I suffer from a cocktail of mental disorders due to stressful life events, and I was interested in knowing if anyone else's mental issues have been affected at all by going paleo? Have you noticed any improvement? Or has it made your symptoms worse? Thanks all.
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In my case the paleo diet helped me with problems I didn't know I had. I have a history of moodiness, a short temper, ups and downs in energy, poor sleep, and not coping well with stress. The paleo diet really helped on several fronts, primarily much more even energy and mood. I think vitamin D supplementation helped me here too (I noticed sudden improvements about a week after starting supplements). The paleo diet allowed me to get more fit and start a more serious exercise program, and I have found that exercise is the cornerstone of my mental health. So indirectly the paleo diet has helped here too. Overall I found that the paleo diet just erased a long list of health issues that I didn't really know had been accumulating, it was like turning the clock back 10 years (I'm 40-something). |
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Nutrition has been linked to mental illness in several good studies, as therapeutic. Things like vitamins and minerals, omega-3 and choline all of which your likely to get more of on a paleo diet. I beleive the link is quite strong, and that will come out in psychiatry in years to come. In fact even though good diet is often mentioned, its surprising given the studies so far, that nutrition isnt already more emphasized. Heres some nutritional links to bipolar, I found the other day, as an example of nutritions link to mental health: Omega 3- http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/bipolar-disorder/content/article/10168/55201 Vitamins and minerals - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11780873?dopt=Abstract |
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It helped me tremendously. Brain fog, gone. Depression, gone. Anxiety, gone. I've had other dramatic improvements but it's been worth it just for the clarity of mind and stable, positive affect. |
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If you even ask this question, you need to check out Dr. Emily Deans, one of the few psychiatrists who deserve the "Dr." before their names. http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.com/ and http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry She is a treasure. I am definitely benefited. I am much less irritable. Fat is good for the nerves. You might want to check out coconut oil and Alzheimers. |
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Beth, the gut-brain connection is true!, it really is. Low carb diets help, 100% meat diets remove 50% of my problems. Now I'm starting a GAPS-Keto-Paleo diet with lots of industrial strength pro-biotics, kefir and fermented vegetables. Bought the jars today. Have a look at this article. Mental disorders and mood are affected by diet and nutrient intake, but that's only part of the puzzle, repairing your gut and fixing your gut's biota seems to cure practically all mental disorders. Google around and try it, I recommend checking out the GAPS diet. Good luck and know that it's not what's happened to you that has affected your mental state, it's the stress which affected your biota which causes your mental state. |
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Exercise, healthy eating, and other healthy life style choices definitely improve mental health. |
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My boyfriend, who is also doing paleo, has definitely had a dramatic positive improvement in his depression and anxiety issues. I think the three days of Crossfit a week and three days of 10K training a week have also definitely helped, but he is no longer medicating at all except for some vitamin D and the occasional St. John's Wort. |
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Healthy eating is definitely helpful! Overall, you should definitely feel a bit better over the longterm. When you first start cutting out the carb-heavy foods, like bread and pasta and cakes, you may feel a little bit worse while you adjust to not having all that sugar and grain, but that is normal. If you feel that you're having that problem, and it's too rough, just add some sweet potatoes or white rice in to alleviate and help you ease into the lifestyle. Anything that improves your overall health and energy will also be a positive influence on your mental health! If you feel better physically, that is one less trigger and one less thing for your mind to worry about. (If you have OCD, just be sure that you don't start obsessing about your new diet and food choices. That can happen, so just keep an eye out for that.) That is both my opinion and my personal experience. That being said, while eating healthy can make a big difference in your overall health, including mental health, it is no substitute for other therapies you may be using. Diet is just one part of a holistic approach. :) |
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It definitely does not make your symptoms worse, and in my case, it did make me feel better. The physical changes are directly proportional to psychological changes, looking better certainly made me feel good about myself and boosted my self-confidence. And along with one or two self-help/meditation books (or extroverted friends) you'll be able to get THAT positive attitude and get rid of all the pseudo-depression and ocd. |
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