We've done a lot of research in the last months on this whole GFCF (gluten/casein free) diet for kids with autism. Scientists and doctors are skeptical at best, but many parents of kids with Autism are convinced that this is the cure. I am hesitant to let myself believe that it could cure autism, however it is certainly worth a try. After all, it is just food.
What am I talking about? Just food? Food is the core of our family! It is one of our main joys in life!
We have been searching over the last month for good recipes that fit this diet. I was adamant from the beginning that if Cooper was going GFCF, then gosh darnit, our whole family would be GFCF. Well, one taste of gluten-free bread (which I could not even swallow) and my resolve faded. But Cooper ate it! Since then we have slowly found a handful of edible items. But to be honest, they are just that. Edible. Not delicious. Not mouthwatering. Not scrumptious. But tolerable. I have wavered between feeling 95% confident that we can handle this and feeling overwhelmed and frustrated at the lack of things I can find to feed this family. After all, I don't want to make it a habit to feed Cooper things that I wouldn't eat myself.
This isn't easy. I know that no one said it would be and life isn't easy. But man, this is tough. I just want to go about normal life, and this diet sure makes it hard. And out here in the Bavarian countryside, there are no shortcuts. There's no dairy free cheese substitute, there's no whole foods store with frozen GFCF chicken nuggets. There's no easy way out. Every meal is a strenuous decision. Every trip to the grocery store entails reading labels (in German) of every item, and 99% of the time replacing that item back on the shelf. I leave with a migraine and a nearly empty shopping cart. Every. Dang. Time.
And packing a lunch for Cooper's school? Like climbing a mountain.
And eating out? Impossible.
And picking up something quick when you are on the road or get stuck somewhere? Forget it.
I am feeling so much pressure right now to find stuff for our family to eat. To force feed things to Cooper that I don't enjoy eating either. There's no creamy sauces or yummy butter to hide veggies in anymore. Meals are a battle of will. And my will at the moment is weak. I want to cry at the end of every meal with Cooper. Is it the pregnancy hormones or trying to face the fact that our lives are being flipped upside down? Or is it all of the above mixed in with struggling with living in a foreign country? People keep telling me that we are such good parents and we are so strong. I can't decide if I should laugh in their face or scream and pull my hair out.
The bonus is that as you start this diet, kids go through withdrawal of the glutens and dairy and their behavior gets worse. This is exactly where we are at the moment. While the literature out there says that we should be encouraged by this, it is so hard to deal with. Cooper is unmanageable, unfocused, wild, clumsy, etc. etc. etc. He seems more autistic than ever. And we aren't even strict on this diet yet. We're just decreasing the bad stuff and trying new recipes.
But I wouldn't put Cooper through this and I wouldn't put Peter and I through this if I didn't think it could work. We will stick it out. We will figure it out. We will do everything we can. Because he is just so worth it. His kisses and smiles and hugs and sweet face are so worth it.
And if this diet is the way that I will:
. . . get to know what his voice sounds like when he has something to say
. . .and to find out what his thoughts are and what scares him
. . .and to hear what he will think of his new baby brother or sister
. . . and to have him tell me what his favorite cartoon really is rather than just guess
. . . and to learn if he likes gummy bears better than chocolate
. . . and to be able to know where it hurts
. . . and to hear him express in words that he loves his daddy and me
. . .and to get to know my little boy the way that a mommy should know her son
Well, if this diet could do all that . . . it doesn't matter how it tastes. That would leave me so much more satisfied than any great tasting meal ever could.b
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3 comments:
I am by no means an authority on this, but Jennie McCarthy swears by the GFCF diet. Her son is/was autistic and she swears the diet was his saving grace. I bought my sister her book - my nephew/Godson, Garrett (5 years old) is autistic - and she said it is frustrating and uplifting to read. Look for it. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll send you a copy.
Love and prayers.
Brandi
By gosh if i could send you some dang GFCF chicken nuggets just to have in the freezer i would!! maybe i will look in to that!! Love you guys, miss you guys and can't WAIT to hear about the new baby!!!
I asked my neighbor for kid-friendly vegan & gluten free recipes (because that's what she eats), but she didn't really give me much. She mentioned spaghetti and they eat tons & tons of beans. Try steel-cut oatmeal (yummy w/ honey & nuts & strawberries). We just tried quinoa, which is a grain (yummy--tastes like couscous, but better). Also try chick-peas (garbanzo beans)--they have a great texture & cooper can pick them up one by one. Maybe someplace to start... Love ya, Amy! :) amanda
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