Choosing the Right Healing Diet

Processed foods, pesticides, medications, and toxins damage the gut microbiome which in turn drives a range of digestive, autoimmune and neurological illness. Various “Healing diets” work to heal the gut and calm the immune system and vary depending on the gut, genetics and environment.

In general, we recommend:

  • Organic, fresh, whole food diet
  • No/minimal refined flours and sugars
  • No processed foods, artificial additives, colorings or preservatives
  • Plenty of filtered water containing minerals is essential.

Which healing diet is right for you?

The Mindd Healing Diet Guide: Features & Benefits of Different Diets

Selecting the most appropriate healing diet as a focus for yourself or someone you care for can be confusing or overwhelming.

It is important to have a thorough understanding of what your options are in order to make the best selection.

Professional advice can support clear choices for a healing diet

Being guided by a knowledgeable practitioner who has assessed your entire health picture can support you in getting the best dietary guidance. By consulting with a skilled practitioner, such as a naturopath, nutritionist or integrative medicine physician, you are giving yourself an opportunity to receive an objective perspective of your health from a professional.

Your practitioner will develop a good understanding of your health goals, and upon treating, particular attention and focus will be placed on the areas of your health which requires nurturing.

Choosing a healing diet – ask the right questions

Below are a few key points to consider when selecting a healing diet. Ask yourself the following questions.

This list is by no means exhaustive, however, it makes for a great starting point. Additionally, the table below will also help point you in the right direction.

  • Do you have food sensitivities?
  • Are you in need of digestive support?
  • Is blood sugar management a concern?
  • Is weight loss a priority?
  • Do you have an autoimmune condition?
  • Do you suffer from skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne rosacea?

 

Diet

Key attributes

Pros

Cons

Conditions

Autoimmune Paleo

More here…

 

 

  • Reduces inflammation
  • Focuses on autoimmune conditions
  • Focus on gut health
  • Focus on gut health
  • Strict cutting of food groups
  • Nutrient dense
  • Plenty of variety
  • Many tasty and exciting AIP recipes

 

  • May be expensive
  • Strict avoidance of triggers
  • Could be difficult eating out
  • Not suitable for vegetarians/vegans
  • Could be a long-term commitment
  • Autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto’s, Rheumatoid Arthritis)
  • Coeliac Disease
  • Adrenal Fatigue
  • Recurrent infections, low immunity
  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
  • Multiple Sclerosis

 

Body Ecology Diet

More here… 

 

  • General ‘clean eating’ and ‘body balancing’
  • Combines Eastern medicine and Western philosophies
  • A well-rounded whole foods diet
  • Can be ‘personalized’
  • Structural, may not suit everyone
  • 7 principles to adhere to.
  • Autism
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Adrenal fatigue
  • Food allergies and intolerances
  • Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Leaky gut syndrome
  • Various autoimmune diseases
  • Mould disease/exposure

 

The Elimination Diet

More here…

 

  • Dietary method to identify foods which may be causing unpleasant physical reactions
  • Focus on gut healing once offending foods are eliminated
  • Useful method to pinpoint offending foods
  • Systematic, structural method to follow
  • Majority of people will experience an improvement

 

  • Time-consuming
  • It is easy to make a mistake and stray from the structural nature of the diet
  • Not for anaphylactic reactions to food
  • Eating out may be hard
  • People who are having difficulties pinpointing whether their symptoms are linked to specific foods.

 

The GAPS Diet

More here…

 

  • A strict diet which focuses on gut and brain health.
  • Systematic protocol to follow in order to ‘reset’ gut health.

 

 

  • Supports overall gut function. Rebalances flora and healing gut wall
  • Supports immune function and detoxification

 

  • Restrictive, hard for children at school
  • Not much variety in the initial stages
  • Histamine and glutamate sensitive people may react negatively to bone broth
  • Not suitable for vegetarians/vegans
  • Eating out is hard
  • Long-term commitment
  • A lot of preparation and cooking

 

  • Coeliac disease
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • ADHD
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Bipolar
  • Schizophrenia
  • Depression
  • PANDAS/PANs
  • Post Acute Infectious Syndrome
Gluten Free Casein Free Diet

More here…

 

  • Avoiding inflammatory foods to optimize gastrointestinal function.
  • Reducing inflammation and autistic symptoms.
  • Aids to stabilize moods in children with autism
  • Reduces inflammation in gut
  • Can be difficult for children who are not familiar with what foods contain gluten and casein
  • Can be quite restrictive when eating out
  • Many ‘kids foods’ contain gluten and/or casein.

 

  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • PANDAS/PANs
  • Post Acute Infectious Syndrome
The Ketogenic Diet

More here…

 

  • Low carbohydrate
  • High fat
  • Targeted for weight loss, however, there are many benefits for neurological conditions
  • Effective once you are in ketosis

 

  • Eating a very low carbohydrate diet can be very hard
  • Requires preparation
  • Need to regularly check ketone levels
  • Easy to slip out of ketosis
  • Not suitable for vegetarians/vegans

 

  • Epilepsy
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Obesity
  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Parkinson’s Disease
Low FODMAPs Diet

 More here…

 

  • For those with a sensitivity to certain fermentable carbohydrates found in plant matter
  • Systematic, with an elimination and reintroduction phase
  • Still plenty of room for variety in the diet
  • People will usually need to stick to a low FODMAP diet long-term
  • Can be complicated to determine what your threshold for a certain food is

 

  • Irritable bowel syndrome
Paleolithic Diet

 More here…

 

  • Modern paleo diet includes meat, vegetables and fruit.
  • No dairy, and no grains.
  • High protein, high fiber, medium to high fat, and medium to low carbohydrates
  • Good ratio of fats, low in inflammatory fats
  • High antioxidants, from a high intake of fruit and vegetables
  • Better quality meats from grass-fed and/or organic sources
  • Can aid in weight loss

 

  • People may struggle with elimination carbohydrates in the form of grains
  • Can be expensive
  • May be too low in carbohydrates for some athletes
  • Social events and dining out may be challenging
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Thyroid conditions
  • Obesity
  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
  • Endometriosis
  • Fertility preparation
  • Gluten intolerance
  • PANDAS/PANs
  • Post Acute Infectious Syndrome
Specific Carbohydrate Diet

 More here…

 

  • Only monosaccharides are allowed to be eaten, other forms of carbohydrates are not allowed as they require much more effort to digest.
  • Focus on rebalancing gut bacteria
  • Long-term dietary solution
  • Aids in a majority of digestive conditions
  • May aid with immunity, mood and balances gut flora
  • Strict and rigid
  • Requires preparation and commitment
  • Challenging to dine out or eat at social events
  • Not for vegetarians/vegans
  • Trigger foods are permanently eliminated
  • Histamine and glutamate sensitive people may react negatively to bone broth

 

  • Coeliac disease
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Diverticulitis
  • Cystic Fibrosis
  • Food Intolerances
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Dysbiosis
  • PANDAS/PANs
  • Post Acute Infectious Syndrome

 

The Weston A Price Diet

 More here…

 

  • Non-refined foods and food ingredients
  • Whole animal products including organ meats, cartilage, skin, and lard
  • Includes whole grains
  • Encourages fermented foods
  • Nutrient dense, high in vitamins, enzymes, minerals
  • Plenty of variety
  • Fermented foods beneficial for gut health

 

  • High fat intake may be difficult for some to tolerate
  • Not easy to follow for vegetarians/vegans
  • Dental problems
  • Musculoskeletal issues (e.g.: arthritis, osteoporosis)
  • Diabetes
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome

 

 

Diet Profile Research and Writing: Kimberly Kushner BHSc (Nutritional Medicine), BHSc (Naturopathy) for MINDD

Mindd Foundation