ICF and National Board Certified Holistic Life & Wellness Coach
Who here is thinking of changing their diet or starting the AIP now, July 2020, in the midst of a pandemic? More and more clients are wanting to make some big changes NOW. As if the world wasn’t crazy enough! I try to not be…
Fatigue is a huge issue from which many of us suffer. We’re talking beyond busy lives and being tired (aka not getting enough sleep at night). This is mind-numbing fatigue. Where you simply can’t move. Muscles don’t respond, your brain doesn’t respond. Like our little…
I have a few friends who have kids with ADHD, so this study piqued my interested. The study explores the correlation between zonulin and ADHD.
Zonulin is a protein found in our guts that helps regulate “drawbridges” and “trap doors” found in the gut lining. Those drawbridges and trap doors determine what’s stays in the gut and what is ready to leave the gut to be used by cells in the body.
Gluten (technically gliadin, a protein found in gluten) messes with how zonulin works and can cause these bridges and doors to get stuck open, much like the drawbridges in this photo (ok, the ones in the photo weren’t really stuck, they were all open for the semi-annual boat run in Chicago).
If your “trap doors” get stuck open, lots of things get through that aren’t supposed to get through. This is known as leaky gut or intestinal permeability.
And leaky gut can lead to autoimmune disease. Yes, genetics and environment play a HUGE role in acquiring AI disease, but, in a nutshell, that is what happens. My point is, one thing leads to another which leads to another, which may create a whole host of health issues.
My own reaction to this study is that a gluten-free diet may help kids with ADHD. What do you think?
From the study:
RESULTS:
Children with ADHD had higher serum zonulin levels and were more impaired in social functioning compared to controls. The level of zonulin was independently predicted with hyperactivity symptoms and SRS scores in regression analysis.
CONCLUSION:
In this sample of children with ADHD, elevated zonulin levels were associated with increased symptoms of hyperactivity and impairment of social functioning.
Full abstract of the study here for those curious:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30414552
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20 tips for starting the AIP! I often hear the question “how do I start the AIP (Auto-Immune Protocol)?” Dramatically changing up your diet and lifestyle can be daunting, that’s for sure. So, as requested, here are my favorite tips. First, the food part: 1)…
What is AIP? AIP is the AutoImmune Protocol (sometimes called AutoImmune Paleo). The most important thing to remember about the AIP is that it is NOT a diet – it is a PROTOCOL that includes dietary interventions. Aside from diet, the protocol addresses lifestyle, sleep, and…
