Gluten Free And Autism

Do you have a child or know someone with autism? Does that person eat high amounts of wheat, barley, oats or rye proteins? Did you know that these proteins linked also with casein (the protein found in milk products) can trigger behavioral issues? To someone with autism these proteins can act as an addictive drug. Wow, mind blowing right? Some experts have even referred to gluten as "poison" for someone who is autistic.
Researchers have found that people with autism who eat gluten products regularly have a hard time breaking down the protein and found high levels of peptides with opiate in the urine. Opiates are similar to the drug known as morphine and affect the brain function. The two main problems have been linked as gluten (which is the protein found in wheat, barley, oats and rye) and casein (the protein found in milk.) Would you knowingly give your child morphine? Allowing a child who has autism to eat gluten products could be doing as much harm.
Now that you know the facts, where should you start? How can you possibly remove gluten from the diet? It will not be easy at first but will be beneficial in the end. It will take perseverance and research. At first it will take a lot of time because you will need to read labels and rule out all foods with gluten ingredients. You may even want to consult a dietician to work with you the first few weeks. They can come up with healthy meal plans based on the person's likes and dislikes. There are also many online resources to help. There are even" Gluten Free Bibles" which are guides to a full gluten free life. There are even gluten free cookbooks and foods you can purchase online.
You are probably saying right now, "This seems like too much work, I don't have the time for this." That may be the case first but once you understand and start shopping gluten free it is quite easy. Also, you must look at the long term benefits of the gluten free diet. You must realize that for many who have autism, foods with gluten are toxic to their brain and avoiding them is necessary. It will be challenging at first but with a little effort and a few good gluten free cookbooks your autistic child/friend will see improvements in behavior. I have read reports that after three months of gluten free living autistic children have been able to make eye contact and actually play calmly with other children. Now, doesn't that sound worth giving it a try?
There are so many resources and online products to help you with your new journey. It will require sacrifices and endurance. Remember this adjustment will take time but the results are so valuable. Start today and begin to live free!

For more information or to shop for protein powders go to http://livefreeproducts.com. Gluten free foods and an assortment of organic products.

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Autism or Allergies - Or Both?

Could there be a link between autism and allergies? Could severe allergies cause an autism misdiagnosis? Could allergies themselves contribute to autism? A lot of things are still unknown about autism but as a parent of a child who was diagnosed at the age of three and by the age of 11, no longer displaying symptoms of autism, the above questions are important ones for me and my family.
Autism is a disorder that affects the brain development in children and is usually diagnosed by age three or four. It affects the child's social interaction and communication skills and it can limit behavior patterns. Autism is believed to be genetic but there are also environmental factors that are believed to influence the disease.
In recent years, reports of several studies done (mostly in alternative medicine) have suggested the idea that diet and food allergies could play a role in either causing or worsening autism. In particular, gluten (a wheat protein) and casein (a milk protein) were both believed to worsen the symptoms of a child with autism. It is believed that these food proteins are broken down into smaller proteins called peptides, that will function like narcotics in autistic children, worsening the symptoms.
My son's food allergy diagnosis came after his initial autism diagnosis. It was later found that all 4 of my children had allergies to gluten and casein with the older ones outgrowing it around ages 6-10. However, only one of the four ever displayed the symptoms and signs of autism. He now no longer displays symptoms of autism, although he is not on the same behavior maturity level as his peers. He has outgrown most of his food allergies and intolerances but still receives treatment for seasonal and environmental allergies.
We're unsure if he was misdiagnosed in the first place or if the food allergies somehow played a role in the severity of his autism at a young age. Diet change alone was not the only thing we did for him. Years of counseling and therapy on all levels- speech, behavioral, family, etc., have helped him learn to overcome many of the challenges he had when he was younger and when he carried the diagnosis of autism. The doctors will say nothing more than "Before he displayed the signs and symptoms of autism and now he doesn't". While he still has some symptoms on the spectrum, they are not enough for him to be considered autistic.
Autism is a touchy subject and a condition that still asks a lot of questions. Each time I write about it, I get my fair share of hate mail telling me to "check my facts" but the fact of the matter is that even the experts disagree on many aspects of autism, what causes it and what might treat it. I write from my 10-year experience with a child who was diagnosed, as well as my experience coaching children with autism and Asperger's. I'm not claiming to be an expert; only looking to share information and experiences.
I can't say it's fact that there is a link between allergies and autism but in my experience there is, on some level. My children's allergist as well as other medical professionals seem to think there is some type of link as well, even if we are not all 100% certain of what the link is yet.
The bottom line is this: if it helps a child to live a more productive and functional life, does it really matter who is right and who is wrong? I want what's best for all of my children, regardless of labels or conditions. If changing their diet helps, I'm going to do it.
Note: Changing and/or restricting your child's diet should only be done under the supervision and advice of your doctor. This is especially true when limiting important nutritious foods such as milk and wheat. It's important to be sure you are replacing these omitted foods with something equal so that your child does not suffer from malnutrition due to restricted diet.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for personal care by a licensed physician. The author is not a licensed medical professional.
Sources and references:
Personal Experience
Millward C, Ferriter M, Calver S, Connell-Jones G. Gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic spectrum disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2004, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003498.
Kidd PM. Autism, An Extreme Challenge to Integrative Medicine. Alternative Medicine Review. 2002; 7(6):472-99.
Sun S, Itokazu N, Le HT, et al. Innate Immune Responses and Cytokine Production Against Dietary Proteins in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Those with Dietary Protein Intolerances. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2002; 109:S222.

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content in more than 10 years as a professional writer.
See her website for a free article writing template guide as well as more information about writing and the writing services she offers.

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Is There a Link Between Autism and Diet?

An article about autism in a major newspaper says it all with just one headline: "Science disputes autism's diet link." This one headline conveys that there may be a connection between diet and autism, and that some scientists have rejected the idea.

The article features Tina Szenasi, a mother of three boys in Barrie, Ontario. The article implies that all three of her children are autistic. According the the article, her sons improved within weeks of starting an elimination diet - a reasonable time frame to expect.

Many parents with autistic children feel that by changing their child's diet (specifically, eliminating wheat and milk, the GFCF diet), they can notice a difference in their child's behaviour. Results reported by parents and teachers seem to vary from subtle to dramatic.

"Farfetched" a doctor in the article is quoted as saying. But are trained to recognize symptoms that can be masked or eliminated by surgery or a prescription. Many doctors are weak on nutrition, and prevention in general.

Since an elimination diet does not make money for either the medical industry, or the pharmaceutical industry, there is little incentive to recommend eliminating wheat or milk from an autistic child's diet, or to study it in detail (given that most medical research these days seems to be funded by the profit-making medical industry).

According to the article, "most mainstream scientists remain skeptical of the gut-brain connection in autism". Most scientists of course, do not study such a connection, so it is a little hard to understand what this statement means, other than the newspaper shying away from the anecdotal evidence supplied by parents.

The article mentions one study, published in March 2006 in the the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders which is unable to find a "significant" improvement for children on the GFCF diet. It would be helpful to know what their definition of significant is, and for how long the children remained on the elimination diet.

It is also possible that autism is a complicated disease with more than one cause, depending on the child. A small study would see this as "noise", but if wheat and milk really are responsible for autism in some cases, and your child is one of them, the diet just may work for you.

Meanwhile, there is an industry at the fringes, capitalizing on the possible dietary link between wheat/milk and autism. From specialty foods to specialty tests, there is an economic interest to suggesting an elimination diet. Not all businesses seeking to capitalize on the "autistic market" are necessarily credible, ethical or legitimate. It is a case of "buyer beware".

But do you really have to spend big money on an elimination diet? No. If you avoid prepared foods and cook from basic ingredients, there is no need to consume large quantities of specialty foods. This does take time of course.

Conclusion

Eliminating wheat and milk from anyone's diet, child or adult, is not harmful. The foods you eat instead of wheat and milk could even be more healthy than what they replaced, if you choose carefully (see wheat alternatives).

If an elimination diet has a noticeable effect on your child's health, then it is worth the effort. If it does not make a difference after a couple of months, you can drop it.

Eliminating wheat and milk from your child's diet is a low-risk experiment. It is also non-medical, so don't be dissuaded by your doctor.

It is also possible that in some cases, an autistic child could have more than one problem. Why not autism and a food allergy, making the autism worse?

While not autistic, I am here to tell you from personal experience, that an elimination diet can, in some cases make a huge difference to mood, behaviour, attention span, concentration, sleeping patterns, digestive function, and a whole host of other effects.

Don't get your hopes up. This diet may not work for your child. But by all means try it, and see if it does.

Good luck!

Have a gluten allergy? Find out more: Gluten Allergy

Read more about gluten-free diet

Copyright 2010 Douglas Samuel. May be republished providing above author information is included, and live links are used without the rel=nofollow attribute.

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Can Autism Be Cured

his is an enquiry that every mum or dad of an Autistic child will ask at some point. The answer is no. There is no treatment for Autism. While you may notice ads for books, or items that promise a remedy for Autism, they're misleading you. Autism has no cure. There are a great deal of treatments that can make troubled with Autism easier.

Here are a few of the treatments that help with Autism.

Therapies

There are several sorts of therapies that can assist with the treatment of Autism. Occupational, physical, behavioral, speech, music, sensory, drug, play, and lots of other types of therapy can make a big difference in the life of an Autistic child. The therapies will not cure your kids Autism. They will just help teach them various ways of addressing it.

Alternative Remedies

Natural and alternative treatments are on the rise. These may include the application of herbs in place of prescription drugs. The herbs do not have the side effects located in traditional conventional medicines. Vitamin and supplements are being discovered to help in treating Autism. Always notify the doctor of any natural products you are applying with your child. Some herbs can have interactions with prescription medications. Remember again these herbs and vitamins are not cures. They are just to help with some of the symptoms of Autism.

Nutritional Methods

Some people go to the diet plan when dealing with Autism. They eradicate particular foods that might result in sensitivities. Some of the foods the remove from the diet program are Gluten, dairy, and artificial dyes. The idea behind this method is that taking out the meals that create sensitivities will remove the behavior problems. You may have your youngster tested for food allergies. Ask your child's physician about allergy testing. This will allow you to know if your child maybe having behaviors as a result of a food allergy. It will likewise give you a concept of which foods to eradicate from their dietary plan.

There is no cure for Autism, but there are lots of treatments that can help with a few of the symptoms. When trying a new remedy only try one at a time. This will allow you to know if it is helping or not. Allow enough time for the treatment to work. Usually two or three months is enough time to tell if a new treatment is working. There will be no miracle remedies that give instant results. If you are employing a herbal or vitamin remedy inform the physician. They have to be aware of the things you are trying. Herbs and minerals can lead to reactions with other medicines. It is essential that the treatment team be kept informed and on the same page. This will make your kids outcome a good one.

Do not waste your cash on goods that claim to cure Autism. If there was a cure available it would be told to you by your physician, in place of some guy on a late night infomercial. Carry on help your child by treating the symptoms of Autism. This will help your youngster have a better life.

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Is a Gluten and Casein-Free Diet an Answer to Autism or ADHD?

A gluten- and casein-free diet is as much of an answer to autism and ADHD as a band-aid that is soaked in antiseptic, and blood-clotting solution is an answer to a bullet that causes infection and bleeding in the body.
So, if one looks at some symptomatic improvement in both situations, autism and the bullet, and is happy to report it, there is nothing wrong with this, per se. However, if one assumes, in the process, that something of essence has been accomplished in autism, ADHD or in the overall health of this child, one has made the wrong assumption. The distributors of this and other diets often convey an impression that there is something fundamental or genetically sinister about these proteins - gluten and casein or other foods such as soy, corn, etc. - and, therefore, these and other diets are presented as some big answers to autism and chronic diseases. As "proof" to this, autism and other diseases do seem aggravated by allergic foods. However, in spite of the fact that these aggravations are formally correct, such an approach to chronic diseases is wrong because it confuses the trigger and the cause of disease. In practically 100% of all cases with allergens triggering any chronic disease, allergens are never the cause of autism or any other disease. Furthermore, the preoccupation with allergens detracts from the search for the 'bullets' - the true causes of disease - which by remaining in the body will inevitably continue causing further damage and destruction and, thus, leading to more advanced and more diseases.That is why avoiding triggers leads to neither substantial nor long-lasting progress. And that is why once the diet is broken, even if on few occasions, whichever the symptoms that seemed to have been subdued in autism and other diseases rebound viciously. In addition, even if the diets are maintained religiously, new triggers find their victim, anyway. That is why I have seen multitudes of patients who started out with excluding just 3-4 allergic foods from their diets and who have subsequently ended up becoming allergic to so many foods that they were down to only 3-4 foods, total. That is because that the bullets or the causes of allergies have remained in the body and kept eating it away as the disease and overall health worsened. So, the bottom line is don't chase triggers, but pursue the bullets, instead.
What are these bullets in the case of gluten and casein in autism or in all food allergies, in general, and how to and how not to go about identifying and addressing these?
These "bullets" are primarily toxicological agents such as mercury, lead, methylmercury, pesticides and a few others as well as gastrointestinal infections such as parasitic, yeast, and, sometimes, bacterial infections also. The best way to misdiagnose these is to do exactly what most of the alternative practitioners do - that is, to order blood, stool and other lab tests. (Conventional doctors are even out of the equation here because they act as if their patients are immune to these toxicants or infections and that is why they hardly ever look for these.)
The main reason why blood, stool and other lab tests are unreliable is because their detection ability is very low. And even if a blood test confirms allergy to gluten or casein it is not worth subjecting your child to being stuck with needles because the blood test, even if positive, cannot tell what symptoms these or other foods or nonfood allergens will or will not trigger. This, one can establish simply by avoidance or observation.
As far as stool is concerned for gastrointestinal infections, in order for these tests to be positive, a sufficient and large number of infectious organisms or parasitic eggs must show up in the specimen on the day of collection. This rarely happens because these infectious agents may not be present in sufficient numbers on the intestinal surface itself but burrow inside it where they become undetectable to stool tests. And even if stool or lab tests catch one or two infections this does not mean that the tests did not overlook other infectious agents at the same time. It is often, that these other infections are the ones which cause most of the allergies and the notorious leaky gut which are commonly present in autism and other chronic diseases.
Of course, this is not anything that a diagnostic lab will share readily with a doctor or a doctor with you. As a result, most of the time, the lab tests end up misleading instead of leading. This, as many other important facts in medicine remains "classified", i.e., not for patients' ears. Besides, even if and when these infections become partially detected, the pharmaceutical treatments for these with using drugs or "natural treatments" can often be worse than the infections themselves. The reason for this we explain in the DVD, Autism -A curable disease that also explains why any chronic infections remain incurable whether in autism or Lyme disease or other as long as toxicological and other agents mentioned in the DVD continue causing the state of immuno suppression in the body. Concerning heavy metals and other toxicants, both lab and chelators/detoxifiers are not capable of properly addressing these either. Instead, the chelators can cause unpredictable and even worse toxic effects than the metals themselves. This is also reflected in the DVD, Autism - A curable disease and in my article Chelators of Mercury, Lead and Other Heavy Metals: Theoretical Benefits, Suboptimal Results and Real Dangers. The Implications for Autism, Other Brain- and Somatic Diseases. (This article, even in spite of being supported by scientific references, has been rejected for publication by several alternative medical peer review journals. Certainly, it flies in the face of their editorial staff which tries to dress up the store window of alternative medicine as "natural", "progressive" and harmless. The reader may also find the DVD, The power of missing knowledge: An explanation for the failures of conventional and alternative medicine in chronic and degenerative diseases. An introduction to FCT as very edifying as it explains why terminology as "natural", "progressive" or "harmless" belongs rather to the territory of fairy tales or naive assumptions, rather than to the real facts or factual science.)
The main diagnostic tool that I use and that overcomes all of the lab hurdles and omissions is - bioresonance testing. This noninvasive test that is capable of tuning into gastrointestinal and any other organs energetically and completely pain free is ideal for children and adults, also. This is particularly the case for children with autism who have been through the proverbial mills of tests.
Homeopathic treatment that begins with the removal of the immunosuppressive agents and residues of antibiotics or side-effects of vaccines, the necessary requirements without which all infections are doomed to chronicity, treats these infections very effectively. As the rule, "genetic" gluten and casein and other food allergies disappear. Following the treatment course, children or adults consume formerly allergic foods without untoward reactions.

For more details and viewing presentations of cured children from autism go to Autism - A curable disease.

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Gluten Free Casein Free Diet For Autism

A GFCF diet is gaining recognition for helping children with autism. Removing gluten and casein from a diet can prove to be challenging as gluten and casein are found in many foods we eat. A GFCF diet for autism is considered an alternative treatment and is based on the belief that many with autism have allergies to gluten and casein.

Many believe autistic children may have an allergy or high sensitivity to both gluten and casein and choose to have allergy testing done. However, there are those that claim, even with no shown allergies to gluten or casein, that their child improved considerably with a GFCF diet. The belief is that children with autism process the gluten and casein differently and as a result their symptoms are exacerbated.

Some parents, as well as Doctors, believe that removing gluten from an autistic child's diet can be beneficial. Gluten is a protein found in the seeds of barley, oats, rye and wheat. When on a gf diet most breads and crackers are avoided, unless of course they are gluten free and reading nutrition labels becomes a way of life. Gluten can be found in many foods such as soy sauce, BBQ sauces and many times is a hidden additive so it is important to become familiar with safe gluten free foods.

Removing casein can prove to be just as challenging because casein is in many foods as well. Casein, a milk protein, is contained in dairy products and other foods containing dairy. Casein can also be found in dairy and lactose free foods and is often times a hidden additive, just as gluten is.

Beginning a GFCF diet is becoming easier than in the past because of the wide availability of gluten and casein free foods. Many companies are making it easier to identify GFCF foods with marketing and labeling and health food stores have begun to carry GFCF foods as well. Mainstream stores are jumping on board and making it easier for the consumer to identify and purchase GFCF foods.

The elimination of gluten and casein is gaining recognition and support in the world of autism. If your child suffers from autism this may be an alternative approach worth educating yourself on.

Gratefully Gluten Free began as a small GF business offering GF baked goods. It has since grown into a webstore offering three different all purpose GF flour's for all your GF baking and cooking needs. Visit https://www.gratefullygf.com for more information.

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Diet - An Autism Treatment You Might Not Have Thought Of

When you think about autism treatments for your child, teenager or adult, do not overlook diet. It may not occur to you at first, but what your loved one with autism is eating is just as important, if not more, than the medications or therapies he is getting in terms of affecting behavior and well-being. Many children with autism need to avoid certain ingredients in common foods, as they are very sensitive to them.
Autism Treatment Using Diet
Using diet as an autism treatment is often called a biomedical intervention. You will want to avoid artificial ingredients, food dyes, and as much sugar as possible. These can all bring havoc onto the system.
A lot of people with autism are sensitive to gluten and casein.

• Gluten is an ingredient found in many foods, especially bread, cereal and grains. Nearly all pastries and other bakery items have gluten in them. Pasta also has it.


• Casein is found in most dairy products, such as milk, ice cream and yogurt.

People who are intolerant to these items will have digestive complaints; bloating and gas are common. Often, there are cognitive and emotional effects, like irritation, inability to focus, and spaciness. Taking gluten and casein out of your autistic kid's diet can result in big improvements to their health and behavior. You can find a large selection of gluten and casein free items at your local health food store.
Why is avoiding sugar often a good autism treatment?
A lot of people with autism have yeast and candida problems. Candida is a natural yeast that is present in the body. However, if it gets too big, it can take over the body and cause all sorts of problems.
It can be responsible for things like abdominal gas, fatigue, anxiety, inability to think straight or concentrate, mood swings, hyperactivity, constipation, acne, depression, learning difficulties, and indigestion, among others. Candida is fed by sugar, so keeping a low sugar diet free of processed or artificial foods is the healthiest thing you can do.
Other Factors
There are many different claims and thoughts about diet and its effect on autism. Some parents report that autistic symptoms greatly improve when wheat or eggs are removed from their child's diet. Some see an improvement in behavioral problems simply be removing one group, or be eliminating caffeine, chocolate or even peanut butter.
Supplements such as B6 and magnesium have benefited some kids.
Parents simply have to decide for themselves what works and what does not for their loved ones with autism. Try it. Experiment. For some, nothing seems to work...but for many, dietary treatments for autism have been remarkably successful.

As parents learn as much as you can about dietary issues as well as other therapies for autism. Tips from other parents and professionals can be extremely helpful. A great site that has tips and suggestions for additional treatments is the AmericanAutismSociety.org. There you can sign up for their FREE newsletter with tips and info on autism.

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Gluten Free Or Not Gluten Free - Autism

Good nutrition equals good health. People with autism or on the spectrum have a hard time with nutrition. Individuals who have autism have distinct likes and dislikes controlled by their dysfunctional senses. This makes good nutrition a struggle, having negative consequences for the person with autism or PPD's over all health. Most people on the autism spectrum have a normal IQ. With poor nutrition, many with autism spectrum can not function normally. Persons with autism and PPD love the crunchy McDonald Chicken Nuggets and French fires--or the Tyson chicken nuggets. For many with autism spectrum disorder, this is the only thing that they will eat, which offers very little nutritional value. Also, pop, and the fizz in their mouth, is something someone with autism loves, loving the sensation in their mouth.

With the food they eat being so poor in nutritional value, and without a variety of food (nor all the groups of food), the person with autism's body can not receive the proper nutrients or calories for growth, body function, and brain function. The question is then: what do you do as a parent/caregiver, to help you loved one with autism? Gluten free has been the diet of choice to "cure" autism. This would be fine if the person with autism or PPD would eat anything and was not selective about their food. The person with autism will not eat anything; the person with autism will eat hardly anything, making it hard to impossible for people with autism and PPD to eat gluten free. The senses of taste, smell, and touch are high in the person with autism and PPD, as a caregiver tries to sneak in the foods that have no gluten; the microscope of the person with autism will analyse it and reject it.

Therefore, a parent or caregiver must choose the best route for the person with autism or PPD when it comes to diet, so the person with autism will be healthy in years to come. A celiac test will tell a person if they are allergic to gluten. Most children have this test at birth. If the test does not show a positive for gluten allergy, a gluten allergy is not present. Without a positive celiac test, "curing" autism (or anything else except a gluten allergy) with a diet that has no gluten has no scientific evidence as a cure. Going without gluten, yeast, or dairy has not been tested by science. Science (trial and studies) has not documented these diets as a cure for autism and PPD; therefore, to take these things out of the person with autism's diet only leads to poor nutrition. Individuals feel that they should try to cure autism at any cost and try anything that may work with scientific backing or not. I can not agree with this, since the cost of "hit or miss" experimentation is usually "too high" (a loss of life or damage to a body system). If a caregiver would rather have the calories and a relationship with the person with autism, a gluten diet is best. If a caregiver would rather have no calories and a poor relationship with the person with autism ,take the gluten out of the diet (fighting at the dinner table with a child/adult who does not have enough calories to support their body functions - I think they call it starvation).

Taking gluten out of the person with autism's diet, is dangerous and an unsafe fight. How could it be dangerous? Starvation is dangerous, especially in a child. With a child who has PPD or autism, they are lacking nutrition and they don't get enough calories. With this observation, their bodies are not getting what they need - so adding another restriction to their already self restricted diet may make nutrition through calories almost impossible. If a person with autism eats well and will eat everything, a caregiver still needs to see if they are up to the demands of a gluten free diet. These specialty diets cost more dollars. If a loved one is picky and puts everything through his microscope, feed him/her what you can and hope what he is eating is not effecting his behavior. Remember, gluten, dairy, casein, and yeast free do not work in all children with autism (the advice from many on the internet). Also, there is no scientific evidence that a diet free of these valuable nutrients works in curing autism and PPD.

As a medical professional, what I would choose for children or adults with autism is a good multivitamin along with a good calcium supplement, and for them to eat a balanced diet to grow strong. I would choose a soft gel supplement so I could put a pin in it and squeeze it into any beverage. I would make sure the supplement was right for the person, and that it was a whole food so it would not smell and I would not have to worry about anything else being added to my loved one's system. Feeding the person with autism calories as often as he liked would be my goal if he is a poor picky eater. As long as the person with autism received the daily minerals and vitamins he required, if he wanted candy, I give him candy. Just for the calories, using good supplements would cover the nutrition. I try to feed him every two hours and make sure he gets in at least 2000 calories a day (or the calorie amount the doctor ordered).

Nutrition is something that all children and adults need so they can function, along with calories to give them energy. The calories gives the body energy so the body has the energy to transport nutrients to live (their heart to beat, their brain to think, their lungs to breath, and their body to function). A fireplace will not work without wood or natural gas; a person's body will not work or function without the fuel of calories. Good nutrition and calories can not exist in the body without the other.

If you'd like to read more of Cheryl Zmijewski's RN work, her blog is ( http://cheryl-zmijewski.com ). - copyright 2011 Cheryl Zmijewski RN.

Cheryl Zmijewski RN has been a nurse for 15 years plus. She has a son who has autism spectrum disorder. Good nutrition and developing talents in people with autism, spectrum disorder, and PPD, is what her blog is about. Her blog exploring autism is: http://www.cheryl-zmijewski.com.

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Autism Alternative Treatments - Eliminate Diary And Wheat To Eliminate Autism

As more information is found about autism, researchers are suggesting alternative forms of treatment. One of the ways to reduce symptoms is by eliminating dairy from an autistic person's diet. Researchers feel that one of the phosoproteins found in dairy, casein, is responsible for some of the behaviors of autism. By eliminating casein from the diet, an autistic person will be helped out with their behaviors. It has not been proven to show improvement in cognitive skills, social skills or motor ability.

One thing to note is that this isn't a cure for autism. This is only served as a way to help certain behaviors. Casein is found in all dairy products so it would mean removing foods such as milk, ice cream and yogurt from the autistic person's meals. Casein is also used as a binding agent and is found in some hot dogs. Another tactic that is used once casein is delimited from the diet is removing gluten as well. Gluten is a protein found in wheat products. This is believed to have the same effect as casein.

Before you start any of these programs, speak with your doctor about alternative treatments and discuss the methods you will read here. At this time you may also want to see an allergist and get tested to see if they have any allergies to food. It could turn out they are actually allergic to dairy products. When you first start the casein-free diet, keep a journal of the activities for the patient. You might want to start this about two weeks before you actually begin the diet so you will have something to compare it with. Right down all of the activities and note the times. If having a casein-free diet does help, you won't see the results right away. This is going to take several months, so you have to be patient.

Casein will stay in a person's system for some time so there is no way to know if the dairy-free diet is working yet. The same is the true with a gluten-free diet, but gluten stays in the system longer. Also you don't want to try too many things at once because too many changes can upset the autistic person.

If you do eliminate dairy from the diet, you have to find other ways to substitute calcium. Try vitamins or calcium-enriched foods. This is especially important in children because calcium is important for the growth of a child.

A casein-free diet can get expensive. You also might have some difficulty finding milk substitutes at the local grocery store. You can look through specialty shops or check nutritional stores. If you have no luck at either of these places, go on the Internet and find special mail orders websites. You can find all the foods you need here. The Internet also offers casein-free recipes. However, with more people suffering from dairy allergies and wheat allergies, many products are available without casein and gluten.

If after some time this method isn't working, you can safely add dairy back into your autistic child's life. Just because it didn't work, don't feel as though you have failed. This is only suggested as a way to curb someone of the behaviors of autism, not put an end to it.

Abhishek has got some great Autism Treatment Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 41 Pages Ebook, "Understanding And Treating Autism" from his website http://www.Health-Whiz.com/555/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

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The Gluten Free Casein Free Diet and Autism

The gluten free casein free diet is one that is very widely used on children with autism. Many people who had their children on the diet witnessed positive changes in their behavior. The diet is based on a hypothesis that because children with autism digest gluten and casein poorly, the gluten and casein form peptides, which affect his/her behavior, perceptions of and responses to the world around them.

What are gluten and casein? Gluten and casein are proteins. Gluten is found in wheat products, and casein is found in dairy products. Caseinate is derived from casein and is sometimes hidden in other products.

Gluten Free Casein Free Foods
Removing gluten and casein from your child's diet might seem difficult, considering a majority of foods in the United States are made with gluten and/or casein. When choosing what to buy for your child, look at the ingredient label. Keep an eye out for ingredients like caseinate, lactose, curds or bran. Sometimes if vinegar is used, it will be a type that contains gluten, so look out for that as well. Check your local health food store, sometimes they will have gluten free casein free foods. Or maybe there is a co-op in your area that sells gluten free casein free foods.

Before you start the diet, consult your pediatrician to see if the diet is right for you.

When starting out on the diet, remove the casein first. The body has an easier time adapting to a no-casein diet.

About Me

I am a thirteen-year-old on the autism spectrum. I was diagnosed with autism when I was six years old. Currently I maintain a Website all about autism at http://www.myautismrecovery.com To this date, My Autism Recovery has helped hundreds of people.

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Does Wheat And Gluten Cause Autism?

Most of us already understand that gluten can have damaging consequences for people with celiac disease and other kinds of autoimmune disorders (ASD's). But the question that keeps coming up over and over is whether gluten can interfere with the development of people who are non-celiac's.

Recently there have been a number of researchers who have started examining the link between autism spectrum disorders and diet-which seem to have risen significantly over the last 20 years.

The centers for disease control and prevention say that ASP's-which is the name given to a number of neurological and developmental disorders, which include Aspergers Syndrome, by this fact is many as one in 100 children born in North America. These are significant numbers and experts are still looking for answers as to why they are on the rise.

Everybody knows that nutrition has a direct impact on the development of children. What I am seeing and what the experts are seeing is a growing body of proof which suggests that removing gluten and casein [which is the protein in dairy products] from the diet of children with ASD's can have a beneficial effect.

In fact there is a well known and diet specifically recommended for children with ASD's, it is called the autism diet and it is a diet that is devoid of any gluten or casein. Also known as the GF CF diet.

Kids on this diet cannot eat any dairy products in addition to any wheat or gluten containing foods, as well as all of the other dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, ice cream, and cheese.

I have not been able to find any direct medical evidence which links celiac disease to autism. In fact all of the evidence that I have gathered is entirely anecdotal and is from speaking with other people, a handful of publications and with parents of children with autism. The only clear overlap that I've found as of this recording in the literature existed in two publications.

The first was the Journal of behavioral pediatrics which interviewed 50 children in New York that were autistic and found that 70% of them with ASD's that gastrointestinal issues compared with 28% of the children with normal development. The other place I've found evidence to support the link between autism and gluten consumption is with Dr. Kenneth Bock, who is an internationally renowned expert on autism and author of the book Healing The New Childhood Epidemics.

According to his book he sees over 2000 children per year with ASD's at his office in the Rhinebeck health Center in New York, and he believes that even though further investigation is still required, that children with ASD's clearly have significant reactions to the consumption of gluten.

In addition many parents swear by the GF CF diet all citing tremendous improvements in their children's development, behavior, and communication skills.

Dr. Bock points to a survey of over 25,000 parents of autistic children, and found that over 60% of them interviewed reported that gluten free, or casein free diet resulted in improvements in their children.

Dr. Bock also points to the response in the bloodstream of children with ASD's who eat gluten to be kind of like morphine. Which means that the kids can act almost stoned-producing the usual stoner behaviors such as erratic behavior, poor language and social skills, and impulse control issues. He warns that parents need to be aware of the impact of removing gluten from the diet of a child with an ASD can create something of a withdrawal affect.

And he warns parents that this is a very real possibility to keep an eye out for during the first few days-not much different than when addicts detox. However he sees consistent evidence that after a few days of the detoxing, children with ASD's start to make improvements-some of them quite dramatic. Many parents that I have spoken to said that children with autism are much calmer and had fewer behavior problems without gluten in their diets.

So if you have a child with autism I would recommend that you talk to your doctor about the GF CF diet.

Brooks Van Norman is a veteran of living the wheat and gluten freelifestyle. An accidental expert on the subjects of wheat intolerance and living without wheat intolerance symptoms, he struggled for years with chronic fatigue and depression before self diagnosing that he could not eat wheat or gluten. Brooks now teaches people how to inexpensively and quickly restore their health with a simple plan and whole foods at wheatfreenow.com.

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Gluten Free Diet - Autism Still A Mystery

We know that scientists still don't know what causes autism, but research has found that with a gluten free diet autism characteristics or behaviour is lessened. With need for children to have a gluten free diet autism traits are more controlled too. Unfortunately it does not seem easy just to remove the basic foodstuffs such as the starches and dairy products from every household or only have a specific diet for one child who may suffer from autism.

Autism is a malfunction of the brain, and since there is no cure for it yet, other ways of handling the situation so to speak have to be implemented. It is not easy for a parent who has no idea that their child has autism, finding the reasons and what can be done for them is also another major issue that needs to be discussed when parents find out this information.

Gluten And Casein Removed Helps Autistic People

When it comes to the dietary needs of the autistic child it is recommended that the gluten intake and the casein intake, or gluten free diet autism is lessened. Somehow these ingredients have been found to cause a gastric problem, which seems more evident in autistic children too. By eliminating the daily usage of bread and milk which does sound harsh, and replacing it with something just as useful could sometimes prove quite difficult if it is done for the whole family in one shot. If you are changing your food sources over to be gluten free, you can easily find a gluten free diet recipe those suites your whole family's dietary needs.

With the gluten free diet, autism cannot be totally eliminated or remedied, as this is a malfunction of the brain. However, it has been proven that by using the gluten free diet autism gastric intestinal problems are totally eliminated or reduced radically, thereby also not putting the child in such a tense mode continually and therefore more relaxed and happier.

Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover

If you do come about a child with autism, you will find that the child is tense continually. This is also part of their own nature to be this way, and for some to be taken out of their usual environment causes their stress and panic levels to increase immensely. Some autistic children may seem out of the ordinary by their actions, but a lot are actually geniuses in their own right. It is important that "normal" children learn not to tease others with so-called disabilities, as it also has been proven that abilities that are lacking in one category are heightened in another.

For more information visit: http://www.happylifeglutenfree.com/.

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Why Doesn't Gluten-Free Work for Autism?

Many people are touting the gluten-free diet for children with autism. I am going to explain why the diet does not work for all children with autism, what the dangers are, and how to improve the diet to truly make gains for your child with autism.

The Danger of a Strict Gluten-Free Diet

There are many people swearing by the gluten-free diet and that it does help their child with autism. There are inherent dangers in providing a child with a gluten-free only diet. Don't get me wrong. I do believe in these diets. However you need to be able to replace minerals and vitamins lost when a diet becomes strictly gluten-free.

I believe that we do not get proper minerals and vitamins in our diet anyway. Our soils have been depleted of the minerals our plants need to process the vitamins we need. This makes it necessary for all of us to supplement with minerals and vitamins.

Not all vitamins are equal. Don't think that you can just pop a cheap multivitamin and be on your way. Many of these cheap supplements are inexpensive for a reason. Many have fillers added to them for bulk so they can sell many of them on the cheap. In fact, these cheapies have been found to just pass through the body providing no nutrition at all!

What to Add to the Gluten-Free Diet

In order to avoid hundreds of nutritional deficiency diseases, we need 90 essential nutrients. I know of only a few companies that are able to effectively provide that in a quality supplement. Quality is essential over quantity.

Now, the biggest culprit in autism. Sugar. Yes, start with the gluten-free diet. Supplement. The biggest change is to take sugar out of your child's diet. Treat your child like a diabetic.

I want you to think of what happens to a child when it is weened from its mother in our society. Young children jump from their mother's milk to sweetened everything. Sweet cereal, sweet juices, sugary toasted snacks/meals, and so on. Those young brains need all of the nutrients we can give them, yet in Western society we give them sugar and processed foods.

What Can My Child With Autism Eat?

The question I get asked at this point is," What can my child eat?" Before answering that, I want to mention another category of foods to avoid. They are fried foods and nitrates and nitrites. Everything from processed meats to chicken nuggets fit these categories.

You can now have the privilege of exploring foods you may not know about. Millet, flax, buckwheat. You can provide your child with eggs, not hard cooked, but scrambled or poached. Eggs are great brain food. Rice is a good food. Sweet potatoes. Add butter and milk if your child is not allergic to milk products. There are also food supplements which help improve the taste. Margarines and cooking oils need to be avoided. These have trans fats, the biggest danger to our heart health today.

The Healthiest Autism Diet

If it were my child, I would have him or her tested for allergies. I would give my child a gluten-free, trans-fat-free diet. I would provide my child with the 60 Minerals, 16 Vitamins, 12 Amino Acids, and 3 Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3 & 6 are essential). I would eliminate all sugar from their diet as if they had juvenile diabetes.

Dr. Joel Wallach, a pioneer in nutritional medicine, has stated that the 85% to 90% of children who have used this diet and nutrition program have changed from autistic to normal behavior. Children with true autism have benefitted from this program.

The theory of nutritional medicine is that when you provide your body what it needs, it fixes itself. Many are enjoying the benefits of good health today because of this approach.

Brian Sater provides information on solving health problems with nutritional approaches. Discover how to improve your health at http://healthpromotionandwellness.blogspot.com or contact Brian for answers about specific health information at bsate@youngevityonline.com

Autism Treatment - Gluten Sensitivity & Serotonin Levels

I have discussed in previous recordings about gluten sensitivity and Celiac disease and the differences between the two. And we've also discussed how, for many kids with special needs, gluten creates peptides which are small amino acid chains, that can have a drug like effect on their brain chemistry. Gluten can create a situation where serotonin is produced in excess in the digestive tract when it is not broken down adequately.

We know that serotonin is an influential neurochemical that affects mood and states of happiness but it also can be involved in learning. Many people are given antidepressants because they need help maintaining adequate levels of serotonin in the brain. And for many children with Autism it appears that they create too much serotonin in the brain. Their brain cannot convert or process the serotonin to its active form to be used by the brain appropriately. When this happens, it can contribute to many of the behaviors we associate with Autism like self stimulatory behaviors, obsessive compulsive behaviors, behavioral issues, and attention and focusing problems.

So a child could have a situation where they already have too much serotonin and it is not being converted to its active form. And then they are eating foods with gluten which is then also stimulating an overproduction of serotonin in the digestive tract which then gets absorbed into the body and circulates through the blood supply. That scenario serves to contribute to the increased pool of serotonin. This is one possible reason that children with Autism seem to be very sensitive to gluten. This issue really is very different from the tried and true diagnostic tools used to assess people with Celiac disease.

Food sensitivity can be very complicated to assess and understand how these foods react in our bodies. But, one mechanism certainly is the inability to breakdown gluten in the digestive tract fully. That incomplete breakdown can stimulate serotonin production in the gut. And if there is a problem in converting serotonin to its active form, then you have exacerbated that situation. For many children with Autism, this is an issue.

Autism really is treatable! Biomedical Autism treatments and therapies have resulted in many, many children improving, or even even losing their autism-spectrum disorder diagnosis. For lots more free biomedical autism intervention information and videos from Dr. Woeller, go to http://www.AutismRecoveryTreatment.com.

Dr. Kurt Woeller is an biomedical autism Intervention specialist, with a private practice in Southern California for over 10 years. He has helped children recover from autism, ADD, ADHD, and other disorders, and has the information you need to help your child. Download his free ebook at http://www.AutismActionPlan.org.

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