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The following is a general description of some of the dietary intervention that Dr. Levinson may recommend to his patients:The Gluten-Casein Free Diet There is a growing body of research for what is referred to as the “opiate peptide theory". This research indicates that the ingestion of the two proteins gluten; found in wheat, barley, oats, rye and spelt, among other grains, and casein, a milk protein, affect normal brain function. It may be that a digestive abnormality hinders the ability to fully break gluten and casein down and the resulting small protein chains have a structure and function similar to opiates (such as morphine, opium, etc.). As these protein chains travel into the bloodstream, they can alter brain function and cause immunological and intestinal symptoms. Dr. Levinson often prescribes the Gluten-free/Casein-free (GFCF) diet for patients with chronic illness, neuropsychiatric disorder or or developmental delay who may be sensitive to these peptides, unable to effectively break down casein and gluten, or predisposed toward increased active transport of these peptides across the intestinal lining. The GFCF diet is based upon the elimination of all foods containing gluten and casein, so as to allow the body to function in the absence of these psychoactive substances. Special attention to foods where gluten and casein are “hidden” (often in plain sight) can be the difference between success and failure with this diet. We have a special compilation packet for our patients beginning this intervention. The Elimination Diet for Food Allergies and Sensitivities Dr. Levinson will recommend the Elimination Diet when a patient’s symptoms are suspected to be due to a food allergy or sensitivity. Although it is challenging to accomplish, it is an extremely effective intervention that can produce dramatic results. A food allergy is your immune system’s reaction and attempt to reject a food, by means of antibodies and chemical mediators, from your diet. Some of the most common symptoms of food allergy are fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, food cravings and obesity, but may also include yeast infections, nasal congestion, constipation, diarrhea, and migraines, among others. The immediate reaction food allergy (IgE) type, which usually occurs within 2 hours of eating the food, is easiest to diagnose, while the delayed reaction (IgG) allergy is more of a challenge because the response frequently occurs days after consumption of the food culprit. Some immune mediated food “allergies” are from cytokines. A food sensitivity is a non-immune mediated response to a chemical component of a food. Food sensitivities can accompany allergies, and the symptoms are often similar; they include digestive upset, headaches and fatigue, as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms like anxiety and depression. In some food allergies, the release of histamine and other chemical mediators by immune cells can effect the gut and create a vicious circle by allowing large protein components of foods to permeate the intestinal lining and enter the bloodstream, undigested. Some of these food proteins, called exorphins, can act as opiates when they reach the brain while others can perpetuate food allergies by presenting addition antigens to the immune system. While blood tests for antibodies can accurately identify food allergens in the some cases, many allergies and sensitivities will not respond at all to such a test. One of the most effective and least invasive ways to accurately determine if a food allergy or a sensitivity is causing your symptoms is by using the elimination diet to identify the food culprit(s) and then removing them from your diet. In general the most “allergic” foods are eliminated from the diet for a period of weeks and then systematically reintroduce individually to trigger the “symptoms” so that it becomes clear what foods will need to be avoided in the future. The Yeast-Free/Candida Diet The Yeast-Free or Candida diet is used when test results and/or a patient’s pattern of physical symptoms suggest the presence of intractable candidiasis, or yeast syndrome. In many, symptoms of yeast syndrome range from fatigue, digestive problems, and yeast infections, to irritability, memory loss and depression. Yeast overgrowth has also been found to be a contributing factor in certain symptoms of autism and ADHD, and can inhibit the effectiveness of certain detoxification procedures used in the treatment of these disorders. Yeast overgrowth is often a result of the repeated use of antibiotics, which destroys both the pathogenic and the “friendly” bacteria present in the digestive tract and vagina, giving the yeast that naturally occur in the body an opportunity to multiply. Diets that are high in sugars and fermented and processed foods further encourage the yeast to grow, often leading to a chronic state of candidiasis. The primary goal of the yeast-free diet is to eliminate yeast overgrowth and rebalance the flora of the GI by eliminating those foods that feed yeast. An equally important goal of the diet is to establish healthier eating habits based on whole foods principles, which support the natural maintenance of a healthy gut, a healthy body and the achievement of vitality. The Specific/Reduced Carbohydrate Diet The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) or Restricted Carbohydrate diet (a version modified to include those who are also GFCF), offers another approach to treating the GI symptoms associated with autism. Originally designed for patients with Crohn’s disease & Ulcerative Colitis, the SCD is based on research which has found that by consuming certain carbohydrates & avoiding others, gastrointestinal malfunction can be reversed. Detailed in the book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, by the late Elaine Gottschall,., the diet is based on the theory that many with compromised digestion are unable to completely break down certain carbohydrates, and the by-products of incomplete digestion provide fuel for yeast & bacteria, perpetuating the cycle of GI malfunction and disease. On the SCD/RCD, the “allowed” carbohydrates have a molecular structure small enough to be transported across the surface of the small intestine into the blood stream, and do not need to be broken down by pancreatic or intestinal cell surface enzymes, which allows the gut to heal. The goal of the SCD or restricted carbohydrate diet is to heal gastrointestinal damage, rebalance flora and heal leaky gut so that the health of the entire body may be restored. © Vitality Health and Wellness | Privacy Policy
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