Diet Rules 101

One of the most impactful books I have read on the topic of food and nourishment is Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price.  

Dr. Price traveled the world around the 1940s investigating the connections between diet and physical degeneration.  Not only did he find a clear connection between certain foods and increases in physical disease, but also what diets showed clear protection against disease.

His conclusions make sense based on my evaluation of “truth”…is it “God pure,” does it align with nature and/or is it observed in nature, and most importantly, does its application improve my health and/or happiness.

The conclusions are simple.  The protective diets were different but always whole (as God offers the foods).  None included refined or processed grains or sugars, canned foods, processed oils (hydrogenated fats), or processed dairy (pasteurized).  

Simply…the family members that maintained whole food diets, native to their locale, rarely observed physical degenerative diseases.  Brothers and sisters of the same culture, who were introduced to white flour, sugar, and “fake” fats, showed marked increases in dental decay and jaw narrowing (especially in second generation processed food consumers) and physical degeneration, including heart disease, diabetes, etc. as well as mental and cognitive decline, which we would now call ADD…brain fog and poor concentration. 

At around the same time, Dr. Francis Pottenger observed the exact same consequence in his laboratory of cats fed processed foods.  By fourth generation, these cats lacked coordination and were functionally sterile…unable to reproduce.  

We choose 100% whole grains (bread, pasta, etc.), 100% whole sweeteners (honey, maple syrup) and 100% whole fats (butter, coconut oil, olive oil) over 80% of the time (remember the 80/20 rule?)  This is why…it is the difference between a 90% probability of experiencing physical disease using processed foods, compared to a 10% probability maintaining a whole food diet.

Is that enough…for you…a tipping point??…to look 5% harder…for whole grains, sweeteners and fats?  That’s about all the effort required to choose whole foods 80% of the time.  

Add in for the parents out there…a 90% probability of behavior issues, versus a 10% probability.  Are we there yet? 

The GABA Challenge

WHAT IS THE GABA CHALLENGE?

The GABA Challenge is a test for the integrity of your Blood Brain Barrier (BBB).  The BBB is a semi-permeable (some things can go through) “wall” that filters needed proteins, nutrients, and hormones into the brain, and keeps all irritants OUT of the brain. 

Think of your skin.  That also is a barrier system for your body.  What happens when that barrier system is compromised?  Think of a cut or scrape.  The answer of course is inflammation in the form of immune response to everything that is passing through that is NOT supposed to…dirt, bacteria, etc. 

Now think of this wall around your brain, only cut up, scratched up and scabbed up.  The cells surrounding these wounds, being bathed in inflammation are your BRAIN CELLS.   

This inflammatory process will guarantee you early neuro-degeneration, and make you sensitive to mercury and other environmental toxins (Autism spectrum)!

The GABA Challenge test involves taking a neuropeptide (big word for protein), called GABA that is naturally made in every cell of your body.  The key bit of information that we are using is that it acts locally only.  It does not travel from the kidney to the brain, and it doesn’t cross the blood brain barrier. 

The neuropeptides that work in the brain are GABA, serotonin, dopamine, etc.  GABA being the only inhibitory chemical (it’s like the brake pedal).  All the others are excitatory or stimulating to the nervous system. 

When you take a drug that stimulates GABA in the brain, you tend to slow down, get tired, feel sluggish, lose fine coordination.  Alcohol and Valium are probably the most famous GABA stimulators.  If you have ever tried either, you know exactly what I mean. 

BUT, taking the protein directly shouldn’t do this.  Alcohol crosses the blood brain barrier, GABA does not.  When we take GABA internally, WE SHOULD NOT FEEL ANYTHING.  There should not be a slowing, intoxication, or incoordination feeling at all.  There should be no brain effect at all. 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. About 1-2 hours after dinner, on a night that you have nothing planned, take the 2 GABA capsules.
2. Go about your business (like I said, don’t have anything important planned)
3. Notice any unusual slowing down type feelings, ranging from drunken to lethargy, or simply slowed down.
4. Notice any excitation, agitation, or other stimulation such as feeling wired, which will happen in approximately 20% of the cases of compromised BBB.  Most will feel inhibited
5. Go to bed.  If you are slowed, it will be gone by the morning.  (If you feel hung over in the morning, the process of neurodegeneration is more advanced, and requires significant attention. 
6. ANY change, excitation or inhibition is a positive test for damage to the Blood Brain Barrier.