I think some are misunderstanding my points and I didn't articulate properly.

Re: sudden onset, I've woke up with unexpected mood shifts before with no apparent stimuli. Very unsettling when it happens. Has freaked me the **** out before. But I've never woke up in a full blown episode without precursors. Clinically, that is not possible. There are always prodromal symptoms, the key is recognizing it and using behavioral modifcation to 'tweak' things vs. constant reliance on medications.

It is correct that eating well isn't going to interrupt a manic episode and 'heal it'. LOL.
Medication is needed at that point. I'm recently coming out of a rough patch, and largely thanks to medication. But it's a temporary band-aid in the grand scheme.

The key is stopping it and interrupting the pathway BEFORE it escalates. And behavioral work CAN do that. The best and safest interventions are non-pharm, and as maintenance, not reactive. Can still be effective if doing it reactively, if a line hasn't been crossed. Which is why forcing it daily is so important. And not for a week, or a month. Permanent. Once it's 'forced' for awhile, it's habit. Autopilot. Meds are ok sometimes. Which I'm doing right now and for forseeable future, but also for foreseeable future, my job is to work my *** off on behavioral stuff so my body can get into and maintain homeostasis as good as possible without pills or as little as possible. They shorten your life span and QOL.