It's been a while since I make a post on exactly what I'm doing and how it's working for me. So here's a post on how my diet is, my supplement regiment, etc.
Supplements
I've been following Dr. Abram Hoffer's orthomolecular treatment for schizophrenia per his book "Healing Schizophrenia: Complementary Vitamin & Drug Treatments." I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an effective way to treat schizophrenia.
I take 1,000 mg
niacin 3x daily (each meal). Dr. Hoffer wrote if it's needed you can go much higher. I use this brand -
http://www.solgar.com/SolgarProducts/Niacin-Vitamin-B3-500-mg-Vegetable-Capsules.htm - It's one of the cleaner formulas on the market and it's SCD legal.
I also take 50 mg
b complex 2x daily (breakfast and lunch). The B Complex helps the niacin function properly since all the b vitamins work synergisticly. I use -
http://www.giprohealth.com/bcomplex-1.aspx - since 1) it's SCD legal so it's a clean formula, and 2) it has the active forms of B12 and Folic Acid
1,000 mg
Vitamin C 3x daily (each meal). I use the GI Pro Health brand since it's SCD legal. But for Vitamin C there are many clean formulas. (By making sure they're SCD legal they avoid additives like lactose, dextrose, grains, etc.)
I also use a
multivitamin but in very low doses. They recommend 6 pills and I take 1 a day, mainly for my dinner meal so I can take a smaller dose of b complex. -
http://www.giprohealth.com/scdcomplete.aspx - I prefer this one since it's a lot of pills and since it has the active forms of B12 and folic acid.
These are the main supplements I use for schizophrenia. I've use them for a while and they work well for me.
Vitamin D3 5,000 IU daily.
http://www.freedavitamins.com/index.php?p=product&id=107&parent=4Calcium & Magnesium supplement.
http://www.freedavitamins.com/index.php?p=product&id=395&parent=18I use these since I can't always get lots of sun and because I want to get calcium and magnesium for dental/bone health. Also I'm experimenting with iodine for detoxification and calcium is one of the recommended nutrients (which I'll get into later).
Potassium. I noticed I wasn't getting to much potassium, or most electrolytes either so I added in a Potassium powder from NOW brand.
I also added in
magnesium powder orally after trying epsom salt baths.
Iodine
I've been experimenting with iodine, specifically Lugol's. I started with 1 drop daily and have since increased to around 10-20 drops daily. It's supposed to help detox halides (fluoride, bromide, and chloride). It's also been said by many doctors that it's needed for much more than just thyroid health. In addition to that I've read that schizophrenia and other mental health issues can be influenced by those halides. I take the calcium since fluoride is excreted as calcium fluoride. The fluoride apparently integrates with the calcium and builds bone structures. So to remove the fluoride it also displaces some calcium. I also take the magnesium for bone health.
In addition the supplements mentioned earlier (most of which are recommended as companion nutrients for the iodine protocol) I've been consuming lots of salt. I use Real Salt which is technically raw since there's no heating process in the manufacturing. I take about 3 teaspoons daily. Without the salt the detox effects of the iodine are harsh.
Diet
My diet has been 100% raw since March. I've been eating pretty consistently 3 meals a day. An hour before I have a piece of fruit averaging 25-30 grams of carbs. Then an hour later I eat 2.5 oz of beef fat with 5 oz shrimp, beef, salmon, or various organs. I typically eat liver, heart, and some times brain. I have kidney in the fridge but haven't been eating it. Some days I eat more carbs and protein depending on how much I've been exercising.
I've also been doing a lot of fermented foods. I make pickles regularly, did high meat for a while, and just started experimenting with fermented honey. I also eat a little bit of raw honey on occasion.
I dry age my meat in the fridge on a metal rack, the flavor is incredible.
All my foods are unprocessed raw foods. So no oils, etc. I also stick to the specific carbohydrate diet but raw.
Toxin avoidance
I drink distilled water and use BPA free water bottles. I use a shower head that removes 95+% of the chlorine and other impurities. I use fluoride free tooth paste. Again, all my supplements are SCD legal and as additive free as possible.
Exercise
I exercise regularly, preferably in the sun. Typically some kind of cardio exercise, and weight training.
Medication
Before starting the supplements, diet, etc. I was on 1,500 mg of depakote, and 120 mg of geodon. After starting the supplements (Dr. Hoffer's recommendations) I tapered down to 500 mg, and 40 mg with a doctor's supervision. Now with all the things I'm doing I take 20 mg of geodon. The doctor has agreed after 2 more months of 20 mg we can try opening the pills and only taking 10 mg and going from there.