What is Bulimia?
Bulimia is an eating disorder with overeating and then self-induced vomiting. It is also associated with anorexia nervosa, obsessive weight loss, and starvation.
Bulimia is more common for adolescent girls and women aged 12 – 30 in developed countries. However, it is difficult to know how prevalent bulimia truly is, because the eating disorder is done in secret.
For bulimia and anorexia, the main causes are understood to be a fear of becoming overweight, an obsession with body fat, and a fixation with perfection.
Recent studies suggest that a zinc deficiency plays a role in the perpetuation of bulimia and anorexia.
Complications of Bulimia
- nutritional deficiencies, especially zinc
- food allergies
- imbalances of amino acid
Symptoms of Bulimia
- thin, normal, slightly underweight (with anorexia, serious weight loss)
- binging, vomiting after eating, several times a day, or less
- menstruation stops
- gastric issues
- fatigue, dizziness, irritability
- intolerant to cold
- extreme food cravings
- obsessive exercising
- swollen face and neck after vomiting
- depression, suicidal tendencies, inability to deal with stress
- tooth decay due to gastric juices in the mouth from vomiting
- callouses on the back of the hands from hitting the teeth during vomiting
Alternative Treatments for Bulimia
Diet for Bulimia
- Avoid white flour, white sugar, and other refined carbohydrates and sugars.
- Eat whole foods, with regular eating patterns, adequate protein sources.
- Determine food allergies and avoid these foods.
Nutritional Therapy for Bulimia
100 – 120 ml per day of Zinc sulfate heptahydrate, a liquid form of the zinc supplement, has shown to be beneficial. It may take 2 weeks before symptoms start to improve.
Diagnosis of a zinc deficiency occurs with the inability to taste the zinc supplement, indicating the deficiency.
Chiropractic Care for Bulimia
Along with changes in Diet, Nutritional Therapy, and other therapies, Chiropractic Care may help relieve bulimia symptoms.
- Balances hormone levels, adrenals
- Increased immunity
- Improves Allergies
- Improves gastrointestinal problems
- Improves depression, suicidal thoughts
Additional Therapies for Bulimia
These following therapies may be helpful for self-care and home care under professional supervision or a qualified health professional.
- Qigong
- Homeopathy: Calc carb., Ipecac., Graphites
- Constitutional hydrotherapy 2 – 5 times per week
- Naturopathic Medicine – zinc
- Biofeedback Training
- Hypnotherapy
- Light therapy
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
I’m a biologist and health writer. I’m able to draw on my technical, science, business and journalism backgrounds when researching and creating content. I’ve managed a chiropractic office where I handled; HR, inventory control, and counseling, in addition to doing the patient education. I’m an experienced public speaker and I’ve helped built large communities of people interested in health and plant-based diets. My laboratory work includes genetic analysis and I also do the grant writing and administration, online fundraising and social media. In the past I was the team manager for invasive species field operations. I’m also a regular volunteer for international coastal cleanup.
