Alternative diets: can a radical food regime help fight illness? Today, Ruth follows a 60 per cent macrobiotic diets, eating whole foods done in a pressure cooker to aid digestion. Salads are useless because I can't absorb them; instead, I chop up carrots, celery and broccoli. She was 41 when her daughter, Hannah, was born. Ruth hasn't been to a doctor for 10 years, and now advises others with fertility problems. From being the worst case doctors had seen, I've not had a single twinge since. It's been a triumph. THE MACROBIOTIC DIET • Rooted in traditional Eastern philosophy of yin and yang, whereby opposite energies should be balanced for better health and wellbeing Mainly vegetarian, the diet is based on natural, unprocessed foods: whole grains (soaked overnight); millet mash Dairy, sugar and red meat are avoided, beans, vegetables and seaweed (iodine-rich) encouraged Foods are largely steamed or blanched instead of pan-fried, juiced or eaten raw Promotes digestive and thyroid health, higher energy levels, better-looking skin Michael, 39, and Helen Lee, 40, have two children and live in Whitby It was a chance link on YouTube that led to Michael and Helen Lee adopting the GAPS diet with their 11-year-old daughter, Olivia, last summer. Olivia was seven-and-a-half when she was diagnosed with non-verbal autism, and, despite receiving excellent support from her school, her family had little help from doctors or therapists. "They said there was nothing they could do for her," recalls Helen. Anything we did to try to help Olivia, we found out on the internet or from other parents. Around Easter last year, Olivia's symptoms worsened. Michael says, "Her behaviour was deteriorating. We were trying to arrange more respite care, but she screamed every time we left the room. Helen adds, "She would nip and scratch us, go for her brother Jacob or make herself vomit. She was raging - there's no other word for it. Desperate, Michael searched online and found some interviews with Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride, the author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome (or GAPS). We watched with chins on the floor, thinking, 'She's just described everything we've been through in the past 10 years. They immediately ordered the book. "I read it four times over our holiday," says Michael. In it, Campbell-McBride, the mother of an autistic son, describes how the digestive system affects the brain. Helen uses the analogy of a leaky pipe: "Olivia's digestive system doesn't work as it should and leaks poison into her blood, affecting the clarity of her brain." "The idea behind the GAPS protocol," Michael continues, "is to avoid anything unnatural getting into her bloodstream. Everything she eats should be made from scratch. The Lees embarked on the introduction diet in full earlier this year, under the guidance of Sarah Hanratty, a nutritionist and GAPS practitioner. We did it as a family, so that Olivia wouldn't feel alienated. We make soups with stocks cooked from scratch, and home-baked crackers have replaced bread. We cut out ingredients that could potentially cause Olivia harm, then gradually reintroduce them, keeping watch for any change in her symptoms. She's eating fruit again, cooked in ways that are easier on her digestive system, and we are just considering whether to add dairy back in. It's not a quick fix. READ: Olivia's Day on a plate But, much to her parents' delight, Olivia is already showing signs of improvement. She's sleeping so much better. Her learning has come on in leaps and bounds, and she's no longer doubly incontinent. Best of all, Helen concludes, "She's smiling and laughing again. Autism is like a fog that stops you seeing clearly, and this diet has helped that fog to lift. It's not a cure, but it's helping to make Olivia more comfortable. We've got our little girl back." anappleaday.org.uk THE GAPS DIET • Treats the gut to detoxify the bloodstream and improve mental development in children with autism, ADHD, dyspraxia or dyslexia Foods with grains, sugar and starchy vegetables are replaced with dishes made with ground nuts, natural honey and dried fruit The diet begins with home-made stocks and broths, then soups and probiotic home-made yogurt. Casseroles, raw veg, and pancakes are then introduced Julie Cove, 50, lives in British Columbia, with her husband and three children An alkaline diet finally brought relief to Julie Cove, an interior designer, after almost two years of debilitating back and leg pain caused by a herniated disc. When my youngest daughter was one I started getting stabbing pains in my back. The pain shot down my left leg and I lost feeling in my toes. I was pretty much flat on my back for four months. Cue visits to chiropractors and physiotherapists, then sessions of acupuncture, laser light therapy and water therapy. Nothing changed. I was immobile and in serious pain. A neurosurgeon who recommended back surgery warned that she'd never be able to pick up her daughter again. "I left," Julie says, "bawling." Julie resorted to microscopic surgery to reduce the fluid within the disc: "I needed my life back. I couldn't run my business, drive my kids to school or be part of my family. She was up and walking by the end of the day but, two months later, the pain returned. A chance meeting with an old acquaintance gave Julie hope. She was a painter who, having breathed in toxic paint chemicals for 20 years, developed arthritis to the worst degree. She told me to see these alkaline consultants, two sisters, saying, 'They've changed my world.' I called them that day. Julie's weekly check-ups started with a live blood analysis, showing her blood cells under a microscope. They were misshapen, with high levels of acidity. I learnt I needed to up my alkaline intake, eating food with an alkalising effect. I finally realised I could heal myself from the inside-out. READ: Julie's day on a plate Starting the alkaline diet was like going "cold turkey." Julie's sister, Yvonne, joined her, and they began drinking only vegetable juices and water for three days. Next, we could make soups. Then we could eat only vegetables for six weeks. When fish was introduced, I thought we'd gone to heaven. Alkaline water and nutritional supplements were also part of the diet, and the sisters referred to Dr Robert Young's The pH Miracle, which lists foods' alkalising effects. Julie was pain-free in three months, having reduced the inflammation enough to stop the disc touching the nerve. She has since sold her business, studied to be a nutritionist and started a blog, sharing her experience and recipes. Her book is due out in 2015. "It feels so good to know I have so many healthy years ahead of me." alkalinesisters.com THE ALKALINE LIFESTYLE • Most foods, when fully digested, will break down into either an acid or alkaline base Wheat, dairy, meat and fish have an acidic effect and are largely avoided. Nuts, legumes, greens and some fruits are alkaline A daily ratio of 80 per cent alkaline foods to 20 per cent acid foods is encouraged to balance the body's pH Muscle pain, stress, headaches, and heart disease can all be helped on this diet Wendy Yaxley, 48, lives in Lincoln with her husband, Peter. They have four children I wouldn't be surprised if you were dead by the time you're 50. It was with those words ringing in her ears that Wendy Yaxley left her doctor's surgery in 2009, having been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I weighed nearly 19 stone. One of my legs had been badly damaged by deep vein thrombosis years before and they told me I would lose it if it started to ulcerate. I was devastated. Wendy had dieted all her life but could only lose a few pounds. I was eating all the recommended diet foods and went for long walks every day. My meal sizes became incredibly small. I couldn't understand why nothing was changing. At 18st 11lb in her mid-thirties, she sought medical help. I had blurred vision. I had to stop driving. When a thyroid test came back normal, "My doctor wrote me a prescription for antidepressants but I gave it back. I didn't want to be treated for depression; I wanted to know what was wrong with me. Wendy's daughter, Jade, pleaded with her to try a diet that focused on foods that appear low down on the glycaemic index. I told her I couldn't cope with diets anymore, but she insisted. After a month following recipes aimed specifically at diabetics, Wendy lost a stone. Desperate to read more, she found Patrick Holford's Low-GL Diet Bible. I cried all through it. I felt he'd written it just for me. He explained why diet foods didn't work, why I'd stayed fat and struggled to lose weight. I suddenly realised there might be a way out of diabetes. The book, well thumbed and annotated, remains in Wendy's kitchen. "Every day is a low-GL day," she says. I start with porridge oats and stir in ground pumpkin seeds or grated apple. I measure my carbohydrates [45g brown basmati rice with a home-made beef and vegetable curry, for example], and I've learnt to chew food properly. READ: Wendy's day on a plate Within a week of following the full Holford diet, Wendy's sight had improved and her joints no longer ached. Now 12st 12lb, her BMI has dropped from 46 to 29. Most importantly, my blood sugars have returned to normal. When my GP said he was taking me off the diabetic register, I had to ask him to say it twice! He couldn't believe it either. I hope to be around to see my grandchildren grow up." patrickholford.com THE LOW-GL DIET • GL, or glycaemic load, measures carbohydrate in food and the effect it will have on blood sugar Foods with a low GL score (under 10) have little impact (rye bread, blackberries, broccoli). High-GL foods (over 20), could cause a sharp rise in glucose (bagels, raisins, baked potato) Aim to eat no more than 45 GLs a day. Low-GL carbs are OK. Sugar, saturated fats, caffeine and alcohol are not Can help tiredness, skin and lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and arthritis