Gluten free, casein free diets.

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I would like to know if any adolescent or adult aspies or asd's have tried the GF/CF/SF diet. I was told this would improve my son's symptoms and help with his focus/lift the fog that he seemed to be in.. I put him on the diet about 6 months ago. He has made massive strides in his development. The thing is, He is 2 years old and I am still skeptical that all credit goes to the diet. I'm wondering if he would have reached this point on his own. I wouldn't care about keeping him away from these things if it wasn't so friggen expensive. its so tempting to just say screw it and give him a cookie but other moms that also adhere their children to thiis diet say it will cause him to regress again.

So my question is, Have any of you tried the diet and really noticed a difference in some way? Many thanks

Absolutely! No doubt whatsoever. I have been extremely unwell and the most minute things affect me. I have developed what seems like an allergic reaction to so many things. But I have come to see this as a useful time because while my immune system is shot I can see all the various foods (and additives) which are not good for me. While I was better I was not sure about gluten or dairy either. I just had constant anxiety. Now I can see that the smallest amount of wheat will affect me. The smallest amount of dairy is shocking in my body.

I even Googled ghee thinking it should be Casein free. Apparently it is. But it still affects me. ALL dairy is out for me.

I think it is great that you are asking adults because we can communicate our experiences. I have been feeling this is something I wish to do for parents. If I can help further, please don't hesitate to ask.

I'm just doing casein free right now, but once I'm out of college and can afford it and make most of my own food, I plan eliminating soy and at least trying gluten free. Going casein free has made a huge difference for me. I used to have terrible eczema on my arms and face, and that is completely gone now. If I do accidentally eat something with dairy, I'll usually get a small patch of eczema on my arms besides the stomach upset. I also used to have a lot of gastrointestinal issues, including acid reflux, and that's all gone too. I used to get really bad allergies every spring and fall, and I didn't have any issues at all this fall until I ate a cookie I shouldn't have. And then I guess my immune system freaked out and I remembered that I used to feel that miserable most of the time. You know how when you have a cold for a really long time you forget how it feels to be well? It's like I was sick for my whole life until about 5 months ago, and now I finally know what it feels like to be healthy.

I believe this is something independent of autism, but can interact with symptoms.

If you're sensitive to these foods, then it isn't going to make coping with autism any easier, and eliminating them from the diet may bring much improvement in general functioning.

I recommend everyone tries gluten free/casein free for a while, just to see if there's any benefit.

There could be underlying issues with gut flora that can affect absorption and sensitivity. So called 'leaky gut syndrome'. I recommend cautious use of a natural probiotic like kefir to rebuild healthy gut flora.

For wheat free eating and support you might also check out the sight ~

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

The sight is about eating wheat free. I've seen several people there report the feeling of fogginess going away.

Good luck to you and your boy Racheyrox. Would it be worth looking into a co-op type situation with others in your area to purchase bulk amounts of the gluten free casein free foods you wish to try?

It definitely makes a difference. I have been dealing with candida problems for the past 6 years. I figured it out about 2 years ago, and have changed to a gluten free,dairy free and sugar free diet. It has made an incredible difference in my mental state. I have a calm, clear head, and don't have the anxious nervous energy I have when I am eating like every other american on a processed wheat, dairy and sugar diet. I am 46, but I am a true believer in the power of diet over our mental and physical state. Give it a couple months and you will see results. It is very hard to stick to, but well worth the effort.

Thank you all for your replies. I appreciate this so much!! ! Great Idea about the co-op! I will look into that!

Gluten-free, casein-free and soy-free help the most, as well as corn-free. I especially have problems with soy lecithin, not so much soybean oil. I've found that limiting all sources of glutamate and aspartate helps me as well. Glutamate can come from natural sources like nuts, vegetables and white meats. Check out http://dogtorj.com/g-a-r-d/foods-to-avoid-foods-to-enjoy/ for the full list. It's a step farther that may or may not be necessary, but it's helped me notice when I've had too much of some foods so I can balance them out with others.

I've been treating myself to corn, milk and soy on weekends lately without too much trouble, but wheat is the biggie for me.

Introversial. Thanks for showing or reminding us that if we eat an ideal diet most of the time we can afford to still treat ourselves to the treats.

The funny part is, that I noticed the dairy thing on my own. I nursed him until he was 3 weeks shy of his 2nd birthday. Every once in awhile, I would give him a treat like chocolate milk. I noticed everytime he had either white or chocolate milk, He would start acting really strangely. He would bang or drag his head on the floor and stare at his hands for long periods of time with a look of amazement. Almost like he was hallucinating or something. Being a science minded person, after seeing this occur enough times to convince me that it was dairy that was causing that affect, I eliminated it. since then I joined a support group to get a few pointers, and many mothers were suggesting this diet. Its almost unbelievable that a food could have that kind of affect on someone. But then again, I'm a total space case. Maybe if I adhered to the diet for awhile my ADD would ease up a bit and I could do something else besides read articles and studies on autism and nutrition.

I was lactose intolerant (would get hives) when I was little, was put on immuno suppressors so I could be fed dairy.
Went vegan 5 years ago.
Two years ago, when I was eating a lot of wheat, I developed a terrible blistering skin condition,
and now I avoid wheat as well.

I don't know that it's helpful with Aspieness for me, but I certainly think a lot of people stand to benefit in different ways from trying it.

I have a lot of food sensitivities-as a teenager I get hives EVERY day for over a year.Allergy tests were done,"wheat allergy" was diagnosed,I was a guinea pig for medications (horrible chemicals!)...well I stay away from gluten,soy,processed foods,meat,fish,and haven't had any hives in years and years.I am vegan and very healthy and do a lot of research,exercise every day and am so healthy.The less processed the food is the better.Cook your own foods using organic,local ingredients and you'll feel a difference right away!

Gluten caused me to break out with cystic acne for years. When I eat grains or refined sugar--and probably other foods as well, it's just that I eat a large quantity of many kinds of food most days, so it's hard to tell--I become clogged with mucus and moody and have a hard time being around other people. I think that corn is particularly problematic as far as grains go, but that's just a hunch so far.

I've always wondered if these diets work on adults. Does it actually help with the autism or does it just help with seperate food alergies. Im already lactose intolerant so I have little dairy which isn't hard. But going wheat free would be hard and expensive. I guess I need to have a food allergy test to see if Im allergic to gluten.