Healthy Happy ADHD: Transform How You Move, Eat, and Feel, and Create Your Own Path to Well-Being

by Lisa Dee

The ultimate wellness guide for women with ADHD, full of easy-to-implement and adaptable advice to help you thrive—from a health coach known for her holistic approach to managing ADHD and transformative ADHD-friendly advice on well-being

ADHD makes it hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but an unhealthy lifestyle can make ADHD more difficult to live with. Health and fitness coach Lisa Dee experienced this firsthand when symptoms of her undiagnosed ADHD began wreaking havoc on her physical and mental health. Executive dysfunction left her in a constant state of overwhelm. She turned to unhealthy foods to cope with her exhaustion and seek stimulation, leading to unwanted weight gain.

After finally receiving an ADHD diagnosis at age thirty-one, Lisa realized she needed to consider the unique ways her ADHD brain and body operated if she wanted to feel her best. In Healthy Happy ADHD, she shares the mindset shifts, systems, and habits that transformed her life and form her foundation for healthy living as a woman with ADHD. Drawing from her lived experience, she shows you how to revamp your routines, build new habits, and bring ease to your busy brain  by learning

Ditch the restrictive rules, shame-based ideas, and neurotypical expectations about what exercise, healthy eating, and rest "should" look likeEat well with “ADHD Easy Meals,” get curious about how food affects your energy and mood, and avoid the decision paralysis that comes with meal planning and grocery shoppingPrepare for the impacts of hormonal fluctuations on your ADHD symptoms and recognize the link between ADHD, PMS, and PMDDReconnect with yourself and practice self-compassion through introspective exercises that encourage self-reflection and mindfulness
Featuring creative wellness hacks and empowering practices presented in easy-to-digest chapters with an ADHD-friendly design, Healthy Happy ADHD offers a life-changing blueprint for becoming your most vibrant self, both inside and out.

Genres: Adhd, Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Mental Health, Health, Psychology

336 pages, Paperback

Published February 4, 2025

Reviews

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

The good:
* Spoke well to the "female" experience of having neurodivergence- as a parent with an AFAB child with classic AuDHD symptoms who is dismissed because they mask/perform just fine, this will be enlightening and affirming for many.
* The tips were helpful and well researched. It wasn't just "eat well, workout" in the generic sense, but in a "here is how to keep your struggling body on track" kind of way.

The not-as-good:
* A little bit fatphobic?- I can't say the author openly linked weight to health and happiness, but the hyper-focus on how training/shaping/maintaining her body really helped felt like there were some worrisome undertones there.
* A bit out of touch-while all these recommendations were solid, this feel very "conventionally attractive white woman discovers self-care" and didn't necessarily get into options for those who don't have access to grocery stores, therapists, gyms, free time etc. "Just wander the world and find yourself" isn't really advice that is useful to most of us.

Overall, this is a good introduction to the basics that can help people with ADHD, especially those who are femme-presenting. However, the implementation described in this book might not be super accessible.

[Abby Monnens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This worked for me, as a woman recently diagnosed. The writing style was friendly - some other adhd books I’ve tried to get into were too formal and I didn’t maintain interest. The attitude in the book is to take what resonates with you and leave the rest, which I like!

[Bexx · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, written by a woman with ADHD, offers a comprehensive guide to health, fitness, and well-being tailored specifically for women with ADHD. It focuses on life hacks designed to meet the unique needs of those with ADHD, particularly the need for stimulation. The aim is to minimize overwhelming feelings and persistent stress, helping readers quiet the external noise and reconnect with their minds and bodies.

While the book touches briefly on scientific and medical concepts to explain the impact of ADHD on the brain and body, its main focus lies in providing practical strategies. These strategies are geared toward reducing mental and emotional overload by incorporating small, manageable changes into daily life. For instance, in the discussion on healthier eating, the book takes a positive approach by emphasizing foods to incorporate into meals rather than imposing restrictive guidelines.

I found the book to be interesting and informative, though it required some time to fully absorb everything. This is definitely a resource worth keeping on hand to refer back to in the future.

Thank you go NetGalley and Rodale Books for the opportunity to read this arc copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[ChillCassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked how simple and straight forward this was to read. The sections about movement, nutrition, and hormone cycles were very helpful. This is a great book to have in your toolbox!

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to use tips- hardest part is actually reading it 😅

[Madeleine Crow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this shockingly. Super relatable, easy and practical and made me feel really seen in a lot of ways. Ignore the secular/mel Robbins-esque rah rah in this book about being true to yourself but the underlying principles were really good. Just helpful in a huge season of transition.

[Ainsley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great information and it's somewhat motivating but I felt like I wasn't absorbing anything new a bit over halfway in. Will likely find a physical copy to skim through the rest at some point.

[Tara Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the BEST books on ADHD that I've read since I was diagnosed a year ago (at 40!), and I've probably read at least 50 so far. This book is smart, funny, and filled with tips and tricks that go outside the typical (and usually unhelpful - for me at least!) box. I genuinely enjoyed reading this! Really hoping she writes more books in the future about this, or creates some kind of cool workbook or planner next! Definitely check it out!

[BlueFalkon95 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Lisa Dee wrote about her experiences with ADHD as written in her book Healthy Happy ADHD. Author Lisa Dee writes on how she found that she might be experiencing ADHD symptoms. The book is written basically for women on what ADHD is and the symptoms along with ways of how to deal and cope with the disorder in their daily lives. Day to day life at home, work and out in the community. If you find yourself struggling and feeling that you might have ADHD please see advice.

#HealthyHappyADHD #NetGalley

[Ashlyn Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly easy read. It was really nice to actually hear ADHD talked about from women's perspective. Most ADHD info I've read is either specific to men, or gender-neutral, meaning still men centered by not talking about hormone impacts. 

There were some good studies and science to it, though there was also an underarching woo-woo vibe with kind of a name it and claim it mentality. At the same time, as somebody who also currently is wanting to avoid medication, it was somewhat helpful.

[Kelsey Howes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read especially for the inattentive type.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly good. The science was very basic but mostly accurate and explained well for a lay-audience. Analogies were useful, too.

[Danisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing!! this books has helped me in multiple ways!! it helped me realize I'm worthy of a good life too. that I'm not stupid, or lazy, or a bad person. we operate differently and that is far from a crime. I hope that if you're curious about this book and wondering whether it could aid you as a woman with ADHD - I'm here to tell you you've come to the right place! pick it up, buy that book and feel yourself get comfortable in your own skin ☀️

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent self care tips to navigate the world, and not just for individuals with ADHD.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

hank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for a review!

So I was diagnosed with ADHD right before college and I am constantly trying to learn more about it - that means I consume a lot about ADHD. I wanted to love Healthy Happy ADHD but it sadly missed the mark for me (but I may be overly critical of the books I have read). I come from a fairly healthy and active family so a lot of these suggestions are things that I have lived with my whole life - I feel the author gave a ton of ideas but didn't expand on them. For example, the things that she mentioned were eating more protein and getting more movement and exercise in - I feel like she didn't give enough examples of exercises that you could do (she talked about running but nothing else.) She also didn't give any examples of good recipes (and on top of that didn't mention anything about food sensitivities or texture issues with ADHD). At times this felt like a neurodivergent person wrote it and other times it felt like a neurotypical person wrote it. I will say one thing I loved about this book was the formatting - the bolded phrases of important info were beneficial, but weren't enough for me to recommend this book. I also really loved the setback questions (TBH they earned a star themselves bc I use it all the time now) If you want a book about ADHD I would recommend How to ADHD by Jessica McCabe, that was the best book on ADHD that I have found.

[Cw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely agree with the reviews that this is a NICHE book- but if you fit the niche it can be really helpful. As a woman with ADHD I appreciated this book and found it helpful, it is a good baseline guidebook that I wish I could have read when I was first diagnosed. It really focuses on how to control the things in your environment/ input/ output of your body to help you work with your adhd to reach optimal conditions for your adhd life. Discussing how things like hormones, food, sleep, and exercise can affect your symptoms. I listened to this in audiobook but wished I had a hard copy to take it in smaller chunks and come back and revisit different chapters that I wanted to give more attention to- like parts about changing how you view yourself. I think this will be a mixed bag for a lot of people but if you are a woman with ADHD I recommend the read- take what you like and leave what you don’t.

[brii | brii (three months behind...) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just felt like a fitness influencer trying to sell herself… a lot of this book was just repeating “eat healthy and workout” over and over again in various different ways.

I struggled to connect with the author almost right from the beginning. When she started talking about how it was easy to get more protein by walking her dog to the butchers every day, that was pretty much it for me… I mean really, I can barely make it to the grocery store once a week, I promise you I cannot afford to hit up the butcher every day for fresh meat for my dinner.

While I found a few topics were relatable, the majority of this book was not, and did not offer much insight on living with, let alone thriving with ADHD. The author felt like she was completely out of touch with the people that this book was supposedly written for.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for newly diagnosed women who’ve never read about diet/exercise before

I’ve watched countless documentaries about nutrition (“good fats”, Whole Foods, clean eating) as well as doing my own deep dives into reading ADHD, neuroscience, and self-help books. There really are not enough books written by adult women with ADHD, so I had high hopes for this book; I was deeply disappointed.

[Sara Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes and made me feel better about myself! great tips and tricks for regulating my autonomic dysregulation. Excellent advise based on educated facts. I recommend this book to anyone that wants help not feeling guilty about your body with ahdh!

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Healthy, Happy ADHD is a book about using wellness habits to help improve symptoms of ADHD and make your life better from health and fitness coach Lisa Dee, who discovered that these all helped her manage her own ADHD after being diagnosed.

Frankly, this book was pretty accessible (at least as a reading experience) for the majority of it. The only chapter that left my head spinning was the one about hormones (which I'll get to in a minute). There is frankly a level of undeniable privilege that Dee had that she doesn't quite realize, but I'm used to it in these types of books at this point. (I mean, how else would so many of these people be able to create platforms large enough to achieve publication? It is what it is at this point.) It's not too bad for the most part, however.

I actually genuinely do find these tips useful. Some of it is kind of basic, but it helps to go back to the basics and break it down in a way that makes sense for your brain. (Her suggestion to run for a song, or however long you can, instead of an hour is embarrassingly helpful for me. It helped reframe it as movement however I can instead of punishing myself for when I don't have the time, energy, or motivation.) The book shines when it comes to wellness habits. It makes sense; this is Dee's job. I would have enjoyed a bit of a summary at the end of the book, because that has been a trend in a lot of similar books I've read, and I feel like it'd be easy to summarize all of the pillars for a succinct reminder.

The downside is that I straight up do not trust the science or medicine knowledge shared. Dee mentions the decision to not take her ADHD pills (which is framed as a success with the idea that she would've being an implicit failure) and cautions about birth control pills. The hormones chapter introduces a significant amount of technical terms and science, but all of the citations are reserved for the back of the book, like with the other chapters. I felt okay with that in the other chapters, but when so much of that chapter is about technical terms, chemicals, science, etc., I feel like that was vital to include those sources more in the actual text. Additionally, she at one point references Gabor Mate's theory that ADHD stems back from generational trauma/childhood trauma, but she implies it as a kind of fact instead of a complete theory that Mate has received criticism about, due to his tendency to root most mental health or psychological disorders to generational or childhood trauma. (Also worth noting that he apparently publicly diagnosed Prince Harry with several things based off of his memoir, which is wildly irresponsible.) It feels like she has a bias that she doesn't really seem to acknowledge or know that makes me wary of trusting any of that science without fact checking it for myself. (At one point, she uses a quote that literally includes the word "may" and acts like it's certain, which is not how that works.)

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the read and want to have a copy to refer back to for myself, but I'd be cautious taking it all at face value, especially the science. I'll take the wellness habits and tips though.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Rodale and Netgalley for this eARC.

Lisa Dee’s Healthy Happy ADHD is a practical, compassionate guide that reframes ADHD not as a limitation but as a unique lens through which to build a sustainable, joyful lifestyle.

🌱 This book argues that ADHD and wellness are deeply interconnected. Lisa Dee, a health coach diagnosed with ADHD herself, shows how executive dysfunction, burnout, and exhaustion can spiral when lifestyle habits aren’t tailored to neurodivergent needs. Rather than prescribing rigid routines, she emphasizes adaptability—creating systems that work with the ADHD brain instead of against it.

Dee highlights exercise not as a tool for energy regulation and emotional balance.

Food choices are framed as fuel for focus and mood, with practical strategies for those who struggle with planning and consistency.

The author encourages readers to replace shame with curiosity, reframing ADHD traits as opportunities for creativity and resilience.

This book avoids one-size-fits-all solutions, instead offering modular advice that readers can adapt to their own rhythms and challenges.

Dee writes with warmth and relatability, weaving her personal experiences into the guidance. Her voice is encouraging rather than prescriptive, making the book feel like a conversation with someone who understands the daily frustrations of ADHD. The language is accessible, avoiding jargon while still grounded in evidence-based practices.

Dee’s lived experience makes the advice feel authentic and achievable.

Each section includes practical steps that don’t overwhelm, such as small habit shifts or reframing techniques.
By integrating movement, nutrition, and emotional well-being, the book avoids the trap of treating ADHD as purely cognitive.

⚠️ Limitations

- Readers seeking highly clinical or medical detail may find the book more lifestyle-oriented than diagnostic.

- Some strategies lean toward general wellness advice, which may feel familiar to seasoned readers of self-help, though Dee’s ADHD-specific framing keeps it fresh.

Healthy Happy ADHD succeeds as both a wellness manual and a source of encouragement. Lisa Dee doesn’t promise to “fix” ADHD; instead, she offers tools to live more fully with it, turning daily challenges into opportunities for growth. For neurodivergent readers—especially women navigating ADHD—the book is a supportive companion that blends empathy with actionable guidance.

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult woman recently diagnosed with ADHD, the sheer amount of information out there can be so overwhelming, but Healthy Happy ADHD is an amazing guide that makes it all feel a little more manageable. Lisa Dee does a fantastic job breaking things down in an ADHD-friendly way, offering realistic and adaptable advice for navigating life with ADHD.

One of my favorite parts was the discussion on ADHD and its connection to PMDD. This is so often overlooked, yet it’s a huge issue for so many women. Seeing it addressed so thoroughly made me feel seen in a way that few ADHD books have before.

That said, the book lost me a little when it veered into diet, exercise, and chemical exposure. While I get the importance of overall well-being, it sometimes felt like there was an implication that these factors were to blame for ADHD symptoms rather than tools to help manage them. That section didn’t resonate with me as much, but overall, the book provided incredible insights, helpful strategies, and a sense of understanding that’s invaluable.

If you’re an ADHD woman looking for a compassionate, practical guide that covers everything from executive dysfunction to self-compassion (and even those often missed hormonal connections), this book is absolutely worth picking up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Dee, and Rodale Books for the eARC of this book.

[Bella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this book with a positive outlook on it. Not fully diagnosed yet with ADHD, but highly suspected, I thought this book would somewhat help. Being that the author is a woman she does suffer from it. It started off good and everything, I was actually writing down some notes along the way and everything, but then a review from here stuck with me when I first started the book and well into my whole process of reading it. This lady focused too much on fitness this and fitness that. Like I get it, the book promotes healthy in the title, but I didn't think that the whole aspect of healthy to her was just weight related. Too much emphasis on the future you yada yada. After finally looking at her instagram, I can see why so many people would write the reviews they did. It was a good attempt on putting ADHD out there, but I don't think it was actually authentic.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers a helpful introduction to managing ADHD, especially for femme-presenting individuals. It thoughtfully addresses masking and the “female” neurodivergent experience, with well-researched, practical tips beyond generic advice. The friendly tone kept me engaged, and I appreciated the “take what resonates” approach.

However, some aspects felt out of touch, assuming access to resources like gyms, therapists, and free time. The emphasis on body shaping also had subtle fatphobic undertones.

Overall, it’s a useful guide, but its accessibility may vary depending on individual circumstances.


Thank you to NetGalley and Rodale Inc.

[Ankit Dewan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Healthy ADHD by Lisa Dee is a women-centric guide to living with ADHD, blending sensitivity with practical advice. I appreciated its approachable tone and the author’s personal experiences, which anchor the book. However, it skips over explaining ADHD or the diagnostic process, assuming readers—specifically women—already know the basics. While it leans heavily on new and old research, I missed seeing a broader range of case examples beyond Dee’s own story. Still, it’s a heartfelt resource for women navigating ADHD, even if it doesn’t cover all the bases.
- Compiled with help from Grok AI.

[kyle keithley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a psychologist, I truly appreciate how Lisa Dee blends research-backed insights with a relatable and engaging approach. Her book is not just informative but genuinely transformative—it feels like having a wise, supportive friend guiding you through real challenges. She breaks down complex ideas in a way that’s both accessible and actionable, making self-improvement feel achievable rather than overwhelming. Whether you're looking for motivation, practical strategies, or a fresh perspective, this book delivers. Highly recommend! - Dr. Marie Land

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Mostly because it was good information but felt surface level, I think because I already knew or had heard about a lot of her main points.
I appreciated the chapters on easy adhd friendly meals/foods (because that is always a struggle), hormone imbalances and regulating your nervous system.
A lot of this book validated what I was already experiencing as a woman with late diagnosed ADHD, and I’m excited I’m already on a good path to being “happy and healthy”. I’ll be implementing some of her suggestions for sure! 👍🏼

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

(ad pr) Thank you to NetGalley, Rodale Inc & Lisa Dee

Usually, I love reading Self help items and have always been curious about ADHD though I’ve never been diagnosed with it, however I kept getting distracted reading this, would re start over sections. I thought the layout was great and it wasn’t long sections but just didn’t hold my attention.

Publication date: 4th February, 2025
Read dates: 13th November – 17th December 2024

[Elise Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get into this book, and it actually got me stuck in a reading rut. I personally don’t like not finishing a book, but in the end I had to give up as this book left me really frustrated.

It felt like the book just kept harping on about fitness and focusing on a future you - and not in an overly constructive way.

Potentially my fault for not checking the instagram handle.

[R. Vachtchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so genuine and real. It helps us understand that we are not the only ones who struggle. Feeling seen and being able to relate is so important in this walk with ADHD , especially for those of us diagnosed later in life, when we realize how much we suffered without knowing why and spent years comparing ourselves to neurotypical standards.
Thank you Lisa.