TACA, GAPS vs. Paleo AIP
The pomegranate, with its many seeds, is an ancient symbol of fertility. It is often eaten on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, which we just celebrated. One meaning of the custom is that we wish that our good deeds in the ensuing year will be as plentiful as the seeds of the pomegranate.
On Rosh Hashana the rabbi gave an inspiring sermon. He described those intractable heartbreaking situations which we simply must endure, that cannot be resolved, despite our best efforts or intentions; a lack of closeness with an impaired parent or sibling, the tragedy of having a child who is in the grip of addiction, a painful medical condition of our own that involves loss of function, the grief over the death of a loved one. The examples are simply endless. We all have them. It’s part of the human condition.
He referenced the Talmudic teaching; that when we can do absolutely nothing to remedy or improve our own situation, that it is recommended that we do what we can to help someone else. Then we can have the pleasure and satisfaction of making a difference, if not in our own life, in the life of another. Positive psychology research supports the finding that performing acts of kindness promotes our own happiness.
I was describing this sermon to one of the coaches at my gym, a warm young man named Everett Hoffman. He responded that it reminded him of a Buddhist parable. A novice monk came to his teacher and said, “I am discouraged. What should I do?” The teacher replied, “Encourage others.”
TACA (Talking About Curing Autism) is a truly remarkable organization whose goal is the provision of “education, support, and information to parents, to help their children diagnosed with autism be the very best they can be, with the hope of recovery.” TACA parents mentor other parents. I had the privilege of giving a talk about GAPS to this lively group a few weeks ago, and was so impressed with their energy, dedication, and knowledge. They are a wonderful resource for families struggling with autism, and everyone should know about them. They charge no fee for their services. Given the alarming rise in the incidence of autism, their mission is especially valuable.
“TACA began with a small handful of families in a living room in 2000. Today, we serve well over 31,000 families around the United States. From a grassroots beginning in Southern California, TACA expanded nationwide and now has a physical presence via our Chapters in 19 states and a virtual presence in the rest of the nation.” The Massachusetts Chapter leader Mary Romaniec, is an energetic woman, passionate about helping others, whose own son was declared recovered from autism by the age of 4 through her efforts. The conventional medical community’s position about autism is that there is no hope for cure, and that the most that can be expected is management of symptoms with pharmaceuticals and behavioral therapies. TACA empowers families by providing education and hope.
Speaking of encouragement and empowerment, I would like to encourage my readers who are struggling with intractable physical and psychiatric symptoms which have not responded to GAPS or SCD, despite scrupulous adherence, to try the Paleo Auto Immune Protocol. I am impressed with the difference it has made both for me and patients in my practice, when we have been able to identify specific foods which trigger anxiety, depression, insomnia, attentional difficulties, as well as many physical symptoms, and have avoided eating them.
I appreciate GAPS underlining the centrality of the role of the digestive system in health and illness and its effect upon brain function. GAPS contribution to the understanding our immune system and its relationship to the micro biome is brilliant. Its recommendations to eat a nutrient dense diet and to be mindful of the role of detoxification are fundamental. But if an individual continues to eat foods that trigger an auto immune response, be it grains, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, or whatever, healing will be delayed, if not significantly undermined. I have only come to fully appreciate this recently.
I refer you to my last blog piece where I also wrote about this. It’s on my mind in a big way. I have been thinking about the differences between GAPS and Paleo AIP. GAPS is not an elimination diet like Paleo AIP. GAPS purports to cure, Paleo AIP, to put an auto immune condition into remission. GAPS does not permit inclusion of starchy tubers, Paleo AIP does. It seems to me with regard to this last difference, that each individual will need to find what works for them, in terms of carbohydrate tolerance. The proof of the pudding is in the eating; how does it make you feel? I recommend close observation of your own responses, as the best guidance. It is much more trustworthy than theory. It’s a great idea to keep a journal, as burdensome as that may seem. It can otherwise be confusing and hard to make the connections between food and symptom.
Its important to get really clear about which foods are the problem, especially because, often its a food to which you are particularly attached. I, for example, love butter. I had a hard time accepting that it was linked with feelings of depression. It was only when I avoided it for a period of time, and then reintroduced it again in the form of garlic butter on salmon, and fell into the most painful funk, that I had to bite the bullet and acknowledge that I must not eat it. I wrote to myself in my journal, “YOU CANNOT EAT DAIRY, IT MAKES YOU DEPRESSED.” I finally got it through my head. There is so much resistance to accepting that foods we love are making us sick.
I recognize that the implementation of the Paleo Auto Immune Protocol is a challenge, but the most restrictive phase is time limited and the potential rewards are so great. It is possible to feel well and to put your auto immune condition into remission. There are so many stories of people with seemingly intractable devastating auto immune disorders who are now essentially symptom free. It’s a New Year, and a great time to try something new, which could eventually make it a REALLY good one. May you enjoy as many blessings in the New Year, as the pomegranate has seeds.
Thank you for this article. I have two young children on the autism spectrum. We began the GAPS diet in September and have seen some great things, but the last several weeks progress has arrested and I’ve been wondering about whether or not it’s time to fiddle with the diet a bit more. It seems that the aip is so new that I can’t find much info about it, particularly as it relates to asd. I’ll have to mull this over a bit more.
I know this is old so I won’t hope for a reply. My 6 year old son has been on GAPS for 9 months and was doing great. 80% improvement from autism symptoms and the psychiatrist really thought he would lose his diagnosis. But we have plateaued the last month. Irritable behavior and back to more stools a day then he should have. His delayed sister is having the same problems as well. I’m about to add sweet potatoes and plantains to see if that would help.
If you do answer. What did you end up doing for your kids? What helped?
Like your experience with butter, for me it often takes several on and off periods with a food before it becomes clear how my body feels about it. Another key for me was realizing that food reactions can happen on many different time scales. I can react to sugar in minutes, but many food reactions take hours or even a day or two to become apparent.
Judy,
I wanted to write and tell you how much I appreciate your writings. I discovered you after reading Georgia Ede’s blog and have been reading your blog ever since. I struggle with some of the food issues that you write about. A vegan for many years and struggling with histamine intolerance often leaves me quite frustrated. I must say there are days I feel like becoming a “breatharian” is my only option. Should I perhaps just go sit in the sun, breathe deeply and forget about food? There I days when I think so. So, I go on, day by day trying to figure it all out. I have been at this for many years and always experimenting. I so appreciate what you write. It is informative and has been very helpful to me in many ways. I will continue to read and ponder your thoughts and insights. Thank you for being out there!
Dear Barbara,
Messages like yours really make me really happy. It means so much to me that my journey and reflections are of use to someone like you. You made my day. I know what you mean about the appeal of becoming a breatharian. The Paleo AIP really helped figure out what I was having adverse reactions to, and for the first time in my life, I think I have sorted it out, at least for the moment. I am not 100%, but better than I have ever been. I don’t think now that for me it was histamine that I was reacting to, but rather specific foods that I was finally able to identify. Now, this may shift, and I could start reacting to something else, and then need to return to the drawing board. I am also working now with an NAET practitioner who I like a lot, and am hopeful that there may be some possibility of losing my sensitivity to what are for some people healthy foods, like nuts and seeds or whole eggs. That would make a huge difference to me if I could eat those things again. Anyhow, its a process of refining and refining, and learning and learning. Thank you again for expression of appreciation.
Judy: I have read this post over many times. There is so much here that resonates with me. That is true of many of your posts, particularly the ones about histamine intolerance, but I had many “a-ha!” moments when reading this one. It would have taken extra courage for me, had I written this. Thank you! Shana Tova.
Thank you for taking the time to tell me. It means a lot to me. Could I ask what was it about this piece that would have required extra courage? What was it about this piece that resonated especially?
For me, I was very attached to GAPS, and it was with some reluctance that I needed to acknowledge that for many people, myself included, that there is a big missing piece in the protocol. Shana Tova to you.
The theme of “courage” comes out in many ways here. Whenever change is required, even if it is for the better, the decision to make a choice, of pulling yourself up and moving in the direction of that choice, can be difficult. The choice to give up sources of familiar comfort–be they butter, habits, people–and of leaving those things behind permanently, and perhaps in the course of that, becoming (even just a bit) different from everyone–I think that takes an element of courage. To “put it out there” and write about it for others to see, especially for someone like you who is herself an expert in health care, and admitting to the need for a new course or plan or direction and sharing that experience–I think there is an element of courage, or bravery, in that. And all those seemingly small choices add up to a lot. I am not a health care provider, but I am an expert in my own field/profession. I don’t like to be wrong about my subject matter, especially when it applies in a personal kind of way. But it happens, and it’s always just a bit hard to admit to it. But we learn and go on. And then hopefully things are better.
Thank you so much for this. It’s all true what you wrote. I think it’s so helpful to model apologizing, acknowledging error, laughing at yourself. I do it with my kids It really is very permission giving. We are all works in progress. I once had this newsprint calendar of daily Buddhist sayings. One of my favorite that I tore out and saved and display on my desk is “Each of you is perfect as you are. And each of you could use a little improvement” Thanks again, for your words.