• Up your intake of essential omega 3 fats

This means eating fish at least twice a week, seeds on most days and supplementing omega 3 fish oils.  The best fish for EPA, the type of omega 3 fat that’s linked with improving mood, are:

Mackerel (1,400mg per 100g/3oz) Herring/kipper (1,000mg) Sardines (1,000mg),fresh tuna (900mg), Anchovy (900mg), Salmon (800mg),Trout  (500mg). Tuna, being high in mercury is best eaten not more than three times a month.

The best seeds are flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. Flax seeds are so small they are best ground and sprinkled on cereal. Alternatively, use flax seed oil, for example in salad dressings. While technically providing omega 3 only about 5% of the type of omega 3 (alpha linolenic acid) in these seeds is converted in your body into EPA.

When supplementing omega 3 fish oils you are aiming for about 1,000mg of EPA a day for a mood balancing effect. That means supplementing a concentrated Omega 3 Fish Oil capsule providing 500mg, once or twice a day and eating a serving of any of the above fish three times a week.

• Avoid or reduce caffeine, sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol

Eat a diet that will stabilise your blood sugar (known as a Low GL diet)

• Consider supplementing magnesium
Foods high in magnesium are: whole grains, legumes and especially dark green leafy vegetables.  Pumpkin seeds and salmon also have magnesium. It is worth supplementing magnesium, particularly if you have some of the other indications of insufficiency. Try 400mg daily. Magnesium works in conjunction with many other nutrients so an all-round multi-vitamin and mineral formula is a good idea if you are not managing a fantastically healthy diet.

Finding help
If you would like help overcoming bipolar with a nutritional approach are a number of clinics and nutritional therapists who can help you. Click here to find out more.

Dig deeper by reading these books and special reports:
NEW Optimum Nutrition for the Mind - Patrick Holford

DO YOU NEED HELP?

Come to the Brain Bio Centre, our outpatient clinic, specialising in the 'optimum nutrition' approach to mental health problems.