Seven Diet Secrets For Those With Bipolar Disorder
Because of the medications you must take in order to successfully manage your bipolar disorder, weight gain is almost inevitable. Some individuals report gaining as few as three or four pounds; others experience gaining as much as 60 pounds due to their need to take medications for bipolar disorder.
This problem makes it all the more essential that you adopt healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle. You need to do everything in your possible to minimize your bipolar disorder related weight gain.
Simply adopting some easy habits is a great step towards a healthier you and will go a long way to help you lose weight and keep it off.
1. Eat foods rich in Vitamin C everyday.
Vitamin C is a remarkable nutrient. Abundant in antioxidants that can keep many degenerative diseases at bay, vitamin C is most notably found in foods that are low in calories. Foods that are rich in vitamin C help you feel full and may help keep the weight gain which often accompanies bipolar disorder to a minimum.
Of course, you know the orange is a great source of vitamin C, but did you know that blueberries and blackberries are also wonderful foods to eat? Other foods that contain plenty of this nutrient are broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, raspberries, strawberries and even tomatoes.
2. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
These are perfect if you're worried about bipolar disorder weight gain. These are foods rich in nutrients and low in calories. They'll also help to make you feel full so you're less likely to munch on snack foods that are loaded with calories and fat. A serving of your typical fruit or vegetable is usually considered to be a half cup. So while five servings may sound like a lot, you can easily fit five half cup servings into a day's worth of meals.
3. Choose baked, not French fried, potatoes
If you're concerned about gaining weight because of your need to take medications for your bipolar disorder, then this simple change in habit can provide you with tremendous benefits. A potato, when baked, has, bite for bite, fewer calories and less fat than French fries. If you eat the skin of the baked potato too, you'll be giving your body even more nutrients. The skin of a potato has more fiber, potassium and B vitamins than its flesh.
4. Consider naturally low fat cookies.
Don't think they even exist? Think again. No matter how well intentioned we are - or how motivated we are to avoid weight gain because of your bipolar disorder - we all have those moments when you just want a cookie. Try a fig bar, it's not only naturally sweet, but it's also a great low-fat snack. Two other low-fat snacks to keep in your kitchen cabinet are ginger snaps and graham crackers.
5. Cultivate a taste for broccoli.
At 45 calories per cup, broccoli is your secret weapon in the fight against weight gain due to bipolar disorder. Not only that, but one cup of broccoli supplies you with 90 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin A and 200 percent of your vitamin C for the day. But there's still one more benefit. Broccoli also gives your system 25 percent of the fiber it needs in one day.
6) Eat more fiber.
Fiber is a great way to feel full without overeating. That's important when you're trying to reduce your chances of gaining weight caused by your bipolar medication. Fruits and vegetables are naturally great sources. So are whole wheat breads. Here's a great between meal snack - and even a mini-meal - that's rich in fiber. One half peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread along with a small apple. That should keep your body satisfied for a while. And it certainly beats eating a bag of chips.
7) Avoid processed and packaged foods whenever possible.
Not only are these foods loaded with sodium, which will contribute to fluid retention and weight gain, but they are also filled with food additives that in many instances actually deplete the nutrients in your body.
