Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for Yeast Free/Wheat Free/Milk Free Diets
This page was created by Bruce Semon, M.D., Ph.D. and Lori Kornblum, co-authors of An Extraordinary Power to Heal (2003), Extraordinary Foods for the Everyday Kitchen (2003), and Feast Without Yeast:4 Stages to Better Health. Dr. Semon and Ms. Kornblum also are parents of a teen who has autism and has followed Stage IV of the “4 Stages diet” for more than 9 years. He has a completely yeast free, wheat free and dairy free diet.
For more about Dr. Semon’s credentials, please click here.
Medical Treatment
Q:What are Dr. Semon’s qualifications?
A:Dr. Semon is a Board Certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, as well as a board certified adult psychiatrist. Dr. Semon is also a doctorate level nutritionist. He has done both research and clinical work on how nutrition affects health. For more information, please see his qualifications.
Q: Is Dr. Semon available for new patients?
A: Yes. Call his office at (414) 962-6100. For more detailed contact information, click here.
Q: Does Dr. Semon see patients in other places?
A: Yes. Dr. Semon is licensed to practice medicine in California and Wisconsin, and sees patients in Los Angeles. He is also available to travel for consultations in other places. Call (414) 962-6100 or (877) 332-7899.
Q: What is nystatin?
A: Nystatin is a prescription medication that is non-toxic, has almost no side effects, and can be taken long term. It kills yeast.
Q: Is nystatin harmful?
A: No. There is only one recorded case of a bad reaction, in the more than 40 years nystatin has been available. For more information about that, please click here.
Q: Can my doctor prescribe nystatin, or do I need to see a specialist?
A: Any doctor can prescribe nystatin. It is critical to prescribe nystatin correctly, according to the correct dosing schedule, and to be on a yeast free diet for the nystatin to work. Unfortunately, many doctors do not feel that they know the proper way to prescribe nystatin or how to treat yeast problems. We have published the book An Extraordinary Power to Heal (2003) to help you and your doctor follow this treatment program.
Q: Can Dr. Semon prescribe nystatin without seeing me as a patient?
A: No. This is contrary to good medical practice and medical ethics. Never take any medication prescribed by a doctor who does not know you as a patient, including “internet” doctors who never see you.
Q: Isn’t acidophilus as effective as nystatin?
A: No. Acidophilus is what people call a “probiotic.” The theory is you introduce “good” bacteria into the gut to fill in the space that the bad bacteria and yeast used to occupy. Unfortunately, this does not work in practice. Laboratory studies actually show that acidophilus helps yeast to grow. In my experience, patients often have some slight improvement when they start acidophilus, because it clears another bad bug called “clostridia.” Then, the patient gets worse as the acidophilus is continued, because the acidophilus is helping the yeast grow. I do not recommend it long term (more than 2 weeks).
Diet Related Questions
Q: How can I implement the 4 Stages diet so it is easy and effective?
A: An Extraordinary Power to Heal (2003) gives you detailed instructions, day by day and week by week, about how to eliminate toxic foods from your diets. We give you the recipes and menus to do this in Extraordinary Foods for the Everyday Kitchen (2003) and Feast Without Yeast(1999).Extraordinary Foods for the Everyday Kitchen is completely yeast free, gluten free and casein free. Feast Without Yeast contains 190 yeast free, gluten free and casein free recipes.
Q: Can I eat butter on a casein (milk) free diet?
A: There is controversy about this. Butter may contain a trace amount of protein. Whether or not the protein is casein, one of the proteins in milk, nobody knows. For most people, eating butter in small amounts probably is OK. However, to be extra cautious, you can purchase clarified butter, called “ghee,” or make it yourself by bringing butter to a boil and skimming off the white part that floats to the top.
Q: Why is honey OK to eat on a yeast free diet?
A: Honey has special factors that protect it from being broken down by yeast.
Q: Can I drink soy milk or rice milk?
A: Yes, if you are not allergic to soy or rice. Check the label to be sure that the product does not contain malt. Some brands of rice milk also contain trace amounts of barley protein, which is contrary to a gluten free diet. Check the labels!
Q: I am already on a gluten free/casein free diet. Why should I add the anti-yeast diet?
A: Gluten Free/Casein Free diets are not yeast free. In my experience treating autistic children, for example, who are on gluten and casein free diets, some children improve, some only modestly and some barely at all. Why? The gluten free casein free diet is not an anti yeast diet. The gluten free casein free diet allows some major yeast offenders such as vinegar, pickles, chocolate, peanut butter and corn. Both peanuts and corn are often contaminated with mold. Chicken are fed much cottonseed and cottonseed is contaminated with mold. Commercial products labelled gluten and casein free often are major offenders.
So if a child is taken off gluten and casein but is continued on vinegar and is put on more chicken, peanut butter and corn, what will happen? Whatever benefits there are from removing gluten and casein will be taken away by adding to the diet more mold in the form of chicken, peanut butter and corn. The intestinal yeast will still be there making toxic chemicals. The child will show only minimal improvement and the improvement and behavior will fluctuate, depending on what the child has eaten.
Availability to speak at Meetings
Q: How can I get Dr. Semon or Ms. Kornblum to speak at my conference?
A: Call us at 1-877-332-7899.
Q: What subjects do they talk about?
A: Dr. Semon is available to speak on a wide variety of topics. In general, he can discuss medical information about yeast free/gluten free/casein free diets, including why the diet is useful, the theory behind changing foods, and how this treatment relates to different medical conditions.
Dr. Semon also can discuss psychiatric issues, including medications, and frequently lectures to teachers and other professionals about the different types of psychiatric medications available.
For specific topics, please call Dr. Semon.
Ms. Kornblum can teach parents and patients how to change to a special diet. This is a very effective, practical presentation, especially combined with Dr. Semon’s more theoretical presentation. Ms. Kornblum also gives cooking classes and is available to give private cooking classes as well.
