The Gluten-free and Casein-free (GFCF) Diet for Autistic Child
The first thing that you want to do when beginning the Gluten-free and Casein-free (GFCF) Diet is to set up a schedule, determining when you are going to eliminate groups of foods. For example, the very first week, eliminate all extra sugar. Two weeks later, slowly remove all dairy from your child’s diet. During the following week, begin removing wheat products. You want a schedule that fits your child best, and always consult with your doctor.
The GFCF Diet involves eliminating gluten and casein from your family’s diet. Gluten and casein are both naturally occurring proteins, gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye and casein is found in dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt. The diet can be used to help relieve symptoms from a variety of health issues. Many parents of Autistic children have found that the GFCF Diet has greatly improved their symptoms.
There are many great GFCF products and recipes available these days to help you get started on the GFCF Diet. There is also a wealth of information available to keep you informed. Just keep your eyes open to researches.
Removing gluten and casein from a child’s diet is not as simple as saying goodbye to milk and bread. According to Carol Ann Brannon, a nutritionist who specializes in diets for children with autism, gluten is not only ubiquitous, but may also find its way into your child’s system through the skin.
Gluten and gluten-like proteins are found in wheat and other grains, including oats, rye, barley, bulgar, durum, kamut and spelt, and foods made from those grains. They are also found in food starches, semolina, couscous, malt, some vinegars, soy sauce, flavorings, and artificial colors and hydrolyzed vegetable proteins. Casein is a protein found in milk and foods containing milk, such as cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, whey and even some brands of margarine. It also may be added to non-milk products such as soy cheese and hot dogs in the form of caseinate.
Before eliminating any foods in order to follow a GFCF diet, it is a good idea to get approval from a doctor. The physician might want to keep a close eye on the child because many important nutritional elements like calcium might be missing from the diet once milk is removed.
There are other foods that can supplement calcium, and a doctor can help with adding foods back to replace what following such a diet can miss. Vitamins and minerals are important to any eating plan, and if they are lacking, a child will suffer in other ways.
If you have children with Autism, consult your doctor today before it’s too late.
