Page 13 - Spring2010

Letters

unknown or obscured. Transparency is relationship is definitely transparent— he knew about the GAPS diet and could
lost. And so are the deep benefits of get- validated by your own taste buds. hopefully help me. After the first ten
ting your family’s food from a CSA. As Allan Balliett minutes on the phone with him, he told
the local food marketplace has grown, Shephardstown, West Virginia me I should start eating grains again
entrepreneurs who do not operate from and that my muscle pain and weakness
the ethical grounds the movement arose Allan runs a biodynamic CSA that were due to being on the GAPS diet. I
from have moved in. The price of a serves the Washington metropolitan was shocked. He said that many people
vital, clean, safe, nutritious local food region. For further information, contact have come to him with the same problem
system is eternal vigilance. We can’t him at allan.balliett@gmail.com. due to the diet and that he himself had
take the easy path. We have to always felt this way after going on the diet for a
ask the hard questions. Caveat emptor. THE GRAIN CONUNDRUM short time. He agreed that it is, in theory,
Convenience is another enemy of I have celiac disease and have been a perfect diet, but that for some reason
true food quality. Plant nutrients, espe- on a gluten-free and traditional diet for many people cannot do it.
cially the important phytonutrients, rely more than five years. Most of the terrible I have gone back on gluten-free
on true freshness. Most CSA produce symptoms went away on the gluten-free grains such as millet, rice and quinoa,
is harvested the day it is delivered. diet but I still often suffered from bloat- and am slowly starting to feel better. I
However, many food clubs distribute ing and gas. Last year I heard about the have had such a hard year due to this and
USDA organic produce from organic GAPS diet, which eliminates complex it has taken a toll on my whole family.
produce cooperatives which, although carbs like potatoes as well as grains, I already feel much better having
technically organic, may not be fresh and went on it for almost a year. During put grains back into my diet. I have
and are not truly local because they are that time, I began to feel more and more lost considerable muscle mass but am
either located far away or source many exhausted and my whole body began to hoping that I will be able to make a full
of their actual products from outside be in pain. My muscles just hurt all the recovery. By the way, I am still taking
the region. (Pennsylvania’s Tuscarora time. the recommended probiotics—I do not
Cooperative is an example of this in I wrote Dr. Campbell-McBride feel that this problem was caused by the
the DC-area.) When choosing produce about it and she said to go back to the probiotics.
for maximum health, one must always intro diet again—I had already done the I think the GAPS diet does heal the
remember that USDA organic is a pro- intro diet twice. She said I was just still gut, but as Dr. Cowan told me, many
cedural approach to reducing toxins and toxic, which made me feel weak and people cannot live without some type
has zero nutritional goals. In addition, exhausted. So I followed that advice, but of grain or starchy tuber like potatoes
commercial farms and farmers simply I only seemed to get weaker. I had been or sweet potatoes. Another WAPF-
cannot and do not take care of the land as a dance teacher and now I was having savvy physician has told me the same
well as the small ecological farmer does. trouble just walking up the stairs. thing, and I have heard from two other
We must never forget that the ori- I went the doctor and got all kinds WAPF members who have had similar
gins of CSAs derive from the search for of tests. After many visits to different symptoms until they put grains back into
food quality. What we want, for maxi- physicians and lots of money spent, they their diets. Living without these food can
mum nutritional benefit from vegetables all said I was as healthy as I could be. deprive us of any drive or happiness,
and fruits, is harvest on distribution day. Nothing was wrong, they said. I have
Eating produce like this, one becomes always been relatively healthy, except Gifts and bequests to the
aware of how the farm, the farmer’s for the gastrointestinal problems. Weston A. Price Foundation
energies and moral intentions of quality I then decided to call Dr. Thomas will help ensure the gift of good health
first come out in the food, so that the Cowan and do a phone consult. I knew to future generations.

SPRING 2010 Wise Traditions 13