The Autism Diet
Early Biomedical Intervention Begins Whit Diet
By Julie Matthewr
AUTISM RATES HAVE REACHED epidemic proportions worldwide. Many autism pediatricians. researchers, clinics, and most importantly, parents have embraced the broader reality that autism is a whole body condition for which there is treatment. As children successfully recover from autism. it is becoming extremely clear and medically-proven that autism is treatable.
In addition to ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) and other evidence~based autism recovery treatments, another equally promising area of treatment is through biomedical intervention beginning with autism diet implementation. While healthy nutrition and diet are very important for all children, they are critical for the child with autism, as the majority of children diagnosed with autism have impaired immune and digestive systems. Because the brain is directly impacted by the digestive system of these children, the foods they are fed will either help them or harm them.
Typical physical symptoms of children with autism include food allergies, gastrointestinal distress, diarrhea or constipation, yeast overgrowth, immune system impairment, rashes / eczema, sleep disturbance, inflammation, pain and more.
Biomedical intervention, which is initiated with an autism diet, is based on the practical conclusion that the psychological and behavioral symptoms of autism are a direct result of physical and medical issues within the body of the child. Many of these issues exist directly in the 'gut' and digestive system.
In a medical setting, which involves a physician that specializes in autism and a qualified testing lab, testing will often show that children have high levels of environmental toxins in their body along with harmful bacteria and “gut bugs.” They will most likely be allergic to many foods and other substances. Tests will show that children with autism have very ill physical bodies and treatable medical conditions-these conditions, left untreated, lead directly to impaired brain function and cognitive ability. This is scientifically proven and documented at the Autism Research Institute (ARI).
Upon autism diagnosis, a responsible autism clinic and physician will test and treat the medical problems a child is having with prescriptions and order behavioral treatments (ABA). And equally as important, they will provide a parent with a clear biomedical treatment plan and autism diet via a well-trained autism nutritionist. This recovery diet is one of the most important steps for improving an autistic child's health and condition. When properly and consistently implemented, an autism diet, supported with supplementation of digestive enzymes, can take a child a longdistance in the recovery process in a relatively short amount of time.
Although there are over a dozen autism diets available to parents to help their children, the first diet that is often recommended is the Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF) Diet. This diet removes wheat (rye, barley, spelt, kamut, commercial oats) and milk proteins from all foods served to the child. Wheat and dairy proteins are diflicult for children with autism to digest. These proteins often lead to diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, inattentiveness and foggy thinking in these children.
Other foods create allergic reactions in children with autism as well: corn, eggs and soy are on this list. These food allergies and sensitivities are often determined through laboratory testing as well as dietary experience. Appropriate autism diets are then implemented based on these food allergies-the Gi-‘CF autism
As children successfully recover from autism, it is becoming extremely clear and medically-proven that autism is treatable diet is the first and usually a very successful autism diet for children when implemented correctly.
As an autism diet is introduced to the parent-child daily shopping and meal routine, there are a multitude of simple first steps that can be taken to begin body healing. Remove artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, MSG and all hydrolyzed items from foods served. Remove trans fatty acids which are found in partially hydrogenated oil used in mayonnaise, margarine, peanut butter products, fast foods and baked goods. Remove all artificial sweeteners. Do not serve canned or processed foods as these can be toxic to children with autism depending on their ingredient list.
Reduce sugar and eliminate high-fructose corn syrup and limit a child's consumption of sugar in the juice they drink. Remove sodas and sweetened drinks from the serving menu. Try to always choose organic juice and add water to dilute it before serving it to a child. By selecting organic foods for meals, the family is no longer fed PCBs and pesticides. Children with autism are more dramatically impacted by hese toxins than children who do not have autism.
A parent implementing an autism diet will be asked to serve organic fruits, vegetables and introduce rice milk or other non-dairy milk instead of cow’s milk. They will replace wheat pasta with rice noodles. Additionally, changing the meats fed to the family to grass-fed, organic instead of grain-fed, non-organic. will remove antibiotics and hormones from the dinner table.
As foods are removed from a child's diet, nutrients must then be added to help a child's digestive system heal. Intentional addition of nutrients and supplements will help provide much needed nutrients for cellular function, as well as to relieve gastrointestinal distress and alleviate food sensitivities. Probiotics, digestive enzymes; cod liver oil, colostrums and other nutrients will help a child's gut, intestinal tract and immune system.
An autism nutritionist will also introduce vitamin and mineral supplementation. This is achieved by giving a child daily supplements that often consist of B6, Bl2, folic acid, zinc, selenium and magnesium. Because each child has their own individual biology, each supplementation plan will differ case by case.
While the GFCF diet is often the first to be implemented, autism nutritionists may often suggest the principles from the following diets in an effort to further maximize recovery results: Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GA PS) Diet, Low Oxalate Diet, Body Ecology Diet, Feingold Diet and Weston A. Price dietary principles. While this process may seem daunting, there are many autism diet resources online and books available to assist parents with understanding why and how autism diets work and how to creatively and correctly implement them.
Many parents, once started with autism diets, are empowered as they see autism symptoms diminish in their children. Language often improves, sleeping is regulated, eye contact emerges, and digestive symptoms improve. The most successful parents have an open mind and really understand that food can and does heal-and that recovery is possible.
Whether a parent reaches out to an autism nutrition consultant or starts on their own, choosing good nutrition, avoiding problematic ingredients and supporting digestion are practices that will benefit everyone in the family: For the child with autism, this dedicated practice can alleviate their autism symptoms and allow them to achieve their highest potential. The road to autism recovery begins with diet.
Early Biomedical Intervention Begins Whit Diet
By Julie Matthewr
AUTISM RATES HAVE REACHED epidemic proportions worldwide. Many autism pediatricians. researchers, clinics, and most importantly, parents have embraced the broader reality that autism is a whole body condition for which there is treatment. As children successfully recover from autism. it is becoming extremely clear and medically-proven that autism is treatable.
In addition to ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) and other evidence~based autism recovery treatments, another equally promising area of treatment is through biomedical intervention beginning with autism diet implementation. While healthy nutrition and diet are very important for all children, they are critical for the child with autism, as the majority of children diagnosed with autism have impaired immune and digestive systems. Because the brain is directly impacted by the digestive system of these children, the foods they are fed will either help them or harm them.
Typical physical symptoms of children with autism include food allergies, gastrointestinal distress, diarrhea or constipation, yeast overgrowth, immune system impairment, rashes / eczema, sleep disturbance, inflammation, pain and more.Biomedical intervention, which is initiated with an autism diet, is based on the practical conclusion that the psychological and behavioral symptoms of autism are a direct result of physical and medical issues within the body of the child. Many of these issues exist directly in the 'gut' and digestive system.
In a medical setting, which involves a physician that specializes in autism and a qualified testing lab, testing will often show that children have high levels of environmental toxins in their body along with harmful bacteria and “gut bugs.” They will most likely be allergic to many foods and other substances. Tests will show that children with autism have very ill physical bodies and treatable medical conditions-these conditions, left untreated, lead directly to impaired brain function and cognitive ability. This is scientifically proven and documented at the Autism Research Institute (ARI).
Upon autism diagnosis, a responsible autism clinic and physician will test and treat the medical problems a child is having with prescriptions and order behavioral treatments (ABA). And equally as important, they will provide a parent with a clear biomedical treatment plan and autism diet via a well-trained autism nutritionist. This recovery diet is one of the most important steps for improving an autistic child's health and condition. When properly and consistently implemented, an autism diet, supported with supplementation of digestive enzymes, can take a child a longdistance in the recovery process in a relatively short amount of time.
Although there are over a dozen autism diets available to parents to help their children, the first diet that is often recommended is the Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF) Diet. This diet removes wheat (rye, barley, spelt, kamut, commercial oats) and milk proteins from all foods served to the child. Wheat and dairy proteins are diflicult for children with autism to digest. These proteins often lead to diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, inattentiveness and foggy thinking in these children.
Other foods create allergic reactions in children with autism as well: corn, eggs and soy are on this list. These food allergies and sensitivities are often determined through laboratory testing as well as dietary experience. Appropriate autism diets are then implemented based on these food allergies-the Gi-‘CF autism
As children successfully recover from autism, it is becoming extremely clear and medically-proven that autism is treatable diet is the first and usually a very successful autism diet for children when implemented correctly.As an autism diet is introduced to the parent-child daily shopping and meal routine, there are a multitude of simple first steps that can be taken to begin body healing. Remove artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, MSG and all hydrolyzed items from foods served. Remove trans fatty acids which are found in partially hydrogenated oil used in mayonnaise, margarine, peanut butter products, fast foods and baked goods. Remove all artificial sweeteners. Do not serve canned or processed foods as these can be toxic to children with autism depending on their ingredient list.
Reduce sugar and eliminate high-fructose corn syrup and limit a child's consumption of sugar in the juice they drink. Remove sodas and sweetened drinks from the serving menu. Try to always choose organic juice and add water to dilute it before serving it to a child. By selecting organic foods for meals, the family is no longer fed PCBs and pesticides. Children with autism are more dramatically impacted by hese toxins than children who do not have autism.
A parent implementing an autism diet will be asked to serve organic fruits, vegetables and introduce rice milk or other non-dairy milk instead of cow’s milk. They will replace wheat pasta with rice noodles. Additionally, changing the meats fed to the family to grass-fed, organic instead of grain-fed, non-organic. will remove antibiotics and hormones from the dinner table.
As foods are removed from a child's diet, nutrients must then be added to help a child's digestive system heal. Intentional addition of nutrients and supplements will help provide much needed nutrients for cellular function, as well as to relieve gastrointestinal distress and alleviate food sensitivities. Probiotics, digestive enzymes; cod liver oil, colostrums and other nutrients will help a child's gut, intestinal tract and immune system.
An autism nutritionist will also introduce vitamin and mineral supplementation. This is achieved by giving a child daily supplements that often consist of B6, Bl2, folic acid, zinc, selenium and magnesium. Because each child has their own individual biology, each supplementation plan will differ case by case.
While the GFCF diet is often the first to be implemented, autism nutritionists may often suggest the principles from the following diets in an effort to further maximize recovery results: Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GA PS) Diet, Low Oxalate Diet, Body Ecology Diet, Feingold Diet and Weston A. Price dietary principles. While this process may seem daunting, there are many autism diet resources online and books available to assist parents with understanding why and how autism diets work and how to creatively and correctly implement them.
Many parents, once started with autism diets, are empowered as they see autism symptoms diminish in their children. Language often improves, sleeping is regulated, eye contact emerges, and digestive symptoms improve. The most successful parents have an open mind and really understand that food can and does heal-and that recovery is possible.
Whether a parent reaches out to an autism nutrition consultant or starts on their own, choosing good nutrition, avoiding problematic ingredients and supporting digestion are practices that will benefit everyone in the family: For the child with autism, this dedicated practice can alleviate their autism symptoms and allow them to achieve their highest potential. The road to autism recovery begins with diet.
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