Nutritional Treatment for Bipolar disease

So for many reasons, this is a very pertinent topic lately. Just this week, I began working with a new client who is suffering from bipolar disease. The client takes numerous prescription medications, and is still suffering with severe depression, insomnia, and addictions. He's been using food (specifically sugar/starches) to self medicate at bedtime when not even Ambien is putting him to rest.

The interesting thing about this case is the timing at which his most recent episode with bipolar depression began. During our initial conversation, we discovered that this episode- which has lasted 5 months and is still full blown- began right around the time that he cut out most animal proteins. As we delved into his diet, it became clear that he is highly deficient in protein, and many other essential brain nutrients. So needless to say, we began him on a program to increase complete proteins, which are the key building blocks for serotonin. As well, we've increased his DHA through food and supplemental sources, needed for opening brain cell receptor sites. We also added specific micronutrients including vitamin D3, B Complex, and a multimineral. Last but not least, we're ensuring balanced blood sugar through more balanced eating, and reducing gluten and other chemicals that could be affecting his brain negatively. In this particular case, digestion appears to be in tact, however had it not been, digestive repair including probitoic supplementation, specifically HLC Mindlinx would bevery important. Now the only thing that stands between seeing results is time and the ability of this client to stay on course. This will certainly be an interesting case for me personally, and I look forward to sharing results as they occur.

On a more grandiose note, I've seen so many people struggling lately with depression, addictions, attention deficit disorder, and other brain-related imbalances. It happens around this time of year, when vitamin D levels are at there lowest from less light. Also due to less sunshine, fatty acid malabsorption is more likely to occur, which again, impacts the brain cells.

Nutrition is one avenue that most people haven't explored in the treatment for brain problems. Yet clinical research and experience point to the fact that nutrition is an effective first step for treatment for mild to moderate brain imbalances. As well, people who are already on medications can benefit from dietary changes and nutritional supplementation to restore deficiencies.

I personally hope to begin to reach family doctors, psychiatrists, physcologists and therapists to start letting them know that there is absolutely more that they can do for their patients.  Nutrition could be a huge key to restoring a healthy quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people. From a health practitioner perspective, as well as on a personal level, I feel very connected to this topic and will be sharing more with you as I learn in my journey.