Your Genes Choose Your Food J


enn, a mother of two, called my office one day and told me that her son Rick was overmedicated and listless, losing weight, and doing poorly in school. He had been variously diagnosed with depression, attention deficit disorder and ir- ritable bowel syndrome, and was medicated by three dif- ferent specialists. Now Jenn wanted my opinion as a naturopathic doctor. She arrived looking distressed, ac-


companied by her sullen, red haired son. After they sat down in front of my desk, Jenn said, “I’m a single mother and got laid off six months ago. I have to work two jobs now, so Rick has to fend for himself most of the day.” Rick avoided my eyes as his mother talked,


as if he were embarrassed. Jenn continued, “The other morning I looked down and realized that my 10 year old son was on more medications than my mother at 75, and I just freaked out. Plus, he doesn’t seem to be getting any better, just worse.” Rick was suffering from many of the mod-


ern ailments of children and young people in today’s world and was being treated with a powerful drug cocktail that included Ritalin and Paxil. Both drugs possess strong side effects; in concordance they could have effects not just on his mood, but behavior, hunger levels, energy, and mental skills. Naturopathic medicine doesn’t look at only one aspect of


a patient’s life but the whole picture. Powerful pharmaceuticals were certainly part of Rick’s equation. But what about how he lived and ate? Jenn said, “I try to buy him healthy food but I can’t make him


eat it. I work all day and he’s at school.” Rick’s self reported diet was typical of many children’s:


A sugar filled pop tart, with orange drink for breakfast. A slice of pizza or two at noon with cookies and soda. A frozen dinner at night with ice cream and more soda. The lack of nutrients, along with the sugar and fat load in this


diet, were certainly problematic, and there was also not a single fruit or vegetable to be found in Rick’s diet. And it was laden with synthetic additives and colorants that have been implicated in ADD, among other disorders. Rick’s most serious illness was irritable bowel, which kept


him from playing sports. What was he eating that was triggering bowel attacks in a boy so young? I decided we would first try a Genetic Diet, which removes


foods that Rick’s body uniquely attacks as foreign. Our immune system decides if things are friend or foe, and based on our DNA, we may attack something that is entirely benign. Many people get strep throat, but some are strep carriers, and because of their DNA, will never get strep infections. With one simple blood test we can discover the foods that Rick’s immune system attacks, and creates Rick’s symptoms. The blood tests revealed that Rick’s trigger was gluten, which


was in virtually every meal he ate. I helped Jenn come up with a gluten free diet that avoided refined wheat breads and all white products, which Jenn substituted with brown rice and spelt. Since


Jenn suspected that she had the same problem she de- cided to follow this diet herself. This turned out to have


a variety of benefits. She and Rick ate together for the first time in years, they ate healthy non-processed food and they saved money by eat-


ing at home. This diet also rid his body of additives and food colors that have been implicat- ed in ADHD and mood. It was a win-win situation. Surprisingly, Rick stuck


with the diet and was even agreeable to taking his moth- er’s healthy lunches to school. Why? I saw the answer for my- self when he arrived for his two month follow up.


When I saw Rick after eight weeks on a healthy diet I almost


didn’t recognize him. His pallor was gone, his face had filled out and so had his body, and he had stopped taking Ritalin. “Why is that?” I asked him. “I don’t feel like I need it any-


more. I can pay attention pretty well now. I told my other doctor – he was surprised but he didn’t argue about it.” Jenn on the other hand looked as if a sub-layer of fat had


melted off her body. She also seemed happier and more alive. “Get this – Rick’s playing soccer! And it was his idea.” As I listened to her talk, I thought –this is the power of food.


It is not simply our body’s fuel, without which we could not sur- vive. It also possesses great power for our physical and mental well-being. As the French gastronomist Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said,


"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.' Dietary change is the core lifestyle modification in natur-


opathic medical practice. The easiest, least expensive, and most effective intervention you as a parent can make to your child’s health is through “real” foods, which are often the miracle cure for numerous childhood disorders. This is an area of everyday life that you can act on right now – without a prescription or special expertise – just a little guidance. No one diet works for everyone, Atkins, South Beach, the list


goes on and on. However when you find your Genetic Diet, you will quickly improve focus, mood, pain, and almost any health condition. For most people, it is their Naturopathic Answer.


Dr. Jared Skowron is a national expert on natural medicine for chil- dren. Author of Fundamentals of Naturopathic Pediatrics, the most up-to-date book on scientifically proven natural remedies for chil- dren’s health conditions, he is also founder of the Pediatric & Autism Clinic at the University of Bridgeport. Dr. Skowron has appeared on Animal Planet, Dogs 101, and lectures nationally on natural medicine for children. He and his wife practice at Harvest Park in Wallingford, CT. See ad on page 9.


www.naturalnutmeg.com September 2010 39


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