Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, once said, “All diseases begin in the gut”.
NATURAL STATE OF BEING --- beached, brown, salty, cookin.
I’ve been meaning to write a post for some time now on the impact of diet on overall wellbeing, a post thats in some ways more to convince and remind myself of just how seriously I ought to take Hippocrates’ claim than it is to convince anyone else. About 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue (CFS/ME/Fibromyalgia), which brought together a host of symptoms I’d been battling for some time under a label for a condition with no real known cure, only protocols recommended for management - REST, balance, diet adjustments, graded exercise therapy, mindfulness. As I've learned more about what it is my body is battling, I’ve come to see the overwhelming impact of diet on the level of energy I have day to day. At times it sucks to have to strip back to bone broths and slow cooked vegetables, no coffee, no chocolate and just water as a beverage. At times YOLO takes over (/stress/social pressure/disorganisation) and I fall prey to real milk chocolate/pizza or WAY more coffee than is humanly sensible, but the reality is that the price this body pays for indulging in those things is just not worth it in the long run.
The thing is, for those who live with autoimmune conditions/anxiety/depression/other more long-term illnesses, dietary adjustments are a sensible and STRONG way of radically shifting health for the long term.
As a teacher, I see the impact of diet in a child’s general wellbeing and ability to focus on a VERY regular basis. I always wondered what some of my parents might say if I recommended that they change their child’s diet to restore balance in the gut as an approach to supporting their behavioural/learning needs. This year, I was introduced to GAPS - an approach headed by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride that recognises how the fundamental impact of gut health on overall health and wellbeing, particularly in the realms of psychology and learning. The approach resonated strongly with me because I had LONG seen the impact of what I ate on not only how I felt physically, but also on my mood, my ability to concentrate, and general health.
It’s a concept that has been explored before by the likes of Dr David Perlmutter (MD), the bestselling author of Brain Maker ad Grain Brain; books that seek to unfold and show the impact of healthy gut flora. This video podcast he did with Kelly Brogan (MD) (author of the newly released A Mind of Your Own) is especially helpful in thinking about the impact of blood sugar on mood, and, to a greater extent, the impact of blood sugar on depression and anxiety. GAPS is a somewhat stricter approach that outlines a protocol by which its undertakers can expect to see some radical results in what is really a very short period of time. The protocol is something of a diet overhaul (to start out you’re not eating much more than bone broths, boiled meats and cooked veg) but with good, well-proven reason. It’s all about the importance of a healthy microbiome; healthy gut-flora/healthy gut wall.
The approach recognises the importance of the fact that about 85% of our immune system is located in the gut wall. If THAT MUCH of our immune system relies on what we put into our bodies, and more directly, our STOMACHS, then we ought to pay attention to what we eat, and not only what we eat, but ALL that we consume. Toxicity can be seen to have an even greater impact on those with auto-immune conditions. Autoimmune conditions involve the body’s immune system producing an inappropriate response against itself. Autoimmune responses can ALL be see as borne in the gut, and in this sense as well as a multitude of other areas of the body, largely play out as inflammation.
Inflammation is the body’s response to these autoimmune reactions (a non-specific immediate response). This exact response is why so many people suffering autoimmune conditions experience pain, bloating, muscle aches etc. Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride’s website has HEAPS of info and discussion, and the papers she has written that look further into the links between the gut and psychology/overall wellbeing are really helpful. It’s also really interesting to hear her speak about food and health in podcasts such as these.
For some years now I’ve found naturopathy to be one of the most helpful ways of dealing with symptoms of inflammation, whether structural (chiropractic) or gut related. Its not that I don’t trust traditional medicine, but in my experience in doctors surgeries (and believe me - that experience has been extensive - at times weekly for terms at a time), I’ve seen that all too often the tendency is to prescribe (and far too quickly), and to look for a ‘bandaid’ or quick fix solution, rather than actually addressing the underlying issues. Don’t get me wrong - at times, a prescription has quite literally saved me; sometimes its a means to an end, a way of getting you to a position of wellness you simply can’t get back to on your own. But more often than not, we’re buying into pharmaceutical companies and using prescriptions to cover up the health and wellbeing issues that lie waiting, even if temporarily blanketed by dust sheets in a corner.
I have a close (maybe slightly dependent) relationship with my UH-mazing chiro and naturopath Simone at A1 Health. Her hands work magic and she understands the holistic nature of autoimmune conditions like Chronic Fatigue. More recently, I’ve also had some FAB appointments, advice and conversation with Angela at BUSBY Naturopathics. She’s a delight, and a real natural at what she does as a western herbalist, nutritionist and naturopath. Her ‘resources’ section is FULL of fantastic writing on holistic health, for example this awesome post on organic meats, this one on the low FODMAPS diet, or this one on sleep hygiene (this one I need to practice!). Angela also produces a fab podcast (perfect for commutes to work!).
The GAPS Australia website has info about the GAPS approach - a spot I found really useful for getting my head around the ins-and-outs of GAPS, and why its all so valuable. The whole intention of GAPS is to rebuild a healthy micro-biome by resetting the microflora of the gut, so it can function properly and play its vital role in controlling the body’s immune systems as well as digestion.
It was Hippocrates too, who said, “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”, a saying that I’ve long been an advocate of. GAPS has honestly changed the way I look at diet and health as a whole, and completely revolutionised the kinds of things I turn to when I know I'm feeling off in my gut.
BONE BROTH, BONE BROTH, BONE BROTH - I cannot say it enough.
Strip back, start small.
Heal your gut. It all starts there.