Drug side effects, food side effects

I am the second eldest of eleven children.  When I was growing up, my parents mainly fed us food…unprocessed food.  I say mainly, because at one point we lived near a convenience store which made it far too convenient for me to spend my babysitting earnings on garbage food.  Hostess cherry pies were my favorite, any type of frozen novelty, artificially colored of course, Doritos, Cheetos, and the like.  I had a fairly uneventful childhood as far as my health went.  I did have pretty severe mood swings and stomach aches, but there was never any explanation given by the doctors I visited.

It has taken years of practice for me to get to where I am with my diet.  Just like anything we aspire to do or be, it takes practice.  I went from Cheetos, to eating a half bag of Pirate’s Booty…much better as far as the toxicity of the ingredients, however, still empty calories.  It took me having a son on the Autism Spectrum to really and truly change my ways for good.  I had to start looking at food as a means of fuel and energy, and not as a means of pleasure or sport.  Don’t get me wrong, food should be pleasurable, and it is, but that is relative.  There is a huge difference between savoring the intense and complex flavors in a meal made from fresh organic vegetables, grains, and meats, depending on your body’s needs.  I do firmly believe our bodies are different, and have different needs.  I do not require much meat, if any…neither does my husband or five-year-old son.  My three-year-old and sixteen-year-old do.  Different bodies, different needs.

Alright then, let me get to the drug part of this post…

I had the notion that I was allergic, or at least intolerant of apples…so I do not eat them. They make my mouth tingle and my throat feel swollen.  A few days ago, we got a new juicer.  I tried it out with an apple, celery, kale, carrot juice.  Mind you, there were about ten apples that went into the juice.  Within minutes, my throat was swelling and my chest was tight…alright.  Duly noted.  No apples for me.  Because of the severity of the reaction, I reached into the cabinet for an Allegra allergy pill and popped it.  The swelling in my throat lessened shortly thereafter…along with another surprise.  My mood turned to shit.  Because I eat so clean these days, and rarely if ever take any prescription drugs, I am able to clearly feel what is going on my body.

My kids are getting restless as I type…so let me finish.  Prescription drugs can be useful, but should not be taken lightly…they are pretty dang serious.  Some may say I am paranoid or overly sensitive in my opinions.  Was it the allergic reaction that changed my mental state?  Or the prescription drug?  My son who has ASD will become another person if he eats something that disagrees with his body.  The need for prescription drugs can, in many cases, be terminated with a proper diet.

I challenge you to pay attention.

Dr. Max Gerson and a cure for cancer

I have thought and written so much about removing the negative aspects of one’s autism spectrum disorder through diet change…but what about cancer and diet change?  A few nights ago, my husband and I stumbled upon a couple of documentaries about curing cancer, without using drugs, radiation, or chemotherapy.  I had never heard of Dr. Max Gerson, before watching the documentaries.  There were two that we saw:  “The Beautiful Truth”, and “Dying to Have Known”.  I won’t go into all the details here about these powerful and undeniably useful pieces of work…however, I will say this.

If you have cancer, or someone close to you, or even far for that matter has cancer-get this information to them.  Dr. Gerson used diet change as a cure for cancer.  He also cured his daughter of tuberculosis with diet change, as well as many other diseases.  He was poisoned with arsenic after he published his book…the funny thing, is that just now when I googled him, his website, http://www.gerson.org  has flags that pop up to tell me the website may contain malware.   Could it just be malware?  Or is it a possibility that the drug companies do not want us to know and use the simple yet effective methods outline in his therapies?  When I told my mom about what I had seen, she reminded me of a woman we knew when I was young, a woman who worked in a family butcher shop in town.  She had colon cancer, and cured herself by eating only vegetables and drinking quality water and fresh juices for six months.  She took no chemotherapy, or radiation or drugs.  Sounded like she may have found out about the Gerson therapy method.

You be the judge.  Don’t visit his website if you feel it is unsafe for your compuer…but if you have a use for changing your health, be it for cancer, autism spectrum disorder, diabetes, or any other reason…look into Dr. Max Gerson’s methods.

I just may save a life.

Parenting ain’t easy

After my last post, I realized I think I need to lighten up a bit…this parenting thing is challenging, rewarding, difficult, wonderful, painful, and allows for tremendous personal growth.  But one thing I myself need to bring back into focus, is to keep my sense of humor.  Parenting any child requires a healthy perspective if one wants to keep sane-which I really and truly do.

I just returned home from a kirtan which was held at the yoga studio in town where I attend classes…it was my first kirtan experience so I was a little uncertain at first.  What I was able to do there tonight, was sing, laugh, and let go.  All important things if I would like to be a nice mommy, which I really do indeed want.

I was talking to a woman I had just met there, and she helped put parenting as a vocation into perspective for me.  I spoke of how I found yoga when I was pregnant with Jonah, and she asked if he was my only child, to which I replied, “I have three sons.”

Her response went something like…”I was too scared to be a parent…”  My response, was that well, honestly, I am scared too.  But I am doing my best to be an example of what I would want my kids to live like when they are grown.  Some days, I feel like I am doing a really good job, some days I feel like I suck at it…but it all comes down to love, and being able to let go.

I think I am autistic

I started this blog to discuss what has worked in the healing of our son Jonah, who is on the autism spectrum…I posted one blog awhile back about how I saw so much of myself in him…I am feeling emotional today, and I would like to talk about that again.

When I was young, I struggled socially-I had difficulty in school making friends, and felt awkward and uneasy.  I had stomach pains and digestive issues that went unexplained.   I had panic attacks as a kid that continued into adulthood.  I recall eye contact being painful, and I relied heavily on my older sister to speak for me, and “assist” me in social settings.  Being the second of eleven kids, it was easy to hide, and easy to be invisible.  I recall teachers thinking I was a manipulative brat, and felt confused by their comments.  It was not until I began playing guitar as a teen that I felt as if I mattered, and that I could genuinely connect to people. 

After having Jonah, it was like a curtain had been lifted.  All of a sudden, it was an “Aha” moment-when I knew, that I was like him.

My schooling was scattered, and uneven.  I tested very high when given an IQ test in school, but I struggled to learn certain things.  As I previously wrote, I decided to do an online “unofficial” test for autism/aspergers syndrome, and well, the test said I got it…

I was relieved, and elated.  I finally felt like my entire life made sense.  All of the memories of confusion over certain things, adults being mad at me when I had no clue as to why, school issues, and so much more-it all seemed alright in a split second.

I have not gone on to get a legitimate evaluation from a doctor…I figured what was the point?  I know who I am, and why my brain works the way it does.  I feel more connected to my son, and understand him in a different way once I came to this realization…

I have said in the past that I don’t think there is anything “wrong” with autistic people of any age.  Which is funny, because I formerly held the belief that there was something wrong with me.  I do not think it is a coincidence that the universe sent my boy Jonah to be in my family, and I feel blessed for the opportunity every day.  Some days I can feel that statement more than others, but I always know the truth.

Perhaps one day I will get an evaluation from a qualified individual for the sole purpose of having a solid, unshakable reason that my brain works different, for those who may think something is “wrong” with me, or that I am weird…until then, I will trust in me, and in the universe, to know that I am made perfectly just as I am.

parenting an autistic child

Yesterday, I was on the phone with my sister who has a son on the autism spectrum…he is eleven, and in public school.  She had gone to his school to participate with him in a special event in gym class where students and parents run the track together.  He is in mainstream classes, and receives special help in addition to his regular classes.

I can relate to this, as many of us parents who are blessed to have an autistic child in their lives…yes, blessed.  But because these kids are not like the “typical” kids, they may get teased, bullied, or just left out.  That is the difficult part as a parent, but we can take action by giving our kids ample opportunities to build self-esteem.

I felt the pain in my heart when my sister told me of her experience at her son’s school, watching him trying to relate to his peers in gym class…

They acted as if he was weird and annoying…the pain of seeing this in the flesh is even more heart wrenching that having it verbalized over the phone after the fact…

He was left out, and struggles to make and maintain friendships…

He is also in the top 97% in the entire country for science…

Albert Einstein had difficulty relating to others, but he was without a doubt one of the most important figures in his field-if he was in gym class today, I am guessing he would not have fit in…

I was listening to a song off John Mayer’s album “Room For Squares” the other day, wondering if maybe he was on the spectrum…

The point of my story today is this-as a parent, it is truly painful to see your child not fit in, to be rejected, and have difficulty socially.  But realistically, in order for our atypical children to do the work they were meant to do in this world, they could not be those kinds of kids…

To me, this means, they are perfectly themselves…and perhaps the kids who rejected them on the playground or in gym class will read of their accomplishments in a publication in the future, and then it will all make sense.

Until then, let’s love and support our kids for who they are, not be sad for who they are not.

The autism spectrum, does diet actually make a difference?

So, the few days leading up to Thanksgiving, I blogged about my son Jonah who is on the autism spectrum.  He will be five in January, and he has been on a mostly gluten and casein free diet for about two years now.  On Thanksgiving, we threw caution to the wind…his cousins fed him candy, grandparents gave him cookies, we allowed him wheat bread…

Sometimes a little is alright, but how much is too much?  I have read that one gluten or dairy treat a week is alright once the body in question is well and balanced…

It can be difficult to know until the next day, or two days after…

Processing time is increased, eye contact is less, he is hyper, unfocused, and emotional.

The good thing, the great thing, is that we know that in a week, with a more rigid diet approach, he will be back to his old self, or I should say, his self of the last two years.

Does diet make a difference?  Does the sun shine?

It is difficult to not feel sometimes like am just being uptight, or too strict, or overly rigid in my beliefs…

Sometimes family members throw in their opinions, when they don’t truly know the reality.

Having a sensitive child, who may be autistic, or ADD, or ADHD, or may be without a diagnosis-but as a parent you know instinctively that your child could indeed benefit from cutting out all processed food, artificial colors, flavors, additives, wheat, dairy…

I have a boy at my house today and yesterday, who is different from the boy who was here last week…next week won’t be the same as today…we fell off the wagon, but the important thing is that he got back on, because without a shadow of a doubt, diet makes such a difference it cannot be described in words without actually seeing it.

If you are considering changing the diet of your child, do it now, and don’t delay…

If you cannot find, or cannot afford a DAN doctor, do your research and figure out on your own which supplements your child needs…

When a kid is sensitive, things like probiotics and fish or flax oil, make a HUGE difference.

Do not delay, start today, and start seeing the benefits for your child, and your entire household…

My kid won’t eat/finding a DAN doctor

I was talking to a friend yesterday, who knew what we went through with Jonah before we found a DAN doctor to help us.  She told me a story about a person she knew who has an autistic son who is four years old…she brought it up to me because she wondered if the boy she spoke of was in my son Jonah’s class at school.

When Jonah first started the program at his school, he did not talk, and at his initial screening, all he did was scream and throw things.  He started out in a small class of six kids, and was a far cry in development from where he is now.  I do not attribute his progress to chance or prayers, although I prayed a lot…

We found a DAN doctor, who helped him to heal.  On the website for Generation Rescue, the group that Jenny McCarthy is an advocate for, I read an article.  In it, they spoke of how the American Academy of Pediatrics has now stated as a fact that autism is tied to gastrointestinal disorders…

Back to the four year old boy I mentioned…he only eats ice cream sandwiches.  Maybe he eats two a day, maybe one, but that is all he eats…

My son spent time in the same class as the boy who is not being treated for his autistic symptoms…

My son is now in a different class.  He is no better than the other boy, and maybe different in a lot of ways, but the same in others…

My son is in a mixed class of sixteen kids now…he talks, and asks for what he needs.  He has friends at school, and talks with them…his gastrointestinal issues are under control, and his stomach is healed through the manageable treatments and diet the doctor gave us…

It is painful, confusing, scary, and so much more to have a child who is not like other kids, who can not communicate verbally, and won’t eat.  My son was drinking a quart of milk and living on cheddar crackers and bacon…

The point I want to make, is that there is hope for change, and hope for healing and progress…there are doctors, support groups, and individuals who care about your child getting better.

Jenny McCarthy’s son lost his autism diagnosis…my son is recovered…there are many stories of hope, if we do the best we can.  I want to urge parents who have a child on the autism spectrum to push themselves to do things that are hard…we are not perfect-but sometimes there is a small voice inside we are not listening to.  A voice that says you can do more…that as a parent self control must be learned in order to pass on the benefits to your child.  It was a lot easier to let my son live on crackers and bacon and his quart of milk.  I had to learn self control to give him a different diet, and in turn, a different life.

Special diets, and holiday eating

Life is about balance…and that is also true with a special diet.  My boy Jonah will be allowed to eat some things during the holidays that we generally avoid…and there is a way to balance it out so that good health is not lost. 

A few things that can be done to offset falling off the diet wagon-

Digestive enzymes are so important…they help the body to process and digest things that can be difficult for some.  Wheat and dairy are difficult for him, and the enzymes help.

Enzymedica is a good brand, and can be found all over in stores and online.  I buy DIGEST SPECTRUM from Enzymedica…since he is four and does not swallow capsules yet, I open one up, and mix it with a little bit of juice, and he can take it in one gulp.  This helps TREMENDOUSLY to keep his digestion on track-he is easily constipated and bloated.  Probiotics also can be added if you are not doing cultured vegetables-I put a capsule in with his enzymes.  

Eating vegetables, cultured ideally, will help the body stay balanced and alkaline, instead of going completely acidic, which can cause various health and behavioral issues.

Drinking plenty of water and getting exercise will also help aid the body in flushing out the delicious indulgences of the special meals…

And getting back to the regular diet Friday, until next time, to rebuild the body’s defenses…

 

 

Gluten and casein free diet, and emotions

For the most part, since we changed our son’s diet, I have gone on the same diet…it will be two years in December that we took wheat and dairy out of his diet.  We had already chosen foods that did not have artificial colors and preservatives, so it was not as extreme for us as it is for some families.

Other than noticing drastic behavior changes for the better, I have also become markedly aware of the huge association between food and emotions.  Love, giving, togetherness, friends, parties, celebrations, all have that in common.  When we are at home, and we only have what we have, it is easy…

The last few weeks, I have grown guilty when I blog here-because I fell off the wagon…I have slowly allowed my boy to have a little wheat here, a little cheese there, if at a party or holiday event, or a special occasion at school.  In the last two years I have been able to see the impact of diet on our son.  It is so blatantly obvious, it is silly-I read somewhere, I believe in Jenny McCarthy’s second book on autism, that once a child is balanced and healthy, he or she can tolerate one gluten or dairy treat a week…

Here is where my self control comes in…this journey has taught me so much as a mother, and a person.  I do not feel it is in vain, but all part of my experience as a parent and adult. To learn self control for myself, to not get emotional, but make the right choice for my son’s body, and not the thoughts in my head that say he is “missing out” on fun and love because he is not eating the bright blue cupcakes at a party.  It sounds silly when I type it, but yes, I do realize if I am honest with myself that I associate being a good mom with allowing him to eat what makes him feel happy, and makes him feel part of the group.

But as a kid with digestive and behavior issues myself, I have adopted his diet, and seen amazing changes in my own life.  So just like any other thing that is difficult, I take it one day at a time, one school party at a time, and do my best.

flu shot and pregnancy

I read an article a few days ago about pregnancy and the flu shot, and I want to discuss that briefly.  It was in regards to pregnancy, and the chances of having an autistic baby.

The article stated that the incidence of a pregnant woman having a baby on the autism spectrum  was much higher if she did not have the flu shot, or more specifically, if she was sick and took antibiotics during pregnancy.  In my research in the beginning of the healing process of my boy Jonah, I came across a doctor and read her reports and findings on autism.  She is a doctor who has an autistic son, and that is what prompted her work with autism.

She states that one thing in common among pregnant women with an autistic fetus is that the pregnant women have a yeast infection sometime during pregnancy.

I was interested by this theory of the body being out of balance, of a pregnant woman having a yeast infection during pregnancy and then having a baby on the autism spectrum, because it was true for me…when I asked other moms I knew, I heard the same thing more than a few times.  Pregnant moms who gave birth to a baby on the autism spectrum had a yeast infection during pregnancy.

Antibiotics give me a yeast infection, and that is true for many, many women.

I am not suggesting if you get a yeast infection, your baby is going to “turn” autistic in your belly, because, isn’t this a genetic thing?  Not something that will change halfway through gestation?  I know there are varied reasons for getting the flu shot…one mom I know who had the flu shot during pregnancy and ended up having a son who is “on the spectrum”, later found out her son is allergic to eggs-which is something about the flu shot-it should not be given to those allergic to eggs.  So she lives with the guilt that it may be her fault.

But that brings me back to the place I was last time I wrote…

There is nothing to be sad about, having a child on the spectrum…in my expert opinion, as a mom of a boy who is on the autism spectrum, it is so strange to think of him being different.  There is all this talk and writing about “curing” autism, but that is very odd when I sit and think about that.  Because we did a biomedical intervention with our son, I can say, he is the same person he was before, but now he is healthy.  To get a person healthy physically, to help them live in optimal functionality, is not the same as curing them of who they are.

In regards to getting the flu shot during pregnancy, I believe one must listen to their gut, that voice inside that tells you the right choice to make.  I heard that voice when I was taking my son in for his MMR shot…the voice said no, but the fear of being a bad mom, not immunizing, well, that got to me.  Then he had a reaction to the MMR shot.

I don’t want to get too far off here…but I do want to say that in regards to all that we read, and the fear that is instilled in pregnant women to not do anything to “risk autism”…well, let us act on our instincts.