The First-Episode Schizophrenia Experience
Filed under: First-Episode Psychosis, First-Episode Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia and Medication
The First-Episode Schizophrenia (FES) Experience
Orthomolecular medicine research and treatment with its focus on biochemical nutrient causes of mental illness is typically embraced well by people. People are recognizing the responsibility of such an approach in contrast to their personal experience with drug treatment paradigms.
Orthomolecular Treatment in First-Episode Schizophrenia
Advancements since the 50’s have made it possible to implement advanced targeted clinical nutrition (orthomolecular) protocols as we see being used at the Naturopathic Medical Research Clinic (NMRC). In un-medicated, neurleptic-naïve, first-episode schizophrenia, my experience shows that it is fairly uncommon to experience no benefit and positive responders are the majority. An individualized advanced orthomolecular approach to first-episode schizophrenia is in great need in society. Six double-blind studies validated positive and profound outcomes in un-medicated FES and countless orthomolecular practitioners have successfully used this approach over the past half century.
The NMRC is currently seeking first-episode schizophrenic patients aged 18-40 to participate in a clinical case study series. If you are interested please call the clinic at 416-944-8824 or 877-ORTH-871.
What FES patients are telling me
Newly diagnosed schizophrenics and first-episode schizophrenics report to me that they tell their doctors that they take neuroleptic meds but do not or they take much less than that prescribed. [Neuroleptics are major sedatives (tranquilizers) that attempt to palliate psychotic symptoms by blocking an array of brain cell receptor transmissions while leaving the underlying cause of the problem untreated and, in the process of doing so, transfer physician caused (iatrognic) symptoms, side effects, and endocrine and nutritional imbalances to the patient.] The high attrition rate for neuroleptics (i.e. the failure to take these meds) is widely known to be as high as 60+%, as several clinical papers report.
Schizophrenic patients who accept neuroleptic treatment early on find out later that they can’t get off the drugs. The side effects do not outweigh the benefits as the CATIE study attests and, in some cases there is little or no benefit gleaned as first-episode neuroleptic studies indicate, with the PRIME study being a classic example.
The ‘Neuroleptic Experience’ is not uncommon in schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, first-episode psychosis and bipolar disorder. Schizophrenic patients report to me that they feel ‘coerced’ with strong advisement form medical doctors to take neuroleptics. They feel that they have to appease doctors and/or hospital staff by taking neuroleptic medication to get released from hospitals or to receive ‘benefits’ from social service organizations and housing or provincial disability programs.
Schizophrenic cases also report to me that forensic hospital institutions are a worst case scenario. Criminal charges, however minimal and often unintentional, make it difficult for care givers to intercede as an independent decision maker. As such, these care givers are removed from having any say in their son or daughters drug treatment and often, such patients are heavily medicated with neuroleptics so they maintain the lowest societal risk to themselves and others. There is obviously a degree of common sense to this set of societal rules in overt criminal conduct cases but there are professionals and judicial bodies that my patients remark, are not uncommonly and perhaps not intentionally leading schizophrenic patients down a road of drug dependence (a form of chemical incarceration) and poor quality of life.
As a naturopath, a ‘drugless practitioner’, I have no say in what patients do with their pharmaceutical prescriptions but I often write status reports to medical professionals with recommendations to lower meds and, minimize risks by eliminating where possible, meds that are either not working or are no longer needed. I find many general practitioners and psychiatrists in agreement with lowering meds and this is very encouraging. Most professionals care deeply about the welfare of their patients and understand that these drugs are potent and continued use warrants great responsibility. That being said, I see very limited acceptance and understanding when it comes to the concept of receptor decompensation (rebound psychosis) with an adherent view that discontinuation of neuroleptics can be done at a rate just as fast as that of the recommended rate of initial dosing administration as is described in the Compendium of Pharmaceutical Specialties (CPS). This fast discontinuation practice leads to psychotic rebound in most cases that have been on high doses of these drugs for more than 6-12 months.
The rate of discontinuation of neuroleptics needs to be done slowly as tolerated and I’m often sending doctor recommendations for patients who have been on neuroleptics 1-2 years, that no more that 10-15% drops of the ‘stabilized’ dose of neuroleptic be implemented every 3-6 months, and that faster withdrawals risk rebound psychosis. I recommend such slow dose drops only after such cases respond to orthomolecular therapy with evidence of 40-60% consistent symptom improvement.
This belief in modern medicine that chronic neuroleptic consumers can come off these drugs as quickly as they are put on them is a big mistake. When such patients relapse coming off the neuroleptic, medical professionals often comment that this happened because they needed the drug. Worse yet, I see this practice used as a diagnostic confirmer, that is, that someone’s poor response to withdrawal is evidence of schizophrenic diagnosis even when there is no previous record of consistent psychotic symptoms of greater than 6 months prior to neuroleptic administration. There is, as far as I know, no criteria for ‘diagnosis by treatment’ in DSM psychiatric diagnostics.
Recognizing the need for Individualized Orthomolecular Mental Health Treatment
In mood disorder cases of depression and anxiety (and bipolar disorder) we see a similar layout of receptor sensitivity problems with anti-depressants and anxiolytics. The treatment outcome of orthomolecular medicine in depression, anxiety, ADD, OCD, and schizophrenia is exemplified in the case review “Orthomolecular Treatment Response”. This case study report gives us an idea of what to expect from advanced targeted orthomolecular medicine in a representative sample of mental health cases. Some patients do better on alternative approaches alone and some do better on a mix of the two.
Given the marginal outcome and severity of side effects from meds, many patients are now opting to initiate orthomolecular methods as the first-line treatment of choice — Are you among them?
Dementia and Alzheimer’s – Can Orthomolecular Medicine Help?
Orthomolecular approach to Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Yes, dementia is a neurodegenerative brain disease that can often be helped with advanced orthomolecular treatment. Harold Foster provided an excellent book that reviews available research on Alzheimer’s and dementia and prognostic outcome is deemed promising with targeted clinical nutrient approaches (Foster HD: What Really Causes Alzheimer’s Disease? 2004).
The key to this treatment is having the flexibility of a targeted approach that addresses primary health syndromes common in mental health and neurodegenerative disease. Primary syndromes of import are heavy metal toxicity, hypothyroid metabolism, protein catabolism, and undermethylation metabolic mental health compromises.
Dementia cases not uncomonly have severe undermethylation and heavy metal deposition with low thyroid metabolism. Secondary metabolic issues common in neurodegeneration include pernicious anemia (B12 deficiency), iron deficiency and dysglycemia. The targeted approach will rule out all these syndromes and more and this is important because every case will have its own unique imbalance with associated varying severity.
The clinical nutrient (orthomolecular) approaches that addresses all of these nutrient biochemical aspects are otherwise not considered in conventional mainstream drug therapy. Another two seperate interventions in dementia and Alzheimers to note are targeted anti-oxidant therapy and advanced niacin therapy.
Anti-oxidant therapy is key in any neurodegenerative dominant disorder and targeted testing again can help focus therapy in this regard. Oxidation from metals (aluminum, etc.) and degenerative tissue processes needs to be addressed in an optimal approach to any dementia or neurodegenerative condition.
Niacin can be extremely helpful in dementia as is described below in the PubMed abstract by Morris et al. in 2004.
Morris, M.C., Evans, D.A., Bienias, J.L., Scherr, P.A., Tangney, C.C., Hebert, L.E., Bennett, D.A., Wilson, R.S., and Aggarwal, N. (2004). Dietary niacin and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 75(8), 1093-1097.
Abstract
Background: Dementia can be caused by severe niacin insufficiency, but it is unknown whether variation in intake of niacin in the usual diet is linked to neurodegenerative decline. We examined whether dietary intake of niacin was associated with incident Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cognitive decline in a large, prospective study.
Methods: This study was conducted in 1993–2002 in a geographically defined Chicago community of 6158 residents aged 65 years and older. Nutrient intake was determined by food frequency questionnaire. Four cognitive tests were administered to all study participants at 3 year intervals in a 6 year follow up. A total of 3718 participants had dietary data and at least two cognitive assessments for analyses of cognitive change over a median 5.5 years. Clinical evaluations were performed on a stratified random sample of 815 participants initially unaffected by AD, and 131 participants were diagnosed with 4 year incident AD by standardised criteria.
Results: Energy adjusted niacin intake had a protective effect on development of AD and cognitive decline. In a logistic regression model, relative risks (95% confidence intervals) for incident AD from lowest to highest quintiles of total niacin intake were: 1.0 (referent) 0.3 (0.1 to 0.6), 0.3 (0.1 to 0.7), 0.6 (0.3 to 1.3), and 0.3 (0.1 to 0.7) adjusted for age, sex, race, education, and ApoE e4 status. Niacin intake from foods was also inversely associated with AD (p for linear trend = 0.002 in the adjusted model). In an adjusted random effects model, higher food intake of niacin was associated with a slower annual rate of cognitive decline, by 0.019 standardised units (SU) per natural log increase in intake (mg) (p = 0.05). Stronger associations were observed in analyses that excluded participants with a history of cardiovascular disease (ß = 0.028 SU/year; p = 0.008), those with low baseline cognitive scores (ß = 0.023 SU/year; p = 0.02), or those with fewer than 12 years’ education (ß = 0.035 SU/year; p = 0.002)
Conclusion: Dietary niacin may protect against AD and age related cognitive decline.
Mercury Dental Fillings and Mental Health
WHO is talking about mercury toxicity?
Mercury is the main component of metal amalgam dental fillings. Since 2009 the World Health Organization (WHO) has been advising against the use of mercury for dental fillings due to toxicity potential. The WHO in its 2009 Future Use of Dental Materials final report publication urges dentists to switch from metal amalgam filling materials to readily available alternative materials that are non-toxic. The WHO admits that mercury from amalgams releases significant amounts of mercury to the environment with toxicity potential that influences general health.
Dentists have to place mercury thats removed from people in yellow containers destined for safe toxic material waste removal. There is a level of common sense that we must use when determining what therpies are healthy versus invaisive.
In a book that I co-authored with Dr Klaus-Georg Wenzel (Neurologist/Psychiatrist) in 2005 on Minerals in Health and Disease it mentions that “the first dentists/physicians who brought mercury dental amalgams/fillings to America were arrested as charlatans … The following consequences of amalgam fillings have been reported: premature fatigue, depression; irritability, anxiety; diminished memory; headaches and migraines, nausea, vision disturbances; decrease in general well-being, including weight loss; stomach ache; increased susceptibility to allergies.”
The FDA soon after their 2009 WHO report requested that all consumers and parents of children be informed of dental mercury toxicity potential.
In my clinical experiences over the past 10 years I have seen the effects of mercury on memory, immune compromise, and contributing symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADD and OCD, and psychosis (schizophrenia). When I see a patient history of dental amalgams, regular fish consumption, immunizations, flu shots, and H1N1 injection I screen for mercury. Today we have a special mercury speciation technique that is available to society and it allows us to determine . I mentioned the use of this technique in Case 1 of my Orthomolecular Treatment Response article published in 2010 in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine (JOM).
Many don’t realize that even after amalgams have been removed it takes at least 18 years for the body to passively remove merely half of it from body tissue. [Mercury has a half-life of 18 years in the human body.] I have been successful in removing mercury load in 6 months in patients with adequate thyroid function using sulfer compounds and zinc.
Copper, nickel, silver, platinum and tin are also used in metal amalgams. Gold fillings do not have as many associated health risks as silver mercury-based amalgams. Nickel, silver, platinum and tin are somewhat easy to remove with zinc alone. Copper on the other hand can and often does require greater efforts to remove. This is just one example of many that should help us all appreciate the value of respecting biochemical individuality and getting to the core issues defined by targeted orthomolecular treatment.
Hope for First-Episode Schizophrenia
Filed under: First-Episode Psychosis, First-Episode Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia and Medication
Is there Hope for First-Episode Schizophrenics?
There are first-episode cases that recover from schizophrenia.
The majority of first-episode schizophrenia (FES) cases that undergo advanced orthomolecular treatment are good responders and, that being said, not all cases respond.
The trend that I see clinically is that those on neuroleptic medication respond in general less favorably because neuroleptic medication sedates areas of the brain in need of nutrient support and correction.
We like to be proactive in our approach to treating first-episode cases and start treatment as early as possible.
Our case study series is aimed at revealling the response of patients that undergo advanced orthomolecular treatment. Implementing the correct nutrients in these patients’ nutrition regimen is key.
Dairy-free dieting made simple
THE DAIRY-FREE DIET
Diary-free eating is more simple to do than gluten elimination diets. There is a huge misconception that by lowering dairy we severely risk lowering much needed calcium. Most all naturopaths will agree that calcium is found in great supply in non-dairy foods as well and the risk for lowering calcium is insignmificant. That being said, there are conditions and life stages that put greater calcium demands on the body but this occurs from our findings in 20% or less of the population. In such cases dairy can be helpful but it can do more harm if you are intolerant and eat it daily. Popular dairy manufacturer advertizing has great monetary incentive to promote this misconception.
Regarding bone strength/density/porosity: by increasing calcium in the 80% of the population that is not calcium deficient you run the risk of adding calcium to the bone exterier (cortex) and creating an outer core that is much denser than the inner core (matrix). This can provide the optimal conditions for brittle bones and greater fracture potential. We should remember that the inner core (matrix) is not calcium dependant but rather relies on magnesium and protein. If you are taking supplements that are higher in calcium than magnesium you may be increasing fracture potential which is a serious concern in osteoporosis or osteopenia. High quality protein diets are therefore very important for the maintinance of bone structure throughout life. Women can not make new bone after age 35 but require maintinance of bone structure, the demands of which can be met again by eating a full food variety with or without dairy. Lactating or pregnant moms, and growing children have greater calcium demand and again, these demands need not be met by including dairy as the main calcium source.
Dairy is cow milk products but similar proteins exist in other milk providing species so intolerance to cow milk products can in some cross over to include goat or sheep milk intolerances but this is not always the case. Dairy by-products in yoghurt are also sometimes tolerated to some degree in people with mild dairy intolerances; these people are usually those that can rotate dairy products by including them every 3-4 days.
Food intolerances are associated with all sorts of reactions including fatigue, digestive conditions, mental imbalance, brain fog, depression, anxiety, ADD, OCD, and schizophrenia. the afinity for dairy allergies is often seen in digestive complaints of all kinds and sinusitis or allergic rhinitis with head congestion, facial head pain, and congestive headaches.
Here is a simple dairy-free diet approach:
Include:
Milk substitutes (coconut milk/rice/almond/soy milk); Margarine; Non-dairy chocolate, yoghurt, cheese, and frozen desserts.
Avoid:
Whey and Casein
These big proteins found in dairy products elicit immune responses with toxic by-products. Read all food labels. Note that some dairy-intolerant people tolerate whey isolate proteins. Avoid calcium or sodium caseinate.
Milk
Includes: evaporated, condensed, or sweetened condensed milk; raw, fortified, homogenized, lactose-reduced, pasteurized, ultrapasteurized, organic, guernsey, or jersey milk; buttermilk; chocolate milk/drinks; goat milk; shelf-stable, or dry milk powder/solids; CoffeeMate; and acidophilus milk.
Butter
Used in sautés, flavoring cooked vegetables, and in many sauces/toppings. It is found in cookies, pastry dough, pie crust, icing, and some candy (cream/chocolate). It is used in dishes that are poached, grilled, or broiled (fish, meat).
Cream Cheese
Used in dips, spreads, baking, cheesecakes, and fruit tart filling.
Cottage Cheese
Sour Cream
Used in spreads (dill, cucumber), dips, toppings, sauces, pie (pumpkin), cakes (cheesecake), soufflés, and beef stroganoff.
Dairy By-Products
Found in yoghurt, etc. Note that some dairy-intolerant people tolerate dairy by-products.
Cheese
Includes fondues, grated cheese, cheese sauces, curds, etc.
Ice Cream
Especially the non-yoghurt based ice creams. Again, some people with mild dairy intolerance tolerate yoghurt every 3-4 days.
Miscellaneous to Avoid: Cold cuts or luncheon meats such as bologna; creamed/scalloped foods, baked goods (pancakes, muffins, biscuits, crackers, cakes, and some baking mixes); curds; dry cereals with milk powder (some granolas); malted milk; some patties and meat loaf; milk sherbets; some gravies; ovaltine; some puddings; some sausage and wieners; and some white sauces. Be sure to read all food labels. At Restaurants, if you’re not sure about a menu item, ask! Avoid au gratin foods – i.e. foods topped with cheese or bread crumbs and butter, then broiled until crispy.
For more information, recipes, and eat-out ideas, try the “Go Dairy Free” website.
Stress Free Living
Filed under: Coping with Stress, DUSSP, Orthomolecular Diagnosis, Retrospection, Self-Esteem
Coping with stress can be a major hurdle.
Basic principles are simple to implement and there are many every day tools that we can use to help us cope with 21st century stress.
Talking out problems, for example, is therapeutic and can be done easily with a close freind, family member, spouse or counsellor. Talking out problems helps us to understand, assimulate and build a perspective on issues so we can be more content and productive in our approach to life. Understanding one another is indeed a key component to happy living. The Decency, Understanding, Support, Safety, Privacy DUSSP protocol implements the concept of understanding as one of its basic premises.
For more details on every day tools I encourage everyone to read the Canadian Mental Health Association brochure on “Coping with Stress”. This publication provides a great base for healthy stress-free living:
Biochemical imbalances are also important to address to help us cope with stress
Biochemical imbalances are the endogenous components that are seperate from, however highly linked to, the exogenous external stress filled environment.
The aim of our orthomolecular treatment approach is to address nutrient imbalances so we can cope with life and tolerate stress with greater ease. Depression, anxiety, ADD, OCD, and schizophrenia are conditions with specific biochemical nutrient imbalances.
Stress in Schizophrenia
In schizophrenia stress is processed diferently. Stress reponses can be partially assimulated or delayed due to medication sedation or an inability to process surrounding emotional information due to perceptual dysfunction sensory overload. I like to refer my patients to counsellors once they start improving so they can handle the stress of living life free of a ‘sick’ identity that they have attached to. This happens more often in young schizophrenics that have not had the chance to fully develop socializing skills. The retrospective schizophrenic is a schizophrenic that is improving that yearns to attach to a non-sick identity; these patients sometimes need the guidance of a counsellor to help them attach and trust a new world of sensory information that is not distorted nor disillusioning them. Orthomolecular biochemical nutrient balancing specific to schizophrenia is a precursor to putting such patients in a position of more fulminate recovery.
Protein snacking made simple
Filed under: Gluten-free, High Quality Protein, Orthomolecular Diet
Eat your protein
Adequate high protein diets support neurotransmitter production and heavy metal removal and maintinance of blood sugar for high metabolic rate organs such as the brain.
This article includes high protein main meal and snack ideas.
I see so many people with less than 30% protein in their diet. This high carbohydrate trend is rampant in North America. The gluten free diet that I endorse is a high protein diet and a good template to follow in general. We aim to have one-third to almost one-half of the meal plate as a high protein source.
High protein sources are again meat or eggs as our database shows lower wasted protein blood measures in people who have adequate high protein (meat or egg) diets.
If you prefer to have nuts or nut spreads or cheeze (if you are intolerant) as part of your snack regimen, just remember to include meat or egg based snacks as well at that time. Include 3-4 high quality protein snacks between meals and if indicated also at bedtime. Everyone has a palate for one or more of the following snack choices. We encourage expanding on these snack ideas to tailor fit this regimin to meet your specific food preference.
Here is how its done …
High Quality Protein Snacks:
i) Nitrite-free deli-fresh lunch meat (chicken, ham, turkey) rolls [alternately, oven roast meat on the weekend and thin slice it for use during the week];
ii) Hard biled eggs (make a batch at the beginning of the week for easy access);
iii) Left-over lunch/dinner meal meat entree;
iv) Egg salad (eggs with olive-oil mayonaise) with whole-grain rice crackers;
v) Fish salad (fish with olive-oil mayonaise) in a lettuce boat (romaine heart leaf);
vi) Slice of thin crust pizza (use brown rice ‘Food for life’ tortilla’s) with gluten-free pepperoni or other meat and vege toppings [this can be made as a main meal and left overs eaten over the next day];
vii) Shrimp (cooked) with cocktail suace.
Protein-Rich Main Meal Ideas
Of course you can include recipes that contain substantial fish, poultry, beef or pork (occaisional use is OK in general). There are an unlimited number of options because any meal that includes meat or egg is a high quality protein-rich meal. Here again is the 7 day approach that is hearty and simple enough for those with limited culinary skills or time restricted busy schedules.
Gluten-free principles and product purchasing
Filed under: Gluten-free, High Quality Protein, Orthomolecular Diet
Gluten-Free Principles
The gluten allergy mechanism is triggerred in a good portion of the population. This portion of the population is deemed gluten intolerant (inability to tolerate gluten) and this includes but is not limited to celiac’s disease patients.
Gluten is a big protein and todays food supply, processed or otherwise, is geared towards maintaining gluten containing processed products; gluten is a cheap filler and used to maintain elasticity and structure of products; such an extent of available gluten dominant processed foods stands in stark contrast to our ancestoral diet and this is described by Dr Abram Hoffer as a problem stemming from ‘agricultural monocropping’ endorsement.
Gluten-intolerant reactions are triggerred when intolerant people eat high or low gluten containing grains. Wheat, rye and barley are high gluten containing grains. Spelt and kamut are low gluten containing grains. Oats contain Gliadin which is a big protein similar to gluten and although oats are gluten-free they, the vast majority of the time, trigger a similar gluten-like reaction in gluten intolerant people. Corn on its own does not contain gluten but contaminated corn products are common as such products are manufactured in plants that side by side are producing high-gluten products. People can be intolerant to corn protein (not uncommon) and this intolerance reaction has nothing to do with gluten.
Big proteins are after continuous exposure treated as foreign in the body and this is the basic premise of food allergies/intolerances. This affects the general population and mental health cases with schizophrenia, depression, axiety, ADD and OCD. You can however be allergic to combinations of food items or to substances in the environment such as asprin, pill fillers, air bourne allergens, etc. Big proteins ilicit immune reactions that create metabolic by-products that are toxic and tax body systems and lead to energy drops, poor digestion, headaches, weakened immune system (frequent colds/flus), changes in menatal state and overt brain allergies. Overt brain allergies are common in about 10% of cases with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, ADD and OCD. Here we would see a fast occurring intense response to an allergen such as gluten; for example, psychotic behaviour right after eating a chocolate chip cookie.
What is the treatment?
The treatment involves eating non-gluten containing foods. The gluten-free diet includes a shift to eating more rice (brown rice pasta, tortillas, crackers), potato, millet, buckwheat, quinoa & amaranth, and arrow root versus wheat, rye, barley, and kamut or spelt . To implement this diet effectively you need to have ready alternatives so you don’t drastically reduce your nutrient (caloric) intake and experience symptoms due to lack of nourishment/nutriture.
Here are some gluten-free guidelines for chosing grocery store products and reading labels
NON-GLUTEN FOODS TO INCLUDE ARE:
Brown rice(whole-grain is best); Brown Rice noodles/crackers/bread; Tapioca; Gluten-free bread (“O’Dough’s” has a good mix to make foccaccia, pizza, or bread); Quinoa (as cereal or with steamed rice); Corn; Amaranth (as cereal as with quinoa or with steamed rice); Buckwheat (buckwheat is not another form of wheat); Potato; Millet (as cereal or with rice); Flour recepies with arrowroot, sorghum or almond meal for bread or pancakes.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Prepare recipes well in advance and allow extra time while shopping to read labels carefully. Instead of bread, use lettuce heart or rice wraps (tortilla or Asian rice paper) with trout, salmon, chicken or turkey. Morning cereal can be made with amaranth (nutty flavour), quinoa, grated carrots, and honey. Cream of brown rice cereal is also available. Make pasta with brown rice noodles (do not overcook noodles). Introduce stir fries, green salads with chicken, turkey. Warm soups are very healthy and can be made from a home-made gluten-free broth base. Use starchy vegetables (yams, sweet potatoes, etc), green veges (spinach, arugala, broccoli), orange-red veges (carrots, beets, etc), or fruit (only as a snack, 1 fruit per day) as your carbohydrate source.
High protein snacks are a great tool to introduce in any gluten-free regimin.
GLUTEN-CONTAINING FOODS /INGREDIENTS TO AVOID ARE:
Crackers; Corn pasta; Spaghetti Noodles (a generic term typically wheat based; but spaghetti shaped brown rice noodles are widely available and very good tasting); Soy sauce (unless its Braggs); Breads (rye, whole wheat, sourdough gluten-containing bread, etc.); Matzos; Hot dogs (with gluten filler; however Pillar’s and Schnider’s Naturals brand are gluten-free); Hamburger (those with gluten filler; home-made pure hamburger made with beef is OK); Sausages (most but not all contain gluten as filler); Batter fried foods (Crispy coatings are typically gluten-containing; better to order grilled entre); Liverwurst; Baking mixes (those with gluten); Gravies & cream sauces (unless home-made from juices of roast or other meats with gluten-free flour such as potato); Soups and bullion cubes (most processed soups contain gluten; however Amy’s soups are hearty and gluten-free; also home-made broth-based soups with meat or egg as protein source are very nutritious); Brewers Yeast (in movie popcorn); Oats (gluten-like glaidin is to be avoided in most all cases); Pepper (many synthetic forms add flour; fresh ground or pure store-bought is OK); Candy (most ingredients don’t list ingredients and flour is common addative); Ice-cream (thickening agents; some ice creams or frozen yoghurts are pure without gluten); Ovaltine’ Beer and Barley malt; Whisky (Rye, Scotch, etc); Corn processed products (often gluten-contaminated); Graham crackers; Granola; Wheat germ, bran or starch; Food starch; Vegetable starch or gum.
Gluten-free dieting made simple
Here is a simple approach to successfully implementing a gluten-free diet into your lifestyle. This diet focuses on incorporating seven fairly popular recipies as a dinner meal.
Gluten intolerance affects 60+% of my clients but it is also rampant in the general population. Since my clinic is focused on the treatment of schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions you may think this diet is not applicable to the general population, but this is not the case. This diet approach can be used universally for any gluten-intolerant or suspected condition.
This approach is a good start and should help people understand the basic concept. You need not purchase gluten-free products exclusively and I actually encourage minimal use of such processed products. A whole food approach is always the best choice. Note that all these recepies are high in high quality protein sources such as meat or eggs. If you are intolerant to any of the items listed then you can substitute accordingly.
The beauty of this diet is that it is doable for most people and, to those that are more advanced cooks, it provides a simple template to build on. Seven recipies are provided as the aim is to try to create seven dinner meals that you can eat regularly. I often tell patients to make an extra dinner portion for breakfast (some take this to work with them). Lunch can be an extension of these ideas but I again recommend that there be a substantial high quality protein portion. Snacks can be done following these principles and as always avoid sugar, junkfood, and foods that make you sick.
Always plan a diet so you don’t starve; you should feel full when you eat a meal. Eat slowly, and include 2 litres of water a day (adults). Fruit should be eaten away from meals as it requires a dedicated array of enzymes to digest and if consumed during a main meal, will compromise digestion of important protein (neurotransmitter precursor) and fat (hormone precursor).
Here it is, my 7 day Gluten-free diet plan of action!
1) Brown rice pasta with 100% beef meat balls with colorful side salad
2) Hamburgers (homemade from 100% beef, turkey, or veal) dressed with lettuce ,onions and condiments (no bun) and a side of fries (home made)
3) Stir Fry of lettuce or corn nachos with chicken (grilled) or steak and veges
4) Soup made with a saute, then adding gluten-free broth (home-made broth is best or try PC BlueMenu broth if you tolerate preservatives) with eggs or meat source (e.g. chicken or lean ground beef)
5) Steak with potatoes (sweet or regular) and a colorful side salad
6) Chicken with a bed of rice and greens or veges
7) Lettuce or brown rice tortilla wrap ‘sandwich’ with meat or fish, veges, and condiment of choice
Forthcoming: our next blog in the gluten series of posts contains information on:
Understanding the basic premise of gluten-free dieting and gluten-free guidelines for chosing grocery store products and reading labels!
First-Episode Schizophrenia Ontario Outreach Case Study Series
Filed under: Case Study Outreach, Case Study Series, First-Episode Psychosis, First-Episode Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia and Medication
ONTARIO ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT OUTREACH:
FIRST-EPISODE SCHIZOPHRENIA
Raymond J Pataracchia ND, BSc © 2012
Clinic Director, Naturopathic Medical Research Clinic
January 9, 2012
Our outreach project, localized to the geographic catchment of Southern Ontario and US vicinity, aims to provide an advanced drug-free treatment regimen that offers hope to first-episode schizophrenics.
First-episode schizophrenia (FES) is identifiable in people with consistent psychotic symptoms of six to twenty-four months duration. It is in this group that researchers believe early treatment offers the most benefit. Indeed it is in this group that there exists the greatest potential to bring brain chemistry back to a state of normalcy.
FES patients drastically need help and we are currently accepting patients for a one year case study series. We encourage all interested to call our Toronto clinic toll free at 1-877-ORTH-871 or locally at 416-944-8824. Although medical referral is not mandatory, we work with an array of medical professionals and aim to facilitate inter-professional collaborations. Case study protocol participation is expected to commence in February 2012.
In this international outreach effort, the Naturopathic Medical Research Clinic (NMRC), located in Toronto, Ontario, will use an advanced drug-free nutrient-based protocol with a central nutrient foundation that has been used successfully over the past half century.
We intend to report on the effectiveness of this unique first-episode treatment method in the entire sample of participants. Reporting will not only help future research efforts, but will also help society appreciate the value of a drug-free approach considered by many to offer profound hope.
FES patients taking drug medication (tranquilizer class neuroleptics, etc.) can safely and simultaneously use this nutrient-based treatment protocol. In society, we see a high drug drop-out rate in FES. Indeed many patients, upwards of 40%, opt not to take drug medication at all. With this naturally existing demographic setting we aim to determine the general and comparative effectiveness of this advanced nutrient-based protocol in drug-naïve versus drug-medicated FES. The benefit of using neuroleptic drugs in FES has not been established however a vast majority of modern day researchers assert: i) that neuroleptic benefits outweigh apparent risks; ii) that maintaining neuroleptics while implementing alternate treatment does not negatively alter study validity and; iii) that drug sedative effects play a paramount role in maintaining socially acceptable societal decorum.
In considering the protocol of choice in first-episode cases, we have taken into account sixty years of evidence-based archives and a decade of in-house data on alternative clinical treatment outcomes in schizophrenia. Our confidential clinic records on first-episode and chronic schizophrenia provide an array of comprehensive nutrient targeted data from which we have determined a unique and novel model of wellness. The chosen FES protocol contains an advanced vitamin and mineral regimen component that addresses core nutrient deficiencies and dependencies. We will be implementing comprehensive lab testing components to help determine the metabolic and biochemical factors that define good responders. There will also be a comprehensive component to assess symptoms and quality of life functional recovery aspects.
This international outreach effort will help facilitate a better understanding of what defines an effective alternative treatment model for FES. This outreach project is an ‘in-house’ case study series where everyone knows what the treatment is. We will assess and treat all FES case study participants the same way, with an advanced standard of care protocol that we consider to provide optimal benefit.
Eligible participants are required to pay for lab assessment, consult services, and treatment products; all costs are heavily discounted to increase access to a diverse and representative socio-economic population of FES patients.
Eligible Case Study Candidates are those who:
i) have a diagnosis of FES or who through a collaborative effort in assessing symptoms are provided with a solid FES diagnosis; participants must be moderate to severely symptomatic and functionally semi-independent in society; the time of onset must be determinable with accuracy in all cases; diagnostic uncertainty excludes participation; current DSM criteria must be met for diagnosis; ‘diagnosis by treatment’ is not an accepted diagnostic method; patients must be forthright in their disclosure of symptoms;
ii) are on, off, or have never taken neuroleptic medication; all conventional medical treatments must be disclosed;
iii) if on medication, are not to discontinue or withdraw unless directed under MD supervision; if progress is substantial and withdrawal from medication is indicated, this is to be done only as recommended under psychiatric supervision with the aim of maintaining the lowest effective dose to avoid receptor decompensation related confounds to treatment outcome (dose reductions should thereby not exceed 15% of the ‘stabilized’ dose of neuroleptic every 3-6 months during the one year case study treatment protocol);
iv) are about to switch or add another neuroleptic, so long as this is done under the guidance of the prescribing MD, 3-6 months before commencing the one year case study treatment protocol;
v) are less than 2 years post-onset at the time of starting the case study treatment protocol;
vi) are 18 to 40 years old at the time of starting the case study treatment protocol;
vii) are willing to allow their progress to be documented by providing disclosure to report data on their case up to 5 years post-treatment (anonymity is respected in all cases);
viii) are committed to adhering to the treatment protocol to ensure compliance; participants must be able to form an alliance with the research team to comply with treatment protocol structure (a compliance contract is mandatory); where possible, patients should be accompanied by caregivers to provide a support network that ensures compliance;
ix) have not used or plan to use other alternative treatments prior to or during the one year case study treatment protocol; all non-conventional alternative medical treatments must be disclosed;
x) do not have a history of a medical or psychological condition that is a confound to treatment response; for example, active liver disease (such as active hepatitis), illicit drug use, alcohol abuse, peptic ulcer, Lyme’s disease, temporal lobe epilepsy, behavior disorder, assaultive or flagrant uncooperative behavior, moderate to severe destructive behavior, etc; If such conditions become known during the one year case study treatment protocol, the participant will be excluded from the study; all medical or psychological conditions must be disclosed prior or during the course of the one year case study treatment protocol;
xi) are willing to pay for treatment and participate without subsidization; participants will be expected to pay for transportation to and from the Toronto clinic and any other miscellaneous out-of-pocket expenses; participants excluded from the study are not eligible for discounts.