New Year’s Resolution…do we start the diet??

A very common and popular diet used with children with autism is the Gluten-Free/Casein-Free diet (GFCF). Many times families choose to start this diet under the guidance of doctors who have worked with Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!). (Side note: Doctors who call themselves DAN doctors are licensed medical doctors who have attended DAN workshops, but there is no certification process so it’s always a good idea to conduct your own research on specific doctors).

The theory behind the GFCF diet is that people with autism metabolize gluten and casein (which are proteins found in wheat and milk products) differently which causes an excess of opiate-like substances in the body. These opiate peptide build up in the body and it is hypothesized that these chemical cross into the brain and affect brain functioning and maturation. There are many people who have seen dramatic effects from eliminating gluten and casein from their child’s diet along with adding supplements.

If you’re considering starting the GFCF diet, I strongly encourage you to consult with a physician. When beginning a diet it is always smart to remove foods systematically as to not over-stress the body. Many people worry that without wheat and milk products their diet will be bland and boring…this is definitely not the case. Although it may take some getting used to shopping and cooking differently, the food is just as tasty and actually very, very healthy. There are great product lines that make the transition easy. Also, there are recipe books specifically tailored to GFCF diets that make cooking GFCF easy…there are even recipes for chocolate chip cookies…are you ready to to start that New Year’s diet??