Top Tips to Relieve Your Autism Diet Worries Today

Autism diet recommendations can be many and varied. Some experts will suggest gluten-free and casein-free diets. Gluten is a substance found in breads and other grains and casein appears in milk and dairy products. The belief is that some people with autism have trouble digesting such substances, resulting in a decreased, foggy state of consciousness.
Other autism diet suggestions include cutting out yeast and sugars, and concentrating on consuming larger quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Each of these theories have solid research to back them up, but while adults may be able to make dietary decisions for their children, it is not always as easily applied as they may wish.
Kids are still kids whether they have autism or not! They have individual tastes, and will prefer some foods to others. It is not always easy to remove the foods that they enjoy, and introduce those that don't typically appeal.
So the following are practical tips for parents who are aiming to introduce a healthy autism diet.
Turn it into finger food. Some small children can be more likely to eat something when they know what's in it, and often enjoy vegetables raw rather than cooked. A healthy diet should include generous servings of vegetables in at least two meals a day so try slicing up a selection of vegetables like carrots, broccoli and sweet red pepper into little sticks and serve them plain or with a dip for dunking.
Offer berries. Almost all types of berries are nutritious and rich in antioxidants so keep strawberries, blueberries, raspberries - and any other berries that you can find and that your child enjoys - on hand for snacks. They can satisfy a sweet tooth and don't break the rules of most autism diets.
Sugar-free sweetening. You can still give your kids sweet things without loading them down with sugar. Stevia can be an effective solution for this problem. Readily available in health food stores, Stevia is a South American herb that's sweeter than sugar and is an excellent alternative, as long as it is used in moderation. In most autism diets, other sweetening agents - sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, jelly etc - should be kept to an absolute minimum. Stevia can be used in many of a child's favorite recipes such as in lemonade and cookies.
Use supplements. If you are worried that your child's diet isn't giving them all the nutrition they need, speak to your doctor or naturopath about supplements. When kids are off dairy products, they may need calcium, magnesium and Vitamin D. Enzyme supplements can help aid digestion. And there are a host of other beneficial supplements from fish oil to amino acids, Vitamin B12 to calcium, magnesium and zinc. Many come in child-friendly chewable forms but always check with a health expert first, as many of these chewable vitamins come with a high dose of sugar.
As with any dietary change, make certain that any decisions made are discussed with a qualified doctor, first.

Grab your free copy of Rachel Evans' brand new Autism Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you and your family find out about Autism Diet options and for information on where to go for autism resources please visit The Essential Guide To Autism

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Treatment of Low Blood Sugar for Autism

Low blood glucose levels on blood tests is something I have seen from time to time in children on the Autism spectrum. Glucose is a fuel source, in the form of simple sugar, that our body and brain need to function appropriately. And while most test results come back in the normal range, which is between 80 and 100, occasionally they do come back higher, 105 to 110, and periodically I do see them in the 60's.

Hypoglycemia or low blood glucose, can be a temporary issue or it can be an ongoing, debilitating issue. Of course people with diabetes have the situation where their blood sugar goes very high and then goes very low when they have imbalances in insulin. Low blood sugar can impact many things in an individual including cognition, attention, focusing, it can even affect behavior and mood. If you see that your child gets moody throughout the day when they don't eat frequently, they may have reactive hypoglycemia or low blood sugar issues.

Now there are quite a few things you can do to help. One of the simplest things to do is to make sure your child is eating enough and eating frequently. This is especially true during times of growth spurts and their appetites have changed and they need more food. A snack is needed when there is a long stretch in the day between meals, like 3 to 4 hours. If your child goes to school then the school should be notified that your child requires a snack every half hour to every 2 hours to maintain their blood sugar level. Adults can do the same thing, just eat smaller meals more frequently. Another important thing is to stay away from many sweet treats and juices with lots of sugar. Insulin is released is response to the sugar and then you get a drop in blood sugar which can be problematic.

So really it comes down to balancing more carbohydrates with fats and oils and proteins to appropriately maintain blood sugar. Dietary interventions can also be very helpful to aid with insulin sensitivity. The mineral chromium can be helpful at 100 to 200 micrograms per day. And a multi-vitamin, multi-mineral and antioxidant supplement can also be helpful too.

But really the focus should be cutting back sugar, balancing proteins, balancing carbohydrates, balancing fats and balancing simple and complex sugars. Snacks in the morning and afternoon between meals allows your child to eat more frequently and that is helpful as well. So if you see this kind of behavior, big fluctuations with mood, focusing or attention, you may be seeing the manifestation of a blood sugar problem. And basically, your child just needs to eat.

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.com.

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