Food Sensitivities, Mental Illness and a New Recipe

I'd like to introduce a friend of mine, Nancy Ludwig.  We met about a year ago at a public lecture, "Food Sensitivities and Mental Illness", where she presented information about the connection between the two.  I kicked off the event with my personal story of helping my son overcome anxiety through diet.

Nancy Ludwig, M.S., R.D., L.D. 

Last Friday, I was wishing Nancy could've been a guest on Oprah.  In case you missed it, Oprah interviewed Laurie, a mother whose son, Zach, has violent rages, hears voices and has sensory processing issues.  The point of the story was to highlight how the family has coped.  Zach has been taught to focus on positive energy and to resist the negative.  It seems to be helping, but not enough to keep him out of a special school for mentally ill children or from hearing voices.  When Zach was interviewed, it was hard to miss his facial tics and red ears, two red flags that he should be tested for food sensitivities, among other things.  As I watched, I waited and hoped someone would say something about this.  While I believe in the power of positive thought, I was disappointed when medical intervention (other than prescription drug treatment) wasn't mentioned.

  Over 20 years ago, Donahue did a show featuring a number of children who became violent, sad, depressed, anxious, or simply difficult to be around, upon eating certain foods.  Dr. Doris Rapp, an environmental medicine and allergy specialist, was interviewed and explained that some people have these types of reactions to food and/or things in the environment.  The opening segment shows a boy with Tourette's who becomes violent upon exposure to tomatoes.




If I could speak to Laurie, here's what I would recommend to her:

(1)  Find a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now) Doctor, holistic M.D., or alternative care provider.  Although Zach may not meet the diagnosis for autism, problems like mood swings, tics, Tourette's, OCD, Asperger's, and ADHD can be helped through a similar protocol that examines food sensitivities, vitamin and mineral difficiencies, gastrointestinal imbalances (yeast and bacteria overgrowth, insufficient enzyme or acid production, etc.), adrenal and thyroid problems, and heavy metals and environmental allergy testing.

(2)  Take advantage of the following books:

• Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourette's:  A Patient and Family Guide
• Special Needs Kids Eat Right
• Special Needs Kids Go Pharm-Free:  Nutrition-Focused Tools to Help Minimize Meds and Maximize Health and Well Being.

(3)  Zach's red ears may be a sign he is not able to process the phenols in his food.  This could also be affecting his behavior.  For more information about phenols and how to avoid them, visit the Feingold Association or Talk About Curing Autism.

Thai Green Curry with Vegetables and Chicken

Thai Chicken and Vegetable Curry

Back to my friend, Nancy.  One of her passions is helping people with food sensitivities.  She generously shared a recipe with me from her recent cooking class, "A World of Gluten Free Grains."  I served it up with brown basmati rice.  Whole grain millet or quinoa would also be delicious.

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk (full fat: 14 fl oz)

1-2 tbsp green curry paste (Thai Kitchen is GF)

1-2 tbsp fish sauce (1 tbsp seemed plenty to me)

2  skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup chopped cabbage

1/2 cup frozen peas (I used fresh snow peas)

2 to 4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

Combine coconut milk, curry paste and fish sauce in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add chicken and chicken broth to the sauce.  Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add cabbage, mushrooms, pepper and peas.  Simmer 2 minutes or until heated through.  Garnish with fresh basil and serve.  Serves 2 to 3.  Source:  www.foodsensitivityjournal.com

GF Cooking Class in Salem, Oregon

Nancy is teaching more cooking classes at Vida Family Medicine in Salem, Oregon:

• February 24:  Creating Gluten Free Casein Free (GFCF) Soups and Sauces:  Create variations on a basic white sauce without dairy or gluten.
• March 31:  Embracing Greens:  Explore common and novel uses for nutritious greens.
• April 28:   Un-cheese and egg-less:  Explore common egg replacers and nutritious approaches to cheese sauce and soup.

Each class costs $20.  To register, call 503-588-1400.

This post is linked to Hearth and Soul Hop, Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Real Food Weekly.