![]() ![]() The Brain Book . Studies link gut problems with depression, mood disorders, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, memory loss, and brain lesions. This may come as no surprise if you have found certain foods alter your mood, personality, focus, or concentration. Gut flora, the several pounds of bacterial organisms we carry in our intestines, affect brain chemistry and imbalances can cause depression and psychiatric disorders. Poor diets, stress, excess sugars and carbs, repeated antibiotic use, and other factors tip the balance of gut flora so that harmful bacteria outweigh the beneficial. Intestinal permeability, or leaky gut, is a condition in which the walls of the intestine become inflamed and porous, allowing undigested food, bacteria, toxins, and other antigens into the bloodstream. This provokes the immune system and causes inflammation throughout the body. Leaky gut can also cause brain inflammation and has been linked with depression and autoimmunity. ![]() ![]() ![]() If I told you there was one diet that could cure arthritis, fatigue, irritable bowel, reflux, chronic allergies, eczema, psoriasis, autoimmune disease, diabetes. ![]() How do you know if you have leaky gut? How do you know if you have leaky gut? ![]() You may have mild to moderate gastrointestinal symptoms, such as such as bloating, gas, abnormal bowel movements, systemic inflammation, and food sensitivities. You may also have developed reactions to foods that include skin rashes, headaches, abdominal pain, joint pain, body aches, swelling, or bloating. If leaky gut is inflaming the brain, this may cause depression or brain fog, thanks to decreased nerve conduction. Eat Fat, Get Thin. Books, DVDs, Media; Challenge; Course; Supplement; 10-Day Detox Diet. Books, DVDs, Media; Supplements; Challenge; Course; 10. ![]() Systemic inflammation from leaky gut can impact energy levels and cause fatigue, poor muscle endurance, or poor recovery from injuries. Or perhaps the inflammation is perpetuating pain from a previous injury and you have trouble healing. It’s also important to know many people with leaky gut have no intestinal or inflammatory symptoms, especially if they already eat a healthy, non- inflammatory diet. Therefore, leaky gut should always be considered for anyone with brain fog, persistent depression, chronic systemic inflammation, or any autoimmune condition—even if you don’t have digestive symptoms. Unwinding leaky gut. Although a variety of factors contribute to leaky gut, diet is paramount to repairing it. Unwinding leaky gut consists of following a restricted diet and taking nutritional compounds that help reduce intestinal inflammation and repair the intestinal membranes. You will need to follow the diet religiously. I admit these gut- repair diets can be difficult and make you feel left out and deprived, especially in social situations. However, many people struggling with chronic autoimmune disease whose quality of life is seriously compromised have found it’s a small price to pay for getting their health back. The length of the program can vary. The average leaky gut program will take 3. However, if you have an autoimmune disease or celiac disease, staying on the diet and nutritional support long term provide the best outcome. John September 30, 2012. Peter excellent article as always. I have been living off a Keto diet for about 4 months. I think it’s interesting you bring up this. 18 Ways to Beat Eczema, Acne and Psoriasis. Eczema is known as a chronic dermatological condition that is characterized by skin rashes, dryness, crusting and flaking. Elimination Diet Recipes Here you will find a compilation of all the elimination diet recipes on this site, categorized into each phase. Our Elimination Diet Book has. Elimination Diet Overview This is a dietary program based on removing all the foods from our diet that are known to cause food allergies, food sensitivities, and. About Ask Dr. AskDrSears.com is intended to help parents become better informed consumers of health care. The information presented in this site gives general. It’s not about weight loss. You’re not out to delete unneeded calories or drop some extra pounds. Instead, the goal of an elimination diet is to pinpoint food. People with autoimmunity will struggle to varying degrees with intestinal permeability throughout their lives. There is no exact and predictable time frame for leaky gut support. If you do not have obvious symptoms, the only way you can be certain is with lab testing before and after the program. The leaky gut diet. Eat regularly and do not allow yourself to become overly hungry—stabilizing blood sugar is a primary aim to avoid the stress of low blood sugar. For more resources supporting this diet, visit my web site. Foods to avoid. ALL sugars and sweeteners, even honey or agave. High- glycemic fruits: watermelon, mango, pineapple, raisins, grapes, canned fruits, dried fruits, etc. Tomatoes, potatoes, and mushrooms. Grains: wheat, oats, rice, barley, buckwheat, corn, quinoa, etc. Dairy: milk, cream, cheese, butter, whey, etc. Eggs or foods that contain eggs (such as mayonnaise)Soy: soy milk, soy sauce, tofu, tempeh, soy protein, etc. Alcohol. Lectins—a major promoter of leaky gut—found in nuts, beans, soy, potatoes, tomato, eggplant, peppers, peanut oil, peanut butter and soy oil, among others. Instant coffee: Many brands of instant coffee appear to be contaminated with gluten. It’s important to eliminate it to be sure it’s not an immune trigger. Processed foods. Canned foods. Foods to eat. When confronted with this diet the first thing people ask is what can they eat. In fact you’ll be eating the way people ate for most of human history—there’s plenty of food that doesn’t come from a factory or an industrialized farm. Most vegetables (except tomato, potatoes, and mushrooms): asparagus, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, carrots, celery, artichokes, garlic, onions, zucchini, squash, rhubarb, cucumbers, turnips, and watercress, among others. Fermented foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled ginger, fermented cucumbers, coconut yogurt, kombucha, water kefir, etc. You will probably need to make your own or buy one of the few brands that are genuinely fermented and free of sugars or additives. Also, search for information about anaerobic fermented foods in air- tight containers. These ferments do not produce histamines that some people react to (including rashes, digestive upset, inflammation) in aerobic, or open, ferments typically using mason jars. Meats: fish, chicken, beef, lamb, organ meats, etc. Best choices are grass- fed and pastured meats from a local farm. Second best is organic. Avoid factory- farmed meats that contain antibiotics and hormones. For a source of good meat near you, contact your local Weston A. Price chapter leader or farmer’s market. Low- glycemic fruits: apricots, plums, apple, peach, pear, cherries and berries, to name a few. Coconut: coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut milk, coconut cream. Herbal teas. Olives and olive oil. Following the leaky gut diet. Fortunately, ample support exists on the internet today. There are online “tribes” for many variations of this diet. They include Paleo, primal, GAPS, SCD, and more. Many, many people have adapted some version of this diet and are happy to help and support others. I don’t like to give hard and fast rules as to what to eat or how many grams of carbs to eat beyond the guidelines in this chapter. Your health and your symptoms are the best feedback—getting trapped in dogma or group- think can sabotage your ability to monitor your body and how it responds to the foods you eat. I do like people to pay attention to their blood sugar symptoms and markers and keep blood sugar stable, often a good basic guideline with which to start. Leaky gut diet recipes. This diet can seem daunting at first, and planning is essential to success. You must have the right foods on hand at all times. It is difficult to find recipes that accommodate all the restrictions, however I have found an online menu planning service that provides five weeks of menus and shopping lists. They are created by Sarah Schatz of Allergy- Free Menu Planners. Also, there is a new cookbook on the market geared toward this diet called the Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook by Mickey Trescott, developed to meet all the criteria of this diet by someone who follows it herself. Many embarking on this diet are entering new territories of food. You may need to shop at different stores or order things online. I have supplied a list of popular sources on the resource page. Nutritional support during the leaky gut diet. The emphasis of the leaky gut diet is on reducing intestinal inflammation and repairing the intestinal membranes. The literature shows a variety of botanicals and nutritional compounds restore and maintain the intestinal lining. They support tissue during intestinal inflammation or discomfort, help regulate the enteric nervous system and motility, and support the secretion of digestive enzymes. These nutrients can be taken therapeutically for anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on the severity of the gut permeability. The time each person should be on a gut- repair diet and protocol depends on the individual and his or her circumstances. There isn’t a time period set in stone; it depends on when you start to see symptoms diminish and disappear. A person with severe issues may need to adapt it for months or longer. For more information on nutritional support, refer to my book Why Isn’t My Brain Working? Addressing subconscious beliefs about food. For those battling a history of weight issues or an eating disorder, this diet can be filled with emotional triggers. In these cases I highly recommend support for underlying subconscious beliefs about food, eating, and your body. Ideas include hypnotherapy, emotional freedom technique (EFT) workshops or instruction, guided meditations and visualizations. You will find plenty of instruction online. Subconscious beliefs aside, many are pleasantly surprised to find cravings and obsessions with food diminish or disappear once they remove immune reactive foods, stabilize blood sugar, and eat a nutrient- dense diet. Make sure you don’t allow yourself to get too hungry or hypoglycemic by including sufficient fat and protein in your diet. Also, cravings are often a disguise for thirst, so stay hydrated and add electrolytes to your water if need be. For this diet to be successful it’s extremely important to pay attention to blood sugar symptoms, keep blood sugar stable, and be aware of which foods trigger your symptoms. These are always good basic guidelines with which to start whether you are waiting to work with a practitioner or are going it alone. I am working on a book dedicated to leaky gut, gluten, and autoimmunity that I hope to have done by the end of 2. The Elimination Diet - Eat Clean(p. I’ve got a FULL 2. Day Elimination Diet Plan in my NEW Cookbook Eating Clean: The 2. Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body). I was introduced to the Elimination Diet through my Integrative M. D.’s to help me eliminate certain foods (common allergens) from my lifestyle for a specified amount of time. Then, reintroducing those foods, one at a time (very slowly) to see if there are any symptoms triggered such as bloating, rashes, joint pain, stomach aches, acne, gas, exhaustion, etc). Here is more information on Integrative Medicine. Many of my clients have been on this Elimination Diet through working with their M. D.’s and I’ve helped them execute it since it is quite complicated and not easy for the average person who is used to eating whatever they want, whenever they want without thinking twice. How I Can Help: Many people get frustrated on this diet because of the following reasons, which is why I work with clients hands- on via in person or Skype or phone to help them get acclimated to this new way of eating and encourage them that this is not the end of the world and you can still eat great- tasting, delicious food! Not Being Prepared. You’ll toss everything from your kitchen that included the restricted foods and won’t have any clue as to how to create a meal or snack- let alone survive without these foods. It takes time to prepare breakfast, lunch, dinners, snacks and yes even desserts because you can’t just stop at a vending machine. Many clients aren’t ready to face the fact that so many of their emotions are tied up in food along with their coping mechanisms. They don’t know how to respond to family, friends and co- workers about this diet. What You Can Eat. Because there are so many potential allergens in foods that can cause symptoms, I’m sharing with you a list of some of the foods that I had to avoid on the Elimination Diet. I also recommend getting the ALCAT testing done, which your Integrative M. D. For instance, my ALCAT showed that I was sensitive to salmon, basil or grapefruit, etc. These are not to be confused with allergies- I am not allergic to salmon or basil or grapefruit however they cause internal inflammation in my body and should therefore be avoided. The ALCAT testing can be done every 6 months to see if your food sensitivities have lessened by removing certain foods that showed up on your results. Be sure to always check with your doctor before starting any diet because they will need to closely monitor how you are feeling and make sure you are eating enough. Before you get started, I find it helpful to ask my clients a series of questions: What foods do you eat most often? What foods would you have trouble giving up? What foods do you eat to feel better? What foods do you crave? These are often the foods that are most important to eliminate during the Elimination Diet. Your Integrative M. D. During this time, you are able to enjoy foods that are considered non- reactive, allowing your body time to recover and your symptoms to clear. Be sure to review this list with your doctor to ensure you will be avoiding all the foods that they recommend. Sometimes you’ll need to transfer Elimination Diet allowed- foods from the Include Category to the Exclude category. It is important not to cheat on this Elimination Diet because any exposure can cause a reaction and your body will not be able to cleanse itself and prepare for the next stage of the diet where you identify any offender foods. If you finish the Elimination Diet and had no change in your symptoms, this may mean that the foods you removed are not the primary cause of your symptoms. Use this information to tell your doctor to explore the next steps of identifying the underlying cause of your health concerns, including whether you should try this diet again and eliminate other foods and see if you feel a difference in symptoms. If you did find relief removing the foods in the Elimination Diet, which I did, I moved on to the next phase where you start to slowly add in one food group at a time (one food every 3 days) because it can take up to 3 days to see a reaction from a certain food. If a reaction occurs, you will be able to identify it and you’ll know to remove that food from your lifestyle. It’s important during this time to write down and record all reactions or symptoms that you experience. Your doctor will be able to tell you the order in which you will add in these new foods. Usually you add in the foods that you least suspect to be problematic and work your way up to the foods that you suspect are causing symptoms – this is done in this order so that you don’t unnecessarily experience any potential reactions early on and have to start the entire process over to let the symptoms subside. When introducing new foods in after the elimination period, my Integrative M. D.’s had me consume the food 2- 3 times throughout the day. Try to choose a pure form such as fresh oranges instead of processed orange juice and observe any reactions that you may experience eating these foods. Repeat this process until you have found the food(s) that cause symptoms. If a food causes an immediate allergic reaction, such as throat swelling, seek medical care and stop the Elimination Diet unless you are otherwise instructed by your doctor. Be sure to test each type of gluten grain separately such as wheat, barley, rye, etc. You may find you have trouble with wheat and not rye. This goes for nightshade vegetables as well. I personally can tolerate tomatoes but not eggplants. Therefore it’s important to isolate and thoroughly test each food separately in order to properly rule it out. The next step is to work closely with your doctor to investigate what is behind your sensitivities, intolerances or allergies to develop a plan to address that food’s role in your diet. I am also happy to work with you and your doctor on creating menus and recipes as well as meal and snack ideas for your new food lifestyle so that you are not overwhelmed. Here are a few Integrative Medicine Tests that I asked my Integrative M. D.’s to check me for- these tests were crucial in finding out what was causing my pain. My best advice is to eat as many whole foods as possible and steering clear of processed packaged foods with chemical additives. It is essential to work with a nutritionist and an Integrative M. D. This information is only given for informational purposes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
August 2017
Categories |