I recently read this post from Holly Robinson Peete on a segment done by the Today show on Autism Recovery: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/holly-robinson-peete/autism-recovery-pediatric_b_191152.html . I can so identify with what Ms. Peete has to say about the response from traditional pediatricians to treating Autism with anything other than behavioral therapy. I am met with the same resistance and reluctance by my family doctor.
My doctor has seen the tremendous different that diet and supplements have made in Doodle's life, yet she refuses to acknowledge that the diet had any effect on her behavior. It's maddening! I met the same reluctance the first year Doodle was in pre-school. Her special ed teacher and therapists nodded their head as I described the differences that I was seeing in Doodle's cognitive reasoning, limiting repetitive behavior, and improved eye contact. Because she still had tremendous attention issues and difficulty conducting conversations with children in her class, I felt like my observations were dismissed. It wasn't until she returned to pre-school in the fall, a transformed child, that the teachers and therapists started to pay attention. She was a different kid! The difference? Vitamin D added to her diet and supplement regimen. There was such a tremendous difference that they couldn't help but agree that she had changed - she wasn't the same child they had seen just 4 months earlier.
Now, her doctor and teachers say they don't see Autistic tendencies in her any longer. Sure, she still needs help with her physical coordination and paying attention, but she's in the top of her class for reading and writing. She maintains friendships at school and at home. The best part is I can ask her how her day was at school and she can describe the day in detail to me - usually putting it into context. I'm thrilled at her progress. I'm thrilled that she is full of possibilities and less about limitations.
For all those parents out there struggling with whether or not to try the diet/supplements on their children, take the plunge. Not every child is "recovered" like my Doodle, but you don't know if your child will recover unless you give it your all. Commit to the change. Have patience for the results. Believe there is help and hope. If I can do it, so can you.
If you ever get the chance to watch the HBO film "Temple Grandin" I would highly recommend it.I love what her mother used to say about Temple and Autism: Different, not less. Being different then the other kids does not make my child less - she has a gift to offer the world and it's my duty as her mother that she has every opportunity to use that gift in life. That's my gift to her. I love you Doodle!
If you've had success with the GF DF diet and autism, drop me a line, I'd love to hear about it.
Showing posts with label autism recovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autism recovery. Show all posts
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Doodle-Snickers
Aka - Snicker-doodle's are the cookie of the week. The dough is upstairs cooling in the fridge before I throw them in the oven. Incredibly easy to make, I'm looking forward to trying this favorite childhood treat in a gluten free version. Here's the recipe:
Doodle-Snickers
1 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cub Agave Nectar
(or to taste)
2 Eggs
2 T Vanilla
1 T 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
2 tsp Baking Soda
3 Cups GF Flour
(I used 2 cups Sweet Rice Flour
and 1 Cup All Purpose GF Flour)
2 tsp Xanthan Gum
Cinnamon and Sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix shortening, sugar, brown sugar, agave nectar and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in eggs.
3. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, xanthan gum in a bowl.
4. Add flour mixture to shortening mixture. Beat until combined.
5. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to 30 minutes.
6. Roll dough into small balls and roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on cookie pan and bake 8-10 minutes.
7. Cool on pan slightly and remove to cooling racks.
On another note, I continue to be amazed at Doodle's progress. Reading books last night, Doodle is starting to be able to read a few words herself! She is also able to do simple math problems - and she has yet to start kindergarten! I'm hopeful kindergarten will be a smooth transition for her.
Doodle-Snickers
1 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cub Agave Nectar
(or to taste)2 Eggs
2 T Vanilla
1 T 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
2 tsp Baking Soda
3 Cups GF Flour
(I used 2 cups Sweet Rice Flour and 1 Cup All Purpose GF Flour)2 tsp Xanthan Gum
Cinnamon and Sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix shortening, sugar, brown sugar, agave nectar and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in eggs.
3. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, xanthan gum in a bowl.
4. Add flour mixture to shortening mixture. Beat until combined.
5. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to 30 minutes.
6. Roll dough into small balls and roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on cookie pan and bake 8-10 minutes.
7. Cool on pan slightly and remove to cooling racks.
On another note, I continue to be amazed at Doodle's progress. Reading books last night, Doodle is starting to be able to read a few words herself! She is also able to do simple math problems - and she has yet to start kindergarten! I'm hopeful kindergarten will be a smooth transition for her.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Strawberry Ice Cream
Ok- so life is super busy this spring time. I'm so enjoying the early spring that has arrived in Minnesota this year. It's such a rare treat, that I haven't spent much time thinking about this blog. Well, today is rainy, cold and pretty dreary, so I thought I would catch up.
First, we had an awesome IEP conference with Doodle's Special Ed team. I'm happy to report that she will not need OT and Speech Therapy next year (but am appreciative of all of their help the past 2 years!). She will continue with limited special ed intervention next year and physical therapy 1 day a week. I'm so pleased with her progress!
As I mentioned the other day, we made the best dairy free strawberry ice cream. It was rich, creamy, and tasted just like the real thing. Here's the recipe:
Strawberry Ice Cream
3 Cups Coffee Rich Non-Dairy Creamer
1 small package Rich Whip
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/8 tsp Xanthan Gum
3 Cups Strawberries - sliced
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1/2 Cup Sugar
1. Add Sugar and Agave Nectar to the sliced strawberries. Macerate for 1-2 hours.
2. In the mean time, combine Non-Dairy Creamer, Rich Whip, Sugar, and Xanthan Gum in bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Mash strawberries and drain juice into cream mixture. Set aside strawberries
4. Place in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instruction.
5. About 5 minutes before ice cream is complete, add in strawberry mixture. Once complete, remove from bowl and freeze for 2 hours.
6. Let thaw slightly before serving - enjoy!
On a final note, I was very brave this week and asked the food company I work for if they were considering developing any Gluten Free products. To my surprise, the CEO admitted they were behind the times on these products! I volunteered to talk with the marketing organization about my experience. We'll see if it helps them understand the need for natural, allergy friendly foods! Keep your fingers crossed!
First, we had an awesome IEP conference with Doodle's Special Ed team. I'm happy to report that she will not need OT and Speech Therapy next year (but am appreciative of all of their help the past 2 years!). She will continue with limited special ed intervention next year and physical therapy 1 day a week. I'm so pleased with her progress!
As I mentioned the other day, we made the best dairy free strawberry ice cream. It was rich, creamy, and tasted just like the real thing. Here's the recipe:
Strawberry Ice Cream
3 Cups Coffee Rich Non-Dairy Creamer
1 small package Rich Whip
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/8 tsp Xanthan Gum
3 Cups Strawberries - sliced
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1/2 Cup Sugar
1. Add Sugar and Agave Nectar to the sliced strawberries. Macerate for 1-2 hours.
2. In the mean time, combine Non-Dairy Creamer, Rich Whip, Sugar, and Xanthan Gum in bowl and mix thoroughly.
3. Mash strawberries and drain juice into cream mixture. Set aside strawberries
4. Place in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instruction.
5. About 5 minutes before ice cream is complete, add in strawberry mixture. Once complete, remove from bowl and freeze for 2 hours.
6. Let thaw slightly before serving - enjoy!
On a final note, I was very brave this week and asked the food company I work for if they were considering developing any Gluten Free products. To my surprise, the CEO admitted they were behind the times on these products! I volunteered to talk with the marketing organization about my experience. We'll see if it helps them understand the need for natural, allergy friendly foods! Keep your fingers crossed!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Kindergarten Transition Day
Doodle had Kindergarten Transition Day today. Her entire pre-school class (and parents) were able to experience kindergarten by attending a half day with an actual kindergarten class. We all met in the cafeteria, the pre-schoolers were divided up into 2 groups and we had a tour of the school. One group went to one classroom and Doodle got to attend Ms. Davidson's class. The parents stood on the side lines and watched as their children participated. I was particularily proud as I watched Doodle manuever her own scissors during the art project portion of the day. Six months ago this would have been an impossible feat for her, instead she followed instructions, sat nicely in her seat, listened careully, and made me a beautiful picture of a cow jumping over the moon!
The best part of the day for me came while we were playing out on the play ground. Her teacher pulled me aside to comment how far she has come. She remarked that she had been her substitute teacher several times last year and saw how she was (basically in her own world, un-social, poor eye contact, unable to follow directions, and unable to focus for any length of time.) She stated she was surprised how far she had come in that one short year and "If you had told me a year ago that diet had an impact on developmental delays, I would never have believed you. It's a great testament to you as a parent." Thank you for the validation, kind words, and for acknowledging the TREMENDOUS impact that diet has on all of us! Well said.
The best part of the day for me came while we were playing out on the play ground. Her teacher pulled me aside to comment how far she has come. She remarked that she had been her substitute teacher several times last year and saw how she was (basically in her own world, un-social, poor eye contact, unable to follow directions, and unable to focus for any length of time.) She stated she was surprised how far she had come in that one short year and "If you had told me a year ago that diet had an impact on developmental delays, I would never have believed you. It's a great testament to you as a parent." Thank you for the validation, kind words, and for acknowledging the TREMENDOUS impact that diet has on all of us! Well said.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
I received the following update from Doodle's occupational therapist yesterday and was so excited I just had to share. 'Doodle continues to make great progress. She is attending much better. She is no longer needing to use the weighted vest to pay attention and I rarely have to give her cues to attend. She is able to pick up a scissors and cut around patterns. She's doing great!' I am so thrilled that Doodle is having a better time paying attention. What the OT didn't know is that I recently added back in 3 vitamins that I had taken her off of over the past year - zinc, vitamin A, and a probiotic. Clearly, the added vitamins are paying off in Doodle's ability to pay attention. I'll stick with this regimen.
On another note, seems spring has arrived early in MN and we are enjoying temperatures in the 70's this week. How fabulous! I pulled out the grill tonight and made our favorite chicken for dinner. It's a simple recipe and easy to grill up no a week night.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
4 drumsticks
4 thighs
1/4 cup soy sauce - gluten free
3 T honey
1 1/2 T Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
2 T Olive Oil
1. Combine chicken with the soy sauce, honey, seasoning, and olive oil in a resealable bag. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from bag and place on warm grill.
3. Cook for 30 minutes - rotating frequently - or until chicken is cooked through
We love to serve this with corn on the cob and potatoe salad during the summer. Nothing like some great chicken and corn on the cob to get summer off to a great start (or spring for that matter)!
On another note, seems spring has arrived early in MN and we are enjoying temperatures in the 70's this week. How fabulous! I pulled out the grill tonight and made our favorite chicken for dinner. It's a simple recipe and easy to grill up no a week night.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
4 drumsticks
4 thighs
1/4 cup soy sauce - gluten free
3 T honey
1 1/2 T Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
2 T Olive Oil
1. Combine chicken with the soy sauce, honey, seasoning, and olive oil in a resealable bag. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from bag and place on warm grill.
3. Cook for 30 minutes - rotating frequently - or until chicken is cooked through
We love to serve this with corn on the cob and potatoe salad during the summer. Nothing like some great chicken and corn on the cob to get summer off to a great start (or spring for that matter)!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The journey of a thousand miles....
The saying goes that a journey of a thousands miles begins with a single step. The road to recovering a child from Autism is a long, challenging, and rewarding journey. The best way to begin that journey, I tell people, is with a single step. Start slow and easy - don't try to tackle too much at once. There are several reasons for that:
1. It's too overwhelming to do everything at once and you can become easily discouraged.
2. It's best to try one thing at a time so that you can know for certain if what you are doing is working. If you do everything at once, you don't know what is causing improvement and what isn't.
3. The changes can be a hard adjustment for the child - changing over time gives the child time to adjust before something new is introduced.
When we suspected Doodle had Autism, we took a series of steps to start her on her recovery. First and foremost, I saw my doctor. I told her what I was planning on doing and asked her some questions. This was difficult, as most traditional doctors don't believe that changing a child's diet will do any good. I was prepared for this challenge and told my doctor I was going to do it anyway. Eventually, she came around.
Second, I did my research. I read many blogs, books, and cookbooks to find out everything I could about recovering my child from Autism. These resources I found the most helpful:
We went a month being dairy free before we took our next step - going gluten free. So many people think this would be a difficult transition, but it really wasn't. We quickly learned how to substitute GF flour for regular flour and I started to experiment with different recipes. Doodle and I enjoy cooking treats for the week every Sunday. It's become a weekly ritual - mostly because Doodle loves to lick the bowl and sneak sugar here and there!
We didn't see immediate improvement after removing the gluten, but it takes 6 months to a year for gluten to completely be removed from your system. We had some tough moments the first year when others weren't recognizing the results that we were seeing. I felt very frustrated but we knew we needed to be persistent as the diet was making improvements. She was coming out of her shell, back into the real world.
Next I started to introduce vitamins. See my post on the vitamins we use. I made sure that we only introduced one vitamin at a time, so that we could measure the effect. If there wasn't improvement over time, we stopped using the vitamin. Each child is different and the combination of supplements necessary to recover a child is as unique as the child themselves. For us, the key vitamins are Vitamin D, a Multi-Vitamin, 2 forms of Essential Fatty Acid, Zinc, and a Pro-Biotic. The Vitamin D addition was the key turning point in Doodle's recovery - it completely transformed her!
Finally, I went all natural! I removed all of the harsh cleaning agents in our house and replaced them with more environmentally friendly products. Fortunately, there are many of these products to choose from now. I noticed a significant different in Doodle's tantrum's once we removed the harsh cleaners - the number of tantrum's significantly reduced once I changed to natural cleaners. Our favorite is Green Works All Purpose Cleaner because it is available in most stores (which is important when you live in the middle of nowhere!)
All of this work paid off this past November when Doodle had her conferences at school. Her OT, PT, Speech Therapist, and Special Ed teacher were astounded at the progress she had made over the summer. Doodle had just started OT services at the beginning of the year. The OT commented that she thought she had her work cut out for her before the school year started, but was so surprised that she hasn't had to do much with Doodle at all because she has come so far. The speech therapist stated that Doodle's autism symptoms had "disappeared" and was recommending that she would not need speech therapy the next year. In fact, she more than likely will not need any kind of special ed services next year. What wonderful news!!! My husband and I were thrilled and so happy that we have stuck with the diet, even when others told us it wouldn't make a difference. I'm thankful that I didn't listen and stayed true to my beliefs that Doodle was so much more than a diagnosis and so much bigger than an Autism label.
The journey certainly is not complete. My new mission is to work on the ADHD symptoms that persist. We'll continue to tweak her diet and supplements to find out what works best for Doodle until this diagnosis disappears as well.
1. It's too overwhelming to do everything at once and you can become easily discouraged.
2. It's best to try one thing at a time so that you can know for certain if what you are doing is working. If you do everything at once, you don't know what is causing improvement and what isn't.
3. The changes can be a hard adjustment for the child - changing over time gives the child time to adjust before something new is introduced.
When we suspected Doodle had Autism, we took a series of steps to start her on her recovery. First and foremost, I saw my doctor. I told her what I was planning on doing and asked her some questions. This was difficult, as most traditional doctors don't believe that changing a child's diet will do any good. I was prepared for this challenge and told my doctor I was going to do it anyway. Eventually, she came around.
Second, I did my research. I read many blogs, books, and cookbooks to find out everything I could about recovering my child from Autism. These resources I found the most helpful:
- Karyn Seroussi's Book - Unraveling the mystery of Autism and Pervasive Development Disorder
- Autism Network for Dietary Intervention - also by Karyn Seroussi
- The Kid Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook
- by Pamela Compart and Dana Laake - this cookbook has a great introduction on how to get started on the diet which I read daily when I was getting started.
- Kirkman Laboratories - for their allergy friendly vitamins
- Jenny McCarthy's Generation Rescue website - This is a good resource, although I feel it is too focused on vaccines as the cause of Autism. It's not my view that Autism is caused by vaccines.
- The help of a good nutritionist - not easy to find, as a few of the nutritionists I found were not on board with trying diet to recover an autistic child. I was fortunate to have a sister-in-law in North Carolina who is a nutritionist - I bounced idea's off of her and asked advice on supplements to try.
- Whattofeedyourkids blog - this mom has similar views as I do on recovering children from autism - having 2 kids with special needs, she's been through it all.
We went a month being dairy free before we took our next step - going gluten free. So many people think this would be a difficult transition, but it really wasn't. We quickly learned how to substitute GF flour for regular flour and I started to experiment with different recipes. Doodle and I enjoy cooking treats for the week every Sunday. It's become a weekly ritual - mostly because Doodle loves to lick the bowl and sneak sugar here and there!
We didn't see immediate improvement after removing the gluten, but it takes 6 months to a year for gluten to completely be removed from your system. We had some tough moments the first year when others weren't recognizing the results that we were seeing. I felt very frustrated but we knew we needed to be persistent as the diet was making improvements. She was coming out of her shell, back into the real world.
Next I started to introduce vitamins. See my post on the vitamins we use. I made sure that we only introduced one vitamin at a time, so that we could measure the effect. If there wasn't improvement over time, we stopped using the vitamin. Each child is different and the combination of supplements necessary to recover a child is as unique as the child themselves. For us, the key vitamins are Vitamin D, a Multi-Vitamin, 2 forms of Essential Fatty Acid, Zinc, and a Pro-Biotic. The Vitamin D addition was the key turning point in Doodle's recovery - it completely transformed her!
Finally, I went all natural! I removed all of the harsh cleaning agents in our house and replaced them with more environmentally friendly products. Fortunately, there are many of these products to choose from now. I noticed a significant different in Doodle's tantrum's once we removed the harsh cleaners - the number of tantrum's significantly reduced once I changed to natural cleaners. Our favorite is Green Works All Purpose Cleaner because it is available in most stores (which is important when you live in the middle of nowhere!)
All of this work paid off this past November when Doodle had her conferences at school. Her OT, PT, Speech Therapist, and Special Ed teacher were astounded at the progress she had made over the summer. Doodle had just started OT services at the beginning of the year. The OT commented that she thought she had her work cut out for her before the school year started, but was so surprised that she hasn't had to do much with Doodle at all because she has come so far. The speech therapist stated that Doodle's autism symptoms had "disappeared" and was recommending that she would not need speech therapy the next year. In fact, she more than likely will not need any kind of special ed services next year. What wonderful news!!! My husband and I were thrilled and so happy that we have stuck with the diet, even when others told us it wouldn't make a difference. I'm thankful that I didn't listen and stayed true to my beliefs that Doodle was so much more than a diagnosis and so much bigger than an Autism label.
The journey certainly is not complete. My new mission is to work on the ADHD symptoms that persist. We'll continue to tweak her diet and supplements to find out what works best for Doodle until this diagnosis disappears as well.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Doodle's Autism Journey
As 2009 comes to a close, it's a good time to stop and reflect on the incredible progress Doodle has made this year. She's come such a long way in a short amount of time! I was thinking this evening about the journey we have made since discovering Doodle had autism and thought I'd take the time to post a few thoughts about our journey in the coming weeks.
A typical day back then consisted of the following:
Wake Doodle up at 7:00 and try to get her ready for daycare. Most days this usually involved one of us crying before ever arriving at daycare (sometimes both of us). Picking her up from daycare resulted in a knock-down, drag-out Meltdown that could easily last 2-3 hours. I'm not talking the kind of tantrum an ordinary kid throws to get their way, either. I'm talking about high pitched screaming and crying for hours on end and nothing will console Doodle. I'm talking about Doodle getting so mad she would go somewhere in the house and pee all over the floor (ew!). I'm talking kicking and screaming so intense that you will walk away bruised and beaten if you get anywhere near her. I once naively thought that a friend of mine's daughter was too spoiled because she would throw tantrums in public. Boy, was I wrong! Payback's a bitch!
When Doodle wasn't throwing a tantrum, she would often wander through the house repeating random phrases. Holding a conversation with her was often like listening to random soundbites on the radio - nothing really connecting any two thoughts together. Phrases like "I'm going to Valleyfair." would follow "Emily has an orange ball." over and over again.
I often had the feeling that Doodle didn't understand what I was saying to her. I would constantly have to say "Doodle stop. Look at me. Where's my eyes?" to get her to listen long enough to hear what I was saying. When she looked at me, she would immediately avert her eyes, point at me, and say "Dun, Dunh."
At pre-school, Doodle had a difficult time talking with other kids. She had no idea how to initiate a conversation with another child, let alone play with them. She had one close friend from daycare that she could interact with, but other than that, she had a hard time initiating play. She preferred to speak with adults and they commented that her conversations were always off topic. People often commented that she was lost in her own world.
Finally, Doodle lacked focus. She could not ever sit through an entire meal at dinner. She could not focus long enough to write many of her letters at school. She couldn't focus long enough to use a scissors to cut a straight line across a piece of paper.
Yet she had an extremely vivid imagination - something that always amazed me. You could tell in her world things fit together differently - yet they were amazingly beautiful to her. She saw things differently than most of us - saw the little details that we so often miss. I always pictured it as if she had a bubble around her playing fantastic movies all day long that she was enraptured by. Occasionally, those of us on the outside would get a brief glimpse into her world to enjoy the magic.
That's how I will always want to remember Doodle's autism. A gift sent to us to treasure and cherish - teach us about our ability to restore, recover, and create our own magic. I will always be thankful for that.
A typical day back then consisted of the following:
Wake Doodle up at 7:00 and try to get her ready for daycare. Most days this usually involved one of us crying before ever arriving at daycare (sometimes both of us). Picking her up from daycare resulted in a knock-down, drag-out Meltdown that could easily last 2-3 hours. I'm not talking the kind of tantrum an ordinary kid throws to get their way, either. I'm talking about high pitched screaming and crying for hours on end and nothing will console Doodle. I'm talking about Doodle getting so mad she would go somewhere in the house and pee all over the floor (ew!). I'm talking kicking and screaming so intense that you will walk away bruised and beaten if you get anywhere near her. I once naively thought that a friend of mine's daughter was too spoiled because she would throw tantrums in public. Boy, was I wrong! Payback's a bitch!
When Doodle wasn't throwing a tantrum, she would often wander through the house repeating random phrases. Holding a conversation with her was often like listening to random soundbites on the radio - nothing really connecting any two thoughts together. Phrases like "I'm going to Valleyfair." would follow "Emily has an orange ball." over and over again.
I often had the feeling that Doodle didn't understand what I was saying to her. I would constantly have to say "Doodle stop. Look at me. Where's my eyes?" to get her to listen long enough to hear what I was saying. When she looked at me, she would immediately avert her eyes, point at me, and say "Dun, Dunh."
At pre-school, Doodle had a difficult time talking with other kids. She had no idea how to initiate a conversation with another child, let alone play with them. She had one close friend from daycare that she could interact with, but other than that, she had a hard time initiating play. She preferred to speak with adults and they commented that her conversations were always off topic. People often commented that she was lost in her own world.
Finally, Doodle lacked focus. She could not ever sit through an entire meal at dinner. She could not focus long enough to write many of her letters at school. She couldn't focus long enough to use a scissors to cut a straight line across a piece of paper.
Yet she had an extremely vivid imagination - something that always amazed me. You could tell in her world things fit together differently - yet they were amazingly beautiful to her. She saw things differently than most of us - saw the little details that we so often miss. I always pictured it as if she had a bubble around her playing fantastic movies all day long that she was enraptured by. Occasionally, those of us on the outside would get a brief glimpse into her world to enjoy the magic.
That's how I will always want to remember Doodle's autism. A gift sent to us to treasure and cherish - teach us about our ability to restore, recover, and create our own magic. I will always be thankful for that.
Monday, October 5, 2009
GF Chicken Nuggets
One of the foods Doodle used to eat regularly was chicken nuggets, chicken fries, and chicken strips. Since we have gone gluten free, she has had to give that up. Until now! I have finally found a decent way to make gluten free chicken nuggets that can be done with not a lot of effort. I adapted this recipe from the August issue of Cuisine at Home (my favorite cooking magazine.) The version to the left is actually made with Pork, but tastes equally as good with chicken.
Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets
1/2 to 3/4 cup GF All Purpose Flour
2 eggs
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 to 3/4 cup GF bread crumbs
2 thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts - sliced lengthwise in half
salt/pepper to taste
4 - 8 Tbsp Olive Oil
1. Whisk together eggs and dijon mustard in a small bowl.
2. On a large plate, pour GF all purpose flour. On a separate plate, pour the GF bread crumbs.
3. Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. With a mallet pound down the chicken breasts until about 1/8 inch thick. Salt & pepper the chicken breasts.
4. Dredge each chicken breast in the flour, then dip in egg mixture. Finally coat in GF bread crumbs.
5. In large frying pan heat olive oil. Once hot, place chicken in olive oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, turning as necessary.
6. Cut chicken into strips and serve.
Doodle especially likes this dish when I serve the nuggets with Honey as a dipping sauce. Pictured above I served the nuggets with my yellow rice and sauteed asparagus.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Such a simple thing...
I'm sitting in our office/toy room posting on my Facebook account, when I look over to find Doodle drawing a picture and writing some words. I am amazed and surprised that she has just spelled the word 'Foot' all by herself - no help from Mom! The letters are formed perfectly and in exactly the right order next to each other on the paper. This seemingly small achievement for most 5 years old is monumental in our house. Just 3 months ago, we could barely get Doodle to consistently form letters - let alone in a straight line and in a coherent word.
What is the big difference? School would tell you all of the work they do with her - physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy. These things are helpful, but she's only been back in school for 2 weeks and she has made tremendous progress over the summer - more than all of school year put together last year. The difference, I have discovered, is the extra Vitamin D she started taking in June of this year. Clerks in the store comment how much more verbal she is. Sunday School teachers make the same comment. Daycare comments that she initiates play with other children now - something she had never done before and certainly something most autistic children avoid. Her attention span has dramatically increased - something I wasn't sure we would ever get under control without medication. Vitamin D has made all the difference.
Doodle's vitamin regimen is as follows:
L'il Critters Gummi Vites
L'il Critters Omega 3
L'il Critters Vitamin D
Nordic Naturals Children's DHA (for a small amount of additional Vitamin A)
Kirkman Labs Zinc Sulfate Topical Cream (Zinc is needed for your body to retain vitamins - plus it helps during the long, cold midwest winters to keep Doodle healthy)
Kirkman Labs Probiotic
I've tried other vitamin combination's - B/12 Magnesium vitamin, added Epsom Salt to her bath for additional magnesium, and a liquid vitamin with extra B6. None of these vitamins seemed to make a difference for Doodle, so I have stopped using them. I typically introduce one new vitamin at a time and watch for a difference in behavior. I started simple with Zinc lotion and the Gummi Vites. I then added the Omega 3 vitamins and noticed an increase in verbal ability. I then tried the B/12 Magnesium combination - which didn't make a difference for Doodle. I then added the Nordic Naturals and again noticed an increase in verbal ability. Finally this summer I added the vitamin D and that is when things really turned a corner.
I would recommend checking with your doctor before starting any vitamin regimen. I have done most of the research and work myself - checking with my sister-in-law who has a master's degree in nutrition. There is a lack of decent medical doctors in the rural area that I live - let alone a doctor that would believe that diet makes a difference. I tried a child nutritionist who is 60 miles away and walked out of the appointment completely exasperated, frustrated, and crying. I vowed to figure it out myself through patience, research, and trial. This approach has worked for me, but if you have the resource available near you, please use them.
I may be optimistic, but I am hopeful by next year when she starts Kindergarten she will need minimal services at school and will be nearly recovered.
My health insurance company recently sent a newsletter which contained some common questions about Autism in it. One of the questions "What are some myths about Autism?" Their answer: "Some parents believe that changing a child's diet can help autistic children. While it can't hurt to change a child's diet, there is no proof that it helps." I'm here to tell them they are just plain wrong. I have living proof in my home that diet and supplements make a world of difference! It's frustrating that a large insurance company would publish such unsubstantiated remarks. The fact is, there have been relatively few studies on the impact of diet on Autism - so to claim there is no proof, is misleading. There is no proof because you have never funded a study. My life and Doodle's life have been made infinitely better by a simple change in diet. I would never go back.
So, to all of those nay-sayers and skeptics, I say "Phooey to you!" I'm going to keep on doing my best to recover Doodle - with or without you. I know what's made a difference and that is all that matters.
What is the big difference? School would tell you all of the work they do with her - physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy. These things are helpful, but she's only been back in school for 2 weeks and she has made tremendous progress over the summer - more than all of school year put together last year. The difference, I have discovered, is the extra Vitamin D she started taking in June of this year. Clerks in the store comment how much more verbal she is. Sunday School teachers make the same comment. Daycare comments that she initiates play with other children now - something she had never done before and certainly something most autistic children avoid. Her attention span has dramatically increased - something I wasn't sure we would ever get under control without medication. Vitamin D has made all the difference.
Doodle's vitamin regimen is as follows:
L'il Critters Gummi Vites
L'il Critters Omega 3
L'il Critters Vitamin D
Nordic Naturals Children's DHA (for a small amount of additional Vitamin A)
Kirkman Labs Zinc Sulfate Topical Cream (Zinc is needed for your body to retain vitamins - plus it helps during the long, cold midwest winters to keep Doodle healthy)
Kirkman Labs Probiotic
I've tried other vitamin combination's - B/12 Magnesium vitamin, added Epsom Salt to her bath for additional magnesium, and a liquid vitamin with extra B6. None of these vitamins seemed to make a difference for Doodle, so I have stopped using them. I typically introduce one new vitamin at a time and watch for a difference in behavior. I started simple with Zinc lotion and the Gummi Vites. I then added the Omega 3 vitamins and noticed an increase in verbal ability. I then tried the B/12 Magnesium combination - which didn't make a difference for Doodle. I then added the Nordic Naturals and again noticed an increase in verbal ability. Finally this summer I added the vitamin D and that is when things really turned a corner.
I would recommend checking with your doctor before starting any vitamin regimen. I have done most of the research and work myself - checking with my sister-in-law who has a master's degree in nutrition. There is a lack of decent medical doctors in the rural area that I live - let alone a doctor that would believe that diet makes a difference. I tried a child nutritionist who is 60 miles away and walked out of the appointment completely exasperated, frustrated, and crying. I vowed to figure it out myself through patience, research, and trial. This approach has worked for me, but if you have the resource available near you, please use them.
I may be optimistic, but I am hopeful by next year when she starts Kindergarten she will need minimal services at school and will be nearly recovered.
My health insurance company recently sent a newsletter which contained some common questions about Autism in it. One of the questions "What are some myths about Autism?" Their answer: "Some parents believe that changing a child's diet can help autistic children. While it can't hurt to change a child's diet, there is no proof that it helps." I'm here to tell them they are just plain wrong. I have living proof in my home that diet and supplements make a world of difference! It's frustrating that a large insurance company would publish such unsubstantiated remarks. The fact is, there have been relatively few studies on the impact of diet on Autism - so to claim there is no proof, is misleading. There is no proof because you have never funded a study. My life and Doodle's life have been made infinitely better by a simple change in diet. I would never go back.
So, to all of those nay-sayers and skeptics, I say "Phooey to you!" I'm going to keep on doing my best to recover Doodle - with or without you. I know what's made a difference and that is all that matters.
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