Bio-INdividual Diets
Foods can aggravate. Foods can nourish.
What You and Your Child Eats Matters
Food is much more than calories. It provides the building blocks our brains and bodies need to grow, develop, regulate, and function. But not every food affects everyone in the same way. A food can be nourishing for one person and poorly tolerated by another. At the same time, a diet can provide plenty of calories while still being lacking in nutrients. This is why we take a Bio-Individual Nutrition approach: rather than asking, "What diet is best ?" we ask: "What does this particular individual need?"
When Certain Foods May Be a Problem
Food Sensitivities and Intolerances
Some people may not tolerate certain foods well. Food sensitivities create inflammation in the body and brain. Reactions sometimes appear as digestive discomfort, skin issues, behavior, or changes in attention and energy. Identifying food sensitivities can be challenging as reactions can happen immediately, but also up to 72 hours later.
Gluten, Casein and Opiate Reactions
Increasingly gluten and dairy have become problematic and difficult to digest. Our modern diet has eliminated many of the processes that traditionally made these foods easily digestible. Incompletely digested gluten and casein can form opioid-like peptides which may influence the nervous system and brain by interacting with opioid receptors and potentially affecting neurotransmission. Opioid receptors play a role in pain perception, motivation, mood, stress response, attention and behavior.
Naturally Occurring Food Compounds
Some may be particularly sensitive to naturally occurring compounds found in foods, such as histamine, salicylates, oxalates, or glutamate. While these foods tend to be considered healthy, for some individuals, these can affect digestion, skin issues, behavior changes, irritability and inflammation.
Salicylates found in some fruits and vegetables can cause behavior and skin issues.
Oxalates found in spinach and almonds may cause joint pain and oxidative stress.
Glutamates found in msg and soy sauce may increase anxiety.
Artificial Additives and Flavorings
Artificial colorings, flavorings and additives can be potential triggers for individuals with sensitivities to these compounds. Reducing these ingredients can help decrease the body's overall chemical burden and may be particularly helpful when unexplained digestive, behavioral, mood, or neurological symptoms are present.
Pesticides
Pesticides, sprayed on vegetables and fruit, contribute to our overall toxic burden. The increased chemical burden taxes the body’s detoxification systems, placing additional stress on the body. For pesticides such as glyphosate, studies have shown it can reduce the microbiome’s bacterial diversity and increase markers of gut inflammation.
Digestive challenges
Depending on one’s microbiome, specific foods may be difficult to digest and may contribute to gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or abdominal discomfort. When digestion is off, the body cannot extract the nutrients it needs from the foods. Among many things, this affects cells, hormones and neurotransmitters. “You are what you digest,” is more accurate than the age-old saying, “You are what you eat.”
Highly Processed Foods
The Standard American Diet (SAD) often contains substantial amounts of ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars while providing fewer nutrient-dense whole foods and fiber. A person can therefore consume enough calories without necessarily receiving enough nourishment. These foods can also be challenging to digest and spike blood sugar levels.
BIO-INDIVIDUAL DIETS
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Often used as an initial diet when looking at food sensitivities and the potential effects of gluten, dairy/casein, and soy on digestion, inflammation, and neurological or behavioral symptoms. It removes gluten-containing grains, dairy/casein, and soy while emphasizing nutrient-dense whole foods and appropriate substitutes.
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This may be considered when removing gluten alone isn't enough, particularly when digestion, blood sugar regulation, or reactions to grains and starches remain a concern. These approaches eliminate all grains and typically emphasize nutrient-dense proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, and carefully selected fruits and starches, with Paleo, GAPS, and SCD each having their own specific guidelines.
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Reduces foods high in phenolic compounds, including salicylates, amines and glutamates, as well as artificial ingredients. May support those experiencing irritability, hyperactivity, behavioral changes, or digestive discomfort.
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Considered when fermentable carbohydrates appear to be contributing to digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort, or altered bowel habits. It temporarily reduces poorly absorbed, highly fermentable carbohydrates—including certain forms of fructose, lactose, and FOS—and then uses careful reintroduction to identify individual tolerance.
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Gradually reduces foods high in oxalates, such as certain nuts, beans, and greens. May support those with fatigue, low muscle tone, pain or ongoing yeast concerns.
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May be used when the focus is on supporting a healthier balance of the gut microbiome and reducing foods that may promote yeast overgrowth. It emphasizes reducing sugar and starch, balancing foods, and—when tolerated—incorporating cultured or fermented foods to support the gut environment.
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Used to identify foods or food compounds that may be contributing to an individual's symptoms, particularly when food sensitivities are suspected. Foods are temporarily removed and then systematically reintroduced so that responses can be observed and the diet ultimately expanded to include as many well-tolerated foods as possible.
How Foods Can Nourish
Food provides the building blocks the body needs to function, repair, and thrive. Nutrient-dense whole foods supply proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support digestion, immune function, hormone production, energy, cellular repair, and the body's many biochemical processes. But nourishment depends on more than what we eat. It also depends on how well we digest, absorb, and utilize those nutrients.
The brain is especially dependent on a steady supply of nutrients to create energy, build and maintain cells, produce neurotransmitters, and support communication throughout the nervous system. Digestive health, inflammation, nutrient availability, immune function, and biochemistry can all influence the environment in which the brain functions. Nourishing the body with the right foods and, when needed, identifying foods that an individual does not tolerate well, can be an important part of supporting the body and brain.
Bio-individual diets -
relieve burden from the body
reduce inflammation,
add nourishing foods
support the brain and cells.