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S2E15: Optimising Brain Health & Thriving with ADHD + guest Chris Loper

ADHDifference

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Julie Legg welcomes Chris Loper, a Habit Coach and educator, to explore how lasting change starts with brain health, not just willpower. Chris shares his own late-ADHD diagnosis journey and the pivotal realisations that followed, including how lifestyle foundations like sleep, nutrition, and movement support focus, emotional regulation, and motivation.

From designing a brain-friendly morning routine to building focus with what Chris calls “bicep curls for the brain,” this conversation is full of accessible strategies and grounded encouragement for anyone looking to thrive with ADHD. So, whether you're newly diagnosed, supporting someone with ADHD, or looking to build better habits without brute force, this conversation is full of permission, strategy, and hope.

Key Points from the Episode

  • Chris’s personal journey to ADHD diagnosis in adulthood
  • Why lifestyle, not just medication, is foundational for ADHD brains
  • The critical role of sleep, nutrition, and movement in managing symptoms
  • How improving brain health impacts focus, motivation, and emotional resilience
  • The problem with relying on “brute force” and how strategy changes the game
  • Why he calls focus “bicep curls for the brain” and how to train it sustainably
  • Morning routines that prioritise cognitive fuel and reduce stress
  • Coaching lessons from working with students, adults, and parents
  • Rethinking ADHD through an evolutionary and strengths-based lens
  • Encouragement for those newly diagnosed or feeling stuck

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Chapters

1. Introducing Chris Loper (00:00:00)

2. Chris’s late ADHD diagnosis (00:01:49)

3. Mental health, addiction, and the self-improvement pivot (00:02:59)

4. What changed after diagnosis and choosing better habits (00:05:06)

5. The three client groups Chris works with (and common threads) (00:05:43)

6. The limitations of diagnosis + medication without strategy (00:06:47)

7. Why brain health is the #1 strategy for ADHD (00:09:56)

8. Food, sleep, and exercise: fuel for the prefrontal cortex (00:12:08)

9. Sleep myths, routines, and real-world adjustments (00:13:39)

10. Focus as a muscle: how to train it (00:16:42)

11. Chris’s personal morning routine (and why phones stay off) (00:21:05)

12. Career & hobby choices that align with ADHD brains (00:25:50)

13. ADHD strengths and the evolutionary lens (00:30:38)

77 episodes

#Fitness #Mental Health #Jel Legg #Julie Legg #Adultadhd #Self-Improvement #Podcasting Education #Julie Legg And Jel #ADHD #Olderadhd