Have any of you put your children on
a gluten-free diet? If you know me or my family, we are completely off
of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. We did this instead
of putting Funny Man I, my seven year old, on Ritalin. Here is the
google list of articles when I googled Food Coloring and hyperactivity. There are many similarities!
It has helped out a lot, but he is having issues at school still. I ran into an old friend who took gluten out of his son's diet and all of his "focus" issues at school are gone!! So I am looking for more outside help. I am also looking into getting his eyes checked, I am researching vision deficits. First step is an eye test with an optometrist. Then start with a plan and an IEP for him.
So there are two parts to this step one: Vision test and gluten free diet.
Anybody out there with some words of wisdom???
My only advice is to maybe not go "cold turkey" with the whole gluten free thing. There are so many options out there now for gluten-free which is awesome (Sprouts, Sunflower Market, Whole Foods & Wild Oats all have lots of great products), however if your Funny Man is addicted to things like pasta or bread like my kiddo is, going gluten-free all at once may be a bit traumatizing. They are becoming more and more innovative, but for a pasta-holic like my kiddo, rice pasta (100% gluten free) just isn't the same. I would suggest easing your family into it - maybe try just a handful of gluten-free items per shopping trip for the first month or two. Once your mostly gluten-free, it's not quite so difficult to eliminate it all together. Hope this helps. Good luck!!
Posted by: Kristin | October 07, 2008 at 08:58 AM
Kristen,
Thank you so much. Great advice. We are getting his eyes checked tomorrow to cross that off the list. But I was already overwhelmed this morning with this gluten thing! One day at a time!!!
Posted by: HeadMutha | October 07, 2008 at 09:24 AM
I have two friends with Celiac Disease who cannot process gluten. There are many helpful support sites for this condition that help with diet and nutrition. Good luck, Rocky!
Posted by: Elaine Hanson | October 07, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Hey Rocky,
Getting your son's eyes checked is always a good thing. You need to eliminate any true vision issues. HOWEVER, beware...not all eye doctors are created equal and there are many philosophies out there regarding eye issues, vision issues and vision therapy. You need to investigate everything thoroughly before jumping into any sort of vision therapy. (Of course, glasses needed for a true vision issue are always a good thing ;-D)
Diet and nutrition control many aspects of who we are as people. However, there could be things going on with your son that no amount of nutrition or elimination diets can cure. If your son's eyes check out as normal, you might want to look down some different avenues. Absolutely, try the whole Gluten-Free diet but also explore some other options.
Check out this website (it isn't my website and I have nothing to gain by you checking out this site) www.bartonreading.com. From there click on "Dyslexia" and check out the warning signs. There could be somethings listed there that sounds like Funny Man. Perhaps it isn't him, but maybe it is and it is worthwhile to look into it. Just an idea.
Feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions.
Posted by: Chrisie Lim | October 07, 2008 at 01:47 PM
Thank you Chrisie!!! I figured the eye exam would be the first checked off the list. I have to do this before any real testing can be done for learning disabilities. Thanks for the web info. I really appreciate all the help. I am not educated on all of this and I am looking for all the help I can get. Funny Man is so damn amazing, I will fight for him until we figure this out!
Posted by: HeadMutha | October 07, 2008 at 01:54 PM
Good gluten free website to check out-Gluten Free Goddess/Karina's Kitchen. Can't remember the actual name, sorry. lots of recipes and links.
Posted by: Heather | October 08, 2008 at 03:27 AM
I have three brothers with ADD (two of them have ADHD) and my father has ADD as well. I recently read a book that has really impacted my understanding of hyperactivity and ADD in general. The author does use drugs for his patients, but he also gives a lot of advice on how to treat brain disorders without drugs. I cannot recommend this book enough. At the very least you will learn lots of cool stuff about brains.http://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Brain-Life-Obsessiveness/dp/0812929985/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224044004&sr=8-1
As a note, I too have no investment in this book. I just love your site and love reading your blog.
Posted by: Leah | October 14, 2008 at 09:15 PM
Leah, thanks. On my way to Amazon now...
Posted by: HeadMutha | October 15, 2008 at 06:16 AM
I have two boys ages 3 and 4. Going gluten-free proved to be a wonderful step for us with real results. My younger son had a diaherra (sp?) since birth and a whole set of other symptoms that disappeared after we took gluten out -- sleeplessness, crying fits, waxy ears, rashes, "face brushing".
Take your time. Don't expect to do it over night. We do not miss gluten in the least because we love the alternative products -- although they can be expensive which sucks. Quinoa-based pastas are very good, among others.
I went gluten free to support him and my husband soon followed. I haven't gotten a cold since February, the month I took gluten out of my diet.
I could go on and on here but it really hasn't been difficult for us. It just takes time and getting used to it.
Good luck! If I can be of any assistance, I'd be happy to.
Posted by: debbie | October 16, 2008 at 02:46 PM
I am SO thankful to all of you!!! Thank Thank you Thank you. I will let all of you know when we figure this all out!
Posted by: HeadMutha | October 16, 2008 at 03:03 PM
Believe it or not, I have actually heard nothing but good things about, of all things, coffee. 1/2 cup in the a.m., some kids get 1/2 cup in the afternoon... Haven't tried it yet myself, but there are quite a few parents out there who have taken away all medications. I decided to wait to speak to my pediatrician about these things, because I want to take my daughter off her meds. But she is severely ADD, no hyperactivity at all. I wonder if gluten free could help with that?
Posted by: Rebecca | November 14, 2008 at 04:23 PM
I recently discovered my two year old son was allergic to dairy products, eggs and citrics.. after reading your experiences now I´m wondering if I should go on a gluten free diet!!!! As soon as I changed his diet we noticed the difference... his sleep got better and his behavior has changed dramatically- for good. I live in Mexico so I don´t have access to many products which I can substitute, if any of you can recommend any sites related to the allergies I mentioned I would appreciate it!!!!!
Posted by: Diana | November 23, 2008 at 05:57 PM
Diana,
I am so happy you came by. RIght now, I would just look at the ingredients. Make sure there is no artificial colors, especially the red 40. I know parents that have just taken the red 40 out and have seen a difference. Then artificial flavors, anything that has vanillan (fake vanilla.) Then preservatives. Anything in a box will most likely have it. If it doesn't, it will state it. If it doesn't, it will. No aspartame, sugar free, diet sodas!! Just try to eat as natural as possible. We saw a difference in three days. It could take up to two weeks though!! Good luck. I am always here if you have any more questions!
Posted by: HeadMutha | November 23, 2008 at 08:32 PM