DISEASE RISK

1. DISEASE RISK EPIGENETICS REGULATES GENE EXPRESSION RESEARCH SHOWN THAT DIET CAN SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE EPIGENETIC PROFILES BY DNA METHYLATION, HISTONE STABILITY AND Mrna PROFILES

2. Optimum Nutrition and Behaviour “How does your child’s diet affect their behaviour?”

3. INTRODUCTION • Are children today having a kids life crisis? • Mental and behavioural problems are on the increase in our children. • Autism, dyslexia, hyperactivity, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. • Clinical research points its finger at sub-optimal nutrition. • Lets identify how to maximise your child’s potential and stay emotionally healthy.

4. Diagnosis? • ADD-Attention deficit disorder without hyperactivity • ADHD-Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity • Dyslexia • Autism • Or just “interested” in everything?

5. What we need to consider. • Blood sugar imbalance • Food additives and colourings • The gut connection • Allergies • Lack of Essential Fatty Acids • Heavy metal toxicity • Amino acid imbalance

6. OPTIMUM NUTRITION Optimum Nutrition aims to provide the body with the perfect balance of vitamins, minerals and nutrients so that it can perform at its best • Every child is unique • Nutrients work together • Environmental factors affect health • Lifestyle affects nutritional needs

7. WHAT ARE CHILDREN MADE OF? • Each cell is a complete and complex factory, dependant on raw materials • Each cell is part of a system which is very finely tuned • Genetics play a role • “normal” is not enough ??? • Do what is best for your child

9. Symptoms of sub-optimal health • Skin colour and texture • Eyes • Appetite • Digestion • Bowels • Immune system • Energy • Moods • Alertness • Sleeping patterns • Breathing • Weight

10. Symptoms of hyperactivity and/or inattentive children • Brain fog • Mood swings • Tearfulness • Aggressiveness, hostility, anger • Overactivity • Headaches • Ear infections • Bedwetting • Digestive disorders • Aches and pains • Short attentions span • Learning problems • Respiratory problems • Irritabilty • Drowsiness/inappropriate fatigue • Depression

11. THE ENERGY ROLLER COASTER • Blood sugar imbalance causes the energy roller coaster • Refined foods give fast acting sugar, causing energy highs • Insulin then activated to bring blood sugars down but can cause an abrupt energy reduction or ‘crash’ • This leads back to sugar cravings and the roller coaster! • Complex carbohydrates break down into slow acting sugar • When in balance blood sugar creates sustained energy levels and mood

12. THE ENERGY SOLUTION • Provide small and frequent snacks • Always eat breakfast • Balance complex carbohydrates, proteins and fats • Watch for hidden sugars • Dilute fruit juices • Mix dried fruit with protein • Limit convenience foods • Use fresh fruit • Avoid cola and caffeine

13. Food additives/ E numbers • 7,000,000 North American chidren take Ritalin-properties similar to cocaine. • Side effects-stomach pains, weight loss, growth retardation, muscle twitching, agitation, insomnia, etc • Before additives added to our food, no such disorder existed as ADHD. • UK Government now confirms that colourings used in food and drinks are likely to cause tantrums and disruptive behaviour. • Can obtain a leaflet from Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with list of E numbers.

14. THE GUT LINK • “Digestion is the great secret of life”-you are not only what you eat but what you digest. • “What the patient takes beyond his ability to digest does harm” • What can your child’s mucosal lining tolerate? It will be comprimised. That’s the key to his/her brain health.

15. The Gut / Brain link • A toxic bowel is a build up of the bad bacteria, parasites, yeasts and their toxins • And partially digested food material due to lowered digestive enzymes including the casein/gluten peptides • This brew then leaks abnormally through the gut wall and creates oxidative stress • Research has suggested that these toxins play a role in elevating cytokines (often found raised in autistic children). Cytokines are messengers linking immune system, gut and brain. • This causes a chronic inflammatory process • Therefore the integrity of the mucosal lining is compromised causing commonly found bowel problems

16. The Gut /Brain Link • Elevated levels of nitric oxide (microbial) can affect anti-oxidant enzymes and can cause neural death • This also increases permeability of the blood brain barrier allowing the entry of peptides • Due to enlarged gaps in the gut wall pathogens such as mycoplasma, parasites, yeast and other bacteria pass through • If the blood brain membrane has increased permeability then inflammation, ischemia and toxicity in the brain may occur • This also triggers learning and memory problems

17. The Allergy Link • Most commonly put forward as a contributing factor • The strongest evidence involves gluten (mainly wheat) and dairy (casein) • They get into the system by faulty digestion and absorption (leaky gut) • These peptides mimic brain endorphins and cause damaging opoid effects in the brain (enlarged eye pupils) • Can test –challenge testing/ELISA testing • For gluten removal it takes longer-perhaps 6 m • The effects of removing dairy are usually rapid.

18. IF ALLERGY IS A PROBLEM • Adverse reaction to food e.g. peanuts (Type 1) • Immune reaction – response is for life • Can be hereditary • Food sensitivity (Type 2) Symptoms • Eczema, asthma, hay fever, colic, mouth ulcers, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, rashes, psoriasis, stomach pains, behavioural problems • Stay off peanuts until 5 years old

19. PROBLEM FOODS The most common foods to cause sensitivity are: • Wheat – either gluten or wheat itself • Other gluten grains such as barley and rye • Dairy – either lactose or milk products such as milk, cheese and sometimes yoghurt • Soya products • Citrus • Eggs

20. WHEAT AND DAIRY ALTERNATIVES • Wheat Oats, rye, rice, corn, barley, muesli, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, bulgar wheat, chickpea flour, lentil flour, almonds, • Dairy Soya milk, soya yoghurt and cheese, rice milk, oat milk, butter, whey milk, almond milk, coconut milk

21. DAIRY OR NO DAIRY • Dairy sensitivity can contribute to: • Childhood diabetes • Asthma • Eczema • Glue ear • No cows milk until one year old (Government guidelines) because cows milk is poorly digested by infants • 7% of babies have cows milk • Breast milk is best!!

22. DAIRY OR NO DAIRY • What about calcium? • Eastern cultures • Low in use of dairy products and low in osteoporosis • Possible link – stress+junk foods=osteoporosis • Calcium in cows milk is not well utilised • Green vegetables, nuts and seeds • Yoghurt?

23. WHAT TO DO • Avoid suspect food for a few weeks • Give essential fatty acids such as fish oils/flax oil • Give digestive enzymes such as aloe vera • Start reintroducing food, keeping a check on symptoms • Use antioxidants to boost immunity such as Vitamins A, C, E and bi-flavinoids • Drink plenty of water to detoxify • Add Vitamin C as an anti-inflammatory

24. Smart fats • Your child’s brain is 60% fat. • Essential fats are essential for your brain • Deficiency linked to depression, dyslexia, ADD, fatigue, memory problems, Alzeimers, schizophrenia • The myelin sheath surrounding neurons is composed of phospholipids and O3 and O6 fats

25. PROOF • Research by Dr Alex Richardson shows children low in essential fats are more predisposed to dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD, autism-.web-www.fabresearch.org • Research also shows children breast fed have higher IQ’s at 8yrs than bottled fed. • Cannot be synthesised by the body so need to be provided by the diet.

26. Why is there a problem? • Too much saturated fats or trans fats (damaged polyunsaturated)-blocks the conversion of efa to hufa’s which play a structural role as well as important for eye and brain function. • Also mineral deficiency especially zinc blocks conversion. • Also stress, alcohol, caffeine and smoking. • Salycilates-apples, prunes, raisins, raspberries,almonds, apricots, blackcurrants, oranges, strawberries, grapes, tomato sauce, plums, cucumbers. Block efa’s to prostaglandins for communication. • Also the balance is now 1:20 to O6 not 1:1 pre-industrial revolution.

27. CLINICAL SIGNS FOR EFA DEFICIENCY. • Eccessive thirst • Frequent urination • Rough, dry, scaly skin • Dull, lifeless hair • Soft brittle nails • Eczema, asthma, hayfever • Poor night vision, sensivity to bright lights, visual disturbances • Poor concentration, distractability, poor memory • Emotionally sensitive • Sleep problems

28. ESSENTIAL FATS • Eat seeds and nuts-flax, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame. Grind and sprinkle on cereals, soups, salad. • Eat herring, salmon, mackeral, tuna 2-3 times a week. Need 300-400 mg both of EPA and DHA per day, or triple to correct a learning difficulty. • Use hemp or flax oil for cold dressings. • Minimise intake of fried food, processed and saturated fat from dairy and meat. • Supplement with fish oils for O3 fats and starflower or evening primrose oil for O6 fats. • Use eggs fed on a high O3 diet.

29. DETOXIFICATION • Heavy metals can affect neurotransmitter pathways • Hair Mineral analysis will identify them • Also will show mineral levels to help detoxify. • Liver support-antioxidants/milk thistle/amino acids • Epson salts

30. Neurotransmitter metabolism • Amino acids are the building blocks of our cells • Anedotal evidence that certain aa’s are beneficial to people with autism • Found supplementation very beneficial. • IAG found to be high in the urine of ASD’S • Metabolite of inadequate conversion of tryptophan to 5HTP. • This is needed for manufacture of serotonin • Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter • Needed for sleep and relaxation therefore reduces hyperactivity. • Can supplement with 5HTP

31. VARIETY – THE SPICE OF LIFE • 80% of food intake comes from just 11 foods. • Increasing the number of foods increases the variety of nutrients obtained naturally • Lead by example • Include your child in choice and preparation of foods

32. AN IDEAL DIET FOR CHILDREN • 70% Complex Carbohydrates • for energy production • vegetables, fruit, grains, beans, pulses and seeds • 30% Protein • for growth, and muscle and hormone production • fish, meat, dairy products and added fat • Water – we are 80% water. It is necessary to ‘flush out’ toxins

33. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES – WONDERFOOD? BUT – how do you get children to eat them? • Start early and keep quantities small • Choose colourful and sweet • Cherry tomatoes, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes • Hide them in omelettes, pizzas, rice etc • Grate into purees, soups and sauces • Use vegetarian main courses • Offer as a first course while your child is hungry

34. Why Fruit And Vegetables? • Apples • High in Vitamin C – increases immunity • High in Pectin – aids detoxification • Works to lower cholesterol by up to 10% • Neutralises excess acid • Apricots • High in antioxidants for immunity • High in ironfor energy • Broccoli • Fights cancer because contains indoles • High in iron (energy) • Brown rice • High in iron, magnesium, Vitamins E and B6 • Contains gamma oryzanol for health of the gut

35. Carrots • High in Vitamin C - immunity • Helps respiratory system (Vitamin A) • Essential for healthy skin (Vitamin A) • Good for eye function (Vitamin A) • Flax oil • Rich in essential fatty acids which reduces • Inflammation and therefore decreases allergies • Important far nerve and brain function because contains EPA/DHA • Important for hormone balance • Garlic and onions • Anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal (active compounds) • Helpful against asthma, anaemia, arthritis (support the liver) • Helps to detoxify pollutants

36. Papaya and pineapples • Rich in enzymes which are beneficial for digestion of proteins • Clean up dead tissue in the gut wall • Olive oil • Protects against heart disease • Is high in antioxidants • Aids digestion and helps prevent constipation • Bio yoghurt • Helps maintain bacterial balance in the colon • Helps protect against bowel cancer

37. Grapes • Has cleansing properties • Useful for gout and rheumatism • Regenerative for fatigue as contains fructose • Oats • Reduces cholesterol and blood fats • Good for blood sugar balance • Provides Vitamins B & E, calcium, magnesium, potassium and silicon • Oily fish, nuts and seeds • Contain essential fatty acids • For brain structure and nerve messages • Improves cardiovascular health by reducing cholesterol

38. FAST FOOD NOT JUNK FOOD • Humus in pitta bread • Baked beans • Frozen peas • Tuna mayonnaise • Omelettes • Sausages • Vegetable or chicken nuggets • Additive free fish fingers

39. Quickie dips and salads • 3 bean salad • Guacamole • Coleslaw • Fresh soup (cartons) • Pasta, rice and baked potatoes • Toasted sardines

40. GOOD FOOD ON A BUDGET • Pulses and grains e.g. red lentils in stews and bolognaise • Vegetables and fruit in season (from the market) • Mackerel, and sardines • Casserole cheaper cuts of lean meat with pulses, grains and veg e.g. neck of lamb with pearl barley • Use your freezer where possible

41. FOOD FADS BE POSITIVE! • Happy meal times • Don’t worry if your child won’t eat – don’t fuss • Children have different appetites at different growth times • Do not give junk food to tempt your child to eat • Do not give in to cravings for saltier and sweeter foods • Check they are not unwell

42. PROVERBS 22;6 • TRAIN A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO, AND WHEN HE IS OLD HE SHALL NOT DEPART FROM IT.