About Sharisse Smith: 

A mom of four, Sharisse was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, raised in the Southern California sun and remained in the golden state for three decades.   This Real Housewife of Orange County New York turned her key in the OC of NY for five years before moving to a suburb of Seattle, Washington just in time for them to win the 2014 superbowl. Sharisse holds a MFA in Nonfiction from The New School’s Writing Program, an  M.S. in Educational Counseling from The University of La Verne and a B.S. in Child Development from California State University, Northridge. 

Sharisse’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in The New York Times, Babble, My Brown Baby, Ebony, The Los Angeles Review and Salon.

 
Written by Natasha Cornin of Full Spectrum Essentials 

My son's diet is deceptively simple. On the surface he appears to only eat bun-less burgers, grapes and sweet bread. He also drinks cold-pressed, homemade juice and takes occasional sips of water. With closer examination you may classify the aforementioned dietary items as delivery systems in my contrived, elaborate scheme to pack his meal plan full of fruits, veggies and pharmaceutical-grade vitamins and supplements. 

Jaeden follows a GFCF/Paleo hybrid diet and a biomedical vitamin/supplement regimen. As a result: I have totally removed gluten and casein from his meal plan. I focus on feeding my son organic, whole foods to create an alkaline internal environment that will optimize brain function and reduce inflammation. For one, I cook with ghee or healthy vegan fats, like coconut or olive oil, as opposed to dairy or soy-based butters. I've found that seemingly small changes can definitely add up to better digestion and vitamin/mineral absorption.

I also add enzyme-rich Manuka honey to the cold-pressed juices that I make for him throughout the week. I infuse the juice with his vitamins and supplements and use his condiments, mainly ketchup, as a delivery system for digestive enzymes, nutritional yeast, and good fats like avocado, during meal time.

I must admit, it felt a bit daunting when we began the GFCF/Paleo protocol. I mean, wheat and dairy are hidden in places you couldn’t even imagine, like milk in McDonald’s french fries! It became imperative to read every label or better yet opt for label-less whole foods, foods as close to the way they sprout from the earth as possible.