Strat
13th November 2018, 04:36
I’m going to try and keep this short cause I’m not a very good writer and I’m kinda tired. I could write a lot about this topic but nows not the time for that. I’m not shy about this in the slightest so feel free to ask me anything if you’re curious. I wont get offended, if anything its a bit cathartic. It’s a thing I like to ‘get out’ but I cant talk about it because when I do people try to change the subject, I guess it makes folks uncomfortable.
So first off, epilepsy is a blanket term. Others’ experiences may be different from mine.
Generally, folks are familiar with the types of seizures you see on tv where someone drops to the ground and flops like a fish out of water. Those are called tonic clonic or grand mal seizures. I’ve ptobably had 6 of those in my life.
In general I have a different type of seizure. It’s absolutely the hardest thing in the world to explain how it feels but I’ll try. So first things first: the trigger. Many people are aware of the fact that lights can put epileptics into a seizure (photosensitive epilepsy). For some folks its heavy, deep bass notes like from a car blasting music. None of that applies to me. The only thing that triggers my epilepsy is poor sleep.
So say I get poor sleep. When I wake up, I’ll know relatively quickly whether or not I will get to have the joys of epilepsy. An early sign, but hard to tell, is an extreme sense of foggy headedness. This can be misleading though, and is often just general morning groggyness. There’s one clear giveaway that tells me if it’s going to be one of those days. And this is really hard to explain.
I feel a sensation in my brain which is actually in itself a mini seizure. If you were to see me you wouldn’t notice. It’s a very odd feeling. Ever forget what you wanted to say mid-sentence? It’s like that times 1000. It’s like you have to play a 1 second catch up, where am I, what was I saying, what am I doing? It’s literally 1 second though. You have your wits about you almost immediatley.
However this phenomenon will repeat and snowball. As it snowballs it will manifest physically. The ‘1 second catch up game’ at this point becomes a serious problem. I must now lay down and try to do as little as possible for hours (12-14ish). Physically it’s extremely noticeable and awkward. The flicker in my head now feels like full on loss of consciousness for 1 second rather than catch up game. The physical manifestation is very embarrasing and uncomfortable.
Basically imagine a man standing up then jerking his arms a bit back, protruding his chest forward, jerking his head down and snorting in one quick motion. It’s 1 second then I’m ‘back.’ That’s more or less it. This will continue to snowball. It reaches the point where I fall down. In this moment I don’t ‘catch my fall’ with my hands. When you’re unconscious you lose your reflexes (as seen in fight knockouts). This is where it becomes dangerous. Also it really sucks when you have to use the bathroom but you know that’s not an option.
So now for the juicy bits: the grand mal seizure. There’s one good thing about the total seizure, I’m unconscious so I don’t feel pain. There’s a few times I remember going into the seizure but the seizing itself I’m completely unconscious. Basically imagine a dream being superimposed on reality. You have 2 memories at the same time.
A good example of this is one of the times I had a seizure I dreamed I was in some...place. Imagine an abandoned concrete structure out in a rural area. Honestly the surrounding was pretty; blue skies and green grassy fields. I was inside the structure and there was another creature thing there. It looked like a blocky demon kind of a figure. He jumped in the air and stomped his feet on the way down. He did this multiple times and everytime he stomped his feet my body jerked violently. I then went into a full on seizure and remember nothing other than when I woke up.
That kind of thing is somewhat rare although I did have a similar experience with my first seizure.
The most awful thing is waking up. It’s absolute sheer terror. This is hard to explain because the fear is caused by confusion. When you wake up you literally don’t know what’s going on, you don’t know who you are, what reality is, you can’t speak, your mind doesn’t have an internal dialoge, nothing. I can’t help but to think of the saying we fear what we don’t understand. That’s what I mean about the fear being rooted in confusion.
After I calm down I assess the damage, see whats hurt. The biting the tongue thing has never really been an issue. I’ve done it, but it’s exactly the same as when you accidently bite your cheek and then it’s just really annoying cause from then on out you keep tonging it and accidently biting it again as you eat.
Something I’ve noticed is most of the damage done is literally to my face (aka the money maker hyuck hyuck). My face always hits on the way down. One time I seized on the carpet and rubbed skin off my face and pressed blood all into the carpet. Another time I had a seizure in my little workshop area and bounced my face off the concrete. That was the most blood I’ve ever seen in my life (went to ER for that one). It sounds bad and it looked horrendous, literally like a murder scene. That being said the face bleeds easy and it was all superficial.
The worst (I think) was ~6 months ago. I was sitting on my bed and apparently seized. I went from sitting indian style on my bed, to launching off and smacking my left eyebrow area on the ground. I looked like I got hit in the face with a baseball bat. The eye swelled shut for 3 days, I couldn’t open it even if I tried to pry it open with my fingers. I think I broke something in my eyebrow cause it still doesn’t feel right if I touch it.
I generally avoid going to the hospital cause in the good ol USA that ****s expensive.
So that’s about it. Surely I left something out and I didn’t proofread any of this. Don’t feel sorry for me, such is life kinda thing. I’m a glass half full kinda guy: what does not kill you only makes you stronger. Living a unique life gives you a unique perspective.
I’ll write about cluster headaches at another time. They are far, far worse than the epilepsy. That will take a lot of time to write, it’s the darkest area of my life but I would like to present it in the nicest way possible.
Agape
13th November 2018, 09:38
Hello Strat,
thanks for the courage and sharing about your inner experience with us in such a coherent and eloquent manner. I’ve never heard anyone being able to observe and describe their seizures so well. You are an excellent meditator already by that observation practice alone.
Agonising experiences ( pain colics, is another example I’ve been through number of times in my childhood) one has to relive number of times can actually sharpen ones inner observation practice to the point where you Know Yourself very well and are not afraid of yourself, your body and mind ( many aka healthy but confused people out there , are actually afraid of themselves quite a bit because they never “lost it”).
Know Thyself is the Method and the Path.
People will probably suggest plenty of alternative and other treatments for any brain trauma and disorder but I think there are bullet points,
at least from where I see it:
Get away from chemicals and exposure to chemicals, metals and airborne pollution
Your best place to live would be something like Zen Garden
Get rid of cars or proximity to cars and traffic, start biking
Avoid biological triggers and pollutants : keep your body clean and a “tabu” for most other people, even simple flu viruses and all sorts of moulds and bacterial infections people carry with them can trigger difficulties
Try more healthy but non violent forms of exercise, walks in nature or yoga but don’t try to break your limits in the manner of crazies,
for anyone with brain trauma going over the edge, physically and mentally is simply, NO GO
Avoid light and noise exposure even if they don’t trigger you, anyway and don’t watch horrific scenes including those in sci-fi
Eat healthy, more fish and omega3-fatty acids ( salmon, for example), more vitamin supplements, more yoghurt and cheese, reduce wheat products, breads and pasteries
Don’t overdo just about anything
Most definitely take an advice from your friends and try some of the cannabidiol products, they’re proven to help in long term, are harmless even with children and can reduce number of seizures to 0 if taken in small doses regularly for number of months. They will make you sleep better, reduce your pains and aches and return you from ground to life.
Generally , keep yourself stress free and happy as much as possible 🙏🌸🙏
Be patient
Much Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clDd23AGzJA
Agape
13th November 2018, 16:20
Of course I forgot other bullet points to be followed by anyone with any kind of seizures and traumatic or post traumatic brain injuries,for your best benefits ..
Avoid alcohol
If you’ve been unable to do so for whatever reason, funny or serious, go and eat the fridge out rather than risking another fit
Limit consumption of black tea and chocolate, and fermented products. Chocolate is known brain stimulant and superfood but is strong enough to provide phytostimulants
to brain in small doses( 10-20g , daily).
Above limit consumption of chocolate creates dependence/and/because affects dopamine and other endorphins release in the brain, and while injured or vulnerable, our brains often end up in violent, seizure like reaction to the above.
Avoid extreme temperatures and temperature changes.
Easy to say and difficult to do but for anyone with vulnerable brains,
living in moderate climate and on well cushioned bed with sufficient amount of pillows is a must, to prevent injuries.
Keep your head UP , even at night, much as possible.
Don’t listen to hard core yoga instructors and other buffs about healthiness of sleeping on mats , floors and without pillows.
Two or three memory foam pillows under head will keep your head/brain in aware and workable state even when asleep.
If you are not used to sleeping aware with pillows, you will because it’s not too difficult neither too costly.
Loss of consciousness occurs during sleep due to synchronisation resonance with Earths geomagnetic field. While some aka experts claim it to be the healthiest , it actually is not due to our advanced evolution curve.
And while we need to be horizontal to rest well, reclined position with head up reduces pressure on brain veins, keeps inner circuits in check and subscionscously workable so that loss of consciousness does not occur easily
or can be prevented /noticed by the practioner, when it’s about to happen:
keep watching for symptoms of hypoxia ..
with that comes another bullet point,
sufficient amount of liquids , day and night.
Also, cleaning your digestion system comes very handy since most headaches actually start in our belly, as result of toxin release from various digested and non digested foods( especially those that were in you for more than two days).
Healthy digestion process should not last more than 48 hours.
If you can clean your digestion system very well, most cluster headaches will disappear and natural body intelligence and sensitivity to your needs will increase and provide yourself with maximum guidance.
Oh ..and ...live flower and tree smells provide great natural cure ..
:happy dog:
Hym
13th November 2018, 18:25
A family member had epilepsy years ago. He was prescribed phenobarbitol and dilantin, which both proved to dramatically alter his personality. I would say the contraindications are quite negative when we consider that he occasionally, still, had seizures and had wide, violent mood swings.
As a path to solutions or relief for him I had written to several natural health institutes and some herbalists. The only really helpful response was from the daughter of the American herbalist Dr.John Christopher, N.D., M.H.(Master Herbalist), while all of the others had a course or schooling to sell. Her advice was both experiential, clinically based and offered free.
I have to preface this experience with the important caveat that there are several different types of epilepsy and there may be contraindications to simply using one person's experience, mine as an intermediary on behalf of a family member, as The possible solution to your, or other's, needs in healing. This should be a jumping in point for study and consultation with those much more experienced than this, something you may already be doing. I'm not going to list those herbs now, as a result of some research on those contraindications. Be sure that you are aware of those possible side effects as you listen...
Along with the suggestion of specific herbs she focused on the health of the colon, daily bowel functioning and relief, a whole food, enzyme-based diet, as well as drinking more water (4 to 8 cups a day), core exercise, adequate sleep and the importance of a positive outlook that daily included removing those habitual, negative thought patterns.
While the family member was using the suggested herbs and following a much healthier diet he did not have any seizures. He died from a seizure when he stopped the recommendations and daily drank apartame-flavored cola drinks (44 ounce convenience store sodas). Here I'd suggest watching the documentary "Sweet Misery". No one, especially one with epilepsy, should ingest aspartame, acelflame, or any of it's other chemical derivatives. (Here we ask why this deadly additive is included in anything, especially those things that include other sweeteners and we could conclude that it is primarily an excitotoxin that creates an Addiction thru the process of easily passing the blood-brain barrier.)
Thanks Strat for this interesting thread, a very helpful one at that, in the Tapestry woven here that makes the warmth of the Avalon quilt so very real to many of us.
By the way, in case I missed it, what does your name here represent? Do you play a Strat-ocaster guitar? Does it stand for Strategic, or Stratospheric...?
Blessings, Hymn
waves
13th November 2018, 21:04
I have personal experience that this diet cures epilepsy, took 6 months of STRICT adherence, that was over 12 years ago. It's basically eliminating corn, wheat, casein, soy and misc. things like MSG, ground nuts, some legumes. I am now a firm believer that anything can be cured with diet, not to mention how much disease is caused by diet.
Everyone, however, should be armed with knowledge of what those 4 foods do to the human body.
The Epilepsy Diet Made Simple
by Dogtor J.
©2005 DogtorJ.com
http://dogtorj.com/
Many of you have expressed the need to have this work simplified, especially health professionals trying to make sense of my recommendations. I do understand and will vary from my stated philosophy, that being that I do not believe in fast-food medicine and that the more you understand, the better you will be able to apply these principles. We do live in a world with the fast-food mentality and this has reduced our time, patience, and the mental energy needed to really deal with the vital issues that face us. Sad but true.
So, here are the nuts and bolts of “the G.A.R.D“….the glutamate/aspartate restricted diet…that has helped so many pets and people with epilepsy, ADHD, insomnia, fibromyalgia (pain syndromes), chronic fatigue/depression, IBS/heartburn, and much more. It should make perfectly good sense. If not, once again, I have not done my job….yet.
1) There are 4 known “foods” that can induce villous atrophy of the duodenum*: gluten, casein, soy, and corn. The gluten comes from the gluten grains: wheat, barley, and rye. Casein comes from cow’s milk products and is mostly absent in goat’s milk. The absence of casein in goat’s milk is what makes it the “universal foster milk.” (*The duodenum is the first section of small intestine after the stomach. The villi are the tiny, finger-like projections that absorb nutrients. Atrophy is the wasting away/destruction of these villi.)
2) Adhesives are made from these four foods. Powerful, industrial-strength glues are made from gluten, casein, and soy. Corn is also used to make adhesives but those made from this food are weaker, used for paper/cardboard products whereas those made from the other three can be used to make glues capable of holding metal together. The glycoproteins from these foods are clearly VERY adherent.
3) Simple-stomached animals (non-ruminants) are incapable of completely breaking down these “glues”. Celiacs are the proof. These troublesome glycoproteins DO adhere to the duodenal villi after passing from the stomach, surviving the acid designed in part to break it down. This is the known pathophysiology of celiac disease. This adherence and the ensuing immune response causes serious damage to the duodenal and even jejunal villi.
4) The duodenum is responsible for the absorption of calcium, iron, iodine, B complex, vitamin C, and many trace elements (zinc, boron, manganese, lithium, magnesium, and more). In fact, 95% of the intestine’s vitamin D activity (involved in calcium absorption) takes place in the proximal (first) one third of the duodenum. (Here’s the rub: I have yet to meet a doctor…veterinary or human…that knows or remembers this simple truth concerning the absorption of nutrients taking place in the duodenum. In fact, I have had a number of doctors look me in the eye and tell me that it absorbs “nothing”. This is unfathomable to me, although I did not know this either, until I began my research. Therefore, I am NOT throwing stones here. But I am very disappointed in the educational process that we as health care providers go through if basic truths like these are lost.
5) The official number now being published by the medical profession (Johns Hopkins University and Mayo Clinic) is that 1:122 Americans have celiac disease (gluten intolerance). This is a staggering number and a vast change from “a rare disorder affecting less than 1:5000 people” that was being purported at the time of my diagnosis 5 years ago. BUT remember: wheat is only one of the four gut-damaging foods and is only the number two human, dog and cat allergen. Cow milk is number one. Casein intolerance is bound to be even more prevalent.
6) The allergies to these four foods (gluten grains, cow’s milk, soy, and corn) are formed at the time the damage to the gut is taking place. These four foods are the top human, dog, and cat allergens for a reason. They are the PRIMARY allergens- those that do harm to the gut and elicit an immune response in the process. All other foods allergens are SECONDARY to this damage, drawing an immune response as they pass through the damaged gut. This is called the “leaky gut syndrome” and this is the accepted pathophysiology of adulthood food allergens in celiac disease, not a theory.
7)There are antibody-sized glycoproteins that we derive from foods that are now termed “lectins”. It is crucial that we understand these dietary proteins and the potential harm they can do. There are good and bad lectins in our food components, with the most damaging being from the same four foods listed above. For a great paper on this subject and a good discussion of their involvement in immune-mediated diseases, click on this link (http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html).
8) Glutamic acid (glutamate) and aspartic acid (aspartate) are two NON-essential amino acids. Our bodies manufacture all of the required amounts of these two amino acids from other proteins. Glutamate is one of the principle neurotransmitters in our brain. The amount of glutamate at the synapse is regulated by the adjacent glial cell (astrocyte), which removes excess glutamate from the synapse to prevent over-excitation of the impulse-receiving neuron. Glutamate is not only neurostimulating, it is potentially neuro-lethal. Excessive glutamate at the synapse is the described pathomechanism in Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), with that excess leading to the death of that neuron. Similarly, the “glutamate cascade” is the known cause of brain death regardless of the cause of our bodily death. Therefore, it is clearly very important for the synapse to have the proper level of glutamic acid present at any given moment. Excessive glutamate can lead to overstimulation of neurons (e.g. seizures, reduced pain threshold, sleep disorders, and emotional disturbances) or neuronal death (e.g. ALS).
9) Glutamic acid is the parent protein in MSG (mono sodium glutamate). MSG is used as a neurostimulator, acting to sensitize the open-ended nerves in our taste buds so that food will taste better. MSG is a KNOWN trigger of seizures, as is its sister amino acid, aspartic acid- the parent protein in artificial sweetener in aspartame (Nutrisweet). Both are neurostimulators (and “excitotoxins”, as Dr. Russell Blaylock terms them) and the very proof lies in the purpose for their use in the food industry.
10) It has been commonly held that blood sources of these two neurostimulating amino acids do not cross the “normal” blood brain barrier, that layer of cells that protect the brain by limiting the passage of certain blood components into the brain. This contention is only partly true, as there are areas of the brain that are not protected by the normal blood brain barrier. Also, the key word in the above contention is “normal”. The question is whether we have normal barriers any longer. Air pollution, hydrogenated oils, and normal immune/allergic responses are known to alter the permeability of the blood brain barrier. Therefore, with 90% of prepared foods containing trans fats, with most of us living in highly polluted environments, and with huge populations of us experiencing significant allergies, it is reasonable to question the integrity of our “normal” blood brain barrier.
11) Wheat gluten is 25% glutamic acid by weight. Casein from cow’s milk is 20% glutamic acid by composition. Soy protein has much more glutamate than either of these two. Corn contains the least amount of these two non-essential amino acids but it DOES potentially do harm to the intestinal villi and IS a very common food allergen. This has become even more of a problem as we have genetically modified corn, the evidence of which came in the recent news concerning Starlink corn (CRY9C), the culprit in the “Taco Bell shell” fiasco a few years back. The reader should really search out the complete story.
12) 70% plus of the calories of the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) come from dairy and wheat alone, the number one and number two food allergens in humans, dogs, and cats. Remember: The damage they do to the gut is the root cause of the allergies. These foods are loaded with glutamate. Allergic reactions affect the blood brain barrier. The products made from these foods are often very high in refined sugar and hydrogenated oils.
13) Cow milk products, wheat, and soy are the leading sources of dietary estrogens. Dairy products have been related to breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometriosis, and polycystic ovaries. Dairy and soy have been both incriminated in altering the onset of first menses in our children, with dairy first bringing that age down from 15 to 12.5 years and soy bringing it further down to 8 years of age (in 16.7% of our little girls). Estrogens are both inflammatory and immune suppressive. Their role in breast cancer is well documented, setting the stage for the viruses that cause breast cancer. (Put “virus, breast cancer in your search engine.) Estrogens play a role in catamenial seizures (inflammatory), PMS (obvious), and in the immune suppression that helps unleash the opportunistic viruses that we have acquired over our lifetime, including Epstein Barr and others that occupy our brain. Put “virus, seizure” or “virus, epilepsy” in your search engine and read about the viral agents known to be involved in seizures.
14) The damage to the duodenal villi results in a chronic, progressive malabsorption of the nutrients it normally absorbs. Again, those nutrients include calcium, iron, iodine, B complex, and vitamin C along with numerous trace minerals. Evidence of this malabsorption is everywhere you look in this country- osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia, thyroid diseases, folate deficiencies, and immune incompetence. Celiacs represent the worst of the worst, acting as a “who’s who” of what goes wrong with humans, dogs, and cats. Growth abnormalities, juvenile bone diseases, dental issues (cavities) , and iron deficiencies are obvious evidence of the malfunction taking place in the duodenum. In veterinary medicine, the most food allergic breeds have the worst juvenile bone disorders and suffer the worst cartilage failure as adults (intervertebral discs, heart valves, and supportive ligaments such as anterior cruciate ligaments). The evidence of the chronic malabsorption of calcium and vitamin C…the building blocks for our skeletal system (collagen) is EVERYWHERE once we see this KNOWN process is taking place. What we can’t readily see is how normal enzyme systems (e.g. those in the liver, kidney and brain) that control blood and neuronal glutamate levels suffer from the deficiency in those vitamins critical to the function of that enzyme. What we DO see is the consequences- the effects of the excess glutamate in the brain in the form of seizures, pain syndromes, insomnia, and neurodegenerative diseases. Another element that is difficult to accurately measure is the competence of the immune system. But you do not have to be a doctor to know that an individual that is not getting adequate levels of vitamins and minerals would have a less than perfect immune system. Celiacs stand out here once again, leading the pack in immune incompetence (e.g. fighting mono, shingles, and herpes), immune-mediated diseases (lupus, rheumatoid disease, etc), and cancer (e.g. a 50 fold increase in colon cancer). Put “cancer, virus” in your search engine.
NOTE: In April of 2006, I came to understand something very important about viruses, their role in nature, and their place in what we call diseases. I encourage the reader to examine my newest section, Viruses-Friend or Foe. I am now thoroughly convinced that much of what we call “disease” is simply the reaction of viruses that are in situ (some of which are known to be embedded in our very DNA) to noxious stimuli, some of which we term “carcinogens” when they are powerful enough to cause these viruses to form tumors, their ultimate adaptation. As in cancer, I believe the virus(es) involved in epilepsy cause seizures because it is the right thing for them to do in order to protect the neuron. Excessive glutamate is not only neurotoxic but potentially neurolethal, as illustrated by Lou Gehrig’s Disease and by the glutamate cascade that causes the death of our brain regardless of the cause of our bodily death. I believe that seizures help prevent neuronal death in the epileptic by disposing of excessive glutamate. AND, I believe that the viruses that take up residence in the glial cells “know” exactly what they are doing by making this occur in that it is a form of adaptation to the conditions (malnutrition) and insults (lectins, excitotoxins, chemicals) with which they are faced, just as other viruses form tumors to protect themselves and the cells they were designed to protect from the carcinogens we keep throwing at them. Adaptation…which is what viruses were designed and created to do.
15) The G.A.R.D. is primarily an elimination diet. It is “simple” but not necessarily easy. It is certainly much more easily accomplished in our pets tat in our own lives. In the dogs and cats, it can be a simple as changing from pet food “A” to pet food “B” after checking the ingredients. However, eliminating snacks and treats seems to be just as hard for some pet owners to do as it is for them to do in their own lives. What to eliminate becomes quite obvious, dictated by the condition being treated and degree of affliction. The “worst of the worst” require the strictest elimination, often showing marginal recovery without doing so but demonstrating significant improvements when enough is done right. Once the molecular nature of the immune system is understood, the reason for the variation is response is very clear.
16) The first to eliminate are the “big 4” (or the four horsemen of the apocalypse, as I like to refer to them)- gluten, casein, soy, and corn. This shuts off the damage being done to the duodenal villi, a step of paramount importance in the full recovery from any condition imaginable. Logic should dictate this to be true…and it does. This also eliminates the top four primary food allergens and main sources of glutamate, estrogens, and lectins. Could this step be any more important???
17) The next step is to eliminate the “crack cocaine” versions of these non-essential amino acids…MSG and aspartame. This can be difficult in the human diet and often requires intense research for the hidden sources of MSG. There are MSG and migraine support Websites that deal specifically with this issue. Diet drinks must be eliminated immediately. Put “aspartame syndrome” in your search engine and believe the testimonies that you read.
18) Eliminate the other sources (listed in the following article) of glutamate. Peanuts, for example, are VERY high in this non-essential amino acid, being soy’s closest cousin. All legumes are rich in glutamate as are the bean family (not green beans), which include garbanzo, lima, black, kidney, and navy. Lentils are also rich in glutamate. Certainly, these foods are nutritious in other regards, but for those battling excitotoxin-related disorders, they should be limited until full recovery is attained. Then, perhaps as the body functions (enzyme systems, blood brain barrier, neuronal sensitivity, and tissue health) return to normal, these can be eaten again. Perhaps not.
19) RUN from hydrogenated oils. For an incredible read, click here for David Dewey’s Hydrogenated oils- The Silent Killers (http://www.dldewey.com/hydroil.htm). You will see how these trans fats- one of man’s worst creations- play a vital role in atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and in neurodegenerative and immune-mediated conditions. Learn how they kill an American every 3.5 seconds. In the context of our discussion, they damage the blood brain barrier, disrupting enzyme systems, and allowing excess glutamate levels to build in the brain by preventing their exclusion. Thankfully, pet foods do not contain appreciable amounts of these deadly fats. But after reading David’s article, you may have a clue why pet’s do not suffer from clinical atherosclerosis…yet.
20) In summary: The G.A.R.D. allows the gut to heal, thereby reversing the malabsorption of nutrients that are vital to the health of all tissues and systems, including the brain and immune system. It is also naturally hypoallergenic, which relieves symptoms and improves the function of the blood brain barrier. It is low in dietary estrogens, which in turn reduces inflammation and improves immune function. And mainly, the G.A.R.D. is low in the non-essential amino acids glutamate and aspartate, which clearly ARE crossing into the brain in the same fashion as their concentrated forms (MSG and aspartame), causing over-excitation of neurons. The elimination of the offending foods has resulted in phenomenal improvements in seizures, pain syndromes, insomnia, ADHD, bipolar disease, and even MS and ALS. Because these foods are also the primary food allergens, their restriction also relieves numerous symptoms such as nasal congestion, asthma, heartburn, IBS, skin allergies, ear problems, and more. And when the immune system recovers from the malnutrition and over-stimulation from which it has been suffering (being over-worked and under-paid, as I stated in The Answer), it can better handle the viruses, bacteria, mycoplasms, and air pollution it faces everyday. As we learn more and more about the role of viruses in cancer, immune-mediated diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, we will easily see how our food choices have contributed so greatly to our downfall. Imagine an immune system capable of not only fighting off these opportunistic organisms but also even being capable of eliminating many of the ones that we have harbored for years.
Sound too good to be true? The bottom line is that this elimination diet works! And, it should make sense…. perfectly good, common, everyday horse sense. If it doesn’t, then………yes……..I haven’t done my job….yet.
Dogtor J.
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