[Lydie8109]

Hey everyone -

Has anyone ever tried a specific diet as part of their treatment of bipolar II? I came across this article and I'm wondering if there is anyone else who has tried this.

How I Overcame Bipolar II (and Saved My Own Life) - Forbes

I apologize if there is already a thread on this - I did a search but I could have missed one.

[LastQuestion]

I have but the book mentioned in that article is essentially snake oil. I had been changing my eating habits to achieve fitness goals for some time now. Basically, a multi vitamin/mineral supplement (I recommend Twinlab dual tabs), fish oil supplement, abstaining from refined sugars/processed foods, a diet of whole foods (brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, beans, lintils, vegatables, fresh fruit, nuts, honey, seeds, spinach, coconut oil, ginger, egg whites, chicken, some steak, etc), and limiting caffeine intake to ~50mg per day or less.

If you want something more specific Google "Zero Willpower Eating System". The only part of that eating system I'd recommend someone with bipolar change is adding fats from stir frying with coconut oil, nuts to oatmeal or as a snack - basically have ~25% of calories be from fats which are good, calculate your protein requirements based upon your level of physical activity and bmi, then fill the rest with complex carbohydrates and fresh fruits.

Also foods high in gluten spike insulin and can adversely affect overall mood - pasta, enriched flour, bagels, bread, etc.

[Standup2me]

Don't forget caffeine and alcohol.

These two are not good for us.

[rollacoasta]

Yeah do you guys find alcohol triggers bipolar depression?

[Standup2me]

Yes I do.

It gives me the thoughts of "poor me, my life is so bad, why bother being here"
And from there it spirals downward

[ozzy1313]

I tend to want to drink when I am hypomanic otherwise I rarely drink. When I do drink I get very drunk and the next day I am so depressed, guilty feeling, sense of doom etc that can last a few days.

I don't think caffeine has any affect on me

[Skitz13]

I do everything that LastQuestion does. I supplement hard, eat extremely healthy, especially foods that are good for mood regulation and I also have acupuncture once a week. It won't cure my illness but it does make it more manageable.

I do consume caffeine moderately and It seems the only time I drink alcohol is when I'm in a hypo episode, otherwise I don't touch it

[lawrenman]

My personal, although limited experience with changing my diet:

About 6 months ago I went to the Atkins. I found that I needed less Zyprexa when on the Atkins. So I cut down to 2.5 MG. However, that diet left me with many severe issues including: sleep problems from cramping, gout inflammation, no energy to work out, and heart issues.

SO about 3 weeks ago, in an attempt to fix my painful gout, I ate spinach out of a can. After eating 2 cans, my inflammation went away. The only reason I had bought/had spinach was that it was a low carb/high fiber food. Little did I realize the many other benefits of it.

I will add more details as to why spinach is a superfood if interested.

My diet has been this (avg daily intake):
2 cans of low sodium spianch a day.
Some sort of meat/fish or peanuts to go with the spinach during meals. Usually minor amounts just to use up food I have left over from Atkins diet.
1 glass of soymilk.
A couple squares of 45% cocoa chocolate with peanuts.
1 cup of green tea.
Some sweets like dates or maybe 1 cookie. Very minor.
Omega 3 fish oil and blood thinner due to my blood clot issue.

Based on this diet:
For the last three weeks I have not needed Zyprexa and have felt great. I've lost around 5-10 lbs and have been able to walk several miles each day without pain. My sleeping has been restful, unlike the times where my mania had to be controlled.

So in conclusion, I would say leafy greens are the most stabilizing food I have ever had in my entire life. After researching, I also conclude that spinach is probably the best available food on the market especially for its price.

My reasoning is that eating leaves that absorb sunlight as well as the nutrients from the ground is by far the healthiest food available in the world.

[Lydie8109]

Thank you all so very much!!! I feel relieved that you all had such a great response to diet changes and supplements. It gives me hope that this is something that will help me.

Lawrenman - that is the exact reason I'm looking for anything to help me get off of meds/reduce them. I'm so sick of all my med side effects!

[lawrenman]

Lydie>

I've told as many people as I can about the changes to my body/mind since going to spinach. Only a person that is truly sick can see the benefit easily. I can't even get life insurance right now, that's how sick I am. So I'm able to see/feel the benefits.

Its absolutely amazing.

Benefits:
no need to wear deoderent/less need for showering (and I sweat A LOT)
no need to wipe butt when going #2.
sleep is better regulated/less mood swings no need for additional meds
weight loss, which is mostly from feeling full and less appetite
reduced inflammation/pain (actually little to no pain is a better explanation--except for my hips which will bother me less as I lose more weight)
ability to workout longer and harder without feeling drained
mind feels more clear...but that wasn't too much an issue before
less tired through the day

I'm sure I can think of more benefits but those are the big ones...

[LastQuestion]

Originally Posted by lawrenman

My reasoning is that eating leaves that absorb sunlight as well as the nutrients from the ground is by far the healthiest food available in the world.

Spinach is full of many necessary vitamins and minerals. That it made such a substantial difference likely indicates your diet led to some nutritional deficiencies. You might wish to consider a more balanced diet, or use more comprehensive multi-vitamin/mineral supplements, such as those from Twinlabs which I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread.

Almonds, walnuts, and cashews are a bit more heathly than peanuts (which are not nuts, but legumes).

A low carb diet places more stress on the kidneys. This has something to do with the process which breaks proteins down into usable energy. Higher levels of amonia are excreted in sweat when that process is taking place.

The ketosis from a low carb diet can be useful for weight loss, and has been shown to improve mood and stability in some people with bipolar, but as a lifestyle change it can become physically unsustainable.

[lawrenman]

Originally Posted by LastQuestion

Spinach is full of many necessary vitamins and minerals. That it made such a substantial difference likely indicates your diet led to some nutritional deficiencies. You might wish to consider a more balanced diet, or use more comprehensive multi-vitamin/mineral supplements, such as those from Twinlabs which I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread.

Almonds, walnuts, and cashews are a bit more heathly than peanuts (which are not nuts, but legumes).

A low carb diet places more stress on the kidneys. This has something to do with the process which breaks proteins down into usable energy. Higher levels of amonia are excreted in sweat when that process is taking place.

The ketosis from a low carb diet can be useful for weight loss, and has been shown to improve mood and stability in some people with bipolar, but as a lifestyle change it can become physically unsustainable.

---------------------------

I always took multivitamins when I was on the Atkins...now since I have been eating spinach in my diet that is no longer needed and I am positive that I do not need to when eating spinach or another form of leafy green. Although I'm sure the minerals were depleted for as long as I can remember, I don't think paying for outrageously priced supplements makes a whole lot sense when you can buy a can of spinach for $1.

I know peanuts are not part of the almond/cashew/etc family. I'm only eating them as a cheap form of calories that do not provide too much carbs. Also, they have some good qualities for nutrition. I don't think the variance between relative health value matters at all on those items. They are all natures bounty of hard shelled "seeds". In either case they provide little more than energy rich nutrition no where near a leaf.

As for whether to stay on low carb, I know for a fact its unstable. Its only stable when eating some form of nutrition that satisfies and I don't think that supplements in of themselves do much to assist with this process.

I've been off my medication for 3 weeks now without any ill effects. When I was previously on the Atkins I would need to take Zyprexa whenever I felt a wave of mania coming either via sleeping patterns or quickening of thoughts. I'm Bipolar I and have been hospitalized 3 times so I know what to look for.

As for ammonia effects, etc. The smell of sweat is based mostly from stuff living on your body (bacteria). Fortunately however the cloryphyll rich spinach counteracts this somewhat but does not stop the accumulation of this odor especially in the armpits where a different sort of sweat than exertion is released. However, it does eliminate the smell from the groin area. I know, I sweat a lot so I can attest to this fact.

The fact that I have never felt as healthy as I do now despite still being 60 LBS overweight says a lot. I'm only 1/3 of my way to my weight loss goal, but I know I can sustain a healthy eating pattern with a base of leafy greens.