MAJOR behavior changes through diet!!! - Page 2

[LaLa]

I did read the Special Diets for Special kids, but it really didn't fit with her corn, egg, and soy free diet on top of gluten and dairy.

What is a good fit is
The Garden of Eating cookbook, which is a produce based cookbook. I posted a link to the site in the Nutrition/GoodEating forum. IT's a fantastic resource as it teaches me how to do Mayonaise, dressing, etc.

Raw food-ists will list recipes for nut cheeses. I have a ton of recipes, i just have to find time to list them!

Tara, that is a very good point! We are lucky in that many of our problems were solved with diet changes, but I hope I am not implying that changing your child's diet will eliminate their special needs!



Unreal, that is the guilt I have been fighting for the past 4 years...when she gets sick it just hangs on me that I could have done something to prevent it and that I was somehow failing her. Now I finally feel like I can do something!!!


back to cheeses, soy makes a good cheese replacement (tofu) if you can stomach soy. We can't do that here.

I will have to check out that book, "Is this your child"

It sounds like a great one to read!

Can I just say THANK YOU! I have felt so alone for so long (well except my good friend Chanley who is living a parallel life with me in the deep south)
I have cried so many times feeling like a failure to my daughter and I've cried so many times in frustration as I cleaned up poop messes or when I took her out of programs and schools and when people suggested there might be something "wrong" with her and when no one could help us with any of it.
It has been such a long road and I am so thankful to read your kind responses and hear your stories too!

I can't express how much I appreciate you mamas being "here"

[LaLa]

the blood test...

oh I forgot to answer your question, playdoh, about the blood test. They took one vile from her arm and it really was an awful experience. Her dad left work to come buy her a toy because he felt so terrible about her going through it!

We took her to a pediatric blood lab so they were very prepared for children and very kind to her, but children have such small veins that they cannot always get the needle in on the first try. For bean it took 4 tries. 4 awful, painful, and confusing tries.

It makes my eyes well up to think about it.
I will not be doing it again anytime soon. At this point we will work from diet and elimination diet where needed. I keep a food journal and she is also taking food enzymes (pineapple/papya based) and pro-biotics to help heal her intestines.

These are the things we're doing to help as well as sticking with her strict diet of no corn, soy, egg, dairy, gluten. (there are actually a few other things, but those are the main ones)

So, if you are hesitant to do a blood draw, I totally understand.
It is not easy, although she was smiling within 2 minutes after. I had brought her a cookie (wheat free) and some rice milk. (I know you are not supposed to reward with food...but this was an emergency!)
and she got a sticker. But she did cry about it for a week whenever anyone asked her about it!

[thoesly]

Originally Posted by LaLa

Tara, that is a very good point! We are lucky in that many of our problems were solved with diet changes, but I hope I am not implying that changing your child's diet will eliminate their special needs!

I don't think you're implying that at all. I just wanted to point out the concern because I have seen parents give up on a dietary change that didn't produce a miracle -- overlooking the small ways in which it did help. I'm happy about every little improvement, and I hate to see parents get discouraged because they are unable to see the little realities through the big illusion.

Glad things are going well for you. I am currently working on a BS in Nutrition (trying to figure out how to feed my boy!), and I am absolutely floored by how little attention the subject is given in educating doctors.

Tara

[LaLa]

Wow! That is great! I'm surprised how little the doctors we have met with seem to know about all of this (not just food, but certainly including food...).

Thank you!

[LaLa]

okay, I found the sites with the help of an internet friend

here is one that is Dr Rapp's site
http://www.drrapp.com/

and the other is an article by Dr Elson Haas on the detox diet.
http://chetday.com/haasdetox.htm
I haven't tried these (we did the lazy approach with the immuno tests)

but I am very interested in trying them on myself!

anyone have experience?

[thoesly]

Thanks so much for the links! I haven't had a chance to explore them yet, but since I've read books by both authors, I know they will be worthwhile! (I recommend Is This Your Child? by Doris Rapp to all parents facing difficulty, and I just finished Staying Heathy with Nutrition by Elson Haas for one of my nutrition courses).

Tara

[neveryoumindthere]

thank you thank you thank you

i suspect gluten allergies with my dd too (and i know me stopping dairy changed her sooo much!)

but really now i'm goin to get her tested

i was wondering would naturopathic dr be better when talkin abt food sensitivities or just the regular family doc?

[LaLa]

I dont' know about which doc route to advise. It very much depends on the person. Our pediatrician is a wonderful man and talented doctor and so great with kids, but he doesn't know about all this allergy related stuff so he could not help us.

I'd just start talkign to people and see who recommends what!

[thoesly]

Originally Posted by neveryoumindthere

but really now i'm goin to get her tested

i was wondering would naturopathic dr be better when talkin abt food sensitivities or just the regular family doc?

Just a thought: for us, it was a matter of money. Our pediatrician didn't know much about allergies, but his referral to an allergist was covered by our insurance. Much as I love our homeopath, we would have had to pay, and we just didn't have it built into the budget.

That being said, I found that I could work with the information we got from the allergist, and there were a couple of allergies that I wouldn't have even thought about. Seeing an allergist doesn't mean you are stuck with the allergist forever.

If money is not an issue, then it may be worth noting that doctors in America get very little instruction in nutrition (a matter of a few hours). A naturopathic doctor may be better informed overall, but all doctors vary -- our current pediatrician knows lots about autism because it is his area of interest. A family doctor who is interested in nutrition and food sensitivities may serve you better than a naturopath who isn't interested in the subject.

Good luck!

Tara

[fullofgrace]

Well, thanks to this thread I dove into taking a strong grip on our family's diet, especially that of my two girls, both of whom are labeled high functioning PDD-NOS, but my awesome new ped and I both really see them as more Asperger-ish. They both have the SID that often goes along with that as well. My oldest DD, is painfully shy due to her speech/language delays (but yearns for friends) and my younger DD also has behavior issues, very much like ADHD - impulsive (she BOLTS and runs a good distance - man is she fast!) and major mood swings (when she's happy she is truly my sunshine, but when upset I would swear the whole town can hear her scream).

Anyway, I have been wondering for awhile why they both seem to yo-yo so much in their progress and over mood. So, starting Friday morning I took dairy out of their diets and already we are seeing great improvements - the biggest being both of their moods. They have both happy and content for the majority of their days. When DD2 was upset this weekend, she yelled pretty loudly ONCE, kinda let out a "Hmmf!", then moved on to something else. Today at our playdate, she ran off, but when I confronted her with her two choices "Are you going to play with M? Or do you need to go home?" she STOPPED, yelled "Play with M!" and ran right back to the swingset. : OH! both of my picky eating girls also decided this weekend that they NEEDED fruit and veggies!? They used to BALK just looking at them, forget ASKING for them. DD#1 wanted blueberries sprinkled with sugar, apple slices with peanut butter, and raw baby carrots and 'dip' (ranch dressing, which I know had dairy in it, but I wanted to encourage eating veggies at that point since that was a HUGE step for her). DD#2 wanted to eat blueberries sprinkled with sugar upon seeing her sister eat them. She tried them and loved them! Those are all things I've offered in the past but hadn't had success with before. It was sooo strange, yet I don't think it was a coincidence that their system probably felt better so they felt like eating more variety.

Anyway, I just had to share and say THANK YOU for this thread!!!

[MyBaby'sSmile]

Reading your post made my eyes water

That is such wonderful news! I am SO happy for you and for your little girls!

Krista

[MamaMonica]

Thank you for all this info. My ds has severe food intolerances as well as airborne allergies.

LaLa, you are not alone!

I don't want my toddler to get a blood draw either. He was sick from the time he was born with allergies and eczema. I took him off gluten when I went off (I was diagnosed with celiac disease last year) and if he gets even one cracker he gets diahrrea. He had digestive problems when he was breastfed and I went off dairy with no results- but only after my going off gluten did he get normal digestion.

When he gets offending foods, I notice his behavior changes and he gets dark circles under his eyes and a pathetic look.

Through experimentation I've found eggs, corn, nightshades (tomato, potatoe etc), citrus, nuts are a problem as well as soy and gluten.

He still doesn't sleep and is sensitive to pollen and pets as well- but I can't bring myself to give up the pets.

Dairy is probably a problem- but he gets no immediate or obvious reaction so I let him have it (I did a 21-day dairy elimination with no results).

[LaLa]

Monica, you have your hands full, but it sounds like you have so much info and you're on the right path!
!

FullofGrace - here are some dips we use:
Veganaise is a mayo substitute that is primarily grapeseed oil. It's a good one for dipping on its own or with herbs added in.

We also dip in a mixture of
Almond Butter - Coconut finely shredded - and Rice milk (west soy brand of rice milk is gluten free so we use that)
Bean loves both of these dips and this is how I get her to eat celery and broccolli!

[fullofgrace]

:x A new smilie, and how appropriate!!

Thanks for all of the support and comraderie! It really helps.

LaLa, thanks for the tip about the dip! I'll have to try the Veganaise with some herbs in it -- C will hopefully like her new dip, but it'll help if I let her 'create' it.

Has anyone has experience using either

Vance's DariFree: "Vance's DariFree™ is not only cholesterol and lactose-free, it is also free of soy, rice, oils and gluten, and yet contains as much calcium as milk. DariFree contains no MSG. DariFree is also a good source of vitamins. Use Vance's DariFree™ on cereal, for drinking, cooking, baking and as a coffee creamer. DariFree is medically acclaimed and recommended for your health and enjoyment. Best of all, even children love the delicious creamy taste. DariFree is widely used by people with food intolerances including children with autism."

or

Vance's SNO*E: SNO*E™ TOFU is a non-dairy soy beverage mix that costs even less than milk. It is delicious tasting, contains as much calcium as milk, and is a good source of vitamins. It is free of cholesterol, lactose, and added MSG. It is in powder form and is ideal for pantry storage. Simply mix with water and enjoy. Once mixed, SNO*E™ TOFU will remain fresh at least a week with refrigeration.

There's more info about both at:
http://www.vances.com/index.asp

I know that the DariFree is recommended by many parents who use the Gluten Free/Casein Free diet, but I was wondering if any of you or your kids have actually tasted it?

[LaLa]

my girls prefer Rice Milk, but I prefer Vances. We all love the chocolate Vances!
LOL

But I think the vanilla tastes like a good vanilla flavored skim milk, whereas rice milk tastes like...rice milk!

LOL

I like the Vances and it's less waste in packaging, but we keep buying the Rice Milk because teh girls are hooked on it!

Oh, by the way, Vances Chocolate makes the BEST hot coccoa EVER!!!
And the vanilla mixed with a bit of boiling water makes a fantastic coffee creamer (yes I have my unhealthy vices...)

[thoesly]

Originally Posted by fullofgrace

I know that the DariFree is recommended by many parents who use the Gluten Free/Casein Free diet, but I was wondering if any of you or your kids have actually tasted it?

My son wouldn't drink Vance's, but he won't drink anything else, either. I was skeptical about how good a potato-based milk could taste, but I actually thought both the vanilla and chocolate versions tasted okay. But I wasn't any more impressed with them than I was with rice milk -- and I can make that myself! I do like the fact that Vance's is powdered, so it lasts a long time, and it is great for gluten-free baking (the only other powdered "milk" I can find is soy, and that's off-limits here).

One word of warning is that I did try the Darifree chocolate ice cream recipe in the Special Diets books, and it was truly awful. I never thought I'd say that about a chocolate product of any kind, but this was so bad, even I wouldn't touch it. It's possible I did something wrong, but I am not inspired to try again.

Happy tasting!

Tara

[LaLa]

thanks for the warning!
LOL

I am not doing Vances at all anymore. For some reason the girls react to it?!
I can only guess it to be the sweeteners they use (maybe corn based?)

With school started up again (preschool part time) bean is having sensory issues pop back up after school (only on school days)
It is so similar to the issues that were stopped with her diet change. It must be somehow related, but HOW?!

[mammaguess]

Do they have snack time at preschool? The first thing that popped into my mind was they are letting her have some forbidden foods there because they think you are *nuts* ( or some more polite version).

Good luck.

[thoesly]

Mamaguess's reply made me think of something else -- any chance it could be related to some of the materials they use? I know that a lot of school supplies have gluten in them, and I imagine there are other "forbidden" ingredients, too. A child who uses playdoh and then puts fingers in the mouth will react (and some kids are sensitive enough that skin contact may do it).

On the other hand, we are having some issues too, but in our case, I'm pretty sure it is the transition (my oldest just started kindergarten, and my girl just started preschool). Regardless, good luck figuring it out (don't you just get tired sometimes? It doesn't always have to be hard, does it?)

Tara

[LaLa]

I don't think she could be getting gluten at school. She eats with another boy who has allergies. They sit at a seperate table (attached to the other children's table, but seperate still)
and the playdoh is gluten free too.

It is possible, but I don't see where it could be coming from if that were the case? It would be great to follow her in school some day!