A dear and sweet curly-haired friend lent me this book before Christmas and I haven't put it down yet! (What is it with curly-haired friends - they are so giving... there must be some genetic connection! Ha - just kidding...)Anyway, this book, this book is the book that I would recommend to anyone who even suspects that their child has autism, ADHD, asthma or allergies. I am NOT kidding.
I admit, after the first few chapters - which do build upon each other, I have skipped and jumped around a bit. But - the section about the relationship between HYPOGLYCEMIA and AUTISM, was pretty shocking for me.
NUTRITIONAL THERAPY
Food can harm, and food can heal. Dietary factors invariably play a major role in the
onset of symptoms of the 4-A disorders, and alteration of diet can play a primary role in
recovery.
There is no single, one-size-fits-all diet in the Healing Program.
The diet must be carefully individualized. There are six basic dietary plans that
comprise nutritional therapy in the Healing Program, and you should evaluate each of
them, to determine if they are appropriate for your child.
Perhaps just one of these six basic diets will be sufficient to help heal your child.
However, you will probably need to combine two or more of the diets.
The six diets are:
The Six Essential Healing Program Diets
(1) The Gluten-free, Casein-Free Diet, or GF/CF Diet.
(2) The Specific Food Reaction Diet.
(3) The Anti-Yeast Diet.
(4) The Anti-Hypoglycemia Diet.
(5) The Specific Carbohydrate Diet.
(6) The Low Oxalate Diet.
Healing often depends upon combining these diets, because this is a comprehensive
program, based upon the belief that isolated therapies are not as effective as
combined therapies.
Most 4-A kids have combinations of problems. For example, they may suffer from:
• Food reactions to gluten and casein.
• Various allergies to specific foods.
• Yeast overgrowth.
• Hypoglycemia.
• Nutrient deficits.
• Digestive disorders.
• Bowel dysbiosis.
You simply can’t overcome these combined problems with just one diet. It requires a
combination of associated diets.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the many details that comprise these diets. The basic
information is mostly just good common sense. It’s essentially the same basic
advice your own mom probably gave you: Eat your fruits and vegetables, go easy on the
sweets, keep the junk food to a minimum, eat enough protein, and if a certain food
doesn’t seem to agree with you, don’t eat it. That advice describes all six diets. As I
often say, MOMS KNOW.
But - here's the part that shocked me:
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is extremely common among 4-A kids,
particularly those with autism and ADHD.
It not only triggers symptoms of the 4-A disorders, but exacerbates existing
symptoms, and mimics the symptoms of other, related disorders, such as yeast
overgrowth.
Many of the symptoms of hypoglycemia are consistent with those of autism and
ADHD, including:
- Poor cognitive function
- Irritability
- Propensity to tantrum
- Spaciness
- Lethargy
- Physical weakness
- Confusion
- Inability to be consistently articulate
Because these hypoglycemic symptoms often mimic, amplify, and trigger
symptoms of autism and ADHD, they often lead to frequent misdiagnoses of autism and ADHD, particularly when they are combined with symptoms of the other physical problems that so often afflict children with autism and ADHD.
The most frequent cause of hypoglycemia is a poor diet, too high in
carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, which consist of either sugar or starch, travel
through the digestive system very quickly, and can cause a spike of high blood
sugar, which then can result in a slump of low blood sugar. This slump can
profoundly alter mood, cognition, behavior, and energy.
The anti-hypoglycemia diet is based primarily around foods that travel slowly
through the digestive process, such as high-protein foods and high-fiber foods.
Talk to your doctor about testing your child for blood sugar stability. And look for its
signs and symptoms yourself. They can be very easy to spot. Most kids are
relatively sensitive to excess sweets, and some kids are sensitive even to small
amounts.
Like other changes in diet, this one can be hard on both kids and parents,
especially in its early stages. As your child begins to feel better, though, which
often happens relatively quickly, his or her cravings for sweets will probably
subside dramatically. After that happens, the diet becomes much easier.
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