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Benjiman Boyd

Recovered From ADHD and Depression
Started Journey 05/2017
Last Updated 08/2025

My THINK + SMART Profile

Strategy Image

Key Symptoms Addressed

Cognition, mental performance, and memory

My Top Three Strategies

Intermittent fasting and walking

T
H

Therapeutic

I have no care team. However, with my medications, we had just continuously tapered off everything little by little with plans of getting off them completely. This was a little before I started keto.

I

Integration

I took Magnesium and Potassium Citrate regularly before bed, and had lots of mineral-rich foods to destress my body. I also find that all college students can benefit from robust EPA and DHA intake; both are critical for synaptic function, mood regulation, and visual processing. My personal staple is Carlson’s Cod Liver Oil—two teaspoons deliver ~1 g EPA + DHA plus vitamin D. Store it in the fridge; the cold keeps oxidation (and fishy burps) at bay.

N

Nutritional

I follow a keto diet and practice intermittent fasting, and I've found that it is exponentially easier when I recruit caffeine as an ally. A modest cup (or two – or three) of black coffee or unsweetened tea can blunt hunger, enhance alertness, and even up-regulate autophagy—your cells’ internal housekeeping system. In college, I also found that quality fats (like avocado or extra-virgin olive oil) and adequate protein were frequently in short supply in the dining halls. My rule of thumb: Use the dining hall for socialization, not for nutrition. Sip a zero-calorie beverage, focus on conversation, then prepare (or re-heat) your own food later. If you must eat there, piece together a “defensive plate”: salad bar greens, cheese, olive oil, hard-boiled eggs, and whatever grilled protein is least breaded. Ignore the dessert carousel—environmental cues trigger cravings more powerfully than you think.

K

Ketosis

I did not have any clinical measurement tool for ketones.

S

Sleep

Strict sleep/wake schedule: I go to bed roughly between 10-11:30pm and have had the same 7am alarm for as long as I can remember. My sleep has improved overall, and I consider it just as crucial of a factor as maintaining ketosis.

M

Move

Strength training, light runs, and walking.

A

Avoid

When I was a teen, I would smoke cigarettes, smoke marijuana, and occasionally drink. This was my main crutch between medications and all my familial chaos. However, by around age 19, I quit everything by slowly tapering. Since then, I've reduced eating in general; while I've had "cheat days" where I'll graze throughout the day, I usually try to stick to one or two meals a day without snacking. All of this happened AFTER keto!

R

Rebuild

I've practiced transcendental meditation, yoga nidra, and other mindfulness exercises to help me stay cognizant of my mood fluctuations. I've never given myself a strict routine with these kinds of strategies, but using them on a "when feel like it" basis has worked just fine for me.

T

Track

I've never had any metabolic health measurement tools. However, I do use a Garmin watch to track my sleep.

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