Autism and chiropractic help

You might find this interesting. It's a blog entry from a Colorado chiropractor about the use of chiropractic with autistic patients. We take our daughters to a progressive chiropractor for spinal adjustments using the Activator method, which uses less force to manipulate the spine. It's not necessarily the best, but it works for us and the kids don't object to it since it's not very intrusive. We believe this helps. We're also involved in some other treatments there, which I'll write more about later. They have helped (and I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes). One treatment has helped my youngest daughter shed some of her food intolerances. Really. No "regular" docs were able to do that -- or even willing to try. The author of this is my brother, who you'll find is very informed. Enjoy.

Can Chiropractic Help Children With Autism?

(here's a paragraph - link to read the entire entry)

... A paper published in the March 2006 issue of Clinical Chiropractic reviewed past studies and found that children with Autism are helped with chiropractic care. Furthermore this study found that most children with Autism had problems with their upper cervical (neck) spine[10]. Another study found that 80% of children receive damage to their upper cervical spines due to birth trauma[11]. The upper cervical spine is so important that the two vertebrae located at t he top of the spine have their own names: Atlas and Axis. All the other 22 vertebrae just have numbers assigned to them such as the third thoracic vertebra and the fifth lumbar vertebra. The Atlas and Axis are so important that an entire chiropractic discipline, called Upper Cervical Chiropractic, was established by B.J. Palmer (the Developer of the Chiropractic Profession), simply to restore proper function to that area. Working with the Atlas and Axis directly effects the function of the nervous system. Autistic children have a neurological component to their disorder. It makes sense that Upper Cervical Chiropractic would help them...

Dairy-free, gluten-free ranch dressing in your grocery

That's right. You can buy this in your local grocery, or if not, online from anywhere at the Walden Farms site. It's pretty good stuff too. It's marked right on the label -- kosher and gluten free. I've sent the company an email with some questions. They assure me the ingredients listed are really what they are. Try it out.

Healthy GFCF pancakes

I'm going to post two recipes this week that are very similar -- one's for cookies and the other, pancakes. Today, it's the pancakes. It's a slight variation of my standard pancake recipe. I add applesauce and ground flax seed.

So, here it is:

2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tbsp applesauce (I used Mott's)
Dash of cinnamon
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1/3 cup CF milk or water (I used Darifree liquid)
2-3 tbsp more of Darifree, depending on consistancy

Mix dry stuff. Add liquids. Blend together. Heat a tsp of oil on a skillet. When hot, dump by the tbsp. Flip when browned on one side.

Allergen listing for Herr's products

Hey guys -- just came across this today on the web and thought I'd share. It's the allergen listing for Herr's snacks -- chips, etc. Herr's products are mostly sold in the eastern U.S. The allergen page, which you can link to by clicking here, is very useful. Until now, I've relied almost completely on Frito Lay products because Frito Lay is very good about listing allergens. It's good to have choices.

Here's the direct link: http://www.herrs.com/Recipes/AllergyInfo.html.

A handy store-bought soup broth -- free of everything

As you know by now, I like to point out products I come across that help make our lives easier and healthier. It's so difficult finding food that you trust is free of the allergens and ingredients that we, and our kids, are intolerant to. I found Kitchen Basics broths one day at our regular supermarket as I looked for a soup for my kids. Couldn't find one in the organic section that I really trusted was free of MSG, gluten and dairy. (Amazing, isn't it?) So, I glanced without much hope at the soups in the regular soup aisle. And there it was. Clearly marked on the box -- no MSG, no glutens, no dairy, no soy. Wow! I bought it.

I generally make my own broth at home and freeze it for later use. But, it's good to know I can grab this at the local store when I'm in a rush.

Burger King wins the gluten-free test

So, I plan to post my results for finding restaurants that really can provide -- safely -- gluten and casein free food, and even soy free. Consider this an interim report as I've found something surprising on the fast-food front. I checked Wendy's, McDonalds, Burger King and Arby's to see if I could buy a burger (no bun) and fries for my kids at any of them. I'd always heard that you couldn't. Well, you can. Burger King specifically fries its fries in a dedicated fryer -- or the restaurants are supposed to. However, the chain has a policy and it's detailed on its website - find it by going here and clicking on 'Allergens'. The allergen listing online even shows potential cross contamination risks. I spoke with the company's nutrition guru. They are organized. Still, she -- and I -- recommend calling the store manager to make sure they really are doing this. She also told me a plain burger is OK on the gfcf diet -- they're cooked on a broiler. So is the grilled chicken, plain. They have Mott's applesauce and soon, will sell apple slices shaped like fries. I visited my local BK last night to test this out. I spoke with the manager. He clearly knew the policy and said his restaurant followed that setup. I visited his restaurant and indeed they were. I bought some fries for the kids.

None of the others are suitable. McDonalds fries have gluten. We all know that story. Wendy's has dairy in its fries. Arby's meat is OK but not the fries. I'll post my complete restaurant findings next week.

Coming -- a GFCF restaurant guide

Sorry for not posting much this week. I've been busy at home with some personal things. I had a recipe failure -- a pumpkin recipe really flopped. But, I'm in the process of doing something very exciting that will benefit many of you. I've been discouraged trying to find a restaurant that I could take my kids to eat -- just a burger and fries. I know it's not the healthiest nutrionally and some may object to that. But, I think it will be very healthy mentally. They've not been to a restaurant and most places, just like the supermarket, don't make it easy. So, I've set out to research all of the restaurants in our area just like I researched food products a couple of years ago. I called, wrote and badgered every company that makes the foods my kids eat to determine exactly what's in them. I made them back up their ingredients. I'm doing the same thing with the restaurants. And, I have some surprising results. So, what I plan to do in the next week is post a listing of all the restaurants and tell people whether they provide detailed allergen/gluten info online, if they provide a phone contact for nutrition info, and what food items they say are OK for BOTH gluten and casein. I'm also asking about soy. There are a few lists online that you'll easily find but they don't really include a lot of places. I'll provide links to those lists also.

I'll provide the basic results from my searching. You'll need to do the rest. And, I'll mention now, that I think it would be an excellent idea to double-check with your local restaurant as to how they handle the foods. I think they all do it differently. It appears to me that some are more mindful than others and may actually train employees. I personally will not take my kids anywhere until I've spoken with the local manager and walk away satisfied that they really know what they're doing. At the least, the list will help guide you in the right directions and give you quick links to helpful info. I hope you too can enjoy a night out with your family. Look for the list sometime after the weekend, maybe on Monday.

GFCF Breakfast cereal bars

This recipe is so great. For one, I like these and will eat them for a quick breakfast on the go. And, the recipe really worked like I had hoped. I should've guessed thought, that only one of my kids would actually eat them. Oh well. That's the way these things go.

This is a recipe for a cereal bar that's very healthy. I found a basic recipe on the web, modified it for GFCF, and added a couple things of my own. Here's how:

1/2 cup honey (or other syrup)
1/2 cup nut butter (I used Once Again Sunflower Seed Butter)
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 cups gluten free rice krispies cereal (I used Barbaras)
1/3 cup raisins (dates would work too)
2 tbsp sunflower seeds (optional)
1-2 tbsp ground flax seed (I used golden flax)

Grease a 13x9 cake pan -- I used organic Spectrum shortening.
Into a pan, heat honey, nut butter and sugar to boil. Stir on medium heat a couple of minutes.
Add the other ingredients and stir until combined.
Dump into the greased pan and use a spatula to press down.
Let cool. After 30 minutes, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut into squares.

I also think pureed raisin or date would work in this for those kids picky about those dried fruits.

Very healthy morning food with the protein in the nut butter, whole grain cereal, fruit and the fiber in the flax.

GFCF mashed potatoes with a hidden surprise

OK -- no new recipe here, but another win (for the parents) on sticking some veggies in everyday food. This one -- mashed potatoes. Again, inspired and based on a recipe in the Deceptively Delicious cookbook. Just modified for GFCF -- and soy free. The added veggie is cauliflower.

Add a 1/4 cup of pureed cauliflower to my mashed potato recipe.

It worked here without a hitch. The only difference in my original recipe, other than the cauliflower, was using some veggie broth and Darifree for liquid.

Again, a great idea, which I modified for the GFCF diet, from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious cookbook.

I'll try not to bore you with this cookbook, but it's turning into a great help in our home right now.

GFCF Pumpkin cake

I avoided baking with pumpkin, but I'm not sure why. It's actually very convenient. Canned pumpkin (Libby's) is ready to use and affordable. I modified my basic cookie recipe to make a pumpkin cake that's really very healthy, and also could be made into cookie bars.

SORRY -- that I left out the key ingredient in my original posting of this. This version includes everything. The ingredient I forgot? -- pumpkin, of course.

Ingredients:
1 cup sorghum flour (or brown rice or chickpea)
1/2 cup tapioca flour (or other starch)
1/2 cup sugar (or other sweetener)
2 tbsp ground flax, golden
2 tsp xanthan gum (or guar gum)
2 tsp baking powder (corn-free, if desired)
1 tsp sea salt (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tbsp. canned pumpkin (I used Libby's)
1/4 cup molasses, honey or cane syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup Darifree or other milk sub

Mix the dry stuff well. Then add the liquids. Mix. You want this to be smoother, but not liquidy.
Beat with blender until mixed, scraping the sides.

Pour into an 8x8 cake pan, greased with shortening (Spectrum organic).

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

GFCF banana bread with hidden veggies

Since Christmas, I've been tinkering with recipes based on ideas I found in a new cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, Jerry's wife). This is not an ad and I don't benefit either. But, the premise is interesting: hiding veggies and fruits in everyday food so our kids get the nutritional benefits. This especially is a problem for kids on the autism spectrum, as many of you know. So, I thought I'd give this a try. Neither of my kids are big on veggies or fruit, and they're very rigid about the ones they will eat. So, I've had a few successes and I will share. I will not reprint Seinfeld's recipes here. But, I've modified a few for GFCF land. Here's one that was a big hit tonight for banana bread -- with cauliflower.

Ingredients:
- Spectrum organic shortening
- 3/4 cup sorghum flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup potato starch
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 egg whites or 1 flax egg
- 1 large banana
- 1/2 cup pureed cauliflower
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/4 cup liquid DariFree or milk sub

Puree the cauliflower by steaming or cooking 20 mins. Cut off stems. Puree in blender, food processor or hand mixer.

Heat oven to 350. Coat loaf pan with the shortening.

Mix the dry ingredients.

In a bowl, mash the banana with a fork, then puree with an electric mixer. Add cauliflower mix. Add egg and oil and milk.

Pour into pan. Bake for 30 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.

I serve with icing on top. Or, without the icing for lunches.

Marking it gluten free - finally

Happy New Year everyone! I learned some cool things about everyday foods over the holiday. I've just been in awe of how major companies -- who are driven to find any market edge possible -- have not latched onto the "gluten free" thing yet.

Anyway, I see Tyson chicken is now labeled CLEARLY on the front as being free of antibiotics and hormones and additives. And, it was only priced 20 cents-per-pound more than the store brand. Very cool.

And, our Honeysuckle turkey also had a big "Gluten Free" label slapped right on the front for all to see. So, I bought that simply because of their effort.

I just don't understand why more companies are not taking advantage of this market by making the simplest of efforts -- noting what's gluten-free and what's not. My suspicion is that they don't want to start down the path of revealing what's in their foods.

Happy Holidays

Yes, I have taken some time off from blogging for the holidays. Things got kinda crazy, and quickly. I'll be back next week with some new recipes and observations. Meanwhile, enjoy this very addictive game.

jim

Snow Line Help Santa Claus collect the presents.

Play this free game now!!

Anyone remember Suzy-Q's?

Bet you thought the taste of Suzy-Q's and HoHos was lost forever on a gluten- and casein-free diet. Well, it doesn't have to be. I know, I know. I'll bet you're saying, but ... I can't use eggs, or soy or even chocolate! You don't have to. This is the allergy-friendly version -- all allergies. And, it's easy. Here's how:

Ingredients:
1 recipe of "chocolate" cake (use either cocoa or carob powder) made in two round cake pans (split the recipe)

1 cup powdered sugar (Domino sugar is GF. Miss Robens sells corn-free powdered sugar. Or, make your own.)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp unflavored gelatin powder (I use Knox)
1 tbsp water

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake recipe, splitting the recipe between two cake pans. I grease them with Spectrum organic shortening. The cakes bake together in about 15 mins. Use a toothpick to be sure.

When done, let cool 5 mins. Carefully pull the sides away from the pan and ease them onto cooling racks. Let cool thoroughly.

When cool, mix the powdered sugar, xanthan gum and gelatin in a bowl and stir. Add the water. Use a hand mixer on slow speed to blend until a creamy, icing texture is reached. Don't let this sit long. Use a knife to spread the icing onto one layer of the cake. Wet the knife is necessary to help spread. Immediately place second cake layer on top and gently push down.

Now, you can serve this cake style. Or you can cut it into any shape you want. I trimmed the edges to form a squarish shape and then cut into 16 "bars."

You can play around with this now. Next time, try chocolate or carob icing by adding some of that powder into the sugar mix. Try a Twinkie type cake by making a white cake and white filling. Try getting some of this stuff into a syringe and squirting it into a cupcake. Or, make the Suzy-Q even better by doubling the icing recipe -- it'll make the center filling thicker.

Have fun.

Molasses tip

I've found that several of my entries have started with the phrase, "This is silly..." Well, this is another one of those entries. Yet, I felt I had to share.

I've been baking gingersnaps and gingerbread cookies lately and using molasses and thick cane syrup. It's kinda tough getting that stuff to pour entirely out of a measuring cup. However, I've stumbled upon a little trick that helps that situation (no laughing from the expert chef section, please). If you coat the measuring cup with oil beforehand, the molasses will slide right out.

Actually, many of these recipes called for oil anyway. So, I measure the oil first, then the molasses. No waste.

A good shampoo

I recently switched shampoos for my kids and the new product works so well that I thought I'd mention it here. I bought the Shikai brand shampoo, which really lathers well and leaves a very healthy looking and feeling hair. We do use conditioner also, which helps with brushing -- they have very fine hair. You can research the product online at http://www.shikai.com/.

How fever might negate autism behaviors

Yesterday's news, but worth reposting anyway. I've experienced this with my kids. I thought it was pretty freaky when it happened. I remember the last time they were both fairly ill, vomiting, fever, etc. We pulled them off their supplements for the week, but instead of tanking, they were pretty well-behaved and "normal" in their speech and actions. Very odd. Now, it makes sense. Read on....

Newsday.com

Study: Fever lessens autism symptoms
BY DELTHIA RICKS
December 4, 2007

Key behavior ranging from better concentration to improved word use tends to occur when a child with autism has a fever, scientists report in an unusual investigation published yesterday.

Exactly how a fever changes the brain remains a matter of speculation. But scientists at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore have found that even though the effects are temporary, the discovery opens a new window to understanding autism.

Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, director of medical research at the institute's autism and related disorders center, said the study was inspired by anecdotal reports from parents and clinicians who found that when a child with autism developed a fever, many classic signs of the condition seem to subside. The effect, however, is fleeting.

Zimmerman and collaborator Laura Curran studied 30 children with autism between the ages of 2 and 18 during and after an episode of fever to determine if there was any truth to the rumors about behavioral changes. The team defined a fever as 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit and asked parents to document their child's behavior throughout the episode.

"The patients we took measurements on all returned to baseline after a week," Zimmerman said, referring to a reversal to previous behavior.Despite the reversal, Zimmerman said the change was eye-opening because children not only spoke more and made better eye contact, some experienced better overall relationships with parents and peers.

Zimmerman, who reports the transformation in the journal Pediatrics, told Newsday the discovery provides a better understanding of the brain. The organ has tremendous plasticity, he said of its ability to adapt to stress, which in this case was a fever. He also said the new data sheds more light on why autism occurs. Fever causes a change in how the brain sends messages between cells.

During a fever, the body produces a flood of infinitesimal proteins called cytokines that may facilitate messages between brain cells. When the fever subsides, this enhanced activity diminishes as well.

"In the science of autism a lot of people are looking at the synapse as the area where the problems are," Zimmerman said. A synapse is the tiny gap between the ends of nerve fibers across which messages are fired.

Edward Carr, a professor of psychology at Stony Brook University, said that though the research is interesting, children with autism experience improvements without fevers. "His point shows there's a certain plasticity, but I don't think improvement depends on a fever.

Dr. Eric Gould, a pediatrician in Great Neck, said he believes the study was published prematurely and provides nothing useful for parents and their children. "Revealing this information at this juncture is purposeless," he said.

Gould added that "observational studies are not worth anything. They're so patently absurd on the surface. You can't compare apples to apples because each of those kids was different. It's not like each of them had strep throat."

Oh, a programming note here ... Don Imus is back on the radio at WABC, New York. That's 770 on the AM dial in the New York area. Or, listen online -- click here. I'm certainly not suggesting anyone excuse his on-air remarks that got him in so much trouble, but I will point out that he and his wife have been tremendous advocates of the autism community. Imus was talking about the ins and outs of autism issues, including vaccines and thimerosal, before it hit the mainstream media. Like I said - just pointing his return out.

GFCF Gingersnap Bites

This may be a cheesy follow to my GFCF Gingerbread People recipe, but it's been very popular at my house the last couple of days with my kids and a few of their friends. So, I thought I'd post it too.

I'll just call this Gingersnap Bites. GFCF of course. Oh, and egg-free, soy-free, rice-free, corn-free and bean-free. Whew!

Make 1 recipe for Gingerbread People dough.

Instead of rolling out, divide dough into two chunks.

Take one chunk and using floured hands, roll it out into a long log on a floured surface to about 1/2" thickness.

Now, using a floured knife, cut the log into many small bite-sized cookies.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Repeat with the 2nd chunk of dough. You should be able to fit both on one cookie sheet.

BAKE 10 minutes, not 14.

GFCF Gingerbread People

This was a hit this week in my house. I thought I'd try this cookie recipe out before Christmas arrived to see if it worked. It does, and it's versatile. With a few changes, I made this rice free too. The source is the Special Diets for Special Kids cookbook, by Lisa Lewis. This was a contribution by Karen Seroussi. I made some changes to the original recipe and I'll note those along the way.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup brown rice flour (I used sorghum)
1/3 cup sweet rice flour (I used tapioca here)
1/3 cup tapioca starch (I also kept this 1/3 cup tapioca)
1 TBL cinnamon
1 tsp ginger (use more for a cookie with a real ginger bite)
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup molasses (I used Steens Cane Syrup)
2 TBL water

Recipe
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. So, my flour mixture was 2/3 cup sorghum and 2/3 cup tapioca. Then, add the liquids.

Mix well. Add tapioca if necessary to get a dough that you can knead.

Roll the dough out on a floured board or surface, using the tapioca, to about a quarter-inch thickness. Cut out gingerbread person shapes, flouring the cutter with tapioca.

Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 14 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a rack. This gave me a nice, crunchy cookie. Bake for less time to make more chewy and less crunchy.

If you want, add eyes and buttons with icing.