How diet/nutrition can help individuals with ASD
A Balanced Diet Improves Health – For Everyone!
An abundance of research has shown us that a healthy balanced diet is the cornerstone of a healthy life and body and disease prevention. The nutrients delivered to us through the food we eat is literally the material from which we will build each and every cell in our body. The choices we make have even been shown in the research to affect the way our genes are expressed! And just as the right dietary choices can have powerful benefits, poor choices can be damaging to our health, in many ways.
The Right Diet Can Improve Symptoms
Food selectivity is a big problem for a majority of children with autism/ASD. As parents know, children with ASD can self-limit their diet to a handful of things – often all gluten and casein and often limit vegetables and fruits. Other parents report that their children “refuse all other foods” which leads to poor nutrition and can worsen GI health and behaviors. In addition, the sensory defensiveness that many ASD kids exhibit can manifest as a roadblock to healthy eating. Once on a special diet, many kids will expand food choices to include more healthy choices, thus improving their nutrition.
Furthermore, common problems in ASD such as sleep issues, tantrums, challenging behaviors including self-injury are commonly reduced when a GFCFSF diet is implemented. Eliminating other problematic foods such as allergenic foods and those which cause food intolerances and sensitivities can help greatly improve symptoms.
A balanced and healthy diet can help reap optimal benefit from therapies
If a child is consuming foods that cause him discomfort or provoke digestive symptoms, making progress with speech, occupational therapies and behavioral therapies can be a much greater challenge. Many parents report that their child came out of their bubble or acted calmer and more focused and engaged in therapies after starting a special diet such as GFCFSF.
Comments Off on How diet/nutrition can help individuals with ASD
