3 Life changing Tips on How to Manage Nutrition for Epilepsy Control!

When it comes to better controlling epilepsy, your diet is everything. This goes merely beyond aesthetics; we’re talking about a serious health issue here.

If you’re anything like I was as a kid, I neglected healthy eating, and just ate whatever I felt like, not taking into account the potential consequences. Despite my poor eating habits, I was a normal, happy and healthy kid. Then, one day, this all changed. I was plagued by Epilepsy from the ages of 11-18. Once I turned 19, I completely revamped my diet, and I’ve only had one seizure in the last 6 years.

From the perspective of an Epileptic, read what I did with my nutrition to greatly combat my condition, and how you can hopefully do the same for your epilepsy control!

 

1. For better epilepsy control, adopt the ketogenic diet.

The ketogenic diet is a high fat, moderate/high protein, and low carb diet. The science behind why this diet is so effective for epileptics is because the brain runs primarily off of fatty acids known as ketones, rather than glucose. Ketones have a anti-seizure effect on te brain for several reasons.

1. The keto diet can reduce the amount of glutamate in the brain, while increasing the synthesis of GABA(gamma-amino-butyric acid, which which a neurotransmitter). which makes it less likely for a seizure to occur.

2 Inflammation can be reduced with the keto diet, as many highly processed carbs are not processed well by the body, leaving higher rates of inflammation.

3. The keto diet may lower the excitability(the rate at which neurons fire) within the brain, which can reduce seizures.

When it comes to fats, you don’t want to eat just any types of fats. In particular, the majority of fats should be comprised of unsaturated, heart healthy fatty acids. These are foods like fatty fish(salmon & mackarel), olive and sesame oils, nuts and nut butters, dark chocolate, cheeses, etc.

As for carbs, you want to try your best to stay away from these aforementioned highly processed carbs. These are foods like pastries, white breads, cakes, and other sweets as much as possible. These foods are high on the glycemic index, meaning that they spike your blood sugar quite high. This can increase your brains excitability.

Instead, opt for unprocessed complex carbs like oatmeal, whole grain breads, sweet potatoes, brown rice, beans, fruits and veggies, etc. These are low on the glycemic index and full in fiber, so they’ll provide a steady release of energy while providing better satiation.

Read more on the ketogenic diet and its benefits in one of my previous blog posts:

 

2. For better seizure control, avoid excess sodium in the diet, and balance your electrolytes

Too much sodium in an epileptics diet without drinking adequate water can lead to dehydration. Dehydration can disrupt equilibrium between intracellular and extracellular fluid, which can lead to edema and convulsions. In patients with hypernatremia, the rupture of cerebral veins, as well as intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhages(induced by brain shrinkage), can provoke seizures.

When it comes to electrolytes, an imbalance in sodium and calcium can trigger seizures. Simply put, sodium helps to regulate the amount of water in and around your cells, while calcium in crucial for muscle and nerve functioning.

The best way to balance your sodium and calcium in by eating a well balanced diet, and you can also supplement with electrolyte packets like LMNT. It is especially important to replace lost electrolytes in sweat so an imbalance doesn’t occur.

Himilayan pink sea salt is superior to regular table salt, as it provides a natural source of electrolytes. These electrolytes include sodium chloride, potassium, and magnesium.

Find out exactly how much water you should be drinking per day here:

https://desavinofitness.com/the-ridiculously-simple-formula-for-determining-water-intake/

 

 

 

 

3. For better Seizure Control, avoid excess drinking.

There is nothing wrong with moderate drinking of alcohol, even with most epileptics. However, if you’re a in high school/college, or are a party animal in general, you must exercise some discipline and avoid excess drinking.

The reason why alcohol can worsen epilepsy is that alcohol can interfere with your medication by lowering the amount of its concentration within your blood. Of course, lowered concentration of seizure medication can throw your body out of homeostasis and make it much more likely that another seizure can occur.

Furthermore, some epilepsy medications can make people more susceptible to alcohol and also lead to missed medication times. This can lower your seizure threshold.

Know your limits. If 2 drinks in a night is the most you can safely handle as an epileptic, do not exceed it.

 

Conclusion

Hopefully you are now convinced as an epileptic why you need to take your diet more seriously. If you’re committed to overcoming your epilepsy, then you must be committed to taking your health more serious. By adopting a ketogenic diet, managing your sodium intake while balancing your electrolytes, and avoiding excess drinking, you’re well on your way to improving your epilepsy control via nutrition!