ADHD - Nutrition and the impact of Alcohol - Carol MayADHD - Nutrition and the impact of Alcohol - Carol May
Alcohol Free Life - Janey Lee Grace
Janey Lee Grace talks with ADHD health coach Carol May about how ADHD, dopamine and nutrition can shape alcohol use and recovery. The conversation focuses on simple, practical food and routine changes that may steady sobriety and ease overwhelm.
58:07•7 Aug 2026
ADHD, Food and Dopamine: Carol May on Making Sobriety Easier
Episode Overview
- ADHD often shows up as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, driving people towards quick dopamine hits like alcohol, sugar and spending.
- Late diagnosis in women can bring grief, guilt and shame, making it vital to normalise their experience and focus on what they actually want.
- Increasing protein and healthy fats, while reducing daytime carbs, can improve focus, mood and reduce cravings for both sugar and alcohol.
- Simple prep like boiled eggs, nuts and quick-cook foods helps overwhelmed brains make better choices when hunger and stress collide.
- Tools such as body doubling and clear accountability can make tasks like decluttering and time management feel achievable rather than crushing.
“The place I start with, first of all, is telling them that they're normal.”
How do different strategies aid in addiction recovery? This conversation between host Janey Lee Grace and ADHD health coach Carol May looks at how brain wiring, nutrition and alcohol use can all tangle together, especially for women.
You’ll hear Carol explain her late ADHD diagnosis and the emotional fallout many women feel: grief, guilt and a sense of "oh hell, what do I do with this now?" She breaks ADHD down into inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive patterns, describing racing thoughts, overwhelm and plate‑spinning lives that can make alcohol, sugar and shopping feel like easy dopamine hits. As Janey puts it, alcohol can seem like "a quick fix" for that dopamine pull.
Carol talks through simple, practical ways to support a busy, neurodivergent brain, focusing on food, supplements and routine. She stresses that many clients do best with more protein, healthy fats and fewer daytime carbs, sharing how basic tweaks like boiled eggs, hummus, nuts and quick-cook options can calm cravings and lift focus. Janey backs this up with her own coaching experience, recalling a client whose mood and energy totally shifted after adding protein to every meal.
The chat also touches on emotional regulation, late diagnosis, pressures from social media, and the way alcohol or binge eating often sit on top of low self‑esteem. Carol introduces ideas like body doubling and accountability as realistic tools for people who feel overwhelmed by time management or clutter, saying that ADHD brains often "welcome" clear plans and supportive check-ins.
Throughout, the episode keeps circling back to a key message: quitting alcohol is a vital foundation, but it’s only part of the picture. Understanding your brain, feeding it properly, and building small, sustainable habits can make sobriety feel less like a battle and more like a life you actually enjoy. If ADHD, overwhelm or sugar cravings ring a bell, could a few tiny changes to food and routine be your next sober win?
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