Who Is John Kender?

John R. Kender, a professor of computer science at
Columbia University

in New York City,

who became a hair puller
at age 13,

and
who is currently enjoying an eight year remission from hairpulling which
he attributes to his
to dietary control measures:

The John Kender Diet

What Does The Diet Entail?

This diet entails that you wean yourself from the 'Bad Foods' that is, foods that allow Malassezia Yeast to grow in your gut.  This yeast, John Kender feels, makes us pull. 

I have taken this information from handouts and postings that I have read. These are not the exact words of John Kender.  No diet should be undertaken without medical supervision. The JK Diet is still under the category of 'research'.  If you have any questions about the exact workings of this diet, please write John Kender.

The foods to avoid on the JK Diet are as follows:

Legumes: beans of any kind!

No peanuts, no nuts. (cashews are ok - If not roasted in Peanut oil)

Egg yolks
Sugar
Caffeine
Omega fish oils: Tuna, Salmon and Mackerel
Shellfish: Shrimp, lobster, mussels, crab... etc
Butter
Yams
Soy products of any kind
Organ meats: Liver, kidney etc...........

Stay away from these foods for six weeks and see if these dietary measures work for you.  If you are a skeptical about the effectiveness about using dietary means, try the infamous test John Kender recommends:  Eat loads of Peanut M&M's and wash them down with full sugar Coca Cola.  The urge to pull should increase in about three hours or less.   

John Kender's

Opinion

About

The Diet

John Kender's opinion about diet:

"I consider myself in an enforced state of remission through dietary means. My research and experience strongly suggest that for me, TTM is much like an allergy. Most allergies aren't curable; the basic over-reaction of the immune system appears to be genetically determined.
However, many allergies are controllable through avoidance of their triggers." 

And one last note:

"Will power" does have a place in pulling control, but only when
the will is given a fair field on which to play. The biology, as ever, comes
first, and probably has to be treated first. After that, behavior modification has a fair chance."

Who Can I

Talk To

Who