ASD and Nutrition

@asdkidnutrition

Autism Spectrum Disorders, and how good nutrition can help!

17 posts

Cooking for kids with an ASD can be hard! Many new parents of caretakers may not know how to implement a gluten free casein free diet, especially since dairy and wheat are common ingredients in kid-friendly foods (think crackers and cheese). This website has some great ideas for creative, healthy, and kid-friendly foods that are also gluten free and casein free. Since ASD can cause picky eating habits, it's important to have a wide variety of choices available for kids to try. An old food served in a new, fun way can become a new favorite!

stephydyer92-deactivated2015010

Instead telling all about the negative food additives, I thought I would share some of the health benefits of spices that can be added to your everyday foods.

Cardamon - anti tumor and remove toxins, use it coffee or chai drinks

Cayenne- weight loss and improved circulation, use it in tacos,...

asdkidnutrition

I had no idea spices could have so many health benefits. You can add flavor and health at the same time!

Last week, I provided information about vegan diets are their rich nutritional components. However, we must look at both sides of the story. Therefore this week I thought I would summarize some nutrients vegans should make sure they are getting enough of!

Some shortcomings of the diets...

asdkidnutrition

Cool that you're able to show both sides, the benefits and the risks, of vegan diets. Interesting info!

stephydyer92-deactivated2015010

I have heard don’t eat or drink anything with aspartame in it but I never really knew why! I did a little research with result that are quite overwhelming.

To start aspartame was discovered by accident in the 1960’s and then became approved for good and beverages in the 1980’s. Now aspartame...

asdkidnutrition

I've always heard bad things about aspartame, but I never knew the specifics. Wow! Thanks for sharing!

Glutathione

Detoxification of the body is important for overall health! Harmful substances are primarily removed in the digestive tract and kidneys, but also through the lungs and skin. When the GI, kidneys, and lungs become overwhelmed, detoxification becomes visible through acne, eczema, and other skin conditions. Glutathione, one of the chief antioxidants for detox, is often low in children with ASDs because of their impaired ability to methylate substances within the cells. This puts children with ASDs at higher risk when exposed to environmental toxins, and often results in life-long skin conditions.

So how can we help this issue? Dietary sources can help the body to replenish its stores of glutathione, increasing the ability to detoxify the body. For example, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage all contain cyanohydroxybutene, which helps the body produce glutathione. Another substance that increases glutathione production is alpha lipoic acid, which is present in spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, and peas. For more info, check out: http://www.rheumatoid-arthritis-decisions.com/Foods-that-boost-glutathione.html

Who says Mexico was the land of tacos and burritos?

Let me teach a little something about Mexican culture. Contrary to popular belief that we are all burrito/taco/chili with beans eaters, that is HIGHLY incorrect! (In fact, we didn’t even invent Chili!) Our vast variety of gastronomy is known as the most renowned in the world, and our food has been famously stamped with the logo by many people as, "There is no other food like Mexico’s food." We have a huge variety of dishes, as many as 200 different dishes from EACH state of Mexico. We have more than 30 ways of preparing eggs, and over 450 ways to use chile in recipes! These top 10 above are my personal favorite Mexican dishes, where I will also link you the recipes to each one in English, in order! With a new movie coming out in October following Hispanic culture, and Dia De Los Muertos slowly creeping upon us, I felt it a fun idea to share these amazing delicacies with all of you!

1.) Huevos Rancheros (Rancher Eggs)

2.) Tamales

3.) Mole Con Pollo Poblano (Mole with Chicken)

4.) Chile Relleno (Stuffed Chile)

5.) Chilaquiles

6.) Pozole

7.) Enchiladas

8.) Pan Dulce (Sweet Bread; also a HUGE thing during Day of the Dead)

9.) Tostada

10.) Chile en Nogada (Chile in Nogada; a sort of walnut based cream)

Enjoy, and I hope you all learned something today!

stephydyer92-deactivated2015010

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!!

asdkidnutrition

Pretty, healthy, and delicious!

Fun + Nutrition = Healthy!

The Play to Grow program promotes fun, interactive learning, combined with a clean diet, to reduce symptoms of autism. The founder, Tali Field Berman, has been working with children with ASDs for more than 15 years, and has developed this program for teaching life skills. Kids with autism are characterized by a difficulty creating relationships and acting appropriately in social situations. According to Play to Grow, when parents and caregivers play with their children in a spontaneous but appropriate way, it can help children with an ASD to naturally learn social cues and communication. Diet also plays a major role in this program. The Body Ecology Diet promotes eating a gluten, caesin, soy, preservative, and additive-free diet full of vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. Although further research is needed on both of these topics, they have provided some fascinating anecdotal evidence of success for both cooperative play learning, as well as a natural diet free of certain proteins that may harm the sensitive guts of autistic children. Check out the full article here for more info: http://bodyecology.com/articles/play-to-grow-autism-awareness-interview-with-tali-field-berman#.VFBP6vnF_9M

sugarandspinach

Social media is everywhere. We are on it right now. Do you know how much an effect what you say and post here has? Every day millions of people are posting on tumblr, facebook, twitter, instagram…. And many of these posts are encouraging the “thin ideal”. When you post a picture of a model in a...

asdkidnutrition

Interesting point! If you search #thighgap, some truly sad posts come up, all of which could definitely influence teenage girls (and college aged girls!) to move towards the mindset of an eating disorder. Social media has such a huge impact on men and women today.

A gluten-free vegan diet has been shown to decrease symptoms and signs of rheumatoid arthritis. This sounds like a strict diet but maybe it is worth the wonderful benefits! Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes inflammation and deterioration of joints in the hands and feet; this...

asdkidnutrition

Interesting! Where did you find this study? It's very consistent with other recent research showing the anti-inflammatory effects of a plant based diet. Thanks for sharing!

Dybiosis

We've all heard of the health benefits of probiotics. Now, researching is suggesting they may have an effect on autism as well! Dybiosis is an imbalance in the bacteria in the gut. Gut bacteria are important for a number of digestive functions, but they also affect other body systems. There is current research looking at inflammatory gut bacteria, and how those inflammatory effects may also be present in the brain, affecting behavior. Individuals with an ASD have been shown to be at higher risk for Dybiosis than the average person. Behavior management is key in children with autism! Although fixing a bacterial imbalance is not a sure-fire way to decrease problem behaviors, it may help in many children. Resolving Dybiosis with probiotics is an easy and safe fix you can try at home. As always, check with a doctor before starting any supplements! Added bonus: probiotics also help relieve symptoms of constipation, which is another common problem facing children with ASD. For more info, visit: http://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2013/01/11/guidance-probiotics

sugarandspinach

Have you heard of the body project? No? Well, it’s coming to MSU.

The Body Project is the only proven therapy to decrease the occurrence of eating disorders before they occur. This is a project to challenge the thin ideal in society. Young women get together and are facilitated in discussion by...

asdkidnutrition

This is such a great program. College aged women are at much higher risk for eating disorders, and promoting a healthy body image is an important step in preventing disordered eating!

gardenjunkie99-deactivated20141

Probably a lot of people outside this class wouldn’t have any idea why someone might want to plant a garden in a hospital. They might say it’s unsanitary or not cost effective, or any other reasons. But, I say that vegetable gardens in hospitals could be one of the greatest things ever. Not only...

asdkidnutrition

This is a really cool idea! I've seen other research showing nature can help with the healing process, so it makes perfect sense to put some nature in a hospital. And, if you do it right, it can be completely sanitary!

stephydyer92-deactivated2015010

What is in our food…Do you really want to know? This movie Fed Up goes in depth about what is added to the food we purchase each and everyday. It gives a different take on the obesity epidemic by not blaming it on too little exercise. Our food system is setting up the new generation for failure as statistics suggest that 1 in 3 people will have diabetes by the age of 2050. There can be sugar in the diet that occur naturally in food like fructose (fruit) and lactose (milk) but many people consume added sugars. The most common consume of added sugars is soft drinks, candy, cookies, and fruit drinks. In these drinks many of the sugar can fall under different names then sugar. The recommended amount of sugar for men is around 9 teaspoons and around 6 teaspoons for women. Only a fraction of people in the United states are focusing on this as a problem when it should be a main focus. No food or beverage should be sold if it contain the whole or more of recommendation for daily sugar intake. To much sugar has no health benefit to it as it just stays stored in the body making for extra weight or obesity which has the potential to lead to many other health risks. Let us all take notice and make strives to change this and help others to be aware of the “sugar problem”.

asdkidnutrition

This movie looks super interesting! It's amazing how many people have no clue what goes into their food, or how many calories, sugar, etc. they are eating. Also, food additives have been correlated with some of the nutrition and digestion problems facing autistic children!

GFCF!

GI disorders are very common in children with Autisim spectrum disorders. Research shows that many autistic children digest and absorb carbohydrates differently, and may have abnormal gut bacteria. Some studies have even shown a link between GI symptoms and autism severity! It has also been proposed that abnormal levels of certain gut bacteria may create toxins that can trigger or worsen ASD, although this research is very preliminary. Discomfort and pain caused by GI symptoms can also worsen problem behaviors. Because of this range of GI difficulties, reducing GI symptoms can make a huge difference for an ASD child! Gluten-free, casein-free diets have been shown to help many autistic kids, although further research is needed before reliable conclusions can be made. Gluten can be found in grains such as barley, rye, wheat, and commercial oats. Casein, a milk protein, can be found in milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and whey. These foods can be safely avoided when implementing a GFCF diet, but a nutrition professional should be consulted before starting a child on one of these diets! GFCF can lead to deficiencies in vitamins B12 and D, calcium, and protein. The benefits of a new diet could be huge, but not if nutrition status is being compromised! For more info, visit: http://www.generationrescue.org/resources/nutrition-guide/

asdkidnutrition

It's crazy how many resources we use to raise animals! People always talk about the health benefits of vegetarianism, but being vegetarian is also more sustainable. That double cheeseburger isn't just bad for your health, it's bad for the environment!

Picky Eating

Many kids with ASD develop picky eating habits. Autism makes it more likely for kids to have cravings, refusal of new foods, specificity in textures and presentation, and disruptive behaviors during mealtime. This causes an extremely limited variety of foods in the diet, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Kids with autism tend to be very routine focused, and transitions to new things can be difficult. This makes trying new foods a big struggle! In addition, kids with ASD are much less responsive to social approval than an average child. Social cues won't help a child with ASD learn to try new things. To help a child with ASD steer away from picky eating, caretakers might have to get creative! First, allergies and food intolerances should be ruled out. Many kids with ASD may also have GI issues; if a food gave them a stomach ache in the past, a child isn't going to want to eat that again! Once GI reasons are ruled out, children should be encouraged to try new foods. Using rewards for good eating behavior is a great way to increase a child's food variety. For more ideas on decreasing picky eating, visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2012/11/09/encouraging-picky-eaters-autism-try-new-foods

The Spectrum of Nutritional Deficiencies

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect 1 out of 68 kids in the United States. And the number of diagnoses each year are growing! This could be due to higher incidence of the disorders, or to better ability to detect ASD's, but researchers can't be sure because we still aren't sure what causes autism. Vaccines have been shown NOT to be the culprit, according to many recent studies, but the search is ongoing for the real cause. Children are diagnosed with ASD based on differences in development of social and communication skills, as well as behaviors and interests. Of the three categories of ASD, Autism is the most severe. Aspergers is the mildest form of ASD, and those children are often found to have normal or above-average intelligence, although other aspects of development are still affected. The middle of the spectrum is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, which does not fit in exactly with a diagnosis of either Autism or Aspergers, but somewhere in between. Along with the intellectual differences that are a hallmark of ASD, many children on the spectrum also experience many difficulties with GI function, resulting in nutritional deficiencies.

GI problems associated with ASD include constipation,acid reflux, irregular bowel movements, stomach aches, malabsorption, and food revulsion's. Children with ASD also have a higher-than-normal incidence of Celiac, caesin intolerance, and intolerance to milk proteins. These problems often result in a decreased ability to absorb nutrients, creating a high likelihood of those with ASD developing nutritional deficiencies. Another possible cause of decreased absorption is diarrhea, which is caused by food moving too quickly through the GI system. Additionally, there is a theory that the gut bacteria is altered in some of those with ASD, and the bacteria may be stealing nutrients from the host, although this theory is still controversial. ASD is no longer believed to be a purely mental disorder: the whole body is affected, and nutrition may be able to help!

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