Borderline Personality Disorder, often abbreviated to BPD, is a type of personality disorder that can easily tear apart relationships between family, friends, and lovers alike when it is left unchecked. While it is commonly treated with a combination of medicines and behavioral therapy, there are some people who want to take a more natural route to coping with BPD. Some research shows that there are certain foods that can help you overcome the worst of BPD without the use of drugs. Even if you are okay with medication, eating these foods can give you a little extra power over your BPD.
Food & Nutrition Diet (Meal Plan) for Borderline Personality Disorder
#1 Recommended Breakfast Diet for Borderline Personality Disorder
Breakfast is often revered as the most important meal of the day, and with that being said, it is important to choose foods that will help you cope with the symptoms of BPD for your breakfast meal. Foods that are rich in magnesium have been shown to drastically improve brain health. Foods with whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, would be an excellent addition to your breakfast. Adding just a slice of toasted whole wheat bread, or whole wheat cereals, and a handful of nuts, (specifically peanuts, almonds, and cashews), and a dash of dark chocolate, is a delicious, healthy breakfast that not only supports the health of your body, but the health of your mind as well. Some cultured yogurts will do the trick as well, but you have to look for ones with a high amount of magnesium.
#2 Recommended Lunch Diet for Borderline Personality Disorder
After breakfast, you will want to start thinking about what your next meal should include. Something else that the body needs, in addition to magnesium, are Omega 3 Fatty Acids. To prepare the best lunch suited for someone with BPD, you will want to get some walnuts and some cold water fish, such as salmon, and add some plants such as avocado, cauliflower, or spinach leaves to the mix to create a balanced lunch that has both fatty acids and additional magnesium. If you choose to live a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, then you can substitute the cold water fish with some tofu for a more magnesium-rich diet.
#3 Recommended Dinner Diet for Borderline Personality Disorder
Dinner is usually the time of day that requires the heartiest of meals. For this large meal, you are going to want to look toward quinoa, black beans, and edamame (soybeans that are still in the pod), which are all rich in magnesium, as well as grass-fed beef, brussels sprouts, and cold water fish for your increased fatty acid intake. There are many combinations of meals to make with these foods, and finding the perfect mix will be part of your journey to living life coping with BPD.
#4 Recommended Snack Diet for Borderline Personality Disorder
Everyone needs snacks in their life, including people who have BPD. Nuts, such as walnuts, cashews, almonds, and peanuts, are all sources of either fatty acids or magnesium. To sweeten up your snack a little bit, you can add some dark chocolate to your diet. The dark chocolate will also offer some more magnesium for your brain health as well. Vitamin C is also something you will want to include more of in your diet, meaning that some orange-centered snacks, such as citrus and strawberries, will also do the trick for your own health.
#5 Recommended Drinks for Borderline Personality Disorder
There are also a variety of drinks that you can make to improve your ability to handle BPD as well. As Vitamin C is important, orange juice would be a lovely addition to your life. A dark chocolate smoothie would also be a soothing treat for summer days, while also increasing your magnesium intake. Adding strawberries can both increase your Vitamin C and add some flavor to your smoothie as well. Flax seed oil and hemp oil are both sources of fatty acids, although it can alter the taste of your drink a little bit, so be prepared for that. Milk is an excellent source of Vitamin D, which is something that people with BPD should look for.
#6 Recommended Herbs for Borderline Personality Disorder
Many people enjoy being able to incorporate herbs into their daily diets. Flax seed is one of the best herbs that you can add to your diet, as it is an incredible source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Aside from this, most of your intake of beneficial foods is going to come from solid foods, and not so much from herbs.
#7 Recommended Fruits for Borderline Personality Disorder
Most of the fruits that benefit people who have BPD are going to be fruits that are high in Vitamin C. The most common fruit is, of course, going to be oranges. Any citrus fruit will do well though, so you can add lemons, limes, and grapefruits to your fruit intake as well. Strawberries are also high in Vitamin C, making them a wonderful addition to any diet. Tomatoes, which are scientifically considered a fruit, are also high in Vitamin C, making them a wonderful way to spruce up dinners and lunches.
#8 Recommended Vitamin/s for Borderline Personality Disorder
As mentioned for many of the meals, Vitamin C is going to be a large component in getting a handle on your BPD. Vitamin C works to help people cope with anxiety, restlessness, and nervous energy, which are all things that people with BPD experience. Vitamin C mostly comes from dark, leafy greens, tomatoes, strawberries, and citrus fruits. You will also want to consider your Vitamin D intake. Vitamin D is often linked with mood and anxiety disorders, with lower levels of Vitamin D being more commonly associated. While there are some foods that offer Vitamin D, such as wild-caught salmon, mushrooms grown in ultraviolet light, the best source of Vitamin D is going to be from the sun itself. Spending some time outside every day should get the job done.
#9 Recommended Mineral/s for Borderline Personality Disorder
As for the minerals that you should be looking for, magnesium is going to be a large one. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer and can help with a variety of disorders. Magnesium is often found in foods such as leafy greens, dark chocolate, avocados, and salmon. This is just one of the minerals that is recommended for people who have BPD though. While there might be many more, not all of them have been as well researched as magnesium has.
#10 Discouraged Foods for Borderline Personality Disorder
As always, there are also foods that you should avoid eating. Foods that are heavily processed can lead to fatigue and mood swings, which are never good for people with BPD. This also includes foods that have a significant amount of added sugar to them, such as sweetened drinks and desserts. Processed meats, refined grains, and low-quality dairy products are all foods that you should stay far away from when you are working to get over BPD.
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