597: The Food, Exercise, and Sleep Strategies Everyone With ADHD Should Know | Jolene Brighten, ND

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Max Lugavere (1:00)

What's going on, everybody? It's episode 597 of The Genius Life.

The Genius Life.

What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to The Genius Life. I'm your host, Max Lugavere. If your brain feels like it has 20 tabs open at all times, you struggle to focus, or your mind just won't shut off at bedtime, this episode is for you. According to the CDC, about 11% of US children ages 5 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD and roughly 15.5 million adults. That's 6%. Report having a current diagnosis. Thankfully, my returning guest on today's episode of the show is Dr. Jolene Brighten, author of the brand new book ADHD and Women. We explore why ADHD can go unrecognized in the fairer sex, how it can hide behind anxiety and perfectionism, and how hormonal changes from the menstrual cycle to perimenopause can affect symptoms. And while we are spotlighting women here today, guys, there's plenty here for you as well for your own brain and for understanding the women in your life. You'll also learn practical strategies involving food, exercise, sleep and supplements, and where to start when another health routine feels overwhelming. Plus, we somehow make the case for tacos, which I'm always happy to entertain. Hope you guys are having a wonderful fall. Although here in LA, gotta be honest, it does not feel like fall. We are having a heat wave and it sucks. But in any case, just grateful to be here. Grateful for you, dear listener, and excited for you to dive into this episode of the show. So listen through all the way to the end. Per usual, don't forget to share it with friends and loved ones that you think may benefit from it. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter if you want my best health tips delivered straight to your inbox every Friday at maxlugavere.com/newsletter. And now with all that out of the way, let's dive in. Here's Dr. Jolene Brighten. Let's rock. Dr. Jolene Brighten, welcome back to the show. How are you doing?

Jolene Brighten (2:59)

I am fantastic. So excited to see you as always.

Max Lugavere (3:02)

Likewise, one of my favorite people in the space. I know every conversation that we have is always packed with information and it's got that little spiciness to it that, you know, that I think people have come to expect on The Genius Life, but especially when you appear on the show. So thanks for coming out. I'm very excited to celebrate your new book, ADHD and Women.

It's a very important topic and it's a topic that is pretty far outside of my wheelhouse, so I'm excited to dive in and to learn from you, but let's start high level. Do men and women tend to experience ADHD differently? And if so, how?

Jolene Brighten (3:36)

I think that comes down to the question, do women and men experience hormones differently? And the answer is yes, because that really comes down to the crux of what is different about the female experience with ADHD. So we have what I outlined in the book, The Five P's. These are the major phases of a woman's life. As she goes through hormonal transitions, ADHD looks different, it feels different, and it's often a lot more difficult. And so it's not to say ADHD isn't difficult for men. It absolutely is. I mean, it's a disability, but it's to say that when we're looking at ADHD and women, there's the hormonal factor, and then there's also the societal factor. So once upon a time, we were thinking about how we might grow out of ADHD.