Avoid these foods if your child has these autistic spectrum conditions

The GAPS diet starts with using homemade stocks (bone soup) for nourishment. The bones of the animal are boiled for 48-72 hours and the bone marrow is extracted from the large tubular bones. For the last thirty minutes of cooking, vegetables can be added. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • When I see a patient with one or more of these conditions, we start with the usual dietary modifications, removing sugar, gluten and casein.
  • Thereafter, we look for allergens. After gluten and casein, the top six include beef, maize/corn, soya, nuts, peanuts and shellfish.
  • Enter the GAPS diet. GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome and is a diet that has been developed by a brilliant, Russian-born neurologist called Natasha Campbell-McBride.

The autistic spectrum covers various conditions, from autism, hyperactivity and attention deficit, dyslexia and dyspraxia to depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders and epilepsy.

When I see a patient with one or more of these conditions, we start with the usual dietary modifications, removing sugar (cookies, cakes, juices, other refined foods), gluten (wheat, barley, oats and rye) and casein (dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt and ice-cream).

Next, we look at a substance called salicylate, which is chemically similar to aspirin and can affect an autistic child the way gluten and casein do. Salicylates are found in a number of fruit and vegetables from apples, oranges and grapes, to cucumbers, tomatoes and raisins.

Thereafter, we look for allergens. After gluten and casein, the top six include beef, maize/corn, soya, nuts, peanuts and shellfish.

You would assume that this would be comprehensive enough and that even the worst cases would improve. It is true; these children do improve, and in many cases, can return to a normal school.

BUILDING BODIES

However, parents feel that with all the improvement that has already been made, surely even more could be done. And it can.

Enter the GAPS diet. GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome and is a diet that has been developed by a brilliant, Russian-born neurologist called Natasha Campbell-McBride.

She created the GAPS protocol after her son was diagnosed with autism and she subsequently cured him completely. There have been thousands of success stories since.

The GAPS diet starts with using homemade stocks (bone soup) for nourishment.

The bones of the animal are boiled for 48-72 hours (larger animals like cows, sheep, goats) and the bone marrow is extracted from the large tubular bones.

For the last thirty minutes of cooking, the following vegetables can be added: onions, carrots, broccoli, leeks, cauliflower, courgettes, marrow, squash, pumpkin (seeds, stalk and skin removed).

This powerhouse of nutrients is the mainstay of the diet and helps to heal the gut. It is the damage here that triggers many of the conditions listed above.

Introducing probiotics is the next step. Probiotic foods help to replenish the good bacteria that live in the gut.

This is a really crucial part of the GAPS protocol, since it is an imbalance of gut bacteria (known as gut dybiosis) that predisposes children (and adults in similar cases) to conditions mentioned.

Homemade sauerkraut or even the whey from homemade yoghurt (the watery bit) can be used.

Thereafter, fatty foods like eggs and avocados are introduced, along with any well-cooked meat when the stock is made.

The idea is to build the body up from scratch. It is hard work, but as many parents will testify, definitely worth it.