Thinking Problem

I happened to be watching my favorite Nutritionist Julie Matthews on DVD today for the first time.  I have read her book Nourishing Hope which is wonderful because it puts all of the “diets” together and summarizes them beautifully.  Anyway, I had forgotten that a DVD had even come with the book, but my youngest, Ruthie, found it and decided she wanted to see what it was all about.  She was disappointed, but James and I were very interested—especially after I told him that she makes chicken pancakes, too.  :

I was excited because Julie mentioned some things that were not in her book, and reminded me of others that were, which inspired me to tell you a few more things about those opiate-forming proteins, gluten and casein.  First, gluten can be a trigger for a variety of ailments.  In my testimony, I told about gluten affecting my eyes and my daughter, Kaelyn’s eyes.  The proteins form immune complexes and settle in points of weakness in the body.  Some (or all) of the symptoms such as: intestinal aggravation, headaches, joint and back pain, inflammation and swelling, etc. can be seen when exposed to these proteins in individuals who cannot break down and digest them properly. 

There is another tidbit that has been an “Aha!” moment for some whom I have shared. We know that these kids have withdrawal reactions from the removal of gluten and casein proteins from the diet.  Think about this scenario in an adult: there are some people that cannot sleep through the night without that last snack of either wheat or dairy, or maybe both (how about cheese and crackers with a glass of milk?)  I've heard of a few that even have to get up throughout the night.  Though they may not realize it, these folks are most probably “addicted” to their food and have not made the connection with the cravings of their body.

At this point, you may not be able to tell about any food “reactions” if you are getting a daily dose (or several daily doses) of gluten and/or dairy-containing foods.  Some have explained it like this: Your body may have tried to warn you early-on that you were unable to break down these proteins, but when it did no good, it attempted to adapt—kind of like the guy that screams for help when he first falls into the ocean, and then he figures out he’d better hold onto the piece of driftwood and conserve his energy until a chance at rescue was available. 

Another great analogy came from Anat Baniel—read her book, Kids Beyond Limits when you get a chance.  She explains that when you are carrying a heavy load of books, and someone lays a piece of paper on it, you can’t even tell that it’s there.  When the load is lifted; however, and someone hands you a piece of paper to hold there is a noticeable difference.  I have seen this happen several times: brave mamas decide to take away a certain food that seems problematic (craving a food is often a clue) only to find that when they try to add it back into the diet, it causes major belly inflammation and a host of other symptoms.  Several of us in this household have experienced these results. 

For adults: I can’t stress to you enough that these gluten and casein proteins can cause MAJOR thinking and behavioral issues for you if you are sensitive to them.  According to one source that I read, 10% of psychiatrists know that gluten can cause schizophrenia.  The other 90% eat it.  Sorry to you psychiatrists—it’s funny, but more importantly it’s true.  The GAPS Guide written as a supplement to the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) book by Natasha Campbell-McBride illustrated a wonderful testimony. The author, Baden Lashkov, tells how she lived her life at home part of the time, and on the street the other.  She had tried to commit suicide and had been in and out of mental institutions when she finally found a doctor that knew that she was having FOOD reactions. 

Anxiety attacks, sudden fear, paranoia, can all be symptoms manifested because of real physiological problems that are brought on by eating certain food.  Soy is another culprit—it affects your thyroid, increases intestinal inflammation, and can be the end of clear and logical thinking for several hours in sensitive individuals. 

PLEASE understand—the food is not the enemy, but it can bring the true problem and its severity to light.  The real issue is the condition of our digestive system and the resulting malfunction of many body systems/pathways.  Healing the gut is the beginning of healing the brain.