Bipolar Disorder and healthy eating
lauralea1999
Posts: 12 Member
Good morning!
I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and I’m trying to come up with meal ideas and planning tricks. I tend to get overwhelmed by planning and end up over complicating things and hitting up Taco Bell. Does anyone have tips to help keep things simple or create easy to maintain routines? I’m trying to eat as healthy as possible: minimal sugar, heart healthy fats, lean cuts, and no simple carbs. Tips, app recommendations, websites, and cookbook suggestions would be awesome! Being bipolar is not awesome and from what I’ve read nutrition can play a major role in minimizing episodes. Thanks!
I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and I’m trying to come up with meal ideas and planning tricks. I tend to get overwhelmed by planning and end up over complicating things and hitting up Taco Bell. Does anyone have tips to help keep things simple or create easy to maintain routines? I’m trying to eat as healthy as possible: minimal sugar, heart healthy fats, lean cuts, and no simple carbs. Tips, app recommendations, websites, and cookbook suggestions would be awesome! Being bipolar is not awesome and from what I’ve read nutrition can play a major role in minimizing episodes. Thanks!
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Replies
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Hello! I do not have bipolar disorder but do have chronic depression. I get overwhelmed very easily and have to keep things simple. Some suggestions (I live alone so these may be easier for my situation):
1. Find a few good recipes. (Hopefully someone will recommend a couple good recipe websites). The routine of rotating the same meals over and over helps me.
2. Cook meals in batches. I cook in large portions. They will either last me 3 days, or I freeze in individual size containers. The thought of having to cook every evening overwhelms me.
3. Cook large quantities of meat. I pre-cook hamburger and then freeze in 1/2 pound baggies. Can quickly thaw to add to spaghetti, tacos, etc. Can do the same with chicken. Or when you are cooking for the evening, throw on an extra chicken breast or two for the next day(s).
4. If you have a family, have a set meal for each night of the week. Monday is taco night, Tuesday is chicken breast with rice and veggies, etc. This can include a planned night out or even a fast food trip.
5. Use an on-line grocery shopping app. I don't like perusing the store aisles trying to determine my shopping list and reading labels for nutrition info. I use Walmart.com to read nutrition labels and built a grocery list. It is helpful even if you don't buy from them.
6. Develop a grocery list. Makes it easier to plan ahead when shopping. Match your list against what is in your kitchen, and your small group of recipes to decide what you need. As stated above, I save my favorites in my Walmart.com grocery list, which I use even if shopping elsewhere to jog my memory. Other grocery stores also have apps.
7. Find your favorite pre-made salad mix. Saves time and energy.
8. Use a grocery pickup service. Again I use Walmart. I order on-line and just pick up at their store. No shopping stress. You may be able to find a delivery service in your area.
As you can see, routine and planning are key. It may take a while to settle into a routine that works for you, but keep at it, and it will happen.
Hope this helps you and I wish you the best on your health journey.6 -
Boy does your post sound familiar. I was (finally) diagnosed with bipolar after years of doctors tiptoeing around it but I tend to fall more heavily on the depression side. I get overwhelmed and go straight for the easy comfort food too. One of the best apps I found was Mealime. It made everything so easy I was actually able to cook real meals for most of the week. The only reason I stopped using it was because they tend to be higher in calories despite being relatively healthy.
You listed a lot of ways you want to eat healthy but if you tend to get overwhelmed I would start with one thing such as limiting sugar and focus on that until it become habit. Then add another and so on. I tried too many things at once and it got to be too hard to keep up with and made me want to quit.
I would also recommend trying to find some sort of exercise outlet (and maybe someone to help you stick to it). I started running and it was a great way to work through my elevated mood and drag myself out of some depressed moments.
These are all based on my own personal experiences and you really just have to find what works best for you. Bipolar is hard, but so is life, you can do it!5 -
If you're able, I would suggest filling out the food diary a few days in advance. When you wake up, that day's meals would already be planned.
You could try cooking sheet pans full of roasted veggies that will last few days. I also cook at least 4 days worth of chicken at a time. You can make a huge salad, portion into containers and keep in the fridge.
The more food you have ready to eat might help you to stay calm.
Good luck with your journey!
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lauralea1999 wrote: »Good morning!
I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and I’m trying to come up with meal ideas and planning tricks. I tend to get overwhelmed by planning and end up over complicating things and hitting up Taco Bell. Does anyone have tips to help keep things simple or create easy to maintain routines? I’m trying to eat as healthy as possible: minimal sugar, heart healthy fats, lean cuts, and no simple carbs. Tips, app recommendations, websites, and cookbook suggestions would be awesome! Being bipolar is not awesome and from what I’ve read nutrition can play a major role in minimizing episodes. Thanks!
Nutrition alone will not help with bipolar disorder. It will of course help with overall health, and keeping a routine will also help you but please do not rely on dietary choices to control the illness and follow dr's orders religiously.
Where nutrition will indeed help is to control your weight. Discuss with your dr about medication and potential side effects, as some drugs affect appetite and cause weight gain, sometimes really fast too. It is very common, and drs are aware of this and of how uncomfortable it can make patients feel. If it happens to you, do not hesitate to talk to your dr or therapist, and investigate alternatives or lifestyle changes that might help. Here a balanced diet will indeed help a lot. For example, a relative saw a huge difference when he switched to a mostly plant based diet, but I am not sure this is something that would work for everyone.
Also discuss with your dr caffeine and alcohol, it is very common to be more prone to all sorts of addictions when suffering from bipolar disorder, and too much caffeine or alcohol might also interfere with your meds.
Since some meds affect liver function, you might also need to limit animal fat, and also some meds interract with random things, like grapefruit, so make sure to ask your dr if there is anythign you should be aware of.
From what you wrote, it sounds like you are on the right track
When it comes to low-ish calorie meals and I am out of ideas, I like https://www.skinnytaste.com/ personally. Not all the recipes, but there are is a lot of variety and some are really nice and not overcomplicated.6 -
Thank you all for your awesome tips and support, I really appreciate it!1
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I don’t have bipolar but I do struggle with other mental health issues. Diet, sleep, and exercise make a big difference for me in managing symptoms. I also tend to get overwhelmed and eat junk out of stress or convenience. I have better luck when I keep it simple and set smaller goals to start (like maybe just eating dinner at home every night). When I try to go more extreme I get overwhelmed and fall apart pretty quickly
Some general tips for setting up eating routines with mental health in mind:
Figure out what you like to eat and try to always keep that stuff on hand. Pick ingredients you like and will eat, you can get variety with different seasonings. (Chicken breast tenderloins are a bit more expensive but they cook very quickly especially on a foreman grill)
Keep easy stuff around in case you ever fall behind on meal prep or aren’t able to cook—being able to easily toss together a salad or sandwich as an option can help. Frozen or convenience goods can help as a backup
Make extra and portion it out if you have a busy schedule and don’t like to cook daily—I like cooking every night, but it can be easier for you to do all the cooking at once and portion it out
Keep things simple and don’t worry about not being perfect. Once it’s a routine you can mix it up and not worry about stressing yourself or going overboard at the beginning. Almost anything you do at home will be better than going for fast food
If you’re doing everything on one day and feel stressed, break it into smaller steps over more days. Be flexible until you figure out what schedule works for your lifestyle
Good luck! Feel free to add me or message me if you want to talk or share recipes/meal ideas
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These are all great tips.
I have anxiety and depression and also feel overwhelmed. Some ways I cope are:
Shopping on a schedule (Tues and Fri) so I only have to plan and shop for 3 dinners at a time. We eat out lunch on Saturday and make a simple dinner like leftovers or PBB&J.
Setting a theme for each day, like Monday is salad, Tuesday is Mexican, Wednesday is pasta, etc.
Not feeling bad about meals being simple (eggs & fruit, grilled cheese & soup) or repeating meals frequently. There are no real prizes for feeding yourself or your family gourmet or complicated meals. The same is true for packed lunches, no matter what Pinterest believes!
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I don't have bipolar, but I do share tips on quicker easy foods.
If Taco Bell is a weak spot for you and you want to cut it. I found quick Mexican foods to eat at home, even frozen dinners can be less calories, cheaper, and more nutritional value. Like Amy's frozen cheese enchiladas (I would top these after heated with black olives, green onions, fresh cilantro and spinach, a little dollop of sour cream). Or Sweet Earth burritos, EVOL steak bowl.
Buying pre-made lavish bread or pita, canned pizza sauce, with fresh veggies and herbs, cheeses for a quick homemade pizza.
Eating like this, and topping with veggies turned me into a foodie. Started cooking at home, then started trying to cook from scratch.
I started by trying to fill home with delicious quick foods.
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Speaking of quick Mexican foods, I have a Spanish Rice from scratch recipe I make a lot, but tonight I'm having Near East's Spanish Rice with leftover chicken and some peas.2
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kshama2001 wrote: »Speaking of quick Mexican foods, I have a Spanish Rice from scratch recipe I make a lot, but tonight I'm having Near East's Spanish Rice with leftover chicken and some peas.
Sounds good!!!
I love simple rice dishes!!
My favorite is cardamom, saffron, dried apricots, shredded carrots, and raisins. It's beautiful, quick and easy, smells and taste amazing!4 -
Great tips! One more.
List on the refrigerator—
3 places you like to eat with meals you have researched and meet your needs.
3 frozen dinners you like and have in freezer
3 quick and easy things you can make quickly, like pbj or scrambled eggs.
Then when you are totally overwhelmed, you don’t even have to think, just read!
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Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Speaking of quick Mexican foods, I have a Spanish Rice from scratch recipe I make a lot, but tonight I'm having Near East's Spanish Rice with leftover chicken and some peas.
Sounds good!!!
I love simple rice dishes!!
My favorite is cardamom, saffron, dried apricots, shredded carrots, and raisins. It's beautiful, quick and easy, smells and taste amazing!
MMMMMMMMMMMMM!
When you get a chance, I'd love approximate proportions.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Speaking of quick Mexican foods, I have a Spanish Rice from scratch recipe I make a lot, but tonight I'm having Near East's Spanish Rice with leftover chicken and some peas.
Sounds good!!!
I love simple rice dishes!!
My favorite is cardamom, saffron, dried apricots, shredded carrots, and raisins. It's beautiful, quick and easy, smells and taste amazing!
MMMMMMMMMMMMM!
When you get a chance, I'd love approximate proportions.
@kshama2001
I just do 1 cup dry rice (I prefer basmati), pinch of saffron, tbsp of cardamom, 1 cup apricots (chopped up, I prefer the Turkish dried ones), 1 cup raisins. 2 carrots cleaned and grated (shredded). Salt and pepper...
Optional: tsp cinnamon, or a couple of seared and cubed chicken breast. Can double rice for a big family dish.
Everything can be modified to taste. Can find recipes online for similar with probably more detail...Kabuli Pulao, it's an Afghanistan rice dish.1 -
lauralea1999 wrote: »Good morning!
I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and I’m trying to come up with meal ideas and planning tricks. I tend to get overwhelmed by planning and end up over complicating things and hitting up Taco Bell. Does anyone have tips to help keep things simple or create easy to maintain routines? I’m trying to eat as healthy as possible: minimal sugar, heart healthy fats, lean cuts, and no simple carbs. Tips, app recommendations, websites, and cookbook suggestions would be awesome! Being bipolar is not awesome and from what I’ve read nutrition can play a major role in minimizing episodes. Thanks!
I have bipolar. Meds can make it hard as some make you want to eat the house, the neighbors house and maybe add in a dog house. Bipolar can also make you want to either build 50 dog houses or sleep in one because you feel like that is where you belong.
As far as tips, what has helped me tremendously is to plan my day out every morning. I stick to it as much as possible. I also cook dinner before I go on my long *kitten* bike ride. So when I get home, I can't use the excuse that I'm to tire to cook, because it is already there. I also do not restrict my food. I plan for treats every night. This helps so I don't get cravings and then over eat them all at once. Especially since I have a binge eating disorder along with emotionally eating issue. I tried restricting my food but I kept failing over and over. Now I plan for stuff. As long as the rest of day is healthy, I believe it is fine. Oh if you have a food that you know you can't control yourself around, don't buy it. Buy stuff you know you can be okay with.2 -
Bipolar here.
Biggest tip I can give that has helped me...my meds make my hunger absolutely ravenous about an hour after taking them, so I save around 800-1000 calories of my daily intake for that time.0 -
Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Speaking of quick Mexican foods, I have a Spanish Rice from scratch recipe I make a lot, but tonight I'm having Near East's Spanish Rice with leftover chicken and some peas.
Sounds good!!!
I love simple rice dishes!!
My favorite is cardamom, saffron, dried apricots, shredded carrots, and raisins. It's beautiful, quick and easy, smells and taste amazing!
MMMMMMMMMMMMM!
When you get a chance, I'd love approximate proportions.
@kshama2001
I just do 1 cup dry rice (I prefer basmati), pinch of saffron, tbsp of cardamom, 1 cup apricots (chopped up, I prefer the Turkish dried ones), 1 cup raisins. 2 carrots cleaned and grated (shredded). Salt and pepper...
Optional: tsp cinnamon, or a couple of seared and cubed chicken breast. Can double rice for a big family dish.
Everything can be modified to taste. Can find recipes online for similar with probably more detail...Kabuli Pulao, it's an Afghanistan rice dish.
@Emmapatterson1729 - thanks!
I wanted to make sure 1 tbsp cardamom wasn't a typo - seems like 1 teaspoon would actually be more than enough (?)
I found other recipes that have 5 cardamom pods per cup of rice, and that is equivalent to 1/4 t ground.0 -
I plan myeals around veggies and protein. Carbs, like rice and pasta, are kind of an after thought and not necessary. We use our mealthypot quite often and also George Foreman grill.0
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kshama2001 wrote: »Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Speaking of quick Mexican foods, I have a Spanish Rice from scratch recipe I make a lot, but tonight I'm having Near East's Spanish Rice with leftover chicken and some peas.
Sounds good!!!
I love simple rice dishes!!
My favorite is cardamom, saffron, dried apricots, shredded carrots, and raisins. It's beautiful, quick and easy, smells and taste amazing!
MMMMMMMMMMMMM!
When you get a chance, I'd love approximate proportions.
@kshama2001
I just do 1 cup dry rice (I prefer basmati), pinch of saffron, tbsp of cardamom, 1 cup apricots (chopped up, I prefer the Turkish dried ones), 1 cup raisins. 2 carrots cleaned and grated (shredded). Salt and pepper...
Optional: tsp cinnamon, or a couple of seared and cubed chicken breast. Can double rice for a big family dish.
Everything can be modified to taste. Can find recipes online for similar with probably more detail...Kabuli Pulao, it's an Afghanistan rice dish.
@Emmapatterson1729 - thanks!
I wanted to make sure 1 tbsp cardamom wasn't a typo - seems like 1 teaspoon would actually be more than enough (?)
I found other recipes that have 5 cardamom pods per cup of rice, and that is equivalent to 1/4 t ground.
@kshama2001
LOL I probably meant to type tsp... To be honest, I don't measure seasonings, I just add to taste. Then look like a deer caught in headlights when asked a recipe,
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Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Speaking of quick Mexican foods, I have a Spanish Rice from scratch recipe I make a lot, but tonight I'm having Near East's Spanish Rice with leftover chicken and some peas.
Sounds good!!!
I love simple rice dishes!!
My favorite is cardamom, saffron, dried apricots, shredded carrots, and raisins. It's beautiful, quick and easy, smells and taste amazing!
MMMMMMMMMMMMM!
When you get a chance, I'd love approximate proportions.
@kshama2001
I just do 1 cup dry rice (I prefer basmati), pinch of saffron, tbsp of cardamom, 1 cup apricots (chopped up, I prefer the Turkish dried ones), 1 cup raisins. 2 carrots cleaned and grated (shredded). Salt and pepper...
Optional: tsp cinnamon, or a couple of seared and cubed chicken breast. Can double rice for a big family dish.
Everything can be modified to taste. Can find recipes online for similar with probably more detail...Kabuli Pulao, it's an Afghanistan rice dish.
@Emmapatterson1729 - thanks!
I wanted to make sure 1 tbsp cardamom wasn't a typo - seems like 1 teaspoon would actually be more than enough (?)
I found other recipes that have 5 cardamom pods per cup of rice, and that is equivalent to 1/4 t ground.
@kshama2001
LOL I probably meant to type tsp... To be honest, I don't measure seasonings, I just add to taste. Then look like a deer caught in headlights when asked a recipe,
lol, thanks!0 -
Make big batches of soups, stews, casseroles, main dish salads etc. you can eat them all week and freeze some for later.
Or, grill a protein (chicken breast, pork chop, etc) on a counter top grill, nuke some veggies, and make a salad. It only takes 10 min and it’s easy to keep ingredients on hand.
Finally, keep a few frozen entrees on hand (like Lean Cuisine , Atkins, etc) for tomes when time/energy is short.0
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