The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) is a source for accurate information on nutrition and health, always aiming to provide the scientific validation of traditional food ways. People seeking health today often condemn certain food groups — such as grains, dairy foods, meat, salt, fat, sauces, sweets and nightshade vegetables — but the Wise Traditions Diet is inclusive, not exclusive.

WAPF shows you how to include all these nourishing traditional foods in your diet through wise choices and proper preparation techniques. The result is vibrant health for every age of life, including the next generation.

Each year WAPF sponsors a conference to share cutting edge information. Following is a review of the 19th Annual WAPF conference in 2018. All of the speakers are listed and two of the presenters are reviewed in detail below.

Julia Ross, MA, Ted Koren, DC, Dan Kittredge, Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, James Strick, PhD, Nasha Winters, Anthony Jay, PhD, Linda Isaacs, MD, Sally Fallon Morell, MA, SanDeep Agarwal, Lindsea Willon, Monica Corrado, Stephanie Seneff, PhD, Tom Cowan, MD, Elain Boland, Matt Rales, Will Winter, DVM, Bradley and Dana Bleasdale, Lynn Farrow, Brandon LaGreca, Kiran Krishnan, Sally Norton, Marianne Rothschild, Amy Berger, Elizabeth Plourde, Hilary Andrews,ND, Chris Knobble, Paul and Ellen Connett, Anthony Jay, Forrest Moready, Thomas Levy, Jim Bieneman, DDS, Louisa Williams, ND, Carlo Litano, DMD, Bruce Rind, Mel Litman, MD, Season Johnson, Ronda Nelson, Chris Materjohn, PhD, Martin Grootveld, PhD, Tom Digiuseppe, PhD, Tom Naughton, Will Schlinsog, Leigh Merinoff.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride

Gut and Psychology Syndrome Parts I, 2, and 3

Part 1: The Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet was introduced in 2004. Since then it has helped thousands of people suffering from all of the health issues that arise from a compromised gut. Many practitioners have been trained in GAPS and are listed on Dr. Natasha’s Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) website.

Disease, including chronic illness, and health begins in the gut. 90% of human cells are in the gut microbiome and form a complex community. Many people believe that infections we contract come from our environment. However, the fact is that the majority of infections come from our own body, within. The microbes live in our system, but when the environment changes they will pleomorphize into totally new microbes creating infection or illness. Food has the most powerful impact on the gut environment. Other factors play a negative role including EMF, pollution, emotions, attitudes, experiences and relationships.

Fungi is the most important microbe with over 70 varieties living in a healthy gut. They grow long hyphae creating a network. The villi in the gut have hair like protrusions, covered with cells with hairy microvilli. These are covered with glycocaylix. Through this fungal network, nutrients are delivered and toxins are neutralized and eliminated. You have probably heard that biofilm is the bad guy, but in a healthy gut the biofilm is basically the home and protective covering for fungus, bacteria, and virus and should not be destroyed.

Problems begin when the gut flora is damaged. These communities of fungi, bacteria and virus deliver the energy to digest food. Healthy gut microbes produce their own digestive enzymes, breaking down food and aid in the transport of vitamins, minerals, hormones and neurotransmitters. Since the end of WWII with the introduction of antibiotics, pharmaceutical drugs, processed foods, toxins, the gut is under constant assault

Eighty five percent of the immune system resides in the gut wall. Abnormal gut flora sends bad messages to the immune system. Sick cells are killed, eliminated and replaced. This requires quality protein and fat from animal sources. When the gut is damaged, the immune system is not getting the food it needs, causing it to get hungry from malnourishment. Pathogenic microbes eat the food and create elevated toxins. This makes it difficult for the immune system to renew itself. Microbes continue to work to detoxify the system. With the advent of 80,000 new chemicals that don’t exist in nature, the microbes have a huge job. The microbes store the toxins assay in fat tissue including bone marrow, endocrine glands and the brain. Once the gut is healed it can tolerate and deal with a normal flow of toxins such as mercury from fish.

People who need the GAPS diet typically have leaky gut. Toxins that get through the gut wall go first to the liver. This stresses all of the elimination organs and the brain. The bad microbes tell the brain what food to crave which further exacerbates the situation. The individual craves foods that feed the bad microbes. This causes mood changes due to disruption of the neurotransmitters.

The function of healthy gut flora includes protection and integrity of the gut; digestion and absorption of food; production and recycling of vitamins, hormones, and neurotransmitters; regulation of the immune system and detoxification; regulation of appetite and food consumption; mood, behavior, circadian rhythm regulation; and addictions. All of these are imposed on us by gut flora.

Babies get their gut flora from the mother during the birth process while passing through the birth canal. Both parents contribute flora. When the baby is born C-section, the baby will have a lower diversity of microbes, getting it’s flora from nurses and doctors who handle the baby. Breast milk is a major influence on the gut flora. Once the baby is weaned the gut flora adjusts to an adult state. However, if the mother has abnormal gut flora, the breast milk can be toxic for the baby. Whatever is in the blood of the mother will be in the breast milk.

Part 2: Many things can damage the gut flora. For example, antibiotics, steroids, drugs, stress, poor diet, infections, disease, bottle feeding, old age, pollution, EMF radiation, alcohol, toxic chemicals and dental work. Teeth with amalgam filling will continually tax the gut causing an overgrowth of yeast due to mercury poisoning. To return to health amalgams must be removed. If the gut has become leaky, undigested food gets across the gut barrier. The gut wall must heal and seal. GAPS diet builds new gut wall and encourages healthy new cell growth. The first indications that the gut wall has been compromised include food allergies, general toxicity, and inflammation, to mention a few. Children with autism usually have a leaky gut. They acquire toxic loads during pregnancy. The brain gets clogged by the toxic load and cannot interpret sensory information properly. The younger the child is when GAPS is initiated, the better the result. Children with ADHD/ADD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, learning and social problems and epilepsy can benefit from the GAPS diet. Adults with substance abuse, depression, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, manic or schizophrenia can also benefit from GAPS. In general individuals with digestive disorders, autoimmunity, arthritis, chronic fatigue, allergies, asthma, eczema, endocrine disorders, migraines, neurological conditions, chronic cystitis and food intolerances benefit from GAPS, as well. Typically children who need GAPS are fussy eaters craving sweet starchy foods. The parents must be united in their effort as it can be intense for the child to adapt.

Part 3: The treatment involves diet, supplements, and detoxing. The diet is the most important aspect of the therapy. Foods to avoid include grains, starchy vegetables, sugar, mild sugar lactose, starchy beans, processed food and all food additives. The bad microbes love starch including potato, yams, parsnips, sweet potato and artichokes and should be avoided.

Foods to eat include meat, fish, organ meats, good quality eggs, non-starchy vegetables, organic ripe fruit and dried fruit, nuts and seeds, fermented dairy and fermented vegetables, and cold extracted honey. Meat and fish stock is a basis for the diet. Meat stock is made from bones with a lot of meat and cooks for only 1.5 to 3 hours. See the highlighted article below by Monica Corrado. Fermented foods include dairy (yoghurt, kefir, sour cream and cheese), fermented vegetables using sauerkraut, fermented fish, fermented beverages (kombucha) and fermented beans (when ready). Natural fats are important and include animal fats, butter, ghee, coconut oil, palm oil, and cold pressed virgin olive oil.

There are several stages to the GAPS diet. There is the GAPS Introduction diet, the GAPS Full diet and coming off GAPS. In general they are all low in fiber. Foods are introduced gradually. It provides building blocks for enterocytes, beneficial microbes, and removes food intolerances. The Introduction GAPS diet is reparative and is followed for only a few months. Then the family graduates to the GAPS Full diet for 2 years. Of course this is all flexible and some families do the Full GAPS and gradually go to the Introduction diet. The time to start with the Introduction diet is in the presence of diarrhea, autism, diabetes type 1, learning disabilities, or severe food allergies. The Full GAPS is relevant if there is chronic constipation, or an older child with ADHA/ADD, with no serious GI symptoms.

Supplements include an effective probiotic; vitamins A and D; essential fatty acids; a multiple vitamin; digestive enzymes including HCL and pepsin, and cabbage juice with fresh or fermented cabbage.

Lifestyle changes include detoxing. The toxic load can be reduced with simple changes such as brushing the teeth with coconut oil, sunbathing, juicing, bathing with Epsom salts but avoiding the use of soap.

Families can find support at Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS). There are GAPS support groups that can be very helpful. It is essential to read Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. You can also go to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride’s website.

Monica Corrado

Making Meat Stock and Bone Broth with Ease

In the GAPS diet meat stock is used to heal and seal the gut when a leaky gut has developed. The bricks of this process are the amino acids from the meat. The mortar is the gelatin. Meat stock, healthy fats, cultured dairy and fermented foods all heal the gut.

Meat stock is made from meat with a joint and connective tissue yielding gelatin.

• Chose knuckles, shanks, soup bones, short ribs, neck bones, pork hocks, whole chicken cut up or legs and thighs, and turkey thighs and necks.
• Use a 4-6 quart Dutch Oven, 2-3 pounds of meat and 2-3 quarts of purified water to cover the meat. If you use too much water the stock will not gel.
• Cut up carrots, onion, zucchini, mushrooms, or winter squash to add to the stock.
• Bring to a boil, skim the scum and then simmer.
• If you are using turkey, chicken, or rabbit simmer for 1.5 to 3 hours.
• If using large animal meat simmer for 4 to 8 hours.
• Remove the bones and freeze them for later when you are making bone broth.
• This meat stock should be considered a meal!

Bone broth is a beverage and is great as a base for soup and gravy. You will be using boney bones in a large 12 quart stock pot. The broth calls for 80% boney bones and 20% meaty bones. The stock will be simmered for much longer in an effort to extract the minerals and gelatin.

If using chicken:

• Use 4 pounds of boney bones, 2 carcasses, necks, wings, or a stewing hen.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar over the chicken and let that sit for 30 minutes to 3 hours. This helps pull out the minerals.
• Add 4 quarts of water and various vegetables including celery, carrots and onion.
• Bring to a boil, skim the scum, and then simmer covered for 8-24 hours.
• Any salt will be added at the end.
• Parsley can be added in the last 5 minutes.
• Allow the broth to cool.
• Strain and discard everything in the broth.
• Refrigerate.

If you are using large animal bones:

• Use 7 pounds of boney bones, apple cider vinegar as above, and vegetables.
• Add 4 quarts of purified water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 24-72 hours.
• Cool, strain and discard everything in the broth.
• Refrigerate.

Families following the GAPS diet would start with meat stock and not use bone broth until later in the program. Monica Corrado has worked with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride for many years and is a wonderful resource for those interested in the program.

You can learn more in Monica Corrado's book Cooking Techniques for the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet, Part I: Meat Stock and Bone Broth and on her Simply Being Well website.