here to there go on with not a lot of productivity happening if you get me. Even just starting a task can be daunting and this seems to be a common trait of ADHD.
For those folk out there with both ADHD and CD, when it comes to preparing meals, things can get a whole lot trickier and downright overwhelming.
Coeliac Disease, ADHD & Food Prep
The great thing is, bananas don’t have labels. If you have CD, you have to check EVERY SINGLE THING that goes in your mouth. Unless it states ‘gluten-free’ on the packet, all ingredients must be checked. There are apps that help with this – Coeliac Australia has one for $10 which is very useful, especially for the newly diagnosed.
Apps created by official organisations are great for learning information about what a product contains. I only use the Coeliac Australia app because it comes from a trusted source that’s highly regulated. It’s particularly good when buying products that contain multiple ingredients. It’s also necessary to check the label every time, even when it’s a known product. This involves checking the ingredients, allergen statement, and most importantly, the additives.
Read more about Gluten and Coeliac Disease.
Checking Labels Requires Effort
Some products are ‘gluten-free’ by ingredient but companies can change these. Being organised and putting in the effort to check each time is essential. It does get easier, but a lot of packaged food these days have so many ingredients, that it’s been way easier for me to eat a whole-food diet as much as possible.
Having to be more organised in terms of food prep, has not only benefited my health, it’s also taught me how to slow down and plan. Music while cooking is also essential for me, as it helps with motivating me to actually start the cooking process.
This way of eating has helped me be more organised in my life in general. It’s also helped me make better life decisions in other areas because it’s taught me to be more patient and remain focused on a task (with the help of a timer of course).
Clearer Head = Better Choices
Everything we eat and drink, plus medications etc.., have an impact on how we feel. I’ve been eating mostly whole foods now for around 20 months. As my diet has become cleaner and cleaner, I’ve learned more about the importance of the gut-brain connection. If I eat even a smidge of gluten I become extremely ill, extremely fast. This cuts out ‘dining out’ and takeaway foods for me, but I’m grateful for the choice being taken out of my hands for many reasons.
After years of living on McDonald’s etc… I’ve found that the longer I’ve been off gluten and processed food, the clearer I am in the head. I can focus better, am less hyperactive, and can concentrate better. It does take time to rid the body of artificial substances and I notice when drinking wine or have a coke (yes I still do this occasionally), I feel it in my body.
less ADHD fog, more clarity
Preparing, cooking and taking your own food everywhere is a pain in the butt – I won’t try to say it’s not. It takes coordination, learning new things and a whole lot of effort. It takes A LOT of effort. The ‘effort’ part is why it can be easy to be less prepared. It’s so much easier to grab a packet of something gluten-free than it is to plan, buy ingredients, prepare and then cook food but it’s totally worth it. It’s worth it for a clearer head and better concentration needed to focus on what’s really important – particularly, learning new things.
One thing I found helpful in trying to understand how what I ate or drank affected my clarity of thought, or my ability to learn new information, was to monitor how I felt directly after it, or how I felt the next day. Being impatient (a classic ADHD trait) certainly makes this monitoring more challenging, but once I felt clearer and less foggy (or groggy), I knew which way I wanted to feel, and it wasn’t the latter.
Just keep trying & don’t give up
My story is unique because no two people can ever live the exact same life. Where it’s not unique, is I’m not the only one with ADHD and CD out there. But I’m hoping that others will do what I’ve done and not give up. If you face a hurdle, find a way around it, over it, or just push it out of the way. Life is about thriving, not just surviving.
The videos I create for Pinterest aren’t just to share my knowledge, I get a lot of enjoyment out of making them. They are a type of ‘therapy’ you could say. Making them also helps me to stay on track by trying to set a good example through my own strategies of improving my health and well-being.
Finding Purpose & Going With It
This is a screenshot of an email that I literally just received while writing this post. It’s a rundown on how my videos infographics did last week. It’s great feedback that spurs me on, to keep going on my own health journey to inspire others.
So I’ll continue to share my journey, what I eat, what I do, and how I do it, in the hope that others out there will do the same. It’s also important to note that diet is just one part of the puzzle of health, as exercise, meditation and having a purpose to get out and experience life, all create a healthy lifestyle. Am I perfect? There’s no such thing. But I figure I do have a choice in whether I thrive or survive.
CHOOSE to THRIVE and try turning the tables on yourself and give it a go. At least that’s what I’m trying to do. And then, JUST KEEP GOING!
Oh, and share any knowledge you learn along the way because everyone has something to offer within themselves – and that person might just be YOU.
Do you have ADHD and are wanting positive change in your life?
If the answer is yes, then check out my Ultimate Adult ADHD Personal Development bundle. It contains the following:
- 9 eBooks in total covering many different aspects to improve daily life and life skills, including strategies for sleep, nutrition, calming ideas, time-saving hacks, self-regulation strategies, improving focus and concentration, learning to meditate, and tips for remembering stuff
- 1 daily planner checklist to help monitor progress on healthy habits
- 3 journal prompts on personal development, changing limiting beliefs, and improving general health and well-being
