Here’s a post by Food Renegade that sure to stir up some debate. I was introduced to the Food Renegade blog about a year ago and I’ve been a fan since day one. Her (Kristen Michaelis) posts are all focused on a very simple concept — real food. While I still consume some packaged food myself, I do my best to eat real food that I prepare at least 90% of the time. I see the positive effects of that choice on a daily basis and wouldn’t go back to my pre-celiac diagnosis diet for anything. Other than the occasional gluten-free bread product (and yes, sometimes a gluten-free dessert with the kids), I stick to a grain-free and allergen-free diet as much as possible.
This post showing a connection between ADHD and food is no surprise. I honestly believe that our modern diet is the root cause of just about every illness out there. There are some great studies showing a direct connection between diet and mental illness, diet and thyroid problems, and of course the obvious conditions like diabetes. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom tells us to look for a pharmaceutical approach and not look to deep at some simple solutions. I won’t go into any conspiracy theories related to this, but it does make one wonder. I’m not saying there’s not a time and place for medication, but it should never be the first line of defense. Why not start with the simple treatment options like food.
I’ve said it over and over again in many posts on this site, but being diagnosed with celiac disease was the greatest day of my life. Finally, an answer as to why I was feeling so bad and in truly abysmal health (it nearly killed me back in 1999). It also made me learn about food in ways that I never would have dreamed of before and that can only be a good thing. I also believe that it killed my father even though he was never diagnosed with celiac disease as he constantly complained about symptoms that were so similar to the ones that I had — at the time, these symptoms were simply attributed to his alcoholism.
She does get into the topic of reversing food allergies — while I think that this is something that is possible for people who are gluten intolerant, it’s not something that someone with celiac disease should get there hopes up for. Short of future options like gene therapy or gene replacement, I don’t think a person with celiac disease will ever be able to reintroduce gluten into their life. All in all though, I agree with just about everything Kristen recommends in terms of diet. Her focus on real food has been my personal mantra for years.
As far as this post on ADHD (and so many other illnesses) being directly related to food — there is no question in my mind that this is 100% true. Thank you Kristen.
– – –
“A study published last month in the British medical journal The Lancet indicated that in at least 2/3 of all ADHD cases, food sensitivities were the cause.
Pause for a moment and think of what this means. 64% of the kids out there being dosed with toxic pharmaceutical drugs to treat ADHD simply don’t need them! This number is monumental. In the U.S. alone, that represents an estimated 5 million children…”
