There are a lot of special diets that can help kids like me feel better. 

The diet that I am currently on is called the GFCF diet.  This stands for Gluten Free/Casein Free.  We have eliminated these things from my diet.  This helps my behavior a lot.  Casein is what is found in milk products and Gluten is what is found in wheat products, as well as other grains.  This diet also helps kids with ADHD and other neurological disorders.  Mom and dad put me on the diet without testing me for a gluten/casein intolerance, however you can ask your doctor for a test to see if you have an intolerance.  These tests are called the IgG and IgE allergy panels. This stands for immunoglobulin G, or IgG and immunoglobulin E. The immune cells in our bodies that cause traditional allergies are IgE and this causes the release of histamine.  The immune cells in our bodies that cause one type of food sensitivity are IgG antibodies.  IgE is traditional and IgG are delayed reactions.  IgE reactions are very quick and obvious and IgG sometimes cause physical symptoms, and behavioral and developmental symptoms.  Other symptoms to food allergies are Fatigue, food cravings, eczema, rashes, shiners (dark circles under eyes), tummy aches, diarrhea, constipation,or both, mucus production, congestion, immune inflammatory and autoimmune reactions, abnormal pulse, elevated blood pressure, headaches, ringing in ears, tingling, dizziness, depression, mood disorders, anxiety, panic attacks, ADHD symptoms (decreased attention, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior), mood swings, irritability, anxiety, autism symptoms (poor eye contact, social withdrawal, decreased language, obsessions, repetitive behaviors).  When I started my diet my tantrums improved a lot and I started speaking some words.  Mommy journals everything that goes into my body so that if I start having a reaction such as screaming and spinning then she can see what was different in my diet and avoid it at all cost. 

You might be asking why these things affect me so badly.  Basically my intestinal lining is weak.  This is called a leaky gut.  Instead of being able to digest food normally, when I eat foods with gluten/casein and lots of sugar, food molecules leak through the microscopic holes in my intestinal lining and into my bloodstream and then go to my brain.  I don't have enough digestive enzymes.  Protein of any kind, especially protein from milk, wheat, and soy affects kids like me the most.  These proteins create and opiate like effect on me, like morphine.  These opiates can be found in the spinal fluid and urine of kids like me.  Realistically a lot of my actions, such as spinning, laughing for no reason, sitting on my head, jumping up and down, zoning out, insomnia, are a direct result of being high or even drunk.  As I stated earlier our whole house has to be GFCF, because if my brothers and sisters have gluten or casein in their hands I will find it, because my body is craving it looking for a fix like an addict or alcoholic. 

You should also know that when you remove these things from your child's diet you can expect to have several days of "rage" and major irritability.  Just stand strong and know that it won't always be like that and the results pay off.  When I used to fall down I never cried and when I fell down for the first time after being on the diet I cried a really long time.  This is because this is the first time I had felt pain.  As sad as this was for Mom and Dad they were actually kind of excited, because they knew the diet was working this time.  You can check out the books and websites below for further information on this diet and recipes.  :)

The book The Kid-Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook-by Pamela J. Compart, M.D. and Dana Laake, R.D.H.,M.S.,L.D.N. really helped my parents and my Grandma.  This book explains why gluten and casein affect me the way they do and also has a lot of great recipes in it.  Another great source of help is Nourishing Hope For Autism and  www.nourishinghope.com by Julie Matthews, C.N.C. 

Sources of Gluten are...

Wheat, Rye, Barley, Spelt, Kamut, Triticale, Oats that aren't labeled gluten free.  Recent research has shown that Oats are o.k. as long as they are grown in a dedicated field.  You should also avoid these gluten containing ingredients, Semolina, Malt, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Proteins (HVP), Dextrin and Maltodextrin, anything with malt is wheat, Artificial flavors and coloring, "Spices" when you see "spices" on a label avoid it, Soy sauce unless it is wheat free,  Potato Chips/Fries, Sauces and Gravies, they do make Gluten Free gravy mix and it is sold at Whole Foods Market, Bologna and Hot Dogs.  Applegate Farms sells all beef hot dogs that are nitrate free and gluten free. 

Sources of Casein are...

All animal milk products!!! Milk, Cheese, Yogurt and kefir, Butter, Cream, Ice Cream, and Sour Cream,and Whey.  You should also avoid Milk Chocolate, Sherbet, Galactose, Casein, Caseinate, Lactose in seasoning, Lactalbumin, as natural flavor, Artificial Butter Flavor, Cool Whip, Lactic Acid, Canned Tuna, Seasoned Potato Chips, Hot Dogs and Bologna. 

So you're probably wondering well what do I do about milk??? Nut milks are  a great choice, as well as rice milks.  You need to make sure that they are completely casein and gluten free.  Some rice milks have gluten in them.  Be very cautious when you read your labels. 

I love spaghetti and peanut butter sandwiches!!! I am a very picky eater.  So when we started this diet, mom found out that Deboles makes a great rice pasta, and she was also able to puree vegetables to hide in spaghetti sauce for me.  Most of the GF pastas are really good.  You just have to make sure you follow the directions exactly.  As far as bread goes.... you will have to experiment with different recipes and find one that works for your kid.  Store bought GF bread is good, but very expensive and a little bit dry.  It is much better homemade.  There are a lot of recipes for breads out there.  She tried 3 of 4 different recipes until she found one that I liked.  We use Bob's Red Mill rice and tapioca flours to make a lot of things. 

To get started you may want to remove casein products for a few weeks and then remove gluten.  Removal of these two things for 3 to 6 months should show you great results.  Mom found a lot of great stuff on You Tube by simply typing in GFCF.  You can always call the manufacturer of any product to see if it is GFCF.  It is a personal preference, but you should make sure any product is made in a dedicated kitchen.  Sometimes with cheeses they will dust the rollers with wheat flours so the cheese doesn't stick.  There are a lot of hidden sources of gluten.  You should also cook with non porous utensils and pans.  Wash them well and be aware of cross contamination.  Wood is not good, because gluten and casein can get stuck in them. 

Your vegetables and fruits should be organic when possible.  Wash them very well in any case.  Organic vegetables/fruits are free of pesticides and preservatives.  Pesticides could cause a reaction due to the toxic content.  You should also avoid corn and soy as much as possible as these are commonly known allergies.  Corn also contains many types of fungus and never used genetically engineered corn.  If you choose to use corn use organic corn.   If your kid is picky like me, you can hide pureed veggies in spaghetti sauce, pancakes, and smoothies.  You will find yourself amazed with how creative you can get in the kitchen!!!

Removal of refined sugar, corn syrup, etc is very beneficial also.  Instead of using syrup or sugar use Agave nectar or  organic honey. 

Mom uses the following oils to cook with...

Ghee, Coconut Oil, and Olive Oil; Sesame, Safflower, and Sunflower Oils are good also.  Spectrum makes good oils.

Gluten free flours are....

Rice, Quinoa, Amaranth, Buckwheat, Millet, Sorghum, Tapioca, Potato Starch and Flour, Nut and Seed Flours, and Bean Flours.  Be careful when you buy flours like Buckwheat, because sometimes there is wheat flour in them. 

You should also be careful when you use vinegar, ketchup, mustard, vanilla, and herbs and spices.  French's, Heinz, and Dijon mustard are all gluten free.  Vanilla is o.k. Mom buys Frontier or McCormicks, because they are gluten free (alcohol), Frontier and McCormick's spices are gluten free, but you should avoid spice blends.  Bob's Red Mill makes a GFCF baking powder and baking soda. These are also aluminum free.

Envirokids makes a GFCF cereal called Gorilla Munch. This is my absolute favorite!!! I eat this as a snack sometimes.  Fruitabu makes good fruit snacks also.  I really don't get too many sweets like cookies, however there are some good ones out there.  Pretty much anything from envirokids is good.  Pamela's cookies are good also but make sure they are casein free.  I just eat these things in excess and they are too expensive. 

You should plan on your first trip to a store like Whole Foods  lasting several hours.  You can even check to see if they have someone there who specializes in special diets.  They can set you up with a store tour.  They also have several gluten-less classes at the one in Saint Louis, MO.  They also have GFCF product lists in their store at the customer service desk.  I would recommend getting one and going through and highlighting the items you normally would get before going on your first shopping trip.  I think my parents spent 6 hours there on their first trip. 

There are several different types of diets out there which are discussed in that book mentioned above... The Kid Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook.  I would recommend working with a nutritionist to have them set up a diet plan specific for your kid.  A lot of times insurance will cover the visit with  the nutritionist. 

If you have any questions on recipes or getting started with the diet email my mom and she can help you out!!!