Autistic Kids: It's A Nutrigenomic Issue!

Cute kid. Unfortunately, the stereotypical breakfast
of milk and cereal is one of the top triggers
of autism and the associated not-quite-so-cute behavior.
A breakfast overflowing with opioids found in milk and wheat gluten
- whole grain or not, besides the point here.

When kids suffer from behavioral disorders, looking into food allergies and nutrient therapy is crucial. Genetic traits and brain chemistry imbalances are hereditary and gradually worsened through generations; so if you haven't taken care of yourself by matching your lifestyle to your unique metabolic type, you can be sure to see a worsening of your vulnerabilities showing in your kids.

Autism have become one of the most widespread issues amongst kids these days; however, it is very easily treated if you understand how autistic symptoms relate to brain chemistry and triggered by opioids found in common food products.

So what characterizes the brain of a kid suffering with autism?
Autistic children generally have high levels of serotonin in their blood platelets, but LOW level of “free” serotonin. This may mean high serotonin in blood cells, but low serotonin in brain!

Research also comments on the fact that autistic children have high beta-endorphin levels. The literature does not reference baseline beta-endorphin but talks about an exaggerated stress response. Measuring beta-endorphin evokes stress, so the high levels they see may be a function of the exaggerated stress reaction. Stress evokes BE, and generally serotonin modulates the spike. If the serotonin system is impaired, there could be nothing to tone the beta-endorphin spike down so there would be a constant spiking and crashing.

BE is designed to kill pain, it creates “numb”. This can be life saving in a crisis, but it does not do well for bonding. Researchers used a drug called Naltrexone that sits in beta-endorphin receptor sites and does not allow the heightened BE reaction to charge the system; thus the kids treated had fewer autistic symptoms. However, this method does nothing but treat the symptoms temporarily (you can't be on these drugs forever - as with anything, there are side effects that only worsen over time causing a multitude of other health problems); it does not target the underlying issue.

Sugar, wheat gluten and dairy contain opioid peptides and raise BE levels more. So we know there is a direct link between the biochemistry imbalances that are associated with autism and that which are dietary related!

What to do now? 

Well, if your kid suffers with autism, even if you don't have the financial means to have a brain chemistry and metabolic typing done (contact for more info), you will want to try this out for 28 days (my experience is that in 90% of cases this solves the issue): move your kids to a food plan that has no wheat, no hard-core dairy (whey protein powder is ok because it does not have casein), and no sugar.

Anderson, G. M., D. X. Freedman, et al. (1987). Whole blood serotonin in autistic and normal subjects. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 28(6): 885-900.

Anderson, G. M., A. W. Zimmerman, et al. (2004). Autism clinical trials: biological and medical issues in patient selection and treatment response. CNS Spectr 9(1): 57-64.

Blum, I. , Y. Vered, et al. (1992). The influence of meal composition on plasma serotonin and norepinephrine concentrations. Metabolism 41(2): 137-40.

Buitelaar, J. K. (2003). Why have drug treatments been so disappointing? Novartis Found Symp 251: 235-44; discussion 245-9, 281-97.

Bursztejn, C., P. Ferrari, et al. (1988). Metabolism of serotonin in autism in children]. Encephale 14(6): 413-9.

Cazzullo, A. G., M. C. Musetti, et al. (1999). Beta-endorphin levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and long-term naltrexone treatment in autistic children. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 9(4): 361-6.

Calcium Supplements Increase Heart Risk (and NO you're not getting stronger bones either!)

Kate Moss  may be making milk addiction look sexy, but don't be fooled.
And did you know that milk products produce opiates and thereby qualify as narcotics?
May explain why many a drug addict like their cafe latte when not engaging in drugs;
unfortunately it keeps the pathways for addictive behaviors alive.
How's that for milk addiction.

Calcium supplements, usually taken to improve bone health, may increase risk of heart attack by as much as 30% according to the findings of the Women's Health initiative, a 15 year research project by the National Institute of Health.

Now how can this be? Well, what happens is that when your body is too acidic it takes calcium from your bones and puts it into your blood stream in an attempt to alkaline your body; and THAT is the reason why  most people get a decline in bone density as they age - it's NOT lack of calcium, rather it is a diet that does not match their unique genotype and thus favors a more acidic body pH!

If you take calcium supplements without addressing your body's pH balance and metabolic type, you build up excess calcium in your system that, coupled with mineral deficiencies and imbalances, can cause plaque built up in arteries, kidney stones, gall stones etc.

Does that mean you should never take calcium? No, but it does mean that you should be sure that you address all your mineral deficiencies simultaneously, otherwise yes: you will increase your risk of a stroke and the calcium will not go to your bones but only add further damage to your body!

What I recommend is taking a trace mineral supplement in ionic form to push your body pH more to the alkaline side and thus prevent calcium leakage from your bones. Also something like taking a green smoothie, containing collard greens, spirulina and add to that some apple or pear to sweeten it, in the AM is one of the best things you can do to change your body pH and build strong bones in a zap!

So, put down that pasteurized milk carton, cos it's got nothing to do with your bones, and it aint nothing but puss, hormones and dead bacteria.
And yes, that's pretty darn gross.

Reference:
M. J. Bolland, A. Grey, A. Avenell, G. D. Gamble, I. R. Reid. Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis. BMJ, 2011; 342 (apr19 1)

Awakenings.

Living the lie. 

I believe it's human nature to be an addict. 
And I also believe that the temptation to give in to instant gratification makes for an outcome where we tend to gravitate towards ultimately (self)destructive behaviors that we become addicted to by repeating them again and again; reinforcing the reward mechanism and mapping out new paths for pleasure in our brain.

A brain that gets addicted to misery, unnatural highs and extreme lows. Insanity becomes our new sanity. We feel comfortable when we engage in patterns that our brain is used to recognizing and rewarding with a cascade of pleasure chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin, glutamate and dopamine. Every high, every instant gratification, outburst of rage... whatever our shadow is... is followed predictably with a crash. And so we must do it again - and often times in a more extreme manner, as we adapt to drugs and behaviors; dopamine is only stimulated by novelty. We get used to this way of being, and our brain responds with pain whenever we try to change our ingrained behaviors. Because it has no reward system attached to the new (healthier) habits we are trying to develop. Yet, that is.

Addiction is not limited to drugs - it's everything and anything.
Shopping, sex, drugs, alcohol, food, cutting, gambling, Internet and... even something like being a drama queen. You become addicted to the highs and lows, and your constant fits of rage and hysteria... you are actually turned on (unconsciously) by the emotional pornography and manipulative spiel you participate in. When you engage in a fight with someone, your body releases beta-endorphins - our natural painkillers - which are highly addicting. So yes, even "personalities" can be addictive.

Destructive behaviors are tempting for our basic instincts, when we have not become conscious yet. They tap into our shallow desires on a very primitive level. Now I am all for following basic instincts, but you need to be able to be driven on a much deeper level than what feels like s prickling sensation on your skin. Sensations come and go - passion (with reason) remains. But much worse is that when you give into the prickling, tingling sensation on your skin, it typically slits your veins when you least expect it, and leaves scars that often run soul deep.

So how do you know when you are following a shallow temptation?
When you are not selling your soul, you need no legislation or permission from anyone. Because it feels right. When you try to manipulate yourself and others by giving a thousand reasons why something is OK. It's not. It goes against your core beliefs. You can play mind-games with yourself. Distract yourself. Tell yourself you are fine. Everything is fine. Everybody else is doing it.

Wait. What. When did something become right, just because everyone else is doing it? 

Everybody's doing it... is how the worst scenarios in history unfolded.
Your life being no exception to this excuse.

Look yourself in the mirror. Do you recognize yourself? Self-loathing is tied to selling yourself short.
Why is this message so important for me to repeat over and over again - because I know this is the key to unlock every human being's bright light and endless potential. I know how painful it is to be a sleepwalker. And once you wake up, you can't go back to sleep.
All the pain and misery we feel is tied to a longing to connect with ourselves on a soul level. Follow your calling and become you. Become whole. And suddenly life is not that hard anymore.

Life, in fact, is very easy. 

Don't follow the herd as they run off the cliff, because that is essentially what we are doing - look around you - how many are not struggling with some type of destructive behavior to deal with life. AND LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. It's not that tough, it really isn't - it's all in our minds. And whether we choose to numb ourselves and ignore who we really are.


It is living the lie that is killing us and leads us down a road towards lifestyle diseases due to the suicidal lifestyles we choose to "cope" with the lies we tell ourselves - and others.
I don't have to tell you what's right - you know it. I don't know your truth. I don't know the lies you tell. But anyone who is not a sleepwalker can recognize the pain and suffering in others that are still lost in a haze.
If something makes you smile - just makes you radiate from within - do it, and do it again. Because then it's right. Everything else is tied to lies. You always get that slight metallic aftertaste that you need to wash down with a couple drinks if not. Just a little Anesthesia to take the edge off of your contradicting choices in life.

You numb yourself into unconsciousness.
And with no consciousness we don't think about the long-term consequences. All that matters is here and now. Typically because our choices cause chronic pain we get stuck in a drive for release this very moment, right now... want it now, need it now... nowNOWnow!
Or we will simply go insane. Or so we feel.

Posing for the cameras.
How many drugs does this lie take to sustain.

Feelings.
Of pain, rejection, discomfort in the skin you are in.
And wherever you look, there is a giant billboard screaming with a commercial for whatever "drug" or behavior you engage in; that you are fine. Everything is fine. This is normal. You are normal.
Paris Hilton does it. JLO is doing it. Heck, even your neighbor is doing it.
Do they seem like happy people to you? Why do you think they need all that makeup, botox and designer clothes... to cover up their hollowness inside... this is not rocket science.

Have you looked at how normal people are feeling and living lately?
All the silent screams. All the tears that never dry. All the pretension; the constant legalization of whatever we are doing, it's OK. Distracting yourself. Pretending it's not happening.

Go ahead dive in. Be part of the misery. Sell your soul.

Because that is essentially what you are doing, when you switch off the lights. Drowning in the darkness. 

And yet, if you can recognize any of these thought-patterns, it's too late to turn around, to go back to sleep, because you have seen the cuts... the blood stains on the floor. The vividly red streams cutting into the deep bottomless black that is within every human being.

Once you have awoken from your sleep, there is no escape. All EXITS are locked. You can either swim or drown, but you can't tread water anymore. Knowledge is power, but it comes with responsibility to take action.
You can't know and NOT do: If you've chosen to pull the curtain, you must stand up to whatever sight comes with it. There is no sneak-peaking once the curtain falls.

The first step is to wake up and stop pretending.

However painful that may be.

Ben Goldacre's TED Talk on Exposing Bad Science!

• Olive oil makes your skin younger. Because they eat it in Greece.
• Coffee makes you fat. Because overweight people drink more coffee (did that latte come with a... say, doughnut by any chance...?!).
• Red wine prevents heart attacks. Because they have one of the lowest rates in France. And they do love their wine (and women... So where are we going here? You tell me!)

We have all heard these statements... based on studies.

 

The thing is that these are observational studies - meaning that these are free to be interpreted by the observer.

People who drink red wine typically eat more fresh produce, have less stress, enjoy life more and so on. But disregard all this - focus on the wine. And add that half bottle of vino on top of your overstressed, neurotic, workaholic, take-out, city lifestyle. Yes, that will sure be a life saver.

 

Observational studies (ab)used to tune in on one sole factor are at best useless as their designs are flawed and in most cases funded by some food corp or pharma - and at worst increase your risk of disease, because what they chose to focus on may actually have been a risk factor rather than the healing component.

Drinking more red wine per se is not going to add years to your life on its own - anyone with a basic understanding of biochemistry will know that the type of waste products that alcohol intake leads to in your body does not equal longevity.

 

The French Paradox is based on the assumption that The French should die like flies because their diet is fat laden and rich in saturated fat. And as we have all been brainwashed into assuming that all saturated fat = bad, it's easy to focus on the wine, no? ...And I won't say a word about the fact that screams out loud HELLO! how illogical the whole saturated fat discussion is: that mother's milk is mainly saturated fat (medium chain fatty acids). Does it make sense, without going into further science here, that the type of fat we are raised upon when our brains are still developing should INCREASE the risk of disease? Mmm. Lemme think. Nope.

...And back to the French and the paradox: they actually eat cheese and cream products from cows producing mainly A2 casein (the non opioid triggering casein type) compared to Americans who mainly consume A1 cow's milk products - a newer form of casein that our genes simply have not yet adapted to. And THAT is more than likely the real secret to The French Paradox - albeit more studies are needed, yes.

Watch Goldacre explain crap science in TED terms:

 

Flawed Food Al!ergy Testing!

Most allergy testing labs limit what they measure. They typically only look at one or two types of antibodies or immunoglobulins.  Humans make five different types of antibodies, but also have other types of chemical reactions to allergens. The diagram below illustrates the comprehensive delayed allergy response.

When doctors look for gluten sensitivity, they typically only measure IgG response to the gluten protein gliadin (and gliadin is only one of thousands of different glutens).  It is widely known amongst those with a background in biochemistry and/or nutrigenomics that this type of food allergy testing is extremely flawed when it comes to measuring whether the individual has a problem with gluten. I cannot stress the importance enough of working cross disciplinary when it comes to your health.

If you only see a specialist they will not be able to connect the dots, but will be lost in symptom management - getting you nowhere but addicted to that specific prescribed symptom manager for the rest of your life!

If you have been tested for allergies, and you still aren’t seeing your health improve, you will want to consider a more accurate and more comprehensive test. At your initial appointment with The Nutrition Doctor you will be prescribed the appropriate tests that will reveal what is really causing your discomfort in order to enable us to put together your unique treatment protocol based on your genotype and biochemistry imbalances.

A new online medical consultation client service will be launching here January 2012. Meanwhile you can sign up for your first biochemistry typing appointment.

Food allergies: The underlying cause of food addiction?

Research has shown that ingesting compounds that we are unable to fully digest promotes opioid in the brain - this is not news under the sun and is backed by solid peer reviewed studies - thus it is not surprising that many with celiac disease (prior to diagnosis and abstaining from gluten - in addition to needing to stay away from casein a1 as this is biochemically similar in structure) often binge and describe their relationship with bread and cow's milk (casein a1; exception being milk from Guernsay cows as this is a2 casein - as is goat's and buffalo's milk) as " addictive" (food addiction as defined by the Yale Food Addiction Scale).

Considering the increasing rate of eating disorders both amongst females and males in all age groups, it is key as a health care practitioner to be aware of biochemically triggering compounds based on each individual client's genetic make-up, in addition to psychological aspects that need treatment via CBT. When the biology is stable, emotional aspects and psychological blockers become clear and can thus better be treated as that.

Join The Nutrition Doctor's group here to follow the discussion.

Reference:

Teschemacher H. Opioid receptors ligands derived from food proteins. Curr Pharm Des. 2003;9(16):1331-44.