When Jordan's diet started to expand I thought it was the greatest thing. Him wanting, trying and liking more than a handful of foods made me feel like I hit the lottery. If you have a child with Autism, or heard anything about the eating habits of a child with Autism, you know most of them eat only a handful of foods. Jordan was branching out wanting spaghetti, lasagna, enchiladas, cheeseburgers and any vegetable I put in front of him. I was seeing firsthand the improvements due to the supplements he was taking to help his body function the way it should. I never associated the more foods he wanted to eat the more his behaviors started to change, in a bad way.
I mentioned before my church is doing a global surrender fast for 40 days. The number 40 is a number that is very significant in the bible. God flooded the earth by having it rain for 40 days and 40 nights.The children of Israel wandered for 40 years before making into the land God promised them. Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before he started his ministry. Forty is mentioned 146 times in the Bible and it symbolizes a time of testing, trial or probation. That's why our surrender is to last for 40 days. I'll be honest there's a lot I want to come of my relationship with God during this time, but whatever He gives me is fine. One of the things I have been praying on is Jordan and these disruptive behaviors that have taken up residency in him and don't want to leave. I asked God for the knowledge to know where they are coming from and what can I do to help fix the issue. I didn't expect for it to rain down on me like it did.
During my fasting I am reading more and picked up a book called "The Un-Prescription for Autism." This book gives you natural steps to take to get a calmer, happier and more focused child. I thought this is the book for me when I first came across it on Facebook. Now I'll admit, part of me felt that it's probably going to give me information that I have in place with Jordan already. But to my surprise there is a lot of good stuff in there. The subject that gave me the most knowledge was a diet, the Feingold diet. Removing artificial colors, preservatives and additives are part of it. I thought to myself Jordan is already on this diet because of the concerns I had that they were giving him allergy symptoms. But there is another element to this diet. There are a class of foods that are high in salicylates that also need to be taken away from what they eat. Salicylate is a natural chemical made by plants believe to protect them from insects. It is found in aspirin and if you have a sensitivity to aspirin you probably have an issue with the foods that contain it as well. Talk about an eye opener.
When I thought to do more research on the diet I never thought I would find out what I did. Jordan's insubordination probably came from the broadened diet because most of the new foods he eats contained this chemical. Which it probably why he wanted to try so many different foods, his body was calling for them. The chips, pretzels, pickles, apples, grapes and foods he ate with ketchup like hot dogs and chicken legs. When I looked at the ingredients, 95% of the foods he eats had some form of potato or potato starch and tomato. I now understand why Jordan had such a rough week that just past. I finally bought the ingredients to make the spaghetti he had been asking me to have for some time now. Just something else with this chemical added to what he already gets. At the end of my findings I was in shock and almost in tears because of all the foods that had to be taken away. I didn't know what I was going to be able to give him to eat. But God. This is what I've been fasting for so He's going to make a way.
When I found I had to remove his french toast sticks for breakfast, I learned I could replace it with a gluten free cereal with coconut milk. Instead of jaloff or spaghetti I will continue to make the homemade hamburger helper and tacos. His potato chips I will replace with organic popcorn and black bean chips. The ketchup....well....that I'm not going to be able to replace easily. Mustard is high in salicylates and barbeque sauce is made with tomatoes so he can't have it with the hot dogs or chicken legs, he'll just have to go without. I take that back, he can't have hot dogs being through it's a seasoned, processed meat. :( I will have to make him chicken nuggets from scratch just as I do the chicken legs to give him more of a variety of foods. So far there is homemade chicken nuggets, chicken legs, tacos and hamburger helper. Implementing this diet won't be hard, I think it will be harder on me than on him because of having to tell him no to a lot of things especially ketchup. But God has given me such peace because I know He doesn't bring you to things and not get you through them. My expectations in Him for this to be a success is high.
Psalm 62:5 "My soul, wait silently for the Lord, for my expectation is from Him."
During my fasting I am reading more and picked up a book called "The Un-Prescription for Autism." This book gives you natural steps to take to get a calmer, happier and more focused child. I thought this is the book for me when I first came across it on Facebook. Now I'll admit, part of me felt that it's probably going to give me information that I have in place with Jordan already. But to my surprise there is a lot of good stuff in there. The subject that gave me the most knowledge was a diet, the Feingold diet. Removing artificial colors, preservatives and additives are part of it. I thought to myself Jordan is already on this diet because of the concerns I had that they were giving him allergy symptoms. But there is another element to this diet. There are a class of foods that are high in salicylates that also need to be taken away from what they eat. Salicylate is a natural chemical made by plants believe to protect them from insects. It is found in aspirin and if you have a sensitivity to aspirin you probably have an issue with the foods that contain it as well. Talk about an eye opener.
When I found I had to remove his french toast sticks for breakfast, I learned I could replace it with a gluten free cereal with coconut milk. Instead of jaloff or spaghetti I will continue to make the homemade hamburger helper and tacos. His potato chips I will replace with organic popcorn and black bean chips. The ketchup....well....that I'm not going to be able to replace easily. Mustard is high in salicylates and barbeque sauce is made with tomatoes so he can't have it with the hot dogs or chicken legs, he'll just have to go without. I take that back, he can't have hot dogs being through it's a seasoned, processed meat. :( I will have to make him chicken nuggets from scratch just as I do the chicken legs to give him more of a variety of foods. So far there is homemade chicken nuggets, chicken legs, tacos and hamburger helper. Implementing this diet won't be hard, I think it will be harder on me than on him because of having to tell him no to a lot of things especially ketchup. But God has given me such peace because I know He doesn't bring you to things and not get you through them. My expectations in Him for this to be a success is high. Psalm 62:5 "My soul, wait silently for the Lord, for my expectation is from Him."
