CRISTINA ROSE 0:04
Hey friends, welcome to this week’s episode of “Not Your Momma’s Podcast”. And today, we have Imran Ghani, a founder of bipolar harmony who transform his severe bipolar systems into a holistic recovery method. And Imran’s journey navigates through modern psychiatric approaches and natural healing, offering insights for those seeking a between modern and traditional mental health approaches. He has written a book titled the five pillars of bipolar recovery, sleep, nutrition, movement, mindfulness and community, which you can find on his website at BPH har.com. He is here today to share with us how you and your loved ones can also reverse the severe symptoms of bipolar disorder. Thank you so much for coming on the show. I cannot wait to dive into this topic today.
IMRAN GHANI 0:57
You’re welcome, Christina, thank you so much for having me.
CRISTINA ROSE 0:59
So how can someone use natural methods to feel better if they’re going through a tough time, like the bipolar disorder?
IMRAN GHANI 1:07
Yeah, definitely, in light of bipolar disorder, the first step is to get a diagnosis. You know, if you are wondering, if you have bipolar disorder, and you do a quick search online, you might feel like you have bipolar disorder, because the symptoms are pretty common. But the severity of it is something that is measurable and identifiable by a qualified medical health professional. So seek the help of a psychiatrist, psychologist, functional medicine, doctor, and that would be number one. And then you also have the choice of working with a physician who is supportive of your particular desire to work with natural approaches. And to maybe you know, if you are diagnosed and given psychiatric medications, to one day come about come off of those psych medications as well. So work with a professional and a medical health professional. But also you have the choice to choose who you want to work with.
CRISTINA ROSE 2:13
In your book, you talk about sleep. And it’s very important. And I think that’s probably one of the most important things for recovery. So what are some easy things people can do to improve their sleep and their mental health with that?
IMRAN GHANI 2:29
Number one, with regard to sleep is to set a sleep schedule, to go to bed exactly at the same time every night, and to wake up every night at the same time. Depending on gender, age, there are different recommendations on how much to sleep. But overall, the science and the message that is being put out by thought leaders in the wellness space is to sleep eight hours every night. And the body has a rhythm of its own. And one must train themselves up is a lot of bipolar disorder, the symptoms that are aggravated are caused by a disturbance in our circadian rhythm. And so being disciplined about I must be in bed by 9pm or 10pm, and wake up in five 5am or 6am. So in my own particular schedule, I am in bed by 10pm. And I wake up at 6am. And to this day, it’s the most important thing with regard to good sleep hygiene.
CRISTINA ROSE 3:39
I agree. I mean, I feel like if you miss sleep, it’s really hard to kind of catch up, you know, so I think it’s important to have discipline and it only just makes you feel better, which is all a part about mental health. And then I know also what’s really important is like your diet. So why is eating healthy, important for your mental health, you know, especially mothers, and what kinds of foods can help someone with bipolar disorder?
IMRAN GHANI 4:04
Sure. So I know this is specifically geared towards mothers. So I want to just do a particular message to mothers with bipolar disorder, or mothers who have a child who’s dealing with bipolar disorder to send a message of hope. Recovery is possible, you can live fully again, your child has the potential to live fully again, it is something that is quite devastating to witness either for one’s own self. So eating healthy after sleep is the second most important aspect of good mental health. So much of mental health is impacted by diet, even when someone without a mental health disorder can tell you how they feel after eating healthy and how they feel after eating something deep fried and a bunch of coke. But in especially in light of a lot of research. In the medical space that’s called doubt the connection between the gut and the brain. I advocate for the A modified version of the Paleo diet. And specifically because it helped me in my own recovery. And what is the Paleo diet? It’s eating like a caveman, or cave woman. Eating the rainbow is what my one of my mentors tells me is, you know, I’m like, what are the natural foods I should eat? It’s like, well eat things that are purple and red, and blue, and orange and green and yellow. And that’s how you get the diversity of vitamins of proteins, carbohydrates, but these are things that are not processed and filled with the junk. So from a method point of view, I advocate for the Paleo diet. And some of those top foods that have specifically good for bipolar disorder recovery are fish, walnuts, different kinds of nuts, like walnuts, Brazilian nuts, almonds, cashews, different fruits, especially apple, banana, orange, kiwi cherries. I definitely advocate for carbs, healthy carbs, like rice, lentils, kidney beans, black beans, and then the superfood greens like broccoli, kale, and then some of your root vegetables like turnips, and beets. So these are among some of my favorites. But these are all very nutrition, nutrient dense foods. And the reason it’s important to eat healthy, especially with bipolar disorders because mood, the mood, it’s a mood swing kind of disability. And when you when one eats poorly, and one is addicted to things like sugar and caffeine, it for a normal person, it causes swings in the mood. And so for someone who is dealing with bipolar disorder, it just aggravates those symptoms. Yeah, so eat the rainbow need naturally. And if you’re looking for a framework, there’s so much research out there about the benefits to the Paleo diet.
CRISTINA ROSE 7:14
You know, gut health is so important. And they say that your gut is your basically your second brain. You know, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease a while back and it’s also like an emotional disease as well. Like I can tell like when I’m feeling anxious or worried, like I start having a little bit more gut problems and it’s and it’s so important to make sure that you are eating healthy. So when you are kind of going through a little tough time mentally, like your body is able to stabilize itself. Like I know it’s like so important. Hey, they’re amazing listeners, are you feeling stuck or in pain after divorce, longing for a more purposeful life? Well, Donna Mcgoffs empowering courses are your ticket to breaking free from the past and creating a life you love. The time to transform is now verse chorus is rise up after divorce, recovery, reconnect, reinvent, it takes you from where you are stuck to your personal transformation. Along with transforming your life you get 75% off on this full process course. And this is a limited time offer so you will not want to miss this. It includes all courses into one holistic approach. And for those who are seeking a more tailored approach, and a smaller investment Donna has broken down the courses into separate modules, creating a total of five courses course one, the road through recovery, uncover where you’re stuck and create a personalized plan for moving forward, of course to is reconnecting with self. In this course, you will learn how to create harmony and balance along among the four pillars of the well being so that you create healthy habits, boundaries, and a relationship going forward and discover where you are now and design a personal life timeline for a bird’s eye view of your past course three is reinventing itself. Reconnect with your strengths and passions and finding your sweet spot for the joy and happiness in life. Of course for is relaunching yourself, be the creator of your future by strategically improving key areas of your life. Don’t miss out on her valuable freebie and insight ebook to kickstart your transformative journey. Download your free ebook now the link is in the description and also moving and having that physical exercise. So what are some fun exercises that you know can make you feel good, especially if you’re dealing with like you know bipolar symptoms?
IMRAN GHANI 9:43
Sure. So, you know my book the five pillars of bipolar recovery is the culmination of my years of trial and error. And so you know, I tried it out when it comes to exercise I tried it all lifting weights, aerobic exercise says yoga. And the principle that I teach in my book, when it comes to movement is low intensity long hours, I’ll say that I can low intensity, long hours. And the reason I say low intensity is because when I did high intensity workouts, although it’s good for my cardiovascular system, and for, you know, it’s an anaerobic form of exercise, so it’s developing muscle, it would tip me over into the manic side, and it would take me a long time to calm down, which would then make it difficult for me to fall asleep. Yeah, I say long hours, because long hours is, you know, it’ll help with calming down with relaxation with some of the symptoms that are related to the flight of thoughts, racing thoughts, with the long hours of doing something low intensity, not only is it promoting the movement of blood and air in the body, but also gives space for those racing thoughts to kind of calm down. So the top two forms of exercise that I advocate for are walking. Walking is a very, over sorry, underestimated form of movement. But it is incredibly, incredibly beneficial for physiological health, for mental health, it’s a great way to socialize if you go on a walk with someone, and especially doing it outdoors out in nature. And then the second is yoga. So I’m a certified yoga instructor. And I teach yoga on my website, I teach different forms of yoga, on in my book, and yoga is, you know, a form of movement that not only engages the physical body, but has techniques for grounding the mind that often in the state of bipolar disorder is either elevated and is not any space of rationality, and yoga is an effective way of coming back to reality. And then also in the depressive phases of bipolar disorder, if there are techniques that help elevate mood as well.
CRISTINA ROSE 12:16
Yeah. And what kind of techniques are those to elevate
IMRAN GHANI 12:22
With for elevating, so definitely breathwork one of the most common breathwork techniques or classically known as prana, that I employ is Wim Hof breathing. So anyone who is listening, you can Google Wim Hof breathing technique. And it is a fantastic way to both elevate and to ground oneself, it works on both ends for bipolar disorder that if you’re on the high end, it brings you down, if you’re on the low end, it brings you up, and then cycling. Secondly, with regard to yoga, any Asana that in core entails a form of like undulating, the body is fantastic for going from a state that’s depressive into an elevated state or into a state that is out of that the murky waters of depression. So things like cat cow is a great way and switching from warrior to reverse warrior. These are fantastic ways to elevate the mood when needed in a natural way. No pill needed.
CRISTINA ROSE 13:25
Yeah, no, we sometimes forget that just moving our body is enough for us, you know, because they are energy, and we have to kind of like move it through our body. And the best way to do it is through forms of exercise. Yoga is perfect. And you know what? Walking is totally underestimated. Because I remember when I was at my low point, you know, walking helped me so much, you know, it really cleared my mind. And it’s just low impact. But yet, you really get to like take in your surroundings. You know, when you’re walking, it’s a different perspective than like just driving in the car. So I love that you brought up the walking
IMRAN GHANI 14:03
Especially because you know in the depressive phases, you feel intimidated by exercise, like walking is like a low barrier to entry. So it helps it helps on on both sides. So yeah, I preach walking. I just like randomly walk up to people. It’s like, Have you heard about the amazing benefits of walking? It’s amazing.
CRISTINA ROSE 14:24
So what are some practical steps for individuals to overcome obstacles to stay on track with their mental health routine?
IMRAN GHANI 14:32
Yeah, so build a support group. Now the build a support group, and there’s three key parties that I advocate for having as your support group. Number one is a qualified health professional, a licensed health professional who is either a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a functional medicine doctor who can diagnose properly what it is that you’re dealing with bipolar disorder is often the most misdiagnosed treatments that are disorder that people have to give to themselves. Or sometimes a doctor who may be inclined to simply give medication and to make a diagnosis in two to three minutes, will just because it’s a catch all disorder, it does have salient symptoms that are common. But oftentimes, I’ve seen that a lot of people are improperly diagnosed. So number one is have a qualified medical health professional in your corner. The second are family and friends, family and friends are really important, because they help you stay motivated. And they help you be accountable for your goals. And it’s important to have family and friends in your support group in case of emergencies. So what happens if I’m in a manic episode? Do I, you know, you’ve got to create some sort of contingency plan. And this these are all things that I mentioned in my book in detail, what are those things that you do with your support group. And the third thing and you know, sort of shameless plug is to consider advocate, hiring a mental health coach, like myself. So I’m a in the World of Wellness, there’s this increasing demand for mental health coaches. And so I’ve presented and position myself in the market as a mental health coach who specializes in bipolar disorder recovery, not only because of the expertise that I have, but also the lived experience of going through it, and then getting out of it and now advocating for other people to do the same.
CRISTINA ROSE 16:43
It’s important and, you know, we appreciate the work that you’re doing, you know, I think it’s community is so important. And then having someone to help, you know, hold you accountable with your goals to reach, you know, is important, and someone who’s lived through it themselves. Like you, I think it’s so important. And also, it’s like, Why is it okay for you to have to be kind to yourself when you’re facing these challenges? And how can someone be nice to themselves? Because I think sometimes we can get caught up, you know, and we end up beating ourselves up. So what would you say to someone that needs to be a little bit nicer to themselves when it comes to, recovery?
IMRAN GHANI 17:19
Yeah. I mean, extending from the last answer, having someone like a mental health coach, someone might ask, like, why do I need a mental health coach? And I will often respond by saying, Why does anyone need a health coach to begin with, you know, they will have certain goals, they want to lose weight, they want to gain muscle, they want to get faster, they want to get stronger. And so they will enlist the support of someone who has traveled the path and who has experience. And so having a mental health coach is really good for setting up goals for someone who is accountable. But for someone who also says, Hey, you didn’t reach your goals today. That’s okay. Be merciful with yourself. And it’s actually a necessary component of the recovery journey. Because in my own recovery journey, there were often times where I became frustrated by my progress, I felt that I should have recovered so much sooner than I was. And I would get frustrated. And sometimes the thing is, with bipolar disorder recovery is that it’s not linear. There are days where you go up, and then there’s days where you’re like, back in square one, and sometimes you fall into a worse condition than ever before. And it feels intimidating, it feels frustrating. And then when the negative thought patterns cycle spiral out of control, that’s where it becomes a difficult rut to get out of. So being merciful with myself, and with those in the journey is a necessary component because you’re dealing with a lot. Yeah, you know, bipolar disorder. I was just listening to Andrew Hilmi Robbins podcast to our podcast on bipolar disorder. And he begins by saying, this is a very severe disorder. It’s not something that it’s, it’s yeah, it’s not to be taken lightly. And 1% of the global population is afflicted by this disorder, which total, you know, that’s hundreds of millions of people. Yeah. So, so there are definitely people experiencing it. But because it is one of those invisible disorders, no one knows that a person is going through it. And so to add on to the answer to your question is that it is also necessary to create space for kindness and mercy for the people in your life, especially in the case of mothers to create space and mercy for your children who have gotten this diagnosis. I mean, natural The mothers are the most kind and merciful to their children. But often, especially in the years of adolescence and 20s and 30s, where an adult is not acting like an adult, we feel a lot of shame, because we know we’re not ourselves, and we’re struggling to be ourselves. And so there’s a lot of the book is, you know, the, it’s important for someone with BPD to get education, but it’s equally important for the support group, which is often family members, you know, spouse, romantic partner, colleagues that at work or, you know, your social circle, it’s important for them to become educated as well. And that, you know, mercy and kindness is a big part of that education.
CRISTINA ROSE 20:46
Yeah and they should educate themselves. So they can like, maybe start seeing the signs in advance and kind of know that like, you know, maybe something’s a little off. So it is very important for, you know, even your family members to become educated. And that’s what we’re so grateful to have you on. So we can educate everyone about this. So it is time for the power mom Chronicles. And I cannot wait to know what your answers are. And my first one to you is who and what inspires you.
IMRAN GHANI 21:18
My father is the person who inspires me most. He’s a man of principle, a man of good character, and he’s my hero. Love it. As for what inspires me, it’s the natural world, I have a deep relationship with the natural world, I used to be a farmer. I once rode my bike from Houston to El Paso. I’ve camped back country camping and various national parks of the world. So the definitely the outdoor world is something that I go for RNR, but it’s also where I draw most of my inspiration.
CRISTINA ROSE 21:55
I love that And what’s the essential part of your daily routine?
IMRAN GHANI 21:59
With regard to mental health or just anything
CRISTINA ROSE 22:02
just anything? Probably, the mind is usually the right answer. Right?
IMRAN GHANI 22:07
Yeah, it’s goes back to what we were talking about earlier. It’s sleep, I am very disciplined about eight hours of sleep. And with the 16 hours that I’m awake, I’m pretty productive, quite pleasant, or at least I think I’m pleasant to be around. And it’s the most important thing.
CRISTINA ROSE 22:25
And what is something you wished you knew when you were younger?
IMRAN GHANI 22:32
IQ is not the only indicator of success. So when I was younger, I really emphasized education, and grow, haven’t grown up, there are other aspects of one’s development that are equally if not more important, than simply making grades and studying hard, which it’s important. But there I would tell my younger self like, hey, socialize more, a, you know, focus on nutrition, and eating well, and focus on building, your skills, and working with your hands. So things like that.
CRISTINA ROSE 23:15
Yeah, that’s something I wished you. And the best advice you’ve ever received.
IMRAN GHANI 23:24
This is a recent advice, and it’s probably been served me very well, which is don’t let your ideals get in the way of your ideals.
CRISTINA ROSE 23:36
Hmm, never heard that one. I like it.
IMRAN GHANI 23:39
It takes it took it took me time to process what that means. But often there are ideals that are at odds with each other. So an example is would be something like, you know, wanting to be involved in climate change. And so I get very, very passionate about composting and not wasting water. But another ideal I have is family and community. And those two ideals kind of go against each other because I’m the like the lone environmentalist and the family and everyone else, like what’s the problem and that will create friction. So I’ve learned that there’s got to be a hierarchy of ideals, and that it’s helped me with prioritizing all of the things I’m passionate about. So that I learned that okay, I take environmentalism and being eco-minded, but not at the expense of my relationships at home.
CRISTINA ROSE 24:44
Yeah, no, I like that. That’s a good thing. I’ve never heard that before. So that’s the best advice I’ve ever received this week.
IMRAN GHANI 24:51
Oh, thank you.
CRISTINA ROSE 24:51
Yeah. Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. All of his links are down below in the show notes. Don’t be shy. Go say hi. And thank you so much. First start sharing your story and I hope to see you all in the next one thank you