Diet: Recommended foods for GDD, and probably everything else.
One of the most common emails I receive are requests from individuals of what food should I be eating to decrease the effects of GDD. This certainly is critical in the early stages of GDD, within 3 months of onset, to potentially avoid having to undergo more directed therapy, such as chelation. The below reflects 6 years of accumulating information, mainly from well-informed sufferers.
The basic issue with GDD is inflammation, so the essential principle is to eat foods that are principally anti-inflammatory, and avoid foods that are potentially pro-inflammatory. My over-arching approach is to be sensible and not to drive yourself crazy by trying to always eat the perfect diet. The stress of this overly self-conscious diet approach, probably results in a baseline high level of stress-related cytokines, that counteracts the principal of:
CALM YOUR BODY DOWN
The intention of this blog is to be a work in progress and is not an exhaustive list.
WHAT NOT TO EAT/DRINK
Easy to start with describing what to avoid (as best as possible): high sugar content foods (especially bad are sugar containing soda drinks) and ultraprocessed foods, especially meats.
WHAT TO EAT/DRINK
This list is potentially enormous, so I will focus on just a few items that are of particular importance.
I recommend to everyone to start with this trilogy of anti-inflammatory foods, and preferably to add in 1 at a time (to make sure you do not have some kind of reaction/aversion to one item in particular). Turmeric (all forms including nanocurcumin), spirulina, and chlorella. Some food sites have recommended combining these anti-inflammatory ingredients with spices that have a mild chelation effect, such as cilantro and oregano. The problem with mild chelators is that on occasion these may cause movement of Gd from the tissues without effective removal and hence generate GDD Flares or rarely the onset of GDD, so be careful with these. Certainly avoid excessive amounts of weaker chelators.
CBD /THC. A number of sufferers describe considerable benefit.
Blueberries. Pine-apple.
Ginger
Apricots/ peaches/ nectarines. These all contain pectin, which is a low power intestinal binder of toxins. This is generally of no risk, unlike lower power chelators that have a more systemic chelating effect (cilantro).
Ground cherries (small yellow fruits). This has been recently proposed to me by an exceedingly well-informed physician-sufferer- colleague.
Broccoli. Probably in the modern age the safest of the cruciferous vegetables (unfortunately the least safe is Kale, which fundamentally should be the best, but because of pollution now is probably the most common cause of increased Thallium and Cesium in people). Broccolini. Spinach.
Nuts. I like sprouted walnuts. Also good for Magnesium.
Avocado: Also good for Magnesium:
Beans
Figs. Dates
Bananas.
Beets.
Olives. First press olive oil.
Honey. As sweetener. One well informed sufferer described to me making a combination of fresh turmeric, ginger and honey.
Salmon.
Notes::
Not everything works for everyone. Try things cautiously, and often one at a time.
As a whole I prefer the whole food item, and not a derivative: whole beet vs beet pill. A lot of the benefit is from multiple chemicals within the entity (not just the one isolated), and also the roughage.
Basically an ideal diet is a variant of the Mediterranean/ South Beach diet. Likely no one diet works for everyone. I do not like the Keto diet.
I prefer orally acquired elements rather than iv. There are probably at least 4 steps, starting with bacterial, to get biochemicals into the form the body can use. Administering agents iv bypasses all these 4 steps of refinement, and many therefore are fundamentally not usable. Their benefit may stem from the hydration due to administering 1 liter of fluid, and possibly also renal elimination pathways to eliminate the chemical and serendipitously concurrent elimination of other toxic biochemicals.
Less preparation and modification is better than more. Steaming, or smoothie from raw ingredients, as examples.
Fresh is essentially always better than prepared/canned, fresh pineapple vs canned pineapple- but canned may be better than none at all.
Anything important I am missing? Suggestions always appreciated.
Richard Semelka, MD.