Have you considered starting an elimination diet or some type of special diet for your child and family?
Gluten free. Casein free. Soy free. Paleo. Autoimmune Paleo. Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet. Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Low Oxalates. Low FODMAPS…
It’s a lot to sort through! That’s why having a trusted resource for nutrition guidance during your child and family’s health and wellness journey can save you time and energy in the long run.
My work with families focuses on guiding parents through special diets and holistic nutrition, while navigating developmental, feeding, and mealtime challenges through the transition.
While I discourage blanket statements or “one-size-fits-all” approaches, most of the children I see benefit immensely from a gluten and casein free diet as a starting point for some extensive time. In fact, some biomedical functional doctors who see children with ASDs or ADHDs will not see the child until they are on a gluten and casein free diet. It’s that foundational for many of these children!
Gluten and casein free diets are not only beneficial to children with autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, but also to many children with severe self-restricted eating habits.
There are many complex picky eaters, with and without neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), who have biochemical components involved in their “picky eating” that cause addictive cravings to gluten and casein (and often other foods). While the research is still emerging, my experiences with clients continue to “wow” me with their results and reported improvements! I want to shout this information from the rooftops!
Many of the children I see are sensitive to gluten and casein, sometimes among other chemicals and compounds within foods (amines, glutamates, salicylates, oxalates, etc.), often without their well-intentioned parents being fully aware of foods’ impact. While a variety of food allergy and sensitivity/intolerance testing exists, the best way to determine is often through mindful and guided elimination and reintroductions.
What are gluten and casein?
Gluten is the name of a protein group found in wheat, barely, rye, spelt, and oats that aren’t certified gluten free.
Most people are familiar with gluten and celiac disease, where the individual has an autoimmune disorder response to gluten, and it triggers an antibody response to target person’s small intestinal lining tissue. Notably, children with Down syndrome are predisposed to celiac disease.[1]
There’s also a widespread increase of non-celiac gluten and/or wheat intolerance today.[2] This is where an individual would have a delayed immune system response to gluten protein. It causes an immune system response somewhat similar to an IgE response or a true food allergy, but differing primarily in the severity of the reaction.
A gluten intolerance (and all food intolerances) are not as immediate or life threatening as a true food allergy. Food intolerances and/or food sensitivities, are slower to show and very often overlooked! A “low level” inflammation.
Casein is a family of related proteins found in dairy products.
Casein sensitivity is different than lactose intolerance, although the two can coexist. Molecularly, casein and gluten look similar from our body’s point of view. Both in excessive amounts can cause inflammation, not just for kids on the spectrum but for everyone! [3][4]
Children on the spectrum, as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders, tend to be in a chronic state of low-level inflammation. This is a critical piece of the puzzle to consider, starting with their dietary and lifestyle needs.[5]
A gluten free, casein free diet alone isn’t going to make as big of an impact on health and development as a healthy gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free diet (HGCSF)
Per 2018 study by Dr. James Adams and team, “Comprehensive Nutritional and Dietary Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder—A Randomized, Controlled 12-Month Trial”, guidelines for a healthy GCSF diet consist of:
Healthy Gluten-free, Casein-free, Soy-free Diet Guidelines:
Adequate intake of a variety of vegetables (including leafy greens) and fruit (preferably whole fruit). [organic when possible]
Adequate protein quality and intake.
Adequate, but not excessive, caloric intake.
Minimal consumption of “junk” foods and replacement with healthy snacks.
Healthy, gluten-free, casein-free, and soy-free (HGCSF).
Avoidance of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.[6]
One of my nutrition teachers, Julie Matthews, was one of the two nutritionists involved in this remarkable study. She has written a comprehensive breakdown of the results, as the study itself is quite lengthy and detailed.
“This study supports what many practitioners and parents have been seeing in practice all along. Finally, we have conclusive evidence that nutritional and dietary intervention is effective at improving non-verbal IQ, autism symptoms, and developmental age in children and adults with ASD!
There were improvements in anxiety, mood, aggression, hyperactivity, focus, and more!
Thus, I’m thrilled to share the results of this 1-year comprehensive study with all of you. The outcomes were life changing for many of the children that participated, and their families and communities, too.”
Read more about it from Julie here [7]
This study is groundbreaking and one of the best out there to show the efficacy and power of nutrition and supplementation on autism. Amazing!
ATEC stands for Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist. The lower the score, the less severe the symptoms of autism are considered to be. You can see above that the treatment group (T) ATEC scores reduced more from the initial to final points of intervention, than the non-treatment group (N).
While this study above is specific to autism, it is my professional observations and experiences, these results can be replicated in demographics beyond those with ASDs, to all children with neurodevelopmental disorders and comorbid health conditions.
There are many children who are complex picky eaters that benefit tremendously from a diet of this nature, who do not have a clinical presentation of ASDs or NDDs.
Notice the study above also removes soy from the diet. I also encourage my clients to remove soy as well, if it feels manageable to them. Depending on where they’re starting, if soy is easy to remove initially, then I encourage it.
Soy can be inflammatory for various reasons as well, similar to the gluten and casein proteins. Gluten, casein, and most forms of soy can be over neuroexcitatory for individuals with complex picky eating, autism, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Considerations before starting the gluten and casein free diet:
While it’s not required, I like to advise my clients to consider biomarker testing before starting the diet.
Once you start the elimination phase of the diet, the tests for celiac disease and food intolerances/sensitivities will likely not be accurate baseline readings (a true look at where you’re starting). If the black and white baseline data matters to you, explore testing options with your child’s team.
Try to get what testing you can through your insurance coverage and your child’s healthcare providers. If possible, an IgE or IgG blood test can be ordered through most pediatricians and family medicine doctors. Note: IgE is really looking for true food allergies, an immediate immune system response, while the IgG (intolerances) is more of a delayed antibody response.
Be sure you’re aligning yourself with doctors and practitioners who will work with you and support your journey. Food sensitivity tests should be seen as a tool, but not the full-picture of what’s happening. Some traditional allopathic medicine doctors are hesitant to order these tests because they can result in false negatives and false positives.
Additionally, keep in mind these Ig biomarkers are only testing the antibodies present in response to the proteins in food. Some children are reacting to more than just the proteins, so those foods wouldn’t necessarily show up on these tests (ex: reacting to salicylates in berries).
We are seeing more and more kids who have food intolerances/sensitivities, and their symptoms of inflammation aren’t being recognized for what they are.
Various behavioral, cognitive, and physical symptoms that are really food intolerances.
The other test you may consider running is a celiac disease test before starting a gluten free diet.
The reason for testing before is because once you start the diet, the test results could result in a false negative (saying gluten is okay/tolerable for your child). I didn’t know this when I personally removed gluten and casein from my diet, and so I like to be sure that people know that information going in!
Most experts in the fields of functional nutrition and medicine in autoimmunity and neurodevelopmental disorders, recommend trialing the gluten and casein free diet at least 6 months, regardless of what the test results indicate.
Often the best way that you can really determine the impacts is through elimination and reintroduction, and work with what you observe with your child. Get really in tune with your child, and prepare yourself to feel like a food detective.
If you’re concerned about nutritional status, consult with a professional who can guide you through it! I’ve seen the diet improve children's health and development in so many ways! Adults too. I often hear that parents and siblings see improvements in their health and wellness while working with families.
5 Connections to Explore When Adopting a Healthy GFCF Diet & How it May Help Improve Your Child’s Picky Eating and Neurodevelopment:
This list is obviously not exhaustive, there are a variety of reasons this diet is beneficial and the starting foundational step for generally many other special diets that someone may eventually progress to.
1. Supporting the repair of the gut lining and blood brain barrier
As I mentioned earlier, there is molecular similarity of the gluten and casein proteins. There is also similarity between the cells of gut lining and the blood brain barrier.[8]
Children with autism, neurodevelopmental disorders, and severely restricted complex picky eating are more likely to have an increased hyper-permeability of the intestinal lining, which places them at risk for weakened blood brain barrier integrity as well.[9]
In infants and very young children, the blood brain barrier is even more vulnerable.
When these barriers are already inflamed or compromised, gluten and casein can be over aggressive, promoting and further exacerbating “leaky gut”/intestinal hyper-permeability.[10]
This hyper-permeability spirals into the creation of more food and environment sensitivities over time, as pathogens and food antigens enter the bloodstream from the digestive tract. The longer it’s left imbalanced and continues to accrue damage, the more symptoms appear and the more difficult it will be to resolve. This is directly triggering the immune system to respond with antibodies against the proteins, gluten and casein.[11]
Healing and sealing the gut by allowing it time to heal without these proteins can be correlated to helping slow down the development of further food intolerances and autoimmune cascades.[12]
2. The quality of our food today...it isn’t “like it used to be”
It’s not as simple as just thinking about this in terms of gluten and casein protein molecules, unfortunately. That’s why I was sure to highlight the 2018 study above [6] and importance of a healthy gluten and casein [and soy] free diet.
We need to also consider the food quality these children are eating. Our wheat today is so very different than the wheat consumed generations ago. For starters, we aren’t soaking or sprouting wheat, rendering it much less digestible to begin with.
I cannot stress enough, the importance of aiming for organic options whenever possible to avoid agricultural residue chemicals, like glyphosate based herbicides and genetically modified (GMO) foods.
While the U.S. isn’t currently producing GMO wheat (to my knowledge/last I knew), essentially all conventionally grown wheat that is harvested in the U.S. is sprayed with glyphosate based herbicides as a drying agent before harvest. It cannot be washed off!
This is another topic to dive into at another time. In the meantime, I highly encourage you to check out the Healing Hope Tribe podcasts with Jessica Eberhart of @Momcologist_On_A_Mission about Glyphosate.
3. An “Opioid Crisis” in our kids?
Could your child be “addicted” to their favorite foods?
Another reason to consider gluten and casein free diets is the Opioid Excess Theory.[14] I find this very fascinating clinically, and I hope to see more and more research emerge on the biochemical mechanisms.
In short summary, when gluten and casein protein molecules are not being properly digested and broken down, they enter the bloodstream and are able to migrate to the brain and central nervous system, inserting into receptors that can cause a myriad of behavioral and/or physical symptoms.
While this research is specific to autism, I think it’s really important to highlight how this theory could be impacting many children, particularly those with complex picky eating (especially those limited to mostly gluten and dairy containing foods) as well as those with neurodevelopmental disorders and special needs.
“The main premise of this theory is that autism is the result of a metabolic disorder. Peptides with opioid activity derived from dietary sources, in particular foods that contain gluten and casein, pass through an abnormally permeable intestinal membrane and enter the central nervous system (CNS) to exert an effect on neurotransmission, as well as producing other physiologically-based symptoms.” [15]
I’ve seen many children, toddlers especially, who have not had a diagnosis or presentation of autism or other NDD, but they had complex restricted picky eating. As demonstrated throughout my work, there are many reasons why a child will exhibit picky eating (sometimes developmentally appropriate picky eating, sometimes not).
The children whose parents come to me and share, “They only eat a few foods...pizza, mac & cheese/noodles, and nuggets” (most commonly), are the children that often respond pretty quickly to nutritional changes!
Not only could their bodies be craving the gluten and dairy because of the opioid excess response, but often these foods in their conventional highly processed forms have artificial food additives and chemicals that could also be causing an addiction like craving.
As their diets are “cleaned up” and the antibodies to gluten and casein leave the body, most children will experience a remarkable expansion in their accepted food repertoire.[16]
4. Consider that your child’s GI issues may not be separate from their behavior, development, and overall well-being.
Improvements in digestion and relief from symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders are also reported benefits of children and individuals on a healthy GFCF diet.[17]
Further thoughts on the opioid excess theory; what digestive symptom is notoriously correlated as a side effect of opioid medications? Constipation!
Many children who are complex picky eaters or who have neurodevelopmental disorders experience a comorbid constipation, diarrhea, and/or alternation between the two.
This can be especially challenging when your child has a hard time with communication. Some children will posture and hang over furniture (or their parents bodies) for pressure on their stomachs, as an adaptive pain relief attempt.
If a child is feeling uncomfortable or they’re in a chronic state of inflammation, it’s very possible that they may experience increased anxiety, sensitivity (environmentally and emotionally), and more. Countless parents have told me that their child’s personalities literally improved. “They are so much more resilient and easy going” or “We were shocked that she just ate what we served!”
Once more, I don’t want to make “blanket statements”. Honestly though, a GFCF diet as a starting point (even if temporary) has time and time again been anecdotally reported to bring a wide variety of improvements to children and families around the world.
A 2009 Parental Survey of over 27,000 parents by the Autism Research Institute found that 69% of parents felt that their children “Got better” on a GFCF diet.[18]
It’s worth considering a healthy GFCF diet as a foundational starting place for families exploring biomedical treatments, including holistic functional nutrition and lifestyle interventions.
5. Reducing gluten and casein can reduce the autoimmune response or potential for developing one, and overall inflammation.[19]
This goes back to the points above related to “heal and seal” the gut lining and blood brain barrier, in order to prevent these proteins from being in the bloodstream (outside the digestive tract) in the first place.
Are you convinced of the incredible potential yet? This is a key reason to consider a healthy, nutrient dense, gluten and casein free diet.
For some children and individuals, not only those on the spectrum, gluten and casein molecules can initiate the body’s immune system to respond against itself. Going after the body’s own proteins!
Symptoms of this autoimmune response on the surface can be seen as behavioral symptoms, especially in young (and pre-verbal) children, if clinicians aren’t certain what signs and biomarkers to explore are a root cause.[20] [21]
For children with autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, the first step is often developmental therapy interventions (speech-language/feeding therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavioral therapy). These are wonderful services, please don’t get me wrong. Before transitioning into only seeing clients through Speaking of Health & Wellness, I was an Early Intervention Speech-Language Pathologist / Feeding Specialist, and I truly loved serving this age group.
I reached a point in my personal journey where I couldn’t stop thinking, “What if we looked at these conditions differently and as whole body conditions?”
What if the first step was to consider how to bring their central nervous systems into better balance through diet and lifestyle interventions, prior or in tandem to traditional therapies?
Could they be in a better cognitive “space” or disposition to fully receive the benefits of therapies to their maximum potential (vs when they’re clearly dysregulated)?
Absolutely.
Is the GFCF diet “all or nothing”? What happens if they accidentally eat something that isn't GFCF?
I’ll get right to the point; it must be all or nothing at first...for a while!
If you are planning to transition to a GFCF diet, I suggest adopting it gradually for your child. Expect it to take time just to transition fully to having a healthy GFCF diet. This not something that is easily done over night.
When you finally reach the stage of your child eating a completely GFCF diet, mark your calendar or make a note. From there, it’s widely suggested it can take at least 6 months minimum to judge it’s effectiveness.
I believe it’s worth full commitment for a year and then reassess. Note once again, that one of the best studies out there on this topic is the 2018 study showing great health and developmental improvements after a full year of dietary intervention and supplementation![6]
Generally speaking, it’s estimated that it takes:
~3 weeks of complete elimination for casein antibodies to leave the system
~4-6 months of complete elimination for gluten antibodies to leave the system
So really, you can’t judge the true effectiveness of the diet until 6 months, no “oops moments”. I will never forget watching an online interview during my own health journey, where autoimmunity expert, Dr. Amy Meyers, said that even just one bite of gluten can send your immune system into trigger for 4-6 months, even when you’ve been gluten free. Yikes!
A decent portion of the previously conducted literature on the GFCF diet, especially those studying the diet's impact on autism, were not trialed long enough.
A few days or weeks to evaluate the true capacity of a healthy GFCF diet on your child’s health and development is simply not long enough. Further, many of these studies also are not using healthy GFCF diets. Sometimes they’re even using gluten free or casein free exclusively, not mutually.
When journalists or the mainstream media are discrediting the impacts of GFCF diets (on autism typically), look closer at the studies being cited. Are they studies with short trial periods? Are they really following a healthy gluten and casein free diet? More often than not, it’s not the full picture.
Thankfully, through parents telling their family’s stories and collaborating with functional practitioners and providers around the globe, the paradigm is shifting.
The 2018 study by Dr. James Adams and team cannot be over-celebrated! It’s truly groundbreaking and well-worth the print and read. It would also be advantageous to look deeper into the exceptional work of the involved contributors.
Mistakes are bound to happen…
Here’s what to do when there’s an “oops moment” with the diet:
- First, take a deep breath in…and out…
Now, mindfully observe what happens.
What behavioral and/or physical symptoms appear related in the days following?
Watch for a full week. Are they more irritable? Whiney? Clingy? Craving / asking for their offending foods? More spacey? Less engaged? Constipated? Diarrhea? Any skin rashes or bumps?
Write it all down. This will help you and your child’s team identify offending food “triggers” and patterns over time.
Look into these supports to have on hand when there has been a diet infraction:
Speak with your child’s providers to see what follow up they’d specifically recommend as well.
Activated charcoal
DPP-IV Enzymes (Klaire Labs Chewables, Ezymedica, Houston Enzymes are generally my go-to recommendations for clients)
Magnesium or Epsom Salt Baths
Increased hydration
Lemon water
- Start again.
Don’t let the mistake get you down. Mistakes will happen!
Accept that right now and learn to look for the lessons. Use it to your advantage to observe and fuel your why, why you’re implementing the diet in the first place.
Many parents have shared with me that this is when they get the real “buy in from the non-believers” around them, when there’s an oops moment at a birthday party or with grandma or other. Those who are there to witness the child before and after exposure, generally realize quickly, “Wow yeah, I guess [food] really does impact them”.
Not everyone is going to understand or agree with your approach to try diet changes, especially not at first. The more people who are potentially feeding your child, the more grace, patience, and consistency you have to have, expecting that there will be errors. Keep coming back to start, again and again!
- Aim for least restriction with high nutrient density.
We have to remember that just because a food or meal is GFCF, it doesn’t mean that we’re eating “healthy”. Our focus should be shifting to maximize nutrient density and decreasing artificial food additives and agricultural chemical residues.
Just like gluten and casein, these food chemicals like artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives can wreak havoc at the cellular levels, especially in the gut and brain!
And really, that’s one of the biggest points of the diet, is to help heal and seal the barriers of the gut and the brain from our these “invaders” in our bloodstreams. If we’re only removing gluten and casein but not continuing to improve overall quality of their diet, then families will be missing opportunities for further or faster healing of the gut.
It’s a slow and steady process. It’s not done overnight, especially if your child is starting with only consuming highly processed, primarily gluten and dairy containing foods. I encourage parents to try a food-first focussed approach for nutrients whenever possible, but the truth is many of these children are deficient in certain nutrients already, so some guided supplementation can be really helpful.
I always tell my clients:
We are working towards the most nutrient dense and least restrictive diet that we can get your child to willingly accept.
How do you know if they aren’t getting all the nutrients they need?
You can hypothesize through symptom observation but the best way to know if they aren’t getting all their nutrients is through assessment. There are various assessments, some more formal than others (food journals vs. labs, etc.). Some more credible than others.
Some basic labs for biomarkers may be available for coverage through insurance with their pediatrician (IgG and IgE, for example). Other labs may have to be ordered through a functional medicine doctor or nutritionist. Direct to consumer labs exist for access as well.
Some nutrients can be informally measured at home, like zinc.
The zinc assay taste test is a popular at home test I often suggest to parents try.[22] Zinc deficiency alters the sensory perception and experience of taste and smell, which can create food aversions.[23]
I find this to be a very common deficiency in the population of children I’m serving with complex picky eating, with and without neurodevelopmental disorders.
Interestingly, zinc deficiency has been observed in patients treated with opioid medications, and it’s supplementation has been used for opioid addictions.[24]
I find this really fascinating given what we know about gluten and casein proteins creating opioid responses and addictive cravings, often in the presence of children with simultaneous zinc deficiency!
What about calcium?
Calcium...everyone’s big question when you remove casein / dairy from the diet.
Calcium is a very important macromineral, but it’s important to note that you don’t want to go mega dosing on calcium in isolation because your child is dairy free.
Honestly, we aren’t really getting that much absorbable calcium from cow's milk and there are many non-dairy foods that contain calcium sources (sardines, broccoli, bok choy, pumpkin seeds, etc.).
Calcium is a “game of co-factors” as you’ll hear fellow Nutritional Therapy Practitioners say. Calcium absorption, assimilation, and utilization in the body depends on and requires 7 co-factors for proper absorption, as outlined by The Nutritional Therapy Association below.
I think it’s critically important and worth noting, as this is one of the most common questions related to use of GFCF diets.
Calcium requires 7 co-factors for proper absorption (notes from Nutritional Therapy Association):
Systemic pH
Hormonal functioning
Hydration (water & electrolytes)
Balance with Other Minerals
Vitamin D
Fatty Acids
Needed to transport of calcium into the cell
Digestion
Calcium is only absorbed in an optimally acidic environment and requires HCl (stomach acid) for uptake
To keep it simple, most individuals are taking in enough calcium but the question is: Are they properly absorbing it and if not, why? If they aren’t, do they have the required co-factors to properly assimilate calcium? Because that needs to be explored in addition to adding in supplementation as appropriate.
I sometimes suggest a high quality, food based, mutli-vitamin for a few months to give a general overall boost through initial diet transition, then re-test and see. We always want to be sure there aren’t synthetic or unnecessary fillers, artificial colors or flavors, for these very sensitive children.
Autism Nutrition Research Center Essentials Plus Powder is a great option that we know is research based. After the 2018 study I previously mentioned on the impacts of a healthy, gluten, casein, and soy free diet was completed, the supplement used in the study was re-formulated and improved based on their findings.[6] (Dr. James Adams does not receive monetary reimbursement from the sales of this supplement, nor do I).
Garden of Life MyKind Gummies are a reasonable option too, as a starting point. These are conveniently found at most Whole Foods stores. Klaire Labs Vita Spectrum is another quality multivitamin that some of my clients have used and liked.
If you’re needing more guidance and reassurance on calcium, ask your provider about lab testing, and if supplementing with calcium in isolation is necessary (and which forms they recommend). If isolated calcium supplementation is needed, citrate or malate calcium forms seem to be the most widely tolerated and recommended among this population of children from what I’ve gathered.
Be aware, some calcium citrate supplements are GMO corn derived.
Is this diet change temporary or a life long commitment?
It’s hard to really say for sure.
It depends on your child, the individual.
We are really just starting to see the first major wave of adults with autism come through today. Many of them aren’t currently on and/or were not on specialized diets growing up and because of funding allocations for research, we don’t have a lot of actual data to answer this specifically regarding children on the spectrum and/or who have other neurodevelopmental disorders.
My guess though is that for some it may be temporary, but for most, it’s likely going to be something they follow for years, possibly lifelong. Especially in regards to gluten elimination. It’s very child dependent based on where they’re starting, what they’ve been eating, and what they eat while on the GFCF diet. How much “gut healing” has taken place? Has their immune system and nervous system settled and regulated? There are a lot of variables to consider for each bioindividual child.
Here’s the thing, GFCF is really just the tip of the iceberg. Many of these children need a bio-individualized diet tailored to them far beyond GFCF. If a remarkable amount of biochemical healing and improvement occurs, especially in the gut, then perhaps these children could grow into teens or adults who could occasionally tolerate gluten and/or casein containing foods in moderation.
Everyone is different and we’re still learning so much about the intricate impacts of diet, nutrition, and supplementation as a scientific and medical community.
Oftentimes, once gluten and casein are removed then you can really see the other foods that were triggering them as well. For example, red apples or tomatoes may not have been an obvious issue before, but after being GFCF for some time you may start to think they’ve developed new sensitivities. It may not necessarily be that the sensitivities are new, it may be that they were hidden. Masked food sensitivity symptoms beneath the gluten and casein reactions.
From what I have gathered, it seems some children are able to tolerate casein occasionally (in certain forms) after working on their gut healing and food intolerances for an extended period of time. Ex: Goat’s milk and camel’s milk are easier to digest than cow's milk, and raw cow’s milk is more digestible than pasteurized cow’s milk.
It will depend on their individual reasons why gluten and casein molecules caused challenges for them initially, and how this was followed up.
I would be interested to see more long term testimonials and higher level research on GFCF diets. From the research I’ve personally read and the work I’ve done with clients, I would advise families to expect that gluten likely needs to remain out of the diet for a long time.
Going back to those inevitable “oops moments” of diet infractions, parents are able to see how these foods are causing them to react (or no longer react). Sometimes it’s very obvious they aren’t able to tolerate it still, and the diet is worth continuing. Sometimes the child, if they’re old enough and able to understand, is also able to connect the food intolerance/sensitivity symptoms.
I don’t want to be too “all or nothing” though. Diet is always very bioindividual, I just don’t want to give a false hope either that after a year or two your child will be able to eat gluten and casein without an issue... Unfortunately that hasn’t been the experience I’ve seen, but I would confidently say all of my clients would tell you that it’s worth it!
How long should it take to see results?
Generally speaking, most of my clients see beginning results within the first 2-3 weeks.
Some parents may see some progress at about a week or so, but it depends if you’re starting with gluten, or with casein, or with both at the same time, and how exactly you make the transition.
Keeping in mind that, “Sometimes things get worse before they get better”. If a child has strong addictive like cravings to gluten and casein, you may see very strong willed behaviors from your child as they initially adjust.
Parents have reported statements along the lines of, “After [that initial adjustment stage], it’s like a light turned on / a fog cleared up / a veil was lifted.” It’s impeccably rewarding to be a part of helping parents attain such progress, and create these changes for their child’s health and development.
Give the complete healthy gluten and casein free diet (and soy free if possible), at least 6 months with zero “oops moments”.
If there is an “oops moment”, make a note and do a mental reset of the diet. Or maybe not a full reset, depending how long your child has been on it and how much gluten or casein they ate, and what their reactions were. At the very least make note of it. And then start again.
Gluten and dairy free diets are foundational to most special diets focused on improving the integrity of the gut lining and minimizing food reactions.
Is it a fix all or magic cure? No! Absolutely not, but it’s always worth exploring for complex picky eating, autism, and neurodevelopmental disorders. These children have quite a bit in common from a biochemical bio individual perspective.
General Habits and Guidelines for Families to Embrace During the GFCF Diet Transition:
- It’s critical that everyone in the family (and who feeds the child) is on the same page, and supportive at the very least.
Best results come from families who are implementing the diet together, eating the same family meals.
- During the initial transition, consider improving the quality of the family’s favorite foods first.
Adding before removing. This way you’re focused on adding and what they can have, before removals! Cookies to organic cookies. Mac and cheese to organic Mac and Cheese. Chips to organic chips.
Choosing the healthier version that's organic when possible, always free of GMOs, agricultural toxicant chemicals, factory farmed animals or their by-products.
One swap at a time, focused on improving quality. If it’s gluten and dairy free, that’s even better!
- Slowly but surely, while you’re swapping the swaps for cleaner versions of your family’s favorites, start removing gluten and dairy.
Overtime, become more mindful of lowering refined sugars. This will happen somewhat naturally, secondary to the steps mentioned above. Then eventually, consider removing all refined sugars, even organic.
- When this feels sustainable, start expanding to minimal ingredients and more whole food focused recipes to increase nutrient density.
Ex: Maybe the Organic GFCF Mac and Cheese is replaced with one ingredient organic rice flour noodles and the "cheese" is made homemade from butternut squash, or cashews, or coconut yogurt and nutritional yeast (non-fortified only: Sari Foods is my go-to due to MTHFR genetic mutations, and note that some children with yeast don’t tolerate this well).
- Ask for support when and where you need it
If you need support with your child’s complex picky eating, autism symptoms, or neurodevelopmental needs, and are considering a healthy gluten and casein free diet, don’t hesitate to reach out! I would be honored to support you through the transition.
If you’re not reaching out to me, reach out to someone else you trust for support.
- Lastly, have grace, patience, and consistency with the process and everyone involved. Including you!
Change does not happen over night. Don’t give up! For most families it really, truly, is worth it.
GRAB YOUR FREE GUIDE:
The Dos and Don’ts for Parents of Complex Picky Eaters
Celiac Disease Foundation Website https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease
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