Today we’d like to introduce you to Annika Angelo.
Hi Annika, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Back in 2021, I went through a rough depressive episode and finally decided to try medication. Within a month of starting an SSRI, something wild happened – my chronic gut issues, which had been resistant to treatment for years, basically disappeared. That completely changed how I thought about the connection between the brain and body, and it sparked this deep dive into how mental health, the nervous system, and physical health all overlap. I started my master’s degree in Health Psychology soon after.
Flash forward to 2023, I was working in the Twin Cities metro supporting people with severe mental illnesses. I started to realize that I felt most at home working with clients who had ADHD – helping them figure out executive functioning challenges and also how to eat in a way that actually supported their brains. My thesis was on ADHD, IBS, and stress, so it all lined up. What I didn’t realize until much later was that I had ADHD myself – which explained a lot.
When my job ended due to a lack of state funding, I was already deep in burnout. With my husband’s support, I gave coaching a shot – helping people with mental health conditions around nutrition – but I quickly realized that what I actually loved was teaching. I come from a family of teachers, and it turns out, translating research in a way that feels useful and real makes me feel the most energized.
So I started sharing more about ADHD, nutrition, and the brain online – and that’s when everything took off. Now I run The Nutrimind Lab, where I teach people what the research actually says about ADHD and food, and more importantly, how to apply it to real life in a way that’s shame-free and doable.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not a smooth road – it’s been a lot of trial and error, and I’m still figuring it out. The first year, I barely broke even. And even now, in my second year, I’m still struggling. A lot of people assume that having a large platform means you’re rolling in money, but science communication is definitely not the most lucrative field – especially when you’re also trying to keep things ethical and accessible.
One of the hardest things this year was something I didn’t see coming: I started to feel this deep resistance toward food – which is kind of terrifying when your entire career is built around nutrition. I’d get these intense emotional reactions to eating, like wanting to throw food across the room for no reason, or finding that foods I used to love suddenly felt wrong. It forced me to really stop and ask, “What’s going on here?”
That is actually what led me to rebrand as The Nutrimind Lab. I realized I needed to shift the way I was doing things – to not just teach about food and ADHD, but to bring the connection between our brain and the body at the same time. It’s still a work in progress, but I think that pivot brought me back to the heart of why I started this in the first place.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Nutrimind Lab?
I run The Nutrimind Lab, where I teach people with ADHD how to improve their symptoms through food and behavior. Each week I put out a few blogs, videos, and infographics that all aim to do one thing: educate and empower.
What sets my work apart is the balance of science and humanity. Everything I share is rooted in real evidence, but also shaped by the emotional side of things — especially for people who have complicated relationships with food and their bodies, which is so common with ADHD.
Community is a huge part of what I do because I believe that connection is one of the keys to change. I offer a free Discord space for connection and learning, and a paid Patreon where I help people one-on-one to build personalized plans that actually work for their brains.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of my ADHD Nutrition Manual – it walks people through how to connect the body to the brain to improve ADHD symptoms, ADHD-informed eating strategies, the way of eating that helps ADHD the most, and resources like a grocery list planner and sample menu. It’s always evolving as the research grows, and it’s helped so many people finally feel like they’re in charge of not just their eating, but also their life.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Right now, we’re in a strange moment – there’s a growing distrust in science, especially in the U.S., and I think one of the biggest shifts we need isn’t just in new discoveries, but in how we communicate them. My hope is to be part of rebuilding that trust by making research easier to understand and more connected to people’s real lives.
At the same time, I’m excited to be at the forefront of a growing conversation around mental health and nutrition. Both fields are still relatively young, and the overlap between them — especially when it comes to ADHD — is even newer. It’s a space that’s evolving quickly, and being one of the few experts in the world specifically focused on ADHD and nutrition makes me excited for what’s ahead.
I think we’ll see a much stronger shift toward integrative approaches – not just asking “what should I eat,” but “how does this help my brain, my mood, my ability to function?” And I’m grateful to be helping shape that conversation.
Pricing:
- $129 – The ADHD Nutrition Manual
- $7-$30 per month: Patreon
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nutrimindlab.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenutrimindlab/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Annika-Angelo-Nutrimind-Coach/61575052987351/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annika-angelo111/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nutrimindlab
