As a mother, I will never give up on my child. As a mother of a child who has autism, I will never give up hope.
I look into his eyes and I see all the potential that he has to offer to this beautiful world and I just know that one day the world can see what I see.

Follow my blog as I share my life and my experiences as a person who loves someone with autism.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

The Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet

Today I will be briefly discussing the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free (GFCF) diet. I am not an expert by any means, so a lot of the information I mention are through my personal studies and talking to professionals. Always consult your doctor or nutritionist before changing your diet.

A little about GFCF:

The GFCF diet eliminates the intake of the naturally-occurring proteins gluten (found naturally in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains) and casein (found in milk). The Autism Research Institute and other advocacy groups recommend the diet as a treatment for autism and related disorders.

The science behind this diet can be sketchy but their are a lot of stories of this diet having a huge impact on children with Autism by lessening symptoms such as impulsive behaviors, lack of focus, and even speech problems. Here are some Gluten-Free testimonials.

Since the GFCF diet removes wheat and dairy from your diet, it may contribute to calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, so vitamin supplements are necessary decrease the risk of weak bones.

The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet

At our consultation with our naturopathic doctor, Dr. Tasreen Alibhai, suggested we purchase 'The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet' to introduce to Bryce. This book is full of everything to do with GFCF diets, and includes super easy recipes with step by step instructions. I personally have heard a lot of positive results behind the GFCF diet and really wanted to give it a shot. So today we grabbed our cookbook and went headed to the grocery store.

Let me first thank the staff of our local Price Smart Foods for the insane amount of patience they had with me. I am clueless when it comes to foods that you actually have to sit and prepare to cook so a lot of the ingredients in some recipes that we were going to test out required things I never knew existed. The Sheppard's pie recipe, for example, called for 'ghee'. I had no idea what that was so I was asking every single staff at the store if they knew where it was or what it was. It wasn't until we reached the butter isle that a very experienced employee informed me that ghee was made by simmering unsalted butter until all the water has boiled off and the milk solids, or protein has settled to the bottom.

It took us 2 hours of running around looking for ingredients for 3 GFCF dinners, spaghetti and marinara sauce, Sheppard's pie, and honey chicken. We also bought some of our 'regular' meals so we're not disrupting Bryce's system too much at once. We're trying the spaghetti and marinara recipe for dinner tonight, will let you know how it works out.

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya

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