Can We Eat That?

Should We All Go Gluten-Free? - NYTimes.com

 

Kenji Aoki for The New York Times

via www.nytimes.com

By KEITH O’BRIEN

Published: November 25, 2011

The singer was a no-show. The Gluten Free Expo in Sandy, Utah — one of the nation’s largest events dedicated to foods untainted by wheat — was going to have to start without the national anthem. But Debbie Deaver, the expo’s founder, didn’t have time to worry about that. The song, to be honest, was the least of her problems.

Deaver had slept four hours in the last three days. The 34-year-old woman — who has celiac disease and therefore must avoid eating gluten, a key protein in wheat — was running on prayer and Diet Dr Pepper. She needed sleep, and syrup.

A day earlier, a shipment of maple syrup failed to arrive, forcing her to scramble to find a topping suitable for the expo’s enormous gluten-free pancake breakfast. A last-minute donation of 35 cases of marionberry syrup would have to do. And then there was the issue of actual attendees. With the sky spitting rain outside and temperatures hovering around 40 degrees on a dark October morning, Deaver was becoming convinced that no one was coming to her expo in suburban Salt Lake City. “I’m getting nervous,” she admitted as she scanned the empty concourse of the sprawling, glass-walled South Towne Exposition Center just 30 minutes before the show started. “People aren’t showing up.”

continuing reading this article @ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/Should-We-All-Go-Gluten-Free.html?_r=1&ref=magazine

Are there degrees of gluten sensitivity?

 There is a really good Q&A feature about gluten sensitivity on CNN Health.com from July 16, 2011 by    Dr. Melina Jampolis

 

Looking Beyond a Gluten-Free Diet by Jennifer Cerbasi

Published April 26, 2011 at FoxNews.com

"For years parents and physicians have been examining the benefits of a gluten-free, casein-free diet for children with autism. 

Many report great success with such restrictions. Now, parents and doctors of children with special needs are looking beyond these diets to check food labels for dyes, additives and sugar content.

The concept of monitoring synthetic food additives first gained popularity among parents of children with ADHD, but now parents of children with autism are examining the benefits of eliminating these artificial flavors, dyes and sugar from their children's diets. The goal of eliminating these elements is to reduce inappropriate self-stimulatory behaviors and increase focus. Parents and teachers are reporting success.

"I saw a change within 24 hours. This student was laughing uncontrollably, all the time, and within the first day he was quieter and more focused," one teacher shared.

A mother of two children on the spectrum says monitoring sugar intake keeps her children's moods more even. 

"When they have things like gluten or too much sugar, their moods change quickly," she said.

Taking the first step to implementing these changes can be hard for parents, especially when feeding children who only eat certain color foods or eat the same foods each day, common habits among so many children with autism. In addition, many children in ABA-based programs are reinforced with edible items, which often include candy, chips, cookies, or other highly-motivating snacks.

Americans in general have become more conscious of what they put in their bodies in recent years, as seen in the number of healthy cookbooks, natural and organic food stores, and holistic medicine options available in the U.S. 

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder continue to research ways to support their children's cognitive, social, and physical growth and eliminating synthetic food additives and sugar from the pantry is another attempt to live a healthy life and solve the puzzle of autism."

Jennifer Cerbasi works as a special education teacher at a public school in New Jersey. As owner of The Learning Link, LLC, she works with parents in the home to support children's academic, social, emotional, and physical health through a variety of services. Jennifer utilizes her training in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis in both settings to foster children's development. In addition to her work both in the classroom and at home, she is also a member of the National Association of Special Education Teachers and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. For more information, go to www.jennifercerbasi.com.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/04/26/looking-gluten-free-diet/#ixzz1KrKAt2via www.foxnews.com