Slumped over tea that smells like rotting compost: “Why can’t this be a decadent rich caramel caffè macchiato? But no, food issues and one sickness after another have me sitting here drinking medicinal tea…just one more reminder that everyone else is out there having fun and I’m cursed trying to solve never-ending health problems.”

That’s a conversation too many of your clients are having with themselves. Replace “tea” with “salad” and you can quadruple that number.

In many cases, no matter how careful they are and how much they deprive themselves of “taboo” foods, the “Domino Effect” doesn’t stop. They’re accumulating illnesses like gamers accumulate badges. It’s discouraging and can be completely devastating if they can’t find anyone that understands what’s going on or has an action plan that brings results.

The Science is what I call the “Domino Effect” is the “Inflammatory Cascade”:
  • Consistent, high levels of inflammation cause cellular damage
  • That graduates to tissue damage
  • Continuous tissue damage creates inflammation in the organs
  • Louder symptoms usually appear by this point (body begging for help)
  • Antibodies elevate in the organs affected
  • If nothing is done, there’s organ damage, and that’s round one
This same cascade process starts to happen with multiple issues as the body gets weaker. That’s why those who have one autoimmune disease often trigger several others.

Solution to Stopping the Dominoes from Falling

1) Be thorough and start from scratch.Don’t just focus on the one most aggravated symptom. Do testing for markers that can indicate problems brewing elsewhere. You want to be proactive and not find yourself constantly putting out fires.

2) Solve the problems at their core,don’t just alleviate symptoms. Sometimes this means a really massive overhaul in lifestyle. Food changes may be just one aspect. The good news is that even the strictest healing protocol is usually just for a set time until the body finds homeostasis again.

3) Get the army of healing supplements going:Vitamin D, Glutamine, Glutathione, Magnesium, and Turmeric. Test for all vitamin and mineral deficiencies because villi don’t damage evenly so it’s impossible to know what your client is low in. Iodine, iron, fat soluble vitamins, are supplements you never want to overload the system with.

The Key to Success with Specialty Diets…

…is that they need to be very enjoyable. What is the person replacing the culprit(s) with?

If gluten is replaced with highly processed wood-chip-tasting gluten-free bread, that’s a long painful road and hard to maintain. But if it’s a savory delicious bread made from chick pea flour with thyme and sun dried tomatoes that have the neighbors sniffing outside the kitchen window — that’s a joy to maintain.

Same goes for dairy. You can’t replace the creamy brie with hard tasteless tofu. You have to replace it with an even creamier option, perhaps with herbs and drizzled with aromatic olive oil.

With comprehensive testing, deep detox and repair, a delicious long term plan, and the right mindset, your client can be enjoying that caffè macchiato they’re dreaming about, with no dark health clouds over their head.



Jaqui Karr, CGP, CSN, CVD, is a best-selling author, speaker, and corporate consultantJaqui Karr who specializes in educating about gluten, celiac disease, specialty diets, and health through nutrition. Her popular “NakedFood” brand has helped thousands include more power raw and healing greens in their diet. Ms. Karr is a certified gluten practitioner, certified sports nutritionist, and certified vegan/vegetarian educator to dietitians. http://jaquikarr.com

Note: The statements presented in this column should not be considered medical advice or a way to diagnose or treat any disease or illness. Dietary supplements do not treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always feel the advice of a medical professional before altering your daily dietary regimen. The opinions presented here are those of the writer. 

Published in WholeFoods Magazine Online, 2/1/2017