Salty Sweet White Chocolate bars

These bad boys are GFCFSF, egg-free, low oxalate and low salicylate!!

We made them on the saltier side, so I reduced the salt by half for this recipe, and if you like sweets, you may even want to increase the xylitol.  It was a unique flavor with the interesting balance of salt and white chocolate, like combining hot and sweet, a combination of flavors that seem to almost contradict each other, but in the end, prove to compliment each other nicely.



I imagine they would be really tasty with nut butter or sunflower seed butter too.

 

The face of pleasure!

Ingredients

• 2 rice cakes - crumbled
• 1 pear - peeled and shredded
• 1/3 C cocoa butter - melted gently
• 2 Tbs ground flaxseed
• 2 Tbs birch derived xylitol
• 1 Tbs sunflower lecithin
• 1 Tbs tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

In a small bowl, mix the crumbled rice cakes, shredded pear, ground flaxseed, xylitol and salt. 

In an even smaller bowl, whisk together the already melted cocoa butter, tapioca flour and lecithin.

Pour this mixture into the ingredients in the larger bowl and blend well so that all of the ingredients mingle evenly.

Press into a small casserole dish, size depending on how thick you want your bars to be.

Refrigerate until firm.  They will still be fairly soft and can fall apart, so I like the smaller square size which are better for kid size hands anyway.  =)

 Voila!

Why now?

Why now?  Why didn't I find this path with homeopathy sooner?  Especially when homeopathy was the very FIRST therapy we tried with both myself and Grayson 6 years ago.

My best friend and I have discussed this at great length recently, because we wonder, could we have avoided all of the bumps in the road that lead us here?  Could we have healed ourselves and our children sooner?  Should this have been the first treatment we tried?  We unanimously agree, NO!!

We needed the path we were on.  We are who we are today, because of the path we have traveled.  We saw glimpses of who our children could be, and it drove us harder.  We learned about anatomy and physiology, because of the path we traveled.  Our diets are healthy, our environment is cleaned up, because of the research we did.  We researched and experimented and we came to incredible conclusions due to the roads we visited.  And most importantly, we met the people we needed to meet to find this path.  It wasn't put in front of us sooner for very valid reasons, we just weren't ready for it!  Every single day of our pasts have lead us to this very point in our lives.  I wouldn't change a thing. 

I am a dedicated researcher and a dedicated parent, no...that is an understatement, it might be more appropriate to define myself as anal retentive and controlling, and a little over zealous at times.  ; )  This is why it's even more undeniable that for the first time in our healing journey, we are in the right place.  I am ready and able to let go.  I am ready to hand the torch to someone else and jump on the waves.  I am ready to trust and look inside myself for guidance and confirmation that we are on the right path finally!  I'm ready, and so are they...

Parasites. The root of ALL evil?

Bold statement, eh?  I know, I know...I've been gone for months at a time and now I come back and throw this at you.  I've spent these months researching and experimenting and I am here to tell you that yes, I believe the subject heading is one area to consider.  Perhaps one of the biggest ones, especially, if you are dealing with chronic anything.

So how did I come to this conclusion?  My children were a mixed bag of fluctuating concerns and the confirmation that their yeast and bacteria seemed to be under control, but so many other things were not, had me looking for more.  But then again, I am ALWAYS looking for more.  =)  There were two things, specifically, that really sent me on the hunt for what I was missing.  Grayson's PANDAS flare was getting worse rather than better and Gavin's mood swings, anger and violence appeared to be untouched.  Why parasites though?  I mean, I have treated for them bi-annually with Humaworm and heck, we even all used Alinia for over a month for Gavin's Dientamoeba Fragilis, right?  How could it STILL be parasites?


Let me just put it out there in black and white.  If you have a compromised immune system in any way, shape or form, you DO have a parasite issue.  I promise you!

Parasites are masters at survival, their SOLE purpose in life is to survive, that's it!  They complete their life cycle by changing the neurology of their hosts just enough to ensure survival, but usually they are also smart enough to not kill it, usually.  If they can adapt to their environment, which they can (give them access to a child with a faulty immune system due to heavy metal toxicity and reduced gut flora), they root themselves deeply in your system and continue their life cycle by making you crave the foods that feed them, creating the itchies where it counts for spreading eggs under the nails, they can even force you to be attracted to certain people and yes, this is documented!  In fact, MUCH of what I have found out about parasites is widely known by certain professionals, but don't ask why treatments aren't effective.  I don't even want to go there.  You are free to dig deeper, if you wish.  I'm satisfied with dealing with the details I can control from my own home base....treatment!

A few doctors to research, who have made waves in the medical community by successfully treating illnesses that result from parasitic infections, are:  Dr. Klinghardt, Dr. Simon Yu and Dr. Fry.  These men are pioneers in this field.  Dr. Klinghardt focuses on Lyme Disease, PANDAS and Autism, Dr. Yu has recovered people from major diseases like cancer, CFS and pancreatitis among others and Dr. Fry is a researcher who has even discovered a new malaria-like parasite that is responsible for diseases like MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and perhaps Autism, among others.  Google any of these doctors and you will get more information than you know what to do with!!  Literally!  It can be overwhelming, because there are really so many directions you can go with treatment, but the one constant I am seeing here is that a periodic cleanse here and there just doesn't cut it for someone who is chronically infected.  Treatment NEEDS to be from 6 months to a year, STRAIGHT!  Seems harsh, but parasites are much smarter than we give them credit for, in fact, they may even be smarter than us.  They have certainly been around longer.

This blurb is from an article written by Dr. Simon Yu:
"In this modern age, do you think parasite problems are limited to third world countries and don’t exist in the United States, Canada or Europe? Think again! Who does the cooking and cleaning of dishes at restaurants? Food from all over the world comes with no strict regulations for pesticides, herbicides and potential parasite eggs embedded in the food.

I have seen patients from Germany, Canada, Australia and most of the United States. People from all over have parasite problems. I’ve written numerous articles on parasites and parasite related unusual medical symptoms. Some of the conditions responding to parasite medications include allergies, eczema, asthma, migraine headache, nightmare, bedwetting, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthralgia, multiple sclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome, seizure, mental illness and even cancer.
The idea of de-worming everybody seems a de-lovely concept and does not seem appealing but it is not a far out concept even in the United States. Americans are suffering from a silent epidemic of parasite related medical conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends massive de-worming of populations especially in schools whenever over 20 percent of the population is suspected of parasite infestation."

Dr. Simon Yu has written a fascinating book called Accidental Cure.

From Dr. Klinghardt...I love this info, because I have always been intrigued by what drives us, what creates our "personality".  I've come to this conclusion myself recently, and Dr. Klinghardt has just confirmed it for me!

• We are all a composite of many personalities. Our consciousness is a composite of 90% microbes and 10% us. Our thinking, feeling, creativity, and expression are 90% from the microbes within us. Patients often think, crave, and behave as if they are the parasite. Our thinking is shaded by the microbes thinking through us. The food choices, behavioral choices, and who we like is the thinking of the microbes within us expressing themselves.
• Patients will reject all treatments that affect the issue that requires treating. Patients will not guide themselves to health when the microbes have taken over.
• Parasites induce changes in our system to make us a comfortable host.
• Mimosa pudica (Sensitive plant) powder is an Ayurvedic herb that is 30 times stronger than the best medical drug. Start with 1/2 teaspoon twice a day two days a week and work up to 1 teaspoon daily for 3 months.
• The endothelium is the largest organ in the body and is “bug heaven”.

Since Mimosa Pudica is so hard to find, here is a link for you to purchase it.  I have nothing to do with this company, I am just passing this on, because the search for a reputable product was very hard and I would like to make it easier on you!

An incredible overview of a conference called "A Deep Look Beyond Lyme" includes data from each of these famous doctors!  I HIGHLY recommend taking the time to read this one.  Lyme is not the only focus here.  Dr. Klninghardt even mentions PANDAS.

This is an interview with Dr. Fry about the parasite he discovered, it is phenomenal information about a marlia-like protozoa called Protomyxoa, which is Greek for “slime forming protozoan”.  In this interview he also discusses the diseases it's heavily linked to, biofilm, the herxheimer effect, how it is transmitted (tick bite is one of the vectors, and to think we aren't testing for this infection when we tell people they are clear of Lyme Disease), etc.  Remember, we can only find things we are effectively testing for. Dr. Fry also has a lab where various testing can be ordered.


The oxymoron between biomedicine and parasites
Here is where it gets interesting.  So we think we are doing the right thing by our kids, supplementing their nutritional deficiencies with hoards of vitamins and such.  But did we ever stop to think about WHY those deficiencies are there to begin with?  Ok so yes, heavy metals play a role and limited diets too, but why are ALL kids on the spectrum low in B vitamins, particularly B12 and why are ALL kids on the spectrum deficient in minerals like zinc and magnesium and why oh why is their benefitial gut flora so depeleted....the common denominator I have uncovered is that parasites THRIVE on this stuff.  Yup, every time you put another supplement down your child's throat, consider the possibility that you are FEEDING a parasite, possibly even big fat and very happy worms.  A thought you can't fathom....well you better get ready, because when you pick yourself back up off the floor after witnessing one of these fellas coming from your own child (or yourself), you have some major accepting to do, lol.  Use that fear to drive you forward.  So, if we are feeding these fookers with our children's cravings, the supplements we use and we certainly aren't using anything strong enough to kill them, what are you left with in the end, continued nutritional deficiencies in your kids (because they don't get much of the nutrients) and a fat case of parasites, resulting in symptoms you can't seem to gain control of.  Geez, it's a wonder we can't seem to get past chronic cases of pathogenic overgrowth!!

Oh, and one last note on yet another common thread here is that it has been documented that the Ascaris worm can and DOES cause gluten-intolerance.  Things that make you go hmmmmm.

PANDAS and PARASITES?
BIG connection here.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised, if it was ultimately determined that the helminth is at the root of every chronic case.  So let's explore why doesn't PANDAS go away.  Well, the immune system is definitely definitely THE root of this problem, but because of the immune system, the parasites are a massive problem.  The helminth is a worm, not microscopic, a visible worm that can be visibly seen when you are successful at evacuating them.  A helminth houses (provides shelter) for the smaller guys like bacteria (strep), yeast and viruses.  Biofilm protects all of these guys from your immune system.  You can't kill off a bacteria that has a nice comfy home in your body.  When a worm dies, it releases all of the house guests inside and initiates a flare.  Worms don't die easily unless they have reached their life expectancy and that can be years for many of them, about 2-6 years on average, or you do something to kill them off, hence the die off.  One of the big players is the Ascaris Lumbricoides.  Through my extensive network of connections, I have personally seen what other autistic, ADHD, and PANDAS kids harbor and this is just one of the more common ones!  Symptoms that have been historically documented by professionals as being associated with this particular parasite are: asthma, eczema, bronchitis, rashes, dilated pupils, hyperactivity among others that effect the GI tract, as well.  The Ascaris releases amphetamines, hence the hyperactivity and dilated eyes, and perhaps very much related to the ADHD symptoms we are seeing so frequently.

How can you learn what infections you may be harboring...well, like Lyme, it's VERY hard to successfully test for parasites. Just because you have tested and either found none or perhaps a few, that does not mean it's accurate.  Find yourself a GOOD infectious disease doctor who knows about parasites, or you can go see one of the doctors listed above.  Surprisingly, the most accurate form of testing to date, appears to be energy testing!!  And of course, visual identification under a microscope, but remember, this will ONLY be effective if you are passing the parasites/eggs in your stool.  90% of parasites remain OUTSIDE of the GI tract most of the time, only returning during full and/or new moon phases to procreate.  If you are going to experiment with treatment options, this is the time to do it.  The first 15 days after a full moon is when a portion of the parasites will generally be in the GI tract.

Our personal story
When we finally bit the bullet and went strong on the parasites with multiple methods of treatment at once, we began to unveil the children under these infections.  Hindsight is a beautiful thing, but unfortunately it also means we can't piece together our current story until we navigate past the event.  We have always seen glimmers of what it could be like to have our children without all their "extras", but we have never had that for any length of time, some dark veil has always stolen those moments from us.  When PANDAS hit our house hard this past year, I was thrown for an incredible loop.  We were doing EVERYTHING right, we never strayed, we never cheated on diets, never slipped on our chosen treatments, yet we had these crazy inconsistencies that fit no rhyme or reason.  And Gavin, poor Gavin...he was living in an inconsistent world of pain and confusion.  He wasn't "classic" in any way, he didn't fit autism or PANDAS, but he wasn't right, he was a loose canon!  He did however fit every symptom in the book for Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD). I often felt like, if we weren't doing biomed with him practically from birth, he would have been much worse off.  But we still weren't getting to the root of the problem by treating him like a mirror image of Grayson.  Something was different.  I wasn't satisfied with the recommended, "maybe it's just his personality".  No, I was not willing to accept that a person could be born "normal" and be SO angry.  Something was wrong.

When I pondered our successes from the past, it seems as though treatments that overlapped with parasites have given us that glimmer of hope, just long enough to steal it away again.  Why?  Because parasites are masters at survival!!  And our treatments were never long or strong enough.  The icing on the cake was when I read that Dr. Klinghardt considers the helminth to be at the root of PANDAS.  Low and behold....we found our new angle!

What I am excited to tell you, confirms Dr. Klinghardt's statement about PANDAS and helminth parasites, Grayson's PANDAS symptoms have responded slow and steady to treatment and now that the symptoms are mainly under control (with only 3 months of treatment so far) we have witnessed a direct correlation between his PANDAS symptoms (tics, OCD and rages) and the passing of worms.  He has an instant increase in symptoms as his body is trying to filter out the toxins from killing off worms.  I have photos of these guys too, there is no denying what they are!!  One picture was taken in a glass jar with alcohol in it and you can see the entire intestinal tract of the worm.  It was 8 inches long.  If you think that's bad, consider the fact that we also got one that was 21 inches long from our 36 inch tall child!

We've seen glimmers of a reduction in oxalate issues.  This is HUGE for us, because prior to treatment, Gavin was increasingly dumping oxalates in enormous amounts through his urine.  Tablespoons of crystals at a time.  It had grown to become a weekly event.  He was having regular potty accidents, his urine was cloudy and thick with crystals.  It immediately came to a screeching halt!!  And how has Gavin been doing?  After going through a world of hurt with initial die off....I am AMAZED, truly and incredibly AMAZED by him.  I am falling deeply in love, all over again, with my baby boy.  I didn't even realize how the violence had driven an imaginary wedge between he and I, until it was gone.  The exhaustion of parenting such an explosive child is crippling.  Now, he is even more sweet, humorous and charming than I could have ever imagined!!  We've replaced the violence with hugs, kisses and frequent unprompted "I love you"s, we have replaced screaming confusion with sharp-as-a-tack cognitive function, we have replaced tantrums and meltdowns with rational cooperation....and there has been weight gain.  He was failure to thrive for so long, 27-30 pounds for years, literally.  He had lost the weight he gained with the camel milk when we stopped using it.  He has already gained 3 pounds back since reducing the parasite burden.  Grayson has done the same.  And if you are wondering whether I am lucky enough to share this infection with them, yes I do.  Parasites are incredibly contagious among family members and it's likely that I have had parasites all through my pregnancies, passing them on to my poor innocent children in utero.  There are too many connections I have learned in hindsight to list here.  It would take an entire book (hmmmm, there's that book idea again), but let me just say that I had NO idea these things were related.  So never say never!!

If you are doing everything possible and just feel like you aren't seeing the progress you think you should be seeing, I would encourage you to dig deeper, much deeper.  Parasites may be why.

UPDATE - if you are connecting with this blog entry from years ago, please also see my newer blog where I also address this topic, from a different perspective and with years more experience.

Is it enough to eat "healthy"?

What does eating healthy mean to you?  For most, it means avoiding too many sugars and refined foods, eating more home cooked meals, but does that always equate to healthier options?  We trust our grocery stores to provide us with high quality foods, but what is really lurking in your grocery isles will surprise you.  Check out this gruesome article from the Rodale Institute.

The 9 Nastiest Things in Your Supermarket Think pink slime is gross? Wait 'til you see what other unappetizing secrets lurk within your grocery store.

And while we are on the topic of eating healthy, I would love to share a fabulously simple and direct excerpt from Kerri Rivera's upcoming book, "Healing an Epidemic".  If you know anyone with a child even remotely on the spectrum (even ADHD), please share this with them.  It is probably one of the simplest, yet most thorough explanations of the GFCFSF diet I've seen. Kerri Rivera is a fabulous autism mom who is also the co-founder/director of a not-for-profit autism clinic in Mexico known as AutismO2. I can't speak highly enough of Kerri's knowledge and go-get-em attitude.  She dedicates all of her waking hours to healing kids on the spectrum. 

If I could choose the one part of my protocol that would be the single most important piece of the autism recovery puzzle it would be The diet. By The diet I am referring to the dietary plan that I recommend to all of the families that I work with. It is a combination of the classic Gluten Free, Casein Free, Soy Free, with the elimination of sugar, corn syrup, coloring, preservatives and other “harmful foods.” The diet is the basis to the rest of my protocol, similar to laying the foundation of a house that the rest of the structure will rest on. It is critical to the effectiveness of the rest of the protocol. When a family with a child recently diagnosed with autism comes to see me, the first thing they want to know is: What can I do to fix this? I always, always start with The diet. In fact, I send them away after that first meeting with hope that they will be able to recover their child, but only if they have the dedication to commit to the diet 100%. I explain to my families that they must think about food how their great grandparents thought about food. In generations past food was derived from the Earth, with little processing. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and meats were dietary staples for our great grandparents and they will be for our children as well. We must think whole foods, not processed foods. It is of little help to go from junk food to gluten free, casein free junk food.

After my first meeting with a family they leave with the list of permitted foods and I tell them to email me when they have a week straight with zero exceptions or “errors” on The diet. That is where the parents who are truly hungry for recovery are separated from those who are interested in having someone else recover their child for them.

One of two things generally happen during that first week. First scenario: I get an email from an ecstatic Mother or Father…”I can barely believe it, Johnny slept through the night for the first time in months, or Johnny had a normal bowel movement, or Johnny said 2 new words yesterday! “ That’s what I hope for, the second scenario is I never hear from the family again, there may have been tantrums, or an adjustment period related to the diet that proved too much for them, and they decide to pursue another avenue. That’s not to say that everyone sees a miracle, or there’s no middle ground, as some of the results are less obvious, such as more eye contact or less redness in face, but generally speaking, we see positive changes. But in reality, any change is a good sign. The diet is only the first piece of the puzzle. It is the welcome mat to autism recovery. We must continue from there. We don´t just do the diet. We do the diet and then keep adding and subtracting till we get the desired, end result.

That said, your child’s Dr may have not heard of the diet, of may be misinformed on it’s benefits. We will include a list of links to various studies and articles published on the benefits of The diet for children and adults on the Autism Spectrum. It is important to only consult with people who are familiar with autism and the recovery of autism. If your current physician is unfamiliar with autism recovery, it is important for the health of your child that you find someone who is. Surrounding ourselves with people who are immersed in biomed and healing children is of the utmost importance.

For starters, a researcher at the New Jersey Medical School’s Autism Center found that children with autism were more likely to have abnormal immune responses to milk, soy and wheat than typically-developing children, according to Cutting-Edge Therapies for Autism 2011-2012. Also, there is growing interest in the link between autism and gastrointestinal (GI) ailments. A study by the University of California Davis Health System found that children with autism born in the 1990s were more likely to have gastrointestinal problems, including constipation, diarrhea and vomiting, than children with autism who were born in the early 1980s.

Simply because your Dr is uninformed or tells you there is no evidence to prove that The diet will help your child, do the research for yourself, as only you are in charge of your child’s diet. Heck, do The diet. It doesn´t cost you any money and it just might save your child. Whether he eats Cheesey puffs or fruits and vegetables will ultimately come down to you. The only way to know for sure if your child is going to be one of the cases who recovers with diet, is to try. It can take gluten 6 months or more to be removed from the micro villi or “shag carpeting” of the small intestine. As I mentioned previously some children have monumental changes in 2-3 days, but even if your child’s evolution is taking a little longer than most, DO NOT GIVE UP! At the writing of this book I have worked with over 2,500 families of children with autism, and all of the recovered children as well as the children about to come through the door have used varied protocols depending on their symptoms. What is the one thing that they all unequivocally have in common? The diet.

In my opinion, it makes little difference what other interventions you apply to your child if you can’t manage The diet 24/7/365. Hyperbarics, chelation, music therapy, ABA, etc simply cannot have the desired effects if we are still feeding drugs to our children. Why drugs? Because that is what gluten and casein become in the bodies of our children on the spectrum. More specifically, gluteomorphin and casomorphin. Yes, similar to morphine. These substances are produced in the gut due to improper digestion of peptides (as we will explain more in detail later) and the existence of leaky gut syndrome allows them to cross the blood brain barrier where they act exactly like morphine or heroin. Would you purposely give your child heroin, or any other illicit drugs? NO! So now that you have read these words, and understand the severity of this issue, do not give your child another piece of pizza, Cheesy puffs, bread or flour tortillas. Tell your family and your child’s school that they can no longer give your child these items, and if they do it’s like giving them a dose of morphine. If it sounds drastic, that’s because it is. Researchers have found an abnormal amount of these undigested peptides in the urine of children with autism, therefore proving their existence in the body. Dr. Reichelt in Norway, Dr. Cade at the University of Florida, and others found that urine samples from people with autism, PDD, celiac disease, and schizophrenia contained high amounts of the casomorphin peptide in the urine, similarly Gliadorphin (gluteomorphin) has been verified by mass spectrometry techniques to be present in unusual quantities in urine samples of children with autism, (excerpted from gfcfdiet.com)

Do the diet! There are still plenty of food options that are permitted, I promise you your child won’t starve. There are some recipes that will be included later in the chapter to get you started. I truly mean when I say that The diet is absolutely the most important piece of the puzzle. If we can’t remove what is directly linked to brain and gut inflammation as well as immune allergic reactions to offending foods, it is nearly impossible to heal a child on the spectrum. I have personally never seen a family recover a child without dietary intervention, that’s not to say it hasn’t happened, but I can’t say I’ve seen it nor heard of it.

In the case of my own son, his acidic diarrhea and sleepless nights stopped the week we started The diet. From that moment I was hooked, not only on The diet but on Biomedical treatments for curing Autism, and I have never looked back. I strongly encourage you to experience the diet for your child and even as a family it is a good thing.

Some other tips include:

Keep a journal. What foods have you taken out? Are you adding something in? Reactions: rash, more/less hyper, more/less stimmy, sleep patterns, bowel movements: how many, consistency, tantrums, acceptance of new foods, eye contact, language, etc. Write it all down, then you know what’s going on, and when something is working for you, and when it’s not. Doing the ATEC at www.autism.com is an excellent way to see how you are doing. Everytime that you begin a new intervention it is a good idea to do and ATEC and then repeat every month or so and see how your child is evolving. Sometimes our children are recovering right before our very eyes and we don’t even know it.

Using the ATEC helps a great deal to measure improvements. Many of us are tired or burned out and don’t have as good as a memory as we would like to, so a formal questionnaire can help us to discern when an intervention is working or not.

Always read labels. Read the label on the back. Not just the one on the front that says “gluten free”. Many times they have sugar, yeast or other items that are not allowed. We must know what we are putting into our children’s bodies. If you can’t pronounce it, you don’t really want to put it into your child. Be careful of hidden offenders like malta, natural flavors, artificial flavors, whey, numbers (red 40), etc.

Have a support system. It doesn’t matter whether it is a friend, family member, rescue angel or neighbor. Have a shoulder to lean on, autism recovery is a marathon not a sprint, and no one should have to go it alone.

Take it one day at a time. Defeatist thinking will only harm your resolve to help your child. “I Can’t do this for the rest of Johnny’s life” or “How will I get through this year” are defeatist thoughts. Go hour by hour or minute by minute if you have to, and know there are victories every day in the world of autism, and we must draw strength from those victories, even when they aren’t our own. My website has a section called Milagros, which are real emails that I receive from parents describing the advances of their children on my protocol. Take some time to read them, and know that children are recovering every day and believe your child can be next.

So here it is…The Diet

Permitted Foods List

Proteins:

Beef
Pork
Chicken
Turkey
Fish: small not large
Eggs
Organic is better, but not required
No processed meats or cold cuts (hot dogs, bologna, etc)
No shellfish (full of toxins)

Fruit:

All fruit is acceptable
Homemade juice and fruit waters are acceptable
Frozen fruit without cream or sugar is acceptable
NO canned fruit
Be careful of dried fruit, as it may contain sugar

Note: Fruit should not be consumed after a meal as a dessert. Due to it’s rapid digestion, if it is eater after other slower foods (meat, grains, etc) it will ferment in the stomach, causing bloating, gas, or discomfort. Fruit is best eaten before a meal, or separate from meals.

Vegetables:

All Vegetables!!!
This includes french fries…however, not frozen fries nor fries from fast food chains, these are often coated in flour.

Nuts:

Cashews
Walnuts
Almond
Hazelnut
Coconut
All of them!

Grains:

Corn
Rice
Amaranth
Quinoa
Millet
Tapioca
Xanthan Gum
Sorghum
Buckwheat

Beans:

All beans – EXCEPT Soy
Garbanzo
Lentils
Navy
Peanuts
Cacao

Sweetners:

Xylitol
Stevia
Honey
Agave syrup
Maple syrup (without sugar added)
NO Piloncillo
NO Sugar


Prohibited Foods:

Corn Syrup
Sodas – Cokes, etc.
V8 Splash
Chocolate milk
Natural Flavoring
MSG
ADES
Soy sauce
Microwave popcorn
Pasta
Candies
Oatmeal
Sugar
Splenda
Cow’s milk in any form, even lactose free
Noodle soup
Ketchup
Mayonaise
Knorr suiza (boullion cubes)
Corn flakes
Soy milk
Processed meats (hotdogs, ham, sausage, cold cuts)
Play-doh (contains gluten)
Bread
Flour Tortillas
Coloring
Jell-o or gelatin
Preservatives
Margarine
Yeast
Carrageenan
Numbers (E260)
Preservatives
Coloring
Cane
Malt
Artificial flavoring


NO Cow’s Milk

NOT CASEIN FREE
NOT LACTOSE FREE
NOT ORGANIC
NOT EVAPORATED
NO NO NO COW’S MILK
ALL COW’S MILK, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IS REMOVED FROM IT, CAUSES MUCOUS AND INFLAMMATION. (which are responsible for maintaining pathogens)

Common Error:

The food allergy panel says he’s not allergic to gluten or casein…so my child can continue to eat those ingredients.

It doesn’t matter…if your child has autism or is on the spectrum he must avoid gluten, casein and soy. The network formerly known as DAN! Also says to observe your child carefully after adding a new food or a food he hasn’t eaten in a while. In one particular case, even though the child didn’t test positive for an orange allergy, he produces symptoms of an allergic reaction whenever he eats one. We must remember that the body is changing constantly and that any test is only good for a couple of months, if at all.

Some sample recipes:

Almond Milk

1.5 cups of almonds
3 cups of water
Honey to taste
Place all ingredients in a blender for 2-5 minutes and strain. Serve cold or warm. Almonds should soaked in hot water and then peeled beforehand. A Vitamix works best, but is not necessary.


Coconut Milk

The flesh of one coconut
Enough water to cover the coconut in the blender.
Honey to taste
Place all ingredients in a blender for 2-5 minutes and strain. Serve cold or warm.


Cookies

300 grams rice flour
300 grams corn flour
One egg yolk
200 grams agave syrup
250 grams coconut oil
Bake 20 minutes at approx 325 degrees

FAQ’s

Until we have this section organized, there is a very complete list of FAQ’s about the diet at

www.gfcfdiet.com

Nature vs nurture, focusing on epigenetics

I have a constant need for information, I guess you could say that is the gemini-nature in me.  In my incessant quest for information about how we can change the future of our health, I seem to keep bouncing back to something called epigenetics.  My family has had a never-ending dispute over nature vs. nurture.  What dictates our hair color, our tendency to suck our fingers as babies, and what illnesses we are predisposed to?  Well yes, it's our genes of course, but what about the possibility that you can CHANGE the way your DNA is expressed?

Science is now showing us that it is nature AND nurture that determines our future.  And knowing that you can use your diet, thoughts and environment to change the course of your health puts the ball right where it should be, in YOUR hands!!  I have always said that I believe our health is our responsibility.  We are the only ones who can control how we feel, we are the only ones who can change the course of our path.  In fact, my life as a biomed mother is just that, a quest to change nature.  I'm not willing to accept things as they are, I know there is a way to reverse the hand we were dealt.  Three and a half years ago I set out determined to find that path, and I am proud to say that we are on the right path.

My gut told me the way we are born isn't just IT....that we can change IT.  So yes, we have learned recently that our boys have the MTHFR gene mutations and that makes them predisposed to illnesses like autism, ADHD, Alzheimer's, cancer and early heart disease, among others.  MTHFR stands for methelenetetrahydrofolate reductase, it's an enzyme responsible for converting folate to it's bioactive form.  This causes our boys (and probably us parents too) to have a break in their methylation pathways, limiting their ability to detox.  I now KNOW they don't detox well and I now KNOW they are deficient in folate, as well as B12 due to this gene mutation, but I also now KNOW that I can bypass this gene mutation by supplying them with methylfolate (5-MTHF) and MB12 injections.  We can kick-start their methylation and begin to work around the mutation.  And how did this mutation come to be in the first place?  I certainly don't know that, but what I do know is that somewhere in the line of our families, a gene was mutated by it's environment, diet and/or thoughts....epigenetics.  If we can change them in the first place, common sense would reason that we can also reverse them!!

A friend, who is equally as interested in health, sent me Dr. Mercola's newsletter today and I just love the simple explanation given on epigentics.

Your Emotions Regulate Your Genetic Expression

As if genes changing expression in response to environmental factors such as nutrients wasn't enough, other researchers have demonstrated that this "environment" that your genes respond to also includes your conscious thoughts, emotions, and unconscious beliefs. Cellular biologist Bruce Lipton, PhD., is one of the leading authorities on how emotions can regulate genetic expression, which are explained in-depth in his excellent books The Biology of Belief, and Spontaneous Evolution.

Science has indeed taken us far beyond Newtonian physics, which says you live in a mechanical universe. According to this belief, your body is just a biological machine, so by modifying the parts of the machine, you can modify your health. Also, as a biological machine, your body is thought to respond to physical "things" like the active chemicals in drugs, and by adjusting the drugs that modify your machinery, doctors can modify and control health. However, with the advent of quantum physics, scientists have realized the flaws in Newtonian physics, as quantum physics shows us that the invisible, immaterial realm is actually far more important than the material realm. In fact, your thoughts may shape your environment far more than physical matter!

According to Dr. Lipton, the true secret to life does not lie within your DNA, but rather within the mechanisms of your cell membrane.

Each cell membrane has receptors that pick up various environmental signals, and this mechanism controls the "reading" of the genes inside your cells. Your cells can choose to read or not read the genetic blueprint depending on the signals being received from the environment. So having a "cancer program" in your DNA does not automatically mean you're destined to get cancer. Far from it. This genetic information does not ever have to be expressed...

What this all means is that you are not controlled by your genetic makeup. Instead, your genetic readout (which genes are turned "on" and which are turned "off") is primarily determined by your thoughts, attitudes, and perceptions!

The major problem with believing the myth that your genes control your life is that you become a victim of your heredity. Since you can't change your genes, it essentially means that your life is predetermined, and therefore you have very little control over your health. With any luck, modern medicine will find the gene responsible and be able to alter it, or devise some other form of drug to modify your body's chemistry, but aside from that, you're out of luck… The new science, however, reveals that your perceptions control your biology, and this places you in the driver's seat, because if you can change your perceptions, you can shape and direct your own genetic readout.

This new science also reveals that you are in fact an extension of your environment, which includes everything from your thoughts and belief systems, to toxic exposures and exposure to sunlight, exercise, and, of course, everything you choose to put onto and into your body. As Dr. Lipton is fond of saying, the new biology moves you out of victimhood and into Mastery—mastery over your own health.

It is a supreme confirmation of my favorite saying, "You Can Take Control of Your Health."

A Healthy Lifestyle Supports Healthy Genetic Expression

So the good news is that you are in control of your genes … You can alter them on a regular basis, depending on the foods you eat, the air you breathe, and the thoughts you think. It's your environment and lifestyle that dictates your tendency to express disease, and this new realization is set to make major waves in the future of disease prevention -- including one day educating people on how to fight disease at the epigenetic level. When a disease occurs, the solution, according to epigenetic therapy, is simply to "remind" your affected cells (change its environmental instructions) of its healthy function, so they can go back to being normal cells instead of diseased cells.

You can begin to do this on your own, long before you manifest a disease. By leading a healthy lifestyle, with high quality nutrition, exercise, limited exposure to toxins, and a positive mental attitude, you encourage your genes to express positive, disease-fighting behaviors.

This is what preventive medicine is all about. It's not about taking any one particular nutrient as a supplement to fix one specific "part" of your biological machinery... The more people become willing to embrace this simple truth, the healthier everyone will get.
It's also worth pointing out that epigenetic effects begin before birth.

Epigenetic research from 2009 showed that rat fetuses receiving poor nutrition in the womb become genetically primed for a nutrition-poor environment. As a result of this genetic adaptation, the rats tended to be smaller. They were also at higher risk for a host of health problems throughout their lives, such as diabetes, growth retardation, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and neurodevelopmental delays. Again, while some are tempted to blame such "predispositions" on bad genes, the KEY factor is nutrition, i.e. the cellular environment.

If you're ready to address your dietary choices, read through my comprehensive nutrition plan, which will give you tips and tools for eating healthy, dealing with stress, and living a lifestyle that will support your epigenetic health.

You can also turn your genes off and on with your emotions too. Many, if not most people carry emotional scars; traumas that can adversely affect health. Using techniques like energy psychology, you can go in and correct the trauma and help regulate your genetic expression. My favorite technique for this is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), but there are many others. Choose whichever one appeals to you, and if you don't sense any benefits, try another, until you find what works best for you.

Please, remember that 'You CAN Take Control of Your Health.'

You can find the rest of this article here.

I think what is important to take away from this lesson is that while we now know we can change our genes to our benefit, we can also change them detrimentally, and that is how we pass on the predisposition to diseases like autism, which is an epidemic of gargantuan proportion at 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys.  Our environment, the American diet and our thoughts have turned "on" these awful genes, let's please work on reversing this so that our children can pass on healthier genes to the next generation.

I wasn't very far off.....after all, "you are what you eat"!

The three year wait

I have waited THREE YEARS for today.  I couldn't imagine life like this and both my husband and I got teary eyed acknowledging that we are getting there....We've seen hints of it, little glimmers that it was possible, but nothing ever like this.

The three year wait....for what?  I'm not talking about a doctor waiting list or an opening in a highly respected school, I am not even talking about finally having a nice night out alone with my husband (Lord knows we need that!).  What is different about today is that Grayson just went through a round of chelation (low, frequent oral dose) without a single regression!!  His belly remained flat, he slept well and didn't have any bed wetting incidents, he woke happy and stayed happy through the entire round, no irritation, he's been patient, cooperative, helpful, independent, flexible, very affectionate to us AND to Gavin....I am completely and utterly amazed!  For those who know what I am talking about, seeing a round with no regression is nothing short of a miracle.  Our kids have ALWAYS regressed on round, and sometimes pretty significantly.  They always came out of it a few days later and often with gains they didn't have before, but the round itself was like a living hell.  That is why we can only handle one round every two weeks.  We are now post round by one day and STILL nothing negative!!  Everyone went to sleep well without melatonin.  We even increased his ALA recently!  He reacted SO severely to our original addition of ALA and then again with any subsequent increases, we even had to reduce our increases numerous times because he wasn't handling it well.

We just finished round 63 and I had heard that when you get past round 60, things start changing for the better.  When we reached round 60, things were actually getting worse!!  So this comes as a huge surprise that we would see a round this good so soon after those traumatizing days. He's been doing really well lately, but this just tops the cake!

I don't know, if all rounds will be such a breeze, and frankly I don't care.  If we only have one of these rounds every now and then, it has shown me what is possible.  I am grateful for the reminder of what we are working so hard to recover.  When I look back to where we started, how incredibly difficult life was every single day, I want to cry tears of joy for the progress we have made, and believe me, I do.  I have never been more grateful for anything in my entire life, it gives me goosebumps.

We've had parent teacher conferences with both boys' schools in the past week and our children are not just doing well, they are excelling and flourishing.  They are respectful, well rounded children and I am proud to know that they will be astounding members of our community some day, because of this intense labor of love.

In honor of all of the recovering children out there, if you are a biomed mom, please raise your right hand....higher, higher.....now bend it and pat yourself on the back!  You deserve it.  This is no easy road, in fact, it is downright grueling at times.  Life changes and we accept it and challenge it, we take the bull by the horns and we dominate this illness like warriors!!  And thanks to all those who paved the path before me, my children are living proof that this IS reversible, healing the immune system IS possible!

I am a firm believer in living one day at a time, and this is one heck of a day...

Lightbulb moment!

My husband and I have always noticed that when we don't give our boys grapefruit seed extract (GSE) they respond negatively, almost immediately.  When we had their last stool test done, it showed encouraging results of no yeast or bad bacteria.  Now, we know that yeast can be systemic and may not be in the GI tract, so we never really questioned it beyond that, but I must say, we were slightly perplexed by the fact that they needed the GSE so frequently.  In further reading, I came across some information that made the lightbulb in my dusty brain flicker!

Let me start by edumacating you.

Our natural detox system is broken down in phases in the liver.  The Phase 1 pathway is dependant on many enzymes in our body and is responsible for breaking down toxins for easy transport, but in that process, they actually become more toxic so it's very important for the Phase 2 pathway to step up and remove those toxins from the body, and fast.  If these two phases aren't working together, a toxic bottle-neck occurs.

Here is the layman's picture.  You take your garbage out to the curb for pick-up weekly to keep the house clean (Phase 1).  Let's just say the garbage truck (Phase 2) starts coming less frequently, but you are still putting the garbage out.  It starts to pile up!  It becomes more stinky, toxic!  Now imagine that going on in your blood...

Many people who are mercury toxic have slower Phase 2 cycles, causing the toxins to sit around poisoning the body.  Now more interesting news....GSE slows down Phase 1 liver function.  And even more importantly, methylators like MB-12 and DMG, taurine, glycine and epsom salt baths (sulfation), speed up Phase 2!  Another important part of Phase 2 is....GLUTATHIONE!  Helloooo, mercury toxic and chronically ill people are low in glutathione!  While it's not beneficial to try to take glutathione in the form of a supplement, there are ways to increase your own.  You can take certain supplements like NAC and you can eat foods like avocado, etc.  Click on the link above to learn more about glutathione.

I have always known that the liver phase pathways determine our ability to detox, I never really boiled it down to why the supplements we give the kids effect this process!  (ding, ding, ding)

There is a test that will look at your DNA to determine how your liver is detoxing and because it uses DNA, it is a test that only needs to be done once in a lifetime!  The test by Genova Diagnostics is called DetoxGenomic Profile.  It requires blood work, so you will have to get your doctor involved in this order, but WELL worth knowing!!  I would hate to be giving our children supplements that could slow something down that doesn't need slowing down, especially when it involves our natural detox mechanism.  I know that Grayson is a slow methylator from an organic acid test we have done in the past, so this will inevitably effect his phase 2 pathway.

I love when things make more sense.  This is why I read endlessly.  It creates a deeper understanding to why I work so tirelessly at helping our family get healthy.  It also makes it easier to know when to tweak things as healing occurs.  I wish it was as easy as popping a single pill and moving on with life, but it just isn't that easy.  Recovering from chronic health issues requires a deep understanding of how our bodies work and then years of helping them get back to that healthy place.

Have you been wondering, if the diet really works?

Ok, so maybe you have been an avid reader, and maybe you have a child who could benefit from something, you just don't know what yet, and maybe you have even considered going GFCF at minimum...but don't have enough evidence that it will work and just the thought of the intense changes in diet make you sick to your stomach.

Now, if I could just briefly hit on my biggest hot button in all of this?  A child does NOT have to be completely autistic to have these deficiencies, in fact, neither does an adult.  Dr. Kenneth Bock has made it VERY clear in his book Healing the New Childhood Epidemics that people with allergies, asthma, ADHD and even autoimmune diseases have their roots in the same soil as autism.  Autism is just one facet of this "illness" on the rise.  It takes the shape of many faces and does not have to go by any one label.  

Well, let me enlighten you!  It may not be enough for little old me to tell you the diet works (I have seen it, like night and day, especially during an infraction that changes my children practically overnight, turning them into a sensory snowball), but what if a well-known National autism nutritionist was able to tell you this, and what if she even had a double blind study to further prove it?  Would it be worth it then?

Feast your eyes on THIS!

One of the Most Comprehensive Studies on Nutrition for Autism

September 22, 2011 Categories: Autism News by Julie Matthews

One of the Most Comprehensive Studies on Nutrition for Autism
By Julie Matthews, Certified Nutrition Consultant
As a nutritionist working with children with autism for ten years, I was particularly excited to read the most recent research findings. For those who continue to say, “There is no science behind diet and nutrition for autism” or “there is nothing you can do about autism,” you’re about to finally be convinced.

A study entitled, “Nutritional and Metabolic Status of Children with Autism vs Neurotypical Children and the Association with Autism Severity,” conducted by Jim Adams, was recently published in the journal of Nutrition and Metabolism in June 2011. It provides an excellent framework for consideration of dietary intervention and supplementation for children with autism.

This study validates what many clinicians have observed in their practices for years—that children with autism have biomedical imbalances that are strong factors in their autistic symptoms, and that diet and supplementation play a role in helping children to heal, even lose their autism diagnosis. In my clinical experience, I’ve witnessed hundreds of children improve through specialized attention to diet and nutrition.

A fairly large number of children (99) were included in the research that measured a wide range of nutritional and metabolic markers—i.e. scientific, quantitative indicators of children with autism’s unique biochemical status.  In the “Background and Significance” and “Discussion” sections of the published paper, Adams, et al. provides a straightforward interpretation of the results that were measured, and explains functional testing, interpretations, and makes comparisons to previous study results (both consistent and contrary).  I believe it’s an excellent analysis of the current biomedical understanding of autism and supports clinical findings reported worldwide. And, it presents fresh new data to guide the use of supplementation and diet.

The study compared 55 children with autism diagnoses with 44 controls (neurotypical children of similar ages ranging from 5-16 years old).  Neither group had taken nutritional supplementation for two months prior to the testing conducted in the study.

The research indicated that for the children with autism, their levels of vitamins, minerals, and most amino acids were within published reference ranges; however many of their biomarkers were significant different from the control group.  Biomarkers are a way of discovering the functional insufficiency of a nutrient by measuring markers in biochemical pathways that indicate a deficiency, and comparing that to the actual amount of the nutrient in the body (as measured in blood, etc).
This is an interesting finding—nutrient levels appear “normal” but functional testing shows that they are not normal in children with autism. Functional testing (that identifies these biomarkers) are not used in most traditional medical settings.  If the medical community is looking for nutrient deficiencies through standard testing of nutrient levels (as an underlying factor and course of treatment), they most likely will not find it – even though biochemical/nutritional insufficiencies are common and supplementation is necessary.

In this study, biomarkers for increased oxidative stress, decreased sulfation and detoxification, vitamin and glutathione insufficiency, and reduced energy transport were also found. And, several of the biomarker groups were significantly associated with the severity of autism.

Again, this parallels what autism clinicians routinely report —that children with autism have decreased detoxification, energy disregulation, and increased oxidative stress.

The authors conclude, “These nutritional and metabolic differences are generally in agreement with other published results and are likely amenable to nutritional supplementation.”
I absolutely concur.

Here are some of the specific areas measured and details of the study’s findings, and my discussion of the results.

Vitamins
Biotin was the only vitamin with a significant difference in the children – it was 20% lower in the children with autism.  B5, vitamin E and total carotenoids levels showed “possibly significant” lower levels in children with autism.

The functional need for certain vitamins (folate and niacin) was assessed using FIGLU and n-methyl-nicotinamide, and were somewhat higher and possibly significant in autism.  This suggests and an increased need for folate and niacin in children with autism.

Minerals
While most mineral levels tested within neurotypical reference ranges, the study found a statistical significance with lower levels of WB (whole blood) lithium, but higher levels of iron in the autism group. Twenty-five percent of the autism group was below the reference range for iodine and calcium.

Sulfation
Free and total sulfate in plasma (necessary for adequate sulfation) were very significantly lower in children with autism – 28% and 65%.

Sulfate is necessary for proper sulfation. Sulfation comprises varied processes that use sulfate (sulfur) in the body, such as in forming sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGS) in the gut for intestinal integrity, or detoxifying compounds in phase II liver detoxification. Sulfate is used in many biological processes, and adequate sulfur is required both from consumption of sulfur rich foods and recycling sulfate in the kidneys.  The results of this study are consistent with the findings of Dr. Rosemary Waring who found children with autism (and adults with autoimmune conditions) to have low sulfate levels.

Methylation
SAM (S-adenosylmethionine) was also significantly lower in children with autism – very much so. Uridine in plasma was very significantly higher in children with autism +93%. Uridine is believed to be a marker of methylation status, with high levels indicating poor methylation.  For SAM, SAH and SAM/SAH ratio 25-39% of the autism group had low levels.

SAM is the primary methyl donor in methylation reactions (more than forty in the body).  Methylation is important for the methylation of neurotransmitters, proteins, and DNA methylation (gene expression).  Methylation affects fatty acid metabolism, allergic responses, myelination, cellular energy, and more.  Proper methylation is also necessary for the body to produce adequate levels of glutathione.

ATP
ATP is the primary energy source for the brain and the body.  SAM is converted from methionine with methionine adenyosyl transferase, which requires ATP.  Methionine was at normal levels but ATP was very significantly lower in the autism group. The authors suggest, “low levels of ATP are at least part of the reason for decreased levels of SAM.”ATP is required by the kidney to resorb sulfate and “recycle” it. The authors believe that decreased ATP is a significant contributor to decreased sulfate levels in children with autism.

I believe that oxalates could be a factor.  When sulfate is insufficient, oxalate (instead of sulfate) can be shuttled into the cell on the sulfate transporter and “gum up” the works of the mitochondria, affecting ATP and energy metabolism.  Could there be a “vicious cycle” at work, where adequate sulfate is needed to produce ATP and ATP is needed for recycling sulfate?  Given the benefits I’ve observed with the low oxalate diet, I’d welcome more research and discussion of this possibility.

Oxidative Stress
Reduced plasma glutathione (GSH) was very significantly lower in children with autism. All three markers for oxidative stress were very significantly higher in children with autism; oxidized glutathione (GSSG), GSSG/GSH ratio, and plasma nitrotyrosine.  NADPH, a precursor to ATP, is needed to recycle GSSG to GSH.  NADPH was found to be substantially lower in the autism group.  These results were also consistent with the work of Dr. Jill James, who found low levels of glutathione in children with autism (as well as positive benefit of certain forms of folate).

Glutathione is imperative for preventing oxidative stress.  In addition to being an antioxidant, it supports proper detoxification, inflammation, pathogen fighting, and more.

Amino Acids in Plasma
Two amino acids used in building neurotransmitters were significantly different from controls. Tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin was significantly lower in the autism group, and glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, was significantly higher.  Low tryptophan can play a role in depression and poor sleep, and glutamate is a factor in hyperactivity. Other differences were possibly significant such as slightly decreased tyrosine and phenylalanine and slightly higher serine.

Dietary Intervention and Supplementation
This study supports the use dietary intervention for autism (individualized to the child). There is much valuable data we can gather from this study on how to apply and adjust diet and supplementation for autism.

Adequate protein intake is crucial for children with autism.  Decreased levels of amino acids such as tryptophan, phenylalanine, and taurine most likely indicate a need for increased protein intake or proper digestion of protein (possibly through the use of digestive enzymes).  Supplementation with individual amino acids, particularly those consistent with signs of deficiency, may be warranted.  For example, tryptophan or 5-HTP supplementation may be helpful with a low tryptophan level and depression.

This study highlights the need for foods rich in antioxidants and antioxidant supplementation for children with autism.  Foods rich in antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E, as well as zinc and selenium are important.  Berries, beans, spices like turmeric and rosemary, nuts, grass-fed beef and pastured poultry are good sources of antioxidants. Foods rich in glutathione and glutathione precursors to include in your child’s diet consist of: broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, garlic, kale, cumin and cinnamon, eggs, and avocado.

Supplementation with biotin, folate, vitamin B12, liposomal glutathione, SAM, lithium, sulfate, and many other nutrients are important (on an individual basis) for children with autism.
The Feingold and Failsafe diets remove salicylates, amines, and glutamates, substances that require proper sulfation (and methylation) for proper breakdown.  For the children with these biochemical insufficiencies, these diets can be very helpful.  I was glad to see further research that supports what I am finding clinically.

The low oxalate diet has been very helpful for many of my clients with autism. More discussion is needed about the role of oxalate in the oxidative stress and low ATP found in this study in children with autism.  For these children, the low oxalate diet may prove particularly helpful.

Benefit to Autism
I greatly appreciate scientists and researchers like Dr. Jim Adams, whose dedication has helped thousands of parents and clinicians to gain useful information about addressing autism.
I’ve spent more than 5 years compiling research and presenting the case for diet and supplement intervention in my book “Nourishing Hope for Autism,” which has nearly 200 scientific references regarding the biochemistry of autism and the use of food, nutrition, and supplementation to ameliorate symptoms. Dr. Adams’ earlier research was instrumental in guiding my query.

The current study by Adams, et al greatly advances our understanding of these factors and further solidifies the case for “Autism is treatable.” It solidifies a foundational understanding of how diet and nutrition intervention benefits autism and helps nutritionists like me address the diet naysayers who deny Hippocrates dictum “let food be they medicine” by asking “is there a double-blind study to support diet changes?”

Yes, there is!

Adams JB, Audhya T, McDonough-Means S, Rubin RA, Quig D, Geis E, Gehn E, Loresto M, Mitchell J, Atwood S, Barnhouse S, Lee W. Nutritional and metabolic status of children with autism vs. neurotypical children, and the association with autism severity. Nutrition & Metabolism 2011 Jun 8;8(1):34.

Here is the link for this article.

The perils of parasites and Pyroluria

Pyro-what?  Who is a pyro?  Isn't that somehow related to fire-starting?  I didn't know what pyroluria was either, that is, until I read and identified with practically every symptom on the list, with the exception of substance abuse.

Let me go back a few steps though.  As you recall, we were treating the family for parasites, because Gavin was diagnosed with Dientamoeba Fragilis.  We have completed the Alinia and Gavin's progress since the treatment is nothing short of astounding.  I have often said that you just don't know your own child until you have witnessed them in a place of wellness.  Even I didn't realize the impact of my own words as it relates to Gavin, until now!  He is a changed child.  I didn't even know my own child, neither of us did.  His real self has always peeked through the shadows occasionally, but never have we seen such consistency, ever.  He is beaming with humor and happiness, he is calm and shows clarity and focus in all that he does and most amazingly, he has not shown even an ounce of defiance!!  Time outs were becoming so bad that it felt like he was spending more time in time out than out of time out....did you catch that?  lol  It was so bad that we created "the calming space" in an effort to put a positive spin on time out, somewhere that HE could choose to go to relieve stress and recharge with some calm toys.  Since creating it, we haven't even had to use it!  We went off the Alinia and within a day, he emerged as this confident, well-spoken, and very well-behaved three year old.  I knew parasites were nasty buggers and had read that they are capable of destroying good health.  Never in my life did I think a parasite could cause so much disdain, but I will honestly never ever take health like this for granted again.  Our mental stability relies heavily on our health.  I can't stress this enough!!  I have said over and over again, that I don't believe that kids are "being kids" when they are defiant and I have seen the changes in Grayson with the Clostridia overgrowth, but this....this is still astonishing me!

So back to the Pyroluria.  Another huge wow for us, me included.  On my constant quest for better health, I stumbled upon this under-diagnosed condition that not only appears to fit me, but our boys too.  It's highly genetic and it's symptoms are profound by comparison to the ease by which it can be controlled.  Pyroluria is basically a fancy way of saying a person is deficient in vitamins B6 (pyrodoxine) and zinc. Let me sum it up for you....better yet, Nora Gedgaudas will do a better job than I ever could.

"Pyroluria is a genetic metabolic condition long recognized by the field of orthomolecular medicine and orthomolecular psychiatry.  As many as 50% of those with autism, 40% of alcoholics, 70% of schizophrenics, 70% of persons with depression and 30% of persons struggling with ADD may have pyroluria underlying these conditions and make them very difficult to reach with traditional and even holistic therapies.  –But pyroluria isn’t limited to these populations.  As much as 10% of the population may have this metabolic condition and not know it…but may have lifelong symptoms associated with it that tend to worsen with age…and stress."

And regarding how it effects children, I found this statement which is exactly what we are dealing with in our own two children.

"Although children tend to be more easily diagnosed than adults, the symptoms are consistent: poor tolerance of physical and emotional stress, mood swings, depression, noise and other tactile sensitivities.  Later symptoms can range from severe depression to chronic schizophrenia.  Accompanying physical symptoms can include pain, seizures, even complete physical debilitation."

All that from a simple B6 and zinc deficiency??  All that and more!  You would never connect it's oversimplified treatment with the significant health challenges it is capable of causing.  The reason a person is so deficient in these nutrients is because of a byproduct called kryptopyrroles created from the synthesis of hemoglobin.  Kryptopyrroles bind very tightly with zinc and B6, making them unavailable to the body.  Krypopyrroles tend to increase with stress and age, which means, this disorder will only snowball, if undetected.  Do you know ANY mainstream doctors who will diagnose something so simple to rectify and without the use of prescriptions?  Since they have about half a day of nutritional training in all their years of med school, my guess is that they won't even know what it is.  But they should, because it has it's hand in many illnesses being misdiagnosed as mental disorders, and medicated unnecessarily.  If you are a regular reader, you already know how much I DESPISE covering up symptoms with medication.  Our body cries out to us for help, telling us there is an imbalance somewhere, and we shut it up with medication.  If only we spent half the time discovering what CAUSES these imbalances, we could spend more time enjoying our lives!

So let's see, if you or someone you know can identify with Pyroluria, here is a list of the more common symptoms from Nora's website.

The following includes the most common symptoms associated with the condition Pyroluria.  If you answer “yes” to 15 or more of these then further testing may be worthwhile:

PYROLURIA QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Little or no dream recall

2. White spots on finger nails

3. Poor morning appetite +/- tendency to skip breakfast

4. Morning nausea

5. Pale skin +/- poor tanning +/- burn easy in sun

6. Sensitivity to bright light

7. Hypersensitive to loud noises

8. Reading difficulties (e.g. dyslexia)

9. Poor ability to cope with stress

10. Mood swings or temper outbursts

11. Histrionic (dramatic) tendency

12. Argumentative/enjoy argument

13. New situations or changes in routine (i.e., traveling) particularly stressful

14. Much higher capability and alertness in the evening, compared to mornings

15. Poor short term memory

16. Abnormal body fat distribution

17. Belong to an all-girl family with look-alike sisters

18. Dry skin

19. Anxiousness

20. Reaching puberty later than normal

21. Difficulty digesting, a dislike of protein or a history of vegetarianism

22. Tendency toward being a loner and/or avoiding larger groups of people

23. Stretch marks on skin

24. Poor sense of smell or taste

25. Feel very uncomfortable with strangers

26. Frequently experience fatigue

27. A tendency to overreact to tranquilizers, barbiturates, alcohol or other drugs (in other words, a little produces a powerful response)

28. A tendency toward anemia

29. History of mental illness or alcoholism in family

30. Easily upset by criticism

31. Sweet smell (fruity odor) to breath or sweat when ill or stressed

32. Prone to acne, eczema or psoriasis

33. A tendency toward feeling anxious, fearful and carrying lifelong inner tension

34. Difficulty recalling past events or people

35. Bouts of depression or nervous exhaustion

36. Prone to frequent colds or infections

Again, if you have answered yes to 15 or more of these then consider testing further using a urinary screening test for the presence of elevated kryptopyrroles via Bio Center Lab in Wichita, Kansas (Phone: 316-684-7784 or 1-800-494-7785). Here is their web site for more information.

Testing for this condition is simple, relatively inexpensive and readily accessible to anyone without a prescription.

I answered yes to 27 of these 36 questions.  In fact, I had 15 of them before I even got to 20!  Since supplementing (as well as treating my thyroid with the iodine protocol), I have had energy, I wake ready to go, I feel good most days and oddly enough, I have my dream recall back almost nightly now! We've taken a small break from chelation, so I am sure I will return to some dark days before I emerge as the beautiful butterfly, but boy am I learning a lot in the process of healing!!

If you want to learn more about Pyroluria, I highly recommend the following literature:

Journal of OrthomolecularMedicine: The Discovery of Kryptopyrrole and its Importance. Vol. 10,No. 1, 1995

Pyroluria A Blood Disorder Causing Hard-to-Treat Depression and other Mental Health Conditions

Pyroluria: Overview

Pyroluria