A friend commented this past Christmas that he never knows what to expect from our family, that our diet change all the time. Actually, it's us who change our diet all the time. It's true. Before we suspected the diagnosis of autism, our family was on a vegan diet (so, no milk products anyway), but after reading about how so many children benefited from cutting out gluten (a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, spelt, kamut and others), we jumped right into a gluten-free/casein-free (GFCF) diet.
As the months progressed, after consulting with our Integrative Medicine doctor, we also put Remy on other diets such as the Low Phenol Diet (you can Google it for more information), a rotating diet and finally the dreaded Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) or GAPS diet. Last year this time, Remy was on the SCD, thin and compliant (he was also still in ABA). More recently, during the winter I was really hoping to put him on the Body Ecology Diet (thank you to my friend Milijana who lent me the book).
The question is WHY was he on so many different diets? What was the purpose? Well, the brief answer is this: when one feels better inside, one can focus on things outside of the body. So, parents who had switched their children over to a GFCF diet found amazing shifts in behaviour. In a nutshell, the proteins gluten and casein are very difficult for many bodies to digest. Many families found a difference, so we tried. Remy still didn't talk. There wasn't noticeable difference... not really.
Then last year when let go of the ABA therapist, we also let go of the SCD since Remy had started to refuse to eat the meat offered to him all the time. He looked like he was starving. Now not only did we let him off the SCD, we also let him off the GFCF. You should have seen him when we offered him a slice of bread. He looked at us for our "NO!" reaction. We did this, and in the following weeks found that he became more hyper, so we decided to try GFCF again. Weeks later, we found ourselves in a Japanese restaurant (we didn't plan this), and Remy wouldn't eat the rice without the soy sauce. Of course, soy sauce usually contained wheat which contains gluten. DH and I looked at each other; we would make an exception. Remy also ate tempura that day - he was so happy, and we all had a wonderful lunch together for the first time in a long time outside of our home.
The next day, I was shopping with Remy, and I had placed a bag of focaccia buns in the cart. I turned for a few seconds to put some kale in a bag, turned around and Remy was grinning ear to ear chomping on a triangle. Once again, he was off the GFCF diet. But for the next two weeks or so he just seemed like a happier kid, made attempts to speak, great eye contact - it was like the bread was a incentive. However, as the days progressed, he started to show signs that he was addicted to bread. He would stuff it in his mouth like he was starving, eat more and more and more, and become aggressive if he didn't get it.
Wish us luck. We're back on the GFCF diet. So far so good. I think what's important is for the whole family to be supportive (eat the same way as much as possible). I'm also really glad that the Farmers' Markets have started again. I took Remy to the Withrow Park Organic Farmers' Market two weeks ago in the pouring rain to get Remy some raw crackers that he really liked. He was so glad to get the little bits that Milijana had for him. I make raw crackers at home too, but he really likes the ones that Milijana and Zeljko make, namely Berry Byzantine. The little guy is so motivated by them that he reaches his hands out, makes eye contact and says "Byz... Byz" (sounds like "bees").
Above: Remy sampling some Berry Byzantine from Good Food Conspiracy Co.
Below: more delicious raw delights including Remy's favourite brownies
Within the home, a GFCF diet shouldn't be difficult as long as everyone eats the same way. We're taking things day by day. You'd be amazed at all the great stuff there is to eat and to be creative with when you take away gluten and milk.
Have yourselves a great weekend!
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