A Compendium of Nutritional Health Literature · 2019. 5. 14. · Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza-page 72 Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza –page 73 Evolving

A Compendium of Nutritional Health Literature

Cynthia Lynn Scott

For

“Spare Parts”: A Nutritional Healing Journey

Senior Project

Victoria Abel, MA, MNT, CAN

Prescott College

Spring 2019

A COMPENDIUM OF NUTRITIONAL HEALTH LITERATURE - 2

Table of Contents

Introduction -page 4

Books: Brain & Autoimmune Health

Arthritis Reversed by Dr. Mark Wiley -page 5

Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi –page 8

Brain Maker by David Perlmutter –page12

Nutrient Power by William J. Walsh –page 17

The Autoimmune Fix by Tom O’Bryan –page 24

The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton –page 32

The Truth About Cancer by Ty Bolinger –page 32

You Can Fix Your Brain by Tom O’Bryan –page 35

Article Reference: Dr. Dale Bredesen –page 36

Books: Nutrition and diets

Bright Line Eating by Susan Peirce Thompson, PhD –page 41

Fasting Can Save Your Life by Herbert M. Shelton –page 44

Fasting for Renewal of Life by Herbert M. Shelton –page 45

Fasting Nature’s Best Remedy by Albert Mosseri –page 46

Food and Healing by Annemarie Colbin –page 46

Food Combining Made Easy by Herbert M. Shelton –page 48

Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? By Mark Hyman, MD –page 48

Integrative Nutrition by Joshua Rosenthal –page 49

Keto-tarian by Dr. Will Cole –page 60

Meals That Heal Inflammation by Julie Daniluk, R.H.N –page 60

Nourishing Wisdom by Marc David –page 63

The Anti-Inflammation Diet by Cherie Calbom MS, CN –page 69

The Raw Secrets by Frederic Patenaude –page 70

30 Day Guide to Paleo Cooking by Hayley Mason and Bill Staley –page 71

31 Day Food Revolution by Ocean Robbins –page 71

Books: Stress Reduction & Meditation

Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza-page 72

Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza –page 73

Evolving Your Brain by Joe Dispenza –page 73

True Meditation by Adyashanti –page 74


Docu-series

Interconnected –page 74

The Sacred Plant: Healing Secrets Examine –page 77

The Total Wellness Summit –page 79

Green Med Info Articles

Answering A Burning Question: How Do We Reduce Inflammation? –page 80

Are Mental Disorders the Result of Neuroinflammation? –page 80

A Revolutionary Revisioning: Natural Autoimmunity as

the Master Conductor of Homeostasis –page 81

Profound Implications of the Virome for Human Health and Autoimmunity –page 82

Primal Bugs: The Amazing Hunter Gatherer Microbiome –page 82

NIH Microbiome Project Articles

Role of the gut microbiota in defining human health –page 83

Harnessing the power of the human microbiome –page 85

The Jeremiah Metzger Lecture: Global Warming Redux: The Disappearing Microbiota and

Epidemic Obesity –page 85

Miscellaneous Articles

11 Natural Ways to Lower Your Cortisol Levels –page 86

Small-Intestinal Histopathology and Mortality Risk in Celiac Disease –page 87

Bibliography – Books –page 87

Bibliography- Documentary Series and Articles –page 88


Introduction

A Compendium of Nutritional Health Literature was created at the suggestion of Prescott

College mentor Victoria Abel. She envisioned a resource that could offer quick references to the

literature and documentaries studied from both the nutrition class we designed together and this

senior project, “Spare Parts”: A Nutritional Healing Journey. This compendium will be used

personally for future clients needing nutritional guidance and support. It will be used for research

and also for authoring articles and blog posts with a nutritional context.

Many books were read cover to cover while other books had portions read to fill in the

blanks that were discerned needing to be filled for a well rounded beginner’s knowledge of

nutrition. Many of the books studied are quite new, published in the last two to three years,

bringing into view the newest areas of medicinal/science research. The microbiome and its

interaction with the entire human system is considered the new frontier of medicine and

nutrition. It has been said that it takes 17 years for new research to get into text books of

universities to teach new doctors in order for the research to be applied in daily medicine. May

this compendium be used to instruct fellow health advocates, sooner than later.

Note: Where a book was referred to or only a small portion was used in my studies and notes

were not made, I have used the reviews from Amazon.ca to fill in the blanks. The review has

Amazon.ca at the beginning and/or at the end.

Disclaimer: The compendium is not written as a research paper. It was meant to be used as a

personal tool for my own use. It is being made public because my mentor recognized it to be

useful for other students to use for selecting literature to use in their own research. Please, do not

quote from this material. Simply use the compendium as it was intended originally for my

personal use: to know where to locate information from its original source: in a book,

documentary, or article. Thank you and may you walk upon this Earth well. Cynthia


Books: Brain & Autoimmune Health

Arthritis Reversed by Dr. Mark Wiley

How Inflammation Keeps you from Healing Ch. 5

Dr. Wiley writes: pain is a symptom of arthritis and a sign of inflammation. A number of

factors are dependent on the level of inflammation and pain a person experiences

including activity level, amount and depth of sleep, level of stress, and foods that you eat.

Inflammation in and of itself is not a disease, and is a normal part of the body’s healing

system, however many diseases are associated with chronic inflammation.

If symptoms you are experiencing as minor annoyances last for more than a month, you

should get checked by your doctor for chronic low grade inflammation. Leaving this

unattended could result in major illnesses.

Stress is the least talked about source of inflammation, but one of the most common

causes. There are many types of stressors, emotional, physical, dietary stressors, as well

as environmental stressors. The latter being difficult to detect as damp and mildewed

work areas, with fluorescent lights and electronic devices all put stress loads upon the

body and emotions.

How Food Impacts Arthritis Ch. 6

Excess weight burdens the joint significantly especially in relation to arthritis and there is

a compressive load increase that multiplies excess weight three times. For example,

fifteen lbs. extra weight actually increases the stress on knees and hips to moving a 45 lb.

Load.

Nightshade are particularly problematic for inflammation with arthritis and should be

avoided. These include: white potatoes, eggplant, all peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos,

tamarios, pepinos, pimentos, garden huckleberries, Cape gooseberries, goji berries,

ground cherries, and paprika.

Milk based foods also are a culprit for inflammation causing phlegm-rheum or mucus.

This thick sticky solution can collect around joints attracting toxins, and bacteria

becoming either damp or hot depending on other factors. Inflammation, swelling and

bone loss is created by this condition. We know how bad sugar and high fructose syrup is

already.

The pH balance in our system is important in reducing and controlling inflammation. The

sweet spot is 7.35 on the pH scale with numbers increasing being more alkaline and

decreasing more acidic. If our system becomes too acidic we are inviting inflammation to

harbor and increase.

Wiley says that an acidic interior environment can cause muscles to contract thereby

decreasing the blood flow, inhibiting both the exchange of nutrients and the removal of


waste products from muscle cells. This causes soreness, cramping, fatigue, and

degenerative cellular diseases.

If the cells that produce the lubricating synovial fluid and bursa fluids are acidic there

will be a dryness that irritates and swells. This uric acid buildup deposits crystals in the

hands, feet, knees and back. They can feel like broken glass in these joints.

How Stress and Emotions affect Arthritis Ch. 7

Stress can be created by having a painful arthritic condition which then can lead to

feelings of hopelessness and onto depression. The mind body connection or

psychosomatic conditions are related to these vicious cycles. Wiley says that this does not

need to be the case that there are many things that can be done to relieve this condition

and to keep a positive attitude is just a start.

A stress response, real or perceived, is a physiological mechanism where your muscles

tighten, inhibiting circulation and restricts blood vessels, causing stiffness, trigger points,

inflammation, limited range of motion and pain.

Wiley talks about the Law of Attraction and many authors like Wayne Dyer, and Deepak

Chopra who encourage the benefits of positive thinking for stress reduction and other

things. Focusing on pain and your condition in a negative manner will attract more of this

to you while focusing on healing and enhancing your well being will bring more of that

to you.

The 3 Hidden Imbalances That Cause Arthritis Ch. 8

EDS is excess, deficiency, and stagnation. Wiley states that EDS are the main types of

imbalance that cause arthritis.

Excess too much food, too much exercise, too much stress

Deficiency not enough good food, not enough exercise, not enough sleep;

Stagnation is not moving fast enough, not clearing toxins enough etc.

Restoring balance is the key and these imbalances, EDS, can be a dangerous cycle which

can happen simultaneously. Wiley’s Arthritis Action Plan provides lifestyle changes that

can remedy the negative effects of EDS.

Eating for Arthritis: Food for Pain, Inflammation and Weight Loss Ch. 10

7 Categories of food to avoid if pain and inflammation is part of your arthritic condition

Animal Milk Products

Hydrogenated Oils

Nitrates (hot dogs, cold cuts, pepperoni)

Processed sugars (sodas, candy, breads, bottled fruit juice, cookies)

Nightshades

Convenience Foods (French fries, onion rings, pizza, fatty burgers)


Processed White Flour Products ( bread, crackers, pasta, pretzels, donuts)

Basically the standard American diet, right?

Credit: Mindbodygreen.com https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5165/Alkaline-Acidic-Foods-

Chart-The-pH-Spectrum.html (Wiley, 2013: pg. 95)

Foods that are recommended are Wild Salmon, fresh whole fruits, many coloured

vegetables, green and white tea, purified water, healthy oils, organic beef and poultry,

nuts, legumes and seeds, dark leafy green vegetables, organic oatmeal, aromatic spices

(turmeric, cloves, garlic, ginger, onion, coriander, ground mustard seed).

For hydration, Wiley relies upon the colour of urine. If it is not clear then more water is

needed until the stream is clear. When urine is dark orange then you are really dehydrated

and it may take a couple of days to rehydrate well.

Wiley suggests that when it comes to food forget diets...it is really about balance. The

quality of food is important and focusing on eating healthy as opposed to eating to lose

weight. This way your body will “regress to the mean” or reach an appropriate weight

according to your body’s needs.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5165/Alkaline-Acidic-Foods-Chart-The-pH-Spectrum.htmlhttps://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5165/Alkaline-Acidic-Foods-Chart-The-pH-Spectrum.html


Natural Supplements for Arthritis Relief Ch. 11

Wiley discusses the difference between natural supplements and prescription meds that

are often toxic and have negative side effects. Natural supplements are safe as long as

they are taken as indicated. They take longer to build up in the system and are made of

natural substances that are closer to their natural state.

Some different supplements suggested are: paractin a medicinal extract of the herb

Andrographis Paniculata (Wiley, 2013; pg. 125) which helps cut off signals that cause

inflammation and decreases joint pain, L-glutathione, Rutin, ionic minerals, burdock root,

and Boswellia Serrata.

Brain Food by Lisa Mosconi

Ch. 1 The Looming Brain Health Crisis

Mosconi states that in the twentieth century there has been an absolute boom in

longevity. This is due, not to our genetics or natural selection, but to the improvements in

our standards of living, sanitation, and health care (vaccinations, etc.). However, with this

longer lifespan is the fear many elders have of dementia. “Today more that 46 million

people live with dementia the world over with an estimated increase of 132 million by the

year 2050.” (pg. 5)

The good news is that medical advancement has provided methods that allow imaging

(MRI and PET) of the brain and these techniques have shown that brain diseases like

Alzheimer’s take decades of abuse to develop before recognizable symptoms show up.

There are a few differences our brain has from the rest of our body most of our body

replaces itself, thinking of our hair and nails, but the vast majority of our neurons are with

us for life. (Mosconi says that some neurons do continue to grow.)

Another significant difference is that there is no feeling in the brain. We cannot feel when

our brain is inured. There are no pain sensors in the brain. When you have a migraine, it

is not your brain but the muscles around the shoulders and neck that have tightened for a

period of time. Stretching works better than meds? (and water- my comments)

Studies of identical twins show that it is experience not just genetics that mould our

future which is good news.

“In keeping with this, it is estimated that 70% of all cases of stroke, 80 % of all cases of

cardiovascular disease, and as high as 90% of all cases of type 2 diabetes in recent years

were caused by nothing more than an unhealthy lifestyle.” (Pg. 12)

Mosconi states that to this day there are no medical recommendations that use nutrition as

a guide for better brain health. This is due partly to the lack of nutritional training in

medical schools as well as most post-grad mental health programs.


It is only recently that nutrition has been granted scientific-field status, and diet has been

acknowledged as a legitimate means to protect ourselves from brain diseases. (pg. 13)

The brain, of all the organs in our body, is the one most easily damaged by a poor diet.

Our brains are literally what we eat!

There is a great brain scan photo of two women in their early fifties, one on a

Mediterranean diet and the other on a standard Western diet. The MD brain is full and

healthy, the WD brain has shrunk and there are more visible black areas where cerebral

spinal fluid has filled in the shrinkage. (Pg.16)

3 Steps to nourishing your brain 1) understand which foods and nutrients your brain

needs for optimal nourishment. 2) Improve and optimize your diet and overall lifestyle by

following the steps in ch. 11-13 3) find out where you are on the spectrum of your

knowledge and practises as related to neuro-nutrition by taking the test in chapter 14

Ch. 9 The World’s Best Brain Diets

This chapter focuses on five “blue zone” areas in the world where there are the largest

population of centenarians. Even though these communities are spread across the world

there are quite a few similarities in lifestyle.

Centenarians are highly active with family and community, slower pace of life, take naps,

eat plant based diets and low portions, low stress, meat eaten rarely and in small portions,

high carb with moderate to low protein and fat.

Some of the communities drink coffee others none. Okinawa centenarians’ eat 20% less

calories than the average Japanese citizen.

The rest of this chapter discusses the best in the world diets starting with the

Mediterranean diet.

The different diets she discusses unless really different: Indian curries, the antioxidant

diet-glutathione, caloric-restriction and the keto diet.

List of negative effects of the Keto diet: if the keto diet sounds appealing remember

these points, 1) ketone bodies are not the preferred energy source for the brain,

brain needs bare minimum, 30% calories from glucose to work efficiently 2) this

diet is basically the opposite of the scientifically proven Mediterranean diet 3)

increased fat consumption can alter the body’s metabolism, your body will

eventually burn off the saturated fat ingested as part of this diet but your cholesterol

might increase. Lastly, fat rich foods are usually low in fiber which is hard on your

digestive system (constipation) and rich in protein which can be hard on your

kidneys. This can cause dyspepsia, constipation, and flatulence along with ‘keto’

breath.


Ch. 11 A Holistic Approach to Brain Health

Mosconi uses the centenarians as an ongoing example for healthy lifestyle examples and

states that they are 98% vegetarian. Plant based foods have all the vitamin and minerals

needed, as well as fiber and are low calorie, too.

Dandelion greens! I have to try this. Apparently, one of the best wild foods used in the

Mediterranean diets.

Buddha bowls with grain, beans, and veggies. Caviar and salmon roe- eat 2-3 teaspoons

are all that your brain needs for its DHA and choline needs for the day.

Completely eliminate trans fat foods like doughnuts, cakes, pies, crackers, Cool Whip

type creams, processed cheese, and candy...as well as bologna, salami, corned beef and

pastrami.

Centenarians eat meat and dairy far less and often only at community celebrations. One

cup of yogurt a day is ok! It is the exception to our careful dairy rules.

Need sweets? Think glucose. Glucose rich natural foods include brown rice syrup, raw

honey, maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, and fruit purees to mention a few. Complex

carbs like sweet potatoes and wild rice are great combos for brain energy.

Sugar cravings are often a sign of poor diet choices.

Thirsty? Drink water...and herbal teas, green smoothies, and green tea, or measured

coffee. (ie: 1 espresso or 1-2 cups of Americano organic a day...not more)

A glass of red wine (organic) or a glass of pomegranate juice is also good for a bit of

fluid with the 8-8 oz. glasses of H2O a day. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption so

squeezing a lemon on your dandelion greens helps to absorb the iron in them.

Ch. 12 Be Mindful of Quality Over Quantity

Many people are concerned buying organic food as it costs more. However, Mosconi has

a couple of tricks to help. Check out the dirty dozen and clean 15 food lists that help you

make wise choices for some staples. The clean 15 do not need to be organic as they have

much less herb/pesticide chemicals added and the dirty dozen should always be organic

to avoid the major amount of chemical toxins in those foods.

Soy is good only if the quality is good...NON GMO, organic. In Japan, the Okinawan

centenarians use soy that is fermented and traditional also in small portions the size of a

golf ball. Quality.

Mosconi has lists of good pre and probiotic foods on pg. 201-202.

Our microbiome can quickly change from good to bad. A USDA Nutritional study looked

at over forty different fruits and vegetables from 1950 to 1999. They found significant

declines in vitamins (especially B’s and C) as well as iron. This sparked quite a debate as

other studies showed that the vitamins were the same...was the quality?

What about the chemical sprays?


Vegetables, fruits and nuts are most potent when eaten raw. Carrots and tomatoes release

more nutrients when lightly cooked than raw.

Sprouting grains give more nutrients and need less cooking. The rest of this chapter

discusses supplements to enhance nutrition.

Mosconi’s main stance is eat for nutrients, however if you don’t eat fish, think about

supplementing DHA. Consult a doctor before adding Omega 3’s as they can have a

blood thinning effect if too much taken and CoQ10 can interfere with blood thinning

meds, too.

Cookware-no plastics or aluminum- go for stainless steel, cast iron, glass and traditional

ceramic.

Ch. 13 A Typical Brain Healthy Week

The brain food pyramid is awesome because dark chocolate is at the top! The pyramid

has the number of servings per week at the side. See scan of pyramid sent with journal.

Mosconi recommends one small piece of dark chocolate a day with a minimum of 65%

cocoa in it. The flavonoids, magnesium, potassium, and theobromine are good for you.

A sample week menu is provided on pg.218. She suggests not skipping breakfast or

meals, but skipping snacking instead.

Five practical tips for prepping meals:

1. Plan ahead shop for food for that week

2. In the summer favor salads and other raw foods that require less prep time.

3. When you cook make meals in bulk and freeze leftovers into single servings.

4. Loading a slow cooker with vegetables, grains, legumes, fish or chicken gives a piping

hot meal

5. Cook once, eat for a week. Cook enough vegetables, grains and protein to eat for the

whole week.

Mosconi talks about intermittent fasting with her personal preference being the 12 hour

fast between dinner and breakfast. She also recommends that after eating walk

away...from the couch and get some exercise.

Regular physical exercise, the kind that gets your heart beating faster, is good for your

brain health.

Keep your brain busy...board games are great.

Sleep is important and if you don’t get enough during the night have a nap.

Reduce stress and be social all good things for the brain to be healthy.


Brain Maker by David Perlmutter

Brain Maker notes: Intro-Ch. 3

Gut Check pg. 16-17 – a 20 question quiz that portrays the possible effects from birth to

death of your microbiome. Events like having a natural birth or c-section, being breast

fed or bottle fed, your mother being on medication pre-birth, constipation, allergies, being

diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, all of these can and do effect your microbiome

health.

From bacteria to protozoan, your micro biotic biome weighs 3-4 lbs, as much as your

brain!

New study suggests that the microbiome begins as a fetus being exposed to the mother’s

microbiome through the placenta

Staggering info! The centre of events that lead to diabetes and brain disease is a disrupted

gut community.

Anxiety and depression can also be caused by gut disruption

My stepchildren had been diagnosed with ADD and ADHD, one of them with mild

Tourette’s Syndrome. Studies are showing a high level of gluten sensitivity in children

with ADHD and a GABA deficiency in Tourette’s. How wonderful the advances of

health sciences for our children now! May my children’s children benefit from this

knowledge.

Brain Maker Ch. 4-6

Chapter 4 educates us about how intestinal flora can make you fat and brain sick.

Obesity refers to a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more.

Obesity has now irrefutably been proven to be linked to cognitive decline, loss of

brain tissue, and other brain diseases. Obesity can even rewire a baby in utero to have

abnormal neural connections.

He reveals a study of African children and European children. Their microbiome ratio

differed quite a bit. The African children’s stool samples had a higher ratio of

bacteroidetes to firmicutes while the European children’s stool samples had the

opposite higher firmicutes to bacteroidetes.

The African children eat a high fiber diet similar to early human settlements. We now

know that the higher ratio of gut firmicute bacteria is a bio marker for obesity.

Obesity is an inflammatory disease just like brain disease. If you have a big belly you

may also have a shrunken hippocampus which also shrinks your memory.

Perlmutter discusses the relationship of the gut microbiome to obesity and believes that

the microbiome maybe the key to changing people’s health and reducing weight.

Dr. M. Nieuwdorp from the University of Amsterdam has successfully treated 250 people

with type 2 diabetes and also many patients with insulin sensitivity. These two successes


have never been heard of in traditional medicine. The treatment used fecal transplants

from healthy people.

There has also been proven a direct link to antibiotic use and obesity. Antibiotics disrupt

the microbiome thereby disturbing the ratio of bacteria that keep you slender. In the states

where obesity is the highest so is the use of antibiotics. The South wins the award for

being the most overweight and the highest use of antibiotics.

The United Nations estimate that up to 70 million people worldwide fall in the autism

spectrum and 3 million are in the US.

Perlmutter makes an interesting comment that the connection between vaccines and

autism has been proven false referring to a study done by F. Godiee et al,

“Wakefield’s Article Linking MMR Vaccine and Autism Was Fraudulent”

Cutting edge research is revealing that the guts of autistic children are significantly

different from those children who are without autism. Many autistic children complain of

GI tract upsets.

Research has found that there is a higher level of LPS-the pro-inflammatory molecule- in

children with autism and also a higher amount of the clostridia species of bacteria.

When an overgrowth of clostridia happens it can be deadly. The antibiotic used to treat

C-diff. has had good results in reducing symptoms of autism in some children. The

antibiotic oral vancomycin was the treatment that reduced the clostridia bacteria.

Propionic Acid (PPA) is produced by the clostridia bacteria in the gut and is toxic to the

brain when there is an over growth of clostridia and PPA crosses the blood brain barrier

there is a direct connect with compromised mitochondrial function.

Perlmutter believes that there is a strong connection to the gut in relation to autism

research has shown improvements with probiotics, the antibiotic vancomycin, and diet.

He has a hunch that with further needed research much can be done and that more toxins

related to autism will be found.

Part Two- Ch. six of this book has lessons that will prepare the reader to execute

recommendations in part three. Trouble in Bugville.

‘Punched in the gut’ talks about the truth about fructose and gluten.

Perlmutter writes if there is only one sentence you take from this book it is this:

“Diet has the dominant role in shaping gut microbiota into a disease inducing

entity.” Pg. 144

Fructose is a great burden on the liver. It takes so much energy for the liver to transform

fructose into different molecules that it is stressed to have enough energy for all its other

tasks.

Fructose is associated with impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, high blood fats,

and hypertension. High fructose levels cause the intestines to be less protective causing

the bacteria to leak out at a thirty percent higher level than normal.

Perlmutter wrote extensively in his previous book “Grain Brain” about gluten being the

most inflammatory ingredient of the modern era. He often has patients suffering from


headaches or migraines, ADHD, depression, anxiety, memory problems and his first

prescription is to remove all wheat products from their diets. He is constantly surprised

how that one act helps so many symptoms.

Recent studies from the Mayo Clinic connect gluten to type one diabetes. He says going

gluten free come with its difficulties because wheat permeates so much food. Labels must

be read and knowing the different names for wheat also helps.

Brain Maker Ch. 7-9

Bust A Gut: Antibiotics are the first line of topic. Perlmutter’s stance is that they are

good if really needed for a life threatening situation however for common ailments like

the cold and flu don’t do it. Antibiotics are the bulk of prescriptions for children under

ten.

Antibiotics are used to fatten cattle. It disrupts the microbiome leaving the bacteria that

processes carbohydrates and these animals get fatter quick, we get to eat their antibiotics

and have our system disrupted too.

H. Pylori is a common member of the human microbiome and is often prescribed

antibiotics that kill them (and the rest of the good bugs).

A study with veterans tested for HP found that the people who were positive for HP and

took antibiotics their BMI increased by five percent and they had an increase of the

hormone ghrelin known to increase abdominal fat.

Infections that don’t need antibiotics: common cold, influenza, most coughs and

bronchitis, many ear infections, many skin rashes.

Antibiotics increase by double the risk of breast cancer!

Dr. Perlmutter tells patients that the use of antibiotics for common colds, make it

last seven days, if you leave the cold untreated it lasts a week. ;-)

Older people who have had hip or knee surgery do not need to take antibiotics before

dental procedures unless they have very specific conditions.

Millions of people who use the pill for contraception deplete their B6 and can cause

mood and anxiety disorders. They are also an increase risk of Crohn’s disease.

BPA was first discovered in 1891 and prescribed for women’s disorders. When its cancer

causing qualities were discovered it was banned. Now it is everywhere in plastics and a

million pounds of the substance is released into our environment per year.

GMO’s and herbicide laden foods-there has now been uncovered a parallel between

gluten sensitivity and celiac increases with the increased amount of Round-up being

sprayed on our foods over the past 25 years. Scientists are urging governments to re-

examine their policy towards glyphosate and to introduce new legislation that restricts its

use.


Feeding Your Microbiome-Ch. 8

Key #1 Choose foods rich in probiotics-fermented foods done in brine not vinegar, live

cultured yogurts, kefir, tempeh are some of the foods on his list. Foods have been

fermented by human populations for over 7,000 years, evidence has been found in

ancient Chinese of fermented cabbage 6,000 years ago. These foods feed the microbiome

creating a healthy diversity among the gut bugs. Specific nutrients are also freed up by

the microbiome to be more easily accessible for use.

Key #2 Go low carb and embrace high quality fat – coronary heart disease may have

more to do with inflammation than high cholesterol. A study with overweight or obese

young people eating three different diets for a month showed the best results with a low

carb/high fat diet. The rest of this chapter talks about the recommended foods. Two

recommendations I thought were different chickpeas ok as hummus other legumes were

to be avoided (as in keto) and using chocolate as a sweetener...odd.

Key #3 Enjoy wine, tea coffee, and chocolate – Flavonoids are produced in plants to

protect themselves from free radicals. They are polyphenols the strongest antioxidants

found in the human diet. The main source of polyphenols is found in vegetables and fruits

and in plant derived drinks like tea, coffee, wine and chocolate. A four week study using

flavonoids from cocoa showed recipients of high doses had improved levels of the

bacteria bifidobacteria and lactobacilli species. Tests also showed a decrease in Clostridia

counts and C-reactin protein that famous marker for inflammation.

Key #4 Choose foods rich in prebiotics – Prebiotics must have three characteristics 1.

They must be non-digestible meaning they pass through the stomach without being

broken down by gastric acids or enzymes. 2. They have to be able to be fermented or

metabolized by the intestinal bacteria. 3. This activity has to give health benefits.

Recommends 12 grams/day of prebiotics foods which are: acacia gum, raw chicory root,

raw Jerusalem artichoke, raw dandelion, raw garlic, raw leek, raw onion, cooked onion,

raw asparagus.

Key #5 Drink Filtered Water – remove gut busting chlorine with a manual filter or under

the sink units. He avoids any mention of fluoride!!! Interesting, I wonder what his

stance is on that chemical.

Key #6 Fast Every Season – When we fast it breaks down fat into ketones that can be

used to fuel the brain (instead of glucose) this is a more efficient fuel. The Nrf2 gene

pathway is turned on by fasting, when activated, reduces inflammation. It also is a

powerful stimulation of mitochondrial growth.


Dr. Mark Mattson researched the role of calorie restriction in neuroprotection by

its minimizing apoptosis, enhancing mitochondrial energy production, decreasing

mitochondrial free radical formation, and enhancing mitochondrial growth. His

work gives clear cut scientific validation for the practise of fasting which has been

described in the Vedic texts some three thousand years ago. Perlmutter recommends

fasting 24-72 hours (72 hrs. only after doctor ok’s that you have no conditions that maybe

negatively affected) four times a year during seasonal changes. (Sept, Dec, March, June)

Brain Maker Ch. 9-end David Perlmutter, MD.

Go Pro: The Guide to Supplements

Dr. Perlmutter tells of a patient, a ten year old boy with Tourette syndrome. This boy had

three health issues from the age of three that needed antibiotics. One of these conditions

was Streptococcal throat infection. Research has shown a link from Tourette syndrome to

a previous strep infection. The doctor thought that there must be a link to the boy’s

current problems and the antibiotics earlier. The microbiome must have been greatly

disturbed. He recommended a probiotic enema to his mother and after several treatments

his Tourette symptoms disappeared. Now Perlmutter doesn’t mean to imply that probiotic

enemas are the cure for Tourette Syndrome, but rather the effects of antibiotics on the

microbiome and the power of restoring its healthy function.

There are five core probiotic species presented in this book that have good effects on

brain health. These are: Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus

brevis, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Bifiobacterium longum. The probiotic treatment must

also be accompanied by prebiotic food to keep the good bugs healthy. He suggests 12

grams a day by eating prebiotic foods 2x daily. Other additional supplements to consider

are: DHA, Turmeric, Coconut oil, Alpha-lipoic acid, Vitamin D. Alpha-lipoic acid is

being researched for its potential treatment of stroke and dementia.

Perlmutter presents his limited carbohydrate 7 Day Meal Plan that builds a healthy

microbiome. This week long menu can be implemented when taking antibiotics (after?)

and when you have strayed too far from the guidelines. In preparation he suggests buying

all the supplements for the week and beginning the plan with a probiotic enema. It will

give the bugs a good start. Each day incorporate exercise and try to go to sleep at the

same time each night and also rise at the same time.

The next section of this book is the recipes described in the 7 day meal plan.

The Epilogue: What the future holds

Perlmutter is most hopeful that fecal matter transplants (FMT) become common place to

treat other diseases other than C diff which it is now used for. Many of his great triumphs


have been in arranging FMT for his patients. New research is showing that FMT is

successful in treating Crohn’s disease and other doctors are having success in treating

ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and many brain related

disorders. It is now being looked at for treating obesity, diabetes, and rheumatoid

arthritis, as well as Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions.

Another new treatment is the use of parasitic eggs in the treatment of IBS and no the eggs

don’t hatch inside or travel through the intestines. It does sound rather odd and perhaps

gross however historic records show the efficacy of this treatment. Perlmutter believes

that we are welcoming in a new era of medical treatment and personalized care.

Excellent book!!!

Nutrient Power by William J. Walsh

Nutritional Power Ch. 1-3

William J. Walsh PhD. Introduces his work describing the misunderstanding of various

sciences that were held back by faulty beliefs. Psychiatry has been no different.

The blank slate theory that every child is born with a mental blank slate and that behavior

and other mental qualities are written from life experiences as they happen has hindered

the field of psychiatry for decades. It is faulty. In the 70’s this theory was proven wrong

with strong evidence that babies are born with pre-dispositions that effect personality and

behavior. This led to a revolution in mental health focusing on the biochemistry of the

brain.

Neurotransmitters are special chemicals that effect communication between brain cells

forming every thought, emotion and action. More than 100 neurotransmitters have been

discovered in the past fifty years. Some of the more studied chemicals are GABA,

glutamate, and acetylcholine.

It is generally accepted that most mental disorders are caused by an imbalance of

neurotransmitters. Walsh reveals an underappreciated fact that the primary raw materials

for synthesis of neurotransmitters are nutrients-amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other

natural biochemical’s that we get from food.

If there is a deficiency or over abundance of these nutrients, the synthesis of

neurotransmitters and their activity can be disrupted causing mental illness.

It is this understanding that a new medical approach to treat mental illnesses called

biochemical therapy or nutrient therapy. Two primary components of nutrient therapy is

the diagnosis of nutrient imbalances through urine, blood and tissue tests and then

applying therapies designed to normalize those nutrient deficiencies.

Biochemical individuality was a concept developed by Roger Williams in the 1940’s; his

greatest contribution to medical science maybe the discovery that many people are born


with nutrient imbalances causing heart disease and other disorders. This discovery led to

many other researchers studying the biochemistry of other diseases and to develop

nutrient balancing therapies. Abnormal amounts of nutrients are now known to cause

brain chemical imbalances and adverse mental health issues. This can predispose people

to conditions like ADHD, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders. The essence

of biochemical therapy is to carefully identify the individual’s nutrient under or over

abundance and then apply the appropriate individualized combination of nutrients with

‘rifle shot accuracy’ to normalize the brain chemistry.

Chapter two

Describes the life cycle of a neurotransmitter: synthesis, packaging into vesicles, release

into a synapse, interaction with an adjacent cell, reuptake, and death. Most psychiatric

medication works by changing neurotransmitter activity at synapses. The benefits of

biochemical therapy are normalizing the concentration of nutrients needed for

neurotransmitter synthesis, epigenetic regulation on neurotransmitter activity using

targeted therapy, and reducing free-radical oxidative stress.

I would imagine that combining nutrient therapy with a diet that reduces inflammation

would be amazing. One of the studies mentioned that 4% of 20,000 schizophrenic

patients had wheat sensitivities causing their symptoms. Pfeiffer founded the Princeton

Brain Bio Center in Skillman, New Jersey. His focus was on schizophrenic patients. He

evaluated more than 20,000 schizophrenics and created the world’s largest chemical

database for this condition. Pfeiffer treated his patients with carefully adapted nutrients

like zinc and B6 for people suffering auditory hallucinations and delusions.

Walsh thoroughly describes methyl/folate imbalances, fatty acid imbalances, toxic

overload, other nutrient imbalances, nutrient therapy response times, and the value of

including counseling. He feels that the advances of medical science for brain health are

far enough along that psychiatric medication with all their adverse side effects maybe a

thing of the past.

Nutrient Power - Ch. 4-6

Also, in Walsh’s appendix A is a description of the methylation process, methylation lab tests,

and the methylation cycle. Very interesting!

Methylation can be described as the addition of a methyl group to a molecule or atom.

These methyl groups affect dozens of chemical reactions in our body that are essential to

our physical and mental health. Also, methylation status has a lot to do with our

personality. Walsh writes that undermethylation can be expressed as OCD, perfectionism,

strong willed, high accomplishment.


Overmethylation often expresses as good social skills, many friends, artistic or musical

accomplishments, and not competitive. Walsh believes that normalizing methylation will

dominate the medical field for the next twenty years.

Epigenetics provides the blueprint that specifies different proteins to gather creating each

unique cell. Without the epigenetic blueprint, we’d look like the thing in the movie “The

Blob”.

There are two types of epigenetic disorders both of which are believed to be affected by

environmental insults: a) fetal programming errors and b) deviant gene book marks that

develop later in life. Walsh writes that epigenetic disorders that arrive before three years

of age and cause restructuring of the brain are likely to be irreversible.

However, deviant book marks that cause brain chemistry imbalances in later life are

likely to be reversible. Wow! This includes anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and other

mental disorders. He is very adamant that future studies could bring more permanent

reverses.

Ch. 5 – Schizophrenia

Documents describing schizophrenia go back 2000 BC. This condition was generally

referred to as madness until the 1900’s. Due to the influence of Freud, Jung, and Adler

the treatment of choice was a psychiatrist’s couch and exploration of early childhood

trauma.

Drug use began in the 50’s when Thorazine and Reserpine helped calm and reduce

psychosis for some patients. From the 60’s on the psychiatrists couch has been left for

drug therapy aimed at correcting brain chemical imbalances.

There are four schizophrenic theories: dopamine theory, glutamate theory, oxidative

stress theory, and epigenetics theory.

The Walsh theory of Schizophrenia: Walsh states that there has been a failure in

schizophrenic theories to recognize that the term schizophrenia is an umbrella term for

many different psychotic disorders. It is unlikely that they arise from the same cause or

share the same neurotransmission abnormalities or are best served by the same treatment

approach. Walsh proposes that a proper theory of schizophrenia should include: separate

causation for the major phenotypes, an explanation for the mental breakdown that occurs

in later adolescence or young adulthood; explanation for lifelong persistence of

schizophrenia after initial breakdown, and include an explanation of why this familial

disorder violates the classical laws of Mendelian genetics.

His theory has five distinct layers including: predisposition to schizophrenia, oxidative

stress effects, epigenetic changes, the three major phenotypes (Overmethylation,

undermethylation, oxidative stress overload), and the failure to follow genetic inheritance

laws is the epigenetic (environment) nature of schizophrenia.


Ch. 6 Depression

Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder and affects about one sixth of

Americans and only half seek medical help. It costs billions of dollars annually in health

care costs. It is believed that depression is responsible for about 60% of suicides in the

USA.

Ancient Hindu sacred texts refer to the prevention of mental pain. King Saul in the Old

Testament of the Bible describes his depression and ultimate suicide. Ancient times

thought that depression was caused by evil spirits and one treatment was to drill holes in

the skull to let the bad spirits out.

A Roman philosopher, Cicero, thought that depression was caused by traumatic

childhood experiences and designed a treatment similar to the psychiatrist’s couch. Not

much developed for the next 1700 years.

Depression has a similar evolution in treatment to schizophrenia from the psychiatrist’s

couch to SSRI medications which brings us up to present day. Walsh describes five types

of depression biotypes: undermethylation 38%, folate deficiency 20%, copper overload

17%, pyrrole disorder 15%, and toxics 5%. Something I didn’t know is that cheaper

calcium supplements can have lead impurities in them! Get the high purity

products! Good to know.

Another heavy metal is arsenic and it can be found in shellfish.

Walsh believes that depression does not belong under one umbrella, that there are

different types and therefore are treated better knowing what type is to be treated. He also

feels that some depression can be well treated with nutrient therapy on its own.

Ch. 7 Autism

In 1940-1980, a typical teacher might see an autistic child two or three times in a career.

Now most teachers hear of new autism cases in their districts each month.

Walsh writes that there is a definite inheritability to autism yet there is also a defying

component that maybe more related to the environment and toxins. Researchers believe

that the increase of autism n the last 70 years is due to environmental changes and the

recipe for autism is a combination of predisposition and severe environmental insults

prior to the age of three years.

In what is termed the “dark ages” of autism from 1945-1975, the accepted theory for

autism was that the parents were at fault because of a refrigerator (cold) mom and an

emotionally detached father. This held back research for 30 years.

Another misguided myth that still persists is that autism is incurable with a dismal future.

Thousands of recoveries have been reported worldwide due to advancements in

biomedical and behavioral therapies. A very high percent of children diagnosed with

autism have significant physical problems like poor immune function, severe


constipation, food allergies, intestinal yeast overgrowth, and increased sensitivity to toxic

metals.

Walsh reports that he has heard hundreds of cases reported by parents including cases

where no toxins, vaccinations, or illnesses were involved.

The nature of the regressions can be striking with loss of speech, change of personality,

odd repetitive motions, and divergent gaze. It seems obvious that a major event had

happened in the brain maybe in the entire body. The permanence of the autistic condition

remains a mystery.

He shares a story of twins diagnosed with autism, with aggressive treatment the same for

both; one had a full recovery and was removed from the autism spectrum while the other

did better but remained in the autism spectrum.

Walsh has witnessed hundreds of cases of full recovery with aggressive treatment, but all

were achieved before the age of four years suggesting that early treatment is necessary.

Walsh also notes that significant inflammation in the brain of children with autism has

been seen to inhibit brain development. Even with the reduction of mercury in

vaccinations, autism is still increasing.

A study of 500 families with autism cases revealed that adopting a gluten free/casein free

diet had great success. 85% of these families reported major benefits. Another

characteristic of autism is undermethylation. Data produced the results of 90% of autism

cases were undermethylated.

Treatments that have had success, Walsh states, are a combination of applied behavioral

analysis (ABA) and advanced biochemical therapy. Add in GF/CF diets to reduce

inflammation and the possibility of complete recovery increases.

Often, doctors recommend Risperdal, a medicine developed for schizophrenic patients,

which has a calming effect on autistic children. However, recent studies show that there

has been links to shrinkage of the tissues in the brain cortex volumes of schizophrenia

patients who use atypical treatments (like Risperdal).

Walsh presents his five part model of autism based upon research done by many others.

He suggests that testing infants for autism predisposing markers should become common.

Future research will identify methods for normalizing those marks with natural

biochemical therapies.

Ch. 8 Behavioral Disorders and ADHD

1 in every 31 American adults is in prison, on parole, or on probation!

The problem is twofold: we do not understand why children become criminals and we do

not how to rehabilitate or reform these individuals once they start breaking the law.

Walsh did numerous studies with violent inmates and with children over thirty years the

amount of data collected will be an amazing library of information for future studies to be

based upon. He and his research team found consistent trace mineral imbalances in

inmates.


A study of 24 pairs of brothers, one violent the other ideal behavior and good academics

were conducted. None of the well balanced boys had an imbalance of cadmium or zinc

(Cu/Zn). The boys with violent tendencies had either high or low levels of Cu/Zn.

Parents of these boys described very different behavior: high levels caused the children to

be “Jekyll and Hyde” with explosive outbursts and remorse expressed after the poor

behavior, low levels were mostly described as oppositional defiant, assaultive, cruel to

animals and some had a fascination with fire. The results of this test warranted further

study.

The next confirming study involved 96 extremely violent males and 96 non-violent

males. The data supported the first study that violent behavior males had Cu/Zn

imbalances.

There is so much great info here that I am going to pick a few notes that stood out to me.

Oppositional Defiant disorder (ODD) had compliance difficulties unless there was a

benefit to them.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), also known as psychopaths or sociopaths, is

treatable with best success before the age of 14 and before the abuse of alcohol or drugs.

There are three subtypes of ADHD: predominantly inattentive, predominantly impulsive

and hyperactive, and a combination of inattentive and impulsive and hyperactive. The

collective research has uncovered that the recipe for aberrant behavior is a combination

of a biochemical predisposition and a flawed environment.

Walsh states that the relatively inexpensive nutrient therapy can reduce crime and

violence, reduce human suffering, and save billions of dollars annually. This research

should be a national high priority.

Ch. 9 Alzheimer’s Disease

The first signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are a loss of the sense of smell and inability

to retain short term memories. There are four stages of AD: 1. early warning signs are a

loss of interest in events and activities along with a decline in mental sharpness. 2. Mild

AD is usually diagnosed when there is a striing loss of recent memories while still

retaining older memories. 3. Moderate AD shows the deterioration of neurons in the brain

and the patient loses the ability to perform many common activities of daily living.

Memories continue to deteriorate and the patient may forget their own grandchildren or

recent friends. 4. Advanced AD sees the patient completely dependent on caregivers. As

the disease progresses many develop a wooden expression, lose the ability to speak, and

fail to respond to visitors. Death often results from infection not directly from AD itself.

There are ten risk factors: age, head injuries, education level, mental activity, physical

activity, vascular factors, alcohol use, and physical illness. 70% are diagnosed after the

age of 70, risk declines after the age of 90.

Two Separate autopsy studies have shown severe deficiency of metallothionein (MT) in

deceased AD patients. MT proteins prevent toxic metals from passing the blood brain


barrier, regulate copper levels, and are a powerful antioxidant against free radicals. The

protective properties of MT depend upon lots of glutathione and selenium. Walsh calls

these antioxidants the three musketeers.

This good doctor has a patent for an MT-Promotion formula for the treatment of autism

and has a patent pending for the treatment of AD with the same formula.

Ch. 10 The Clinical Process

Advanced nutrient therapy involves a five step process:

Medical history and review of symptoms

Lab testing of blood and urine

Diagnosis of chemical imbalances

Treatment design

Aftercare

Each step is critical to success. Nutrient overdosing or under dosing has a powerful effect upon

the functioning of the brain. Do not do this at home unsupervised. Find a doctor experienced in

nutrient therapy!

Walsh reveals that in his experience some of the patients with best outcomes had a family

history with the same diagnosis. Some patients become discourage with that family

history thinking that their genetics will doom them. An inherited mental illness usually

involves chemistry imbalances in the brain and chemical imbalances can be treated.

Walsh goes onto describe telltale clues of chemical imbalance and the assortment of lab

tests for various conditions.

Poor compliance is the most common cause of therapy failure. There are a variety of

response times with nutrient therapy the quickest response being in one week pyrrole

disorder can show improvement in behavior control. Zinc deficiency will see little

improvement for the first two weeks with gradual improvement after and full

effectiveness after 60 days.

Toxic metal overload can see mild worsening for the first 10 days followed by steady

improvement for four to six months, removal of lead being especially slow. As in all

treatment there are some who do not respond to treatment and Walsh reported ten most

often cited reasons from noncompliance to growth spurts and malabsorption.

He feels that progress in epigenetics will offer cures for many mental and developmental

disorders, and epigenetics should become a high national priority. Book notes complete.


The Autoimmune Fix by Tom O’Bryan

The Spectrum of Autoimmunity Ch. 1

We have read about inflammation in the gut and corresponding conditions of the brain in our

previous books, however this book addresses autoimmunity specifically...all of it.

Dr. Tom O’Bryan is considered the world expert on the impact of wheat sensitivity on

autoimmunity. He uses celiac disease as a autoimmune spectrum model throughout this

chapter because it has been most studied from beginning to end.

Scientists have revealed the results of Alzheimer’s, diabetes and obesity are a decade’s

long process that develops in a step by step sequence. Elevated antibodies to an

environmental trigger, whether you have symptoms or not, are fueling tissue

degeneration and therefore inflammation.

Your body’s immune response is mostly hidden and unnoticed. If the initial response

takes care of the problem the response subsides, however if the environmental trigger

doesn’t cease then this fuel on the fire begins a more aggressive immune response that

could eventually lead to organ damage and a diagnosable autoimmune disease. This is the

primary pathway to autoimmune disease: cellular damage to tissue damage to organ

inflammation to organ damage to symptoms to finally diagnosed disease.

O’Bryan calls symptoms a “gift” that makes you aware of your body needing assistance

and offers a window of time for correction before really severe damage is incurred.

Inflammation first presents in your body to the weakest link. It could be your gut, your

brain, your muscles, or your heart. If only symptoms are corrected, the cause continues to

damage tissue, or organs, which then moves to your next weakest link causing a second

disorder. This process is called comorbidity in medicine.

A list from the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association shows 159 different

diseases on the autoimmune spectrum – associated with inflammation! The largest

published study connecting gluten sensitivity to mortality (pg. 29) looked at 351,000

intestinal biopsies and found a 72 percent higher risk of early mortality in those that were

gluten sensitive as compared to diagnosed celiac who had a 39% increased mortality rate.

O’Bryan states that few doctors understand or will investigate your risks regarding gluten

sensitivities.

Culprits and Causes Ch.2

There are three factors that cause autoimmunity and all three need to be present to

develop the majority of autoimmunity diseases: a genetic susceptibility, environmental

triggers, and a loss of intestinal barrier function. If you take one of these factors out of the

picture the body can begin to heal.

Factor I: Genetics: genetics determine how your body gets attacked by the immune

system. Chronic inflammation can show up as Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease,


diabetes, or cancer. This depends upon your genetic pre-disposition. The study of

epigenetics is the study of the environment around, not in, your genes. There is a

hormone which has been studied that helps break down toxins in our bodies. There are

two types of this hormone (CYP1A2): 1A and 1F. Hormone type 1A has a 61%

decreased risk for heart attack before the age of 50 with 1 cup of coffee. However, the

hormone type 1F increases the risk of heart attack before the age of 50 by 112% with 1

cup per day.

Factor 2: Environmental exposures: Consistently crossing the environmental exposure

limit will cause excessive inflammation and the escalade of autoimmune system attacks

on the weakest link in our body begins putting us on the autoimmune spectrum. Signs

that you are crossing the threshold of toxic limits are: fatigue, difficulty concentrating,

achiness, muscle twitches, rashes, bloating, chronic colds, or skin infections. A recent

study done by a colleague of the author has shown that every human has a sensitivity to

gluten in wheat.

Toxic gluten can be found in wheat, rye, and barley other grains like corn, quinoa, and

rice have gluten as well but are not toxic like the three previously mentioned.

White table sugar has been proven to be highly addictive and lethal. It is added into most

processed foods to enhance flavour (and return customers).

A list of thirty inflammatory effects of sugar shows the range of negative affects to the

body. Some of these are: sugar can cause premature aging, sugar can cause

atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, sugar can cause headaches even migraines,

sugar can slow down the function of your adrenal glands, sugar can increase your risk for

gout, sugar can cause gum disease, sugar can increase your risk of AD.

If you want to know how your food is affecting your blood sugar check out a really good

glycemic index. The glycemic index lets you know how fast a food will raise your blood

sugar. Pure glucose is used as a base it is given the value of 100. An example is that an

apple is rated at 38(/100), wheat thins are at 67. A rating over 60 is high; low is under 45

and is considered most nutritious.

Factor 3: Intestinal permeability: The epithelial lining of the intestines is one cell thick.

This membrane heals very quickly and functions like a cheesecloth where only small

molecules get (or are supposed to get) through into the blood stream. If the cheesecloth

gets torn due to inflammation macromolecules get through and your body doesn’t

recognize those molecules as nutrients and attacks them as foreign bodies. This triggers

the autoimmune system and now there are all three factors present, leaky gut being the

precursor to almost all cases of autoimmune disease.

The Absolute Necessity of a Healthy Microbiome Ch. 3

The microbiome is now considered the control center for all the body. It is linked to more

than digestion it also helps manufacture vitamins, regulates metabolism and blood sugar,


and influences both genetic expression and brain chemistry. Googling “microbiome”

brings up a list of 19,000 studies. It is the hottest topic in medical research now.

If you were born via natural childbirth you were inoculated with high concentrations of

bacteria called prevotella. A pregnant mother, in her last month, builds up these bacteria

to give her baby a message to create digestive enzymes to break down breast milk. If you

are born c-section, that message is missed and instead you are introduced to many foreign

bacteria in the hospital room and on the mother’s skin.

Children born this latter method are at a higher risk later in life to disease and possibly a

lower IQ. There are 100-150 times more genes in our microbiome than in our human

genes. Genes control function therefore our microbiome has 100-150 times more

influence on our daily function than the human genome itself.

Ways to support a healthy microbiome are: eat colorful foods, choose the right

carbohydrates (not processed), eat grass fed meats and healthy fats, eat one forkful of

fermented foods a day, eat probiotics and prebiotics.

Determining Your Place on the Autoimmune Spectrum Ch. 4

I didn’t know this...nutritionists can be trained in Functional medicine! I thought it was

just for doctors. (pg. 91) Yeah! O’Bryan describes the difference between traditional

medicine and functional medicine as taking a flight on an airplane. First, you see only

the airport building, this is traditional medicine, as you taxi away you can see the runway

and surrounding terrain, lift off sees the airport from the air and the city/town, eventually

you get the 30,000 ft view. That is the functional medicine view, taking in the entire

spectrum of your health looking for causes not just treating symptoms.

43% of people diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroid autoimmune disease are gluten

sensitive. Getting ready for change; change is an ongoing process.

The five stages of change are:

Precontemplation – individuals in this stage are not even thinking about making a change

as they do not perceive any problems.

Contemplation – individuals in this stage are ready to contemplate change and this brings

hope.

Determination – individuals in this stage will make serious attempts to improve their

lifestyle and are ready and committed to action.

Action – this stage puts plans into action implementing the Transition Protocol. They see

results in a few weeks.

Maintenance – the good doctor tells his patients that ‘humans are the only species in the

world that finds something that works and stops doing it’. It is common to be tempted

when feeling good to fall back in habits and feel bad the next day. Eventually, patterns

change and this fades away. Research finds that after six months of new lifestyle habit

changes the old lifestyle choices no longer pose a significant threat.

Good quizzes next (pgs. 96-102)

The Ready to Change Quiz: To improve your health, how willing are you to do the

following?


Answering nine questions like are you willing to significantly modify your diet, or

improve your sleep, and practice a relaxation technique by checking one of the

following levels: extremely willing, somewhat willing, neutral, somewhat unwilling,

not at all willing.

1) Medical Symptoms Quiz: Thinking about how you have been feeling over the past

month, fill in each question following this scale.

0 -Never or almost never have the symptom

1- Occasionally have it, effect not severe

2- Occasionally have it, effect is severe

3- Frequently have it, effect is not severe

4- Frequently have it, effect is severe Categories: head, eyes, ears, lungs, nose,

digestive tract, mouth/throat, joints/muscles, skin, weight, heart, energy/activity,

emotions, mind, other. Add up the scores in each category then add up those

scores for a grand total. Less than 10 is optimal greater than 40 suggests there is

considerable inflammation in your system. The category with the highest score is

most likely to be your weakest link.

Next in this chapter, which we have noted before is creating the health timeline. If

you visit LivingMatrix.com/TheAutoimmunefix you will find a free resource

that helps develop your personal Living Matrix timeline.

https://livingmatrix.com/( I think this is mostly for clinicians to use for their clients.)

Diagnosing Celiac disease vs. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: classifications of an

endoscopy report Marsh I-increased inflammation, microvilla shags still there,

lots of cytokines in shag Marsh II-shags are starting to wear down and the base

membrane is swelling Marsh III-shags worn completely villous atrophy total,

three stages are a)partial villous atrophy b)subtotal villous atrophy c) total villous

atrophy.2009 Swedish research study of celiac disease -350,000 biopsy reports

and found 39,000 people with celiac disease, 3,700 people with increase in blood

markers for celiac but not villa atrophy. The antibodies were elevated, but not

positive biopsy. 13,000 people who did not have positive blood work or positive

endoscopy, but had increased inflammation in the intestines.

These people were followed for 25 plus years and this is what was discovered.

Those with a positive diagnosis of celiac disease had a 39% increased chance of

early death. Those who had positive blood work but negative endoscopy had a

35% increased chance of early death. This is the kicker most doctors don’t

understand...those who had inflammation alone had a 72% increase chance

of early death. Very few doctors test for inflammation alone, thus the fire

rages on undetected sometimes for years.

The Science of Predictive Immunity Ch. 5

Autoimmune diseases have incubation periods that extend from a few years to 40 years.

O’Bryan gives the example of the average time it takes to diagnose celiac disease being

11 years with visits to 5 different health care practitioners before getting the correct

diagnosis.

https://livingmatrix.com/


Biomarker testing gives positive predictive value (PPV) when looking for the earliest

stages of autoimmunity. There are charts that I’ll drop an example of each one: sample

systemic autoimmune disease: rheumatoid arthritis, antibodies – anticyclic citrullinated

peptide – PPV 97% - 14 years before clinical diagnosis

Organ specific autoimmune disease: Crohn’s disease – antibodies – Anti-Saccharomyces

cerevisiae PPV 100% - 3 years before clinical diagnosis.

Predictive autoimmunity allows us to identify where the weak link in your chain is right

now!

Aristo Vojdani PhD. Researcher who has developed tests that can assess multiple

antibodies at one time. His patented blood tests do not address every autoimmune

disease, only the 24 most common ones. There are nine categories. This testis called the

Multiple Autoimmune Reactivity Screen.

The Intestinal Antigenic Permeability Screen is the ‘mother of all leaky gut tests’. This

test shows how leaky your gut is, how advanced damage to your intestinal wall has

become, and whether LPS is getting into your bloodstream. This is also a great follow-up

test to assess how well your program is doing.

The Wheat/Gluten Proteome Reactivity and Autoimmunity test screens for sensitivity to

10 different peptides to gluten (there are 62 different peptides to gluten). This test also

screens for the celiac disease marker, transglutaminase antibodies, three of them

(intestinal, skin, and neurological).

The Transition Protocol Ch. 6

Phase I, the first three weeks of the transition protocol is to remove all gluten, sugar, and

dairy from the patient’s diet. This chapter is to train a person to be in the ‘heal and repair’

state all the time by creating the right internal environment.

It is important to identify the biomarkers to disease before irreparable damage has been

done. The internal environment can be affected in many ways through exercise, and

overall physical activity, pursue lifelong learning for brain health, learning methods to

reduce stress, avoiding exposures to toxins, and changing our diets.

Checking your biomarkers from time to time with simple tests lets you know how well

you are doing. Some of these tests are C-reactive protein, ESR, white blood cell

‘differential’ test, and a repeat stool analysis.

The concept of body burden is when the natural elimination process in the body is so

maxed that it can no longer clean toxins out of the system. Toxins now can enter the

blood stream and pollute the entire body. 2005 study of umbilical cords from 10 babies

had an average of 200 industrial chemicals in the umbilical blood. 287 total chemicals

were found. This is a burden that cannot be sustained. The greatest fear is that these

toxins affect the brain.

O’Bryan feels that these toxic exposures so young maybe a reason that autism has grown

so exponentially in the last thirty years.

There are two ways that your food can be toxic, eating a food that your immune system

sees as a problem affects your microbiome directly and can change it within 24 hours.

The immune response will create an inflammatory response and will feed your ‘survival


bacteria’ in the gut. If you have developed a calorie hoarding microbiome it will

constantly tell you it wants more.

Second, with excessive inflammation from poor food selections, the body increases the

storage capacity of fat cells, specifically the ‘spare tire’ white fat cells around the waist.

The body also produces white fat cells to protect the brain from toxins by storing the

toxins in those cells. This over burden on the body from toxins it can no longer eliminate

creates more cells and the vicious cycle keeps repeating.

Many people lose 15-30 lbs of weight in the first 60-90 days of the gluten, sugar, dairy

free diet even though this is not meant to be a weight loss program.

Ch. 7 Transition Phase 1-Weeks 1-3

Dr. O’Bryan finds that 80% of his patients get great results with just phase one and do not

need to go onto phase two; 10% have a food allergy that phase two can correct and 10%

need the full autoimmune diet. He designed his protocol to take baby steps with fewer

restrictions at first to have better compliance. The autoimmune diet leans toward the

Paleo system.

He is very anti-GMO with the prevalent GMO’s being soy, corn, and rice. Wheat is not

listed in his nine GM foods (soy, corn, cotton oil, canola oil, sugar from sugar beets,

zucchini, yellow squash, Hawaiian papaya, and alfalfa) on the market for good reason.

Wheat has been hybridized over the years. It has been bred to tolerate a weed killer

Round-up whose active ingredient is glyphosate, a known carcinogen.

Scientists are studying this chemical in relation to the detoxification capabilities of the

liver...claiming it is a “textbook example of environmental triggers disrupting

homeostasis” (pg. 159). There are three rules to avoid GMO’s; buy organic, local, and

look for ‘Non-GMO Project Verified” or “USDA Organic”.

A class of carbohydrates called fructan which fertilizes good gut bacteria, is in wheat.

When we remove wheat from our diets we need to be sure to add another source of this

gut food. Other sources are chicory root, dandelion root, leeks, asparagus, artichokes,

onions, garlic, bananas, and plantains. The rest of this chapter contains the lists of foods

available to eat in phase 1.

Fruits can be abundant with the exceptions of if one has known sensitivities and too many

bananas, which are higher on the glycemic index at 51, can raise blood sugars too high

and put a person on the path to diabetes...so bananas in moderation. Categories include:

nuts and seeds, vegetables, animal proteins with the caveat that they are pastured and/or

organic, fish, healthy fats, flours for baking, and fermented foods. There are excellent

charts on clean rated fish.

One of the most critical components of the Transition Protocol (TP) is getting absolutely

gluten free. That means eliminating wheat, rye, barley, kamut, and spelt. In phase, one of

the TP other gluten free grains can be eaten like quinoa, rice, and gluten free oats (which

are difficult to find).

Two companies that go above the norm for gluten free oats are Bob’s Red Mill and

Trader Joe’s. Less than 1/8th

a thumbnail of a toxin like gluten has the ability to

activate the inflammatory cascade, which will last for 2 to 6 months.


The next of the big three, dairy, is also to be eliminated. Ghee is the fats of butter with the

proteins removed. It is ok to use in phase 1. Products labeled ‘pareve’ are considered

milk free under kosher law, however it could have small amounts of milk protein that

could cause a reaction.

Liz Lipski PhD says (pg. 186) that the average American eats somewhere between 130-

145 pounds of sugar in the form of table sugar or high fructose corn syrup per year!

Erica Kasuli from the Amen clinic provides a wise line, ‘Don’t erase, replace’.(pg. 187)

Withdrawal symptoms in first few days common: keep hydrated, add salt, and exercise to

assist with symptom management. Remember ‘gluten free’ products do not mean they are

healthy choices. Always hungry? Rule out parasites, then add more healthy fats. HALT

equals hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Ask yourself why are you hungry? One of the

HALT’s there are other ways to care for those emotions than eating through them.

Ch. 8 Supporting your Transition

It only takes three weeks to know if Phase 1 of the transition protocol is working. Now

that fuel has been removed from the ‘fire’ the fire still has to be put out. Some acid

controlling medications can actually increase gluten sensitivity.

Some inflammatory fighting foods are dark chocolate (love this!), green tea, almonds,

garlic, fish, and red wine.

Dr. O’Bryan has developed a nutrient package called ‘The Gluten Sensitivity Support

Pack with a combination of six pills that contain 22 different nutrients. These nutrients

reverse intestinal permeability: Vit D, glutamine, fish oils, probiotics, zinc carnosine, and

colostrum (from grass fed cows).

Only a small amount of celiac patients fully heal. (pg. 214) Measure your inflammation

biomarkers even after your symptoms are gone. There is a mouth bacteria that can cause

leaky gut, Porphyromonas gingivalis.

One way to have healthy bacteria in your mouth is to swish coconut oil around every day

after brushing and flossing. It is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and has prebiotic

healthy bacteria.

Toxic food exposures can happen with gluten in cosmetics, and celiac symptoms from

facial soap. He has a four page list of chemicals that may contain gluten and household

items that may also contain gluten. There are a few recipes for cleaning products that you

can make yourself, too.

Ch. 9 Transition Phase 2: Weeks 4-6

The three week limit to phase one is because if you aren’t feeling significant

improvements by the third week then there are other triggers that need to be found.


Phase two is a much more strict food phase: bye bye grains and other known triggers

along with gluten, sugar, and dairy. It can take symptoms from a trigger food anywhere

from minutes, to hours or even days to manifest.

This is why foods are reintroduced one at a time slowly. If you add a tomato back in and

there is no reaction then on the fourth day you can add another food back into your

system. These foods are to be removed now, cow’s milk, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts,

wheat with the rest of grains, including corn.

All nightshades will also be removed. There is a mold in corn called fumonisin that was

detected in 105 of118 foods labeled as gluten free!

Quinoa is not a grain but a grass from Peru, it has been modified to grow here by

crossing it with you guessed...wheat! Now quinoa can be tested and have toxic levels

of gluten in it when it was once a great healthy replacement.

Avoid all night shades until the end of phase two, and then some maybe reintroduced

slowly to see if you react.

FODMAP’s stand for fermentable oligo-di-monosaccharides and polyols which are a

family of carbohydrates found in wheat and many other foods. FODMAP’s can cause

diarrhea, bloating and gas or sometimes constipation. There are lists of FODMAP fruits,

vegetables, and nuts and seeds in this chapter that must be avoided. These include apples,

peaches, figs, grapefruit, almonds, cashews, raisins, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, beans,

beets, garlic, peas, mushrooms, asparagus, butternut squash, leeks...to name a few.

Ch. 10 The Transition Protocol Recipes

Some of the goals of these recipes is that they be easy to prepare, be family friendly, and

taste great. Most of the recipes can be prepared in advance so that you don’t have to

scramble. Some recommended brands of food are included but feel free to source your

own as long as it fits the criteria needed from this book.

Ch. 11 Week 7 and Beyond

Week 7 and beyond is maintenance time.

Reintroducing foods you love will take several weeks with dairy introduced last because

it is too potent and is a common trigger food causing a ‘host of different reactions’.

There is a conundrum in introducing foods back. Some symptoms cannot be felt like in

the brain. Therefore, there are two steps to follow 1) reintroduce foods as explained

slowly 2) in six months redo the blood tests for inflammation biomarkers.

Eating out is difficult so he has some tips. Engage the wait staff, ask for their help to keep

a 911 incident from happening. Choose something easy to prepare and without sauces

that may have hidden ingredients. The one thing that cannot be reintroduced ever is

gluten especially if you have celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. He retests in 6 to 12

months to see if antibodies have lowered.

Great quote from his mentor Dr. Jeffrey Bland: pg. 300

“Throughout your life, the most profound influences on your

health, vitality, and function are not the doctors you have

visited or the drugs, surgery, or other therapies you have

undertaken. The most profound influences are the cumulative


effects of the decisions you make about your diet and lifestyle

on the expression of your genes.

Book complete.

The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton

With more than 100,000 copies sold of his self-published book, The Biology of Belief,

Bruce Lipton teams up with Hay House to bring his message to an even wider audience. This

book is a groundbreaking work in the field of new biology, and it will forever change how you

think about thinking. Through the research of Dr. Lipton and other leading-edge scientists,

stunning new discoveries have been made about the interaction between your mind and body and

the processes by which cells receive information. It shows that genes and DNA do not control

our biology, that instead DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the

energetic messages emanating from our thoughts. Using simple language, illustrations, humor,

and everyday examples, he demonstrates how the new science of Epigenetics is revolutionizing

our