yogajen Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I am hoping that Whole30 will help me heal my bipolar disorder and help me get off meds. Can anyone share experiences? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamH Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I am not bipolar, but I have a child on the Autism spectrum and did a bunch of research on moods and supplements when he was younger. Take a look at the work of Andrew Stoll (Harvard): high dose EPA (fish oil) and bipolar disorder. The results were so stunning that they halted the study so they could treat the people being given placebo. It is a lot of fish oil, but worth a try! http://www.gmhcn.org/files/Wellness/Omega-3forDepressionandBipolarDisorder.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty13 Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 I second Pams statement. I have bipolar, took the fish oil, saw a lot of improvement, stopped and I am going to start buying it again. Just started my W30 two days ago so cant tell you yet if it has helped. Too soon. I do feel really good this morning, though. Make sure you get plenty of high carb veggies like pumpkin, squash and sweet potato. Carbs are vital for serotonin production which bipolar people are deficient in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamH Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 I second Pams statement. I have bipolar, took the fish oil, saw a lot of improvement, stopped and I am going to start buying it again. Just started my W30 two days ago so cant tell you yet if it has helped. Too soon. I do feel really good this morning, though. Make sure you get plenty of high carb veggies like pumpkin, squash and sweet potato. Carbs are vital for serotonin production which bipolar people are deficient in. Can I ask what dose EPA you took? I think I remember the Stoll study using upwards of 10g daily. That is a lot of $$ and fish oil! Makes me wonder if you can eat wild salmon regularly and take less supplement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty13 Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Too be honest, dont quite remember. Took four caplets daily, two in morning, two at night. Will check next I am at pharmacy as far as strength. It was quite awhile ago when I stopped taking it. Eating salmon also supoosedly has a lot of benefits and is very good. Been trying to buy salmon frequently but I think I could afford to do it more often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamH Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Too be honest, dont quite remember. Took four caplets daily, two in morning, two at night. Will check next I am at pharmacy as far as strength. It was quite awhile ago when I stopped taking it. Eating salmon also supoosedly has a lot of benefits and is very good. Been trying to buy salmon frequently but I think I could afford to do it more often. Only 4 caplets is probably not that much EPA. Even the EPA Xtra from Nordic Naturals would only give me about 4g (or less; can't recall) EPA with 4 caps. You might want to try doubling it next time if you want to replicate what the study showed. Wild salmon isn't cheap, but don't substitute farmed. I wish you the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoTori Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 I am. I've just begun a paleo-ketogenic diet to see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisawhip Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 I'm bipolar and generally feel much better overall on paleo/W30. Not manic-better, just better. But no *way* would I go off my meds. That's just me, though. I just feel too skittish after trying to be meds-free and then relapsing a while back. This is a good reminder about the fish oil. I have been negligent, but ordinarily I take a healthy slug in the morning (shot glass with a lemon juice chaser). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Miyuki Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I have been Bipolar for going on 20 years (I am 34). I was diagnosed properly at age 25 and only started the "right" cocktail of meds about 5 years ago. And then I gained my entire body weight (60kg/132lb). I tried every medication under the sun to get away from the one that was causing my weight-gain, but it seems to be my holy grail, and I've made peace with it. I am rapid-cycling, but stable for the most part now, and more importantly, I am able to function extremely well in a job that I love. And I have learned the importance of remaining compliant on my meds, no matter what. I'm not saying a reduction in meds is impossible once you're safely on a healthy eating and exercise plan, but I believe the medication, talk therapy and healthy eating + exercise all have their part to play. There's no replacing one of them with the other. I have come to look at my situation holistically, rather than viewing my bipolar disorder separately from my eating habits and health. There is so much new research being done, and yet they're still only scraping the surface. What is known is this: you cannot cure bipolar disorder, but there are many ways to manage it and maintain a happy life (as opposed to merely a stable one). And the first step to this is accepting the condition, (which talk therapy helps with), and then taking control of your health management, which includes what I mentioned before: meds, therapy, healthy eating, and moderate exercise, depending on your personal needs. I like the idea of Whole30 because it is a complete reset, with no vagueness about what is allowed and what isn't. And it's simple. Life is complicated enough with a mental illness. PS. as for Omega 3 supplements, a recent study has shown chronic low-level inflammation in the brains of people with chronic mental illness, and Omega 3s are a great way of combating that. Pharmaceutical grade fish oil capsules do the trick for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 MTHFR genes (you can be tested for these) are also linked with bipolar as folate is a required building block for neurotransmitters. Omega 3, Vitamin D3 and nutrient filled foods will all help. There's quite a detailed list of neurotransmitters here, which I found very useful: http://jackkruse.com/your-gutneurotransmitters-and-hormones/ This is a really good picture of how MTHFR relates to neurotransmitters: http://www.easytolovebut.com/?p=2782 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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