As I stated in my last post regarding "Our journey with ADHD," I am seeking answers and guidance on how to help my child overcome ADHD. I have been learning tons. I feel like my brain is in major overload right now. The more I learn, the more questions I have. I have been blessed to find a family that I go to church with that introduced me to "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" which basically boils down to a very strict diet starting with a detox intro and consuming only organic fruits and vegetables, raw organic milk, free-range chickens, eggs and meats from grass-fed animals, etc. The purpose to this diet is to heal your gut lining while staying away from processed foods. I am still in the learning stages and trying to read and understand all there is to learn about this particular diet and other avenues as well. The Gut and Psychology Syndrome or GAPS diet as it is referred to most frequently says that there is a gut brain correlation and that through this process of detoxing our bodies and going back to really, what our ancestors ate before the industrial food processing era, we can heal our bodies specifically for our family, cure ADHD.
I have found this diet to be extremely overwhelming. I have been up many nights studying and thinking about it and trying to figure out how to make it work for our family. I hope to share some things that I learn through our journey as we continue to look for answers to help our family heal in the most natural way possible. The human body is incredible and designed by our Father in Heaven to be able to heal, adapt and grow in ways that are just amazing.
Some of the things that I have learned so far about what foods I need to add into my diet are taking me down some very unfamiliar paths. Like I said before, I really didn't pay attention to what I ate, as long as it tasted good, that's what I ate. I found the Gilbert Farmer's Market in town, loaded up the kids and we went to see what produce we could find that was pesticide free. I walked around first and I was a little nervous asking questions. I was feeling very ignorant. I didn't want to feel like a total idiot when it comes to food but let's be honest I really was. I finally got up enough courage and approached one of the vendors, a local farm called Desert Roots Farm. I asked the lady, "I don't know what most of this stuff is so can I just get a little bit of everything?" She was extremely helpful and patient with me as she answered my questions and explained to me what a radish was, all the different green things (now I know the difference between collared greens, kale…), and bok choi which I thought was called Chok when I was telling my sister about how yummy this new vegetable was. Boy, do I have much to learn. As she explained, I took pictures of the produce so I could remember what it was when I got home. After, I paid for a bag of veggies we went to talk with the Rancher that sells grass-fed beef. We'll talk about that experience next time.
With my new bag of veggies, we made our first soup at home. Let's just say there shouldn't be little green bugs in your soup. I don't believe that was part of the diet! Yikes. I know I warned my hubby to clean the produce well, but I will tell you they were having a swimming party in my soup bowl. We sat down to eat and after eating about half the bowl, I looked in my spoon I was about to eat and saw some little green bugs. Oh, boy as I dug in my bowl there were a whole lot more. I spoke to my husband in Spanish so my kids wouldn't understand and I said, something about bugs in the soup. Well, that ended my meal. Lesson #1: Clean your fresh, organic produce well! Those pesticides that keep the bugs off are not on organic foods which they shouldn't be but that means you must clean them well!!!
Anyone have any good ideas on how to get the bugs out especially on broccoli and cauliflower where they can hide pretty well? I'd sure love to hear your tricks!
Now, on to learn about why grains are not allowed on this healing diet. More on that and how my visit with the beef ranchers went.
When I was sick for several years, I was counseled to read the Word of Wisdom prayerfully, many times a day, for many days. I did this and paid more attention to the “what to eat” things. Grains, especially wheat, plants that grow under or in or above the ground, meat sparingly and preferably during times of winter or cold or famine (I’ve been a summer vegetarian for 18 years. “Hidden treasures of knowledge” came to my attention. I wound up on Shaklee vitamins (which digest much more easily – no additives or coatings, had major surgery, and learned of a non-dairy acidophilus (I couldn’t have dairy) that helped re-build my intestinal track. I still take a capsule first thing each morning with a full glass of water. Over time, my system rebuilt and I can have anything now. There are many healing disciplines and the Lord knows what they all are. The Word of Wisdom is basic. The Lord will help you find your way. Ultimately, the safest foods would be grown at your own home so you would have total control over the processing. I’m far from there, but have learned that nutrition (possibly including supplements) is the basic law of health. Wheat, especially, has lots of beneficial things. Cracked wheat cereal is just water and wheat – no additives. I ate it for a year it’s still a part of my diet. Pres. Benson gave it to the starving peoples of post-war Europe because it is nutrient-dense and already soft to digest. Food restrictions are hard to deal with, but living the Word of Wisdom is an important key. For Thanksgiving, we had a family over where the wife could not have wheat or dairy, and Eric has to stay off sugar. We all brought different things and it worked! The Lord will guide you.
Thanks Sherry for your comments. I was studying the same thing yesterday! We must be inspired…
I always feel that if a diet goes against the WOrd of Wisdom, we just don’t know enough about it. The Lord will not steer us worng. Having said that, I am a huge fan of whole foods, and especially the ones I grow myself. Who knows, maybe this is the reason we have been counsled to grow a garden all these years? Good luck on this. Jay was tickled to see your sweetie last night!