The apparent increase of incidents of autism spectrum disorders (including Asperger’s syndrome), and the cause of this increase, have been the source of much concern and debate in recent years. Some parents hesitate or even refuse to allow their children to be given standard vaccinations, fearing mercury and other toxins. More recently the medical community is looking into dietary toxicity instead.
Sugars come in three forms – monosaccharides or “simple sugars,” disaccharides, and polysaccharides; however, our bodies can only absorb monosaccharides. When other sugars are ingested, your body must first break them down into monosaccharides.
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Honey: The only sweetener allowed with the Specific Carb Diet
The Specific Carb Diet was originally created by Dr. Sidney V. Haas more than 60 years ago to treat digestive disorders such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is now being used to treat autism spectrum disorders, celiac disease and cystic fibrosis. It is not a low-carb diet like Atkins. Many find it very restrictive; however, those who experience the health benefits are committed to strict adherence. It is more restrictive and specific than a gluten-free diet. Because it can be overwhelming, I think it is helpful to present the “allowed” foods first.
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Autism affects children by disrupting their ability to communicate and interact socially with others. Parents try alternative treatments to reduce their child’s symptoms, which includes specialized diets for autism. The gluten-free/casein-free diet has grown in popularity. And, some parents have reported improvements in their autistic children with a new dietary regimen. However, there has been little research to prove that the gluten-free/casein-free diet for autism works.
Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet: The Facts
A gluten-free/casein-free diet, also known as the GFCF Diet, is a strict elimination eating plan where all foods containing gluten and casein are removed from the child’s daily food intake. Gluten is a protein found in the seeds of grains like barley, oats, rye, and wheat. Casein is a protein that is prevalent in cow’s milk and cheese. Unfortunately, a large number of foods contain gluten and casein, which makes it hard to totally eliminate.
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Guest blogger Janice Ellen Wright is a former magazine editor and website editorial person, currently being the mother of 7-year-old DuckyBoy and making forays into online information marketing. Janice also blogs about her experiences with her son’s school program for students with high-functioning autism and how this experience got her sent to the principal’s office for the first time in her life. Feel free to search for controversy at Autism and Public Schools.
Part of the casein-free diet‘s success for me and my son was the amount of time I was able, and willing, to devote to preparing things that were not only CF, but also would be something DuckyBoy would eat.
It was this past Christmas that we tried going off the diet. Now, he’s in love with the grilled cheese sandwiches at the school cafeteria, and some days I find myself wondering what protein he ate on the CF diet now that I pack some combination of cheese sticks, cheese crackers, and Goldfish for his snacks or lunch almost every day.
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The week of September 20 is Autism Awareness Week at DietsInReview.com.
Guest Blogger Holly Bortfeld is a work-at-home mom to two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ages 14 and 16. She home-schools her son and writes content for the Talk About Curing Autism (TACA ) site, including the popular series, “Autism-On-A-Budget.” Follow Holly on Twitter @TACAnow.
My son has been on the GFCF diet since 1998. Back then, there was little available as far as information, research or foods that didn’t taste like cardboard. Happily, you can now find an extensive array of mixes and pre-packaged foods now in grocery and health food stores, as well as online grocers.
Why should you do the diet? Because it works! According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, at least 70% of children with ASD have gastroenterological problems and both published and anecdotal research shows diet to be the single-most effective treatment used with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) kids.
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