Noah Knows!

Celiac/Gluten Intolerance

The GFCF Diet for Budgets!

http://bit.ly/ bcZjQq

Non-GMO guide: http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/download.html

To learn about Salicyates: http://healingautismandadhd.wordpress.com/diet-2/phenolssalicylates/

Feeding Clinic – Austin

GLUTEN-FREE, CASEIN-FREE DIET On A Budget

By Holly Bortfeld

So, you’ve chosen to start your child on the GFCF (gluten-free, casein-free) diet but wondering which bank you will have to rob to be able to pay for the special foods needed, right? Before you get out your ski mask, here are some hints that might help.

There are several approaches to a special diet –

• $$$ – This is when you buy everything pre-made.
• $$ – This is when you buy mixes and such but bake the products yourself.
• $ – This is the easy and cheap “grandma’s method.”

$$$ – Let’s start with the expensive method. There are so many places where you can buy everything pre-made for you nowadays. 10 years ago when I started the diet with my son, there was almost nothing. Now, you can find companies that deliver all pre-made meals, and online retailers like GlutenFreeMall.com that carries products from a wide variety of manufacturers, pre-made and mixes. If you can afford to purchase all pre-made foods, this article is not for you.

$$ – This is the category most people fall into. You don’t have time or the recipes to make all your own breads, muffins, cakes, pie crusts, etc. so you buy mixes and some pre-made things like cookies or sandwich bread, pasta and hot dogs. You also spend a good chunk of time comparison shopping and making sure all the products fit your child’s allergies.

$ – Finally, this is the “grandma method”. I’m going to take you back in time for this one. Think about the way your great-grandmother used to cook before food came in boxes and was heated in microwaves. She made a meat, a vegetable and a starch for each meal and that was all. No muss, no fuss. It’s a healthy, simplification of cooking that uses no pre-made ingredients. That’s the whole process and you’ll find meal ideas and more in Meal Plans. I found this method actually even saved me money compared to the way I used to cook before GFCF. I wasn’t paying $5 a box anymore for his favorite pre-made junk food of which he ate 3 boxes a day, because he was addicted to them.

While I could tell you to move to the country, plant a huge organic garden and start your new career in animal husbandry, I’ll spare you having to learn how to de-worm cows and when to flip your compost pile. I think it will be much more helpful to give you a bunch of time-tested tips that I’ve learned from over the years.

What is GFCFSF?

Gluten is more than just wheat – it’s grains like wheat, barley, oats and rye. Casein is the protein found in all things dairy – more specifically, anything juiced from a mammal – including cow’s milk, sheep, goat and human breast milk. Soy needs to be removed too. Labels that say “wheat-free” do not necessarily mean gluten-free and certainly not GFCF. Dairy-free isn’t casein-free. Lactose is milk sugar. Lactose-free isn’t casein-free either. Organic doesn’t mean GFCF. Organic milk still comes from a cow and organic wheat is still wheat. Reading labels and understanding the difference is crucial. Gluten-free also includes things that do not have gluten in them but are either grown near them or processed in a facility with them, contaminating them, such as millet and oats.

What Is Organic?

Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards determined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), specifically, its National Organic Program (NOP). For crops, it means they were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. For animals, it means they were reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified.

…from the Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) website

Announcement from Thoughtful House Center for Children:

NIDS (Neuro Immune Dysfunction Syndromes)
From Dr. Michael Goldberg, this information and support forum is for families affected by Neuro Immune Dysfunction Syndromes. Our focus includes: Autism / ASD, Asperger’s / AS, PDD, ADD / ADHD, CF / CFIDS / ME and others — who are following or considering following the NIDS protocol.
To Join: Send a blank email to NIDS@yahoogroups.com or join online.

IDEA and Kids with Special Dietary Needs

04/19/10
by Wrightslaw

Our doctor has recommended that my daughter, on an IEP, be gluten and dairy free.  The school is giving me a hard time, though I know they are providing a special lunch for at least one other student.

You’ll need to do some research (and so did we).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) nondiscrimination regulation (7 CFR 15b), as well as the regulations governing the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, make it clear that substitutions to the regular school meal must be made for children who are unable to eat school meals because of their disabilities.

These regulations require substitutions or modifications in school meals for children whose disabilities restrict their diets.

USDA has a Guidance Manual “Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs in the School Nutrition Programs”.  It explains the school food service role in providing meals to students with special dietary needs. The Guidance Manual can be found at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Guidance/acccommodating_children.doc

Nutrition Services under an IEP

The guidance addresses IDEA 2004 and the ADA and makes it clear that if a student has a documented disability that restricts their diet, the school food service department must make the substitutions as listed by a licensed physician on a medical statement form.

The physician’s statement must identify:

• the child’s disability
• an explanation of why the disability restricts the child’s diet
• the major life activity affected by the disability
• the food or foods to be omitted from the child’s diet, and the food or choice of foods that must be substituted

If your child’s IEP includes a nutrition component, the school is required to offer special meals, at no additional cost, if your child’s disability restricts her diet. When nutrition services are required under a child’s IEP, school officials need to make sure that school food service staff is involved early on in decisions regarding special meals.  It would be wise to include food service staff on the IEP Team.

Nutrition Services under a Health Care Plan

Some states supplement the IEP with a written statement specifically designed to address a student’s nutritional needs. Other states employ a “Health Care Plan” to address the nutritional needs of their students.

Nutrition Services in Cases of Food Allergies

If you request food substitutions for your child who does not have a documented disability (as defined under either Section 504 or IDEA), the school food service department may make the substitutions listed on the medical statement, but is not required to, make food substitutions for her.

However, when a doctor states that  food allergies may result in severe, life-threatening (anaphylactic) reactions, the child’s condition would meet the definition of “disability,” then the substitutions prescribed by the licensed physician must be made.

Under no circumstances are school food service staff to revise or change a diet prescription or medical order.

If your child has “life threatening” food allergies that are part of his disability you should read When a School Refuses to Protect a Child with Life Threatening Allergies at http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=58

Other Special Dietary Needs

USDA Guidelines define a person with special dietary needs as someone who” may have a food allergy or intolerance (for example, lactose intolerance) but does not have life-threatening (anaphylactic) reactions when exposed to food(s) to which he/she is allergic.”

At the very least, the  Guidelines strongly encourage “food substitutions or modifications for children without disabilities with medically certified special dietary needs who are unable to eat  regular meals as prepared.”

State Regulations

Be sure to check your state regulations as well as your local district policy regarding  school nutrition programs.

USDA Guidance and Resources

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/guidance/default.htm