Testimonial: Paleo and Bipolar Disorder

I’m happy to report that I’ve had great success treating my bipolar disorder with the paleo diet. From ages 15 to 19, I suffered from periods of severe depression, mood swings, self-harming behaviors, and even suicidal thoughts. After realizing I needed to be proactive about my future and not rely solely on my medications, I decided to go paleo after reading about it on Pinterest.

After being paleo for about 4 days, I had a clear and refreshing feeling in my head that is very difficult to explain. A certain brain fog and lethargy that I had never been conscious of until it was gone, had vanished. Cutting out starches, sugars, and dairy while eating plenty of fat has given me stable blood sugar, which results in healthier moods. My energy level is consistently high, so I am motivated to exercise and lift weights regularly and reap the benefits from that. With higher energy I’ve almost eliminated caffeine, which was a problem for my stability beforehand, as I tended to turn to it to uplift my mood.

Eating paleo has helped me cure and support candida, which was interfering with my body’s absorption of my psychiatric medications. By eating paleo and taking regular probiotics, I don’t need to worry about my gut health. As a result, I haven’t increased any of my medications while eating paleo, and I have long-term plans to come off these meds.

Finally, I can now actually enjoy food by eating paleo! When I was unstable, I binge ate and turned to sugars to soothe myself. I feel so liberated not counting calories and instead focusing on real, whole foods that make me feel good!

For me, the paleo diet is my “base” for treating my bipolar disorder. Robb emphasizes paleo as a lifestyle in his book, reminding us that modern day stressors are chronic and this can wreak havoc on our health, and this includes our mental health. I’m so grateful for the stability I have thanks to the paleo diet. Thanks, Robb!