Dr. Robert Melillo, our co-founder, realized that while we might be stimulating your child to improve the functional disconnection, there is more then just a weak hemisphere that is contributing to the negative behaviors that you observe. To quote Dr. Melillo's book Disconnected Kids (p 213) "The brain's primary fuels are oxygen and glucose, which are manufactured from nutrients in our food supply. A brain that has plenty of stimulation but too little fuel will not be able to take advantage of that stimulation."
That being said the brain and the stomach are directly connected by a single nerve called the vagus nerve.
Have you ever been nervous and you get that feeling we call "butterflies in your stomach"? Well your stomach isn't nervous! Your brain is! That feeling of nervousness is being perceived in your stomach. If you know what I am talking about then you have experienced the direct correlation of the brain and the stomach at work.
Now, when a child has a deficit in one of their hemispheres, that lack of strength is consequently emulated in the gut.
A weak brain = a weak gut
A weak gut leaves the child susceptible to:
- Less stomach acid, which breaks down food
- Weaker stomach muscles - less peristalsis to churn the food
- Nutrients from food cannot be absorbed
- Decreased circulation to the stomach and its large/small intestines
As a result we see such negative responses like:
- Eczema
- Inability to focus
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Picky eaters
- So much more!
BUT! If given the chance to heal, the body will heal itself! The body can only begin to heal itself if we know exactly what is causing the damage. That is where the ALCAT test comes in. All of our children are required by the Brain Balance Program,to have a routine blood draw. That blood is then sent to our lab, ALCAT, where the blood is tested for the individual antigen response (White Blood Cell response) to the introduction of an individual food to the blood stream. If the white blood cells respond to the food being introduced to the blood stream, then the lab knows that this food is a sensitivity for the child. The reason being, that the white blood cells are only supposed to respond to foreign invaders in the body (like when we are sick, or have a cut). Food should not be considered a foreign invader, but in this case, when it is, that is where we get a food sensitivity, and hence all of the negative reactions that accompany it.
That being said, all of the results that we receive are discussed thoroughly with the families, and the child in our program is put on a strict elimination diet. This elimination diet removes all of the foods that are manifesting themselves as a negative reaction, and allows the body to do what it does best - heal itself. The combination of our program, which is strengthening the brain, and the elimination diet, which allows the stomach to strengthen, allows the child to not only see an overall improvement in their functional development, but they are allowed to have all of their foods back!
The goal of the nutrition component of the program is not only to eliminate the food sensitivities, but also to heal the gut through the stimulation of the program combined with the elimination diet. This healing process reversese the permibility of the gut, and the food sensitivites can slowly be reintroduced into the child's life - with no negative reactions!
Knowing all this, the staff at Brain Balance of Summit, has decided to embark on the same journey as so many of our kids have before and many will after. We all got our blood drawn, and we are all doing our own individualized elimination diet. This will be our story. We will be posting about how we feel, what challenges we have, and will even be sharing some of our food choices. We realize that it is a little easier to reason with us when we can't have our favorite food because of a sensitivity, but we hope that our experiences will help anyone who is doing their own elimination diet, or any of the families that are in our program who need a little bit more motivation with their child!
Miss Betsy, Miss Casey, Miss Nicole, and Miss Sarah Anne are doing it too!
