GFCF Diet (yea, another posting, but I don't care)

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Yes this is another posting on the GFCF diet to help curb the symptoms of Asperger Syndrome. I know people have posted about this several times on WrongPlanet, but I just can't help but to tell you about my experience with this diet for myself and others in the past 2 months. I have spoken to parents and adults with Aspergers in person and online about the gluten free and dairy free diet. To keep it short I have had people literally wanting to call me, visit me, and praise me for just introducing them to this diet. I had one single mother literally almost offering me sex for introducing her to the diet that she has had her son on the past 2 months. She said he is a different person. I ask one mother online if she tried this diet and she said, "of course I have". I could almost imagine her rolling her eyes in the back of her head. I told her that gluten was hidden in so many things and to read labels and study up on it. Two weeks later she writes me back. I could almost see the tears in her writing of hope and happiness.
When I first read about it, I started to go on the diet. I have posted on here a few times about success I had as a child when I accidentally took gluten out of my diet to lose weight. The last couple of months I have been able to sleep like I never have before. I don't feel addicted to this drug called gluten. I don't even think about it even more. I don't have a desire at all for it. This is what kept me fat my whole life. I would really try and lose weight by cutting out fat, carbs, and you name it. But once I got a little taste of that heroin like substance (for those of us who have AS) I would be on a gluten and dairy binge for months on end keeping me up all night thinking about my next fix (no exaggeration). I now feel I have peace. Don't get me wrong, I do have times when I am depressed thinking about all the blown opportunities and what I have missed out on because of AS. But I still have much hope for the future.

I've started a thread on the Members Only forum called §!" Gluten-free-Diet Diary and Support thread"!§

I want to rediscover that feeling , and it's so long since I achieved it that I have difficulty reminding myself of how good it was. There is so much pressure to abandon it , so much "information" which suggests/insists that one must be imagining it that I find it really hard to stick to it , so I thought it might help me , and perhaps some others, if we kept a thread going on it.

I find your post really inspiring and encouraging and exciting. Thank you very much . Hope you'll come post such wonderful supportive stuff on the Diary thread!! We'll post tips and ups and downs etc, whatever helps us to stick to it!

I have considered trying this but I know it is a lot of work to maintain as I would have to create a whole seperate menue from my sig. other.(we share groceries).I also have some sensory issues that make eating fresh fruits and veggies almost unpalitable to me(more specifically fruit,I like most cooked veggies).I do crave whole grains and anything with suger....found this out when I went on the Atkins diet,(which I did lose some weight on but had to many other health problems at the time to judge if it helped me,by avoiding grains.

One of my main concerns is the initial "withdrawl".I have unsuccessfuly tried to cut down on suger and quit smoking and was so irritable(all I could think about was the cravings),that I was barely functional.I cant afford to be nonfunctional...I work for a living and the emotional meltdowns and lack of concentration(due to cravings)...well,I'm afraid of losing my job.

How dod you overcome this initial withdrawl?

I was relatively lucky because the first time I went on an exclusion diet I was unemployed just before taking up a job-share post that also allowed me a week-on/week-off working rhythm.
But for situations where can't take time off, or a holiday , then the recommended approach ( for anyone on a regular mon-fri, 9-5 sort of job anyway) is to start Thursday evening with a huge salad , fruit or veg , or big portion of favourite veg cooked without any dairy , wheat ( or other glutenous grains) , and continue without dairy, sugar, cereals, eggs ( any foods you suspect of being a problem) etc from there. The best approach is to eat food that will help with "transit", (! !) to speed up elimination and also get rid of withdrawal faster,so that when the worst hits it's " only " the weekend , and by Monday you are already experiencing some of the good effects!!
Then only reintroduce/test foods at weekly intervals on Friday evenings so that if get bad reaction have at least some time to work thru worst of it.

Re: coping with it ; I stayed in bed two days , ate pieces of apple , took paracetomol for headaches , and read!!
The third morning I suddenly felt as if someone had switched off a full scale airport/constructionsite/disco/railwaystation/crowded bar soundtrack that had been running.

Which was good!! !


I cried with relief and gladness!

I still don't buy into food fads. Also, from others testimonies, it won't actually help with the symptoms I need help with the most. What's the point?? I want my spaghetti, I want my bread, I want my eggs and I cannot have artificial sweetners because it gives me migraines so sugar seems alot better.

I've been on the GFCF diet for 3 weeks and it is great. I am not a diet person...however, I would rather be committed to mindful intake of food than to increase my anti-depressant, which I only take for the hypo-arousal of my nervous system.

The success of being on the GFCF diet for the last 3 weeks, has inspired me to come off my small dose of ssri, so Central, I am glad you did'nt care about getting the message out again, and making this known.

Much peace to you

Chris

IE "Food Fads".....Here is a fad for you...the scientific idea that food is chemistry and we are bioloogical systems that are individual in their response to each chemical.You are what you eat?Ever heard that bit of logic?

I dont know if this particular eating approach is related to AS "or" some related co-morbid biological issue.The latter, maybe why it works well for some with AS and not others.I do know that there seems to be a lot of "coincidental" evidence supporting some links with autism and allergies,leaky gut syndrom,IBS,chrones.Some of the negative traits associated with AS may have nothing to do with our specific brain-wiring but do to a response to chemicals(food,toxins in environment,etc)that is more commone in individuals with AS who maybe more biologically vulnerable to them.It certainly does seem worth further investigation.

I do have some time off from work coming up soon and may try and see if the chemical change helps with some of my brain fog,memory problems,anxiety,depression and IBS.These are my specific issues of concern.

I did begin taking Milk thistle for some detoxing9always take lactibacillicus for IBS and yeast problesm), but am afraid of doing a full detox(I take medication for low thyroid and Effexor for depression and dont want to "purge them" from my system).I do have a DRs appointment soon to address a year long hyper allergies that is driving me insane....constant rashs and over all itchies that nothing seems to be helping.

Do you take any suppliments with this eating system?

Please guys don't hijack this thread to make a case for or against the GFCF diet. It just works for me and people I have spoken to. Leave it at that. If it doesn't work for you I respect that. I was diagnosed with AS but maybe I don't have it and maybe just some people can't take gluten and/or casein and it just gives us Asperger-like symptoms. I don't know. It is not a coincident that it worked for me.

Yes, I know some people refuse to give up gluten and dairy, and that is your choice. For me, it was well worth the sacrifice. It wasn't that bad of a withdrawal for me because I went on a 3 week water fast prior to going gluten and casein free to clean out my body.

In my personal opinion, SUGAR is not the problem, it is gluten. I can go to Mcdonalds and eat their fries (which is gluten-free), a Big and Tasty Hamburger (without the bun and mayo), and a tall cup of regular Coke (even though it is not healthy in general). An hour later I don't have cravings or feel like going on a junk food binge that evening. I don't feel any swing in my mood the next day. This confirms to me that I was never addicted to a high fat or high carb diet. (It's the gluten and maybe the diary silly!! !)

As far as the offer for sex from the Asperger mother, no sorry I didn't take her up on her offer (sorry to crush your imagination).

Good thing about sardines is that includes calcium in the little bones , and the Vit D to absorb it in the oil ! ! ! !
Almonds and sesame seeds are good too for calcium.