Autism Talk Radio » Nutrition and Health http://autismtalkradio.com Illuminating the Mystery of Autism, One Episode At A Time Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:17:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 2008-2009 sprussack@socal.rr.com (Steven Prussack, MS, OTR/L) sprussack@socal.rr.com (Steven Prussack, MS, OTR/L) posts 1440 autism, medical, health, cure Illuminating the Mystery of Autism, One Episode At A Time Autism Talk Radio- Illuminating the mystery of autism one episode at a time. Featuring exclusive interviews with the leaders and experts in the field of autism research. Designed for parents and professionals, hosted by pediatric Occupational Therapist Steven Prussack, MS, OTR/L. Steven Prussack, MS, OTR/L Steven Prussack, MS, OTR/L sprussack@socal.rr.com No no http://autismtalkradio.com/wp-content/uploads/images/iTunesPicATR5.jpg Autism Talk Radio http://autismtalkradio.com 144 144 Juicing For Autism- The Power of Fruit and Vegetable Juice http://autismtalkradio.com/nutrition-and-health/juicing-for-autism-the-power-of-fruit-and-vegetable-juice.php http://autismtalkradio.com/nutrition-and-health/juicing-for-autism-the-power-of-fruit-and-vegetable-juice.php#comments Fri, 24 Oct 2008 05:29:43 +0000 Steve http://autismtalkradio.com/?p=46 Fruit JuiceMany children with autism do not really like eating fruits and even less so, vegetables. However, it is important that you, as a parent, understand the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. These reasons include ensuring healthy growth and development, energy, enthusiasm, concentration and vitality. You will have to set a good example by consuming these foods yourself and at the same time, find creative ways to introduce them to your child’s diet. One of the best ways is through fruit and vegetable juicing.

Your child may be very picky about what he/she eats.  Begin slowly…your child may take a while to transition to enjoying the taste of fresh juices.  But the rewards will pay off!

You may think that a multi-vitamin would be the answer, but it is not. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide more than just vitamins and minerals. They also provide a lot of other things that you cannot get from a powdered capsule. For instance, there are enzymes that help your body to absorb, digest and put all those vitamins and minerals to use. These enzymes are the keys to the many chemical processes that take place in our digestive system.

Fruit and vegetable juicing for kids is a great idea as the consumption process breaks down the fiber and allows the nutrients to be released from within the indigestible fibers so that a lot more of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes can be used by the body.

Juicing is also a lot more popular with kids because many fruits and vegetables have a sweet taste that appeals to children. It is also true that children tend to find it easier to drink a half pint of juice than to eat 3 or 4 pieces of fruit. This is especially true whenever your child has been running around and is thirsty.

Highly nutritional juices such as yellow bell pepper and green vegetable juices can be made more appealing to your child when you disguise its taste with sweeter juices such as apple or grape juice.

Here are a couple of important points that you need to consider before giving your child fresh juice:

1. A lot of packaged fruit juices, and even some vegetable juices, have a lot of sugar in them. So you should try to make fruit and vegetable juices yourself.

2. Even the fruits that you juice may contain a lot of natural sugars themselves. You should still make sure that your child cleans their teeth after drinking juice.

3. This high sugar content also has to be taken into account because a lot of it will be absorbed into your child’s bloodstream. So, you may want to limit the amount of juice that they drink each day. If you intend to give plenty of juices to your child, do ask your doctor or health professional.

Look for Steve Prussack’s Juicing For Autism, to be released in early 2009.

]]> http://autismtalkradio.com/nutrition-and-health/juicing-for-autism-the-power-of-fruit-and-vegetable-juice.php/feed 0 What about Enzymes and Autism? http://autismtalkradio.com/nutrition-and-health/enzymes.php http://autismtalkradio.com/nutrition-and-health/enzymes.php#comments Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:29:12 +0000 Steve http://autismtalkradio.com/?p=41 Enzyme Veggies

A lack of digestive enzymes may make it difficult to break down gluten and dairy products, or to metabolize proteins and fatty acids, leading to a condition known as “leaky gut.” Digestive enzymes, especially DPP-4, do not occur naturally in autistic children. Using them can increase tolerance to foods that might otherwise trigger symptoms of autism, such as aggressive or harmful behavior. Read on to learn more about how to use digestive enzymes to treat autism.

Instructions

Step 1

Add digestive enzymes to your child’s diet to break down gluten found in wheat, oat, barley, rye and casein, which is found in dairy products. Gluten and casein can cause digestive problems for people with autism and may intensify some of their symptoms, such as aggression, fogginess and lethargy.

Step 22

Use digestive enzymes as a backup to a gluten-free, casein-free diet. Digestive enzymes can help when wheat or dairy products are ingested by mistake. Some people are able to begin eating wheat and dairy products with the aid of digestive enzymes. Nevertheless, the elimination of gluten and dairy is still the first line of defense for most people affected by autism.

Step 3
Use various digestive enzymes to break down other substances such as carbohydrates, soy, vegetables, meats and foods high in phenols, such as tomatoes, apples and bananas.
Step 44

Know what digestive enzymes do. Amylase breaks down carbohydrates and helps people who are allergic to gluten. Lactase digest dairy products, lipase breaks down fats, protease digests proteins, and cellulase aids in the absorption of nutrients.

Step 55

Use digestive enzymes to treat other complications associated with poor digestion such as liver problems, kidney stress and skin conditions. When food is not broken down properly, the body can become toxic, overloading organs with waste product. Improperly digested food can also lead to parasite infections.

Step 66

Buy digestive enzymes over-the-counter, without a prescription. They can be purchased at many health food stores.

Tips & Warnings

  • Take digestive enzymes before meals for maximum efficiency.
  • Check how effectively your digestive enzymes are working by taking the questionnaire available on the Food Intolerance Bible website. See the Resources section below for a link.
  • Consult your pediatrician before adding digestive enzymes to your child’s diet.
  • Digestive enzymes won’t cure autism, but they can improve autistic symptoms by calming aggressive behavior and improving health and quality of life.
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