Is there anyway to predtermine if CFGF diet is worth trying?

May 8, 2005

There is only one way to determine if the GFCF diet will work, and

that is to try it. I started my son on it over 3 years ago (as a

trial) and haven't looked back. He's now 15 and, unless you really

know what to look for, appears perfectly " normal " , is doing really

well at school, has lots of nice friends and is an absolute delight at

home. Have you joined the GFCFrecipes group, that group is

specifically for the GFCF diet ?

, jennifer twining

<mom_ist_2000> wrote:

> Hello Everyone,

> Is there anyway to predtermine if the CFGF diet is

> worth trying for my PDD son? Should I remove casein

> and see if there are results first? Is this a good

> measure for success with a CFGF diet?

May 9, 2005

Thank you for your inspiration and support. I have not

joined the GFCF recipe group, can you forward the link

if you have it? Curious, how quickly did you see

results and did you remove casein and gluten at the

same time?

--- Kim <bearhouse5 wrote:

> There is only one way to determine if the GFCF diet

> will work, and

> that is to try it. I started my son on it over 3

> years ago (as a

> trial) and haven't looked back. He's now 15 and,

> unless you really

> know what to look for, appears perfectly " normal " ,

> is doing really

> well at school, has lots of nice friends and is an

> absolute delight at

> home. Have you joined the GFCFrecipes group, that

> group is

> specifically for the GFCF diet ?

>

> ,

> jennifer twining

> <mom_ist_2000> wrote:

> > Hello Everyone,

> > Is there anyway to predtermine if the CFGF diet is

> > worth trying for my PDD son? Should I remove

> casein

> > and see if there are results first? Is this a good

> > measure for success with a CFGF diet?

>

May 9, 2005

Well, the gfcfrecipes group used to be specifically for people wanting to use

the diet for autism and other spectrum disorders, but at 2500 plus members now,

we (I am the group owner) have lots of people who are casein and gluten free for

allergies, celiac disease and all sorts of other reasons.

However, if you have a child with a spectrum disorder, I suggest you beg or

borrow (no stealing - lol) a copy of Special Diets for Special Kids by Lisa

Lewis, or the book by Karen Seroussi which details her recovery of her son from

autism. I think those two books would explain the hows and whys of the diet for

you.

Basically, the theory goes, children with spectrum disorders suffer from

something called Leaky Gut Syndrome which allows larger than normal protein

chains to pass in to the blood stream and which cause the brain to produce

something called dermorphin. As it's name implies, dermorphin ie similar to the

narcotic drug morphine (made from opium poppies like opium and heroin) and this

creates the socializing disorders and other traits of spectrum disorders.

It is my recommendation that you introduce a GFCF diet slowly - not cold turkey

- and that you look for a variety of subs that your child will take rather than

depending on one. For example soy milk, when used exclusively to replace dairy

products, can cause a similar reaction to the casein. Used in rotation with

rice, nut and other milks and cheese subs, soy can play a big part in a healthy

diet.

Another thing to look into though, would be whether or not your child has any

issues with candidis. Most N. Americas do, given our reliance on antibiotics,

and so that might also be something to consider when choosing your child's

dietary replacements. Many soy products are fermented and can contribute to

candidis problems.

Please feel free to contact me privately if you want to talk about this further.

BL

May 9, 2005

Results were almost immediate for us. My son said he felt much

healthier, his stomach pains disappeared, his chronic bad (really

bad) breath disappeared overnight, his severe tantrums (1-2 hours

long, around 3 time a week), eased dramatically, his eczema

improved, and he said his thinking was clearer.

Since then improvements have been continual, but much less dramatic.

He has caught up to, and in some cases, surpassed his peers at

school.

Some kids do go through a withdrawal stage where behaviours can

worsen, but we were lucky and didn't have this.

My son had an allergy to dairy so he was mostly dairy-free to start

with. As my son was older I was able to discuss it with him. We

agreed to a 2 month trial. I did my homework and checked out all the

supermarket and health food shop products. Then I removed the dairy

completely plus the gluten, chocolate (which I knew sent my son

nuts), and most additives. A few months after this I finally

discovered that the residual eczema he had was caused by eggs, so

they went too.

This approach doesn't work for everyone. Some start by removing

dairy and then the gluten, and some by replacing some simple every

day items, such as pasta, where the change of foods are less

obvious, and moving on gradually from there. It is up to the

individual to work out which approach will work best for them and

the child.

Here's the link for GFCFrecipes:

http://health.GFCFrecipes/

Good luck,

Kim, in Australia

, jennifer twining

<mom_ist_2000> wrote:

> Thank you for your inspiration and support. I have not

> joined the GFCF recipe group, can you forward the link

> if you have it? Curious, how quickly did you see

> results and did you remove casein and gluten at the

> same time?

May 9, 2005

Hi,

Our 2 sons are gfcf. One is severely autistic, the other PDD. I think bowel

difficulties (constipation/diarrhea) are a good clue that a child may be

helped through dietary intervention. With our first son, we tried the diet

and was rewarded w/ behavioral changes beyond my imagination. That was for

my PDD son (He'll be 14 Saturday). Our more severe son didn't have huge

bowel troubles.and we didn't see the rapid improvement that we did with our

other boy.

When we started, I chose a time when my husband (Marine Corps) was going to

be gone for 6 months (thought it would be easier and thought that his being

gone would make him a good judge of how successful the diet was). I removed

all milk first. Kosher symbols on products really helped me out with that.

David's bowel troubles really cleared up with just that change. He had some

initial trouble with soy, but that's gone now. Oh, this was in the fall of

1998 when we started.

It was a full year later when I tackled the gluten free and that really

brought about the behavior changes. David functions now on a nearly age

appropriate level. His only PDD symptoms are a bit of a mechanical voice.

When he accidentally has a dietary mishap, I know immediately. He reads his

own labels.

The funny thing was that my husband on ship was at the same time milk free

for the first time in his life (they were unable to get a good supply) and

came home sworn off the stuff. His dry skin that had bothered him his whole

life (cracking to the point of bleeding, wrapping his feet in lotion and

socks) was clear. I certainly never would have thought of diet for that.

Anyway, both our boys, when they have gluten now, will get very ill.

Diarrhea and vomiting..more classic celiac symptoms. The younger son did

improve on the diet, just not as much as the older boy. I think part of that

is that Geoff didn't join our family until he was 11, so I wasn't able to

start the diet at the early age, like I did with David.

We didn't become vegetarian until a year ago, though my oldest daughter has

been vegan for several years.

HTH,

Lisa

May 9, 2005

Lisa,

I love it when the guys with white hats win.

God bless you and your family.

Roy

-

Lisa Watson

Monday, May 09, 2005 8:40 AM

RE: Is there anyway to predtermine if CFGF

diet is worth trying?