Going GFCF

1/12/10
Okay, newest developments: I started John Mark who has Asperger's Syndrome on the GFCF (gluten-free, casein free) diet about six months ago. The GFCF diet is thought to help with autistic like symptoms. Gluten is found in breads, crackers, cakes, grains like wheat, rye, etc. Casein is in all dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurts, etc. The short of it is that it is theorized that gluten and casein act like little opinoids (think "opiate-like") in their bodies and cause all kinds of havoc. So, you remove the gluten and casein, give the gut time to heal, and autistic symptoms lessen. That's a MAJOR oversimplification of things, but you have Google just like I do. Look at http://www.gfcfdiet.com/ or other sites and you'll get the jist of it.



All that to say, WOW! This is really, really making a difference with our sweet boy. We've removed gluten and casein from his diet and he is becoming a different boy! I am so pleased with the results we're seeing. He has much better eye contact, he is funny ON PURPOSE, he is more "with it" and engaged in conversations, he is just sorta "waking up." He's always been very high functioning, so I'd poo-pooed on the idea of going GFCF thinking that the benefits wouldn't outweigh the hassle and expense. Well, my humble pie is going down much easier to see my wonderful boy and his personality come out.



We've been doing this for about six months (since the start of the 2009-2010 school year). We have also added in giving enzymes too to help with digestion. I'm learning how to be a decent GFCF cook. We're making headway for sure. And it is worth it. I've been told that it can take 8 months to a year to see results. Well, we started seeing results just a couple of months into it. So, we are staying the course.



One of my main resources has been the book by Barrie Silberberg entitled: The Autism & ADHD Diet. (see her website at www.puttingyourkidsfirst.com for more info).

Good info. Will post an update.