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.
As a basic guideline: I add greenery, tomatoes, peppers and any other typically savory vegetables to savory dishes like burgers, meatballs and tomato-based sauces. I include sweeter foods like yams, bananas and berries to dishes that are primarily sweet in taste like pancakes, muffins and sweet breads. However, I also use greens mixed with fruit, in the form of juicing pulp, in his breads; I freeze the pulp throughout the week after I juice and add it into recipes when applicable. Oatmeal is another fantastic meal in which to hide nutrient-boosting elements and sweet, light-colored, fruits and veggies (e.g., coconut manna/butter, squash, bananas; chia, flax and hemp seeds, etc.). The key is to find undetectable ways to add more nutrients to foods or drinks that our kids already tolerate well. Just add new elements slowly until they can handle a possible change in texture or taste, and as a means to monitor any behavioral or intestinal reactions to new foods.
As I explore food options on GFCF/Paleo mommy blogs and forums, I’m encouraged and inspired by the rainbow of options available to our kids today. There are so many GFCF alternatives on the market, from nut-based flours and milks to the endless range of organic meats, seeds and healthy fats that we can experiment with to create new recipes our kids may love. I also find that my son is more willing to eat new foods when I get him involved in the preparation process: he feels proud that he helped, learns a new skill and is then more motivated to eat the end product - everybody wins!
Lets face it, many kids turn up their nose and slide -- or fling -- the plate away from them at the sight of any foreign greenery on their dish at meal time. Although I know that the goal is to get our kids to eat veggies and fruits on sight: Until we reach that point, I see nothing wrong with feeding them the nutrients they need disguised in a food or drink they already love. My theory is that the ends always justify the means, and we have to get the good stuff into their bodies by virtually any means necessary. We have enough daily challenges related to the management our kids’ therapy schedules, preparation for IEP meetings and being clairvoyants in order to foresee the next outburst or fixation we’ll have to handle at any given moment. I try not to stress the small stuff anymore and look to offer myself a sliver of the compassion I dole out in heaps to my son.
I recently wrote a blog post that details our journey from diagnosis through where we are today with my son's biomedical protocol. If you'd like to read the full article, please see my article here:
Natasha Cornin is runs the Full Spectrum Essentials blog: The goal is for families to stay connected. For more information they can be located in the following places online
Web Site: http://fullspectrumessentials.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullspectrumessentials
Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullspectrumessentials
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FulSpectrumEsen
As I explore food options on GFCF/Paleo mommy blogs and forums, I’m encouraged and inspired by the rainbow of options available to our kids today. There are so many GFCF alternatives on the market, from nut-based flours and milks to the endless range of organic meats, seeds and healthy fats that we can experiment with to create new recipes our kids may love. I also find that my son is more willing to eat new foods when I get him involved in the preparation process: he feels proud that he helped, learns a new skill and is then more motivated to eat the end product - everybody wins!
Lets face it, many kids turn up their nose and slide -- or fling -- the plate away from them at the sight of any foreign greenery on their dish at meal time. Although I know that the goal is to get our kids to eat veggies and fruits on sight: Until we reach that point, I see nothing wrong with feeding them the nutrients they need disguised in a food or drink they already love. My theory is that the ends always justify the means, and we have to get the good stuff into their bodies by virtually any means necessary. We have enough daily challenges related to the management our kids’ therapy schedules, preparation for IEP meetings and being clairvoyants in order to foresee the next outburst or fixation we’ll have to handle at any given moment. I try not to stress the small stuff anymore and look to offer myself a sliver of the compassion I dole out in heaps to my son.
I recently wrote a blog post that details our journey from diagnosis through where we are today with my son's biomedical protocol. If you'd like to read the full article, please see my article here:
Natasha Cornin is runs the Full Spectrum Essentials blog: The goal is for families to stay connected. For more information they can be located in the following places online
Web Site: http://fullspectrumessentials.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullspectrumessentials
Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullspectrumessentials
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FulSpectrumEsen
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