Recovering I was diagnosed with anxiety & depression when I was 19. The most dominant symptom was the anxiety which progressed throughout my life until I stopped drinking alcohol in 2023. I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD.
Key Symptoms Addressed
Intrusive thoughts/OCD
Irritability/agitation
Mental clarity & focus
In My Own Words
“I felt like a cloud lifted, creating clarity and a re-found sense of purpose. I feel like I've tapped into magic when I get into the state of "keto-bliss". Everything becomes manageable and achievable. I believe metabolic therapies can be lifesaving.”
My Top 3 Strategies
Fasting, ketogenic foods, and exercise, specifically strength training.
I used substances and alcohol from a very young age and believe that I was self-medicating with alcohol from my teens right through to my late 30's. I became acutely aware of the dopamine-seeking loop I was engaged in with food and alcohol around 2021/22, which coincided with the beginning of perimenopause symptoms. I was a binge eater and would often make myself ill with the amount of junk food I consumed. Due to severe and intense food cravings after a period of intense binge eating, I became aware that my fasting blood glucose levels were suggesting pre-diabetes and so in December 2024 I reached out to my sister for help, who suggested I read Dr Mindy Pelz's Fast Like A Girl. I dove deep into everything and anything relating to metabolic health and insulin resistance and from there onwards I started a fasting lifestyle. I then learned about the power of being in ketosis and over a period of a few months I began to notice how my ADHD symptoms (which are often interlinked with perimenopause due to the loss of estrogen) almost resolved themselves completely. No more food noise, no more crippling agitation, a newfound sense of clarity and motivation, and a reestablished passion for my job. Prior to this, due to feeling cognitively impaired and burnt out, I was seriously considering my future and wondering if I could no longer cope in work. Running in the background was my own assessment for ADHD and my son's assessment for ADHD. After metabolic therapy and behaviour change interventions for myself, my son no longer meets the threshold for a diagnosis. I dove deep into the effects of amino acids on dopamine regulation in the brain and the healing power of nutrition. There have been several challenges along the way, particularly when I fall out of ketosis, often due to my menstrual cycle (fasting during the luteal phase is not good for menstruation!) and binge eating episodes, but I remain absolutely resolute that a keto lifestyle can heal mental and physical illnesses for many, many people. I have re-trained as a metabolic health coach and now educate everyone around me about KMT including my Mum, who is a carer for my brother who has schizophrenia. I have offered my services to my son's school to provide education to parents of ADHD children, as I truly believe that our diets can be both the cause and the cure of lifelong difficulties relating to physical and mental health.
I was diagnosed with anxiety & depression when I was 19. The most dominant symptom was the anxiety which progressed throughout my life until I stopped drinking alcohol in 2023. I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD.
THINK
Nutritional Foundation
I
Integration
Lab results I track & supplements I take
Electrolytes, MCT Oil, Magnesium, Omega 3's, Vitamin D, micronutrients.
Only blood glucose levels. I also use a CGM infrequently.
N
Nutritional
How I eat, incorporate fasting, & approach macronutrients
I have switched between strict keto, low-carb, carb-cycling, and whole-foods-only diets. My mental health is optimal when I follow a strict ketogenic plan.
I try to have less than 50g of carbs per day, sometimes less than 30g. I try to avoid wheat. I stick to whole foods and if I do eat carbs they are always natures carbs. I eat moderate protein, high fat by focusing on avocados, olive oil, MCT oil, butter.
I intermittent fast every day for 3 weeks out of the month. I do a 24 hour fast at least once a week and extended 2-3 day fasts every couple of months. I try to fast before & after events to get back into ketosis as quick as possible. I do fat fasts too.
K
Ketosis
Target ketone levels & testing methods
Yes
Blood ketone reader. Whilst doing strict keto I measure every day. I am usually always in light nutritional ketosis (0.5) upon waking up but my optimal mental health level is at 1.0+.
SMART
Everyday Strategies
S
Sleep
How I optimize my sleep
Consistent bed/wake times, red light exposure first thing in the morning, exercise, limiting screen use before bed, reducing caffeine, stopping alcohol, not eating UPF's & binge eating late at night.
M
Move
How I keep active
Walking in nature, gym, strength training, running, bike riding.
A
Avoid
What I limit or stay away from
Cutting out ultra-processed foods.
I stopped drinking alcohol in 2023.
R
Rebuild
How I manage stress, build resilience & find purpose
Being in ketosis, learning to play the guitar, djing, reading books, practicing mindfulness and meditation, learning all the science behind ketogenic therapy and consuming whole foods & fighting long term chronic health conditions with fasting & keto.
T
Track
How I monitor my progress
Sleep, mood, menstrual cycle.
CGM, metabolic app, Zero app.
