So you've decided to take the plunge and try the diet. Good for you! It's not an easy road ahead but with my help and your perseverance you'll be a pro in no time.
First and foremost there needs to be said a few things about cross contamination and ingredients. Whenever possible you should avoid foods that have been processed in the same facility as wheat(or any glutenous grain) until you determine how sensitive your child is. Wheat easily becomes airborne with the slightest of winds and this carries it to parts of machines that do not get washed between products and can settle during later production of gluten free foods. Some children on the spectrum are so sensitive to Gluten that they have seizures or reactions to it just by entering the grocery store or bakeries. At our house we try and verify either online through Celiac forums or by calling the company directly to check on the ingredients. Even if a box says it's Gluten free....that does not mean it's Casein and Soy free or even Gluten free for that matter. The FDA says that companies can label a product Gluten Free if it contains no more than 20 parts per million of Gluten. My son was still getting constipated until I changed the rice milk we were using. After calling the company I found out that even though it was labeled Gluten Free it was processed with Barley Malt. This process...even though they took the barley malt back out somehow before bottling...still contained less than 20 parts per million of GLUTEN. They can legally claim it's Gluten free and get away with it. So the big lesson here is make sure you source every product you'll be using for cooking and self care(shampoo, hand soaps..)Take time to visit the TACA LINK HERE and become familiar with the sneaky way food companies label and hide ingredients behind odd names like "natural flavors" or "caramel color" or "spices". Some of these contain Gluten, Casein, and Soy and most of our kids WILL react to even such small amounts. Click this link HERE to see more info on the FDA labeling law for allergen information. A good rule of thumb is to check various sources to verify whether a product or food is Gluten, Casein, and Soy free before you feed it to your child. For example I normally check the Celiac Forums HERE and type a quick search to check on Gluten contamination and I call the companies direct to inquire about ingredients as well. I check the Celiac forums because they are so sensitive to Gluten the usually react with immediate symptoms like an upset stomach with the slightest exposure to Gluten. This makes them a very reliable source to verify products with because they are so noticeably sensitive to it. Just remember to make sure it's Casein and Soy free too. Calling companies sounds like a pain but it's pretty easy and you can usually score great manufactures coupons while you're at it if you ask.
It's important not to use products like peanut butter or jam with gluten-containing bread and gluten-free bread, simultaneously. For example, you don’t want to dip a knife in the jam, spread jam on a piece of white bread, and then dip the knife back into the jam, which is also used for wheat bread. I would suggest keeping two bottles of jam; one for your GFCF child and one for other family members. You will also need a dedicated GFCFSF toaster. Some people have a hard time believing that the amount of gluten that a piece of toast would pick up in a non dedicated toaster would be enough to cause issue with any child but remember that my son any many others out there react to less than 20 Parts Per Million (PPM) of gluten. Also our DAN! doctor made sure to point out the dangers of cross contamination to us and he takes this pretty serious too.
Now that we've talked about cross contamination a bit I'd like to talk about the 10 day trial period. This would be the first 10 days of trying the diet. It's a good idea to spend a few month looking into the diet and finding replacement foods that your kiddo will eat. My son likes chicken nuggets so I tried a few recipes till I found one he'd eat. We also had to find a milk replacement. I recommend staying away from rice milk it has too much sugar and carbs and also it can contain arsenic. Sugar and carbs are yeast feeders so try almond or nut milks first. On the Biomedical Intervention page you'll learn about yeast and how it causes problems for most kids on the spectrum. See my tips page for great tips on how to deal with picky eaters. I personally recommend staying away from artificial colors and artificial sweeteners during this period as well because these ingredients intensify Autistic symptoms in many kids on the spectrum and can complicate your trial test period immensely. You'll soon find out that most processed foods will be excluded from the diet but if you start thinking about the health of your child vs. losing some convenience foods then it will be less troubling. I used to tell people "he can't eat anything!" but in reality he can eat quite a lot of foods, but just not many processed foods. Think back to what your Grandma used to cook...Meat, potatoes, and veggies right? Well usually my Gran had milk and rolls on the table too but you see what I mean? They didn't eat food from a box with three inches of ingredients and stabilizers and preservatives in it. I spend more time cooking to be sure but it's turns out it's not as big of a deal as I thought it would be in the beginning because I still approach the idea of what to make with convenience in mind. I make a bunch on the weekends and store stuff in the freezer so it's quick and convenient to feed my son. At our house we all eat separate meals for Breakfast and Lunch. My son eats GFCFSF foods in the morning and afternoon and we all eat a GFCFSF dinner together.
It's all much easier than it sounds and after a month or so it will be second nature to you. The hardest part is getting started because everything has to be checked but this blog can help you cut down your start time a bit.
This link below will take you to TACA's web page hub where they outline a 10 week plan to start the diet and from this page you can really access all kinds of help to get you started!
TACA's Getting Started Link Click Here
And here is the link to another good website where you can also find good info on getting the diet started.
Click Here
I am also personally available to any parent reading this that needs help getting started or has questions. I'd like to help make the process easier for any one else out there that wants to give it a try. I've been known to tag along on a shopping trip for advice and take calls from complete strangers looking for help. If you have questions just ask and I will help.
