I come from a family of dedicated beachcombers. On a hot, steamy, July day in 2004, my mom and I walked the beach in Jupiter, Florida. We split our time between swimming in the brilliant turquoise waters and walking the gray, peppery sands of this magnificent beach. It was a perfect day and an unforgettable mother, daughter moment.
As we walked along, we happened upon a father and his three-year old son. The boy was running back and forth toward the waves and up the beach in a never-ending circle. We stopped to converse with the father who immediately shared that his son was autistic and he would have to watch him spin endlessly in the same pattern for hours until he tired enough to take him home.
Without reservation he told us that he had a normal, healthy, two-year old boy one day and an autistic child with special needs the next. I knew where this was going. I knew enough to know exactly how this could happen. Sure enough, it was from a routine vaccination that, like many thousands of routine vaccinations administered today, went painfully awry.
My heart sank as I heard his story. The father, like so many parents of suddenly autistic children had joined the legions of lobbyist parents who make their way to Capitol Hill in my hometown of Washington, DC to speak to congress about mercury and other dirty preservative ingredients found in vaccines. I felt a passion rise within me at that moment and have shared this man's story with many a person since.
Autism, according to Wikipedia, is defined as a "brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old." There are many levels and symptoms of Autism that create a broad-spectrum of autistic individuals including a milder form called Asperger's. There is no known cure for Autism but, when detected early, symptoms can be alleviated more easily.
Since the 1990's the number of children diagnosed with Autism has risen by 172%! The numbers are staggering, as Autism has become the fastest growing developmental disability in the US with an annual growth rate of 10-17%. Autism affects boys more than girls at a ratio of 4.3:1.
There are many possible causes for Autism. There is a strong link to genetic mutations as well as to chemical agents encountered by the mother during the gestation of the child. These can include pharmaceutical drugs and other, as of yet inconclusively identified environmental toxins (like cleaning chemicals, pesticides, herbicides etc.). The vaccine issue has become the most controversial as well as the most inconclusive in terms of the research provided. Some parents have opted for the far more gentle and natural approach to vaccines, using homeopathy in lieu of the massive doses of multiple and questionable vaccines that are available today. Many parents have absolutely no idea that vaccines are completely optional. You can sign a waiver that releases your Doctor from responsibility should you choose not to have your child vaccinated.
It has been established that a diet without gluten (a protein found in wheat) or dairy, specifically casein (a protein found in milk), is beneficial for Autistic persons. It is known as the GFCF diet. In the studies that have been conducted, it was found that gluten and casein have an opiate response in the brains of people with Autism. Opium, the active ingredient in both morphine and heroine is highly addictive, causing a myriad of debilitating problems. These foods can actually drug the Autistic child and can even lead to misdiagnosis of Autism.
When gluten and casein are removed from the diets of Autistic persons, it is recommended that it be done slowly. Parents often worry that their children will starve if they do not get the diet that they have adjusted to. They readily find that their children will eat when they are hungry and they will adjust. With a GFCF diet parents have noticed a marked decrease in autistic behaviors showing greater focus, making eye contact more readily and the lessening of repetitive behaviors.
Much of the research I read will say that eliminating gluten and casein (GFCF) to assist in helping Autism is inconclusive. However, the legions of parents who have witnessed dramatic changes in their own children after doing so are the best evidence.
Celebrity mother Jenny McCarthy is no exception to witnessing the power of a GFCF diet. She shares that her son, Evan had a dramatic change in his behaviors when she placed him on a GFCF diet. She also shares that she removed yeast, sugar and especially red food dyes from his diet. Essentially, she placed him on the Candida (a systemic yeast infection often brought on by the overuse of antibiotics) diet and had a whole different child emerge. On another note, McCarthy also shares that she would never vaccinate a child of hers again after seeing what her son went through.
See my article Starting a GFCF Diet for Autism, where l share more about autism and diet and offer more things that you can feed to your autistic child. A great resource for you might be my cookbook - Done With Dairy, Giving Up Gluten: 14 Days to a Delicious and Healthy You. All of my bread, muffin, cake and cookie recipes are gluten, casein and yeast free. Although there are a number of recipes that use cheese substitutes (that have casein in them), there are plenty of others that do not. You can pick and choose what works for you.
Doctor Meg recommends these additional resources on Autism and GFCF Diet:
For assistance in easily and painlessly eliminating gluten and dairy from your diet, my new cookbook Done With Dairy, Giving Up Gluten: 14 Days to a Delicious and Healthy You offers 14 days of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, a grocery list, grocery tips, and valuable information for going gluten and dairy-free. I've made it simple for you to make this change so you don't have to spend hours and days trying to figure out what to eat.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you use it unedited and in its entirety, including the following author information: Dairy and Gluten-Free Chef and Lifestyle Coach, Doctor Meg Haworth, Ph.D., created Delicious And Healthy to support those suffering from food allergy or intolerance. Sign up to receive her FREE biweekly newsletter, Delicious And Healthy Living, and FREE Special Reports, Glutton for Gluten and Drowning in Dairy, at www.DeliciousAndHealthy.com. You can also access her online cooking videos and check out her cookbook and allergy elimination guide, Done With Dairy -- Giving up Gluten: 14 Days to a Delicious And Healthy You.
