Medical Diets

Let food be thy medicine…

Eating and choosing what to eat is a regular part of our daily lives. Food provides the fuel we need to grow, think, move, and sleep. Foods that may help one person thrive may promote illness in another. Medical or therapeutic diets are used to determine and remove the specific foods that contribute to symptoms and the addition of foods that encourage healthier metabolism. Navigating these specialized diets can be challenging and medically complex, often requiring the guidance of a clinician. The Vital Kids Medicine team works together with you and your family to help you safely utilize therapeutic diets as part of your healing process.

GAPS

GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride and based on the premise that gastrointestinal dysfunction is a major underlying contributor to behavioral and developmental issues of childhood. Learn more

Ketogenic/ MAD

The ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate, high fat, and moderate protein diet. It was originally designed by Dr. Russell Wilder at the Mayo Clinic to treat children with difficult-to-control epilepsy. This diet has been shown to control seizure activity in some and is often recommended when a child has not responded to several different seizure medications.

The ketogenic diet induces a state of ketosis- where the body creates ketones from fat as its source of energy, rather than glucose. Normally carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) are used as the body’s primary fuel source, but on the ketogenic diet fat is the predominant fuel. The classic ketogenic diet plan consists of a 4:1 ratio of fat to carbohydrate and protein, where 90% of calories come from fat. It is thought that ketones, derived from this high fat state, positively affect neuronal metabolism by acting as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, producing an anticonvulsant effect.

The Modified Atkins Diet (MAD) is also a very low carbohydrate, high fat, and moderate protein diet that was created at Johns Hopkins Hospital to offer a less restrictive dietary treatment than the ketogenic diet. The plan consists of a 1:1 ratio of fat to carbohydrate and protein, where approximately 70% of calories are from fat. The MAD has been shown to be as effective as the ketogenic diet in some individuals and it is also used for those who have not responded well to seizure medications.

FODMAPS

The acronym FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates that are incompletely digested and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. When these carbohydrates remain undigested the gut, they are easily fermented by gut bacteria and can produce gases (hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide)- leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, distention, constipation, and/or diarrhea. FODMAPs are also highly osmotic (they pull water into the intestinal tract) and can further cause cramping or diarrhea.

Common FODMAPs include:

Fructose: A monosaccharide found in many fruits, vegetables, and added sweeteners.
Lactose: A disaccharide found in dairy products like milk.
Fructans: Oligosaccharides found in many foods including gluten-containing grains, vegetables, and inulin.
Galactans: Oligosaccharides found in beans and legumes.
Polyols: Sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol and mannitol found in some fruits and vegetables, and often used as sweeteners.

GF/CF

The Gluten-Free/Casein-Free (GF/CF) Diet aims to remove two potential triggering food groups form the diet. Gluten and casein are two proteins found in many grains and dairy products, respectively. Ideally, these proteins are completely digested in the gastrointestinal tract and absorbed as amino acids. When there is incomplete breakdown of these proteins, peptides (long chains of amino acids) are absorbed. Peptides from gluten (gluteomorphins) and casein (casomorphins) have the ability to bind to the opioid receptors in the brain and GI tract. This process can mimic the effects that an opiate drug would have on the body and can cause significant behavior changes and challenges.

Food Sensitivity/ Allergy Avoidance/ Rotation Diets

Food allergies and food sensitivities are on the rise and even though the numbers are increasing, there is no clear answer as to why. To protect against the adverse reactions caused by food allergies and sensitivities, there are specific dietary approaches that aim to reduce symptom presentation including the elimination diet, rotation diet, and the allergy avoidance diet.

The elimination diet removes any food suspected of causing an allergy or intolerance for a period of time and is then systematically reintroduced or challenged to determine cause and severity of symptoms. The rotation diet can also be beneficial for those with known allergies or sensitivities. During the rotation diet, problematic foods are eaten only once every three to four days allowing the immune system to recover. The allergy avoidance diet is the complete removal of a known problem food from the diet. The most common allergenic foods include wheat, dairy, corn, soy, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts; but food reactions are not limited to just these.

Testimonials

"Dr. Yang has changed our life! Our son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of three. We came to Dr. Yang without ANY knowledge of holistic medicine, let alone Autism. With the help, guidance, comprehensive approach, thoroughness approach of Dr. Yang, our son is on the road to recovery. Dr. Yang has helped with Autism, speech delays, ADD, mitochondrial support, anxiety...just to name a few. Within the short span two years, our son has come leaps and bounds in his recovery. It has been a long road, but we stuck through the hard times and trusted Dr. Yang. We all worked as a collaborative team for our son and we couldn't be more happy with his on going success. THANK YOU DR. YANG!"

"Thanks to Dr. Gbedawo’s guidance, my children are out of the cycle of prescription drug use and low immunity. Together we have fixed eczema, acid reflux, chronic sinus infections and digestive issues. Now my children are the healthiest in their classrooms." - Chronic Allergies, Chronic Sinus Infections

“Dr Gbedawo saved my son’s life, she turned a little boy that wouldn’t be able to sleep due to abdominal pains into a wonderful sleeper! She treated my son for his Autism (diagnosed at 18 months moderate to severe) and his is now a loving, happy, social and talkative little guy (3yrs old PDDNOS mild). It’s hard to stop writing about all the goodness she brought into our lives but what strikes me the fact that not only she’s a WONDERFUL and KNOWLEDGEABLE professional, most of all, she CARES about her patients individually! She respects the family’s decision and is always there when you need, always!  The staff is wonderful, ALWAYS welcoming you with a smile and willing to do whatever it takes to better fit the appointments to your schedule!  To say that they are the best place I could have found to hand in my precious son to be treated would be an understatement ! You feel like family once you’ve been treated there!” - Autism

"From the very first visit, Dr. Gbedawo made a special effort to connect with my daughter. Other pediatricians seem to cater to the parents first (which is understandable, of course). However, it is clear to me that Dr. Gbedawo chose to focus on pediatric health care because she specifically loves and cares about children and their welfare. My daughter is four years old now, her and Dr. Gbedawo have their own special relationship. I am reassured that in my daughter’s teenage years, she will be able to confide in Dr. Gbedawo, on issues where it may be difficult to talk to me." - General Wellness

"Since we started visiting Vital Kids Medicine, in February 2011, our son has made a 180 degree turn for the better. Diagnosed with a mild case of Asperger’s in 2008, we were overwhelmed with what that meant for us and our bright, enthusiastic son who had a hard time focusing and making new friends. We have been simply amazed and delighted with the results we have experienced this past year. Our son went from struggling in school and with social interaction with peers, to having a group of meaningful friends and scoring in the top 5% of his class in math and science, and having a great love and talent for reading and writing. He reports that he feels “normal”, something we didn’t know if we’d ever hear, and one of the biggest gifts we could ever wish for. The expert, deep knowledge and sincere caring and concern exhibited at Vital Kids Medicine has left us knowing there is no better place we could take our son for treatment. We feel blessed to have found such a place. Thank you, Dr. Gbedawo for making our lives so much better!" - Asperger's

"When our son was just over a year old, he was diagnosed with speech and social delays and we were immediately referred for Autism testing. He was also constantly sick with fevers and colds from about 6 months on. He literally laid on the floor or stared out the window for most of his days; our attempts to interact with him were generally unsuccessful. I am so grateful that we found Dr. Gbedawo and began treatment of our son's medical needs. Dr. Gbedawo was the first medical professional who took me seriously when I described his pattern of digestive issues and illness. Once we identified and eliminated foods he could not digest, he stopped getting sick almost immediately! He went from going 5-7 days between illnesses to being the healthiest person in our household. Dr. Gbedawo listened and used her expertise to work with us on all of our son's challenges. Her individualized approach to addressing his many needs combined with our work with Early Intervention has literally given us our son back. He went from being a stressed out, sickly, non-responsive toddler to a happy, healthy, outgoing little boy. He is currently 2 and a half and not only lost his speech and social delays, but now tests "ahead" in nearly every single area in which he has been evaluated. He has no diagnosis. I cannot tell you what it means to me to have witnessed this transformation. Every day I stare at him in wonder and I am forever grateful to Dr. Gbedawo for her work with us and with our son. She has given my baby the gift of a happy, healthy life, and she has given us, his parents the gift of truly getting to know our beautiful son. Thank you Dr. Gbedawo." - Developmental Disorders

"We are parents of a 4 year old daughter diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. She has had some issues over the past due to high levels of heavy metal toxicity. Our daughter started Dr. Gbedawo’s treatment about 1 year ago and we have noticed great results …she is now able to focus more on things, her eye contact improved and the horrible diarrhea she used to have all the time is gone! Thanks to Dr. Gbedawo!" - Rhett Syndrome

"Dr. Gbed awo is well-educated in the subtleties of autism medicine. She is very thorough, taking the time to explore in depth each child’s case history and alternatives for treatment. She is very accessible and will return calls promptly. The extraordinary thing about her, as compared to other doctors we have seen, is that she develops a personal connection with the family, and really puts in the time and effort it takes to help her patients. Complicated cases do not seem to intimidate her. I highly recommend Dr.Gbedawo." - PANDAS, Immunodeficiency

"I was looking for an alternative medicine Doctor for my child who lost her hearing after medication "Naproxen". I decided not to give her any other pharmaceuticals afraid that she might have an irreparable side effect again. I found Vital Kids. Dr. Lisa Yang is amazing. She listens, understand and take her time to really care for your child She try natural medicine prior any pharmaceuticals. My daughter is doing so well that I decide to be treated by her as well. I strongly recommended this place to you and your child."

“My autistic son (5), who had been a reflux kid since he was 1-year old, has been Dr. Hatha’s patient for a year now. Measurable accomplishments this past year: the kid who had been hovering at 2-5 percentile for weight for 3.5 years has graduated to 25th percentile without a feeding tube or artificial food supplements. My son was a very low functioning, barely verbal kid a year ago now he has increased his vocabulary to about 200 words and started to read simple words. Now he plays age appropriate computer games at age level with increasing competence. Non-measurable accomplishments: he is not in pain any more, he smiles a lot and enjoys family/school activities. Finally we can do things with him not just for him which means that the quality of life has improved for our family tremendously. Thank you Dr. Hatha for being so patient with us and explaining everything that we need to do to get our kid better.”- Autism

"My son and I love Dr. Yang and the staff at Vital Kids Medicine. I'm a new mom but also a physician myself so I was very selective in choosing my pediatrician. Dr. Yang is incredibly knowledgeable, personable and an amazing doctor. Dr. Yang is very thorough and does comprehensive physical exams (the past pediatrician barely examined little man) which I love and appreciate. Not only does she spend plenty of time with us but she also is an amazing resource for all questions and concerns. I'm so glad we have Dr Yang as our pediatrician! The front desk staff and medical assistant are also great. The staff are very professional, organized and friendly. I don't have one bad thing to say about this clinic and always recommend them to people looking for a pediatrician."