[SunReach]

Hello everyone

Here is a question...Are there any particular foods that make it easier to handle manic symptoms? Like, avoiding stimulants and sugars..But what else? I've noticed that beef makes me worse but I also have a sensitive stomach and it's not the most easily digestible meat in the world...I don't get what it is about beef though, is it the digestive thing, or something else in its nutrients?

I don't know what to eat!! Plus....I am trying to calm myself and rest but I am in a bit of a bursting mood so there is a possibility I'm fixating on what to eat next, which is very strange because I do that when I'm taking the down-ride to depression. Maybe I should just stick to vegetables, rice and fruit and spend the day watching films...

[hanners]

Originally Posted by SunReach

Hello everyone

Here is a question...Are there any particular foods that make it easier to handle manic symptoms? Like, avoiding stimulants and sugars..But what else? I've noticed that beef makes me worse but I also have a sensitive stomach and it's not the most easily digestible meat in the world...I don't get what it is about beef though, is it the digestive thing, or something else in its nutrients?

I don't know what to eat!! Plus....I am trying to calm myself and rest but I am in a bit of a bursting mood so there is a possibility I'm fixating on what to eat next, which is very strange because I do that when I'm taking the down-ride to depression. Maybe I should just stick to vegetables, rice and fruit and spend the day watching films...

Here's an interesting article on the impact of gluten and dairy products. http://www.queermentalhealth.org/art...up-the-health/

[SunAngel]

Since I became a vegatarian, my mood has improved incredibly.

I agree that you should stay away from sugars because they spike your mood and your energy, and when it goes back down again, you get to be in a lousy mood.

I learned that from drinking magaritas. The mix is full of sugar and i get in a great mood, and about an hour later, I am in the worst mood possible. I get a sugar high and then crash back down again.

So, I do think that foods affect your mood.

[xraydiva09]

Originally Posted by SunReach

Hello everyone

Here is a question...Are there any particular foods that make it easier to handle manic symptoms? Like, avoiding stimulants and sugars..But what else? I've noticed that beef makes me worse but I also have a sensitive stomach and it's not the most easily digestible meat in the world...I don't get what it is about beef though, is it the digestive thing, or something else in its nutrients?

I don't know what to eat!! Plus....I am trying to calm myself and rest but I am in a bit of a bursting mood so there is a possibility I'm fixating on what to eat next, which is very strange because I do that when I'm taking the down-ride to depression. Maybe I should just stick to vegetables, rice and fruit and spend the day watching films...

I def agree that foods affect your moods...I know when I really watch what I eat and eat healthy, boring stuff (lol) that I feel better inside and out....and when I eat like crap, I usually end up feeling like crap inside and out (sluggish, poop alot more, headaches, more tired)....and its so hard to eat good because alot of these meds make you crave bad stuff (mine make me crave SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR I LOVE SUGAR LOL!!! Im also wondering about the beef thing myself...I shy away from it most of the time and I wonder since they give so many steroids to the animals and all of those growth hormones and what nots, that if they affect us when we eat it? We should all band together and try a vegetarian or some type of diet experiment for a week and see what happens....lol Salad Support Group

[SunReach]

Hehe! I'm very prone to anemia so I don't know if that would be a good idea for me...But! I've figured that if I eat only a little bit at a time, it's not too bad. So, I'll cook a small pot of beef once a week and freeze it in small portions (like a small child's portion) and add it to the side of whatever I'm eating a few times a week.

I read an article years ago by a doctor who had treated bipolar patients for many years, and his conclusion was that bipolar patients have a severe allergy to grains. Removing them completely from my diet made a huge difference in feeling tone. My husband even commented about it on the 7th day of the removal of them. Since then, I've learned more, but still come back to the removal of grains when I begin to sense an irritabiltiy in myself.

What else have I learned? Well, for one thing that some foods are naturally inflammatory, such as cheese. Secondly, that it is important to eat foods that help keep the fluids of the body on a more alkaline level.
See Alkaline Foods.com for a list.

Removal of caffeine in bipolar illness is essential; that, and alcohol. They both make the illness worse. (This from my psychiatrist) Please
read the article by Ruth Whalen on Doctor Yourself.com Her article appears under "allergy to caffeine". It will astound you; following her advice is a major contributor to my becoming so much better with this illness.

My first psychiatrist told me that we all needed to have a regular sleep schedule and to adhere to it as much as possible.

And finally, that we all needed to take our prescribed meds.

The major impression in my life that diet makes is that I no longer have to take medications except 10 mg. prozac once a day and a "food med"
called Deplin (which is a form of folate that can cross the blood brain barrier in those who cannot metabolize folic acid from the diet).

Happy to join you on this journey into healing.

Genetic

[SunReach]

Great sources genetic, thanks for sharing. I have already removed caffeine completely, and cheese (also lactose intolerant so cheese really doesn't help anyway). But grains! This I didn't know at all. However, now that I think about it, when I don't eat grains 'by accident', I do feel better. At least less uncomfortable, physically speaking.

[SunReach]

p.s. where can I find the grain article?

I can come back and post a few links for you. What made them decide to look into grains and bipolar I think was the results of schizophrenia and glutenous grains, and two.... reasearch that showed high correlation between bipolars and bovine casein antibodies. That's the gist I got from what I read, I'm sure that this has been looked into often. They have seen higher anti-gluten antibodies in a significant amount of bipolar patients. And an increase in anti- gluten antibodies in manic patients. As well as up to half the bipolars tested against a control group, half the bipolar patients had the genes the predispose you to Celiac Disease.

Honestly I could not find a lot of research into this. Three studies that I could find, but what they did find was rather interesting. I think they need to do more research into this. One thing that I do think is sad, is that there isn't a ton of research into this, and I fear there won't be anytime soon, as cutting out food from your diet doesn't take a prescription and it's quite profitable for pharma companies. I know that's a bit pessimistic of me, but I think it's a real concern.

I'm in the process of removing gluten right now because my Dr. Suspects Celiac. I have a lot of physical health symptoms. But I am very curious how this will affect my mental health as well.

I'm not sure that it's all grains, the articles I have read pointed to grains that contain gluten. that's quite a few grains tho. Not to mention they add gluten in different forms to almost anything you can think of.

The article I read about a doctor who said that bipolars have a severe allergy to grains is lost from my memory. However, I did read recently that phytates in grains may be difficult for bipolar people.

Thanks so much for the information on Bovine casein. I've known for years that I couldn't break down the disacchride in cow's milk, but did not know about casein. That's a real help.

Genetic

[insideout]

I am really glad I read this... I drink energy drinks and my moods are ridiculous...
I also have nightmares sometimes when I eat things like pizza and junk food...

I heard that grains are good for you.

But I believe you when you say they worsen symptoms..

Maybe we dont have a brain based illness as much as allergies or intolerace to certain foods!
I had a doctor who believed I could be 100% cured if I followed her diet plan. It consisted of Flaxseed and certain foods I couldnt find at the store tho.

Here's a tip: lemon juice squeezed (not canned or bottled juice)
into a glass of ice cold water and then drunk has a very calming effect on the system.

While the lemon is very bitter in taste, it is digested as highly alkaline and is very calming.

It was Edgar Cayce, the famous psychic from Virginia Beach, Virginia who said that we should all strive to keep the fluids of the body in a slightly more alkaline state than an acidic one.
He is supposed to be the first holistic person to treat illness in this way as part of his science.

I sometimes think that the medications prescribed for bipolar illness leave an acid residue (all medications do, I've read) and
it is that residue that helps to cause insomnia, restlessness, and irritability.

Even an aspirin is helpful for some whose illness is very mild.

Genetic

The doctor who said that you should use flaxseed was recommending that, I think, because flaxseed oil is a rich supplier of the 3 and 6 omega acids which are very beneficial for bipolar patients, my psychiatrist says.

Well, I hope you all have a Happy Memorial Day Weekend.

Genetic

This is a link to an explanation about wheat allergy (called a "brain allergy"). Thought you might be interested in this one. Here's the address:

www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/brainallergies.htm

This isn't the original article I read, but it gives you some idea of how an allergy to wheat (and a few other foods that are most commonly reactive in brain allergies) affects the brain, and consequently, the feeling tone of the individual.

Genetic

Here's another tip for you, folks.

One of the articles posted on the Resources of this forum discusses the newest information on bipolar influences in depression. It has to do with acid surrounding brain cells.

I've spent some time trying to learn more about that and what I have discovered is that unrefined sea salt (not the American produced sea salt but Himalayan or French or Hawaiian unrefined salt) helps to remove acid from around brain cells.

It also induces sleep, so if we're having bouts with insomnia, putting a little ground unrefined sea salt on the tongue and letting it melt might help to increase our ability to get to sleep. There are several websites that verify this. Just look it up under a website called Benefits of Unrefined sea salt.

What do I do for a living?
I'm a retired educator who spends free time doing research on articles pertaining to bipolar illness and the best remedies to help that are not prescribed medications, knowing that many bipolar patients must take medications to be stabilized.

I'm very glad to be posting on such a good forum.

Take care, everyone.

Genetic

[insideout]

Originally Posted by genetic

Here's another tip for you, folks.

One of the articles posted on the Resources of this forum discusses the newest information on bipolar influences in depression. It has to do with acid surrounding brain cells.

I've spent some time trying to learn more about that and what I have discovered is that unrefined sea salt (not the American produced sea salt but Himalayan or French or Hawaiian unrefined salt) helps to remove acid from around brain cells.

It also induces sleep, so if we're having bouts with insomnia, putting a little ground unrefined sea salt on the tongue and letting it melt might help to increase our ability to get to sleep. There are several websites that verify this. Just look it up under a website called Benefits of Unrefined sea salt.

What do I do for a living?
I'm a retired educator who spends free time doing research on articles pertaining to bipolar illness and the best remedies to help that are not prescribed medications, knowing that many bipolar patients must take medications to be stabilized.

I'm very glad to be posting on such a good forum.

Take care, everyone.

Genetic

ok, so where doI find the different kinds of salt? Are they expensive?

Is there a link to any specific daily diet plan?
i cant just eat lemons and salt all day.

Himalayan sea salt and French sea salt are usually sold in specialty stores like Whole Foods. Some of the best grocery stores might sell them. You can find them on the internet at different prices. Just look for unrefined sea salt.

They're relatively expensive, say maybe $7.00 for a package, but it lasts a long time because you will use it sparingly. Once in a while I go back to regular iodized salt, but not often, because the unrefined sea salt is so flavorful in cooked foods, especially Himalayan sea salt.

About the lemon juice: just occasionally when you feel hyper, it's helpful. I wouldn't use it as a daily thing, unless you just like lemonade, and that may not be strong enough.

About a specific diet: I've never checked into that, but I feel sure there are some on the internet if you can find a site that seems trustworthy and reasonable in its diet suggestions. One thing you might do is look up AlkalineFoods.com and learn which foods are alkaline in digestion and try to guide your meals so that you have more alkaline reacting foods in your diet.

Take care.

Genetic

If you have a Winners near by, which I believe is American, forgive me if it not. They usually have Himalayan Sea Salt for a cheaper price ( here in Canada), I love the pink colour of it. They also have various other sea salts as well.

Thanks for that tip, I'll have to try it out.

[BlueInanna]

Thanks for sharing, i've enjoyed this thread. And followed on to read about the nutritional studies. Really interesesting stuff.