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Enemas: When constipation occurs some people cannot move their bowels for several days. If constipation persists for longer than 36 hours it becomes extremely harmful for the whole body. Waste materials such as impacted faeces, dead cellular tissue, accumulated mucous, parasites and worms accumulate in the bowel to provide a breeding ground for the development of a variety of digestive disorders. These materials are very toxic for the body and can re-enter and circulate in the blood stream making people sick, tired and very weak. Diet coupled with probiotics and an enema, provide effective treatment in addressing the problems of constipation and assist in detoxifying the body. In many cases, the constipation is resolved through oral Probiotic treatment and implementation of the GAPS diet.

Enemas provide:

• Effective and prompt relief from consistent constipation.
• Cleans out the faecal compaction from the bowel and reducing the toxins formed by the accumulating putrefaction.
• Provides a means to introduce beneficial bacteria.
• The gentle filling and emptying of the colon improves peristaltic (muscular contraction) activity by which the colon naturally moves material.

Most enema procedures direct the patient to lie on the left side to take their enemas, however Dr. Campbell-McBride wanted the patient to lie on their right side. This position, allowed gravity to assist in the flow of the Probiotic past the descending colon, just around the “corner” of the splenic flexure, and into the transverse colon for higher penetration and better release of toxic faeces.

Be sure to provide 3-4 Bio-Kult capsules to the enema to repopulate the large intestine with friendly bacteria.

If the patient is consistently constipated with an extended tummy, we encourage you to go to a certified registered colon Hydrotherapist / Irrigationist and ask them to assist you in giving an enema because it is important not to leave a person constipated for longer than 36 hours because it is very toxic for the whole body.

Click here to go to the ‘Australian Colon Health Association’ to find a registered Colon Irrigationist / Hydrotherapist in your area. If you ask your Colon Hydrotherapist, they can add some probiotics to your enema to repopulate the bowel. It is important to see your Dr if constipation persists.

Many serious diseases can be averted through this gentle efficient technique. Enemas are a key factor in the GAPS Protocol for restoration of the body’s natural balance and overall quest for vibrant health.

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GAPS Question of the Week

My family is currently following a low FODMAP diet for IBS. I would like to move over to the GAPS diet as the FODMAP diet was only a temporary solution to remove symptoms. I am concerned about the move over though as even in the introduction phase there are foods we will react to. Do you have any advice on how to handle this situation or would I find this information? Thanks.

GAPS Response

Many patients within my clinic have switched over from a different diet in the same fashion as you have with this concern in mind.Whilst those diets are helpful in identifying sensitivities and target certain foods to be removed from the diet, it can leave the person at risk of becoming malnourished from essential nutrients.

Some patients with leaky gut become so sensitive to a large variety of foods that they are left with very little foods they can tolerate at all and this leaves them with a diet holding very limited nutritional value. Food “allergies” or intolerances are the result of “leaky gut” when the gut lining is damaged by abnormal micro flora. Foods do not get the chance to be digested properly before they get absorbed through this damaged wall and cause the immune system to react to them.Just concentrate on healing the gut lining with the Introduction Diet. Once the gut wall is healed, the foods will be digested properly before being absorbed, which will remove most food intolerances and allergies.

When you commence the GAPS Diet you will most likely experience the return of some symptoms, however that is to be expected at first.Over time, the gut will heal and the symptoms will be a thing of the past.If the symptoms are mild or manageable, then just work your way through it but if they are very strong and debilitating, then you will need to introduce the foods you know are problematic in small doses at a time and gradually work your way up. In some cases the food will need to be removed al together and when the gut has healed, you can try adding it in with other foods in small amounts.

Other helpful options to assist the introduction of new foods is to consider taking Betaine with added pepsin from Bio-Care(for adults) or Betaine from Higher Nature (for kids because you can open the capsule and sprinkle on food) can help and can be located at GAPS Diet Australia's Online Shop.http://shop.gapsaustralia.com.au/targeted-supplements-for-gaps/

Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) may also be something you might like to explore as you go through this phase to desensitize your reactions.Best of wishes to you and your healing journey.

In conjunction with this, you may wish to read Dr Natasha's wonderful article on Food Allergy:

Food Allergy

By Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride

Published in: Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, First Quarter, 2009, Vol 24, 1, pp.31-41

Food allergies have become very common, and the trend is up. ¹ Most medical practitioners find that we have to face this problem more and more on a daily basis. A recent public survey in the UK has shown that almost half the population report that they have an “allergy” to some food or foods. ² However, the official figures for a “true allergy to food” are around 1% of the population in most developed countries. ¹ The reason for this confusion is that majority of food reactions/allergies/intolerances do not produce a typical allergy test profile (raised IgE or IgG with positive prick test and/or positive RAST test). There have been different attempts to classify this group: as type B food allergy, metabolic food intolerance or simply food intolerance, rather than a “true” allergy. ³ In this group a person may react to many different foods or combinations of foods. Quite often the person is not sure what food produces the reaction, because the reaction may be immediate or delayed (a day, a few days or even a week later). As these delayed reactions overlap with each other, the patients can never be sure what exactly they are reacting to on any given day. ^1,3 On top of that there is a masking phenomenon, when reactions to a regularly consumed food run into each other (the new reaction begins when the previous has not finished yet), so the connection with that food and symptoms, it triggers, is not apparent. ⁴ Food allergy or intolerance can produce any symptom under the sun: from migraines, fatigue, PMS, painful joints, itchy skin to depression, hyperactivity, hallucinations, obsessions and other psychiatric and neurological manifestations. However, the most immediate and common symptoms in the vast majority of patients are digestive problems: pain, diarrhoea or constipation, urgency, bloating, indigestion, etc. ^3,5,6

Naturally, many people try to identify, which foods they react to. As a result many forms of testing have appeared on the market: from blood tests to electronic skin tests. Many experienced practitioners get disillusioned with most of these tests, as they produce too many false-positives and false-negatives. ⁶ On top of that they lead to a simple conclusion, that if you remove the “positive” foods out of the diet, it will solve the problem. In some cases, indeed elimination of a trigger food helps. However, in majority the help in not permanent: the patients find, that as they eliminate some foods, they start reacting to other foods, to which they did not seem to react before. The whole process leads to a situation where the person finishes up with virtually nothing left to eat, and every new test finds reactions to new foods. Majority of experienced practitioners come to the same conclusion: the simplistic idea of “just don’t eat foods, you are allergic to!” does not address the root of the problem. ^3,6 We need to look deeper, at what causes these food intolerances. In order to understand it, I would like to share a case history of one of my patients.

Stephanie S, 35 years old asked for my help in “sorting out her food allergies”. A very pale malnourished looking lady, (weight 45 kg with height 160cm) with low energy levels, chronic cystitis, abdominal pains, bloating and chronic constipation. She was consistently diagnosed anaemic all her life.

Family background: she was born naturally from a mother with digestive problems and migraines, her sister suffered from severe eczema and her brother from GI problems. She did not have information on her father’s health.

She was not breast fed as a baby and at the age of 3 months got her first urinary infection with the first course of antibiotics. Since then the urinary infections became a regular part of her life, usually treated by antibiotics; now she is suffering from chronic interstitial cystitis. Through the childhood she was very thin, always found it difficult to put any weight on, but otherwise she considered her health to be “OK” - she completed school and played sports. At 14 years of age her menstruations stopped, having started a year before. She was put on a contraceptive pill, which seemed to regulate her menstruations. Around 16 she was put on a long course of antibiotics for acne, after which developed lactose intolerance, severe constipation and bloating. Was advised to stop dairy at 18, which helped with constipation for a while, but other symptoms remained. She developed progressively low levels of energy, abdominal cramps, dizzy spells, very low body weight and very dry skin. Following numerous medical consultations and food allergy testing she started removing different foods out of her diet, but was never sure if it made much difference: some symptoms seemed to improve, others did not and new symptoms appeared. She became sensitive to loud sounds and local pollution, her shampoo and make up and some domestic cleaning chemicals. Her cystitis became chronic and was pronounced psychosomatic by her doctor. Her diet at the time of the consultation was very limited: she seemed to tolerate (but was not entirely sure) breakfast cereals, sheep’s yoghurt, soy milk, some varieties of cheese, a few vegetables and rarely fish. Following several food allergy tests she has removed all meats, eggs, nuts, all fruit, whole grains and many vegetables.

This example is very common and demonstrates clearly that just removing “offending” foods out of the diet does not solve the problem. We have to look deeper and find the course of the patient’s malady. In order to do that we have to examine Stephanie’s health history.

Infancy

Stephanie was born from a mother with digestive problems and was not breast fed. What does that tell us? We know that unborn babies have sterile gut. ⁷ At the time of birth the baby swallows mouthfuls of microbes, which live in the mother’s birth canal. ⁸ These microbes take about 20 days to establish themselves in the baby’s virgin digestive system and become the baby’s gut flora. ^7,8 Where does the vaginal flora come from? The medical science shows that the flora in the vagina largely comes from the gut. What lives in the woman’s bowel will live in her vagina. ^9,10 Stephanie’s mother suffered from digestive problems, which indicates that she had abnormal gut flora, which she passed to her daughter at birth.

Baby Stephanie was not breast fed. Breast milk, particularly colostrum in the first days after birth, is vital for appropriate population of the baby’s digestive system with healthy microbial flora. ^9,10,11 We know that bottle fed babies develop completely different gut flora to the breast fed babies. ¹¹ That flora later on predisposes bottle-fed babies to asthma, eczema, different other allergies and other health problems. ¹² But the most important abnormalities develop in the digestive system of course, as that is where these microbes make their home. Having acquired abnormal gut flora from her mother at birth, Stephanie had it compromised further by bottle feeding.

Chronic cystitis

Apart from the gut, in the first few weeks of life other mucous membranes and baby’s skin get populated by their own flora, playing a crucial role in protecting those surfaces from pathogens and toxins. ¹³ As baby Stephanie acquired abnormal flora in her gut, her groin and vagina got abnormal flora too (as it normally comes from the gut). ¹⁰ At the same time the urethra and the urinary bladder would get similar to vagina flora: in a normal situation it should be predominated by Lactobacteria, largely L. crispatus and L. jensenii. ¹⁴ This flora produces hydrogen peroxide, reducing the Ph in the area, which does not allow pathogens to adhere. ¹⁵ Unprotected urethra and bladder fall pray to any pathogenic microbes, causing urinary tract infections. The most common pathogens, which cause UTIs, are E.coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus saprophyticus,coming from the bowel and the groin. ¹⁵ Urine is one of the venues of toxin elimination from the body. ¹⁶ In gut dysbiosis large amounts of various toxins are produced by pathogens in the gut and absorb into the bloodstream through the damaged gut wall. ^16,17 Many of these toxins leave the body in urine: accumulating in the bladder, this toxic urine comes into contact with the bladder lining. The beneficial bacteria in the bladder and urethra maintain a GAG layer of the bladder: a protective mucous barrier, largely made from sulphated glucosaminoglycans, produced by the cells of the bladder lining. ¹⁷ As the GAG layer gets damaged, toxic substances in urine get through to the bladder wall causing inflammation and leading to chronic cystitis. ¹⁸ And that is what happened to Stephanie: at the age of 3 months she got her first urinary infection. As her gut flora, vaginal flora and the flora of urethra and the bladder were not corrected, she suffered from urinary infections all her life and eventually developed chronic cystitis.

Further damage to gut flora

Because of regular urinary tract infections Stephanie had to have regular courses of antibiotics through her entire life, starting from infancy. Every course of antibiotics damages beneficial species of bacteria in the gut, leaving it open to invasion by pathogens, resistant to antibiotics. ^10,19 Even when the course of antibiotic is short and the dose is low, it takes different beneficial bacteria in the gut a long time to recover: physiological E.Coli takes 1-2 weeks, Bifidobacteria and Veillonelli take 2-3 weeks, Lactobacilli, Bacteroids, Peptostreptococci take a month. ^10,20 If in this period the gut flora is subjected to another damaging factor(s), then gut dysbiosis may well start in earnest. ²¹

After many short courses of antibiotics Stephanie had to take a long course for acne at the age of 16. That is when she got pronounced digestive problems: constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and lactose intolerance, indicating that her gut flora got seriously compromised.

From the age of 14 Stephanie has been taking contraceptive pills for many years. Contraceptives have a serious damaging effect on the composition of gut flora,leading to allergy and other problems, related to gut dysbiosis . ^22,23

Malnutrition- the consequence of abnormal gut flora

Stephanie suffered from malnutrition all her life despite the fact that her family always cooked fresh wholesome meals and Stephanie ate well. She was always pale, very thin and small and could never put any weight on. This is not surprising taking into consideration the state of her gut right from birth. The microbial layer on the absorptive surface of the GI tract not only protects it from invaders and toxins, but maintains its integrity. ^20,21 The epithelial cells called enterocytes, which coat the villi are the very cells, which complete the digestive process and absorb the nutrients from food. ²⁴ These cells only live a few days as the cell turnover in the gut wall is very active. These enterocytes are constantly born in the depth of the crypts. Then they slowly travel to the top of the villi, doing their job of digestion and absorption and getting more and more mature on the way. As they reach the top of the villi, they get shed off. This way the epithelium of intestines gets constantly renewed to insure its good ability to do its work well. ²⁴

Animal experiments with sterilisation of the gut found that when the beneficial bacteria, living on the intestinal epithelium are removed, this process of cell renewal gets completely out of order. ¹⁰ The time of cell travel from crypts to the top of the villi becomes a few times longer, which upsets the maturation process of absorptive cells and often turns them cancerous. The mitotic activity in the crypts gets significantly suppressed, which means that much less cells will be born there and much less of them will be born healthy and able to do their job properly. The state of the cells themselves becomes abnormal. ^9,25 That is what happens in a laboratory animal with sterilised gut. In a human body the absence of good bacteria always comes with pathogenic bacteria getting out of control, which makes the whole situation much worse. Without the care of beneficial bacteria while under attack from pathogenic flora, the gut epithelium degenerates and becomes unable to digest and absorb food properly, leading to malabsorption, nutritional deficiencies and food intolerances. ^19.21,25

Apart from keeping the gut wall in good shape, the healthy gut flora populating this wall has been designed to take an active part in the very process of digestion and absorption. ^19,21 So much so, that the normal digestion and absorption of food is probably impossible without well-balanced gut flora. It has an ability to digest proteins, ferment carbohydrates, break down lipids and fibre. By-products of bacterial activity in the gut are very important in transporting minerals, vitamins, water, gases and many other nutrients through the gut wall into the bloodstream. ¹⁰ If the gut flora is damaged, the best foods and supplements in the world may not have a good chance of being broken down and absorbed. A good example is dietary fibre, which is one of the natural habitats for beneficial bacteria in the gut. ²⁵ They feed on it, producing a whole host of good nutrition for the gut wall and the whole body, they engage it in absorbing toxins, they activate it to take part in water and electrolytes metabolism, to recycle bile acids and cholesterol, etc., etc. It is the bacterial action on dietary fibre that allows it to fulfil all those good functions in the body. ^20,21 And when these good bacteria are damaged and are not able to “work” the fibre, dietary fibre itself can become dangerous for the digestive system, providing a good habitat for the bad pathogenic bacteria and aggravating the inflammation in the gut wall.This is when gastroenterologists have to recommend a low-fibre diet. ¹⁹ Consequently, dietary fibre alone without the beneficial bacteria present in the gut can end up not being all that good for us.

Stephanie also found that she became lactose intolerant after the long course of antibiotics prescribed for her acne. And indeed Lactose is one of those substances, which most of us would not be able to digest without well functioning gut flora. ²⁵ The explanation offered by science so far is that after early childhood majority of us lack an enzyme called Lactase to digest Lactose. ²⁶ If we are not meant to digest Lactose, then why do some people seem to manage it perfectly well? The answer is that these people have the right bacteria in their gut. One of the major Lactose digesting bacteria in the human gut is E.coli. ¹⁰ It comes as a surprise to many people that physiological strains of E.coli are essential inhabitants of a healthy digestive tract. They appear in the gut of a healthy baby in the first days after birth in huge numbers: 10⁷ - 10⁹ CFU/g and stay in these same numbers throughout life, providing that they do not get destroyed by antibiotics and other environmental influences. ^9,19 Apart from digesting Lactose, physiological strains of E.coli produce vitamin K and vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, produce antibiotic-like substances, called colicins, and control other members of their own family which can cause disease. In fact having your gut populated by the physiological strains of E.coli is the best way to protect yourself from pathogenic species of E.coli. ²¹ Unfortunately, this group of beneficial bacteria are very vulnerable to broad spectrum antibiotics, particularly aminoglycosides (Gentamycin, Kanamycin) and macrolides (Erythromycin, etc.). ^9,10

Apart from E.coli, other beneficial bacteria in the healthy gut flora (Bifidobacteria, Lactobacteria, beneficial yeastsand other) will not only ensure appropriate absorption of nutrients from food but also actively synthesise various nutrients: vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), various amino acids and other active substances. ^9,10,25 In the process of evolution Nature made sure that when the food supply is sparse, we humans don't die from vitamin and amino acids deficiencies. Nature provided us with our own factory for making these substances - our healthy gut flora. And when this gut flora is damaged despite adequate nutrition we develop vitamin deficiencies. Every tested child or adult with gut dysbiosis shows deficiencies in those very vitamins, which their gut flora is supposed to produce. ²⁵ Restoring the beneficial bacteria in their gut is the best way to deal with those deficiencies, particularly vitamin B deficiencies. ^10,19,21

On testing over the years Stephanie consistently showed deficiencies in most B vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, magnesium, zinc, selenium, manganese, sulphur, iron and some fatty acids.

Anaemia – another consequence of gut dysbiosis

Stephanie suffered from anaemia all her life, unsuccessfully treated by courses of iron tablets. The majority of patients with gut dysbiosis look pale and pasty and their blood tests often show changes typical for anaemia. ²¹ It is not surprising. They not only cannot absorb essential for blood vitamins and minerals from food, but their own production of these vitamins is damaged. On top of that people with damaged gut flora often have a particular group of pathogenic bacteria growing in their gut, which are iron-loving bacteria (Actinomyces spp., Mycobacterium spp., pathogenic strains of E.coli, Corynebacterium spp. and many others). ^13,25 They consume dietary iron, leaving the person deficient. Unfortunately, supplementing iron makes these bacteria proliferate, bringing unpleasant digestive problems and does not remedy anaemia. To have healthy blood the body needs other minerals, a whole host of vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, A, D, folic acid, pantothenic acid and some amino acids. ^24,10 It has been shown in a large number of studies all over the world, that just supplementing iron does not do much for anaemia. ²⁷

The pathogens in the gut

The most studied pathogens, that overgrow after numerous antibiotic courses are clostridia and yeasts, which normally belong to the opportunistic group of gut microbes. ²⁸ The opportunistic gut flora is a large group of various microbes, the number and combinations of which can be quite individual. There are so far around 400 different species of them found in the human gut. ²⁵ These are the most common: Bacteroids, Peptococci, Staphylococci, Streptococci, Bacilli, Clostridia, Yeasts, Enterobacteria (Proteus, Clebsielli, Citrobacteria, etc.), Fuzobacteria, Eubacteria, Spirochaetaceae, Spirillaceae, Catenobacteria, different viruses and many others. ¹³ Interestingly, many of these opportunistic bacteria when in small numbers and under control actually fulfil some beneficial functions in the gut, like taking part in the digestion of food, breaking down lipids and bile acids. In a healthy gut their numbers are limited and tightly controlled by the beneficial flora. ²⁰ But when this beneficial flora is weakened and damaged, they get out of control. Each of these microbes is capable of causing various health problems. ²⁹ The best known is the fungus Candida albicans, which causes untold misery to millions of people. ³¹ There is an abundance of literature published about Candida infection. However, I have to say that a lot of what is described as Candida Syndrome is in effect a result of gut dysbiosis, which would include activity of lots of other opportunistic and pathogenic microbes. Candida albicans is never along in the human body. Its activity and ability to survive and cause disease depends on the state of trillions of its neighbours – different bacteria, viruses, protozoa, other yeasts and many other micro-creatures. ^9,19,31 In a healthy body Candida and many other disease causing microbes are very well controlled by the beneficial flora. Unfortunately, the era of antibiotics gave Candida a special opportunity. The usual broad-spectrum antibiotics kill a lot of different microbes in the body – the bad and the good. But they have no effect on Candida. So, after every course of antibiotics, Candida is left without anybody to control it, so it grows and thrives. ^30,31 Stephanie had many symptoms of Candida overgrowth in her body: low energy level, dry skin, recurrent vaginal thrush and cystitis, bloating, constipation, foggy brain and lethargy.

Clostridia family was given a special opportunity by the era of antibiotics too, because Clostridia are also resistant to them. ³⁴ There are about 100 members of this family discovered so far and they all can cause serious disease. Many of them are found as opportunists in a healthy human gut flora. ^25,33 As long as they are controlled by the beneficial microbes in the gut, they normally do us no harm. Unfortunately, every course of broad - spectrum antibiotics removes the good bacteria, which leaves Clostridia uncontrolled and allows it to grow. Different species of Clostridia cause severe inflammation of the digestive system and damage its integrity, leading to many digestive problems and food intolerances. ^32,33

Food “allergies” and intolerances

Normal gut flora maintains gut wall integrity through protecting it, feeding it and insuring normal cell turnover. When the beneficial bacteria in the gut are greatly reduced, the gut wall degenerates. ^9,10,21,25 At the same time various opportunists, when not controlled by damaged good bacteria, get access to the gut wall and damage its integrity, making it porous and “leaky”. ^6,28,29 For example, microbiologists have observed how common opportunistic gut bacteria from families Spirochaetaceae and Spirillaceae due to their spiral shape have an ability to push apart intestinal cells braking down the integrity of the intestinal wall and allowing through substances which normally should not get through. ^{13, 25} Candida albicans has this ability as well. Its cells attach themselves to the gut lining literally putting “roots” through it and making it “leaky”. ³¹ Many worms and parasites have that ability as well. ^9,10,35 Partially digested foods gets through the damaged “leaky” gut wall into the blood stream, where the immune system recognises them as foreign and reacts to them. ^36,37.38 This is how food allergies or intolerances develop. So, there is nothing wrong with the food. What is happening is that foods do not get a chance to be digested properly before they are absorbed through the damaged gut wall. So, in order to eliminate food allergies, it in not the foods we need to concentrate on, but the gut wall. In my clinical experience, when the gut wall is healed many food intolerances disappear.

Healing the gut wall – the diet

How do we heal the gut wall? We need to replace the pathogens in the gut with the beneficial bacteria, so effective probiotics are an essential part of the treatment. However, the most important intervention is the appropriate diet.

There is no need to re-invent a wheel when it comes to designing a diet for digestive disorders. There is a diet already invented, a very effective diet with more than 60 years of an excellent record of helping people with all sorts of digestive disorders, including such devastating ones as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. This diet is called Specific Carbohydrate Diet or SCD for short.

SCD has been invented by a renowned American paediatrician Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas in the first half of the 20th century. ³⁹ Those were the good old days, when doctors used to treat their patients with diet and natural means. Carrying on with the work of his colleagues Drs. L. Emmett Holt, Cristian Herter and John Howland, Dr. Haas has spent many yeas researching the effects of diet on celiac disease and other digestive disorders. He and his colleagues found that patients with digestive disorders could tolerate dietary proteins and fats fairly well. But complex carbohydrates from grains and starchy vegetables made the problem worse. Sucrose, lactose and other double sugars also had to be excluded from the diet. However, certain fruit and vegetables were not only well tolerated by his patients, but improved their physical status. Dr. Haas treated over 600 patients with excellent results: after following his dietary regimen for at least a year there was “complete recovery with no relapses, no deaths, no crisis, no pulmonary involvement and no stunting of growth”. The results of this research were published in a comprehensive medical textbook “The Management of Celiac Disease”, written by Dr. Sidney V. Haas and Merrill P. Haas in 1951. The diet, described in the book, was accepted by medical community all over the world as a cure for celiac disease and Dr. Sidney V. Haas was honoured for his pioneer work in the field of paediatrics.

Unfortunately, “happy end” does not happen in human history too often. In those days celiac disease was not very clearly defined. A great number of various conditions of the gut were included into the diagnosis of celiac disease and all those conditions were treatable by the SCD very effectively. In decades that followed something terrible happened. Celiac disease was eventually defined as a gluten intolerance or gluten enteropathy, which excluded a great number of various other gut problems from this diagnosis. As the “gluten free diet” was pronounced to be effective for celiac disease, the SCD diet got forgotten as outdated information. And all those other gut diseases, which fell out of the realms of true celiac disease, got forgotten as well. The true celiac disease is rare, so the “forgotten” gut conditions would constitute a very large group of patients, which used to be diagnosed as celiac and which do not respond to treatment with gluten free diet. Incidentally, a lot of “true” celiac patients do not get better on the gluten free diet either. All these conditions respond very well to SCD diet, developed by Dr. Haas. ³⁹

Following the whole controversy about celiac disease, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet would have been completely forgotten if it wasn’t for, you guessed it, a parent! Elaine Gottschall, desperate to help her little daughter, who suffered from severe ulcerative colitis and neurological problems, went to see Dr. Haas in 1958. After 2 years on SCD her daughter was completely free of symptoms, an energetic and thriving little girl. Following the success of the SCD with her daughter Elaine Gottschall over the years has helped thousands of people, suffering from Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diverticulitis and various types of chronic diarrhoea. Very dramatic and fast recoveries she has reported in young children, who apart of digestive problems had serious behavioural abnormalities, such as autism, hyperactivity and night terrors. She has devoted years of research into biochemical and biological basis of the diet and has published a book, called “Breaking the Vicious Cycle. Intestinal Health Trough Diet.” ³⁹ This book has become a true saviour for thousands of children and adults across the world and has been reprinted many times. Many Web-sites and web-groups have been set up to share SCD recipes and experiences.

I have been using SCD for many years in my clinic and have to say that it is the diet for food allergies. As I work largely with children with learning disabilities, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc, I have grouped these patients under the name Gut And Psychology Syndrome or GAPS. ⁴⁰ I had to adopt some aspects of SCD for these patients and they have named their diet – the GAPS diet. Over the years I have developed a GAPS Introduction Diet for the more severe end of the spectrum. I find that the Introduction Diet is particularly effective in food allergies, as it allows the gut wall heal quicker. The Introduction Diet is structured in stages. Unless there is a dangerous (anaphylactic type) allergy to a particular food, I recommend my patients to ignore the results of their food intolerance testing and follow the stages one by one. The Introduction Diet in its first stages serves the gut lining in three ways:

1. It removes fibre. With damaged gut wall fibre irritates the gut lining and provides food for the pathogenic microbes in the gut. This means: no nuts, no beans, no fruit and no raw vegetables. Only well-cooked vegetables (soups and stews) are allowed with particularly fibrous parts of the vegetable removed. No starch is allowed on the GAPS diet, which means no grains and no starchy vegetables.

2. It provides nourishment for the gut lining: amino acids, minerals, gelatine, glucosamines, collagens, fat soluble vitamins, etc. These substances come from homemade meat and fish stocks, gelatinous parts of meats well-cooked in water, organ meats, egg yolks and plenty of natural animal fats on meats.

3. It provides probiotic bacteria in the form of fermented foods. The patients are taught to ferment their own yoghurt, kefir, vegetables and other foods at home. These foods are introduced gradually in order to avoid a “die-off reaction”.

On the first two stages of the Introduction Diet most severe digestive symptoms, such as diarrhoea and abdominal pain disappear quite quickly. At that point the patient can move through the next stages, when other foods are gradually introduced. As the gut wall starts healing, the patients find that they can gradually introduce foods, which they could not tolerate before. When the Introduction GAPS Diet is completed, the patient moves to the Full GAPS Diet. I recommend adhering to the Full Diet for 2 year on average in order to restore normal gut flora and GI function. Depending on the severity of the condition, different people take different time to recover. Children usually recover quicker than adults.

Stephanie had to follow the Introduction Diet for 7 months before she started putting weight on and feeling stronger. By the time she moved to the Full GAPS Diet she had normal stools, no bloating and no cystitis symptoms; her energy levels were much improved, though she still looked slightly pale. In about a year from the start of the treatment she disappeared for 18 months, then emailed me with an update: she was doing well, her energy level was good, she had no symptoms of cystitis and her GI function was good. She put weight on: though she was still quite slim, but within the normal range. In the last two months she started eating some foods not allowed on the diet and found that she can tolerate them on an occasional basis, including pasta, chocolate and some goods from the local bakery.

Healing the gut wall - probiotics

In order to heal the gut wall apart from the appropriate diet we need to replace the pathogenic microbes in the gut with the beneficial ones. The fermented foods in the diet will provide some probiotic microbes. However, an effective probiotic supplement is essential in most cases. There is a plethora of studies accumulated about benefits of probiotic supplementation for most digestive disorders, as well as many other health problems. ^41-47 The market is full of probiotics in the form of drinks, foods, powders, capsules and tablets. Majority of them are prophylactic, which means that they are designed for the fairly healthy people, they are not designed to make a real difference in a person with a digestive disorder and a “leaky gut”. These people need a therapeutic strength probiotic with well-chosen powerful species of probiotic bacteria. A therapeutic probiotic will produce a so-called “die-off reaction”: the probiotic bacteria kill the pathogens in the gut, when these pathogens die, they release toxins. As these are the toxins which give the patient his or her unique symptoms, their release makes these symptoms worse, which is called the “die-off reaction”. This reaction can be quite serious and must be controlled. That is why I recommend to start the therapeutic probiotic from a very small dose, then build the dose very gradually up to the therapeutic level. Once on that level, the patient needs to stay on it for a few months: how long - depends on the severity of the condition. Once the symptoms of the disease are largely gone, the patient can start gradually reducing the daily dose to the maintenance level or can stop altogether.

Stephanie took a particular therapeutic probiotic. She took one capsule per day (2 billion live cells) for a week, then increased to 2 capsules per day. On this dose her skin became itchy, she got loose stool and her cystitis symptoms got slightly worse. She understood it to be a “die-off”, so stayed on this dose for as long as it took for these symptoms to subside – 2,5 weeks. Then she increased her dose to 3 capsules a day. This increase produced another “die-off reaction”, so she had to stay on the 3 capsules per day for a month before she could move on. In this manner she gradually got up to 8 capsules a day – her therapeutic dose. I recommended her to stay on this dose for 6 months. In this period of time all her main symptoms subsided and some started going. After 6 months, she decided to stay on the therapeutic dose for longer, as she felt well on it. After another 4 months on 8 capsules per day, she felt strong enough to start reducing the dose. She gradually reduced it to 4 capsules a day – her maintenance dose. After about 2 years on this dose she found that she could discontinue the probiotic (as it is expensive) and only take it occasionally, when she was under particular stress.

References

1. US Census Bureau, International Data Base, 2004 (online) available at: http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/f/food_allergies/st...

2. http://www.foodintoleranceuk.com/allergy_vs_intolerance.htm

3. Anthony H, Birtwistle S, Eaton K, Maberly J. Environmental Medicine in Clinical Practice. BSAENM Publications 1997:106-115.

4. Anthony H, Birtwistle S, Eaton K, Maberly J. Environmental Medicine in Clinical Practice. BSAENM Publications 1997: 109.

5. Haynes AJ. The effect of food intolerances and allergy on mood and behaviour. In: Nutrition and mental health: a handbook. 2008. Pavillion Publishing (Brighton).

6. Haynes AJ. The food intolerance bible. 2005. London: Harper Collins.

7. Dai D, Walker WA. Protective nutrients and bacterial colonization in the immature human gut. Adv Pediatr 1999;46:353-82.

8. Gr”onlund MM, Lehtonen OP, Eerola E, Kero P. Fecal microflora in healthy infants born by different methods of delivery: permanent changes in intestinal flora after cesarean delivery. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 1999 Jan, 28(1):19-25.

9. Krasnogolovez VN. Colonic disbacteriosis. - M.: Medicina (Russian), 1989.

10. Baranovski A, Kondrashina E. Colonic dysbacteriosis and dysbiosis. Saint Petersburg Press (Russian). 2002.

11. Harmsen HJ, Wideboer-Veloo AC, Raangs GC, Wagendorp AA et al. Analysis of intestinal flora development in breast-fed and formula-fed infants by using molecular identification and detection methods. J Pediatr Gastoenterol Nutr, 2000 Jan, 30(1):61-7.

12. Lucas A, Brooke OG, Morley R et al. Early diet of preterm infants and development of allergic or atopic disease: randomised prospective study. Brit Med J 1990;300:837-40.

13. LA Shimeld, AT Rodgers. Essentials of Diagnostic Microbiology. 1999. Cengage Learning, pp.405-406.

14. Tori Hudson. Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. Second edition. 2007. McGRaw-Hill Professional, pp.67-69.

15. H L T Mobley, J W Warren. Urinary Tract Infections: Molecular Pathogenesis and Clinical Management. 1996, ASM Press, pp.67-70.

16. Shaw W. Metabolic disease testing: the history of organic acid testing. In: Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD. 2002:25-28. ISBN 0-9661238-0-6.

17. L Gillespie. You Don’t Have to Live with Cystitis. 1996. Avon Books, pp.62-63.

18. JR Dalton, EJ Bergquist. Urinary Tract Infections. 1987. Taylor & Francis, pp.88-95.

19. Vorobiev AA, Pak SG et al. Dysbacteriosis in children. A textbook for doctors and medical students (Russian), M, “KMK Lt”, 1998, ISBN 5-87317-049-5.

20. Cummings JH, Macfarlane GT (1997). Colonic Microflora: Nutrition and Health. Nutrition. 1997;vol.13, No.5, 476-478.

21. Finegold SM, Sutter VL, Mathisen GE (1983). Normal indigenous intestinal flora in "Human intestinal flora in health and disease". (Hentges DJ, ed), pp3-31. Academic press, London, UK.

22. Falliers C. Oral contraceptives and allergy. Lancet 1974; part 2: 515.

23. Grant E. The contraceptive pill: its relation to allergy and illness. Nutrition and Health 1983;2: 33-40.

24. Seeley, Stephens, Tate. Anatomy and Physiology. 1992. Second edition. Mosby Year Book.

25. Kalidas Shetty, Gopinadhan Paliyath, Anthony Pometto, Robert E. Levin. Human gut microflora in health and disease. In: Food Biotechnology, 2^nd Edition, 2006, CRC Press, pp 1133-1200.

26. Anthony H, Birtwistle S, Eaton K, Maberly J. Environmental Medicine in Clinical Practice. BSAENM Publications 1997: 142.

27. Garrow JS, James WPT, Ralph A. Human nutrition and dietetics. 2000. 10^th edition. Churchill Livingstone: 249-267.

28. Wilson K, Moore L, Patel M, Permoad P. Suppression of potential pathogens by a defined colonic microflora. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease. 1988; 1:237-43.

29. McLaren Howard J. Intestinal dysbiosis. Complementary Therapies in Med 1993;1:153.

30. Gibson GR, Roberfroid MB (1999). Colonic Microbiota, Nutrition and Health. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dodrecht.

31. Howard J. The “autobrewery” syndrome. J Nutr Med 1991;2:97-8.

32. Gibson GR, Roberfroid MB (1999). Colonic Microbiota, Nutrition and Health. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dodrecht.

33. Kikuchi, E., Y. Miyamoto, S. Narushima, and K. Itoh. 2002. Design of species-specific primers to identify 13 species of Clostridium harbored in human intestinal tracts. Microbiol. Immunol. 46:353-358.

34. Hecht, D. W. 2004. Prevalence of antibiotic resistance in anaerobic bacteria: worrisome developments. Clin. Infect. Dis. 39:92-97.

35. Di Prisco MC et al. Possible relationship between allergic disease and infection by Giardia Lamblii. Ann Allergy 1993;70:210-3.

36. Bjarnason I et al. Intestinal permeability, an overview. (review). Gastroenterology 1995;108:1566-81.

37. Eaton KK, Howard M, McLaren Howard J. Gut permeability measured by polyethylene glycol absorption in abnormal gut fermentation as compared with food intolerance. J Roy Soc Med 1995;88:63-6.

38. Gardner MLG (1994). Absorption of intact proteins and peptides. In: Physiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract, 3^rd edn. Chapter 53, pp 1795-1820. NY:Raven Press.

39. Gottschall E. Breaking the vicious cycle. Intestinal health through diet. 1996. The Kirkton Press.

40. Campbell-McBride N. Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Natural treatment for autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD, depression and schizophrenia. 2004. Medinform Publishing.

41. Kirjavainen PV, Apostolon E, Salminen SS, Isolauri E. New aspects of probiotics – a novel approach in the management of food allergy. 1999(Revew), Allergy 54(9):909-15.

42. Furrie E. Probiotics and allergy. Proc Nutr Soc. 2005 Nov;64(4):465-9.

43. Abrahamsson, , Thomas R., et al. "Probiotics in Prevention of IgE-Associated Eczema: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial." Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. May 2007 119(5): 1174-80. 18 Aug. 2008.

44. Cabana MD, Shane AL, Chao C, et al. Probiotics in primary care pediatrics. Clinical Pediatrics. 2006;45(5):405–410.

45. Drisko JA, Giles CK, Bischoff BJ. Probiotics in health maintenance and disease prevention. Altern Med Rev. 2003 May;8(2):143-55.

46. Doron S, Gorbach SL. Probiotics: their role in the treatment and prevention of disease. Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy. 2006;4(2):261–275.

47. Dunne C, Murphy L, Flynn S, O’Mahony L, O’Halloran S, Feeney M, Morissey D, Thornton G, Fitzerald G, Daly C, Kiely B, Quigley EM, O’Sullivan GC, Shanahan F, Collins JK 1999. Probiotics: from myth to reality. Demonstration of functionality in animal models of disease and in human clinical trials. (Review)(79 refs) Antonie van Leenwenhoek. 76(104):279-92, 1999 Jul-Nov.

This article has been sourced and referenced from Dr Natasha Campbell--McBride's website 15th February 2016

http://www.gaps.me/preview/?page_id=344

Welcome GAPS Customers to our new blog.  

We look forward to blogging new GAPS products and information that you will find both supportive and useful.  

Watch this space.

Nuts and Seeds are fibrous and should not be introduced for GAPS patients until digestive symptoms have shown some signs of improvement. The introduction diet provides a slow introduction to nuts by starting with nut butter followed by baking with nut flour and finally nuts for snacks themselves with encouragement to prepare them and chew them well. The sensitivity test is advised to be carried out first for those who suspect a true nut allergy, however there are many people who express their intolerance for nuts during the introduction diet who may need to determine themselves whether to wait until further healing takes place before introducing them.

Selecting organic nuts and seeds and preparing them by soaking (sprouting) and sometimes blanching them (skins removed) often makes all the difference for a GAPS patient to better tolerate them. Even nut farmers are aware of the dangerous chemicals sprayed on their nut crops and they make the effort not to place their own family home too close to the crops to keep their families safe.I have personally met a family who moved off their macadamia farm because they were all getting sick and one of their children also had autism.In July 2008, a discovery of over two million bass embryos hatched with deformities on Gwen Gilson’s fish hatchery in Noosa. Nearly all of the embryos had two heads and two hearts. When they hatched, they lived for forty-eight hours then died. Gwen’s hatchery is next door to a macadamia nut farm, where the pesticide Endosulfan was used.Gwen and her animals health continued to decline and she told journalist Liz Hayes in a 60 minutes interview that she’d buried three of her horses, and that her dog, ducks and chickens all had problems with their blood and nervous system resulting directly with the way they struggled to move or walk.Fortunately Edosulfan was banned in Australia in 2010, just as it had been banned in over 60 other countries proven to be linked to birth and developmental deformities in humans as well as animals. Unfortunately, this was replaced with another chemical.Many GAPS patients have a toxic overload and cannot tolerate even the smallest amount of chemicals or pesticides in their system and this is why organic serves to be a better option.

In addition to crop chemicals, nuts and seedscontain their own toxic substances known as enzyme inhibitors and phytates (phytic acid).These toxins can play havoc in the digestive system, blocking nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, copper iron and especially zinc.Enzyme inhibitors in particular, are contained on the skins or surrounds of nuts and seeds and they are especially apparent in nuts with brown skins like almonds.Their purpose serves as a protective layer to naturally prevent animals and insects from consuming them so that they have the opportunity to germinate and sprout into a plant. Soaking nuts in warm salty water overnight will activate enzymes that neutralise enzyme inhibitors and also breakdown a large portion of Phytic acid that allow the nutrients to be better absorbed in the digestive system.

If you have the time to prepare your own nuts and seeds and make your own nut/seed flours or nut/seed milks, it is best to adapt the following sequence:

1.Soak.

2.Blanch (if using almonds).

3.Dry in the oven or dehydrator.

4.Follow the steps to grind them to make your nut flour or steps to make your nut milk.

5.Try fermenting the flour or nut milk if nuts continue to be a problem.

Article by Linda Paterson

Enemas are generally used to alleviate constipation. If bowels have not moved for any longer than 36 hours it is considered very toxic and the person will be left feeling irritable, bloated and very tired.With this in mind, imagine how toxic faecal compaction can be if left untreated and consider the damage it can cause over time leading to chronic constipation or diarrhoea.To add to this, the GAPS intro diet is low in fibre and generally causes further constipation for those who already experience it.For this reason, enemas are highly recommended on the GAPS Program but often avoided due to the unfamiliar nature of the procedure.If you are not prepared to incorporate enemas in the program and you are prone to constipation, I would suggest you avoid the introductions stages and go onto the full GAPS Diet.However, the introduction diet combined with enemas can help manage constipation and produce the best healing result.I emphasise the importance in not skipping it. The intro diet will heal the gut whilst the enema will clean and significantly help reduce toxins from the body and make the persons overall health improve. I have consulted many parents who advise that their children completely transform in a matter of minutes after having an enema and this only gets better if continual enema cleanses are carried out.Parents of children with autism often report how their child’s communication improves directly as a result.Compaction can cause headaches and brain fog, imagine the relief for these children and adults with similar symptoms.

With severe chronic constipation and faecal compaction, an enema with probiotics or whey added is essential and this can be followed by several more (one after the other) and finally relieved by a coffee enema.Pure Bicarbonate of Soda and salt solution enemas also prove to be highly beneficial.

Regular enemas will unload the faecal compaction in the colon by softening it and removing it gradually over time with every enema performed.This simple intervention will reduce the toxic load dramatically and allow the body to start healing.

Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride explains in detail how to conduct an enema in her GAPS book.It is strongly advised that you become very familiar with her procedure before conducting one yourself or on another person.Our Wholesome ‘me’ Enema Kits meet all the GAPS Requirements for our GAPS customers since 2010 and each kit also come with an instruction booklet with all the above remedies discussed.See more here: http://shop.gapsaustralia.com.au/enema-kits-accesories/

Did you know that researchers have found that for young children, both cooking time and dinnertime conversation boosts vocabulary even more than being read aloud to. The researchers counted the number of rare words – those not found on a list of 3,000 most common words – that the families used during dinner conversation. Young kids learned 1,000 rare words at the dinner table, compared to only 143 from parents reading storybooks aloud.

For my own family, we used every opportunity the family dinner table offered with our interactions to build on our son’s communication that was challenged by his autism. Good healthy GAPS  food and taking the time to connect with the family on every level is priceless.

Magnesium deficiency is a well-known cause for leg cramps and this is a common GAPS condition. Magnesium deficiency may result from a number of causes such as toxins in the gut, mercury, lead and many other toxic metals or chemicals that accumulate in the body. Dr Natasha expresses the number one cause of widespread magnesium deficiency in the population to be a direct result of over consumption of processed carbohydrates and sugar in particular. The GAPS diet aims to remove carbohydrates, which also promotes foods high in magnesium such as those used in juicing with organic oranges, grapefruit, apples, carrots, celery, cabbage, beetroot and greens. Bathing in magnesium sulphate Epsom salts will also assist. Some GAPS patients find that supplementing magnesium may or may not help with their symptoms and this is because there are many factors involved in the metabolism of magnesium in the body.

Fat soluble vitamins A, D, K and E are one of the most essential nutrients for the body to be able to absorb and use magnesium from food or supplements. To supply these vitamins we need animal fats: fats on meats, butter and sour cream. In order for magnesium to work it also needs other vitamins, minerals and amino acids to help work as a team to get the results. So, diet as a whole is the most effective treatment to begin with, however if pain and leg cramps persist for longer as it may for conditions associated with multiple sclerosis or autism, Dr Natasha recommends Ultra Magnesium Powder which is a high dose magnesium powder featuring a patented mineral delivery system that enhances absorption and intestinal tolerance of magnesium. Dr Natasha says that one teaspoon in a glass of water is usually enough.

Spring marks the beginning of the allergy season. Before you reach for expensive over the counter or prescription allergy remedies for hay fever, seasonal allergies or chronic sinusitis, you might want to try an inexpensive alternative treatment that really seems to work not only as a treatment but a remedy as well.We are talking about nasal irrigation, or washing out your nose once or twice daily with a warm salt water brine.

Nasal/sinus irrigation simply washes away the irritants causing the allergy symptoms. Nasal irrigation is useful not only for symptom relief when your allergies or sinuses are acting up, but also for routine “cleansing.”

Many medical institutions, such as the Mayo Clinic, advocate the use of nasal irrigation. A study undertaken in children in 2009 found that nasal saline irrigation significantly eased symptoms while lessening the need for medications like steroid nasal sprays.
The Neti Pot, which looks like a little oil lamp, often used by yoga devotees is used to perform the nasal irrigation. The Neti Pot as we call it was originally known as the Jala Neti used in the ancient Indian practice of Ayurveda which is the traditional Hindu system of medicine (based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and practices diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing).The basic idea of the neti pot procedure was to irrigate the nasal and sinus passage with a natural salt brine to gently flush away and clear any irritation causing allergy symptoms and sinus infections and provide the body with an opportunity to heal itself.

Historical practitioners have used Neti Pots in cleaning rituals and health programs for centuries.The Neti Pot is used to pour warm salty brine water into one nostril (when the patient is leaning forward) and allow it to run out the other.

Nasal irrigation, is beneficial not only because of the therapeutic effects of salt, but also due to the physical flushing that helps remove irritants. I recommend you avoid using commercial processed salts and instead use a high-quality sea salt or Himalayan Salt for irrigation.

The Nasal Irrigation Procedure

Nasal irrigation takes a bit of getting used to, but once you learn the technique you’ll see how easy and comfortable it is.

You will need a ‘Neti Irrigation Kit’ that has the following:

The technique, outlined below, may seem unusual at first. However, once learned, you will quickly realize how beneficial it can be.

1. The stainless steel Neti Pot is specially designed with a spout that fits comfortably in one nostril.

2. Heat water until it reaches body temperature and pour the warm water into the Neti Pot. The best temperature is 36˚C or 98˚F or a little warmer if well tolerated but it is important to test the water first so that you do not burn your nasal passage.Keep in mind that you do not want the water to cool too quickly because experience has shown us that cold water will tend to close up the nasal passage and not dissolve the mucus well.The stainless steel Neti Pot will keep the water warmer for longer than other devices on the market.

3. Add the salt to the water and make sure that all the salt dissolves. The salt-to-water ratio is 1 teaspoon salt to 1 pint (2 cups) water. Filtered or distilled water is best.

4. Some people prefer to perform the irrigation in the shower, however if you are doing this over the sink, we recommend you have some tissues or a towel handy.

When you are ready to start, lean over a sink, tilt your head forward so you are looking directly down toward the sink. Insert the spout into your right nostril. It is important that you breathe through your mouth. Turn your head to the right and let water move into the right nostril and exit the left nostril. Normally, you will feel the water as it passes through your sinuses. This will be an unusual feeling at first but after doing it the once, you will see how easy it really is.

It is fine if some of the water drains into your mouth. Simply spit it out and adjust the tilt of your head.

5. After using a half of the water brine, repeat the above procedure for the other nostril.

6. To finish, expel any remaining water by quickly blowing air out both open nostrils 15 times over the sink or in the shower. Avoid the temptation to block off one nostril, as doing so may force water into your eustachian tube.

It is important to follow all the instructions very carefully and continue the routine until all your symptoms resolve. This may take three to six months in the case of a chronic infection, so be patient. For acute problems like seasonal allergies, perform the nasal wash up to four times per day until your symptoms improve.

For chronic problems like sinus infections, it is usual to do the wash one or more times daily and continue for several months.

Studies

Li H¹, Sha Q, Zuo K, Jiang H, Cheng L, Shi J, Xu G, 2009.Nasal saline irrigation facilitates control of allergic rhinitis by topical steroid in children.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19047814?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 2009;71(1):50-5. doi: 10.1159/000178165. Epub 2008 Dec 1.

Your kitchen pantry may contain one of the most exciting secret ingredients that is both safe and fast-acting to boost your brain, increase memory function, improve cognition and help combat depression.This substance is most likely found in your spice rack and is called Turmeric.

Investigations undertaken on the effects of solid lipid curcumin on cognition has shown how Turmeric extract improves brain function with just one dose and other groundbreaking studies claim that Turmeric extract is superior to Prozac for depression. To add to this, we have found further research that tells us that turmeric also works at reducing inflammation.

Turmeric can be used in many ways depending on what you are cooking or treating, however for healing and medicinal purposes, it’s easiest to take turmeric in liquid form unless you use it daily in your cooking.Our Certified Organic Turmeric liquid extract at GAPS Diet Australia is easy to supplement with it’s own convenient liquid dispenser and we know you will be taken by surprise with the unique and pleasant taste that the Global Healing Centre have created.

Interestingly, curcumin (a component found in turmeric) lowers the levels of two enzymes in the body that cause inflammation. In factm turmeric contains more than two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds, including six different COX-2-inhibitors.To explain, the COX-2 enzyme promotes pain, swelling and inflammation and it is the COX-2 inhibitors that block them.Studies of the efficacy of curcumin have demonstrated positive changes in arthritic symptoms. One study found that osteoarthritis patients who added 200 mg of curcumin a day to their treatment plan experienced reduced pain and increased mobility, whereas the control group, which received no curcumin, experienced no significant improvements.

WARNINGS: High doses of turmeric can act as a blood thinner and cause stomach upset. Avoid turmeric/curcumin if you take blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin), are about to have surgery, are pregnant or have gallbladder disease.

REFERENCES

Funk, J. L., Frye, J. B., Oyarzo, J. N., Kuscuoglu, N., Wilson, J., McCaffrey, G., Stafford, G., Chen, G., Lantz, R. C., Jolad, S. D., Sólyom, A. M., Kiela, P. R. and Timmermann, B. N. (2006), Efficacy and mechanism of action of turmeric supplements in the treatment of experimental arthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 54: 3452–3464. doi:10.1002/art.22180

Katherine HM Cox, Andrew Pipingas and Andrew B ScholeyInvestigation of the effects of solid lipid curcumin on cognition and mood in a healthy older populationCentre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia Published online before print October 2, 2014 http://jop.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/10/01/0269881114552744.abstract

Jayesh Sanmukhani, Vimal Satodia, Jaladhi Trivedi, Tejas Patel, Deepak Tiwari, Bharat Panchal, Ajay Goel, Chandra Bhanu Tripathi. Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Phytother Res. 2013 Jul 6. Epub 2013 Jul 6. PMID: 23832433

GreenMedInfo.com, Animal Research on Curcumin's Anti-depressive Properties