Digestive Health and Autism Spectrum Disorders
We are learning about the importance of healthy digestion, elimination and nutrient absorption for those on the autism spectrum. While many people, not just those with autism, have problems within their bowels, these disorders can be especially problematic for those with autism.
Many of us may have bowel problems and not even suspect it. Advertisers are appearing every which way now (even from the pharmaceutical companies!) on TV and the radio the importance of probiotics. Donna Gates and Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride talk about how we, as a society, eat so many processed foods, we may not have enough beneficial bacteria in our systems.
Experts in the biomedical field discuss these issues quite extensively on an ongoing basis. There are tests available today to find out if you or someone you know may have bowel disorders. Check with your doctor if you suspect you may have problems. Then, get on the right track to bowel health!
When I was down in Alabama visiting my mother, I asked my mother’s pharmacist if he recommended probiotics. He answered yes, and said he takes them religiously!
When I think of the old phrase “you are what you eat” and consider that I am a living being, I choose to put living food in my body. This is the path I am on daily. If I don’t put at least some living foods or supplements in my body daily, I can certainly tell the difference.
This is not always that easy to do, when every time we drive down any street, there is a plethora of fast-food chains. The good restaurants are getting so expensive with today’s economy, and many people do not understand the concept of putting a healthy meal together – especially a to-go healthy meal.
First, food does not have to be complicated. A salad, for example, does not have to be cut up and all mixed together and floating in sloppy dressing. Put some foods together that are healthy that will support your gut. Then, pack your food to go, to resist those weak moments in the fast-food game. It’s not that hard to plan ahead if you have the right food containers. You will be ready when you or your kids are! Carrot sticks, ants on a log, kefir, with blueberries (high in antioxidants) and a cut up banana (potassium) with a scoop of pure whey protein to add some sweetness. Sliced favorite veggies with their favorite dip (my grand-kids like honey/mustard dressing)–or make your own dip. Wraps using lettuce leaves are easy and delicious. You can get as creative as you wish or just go simple. I have a recipe for almond butter balls. From my understanding, the very popular peanut butter can cause digestive problems because of the mold on peanuts.
Second, getting your daily allotment of probiotics (good bacteria) to help bowel flora is so easy these days with the products on the market today. People say “oh yes, I eat yogurt” – okay, I’ll go that! Also, kefir is another great product, like yogurt. Yogurt is great, but yogurt typically only has one probiotic – acidophillus and many brands are processed and sugar laden. Also, most yogurts are made from dairy, which many people are restricted from on their diet. Our bodies need a variety of probiotics to function properly, which can be obtained relatively inexpensively in supplemental form. My favorite is kefir (explain a little about what kefir is) You can buy kefir or make it yourself easily enough with kefir starter. If you are not eating dairy, you can make your own coconut kefir or coconut yogurt It is so simple and healthy!
I could go on and on, but you get the picture? Take a look at what you are eating and pay attention to how you feel!
Get in touch with some great nutritional products and supplements here!
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thanks for the information.
@SavonDuJour@xanga – You have your points and I must say the research is purely on genetical basis, which mentioned that everyone can succeed if they have their effort put into their lives.
@Murazrai@xanga – I said any research any discussion of the sort of differences you were talking about was foolish because it is not based on fact. It is racist to say one group of individuals is more intelligent than another based on their genetic background as the corollary is obviously another group must be the least intelligent. Eysenck went down the route of race-intelligence, ‘proving’ that Africans are the least intelligent of human beings. He didn’t live to see Obama who whether you like him or not, was the youngest ever president of the Harvard Law Review. Not to be too long-winded about it, but he didn’t live to see Colin Powell or Condoleeza Rice either.
@SavonDuJour@xanga – I never said other races is fool to boot, but I’m sorry if this offended you. This is what I heard from a friend of mine. Anyway, anyone can become intelligent if one put efforts into it.
@Murazrai@xanga – I’m not a racist. All racist theories are foolish and evil, no matter how you put it and using them to justify anything leads only to discussions which are wicked.
Just for a point of information, it is quite obvious that you sources of information are very foolish indeed. How you can call Russians, Africans, Malaysians and Indians a race is beyond foolishness. Obviously you can’t – unless they are Jewish, then they are a race, Hitler said so anyway.
@SavonDuJour@xanga – Yep. At least the phrase isn’t meant to be interpreted literally. A good example would be a vegetarian still moves around but what he/she eat, vegetables are stationary. My particular culture (Chinese) primarily eats pork, but yet according to a study, Chinese are the most intelligent race in the world after the Jews, not being foolish as our depiction of pigs.
“Many of us may have bowel problems and not even suspect it”.Soon as I read that I thought ah, right there is going to be a new miracle cure for something that isn’t even wrong with us but if we can be made to worry enough about it we will dig in our pockets and buy whatever is going to be sold as a cure for this non-existent problem.
(This is not to discount the diseases like cancer that may not produce symptoms for a long time. But then, probiotics isn’t going to fix that anyway and a pharmacist is not the person you would consult in that case, but a proper doctor, hopefully).
@Murazrai@xanga – You can’t be serious? All this stuff about organics, non-modified food, fats and sugars, vitamin pills and the latest miracle food (probiotics!) in articles, adverts, magazines, whole magazines devoted to healthy eating, and tv programs passes you by?
Our culture thinks that “you are what you eat” is illogical.
Whoa… thanks for the info.
This can be extremely difficult with people who have low functioning autism and sometimes those with high functioning autism. A lot of children will realize over time that they do not like the feeling of ‘pooping’ and will eat certain foods that will not make them go to the bathroom very much. Some children do not like going out of their comfort zone with different foods and sometimes you just have to go with this because disrupting their life even more will not benefit them at all.
It’s not as easy as it is for us saying “I’m going to change the way I live and eat”, it’s really not. You have to integrate them into these changes, and there’s no use trying to explain to them all the great benefits it will have, because simply they do not care. They want what they want.
All this new gluten free, casein free products is a step in the right direction, but it only works if your child with autism will eat those things in the first place.
Hope you take this into consideration.
even though I’m not really sure what direction you were trying to go with this blog.