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Angela Taylor, MS, CNS, LDN is Board-Certified in Clinical Nutrition and is the author of The BrainFood Cookbook. She successfully recovered her son from autism using the SCD/GAPS/Paleo diet. She resides in Baltimore, MD and holds three degrees from John Hopkins University. Angela is a Licensed Clinical Nutritionist and works with clients via Skype and in-person in Baltimore. www.brainfood-nutrition.com She also serves as Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University teaching Clinical Nutrition.

IgG Food Sensitivity Testing

Q: I was just wondering if you think the IgG food testing kit from Everywell would work?

A: Perhaps – Everlywell looks like a perfectly good lab. And, it is handy for people to have access to an affordable direct-to-consumer test. However I do have some reservations about finger-prick IgG tests: someone taking immune suppressant meds, or with overall low SigA due to a worn-out immune system (surprisingly common) may get false negatives. (meaning, they actually do have food sensitivities but their test results will suggest things are OK) For this reason I always prefer to go with an actual serum draw (into vials) so Total Immunoglobulin levels can be measured (vs. at-home finger prick blood sample cards). 

I’m a fan of this IgG test from Great Plains, which does offer serum testing https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/food-map-igg-sensitivity-profile. However, a practitioner would need to order this test. (and BTW – there are several other good labs offering practitioner-ordered IgG tests)

My clinical experience of IgG food testing of people with healthy intestinal integrity suggests that people may very well have a few “forever-banned” foods unique to them. For example, my own lab testing shows that my gut is intact, yet I am highly reactive (make IgG antibodies) to lemons, bananas, pineapple, oysters, cabbage, and asparagus. Whereas my son (who also has healthy intestinal integrity) can safely eat all of my IgG problem foods, but he is highly reactive (makes IgG antibodies) to walnuts, pecans, and buckwheat.

I often recommend to my clients they work on alleviating intestinal permeability prior to IgG testing to maximize its accuracy. (see: Intestinal Permeability) Someone with a severely leaky gut may make IgG antibodies to virtually everything they are eating. (I wouldn’t call that false positives, because they actually are making antibodies when eating those foods right now.) But later on some of those foods may actually be OK for that person, if they fix their guts. So I often tell folks receiving their first-ever IgG foods test, these aren’t necessarily your forever-banned foods, but we ought to do some work to improve intestinal integrity/help your body reduce its production of antibodies to those foods before declaring them OK to eat again.

Common root causes for intestinal permeability include glyphosate, gut dysbiosis, and gluten consumption. Going gluten-free, eating organic, and filtering drinking water, are easy at-home steps anyone can take to improve their intestinal integrity. But reducing dysbiosis is a more challenging task – I have my best clinical success combining functional testing, specific herbals, and high doses of specific probiotics. Mold remediation is also called for if functional testing reveals a mold problem. My currently preferred functional lab tests are the Organic Acids and MycoTox from Great Plains combined with stool testing from Sun Genomics.

In conclusion, an IgG test from a direct-to-consumer lab using finger-prick collection cards may be useful for some people, but not everyone. Those with chronic health conditions may benefit from taking a look at the bigger picture including dysbiosis, mold, and intestinal permeability, along with food sensitivities.

Cronometer – Food Logging

i currently serve on the faculty at 3 universities (including Johns Hopkins University) so I respect data-driven recommendations. One of my best tools for gathering nutrition data is Cronometer, which states it is “the most accurate, comprehensive nutrition tracking app on earth” and I would agree. My nutrition clients are asked to track their food using Cronometer – I’d say this puts me squarely into the category of “tough love” practitioner. If you’d like to learn more, I invite you to view my Cronometer tutorial on YouTube:
I started BrainFood Nutrition because I’m passionate about helping others optimize their health using the power of nutrition. As faculty at Johns Hopkins University I’m fortunate to have access to the latest nutritional research, and my mission is to help you by sharing best practices, tips, and tricks I’ve learned through research and my own clinical experience.

Constipation

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Many experts believe for best health your child should have a “Type 4”  bowel movement at least once/day. (see Bristol Stool chart)

However according to WebMD, the definition of constipation is as follows:

The normal length of time between bowel movements varies widely from person to person. Some people have them three times a day. Others have them just a few times a week. Going longer than 3 or more days without one, though, is usually too long. After 3 days, your poop gets harder and more difficult to pass.

I’ve recently created a free handout: 8 Tips to Reduce Constipation

I hope it helps you to get things moving!

Please remember that 
no matter your dreams or obstacles, you have the power to change your child’s life. I sincerely hope our resources can help you do just that.

Reference:

  1. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-constipation

Fermented superfoods shopping guide

My colleague Ryan Hetrick (Director of the soon-to-be released autism documentary Restoring Balance) recently posted a video shopping guide for probiotic superfoods.
Many of these fermented superfoods can be made cheaply at home. However if you’ve never consumed them before, you might want to try the store-bought versions first.
• Coconut water kefir – popularized in The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates
• Be cautious of Kombucha – contains yeast strains/alcohol that might not be a good fit for young children and/or those with candida issues
• Coconut Yogurt (such as Cocoyo)
Buy organic, unpasteurized, in glass bottles:
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Coconut Vinegar
• Sauerkraut
At any rate, please remember to go low-and-slow when introducing new fermented foods. Start with a small taste, then gradually work your way up to larger portions.
Please remember that no matter your dreams or obstacles, you have the power to change your child’s life. I sincerely hope our resources can help you do just that.
References
Gates, D., & Schatz, L. (2011). The body ecology diet: Recovering your health and rebuilding your immunity. Atlanta, GA: B.E.D. Publications.

2016 ASD rates skyrocket to 1 in 36 children (2.76%)

In Jan 2018 JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) published shocking new statistics from a survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. As of 2016, the autism rate is now 1 in 36 children (2.76%). For males, this breaks down to 1 in 28 boys (3.63%).

According to NIH, in 2016 a mere $232 Million was spent on Autism research, compared to $4.3 Billion spent researching “Rare Diseases”. Please contact your Elected Officials and ask them to prioritize autism research funding.

How Can I Get My Kids to Eat More Vegetables?

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Many of my private coaching clients reveal to me that their children eat low-to-no vegetables. This concerns me because it sets the child up for numerous vitamin deficiencies. Furthermore, a low-fiber diet leads to constipation.
How much produce should my child be eating? 
According to the USDA (MyPlate, 2018) a 4-year-old child should be consuming 2 cups of vegetables, and 1.5 cups of fruit per day. A GAPS patient (who is not eating grains) might want to eat even a bit more veggies than that. I shot a quick 2 minute video to help you do just that!
Please remember that no matter your dreams or obstacles, you have the power to change your child’s life. I sincerely hope our resources can help you do just that.
Reference:
United States Department of Agriculture, MyPlate. Available at www.myplate.gov.

Smoothie Jars

Efficiency Tip #2 – Weekly Smoothie jars

  • Take out all dry smoothie ingredients, and place on counter.
  • Line up a week’s worth of empty glass jars
  • Assembly-line style, fill the line of jars with measured scoops of each dry ingredient. Place each ingredient back into the cabinet as you go.
  • Seal jars and stow in the cabinet.

Each morning:

  • Fill blender with a cup of liquid, and whatever fresh/frozen produce you have on hand.
  • Dump contents of dry jar into blender.
  • Blend and enjoy.


Constipation

Constipation causes a toxic backup in the body.

  • Ideally poop 1-2 times a day
  • Want stools to be #4 on Bristol Stool Scale (a “smooth sausage”)
  • Increase fluid consumption
  • Increase magnesium. ex: Epsom Salt (baths), Natural Calm (drink), Ease magnesium oil (applied topically)
  • (Winter is dry – use a humidifier in the bedroom – clean it frequently. If it has a sponge, get rid of it. If ultrasonic or boiling humidifier = good. Want 40% humidity level in bedroom air. Don’t want excessive humidity because might encourage mold growth.)
  • If more than 3 days go without a bowel movement, do an enema. (just note that frequent enemas make the body dependent upon them and can have a rebound effect over time)
  • (Don’t give gummy bears or coconut flour when constipated)
  • Increase fiber consumption from vegetables. Aim for 4-5 servings of veggies per day. See BrainFood Cookbook veggie chart p. 39, veggie magic p. 174
  • Increase fiber consumption from organic psyllium husks
  • Apply castor oil topically over lower abdomen
  • Fermented foods can help (ex: sauerkraut, homemade raw milk kefir)
  • Cooked fruits, especially apples & plums (or prunes)
  • Increase oils (Fish oil, olive oil, ghee, etc.) – add them to everything
  • Purchase a toilet stool ex: SquattyPotamus
  • Going back and doing the GAPS intro may help
  • Stool testing (ex: GI-MAP) can identify dysbiosis (microbial imbalance in the gut)
  • Exogenous Ketones ex: Instant Ketones (Coconut Cream Flavor) Adults take 1/2 scoop, kids take way less
  • Probiotics, especially if they contain strains known to help constipation. (start with a pinch and work up) Try:
Please remember that no matter your dreams or obstacles, you have the power to change your child’s life. I sincerely hope our resources can help you do just that.

Folate (Vitamin B9)

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Folate (Vitamin B9) is essential for numerous functions in the human body, and many autistic and ADHD children are low in this essential nutrient. I hope you find this video to be useful and informative.

If you’d like to have a hard copy, you may download Folate PowerPoint Slides (PDF).

Please remember that no matter your dreams or obstacles, you have the power to change your child’s life. I sincerely hope our resources can help you do just that.

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