Bipolar disorder, once called manic depression, is a mental disorder that causes periods of depression followed by durations of abnormally elevated moods (or hypomania or mania with psychosis). In patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the first course of action recommended by doctors is to get onto a regular routine of medication and therapy to help balance and regulate mood.
However, patients are often also recommended several routine lifestyle changes that may include getting proper sleep, exercise, lowering stress, and eating the right foods to help reduce bipolar disorder symptoms and naturally stabilize mood. Here are some foods often recommended for
bipolar disorder patients:
1. Omega 3 fatty acids
This is one of the most common elements found in oily fish, and are essential for the body since they help tackle the feeling of depression, which is a symptom associated with bipolar disorder. If you don’t like fish, you can always get the same level of nutrients from different types of nuts and from eggs.
2. Magnesium
This is another ingredient that is known to be similar in its properties to lithium, a commonly prescribed component in medication for bipolar disorder. The natural foods for bipolar disorder that contains magnesium include beans, whole grains, and different types of green leafy vegetables. Spinach is one of the best-known ingredients that is packed with magnesium. While this type of food does bear a positive impact in stabilizing the mood, it is no way a substitute for the given medication as it is more supplementary in nature.
3. Salt
Most often we hear about how salt is derogatory for the overall health of the body, but in the case of foods for bipolar disorder, this ingredient is recommended rather than exempted. This is primarily because salt has the potential to aid the bipolar disorder medication to get regulated in the body effectively.
4. Healthy fats
Consuming healthy fats should be on top of the list of foods for bipolar disorder simply because they help you feel full for a longer period of time. As a result, this will help you to cut back on any unnecessary food cravings that can impact your body.
5. Foods to avoid
In addition to foods that should be consumed to alleviate bipolar disorder symptoms, there are other foods that should be avoided as they can end up affecting your mental health and cause other problems in your health system. You should be cautious about some of these foods:
- Caffeine: Risky as it ends up triggering or worsening the mania phase
- Refined carbohydrates: Risky as it leads to easy obesity, which in turn can result in other health ailments
- Alcohol: Interferes with the medication and can end up being abused if not kept a watch over
- Grapefruit: Could potentially interfere with certain forms of bipolar disorder medication
Getting onto a diet plan by focusing on the foods that are safe to consume can go a long way in making treatment more effective and maintaining the overall health of the individual.
