Autism Diet

Frustrating to say the least!   I've been trying to make this blog all fancy shmancy and as I saved changes it deleted one of my posts - the one on the Autism Diet.   How convenient, eh?

So without further ado, I will just write the advise from our friend who has worked out this diet, experimenting on himself, modifying it,until he perfected it to the point it is now.   When we stuck to it over the Summer we saw huge improvement in Mikey's overall behaviors and focus.   He was verbalizing his wants in a much calmer manner, he didn't suffer from any digestive issues and he slept through the night!  So here it is folks! Quoting our dear friend...

All food, ideally, to be organically farmed or wild.
Water for drinking & cooking to be carbon filtered.
All baking to be done in a pot with a lid at 160C max.
Salt - sea or mountain salt.

Cook in morning for whole day (I am still struggling with this one) :) Food cooked earlier in day to be brought back to boil before eating. Food to be eaten warm, never too hot or cold.
Do not overeat! One large bowl max. per meal.  Ensure the same quantity of food is eaten at each meal. Meals to be eaten on time or early, never late, in a quiet, relaxed environment, no reading/ TV and preferably in the company of others.
No mental activity immediately after food.
All vegetables must be fresh and firm with absolutely no sign of mold or even softness. Peel all vegetables where possible if any chance of pesticides etc. Use sea vegetables if available.

Essential daily components:
1. Protein - it is essential that protein is consumed for breakfast!
2. Bone broth- simmer very low cut bone, cartilage, tendon, skin (e.g. spine, feet, ears, tail, head, knuckle, rib, neck) & salt for 48hrs, strain, leave liquid to cool & store in fridge for 1 week or freezer for several months.  Add to cooking daily!
3. Lard and Ghee (clarified butter) - pig leaf (kidney/ loin) fat, slice thinly & simmer for several hours in salted water, strain, discard solids, leave to cool & store in fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for several months. Add to cooking daily!
4. Raw garlic 8 cloves & ginger 1 large finger - chop & leave to sit for 15+ minutes before adding to food after cooking (MORNING ONLY).
5. Cinnamon - add up to 1/2 tsp per day to cooking or drinks.
6. Bentonite clay - 1-2 tsp, mixed in warm water (place in glass jar with lid & shake vigorously, leave to stand for 24hrs, avoid all contact with metal or plastic spoon etc. Drink at least 1,5 hours away from food  (for us best results were observable when given just before going to sleep)
7. Fermented vegetables - to be consumed with all food (big dollop with each meal).
a) rinse all utensils  container with boiling water
b) wash hands thoroughly
c) lightly rinse vegetables in filtered water (un-chlorinated)
d) remove any blemishes, chop veg into small 1,5 cm chunks (cabbage is shredded very thinly, 1 mm)
e) place veg in bucket with 3tsp (35g) ground salt per kg & partially crush with potato masher/ work with hands to release some juice;
f) place tannin-rich leaves (grape vine, oak, horseradish, black tea) at the bottom of jar (sized for 1 week's consumption) with veg above and press down firmly with hand/ masher to expel air, juice to rise to surface to submerge veg, place more tannin-rich leaves on top, jar to be no more than two thirds full;
g) carefully wipe around inside neck of jar to remove any particles of veg or juice;
h) press veg with a porcelain plate or a small lid to keep them submerged at all times & add 2 cm brine on top & place jar (with air-tight lid that allows out-gassing) in a dark position at room temperature (18C is ideal, max 22C) standing on a plate to catch any overflow; in hot weather,place jar incool box with ice & thermometer & check twicedaily;
i) do not open lid or disturb contents of jar (CO2 will then form layer above liquid);
j) for whole veg, when jar is gently set down on table & bubbles rise,this shows fermentation is underway (the level of liquid will have risen);
k) and when no more bubbles are produced it is ready for consumption & in any case usually after about 1 week for most veg depending on temperature (for cabbage: 15C 6 weeks, 18C [best], 20C 4 weeks, 22C [max] 3 weeks);
l) jar can then be placed in cooler, long-term storage (e.g. cellar, top shelf of fridge) for consumption over the coming months;
m) once opened, make sure veg is pressed under juice,top-up with brine as necessary to keep veg submerged; best to consume each jar within a week or so of opening;
n) Veg MUST be crunchy & sour.

Avoid:
Eat nothing that is moreish/ addictive.
No burnt, raw (except garlic & ginger), fried, spicy, starchy or sugary foods (not even carrots, unless fermented) - we are still giving carrots as we're in a transitional period of re-applying this diet in our eating schedule.
No dairy, grains, legumes, nightshades, root vegetables (unless fermented), nuts or seeds (very hard to digest and shop-bought nuts & seeds tend to be moldy & hence best avoided altogether), yeast.
Limit brassicas.
No mushrooms.
No eggs (on in strict moderation as constipating).

You would not believe the immediate change you would see once on this diet. This is so true that YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!