Please read this article by Emily Deans; it is really illuminating http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.co.uk/
I found it through clicking on a link from Gianna Kali's Beyond Meds. I was idly reading an article about the benefits of exercise to release trauma in the body, for some reason clicked at a link on the side and found this article about schizophrenia and the gut.
Because I have been gluten free for several months now, it has just become part of my routine. I am starting to forget what a big effect it has had on my health, and this article reminded me. My anxiety levels dropped almost immediately when I cut out gluten - although I was having CBT at the same time, so it is hard to separate these causes.
Somebody commented on Emily's article that perhaps everyone suffering psychosis could be checked for antibodies to gluten etc. Apparently one American mental hospital that instituted a gluten-free menu found that many more patients recovered, and much more quickly, than usual. Amazing.
Food for thought, at the very least (sorry couldn't resist that!).
I've been thinking about doing this as well.
ReplyDeleteHi ELiza
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely worth a try. Apart from anything else, I have found that the things I don't eat anymore are mainly cakes and biscuits, which are really of no nutritional value. It hasn't been hard to stay gluten-free - once I got into the habit of it - and the benefits have been so great that I am not tempted to go back.
It's worth buying gluten free flour, to make your own bread, pizza, pancakes, etc and gluten free pasta, but a lot of the other things in the shops - bread, biscuits, etc, are overpriced. I recommend Ryvita - if you find you are ok with rye gluten, as I am. I am not so sure about oats - I love them, but I don't think I tolerate them too well.
I am interested to hear how you get on, so please do let me know. If you are careful with your diet, you should see an improvement in your health (mental and physical) within a couple of weeks. Watch out for 'hidden' gluten in things like sausages, and gravy granules... Try not to eat too many crisps and chocolate, which may not contain gluten but won't help your health in any case!
And try to go for a thirty minute walk each day, just for the fun of it, if you don't already. It will help with digestion, and with mood.
All the best, Louise