http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1074
Rolling Back Dermatitis, Arthritis, Bursitis, Tendonitis, and Iritis! ( with
McDougall elimination diet ), Burgess Laughlin: Murray 2004.04.16 rmforall

"On one page in an appendix of The McDougall Program - Twelve Days to
Dynamic Health, I found a short-term, diagnostic "elimination diet." In it,
the first step is to temporarily eat only a few foods, all generally safe from
allergies. The second step adds suspect foods -- one at a time -- back into
the diet (one serving per meal, six meals in a row), to see the effects (in
my case, on my skin), usually within a few days. This systematic approach
intrigued me. After a year of testing one food per week (two days of
testing, five days of recovering from flare-ups, if any), I saw a general
pattern: Eating more protein causes more inflammation in my skin. The two
worst reactions I suffered were from sardines and almonds."

[ Comments by Rich Murray: Aspartame, since its 11 % methanol component is
inevitably a potent cumulative source of formaldehyde and formic acid, will
aggravate any immune system disorders.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFKids

This group now has 4,607 members, since Jan 15 1998, with an archive of
167,321 posts.

This list is unmoderated and unrestricted. The principle aim of this list is
to provide a discussion forum for parents of children on the autism spectrum
who are avoiding gluten and casein and other substances in their children's
diets. We hope that the discussions will include practical information and
tips on following a GFCF(etc) diet; scientific research and opinion; the
latest developments in understanding GFCF(etc) diet-related health problems;
your personal stories and experiences with relation to GFCF(etc) problems;
information on what food is GFCF(etc)and what is not; tips on how to eat out
of the house; recipes and tips on how to cook and prepare GFCF(etc) food;
what vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements may be appropriate for
a child with autism, how to cope with difficult diet demands, plus support
for parents. Appropriate topics for discussion on the list include anything
at all related to diet and autism spectrum disorders-including GFCF but also
yeast, nitrates/nitrites, dyes, vitamins, minerals, supplements, dealing
with teachers, friends, schools, outings, siblings, testing, etc...Please
keep general off topic information off the list as much as possible and
clearly mark off-topic posts. For immediate help and answers to your
questions, visit the GFCF Diet website at http://www.gfcfdiet.com.

http://www.aheadwithautism.com/resources.html
http://www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm
lternative Therapies for Children with Brain Injury and Developmental
Disorders
This site has an immediately accesible index to the following autism
theories: Opioid Excess Theories, Opioid-like substances, Dipeptidyl
peptidase deficiency, Opioids and secretin, Opioids and glutathione, Opioids
and immunosuppression, Gluten/Casein Theories, Opioid receptors, Urinary
IAG, Fatty Acids, Gamma Interferon Theory, Free Sulphate Theory,
Cholocystokinin and Autism, Oxytocin and Vasopressin in Autism, Autism and
Amino Acids, Autoimmune Theory, Viral Infection Theory, Vaccinations and
Autism, DPT and brain damage, MMR vaccine and autism, Action of Secretin
Theories, Secretin and cAMP, Lectins and secretin, Prenatal Aspartame
Exposure.

Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D., Ph.D. mehlmadrona@...
Coordinator for Integrative Psychiatry and System Medicine, Program in
Integrative Medicine,
University of Arizona | College of Medicine
http://www.healing-arts.org/mehl-madrona/
http://www.healing-arts.org/children/
Forum on Alternative and Innovative Therapies for children with
developmental delays, brain injury and related neurometabolic conditions and
disorders. ]
**************************************************************

From: <mcdougall@...>
To: "The McDougall Newsletter"
<TheMcDougallNewsletter@...>
Subject: Star McDougaller Burgess Laughlin
Date: Thursday, April 15, 2004 3:05 AM

You may view this Star McDougaller online at:

http://www.nealhendrickson.com/McDougall/2004starmcdougaller/040412laughlin.htm

Rolling Back Dermatitis, Arthritis, Bursitis, Tendonitis, and Iritis!
By Burgess Laughlin

March 30, 2004, Oregon -- I am a retired marketing communications writer and
now a historian writing for students and general readers of history. I am
the author of The Aristotle Adventure (www.aristotleadventure.com). I am
also a father and a grandfather.

Today, at 59, I am finally living the healthy life I had only dreamed about
earlier. Most of my adult life has been marred by an escalating series of
medical problems. About 41 years ago, at age 18 and after years of
intermittent bronchitis, I had surgery for a partially collapsed lung (the
first of 14 episodes -- some major, some minor -- over three decades). Soon
afterwards, some of the skin on my face and scalp became red, raw, and
scaly. A prescription shampoo and an ointment brought some relief but no
cure.

When I was 30, one eye became so bloodshot and painful that I nearly lost
sight in it. Similar eye episodes (iritis) appeared about 10 more times in
the following 28 years. Rather dangerous medication from an eye specialist
fixed each flare-up, only to have it return in a few months or years. "The
cause was unknown."

At about the same time, I had high blood pressure, high levels of
cholesterol, and pains in my chest and on the inside of my left arm when I
exercised. I switched to a very low-fat, mostly plant-based diet, but with
nonfat dairy products. Within 18 months, I lost 65 pounds, down to 135 from
200. (I am 6 feet tall.) My cholesterol level dropped (from 220 to 180); my
blood pressure dropped somewhat (down from 145/95 to 135/85), and the chest
and arm pains went away. I then loosened my diet, by adding some more animal
products, to bring my weight back up to about 155, where it stayed for
nearly 30 years.

At 45, near the height of my physical fitness activities (ranging from
martial arts to running), I began having painful tendons. The problem spread
from my hips to my legs and arms. I had to stop running, and sometimes I
could not even walk. Physical therapy brought temporary relief but no
solution. I was told to "take it easy." The pain and disability continued
but without any predictable pattern in the intensity. The most maddening
part was, not understanding why these problems were occurring.

When I was 53, the muscles in my back became sore and dysfunctional. I
rejected the suggestion that this was an inevitable sign of aging, but I
didn't know what to do about the problem. Over a period of years, I was
twice diagnosed from blood samples as having a "tendency to inflammation."
Neither diagnosing physician explained its cause or suggested a solution. I
was too ignorant to even ask useful questions. My primary care physician
offered an anti-inflammation drug (like Motrin and Advil). I reluctantly
used it during the worst episodes of muscle and tendon pain.

At age 55, I had arthritis, mostly in the toes of one foot. Two
foot-specialists offered no solution; though one suggested surgery for
$6,000. Instead, I used a cane and an immobilizing black plastic boot to
"protect" the foot and reduce the pain. At the same time, the problems in my
skin, eyes, tendons, and muscles all worsened. At one point, when the
arthritis spread to other joints, I became so crippled that I began shopping
on the internet for a wheelchair.

I finally did what I should have done years earlier. I began serious reading
about the problems in my skin, eyes, tendons, muscles, and joints. Pieces of
answers came slowly. A suggestion from my primary care physician opened a
new door. "Cut back on wheat," he offered, thinking the skin problem might
be a reaction to gluten. Because I believe in maximum effort for maximum
results, I eliminated wheat from my diet rather than merely reducing it. To
my amazement, my skin problems quickly diminished by about a third. (I
measured problems by the number of distractions they caused during the
course of a day.)

Six months later, to treat a lingering intestinal irritation, I tried
avoiding all dairy products. The intestinal problem disappeared! Even
better, my skin improved again, by another third. However, I lost a lot of
weight -- from 155 lb. down to 140. Thinking that I had to be heavy to be
manly, I began eating a lot of soy, nuts, and seafood to regain the lost
weight. My skin problem exploded. My skin felt like tree bark, and the
condition covered my face, neck, and scalp, with constant itching and
scaling. For a time, the ugliness was so bad that I only went out at night.

In more reading about these problems, I found a connection that was obvious
once I had identified the technical names of my problems: dermatitis,
iritis, tendonitis, bursitis, and arthritis. The first part of each word
names a location in the body (such as "derm-" for skin); and the "-itis"
part of each term comes from a Greek word for inflammation.

Now, finally, the earlier diagnosis of "tendency to inflammation" made some
sense. This development was good news. I realized I had one basic problem
with five symptoms, not five independent problems. The issues persisted,
however, so I continued my reading about inflammation. I read books written
by MDs, but for the general public. By age 57, after setting aside moments
of despair, I could see a dim path leading to a solution. Diet was the key.
I kept searching

On one page in an appendix of The McDougall Program - Twelve Days to Dynamic
Health, I found a short-term, diagnostic "elimination diet." In it, the
first step is to temporarily eat only a few foods, all generally safe from
allergies. The second step adds suspect foods -- one at a time -- back into
the diet (one serving per meal, six meals in a row), to see the effects (in
my case, on my skin), usually within a few days. This systematic approach
intrigued me. After a year of testing one food per week (two days of
testing, five days of recovering from flare-ups, if any), I saw a general
pattern: Eating more protein causes more inflammation in my skin. The two
worst reactions I suffered were from sardines and almonds.

During all the food testing, I never had an adverse reaction to any fruit. I
had a mild but not consistent reaction to four vegetables (spinach,
cauliflower, asparagus, and mushrooms). All four are high in purines, though
low in protein; I could eat all other vegetables with impunity. I had no
reaction to low protein starches -- rice, corn, and potatoes in quantities
of two servings or less per meal. However, I did have an adverse reaction to
wheat and oatmeal, both of which are relatively high in protein. Further
testing suggested that certain acidic foods -- such as sauerkraut and
olives -- might be aggravating my inflammation problems, but the test
results were ambiguous. (I plan to retest them someday.)

To my astonishment, after consistently following my nutritious, low-protein
diet (about 50 gm/day), my skin problems almost completely faded away in a
few weeks. I felt a surge of hope. The tendonitis, bursitis, and joint
arthritis diminished too, though much more slowly - a matter of six months
to a year. Also, by following the exercise routines in Pete Egoscue's book,
Pain Free, (http://www.egoscue.com), I got rid of the knee pains that had
developed from years of improper walking and sitting posture brought on by
arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis. Further, I have had no recurrence of
iritis in two years.

Though my diet now is more limited than the typical McDougall diet -- for
example, I eat no beans, peas, wheat, or oatmeal -- I have nevertheless
learned to enjoy my meals. First, my taste buds are now more sensitive to
natural flavors. Second, to make meals more appealing, I strive for maximum
variety in fruits and vegetables. Third, I have two shelves of herbs and
spices, arranged alphabetically from anise to thyme. I use a different
flavor at each meal. For me the best part of this vegan "gatherer's diet" is
that I can eat as much food as I want. However, after much experimenting, I
have settled on three meals per day, at 6 AM, noon, and 6 PM, with all meals
containing vegetables, fruit, and starch.

Now at nearly 60, I can sleep without pain. My skin has mostly cleared,
though it is still dry and sensitive to abrasion (I never wear a hat). My
tendonitis and bursitis are gone. My arthritis has faded so much I can
actually run a bit for the first time in 15 years. I bicycle frequently, and
I walk 6 miles daily, an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon,
partly for health, but mostly for the joy of moving. There are further
benefits of my "gatherer's diet:" I have no headaches, my cholesterol level
is low, and my blood-pressure is down to 125/75.

To what do I owe this success? First is Dr. McDougall's book, The McDougall
Program - Twelve Days to Dynamic Health. It helped me link my medical
problems to my former diet, and then it offered a way (program) for
correcting the diet and stopping the problems. A second factor for success
was realizing I had to be totally focused on my goal of better health, so
focused that I would not make any exceptions whatsoever when testing foods
and when following my new diet. Making exceptions is a form of wishful
thinking -- a way of avoiding reality and therefore never solving problems.

I have also learned to be politely assertive when dining out or when I am
invited to a friend's house for dinner. I say what I can eat and what I
can't eat. If necessary, I skip a meal rather than eat foods that I know are
bad for me. So, now here I am: fit, active, and hopeful of living a long
and healthy life. My goal is to live to be 100 -- or die trying!
*************************************************************

Dr. McDougall's Comments:
This story of Burgess Laughlin is an important reminder of the founding
principle of my Program: The McDougall Program is not a "diet," and it was
not designed primarily for weight loss - however, loss of excess body fat
naturally results as people regain their health.

I designed the Program nearly 30 years ago out of frustration; because the
approaches (drugs and surgeries) that I had been taught during medical
school and my internal medicine residency (postgraduate) training did not
help my patients regain their lost health. These people suffered from
chronic diseases, like heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and
arthritis - no matter how hard I tried - no matter how many pills I gave
them - they never recovered - in fact the vast majority of them continued
their rapid downhill slide.

My frustrations from not understanding why my medical practice was so
ineffective all ended when I discovered two undeniable facts: First, people
became ill from eating the rich Western diet. Second, and more importantly,
they recovered when they stopped the behaviors that made them sick - like
"eating all those bad foods." My new frustration now is how to help my
patients make long-overdue changes in their eating habits.

Fortunately, I was married (and partnered to) a genius in the kitchen. Mary
McDougall, from the beginning, took over the task of making the meal plan
delicious In part, this was out of necessity, because we had to eat this
way ourselves. I realized that I could not teach people something I did not
do myself. Now, of course, we cannot imagine eating any other way - but we
fully realize that for those new to these ideas this Program is
overwhelming, and sometimes seems unattainable. However, with time and
effort most interested people do finally make the conversion - and those
that do, all reap far greater benefits than they had ever imagined possible.

Would you work as hard as Burgess Laughlin to regain your health? I believe
you would if you knew there was an effective solution to your pain and
suffering.

Misdirected activity of his own immune system was the primary mechanism
behind Mr. Laughlin's troubles. Doctors refer to this as an "autoimmune
disease" - this is where the body attacks itself - in his case, his immune
system attacked his skin, eyes, tendons, bursas, and joints.

The kinds of tissues being attacked are called collagen, and this group of
diseases is also called "collagen-vascular disease." So, why would the body
do something as counterproductive as to attack itself? Confusion within the
body is created when "foreign" food proteins - like dairy, beef, egg, or
pork proteins - pass through the gut (intestinal) wall into the bloodstream.

Most of the time the larger components of our foods - like large proteins -
stay within the intestine until they are thoroughly digested; unfortunately,
some people suffer from a "leaky gut" - a condition where the intestinal
barrier becomes incompetent and these inadequately digested proteins enter
the body. Intact food proteins (also called antigens) are now floating
around in the bloodstream, where they provoke the immune system to make
antibodies against them (like they naturally would to bacteria or virus
proteins). Unfortunately, these antibodies are not specifically directed to
these foreign food proteins, but are also able to attack similar looking
proteins in our own tissues (like the collagen proteins in our skin, eyes,
and joints).

This kind of reaction rarely occurs with plant proteins because plant foods
are so gentle on the intestines (keeping the gut barrier competent), and
because plant protein structures are so radically different from the
proteins in our own (animal) tissues. In the case of plant proteins, our
immune system rarely becomes confused when distinguishing between what is
"self" and what is "foreign."

Wheat may cause trouble by damaging the intestinal barrier resulting in a
leaky gut. Other common causes of a leaky gut are antiinflammatory drugs
( NSAIDs - like Motrin and Advil ), environmental chemical toxins,
infections, and a generally unhealthy, high-fat, high-cholesterol diet.

Mr. Laughlin finally found his solution through the elimination diet (
described in the December 2002 newsletter article "Diet for the
Desperate" ). Most people with autoimmune diseases, as well as most other
general health problems, find relief with the basic McDougall Program and
only as a last resort have to use the elimination diet.

There are many autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis,
psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, scleroderma, vitiligo,
thyroiditis, nephritis, and a variety of disorders that destroy the blood
cells. Every patient with similar troubles should be tried on a healthy
diet - and drugs should be used as a last resort. You can read more about
these problems in articles on my web site ( www.drmcdougall.com ), such as
"Diet: Only Hope for Arthritis," and "Star McDougallers" - Vanessa, Sabrina,
and Jean Brown.

You may subscribe to the Dr. McDougall Newsletter and Star McDougallers at
www.drmcdougall.com
John McDougall, MD for practical low protein, low fat healthy diet
McDougall Wellness Center
P.O. Box 14039
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
(800) 941-7111 - (707) 538-8609 - FAX (707) 538-0712.
Office Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (PST) Monday - Friday.
drmcdougall@...

2004 Dates for upcoming live-in programs
April 23-May 2
May 14-16 Alumni Weekend
June 11-20
July 9-11 Introductory Weekend
July 24-July 31 Costa Rica Vacation
August 13-22
Alumni and Advanced Study Weekend May 14-16, 2004
Featuring: Howard Lyman, Eric Tucker, Pieter Vandenhoven, MD, Katherine
Milton, PhD, Anthony Sebastian, MD, Doug Lisle, PhD, Jill Nussinow, RD, and
John, Mary, and Heather McDougall.

Dr. McDougall's
TOTAL HEALTH SOLUTION for the 21st Century
Dr. McDougall's incredible video program is available on VHS and DVD. Get
$5000 worth of education for less than $50. These are the core lectures of
the McDougall Program -- more than 5 hours of entertainment, education and
encouragement.
VHS SPECIAL OVERSTOCK PRICE:
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*Plus Shipping and Handling
To Order Books, DVDs, and Video Tapes visit our web site at
http://www.drmcdougall.com/books_tapes.html or call (800) 570-1654

We encourage you to pass this Star McDougaller along to friends.
2004 John McDougall All Rights Reserved
McDougall Wellness Center P.O. Box 14039, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
http://www.drmcdougall.com
**************************************************************

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 USA 505-501-2298

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1071
research on aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid) toxicity:
Murray 2004.04.16 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/927
Donald Rumsfeld, 1977 head of Searle Corp., got aspartame FDA approval:
Turner: Murray 2002.12.23 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1039
three-page review: aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde) toxicity:
Murray 2003.11.22 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1026
brief aspartame review: formaldehyde toxicity: Murray 2003.09.11 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1025
aspartame & formaldehyde toxicity: Murray 2003.09.09 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1067
eyelid contact dermatitis by formaldehyde from aspartame, AM Hill & DV
Belsito, Nov 2003: Murray 2004.03.30 rmforall [ 150 KB ]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1070
critique of aspartame review, French Food Safety Agency AFSSA 2002.05.07
aspartamgb.pdf (18 pages, in English), Martin Hirsch: Murray 2004.04.13

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/957
safety of aspartame Part 1/2 12.4.2: EC HCPD-G SCF:
Murray 2003.01.12 rmforall EU Scientific Committee on Food, a whitewash

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1045
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/scf2002-response.htm
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific
Committee on Food re aspartame ( 2002.12.04 ): 59 pages, 230 references

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/989 On 2003.04.10
the European Union Parliament voted 440 to 20 to approve sucralose,
limit cyclamates & reevaluate aspartame & stevia: Murray 2003.04.12 rmforall

http://www.eatright.org/Nutritive(1).pdf
J Am Diet Assoc. 2004 Feb; 104(2): 255-75.
Position of the American Dietetic Association: use of nutritive and
nonnutritive sweeteners. American Dietetic Association.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1068
critique of aspartame review by American Dietetic Association Feb 2004,
Valerie B. Duffy & Madeleine J. Sigman-Grant: Murray 2004.04.03 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
126 members, 1071 posts in a public searchable archive

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/messages
786 members, 16,773 posts in a public, searchable archive
**************************************************************

From: "Linda Linsley" <lindalinsley@...>
To: <aspartame@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [Aspartame Support] many topics in this post
Date: Friday, April 16, 2004 7:13 AM

1)i am not a drinker of diet pops. i don't consume aspartame
regularly. the amounts in the foods i eat shouldn't be causing my
problems to the extent that they are.

2)what about mcs?

3)what about pollution? emissions?
we lived near a dow plant in sarnia ontario when i was born from 1953-
1956. could that have started all this? or when we lived just north
of sarnia in brights grove?(1956-1959)

am having multitudes of dejavu incedents since wed.p.m.
very groggy now.

4)how does this fit with aspartame?...eggs, hashbrowns and coffee.
are these bad? homecooked.

anybody got any clues?

5)the only foods I can safely eat are lentils and dark veggies. boring

6)one possibility is the coffee i started to drink a few days
ago...after i had episodes i remembered vaguely mixing de-caff grinds
with gourmet grinds with regular coffee grinds.
today i tried a new can or regular grinds.
grogged out of my head.

7)will i, then , be reduced to only lentils and dark veggies? for how
long? why is food bad for me? any food but these?

thanks for any help
linda in MI
**************************************************************