-IBIS-1.5.0-
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mental/emotional
Bipolar Disorder
nutrition

dietary guidelines

therapeutic foods:
• increase foods that calm the Shen (Spirit), tonify the Heart, harmonize the Stomach and Spleen
• increase foods rich in Vitamin B-complex and Vitamin C
• longan, oyster, rice, rosemary, wheat, wheat germ, mushroom

specific foods:
» Stagnant Liver Qi or Stagnancy in the Liver channel:
• foods that invigorate the Qi, Liver foods, sour foods, Dispersing foods, foods that open channels
• citrus peel, figs, honey
• liver-cleansing foods: beets, carrots, artichokes, lemons, parsnips, dandelion greens, watercress, burdock root
• Vitamin C foods

fresh juices:
• carrot (Walker)
• carrot and spinach (Walker)
• carrot, beet, and cucumber (Walker)
• lemon juice in warm water

specific remedies:
• 2 oz. fresh walnuts, 2 oz black sesame seeds, crush together and eat three times daily (Butt and Bloomfield, p. 149)
• for nervous tension: 3 oz. fresh oysters, 3 oz. peanuts, 2 oz. celery. Boil in 2 pt. water until reduced to half. Divide into 2 halves and eat and drink twice daily for 7-14 days (Butt and Bloomfield, p. 149)

avoid:
• meat, alcohol, hot sauces, spicy foods, fried foods, fatty foods, rich foods, salty foods, coffee, caffeine, sweet foods and sugar


supplements

• lecithin 12-30 g per day, may cause GI distress (Am. J. Psy., 1980, p. 242)
• tryptophan 3-6 g per day (Chouinard, 1983, p. 47ff)
• folate 1-5 mg per day
• Vitamin B12 1000 mcg IM 1x/week
• DL phenylalanine, start with 500 mg per day and work up to 3-4 g (Beckmann, 1979, p. 49ff)
• tyrosine 2 g three times daily (Gibson, 1983, p. 148ff)
• Zinc
• Vitamin C 3 g per day (Austin, 1987)
• Chromium 200-400 mcg per day

» drug interactions:
• Sodium and lithium: Initially, lithium may increase Sodium excretion, making Sodium restriction dangerous. For the next 4-5 days, Sodium may be retained. Later, Sodium metabolism may normalize.


footnotes