Gingerbread House and ADHD

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Parents who have children with ADHD most often understand they need to cut out the sugar, but grains are often overlooked. Even "sprouted wheat" and "whole grains" are just glucose molecules linked together in long chains; the digestive track breaks it down into sugar. So a sugary diet and a starchy diet are the same thing.

But, let's get back to wheat. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Have you put flour and water together to make your own gooey paste? In Poland, they use this for wallpaper paste. I’m not putting that “gummy” paste in my body; it causes way too much inflammation.

After the digestive tract, the most commonly affected system to be affected by gluten is the nervous system. It is thought that ADHD can be caused by gluten in one of two ways.

The first area addresses the inflammatory changes gluten can cause. A gluten sensitive individual’s immune system responds to the protein gliadin. Unfortunately, that protein is similar in structure to other proteins present in the body, including those of the brain and nerve cells. A cross reactivity can occur where the immune system “confuses” proteins in the body for the protein gliadin. This is called cellular mimicry and the result is the body attacking its own tissues with inflammation resulting.

When inflammation happens in the brain and nervous system, a variety of symptoms can occur, including ADHD. Research shows us that patients with symptoms involving the nervous system suffer from digestive problems only 13% of the time. This is significant because mainstream medicine equates gluten sensitivity almost exclusively with digestive complaints. Please note, that even though most doctors will dismiss a gluten allergy/sensitivity if you don’t have any digestive issues, this is not true. You can have problems with gluten that show up in other parts of your body, not just the digestive track. Gluten can attack any organ: thyroid, gallbladder, nervous system, joints (arthritis), cellular membrane (multiple sclerosis), you name it.

In addition to circulation problems, other research looks at the association between gluten sensitivity and its interference with protein absorption. Specifically the amino acid tryptophan can be deficient, which is essential for brain health. Tryptophan is a protein in the brain responsible for a feeling of well-being and relaxation. A deficiency can be correlated to feelings ADHD, sleep issues and anxiety. 90% of serotonin production occurs in the digestive tract. So it makes sense that food might have an effect, either positive or negative, on serotonin production.

Encounters with allergens stimulate the release of serotonin and histamine from mast cells in the body. This increase affect alters arousal, attention, activity and vigilance. As a result, a highly allergic child can be either quite sluggish or hyperactive, depending upon the system of the allergic reaction. Eliminating all allergens from the diet will eliminate hyperactivity or lethargy and inattention.

So when I tell clients to eat “gluten free” they often grab all the “gluten-free” pre-packaged foods on the shelf, but that most likely will cause weight gain and slow the healing process in your gut. Rice flour, the common flour substitute in gluten-free products, is higher in calories, higher in carbohydrates, and lower in nutrients than regular flour. It can cause more inflammation in our body. So my recommendation is to use make your own healthier options by using almond flour and coconut flour, which are very easy to digest. The healthy fats in nuts actually are nourishing to our brain.

To find tons of recipes to feed your family healthy and tasty recipes without gluten or starch, check out my book: Nutritious and Delicious.

If you are interested, I have an online class called "HEALTHY FAMILY." To watch this helpful class, please email me at mariamindbodyhealth@gmail.com



1/2 cup vanilla whey or egg white protein
3/4 cup almond flour
2 TBS coconut flour
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
4 TBS Swerve (or a few drops stevia glycerite)
1-2 TBS water (just enough to hold dough together)
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
ICING:
4 oz cream cheese or coconut cream
2 TBS unsweetened almond milk
3 TBS Swerve OR a touch of stevia glycerite (to taste)
COLORING: India Tree Natural Decorating Colors

In a large bowl cream the butter and sweetener together until very smooth. Sift the baking soda, spices, salt and whey into the almond and coconut flour, then slowly add the almond flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix until well combined, then slowly add water just until the dough is soft, yet able to roll out. Form into a tight ball and cool in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place the dough onto a non-stick surface (I used parchment paper), then top it with another piece of non-stick surface (again, I used parchment paper) roll the dough out into about 1/4 inch high. Cut the dough with cookie cutters, and place onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the shape) or until golden brown.

To assemble: Decide how you want your house to be positioned on the base. Make sure the base is big enough so you will have plenty of space for a front walkway, bushes along the side of the house, a backyard, etc. Lay your walls down on the base where they will go. Pipe a line of icing in an L shape for two adjoining walls, as well as a strip of icing along the inside edge of one wall.Carefully stand the walls up and hold in place a few minutes until stable. Repeat steps 4-5 for the other sides of the house. Let the icing dry and harden before attaching the roof. Pipe a line of icing all along the top edge of the walls. Gently place the two roof pieces on the house simultaneously. Hold the roof in place for a few minutes until the roof is stable. Then pipe a strip of icing along the ridge line. Wait for the icing to dry and harden completley before decorating the house.