Foods Can Influence Your Mood
Did you know the foods you eat can affect your mood and influence the course of bipolar disorder? Yes, there is a food and mood connection.
Sarah Freeman, author of bipolar-lives.com, published a new book entitled The Bipolar Diet: Managing Mood, Food and Weight. She shares that the book is designed to provide a roadmap for those with bipolar disorder on improving diet and making lifestyle changes that can improve both mental and physical health.
Since I received my copy, I’ve been carrying it with me and reading it anywhere I can. As I noted in my review of Intuitive Eating, I detest dieting. I’m just not a person who is going to count calories, measure portions or make meal plans. However, Sarah’s book is so much more than that.
She reviews specific foods those with bipolar disorder should be sure to eat -- the bipolar super foods -- and foods that should be eaten in moderation -- the dirty dozen. For each item, she presents the research to support it's inclusion on the list.
Bipolar Super Foods
- Coldwater fish
- Lean poultry
- Lean red meat
- Egg whites
- High fiber green vegetables
- Berries
- Avocados
- Olive oil
- Water, green tea and herbal tea
The Dirty Dozen
- Heavily sweetened breakfast cereals
- Soda, "fruit" drinks, soft drinks, flavored coffees
- Sweets, candy, and other refined sugar
- Jellies, jams and preserves
- White bread
- Saturated fats and trans fats
- Ice cream
- Salad dressing
- Potato chips, corn chips, pretzels, and "snack" foods in general
- Cookies, muffins, cakes, pies . . . and sorry . . . donuts
- Fast food
She’s included an entire chapter on motivation. "Motivation ... does not magically show up out of the blue, so don’t waste time or risk your health by sitting around and waiting for it. BUT if you start taking action, BEFORE you feel motivated, then you will find that little by little your motivation will increase."
Note this is an eBook, which means you download a copy after purchase. If you want a hardcopy, you will have to print it out and it won't be a tidy bound book to put on your shelf. Also, some may find the price a little higher than expected.
