Sunday, July 5, 2009
Antiviral therapy for Autism Treatment
We are onto the stage in my son's treatment that I was most hopeful about, antivirals! Given our family history of viruses, specifically Herpes strain, I have always had a hunch that this was a big piece of the puzzle. Given that my son has had chicken pox twice (6 months and 3 years of age), I am hopeful that this leg of our treatment will bring big gains. We are 14 days in as of today. He is on both Valtrex for the actual viral issues and Diflucan for the subsequent yeast overgrowth that can come from treating viruses. If you are doing any sort of antiviral approach (including natural remedies like olive leaf extract, Virastop, Oil of Oregano, etc) you should always add in an antifungal component as the dead viruses usually become food for the yeast so you can have a yeast flare. We have seen some improvements already in usage of new words (like "meanwhile") and recall of people/places/events and more engaged, prolonged conversation with our hab worker at one point~he sat talking with her for over AN HOUR recalling details of the class he used to be in where she was one of the teachers. He was even recalling people SHE had forgotten about! But, we've also seen the regression that often accompanies these new therapies like more meltdowns, higher escalation over small things, aggression, and perseverations are back to an extent. We've been doing a combo of bumping up natural antifungals like Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) and doing activated charcoal to 1) kill the yeast and 2) mop up the toxins that can produce these negative behavioral aspects. We noticed a big change yesterday after doing charcoal Friday night. Friday was filled with screaming meltdowns, not the most fun times of my life. But, I am hopeful that this is going to end up bringing us good gains so we keep pressing on. Yesterday morning I forgot that my husband was going for an early morning bike ride. My son came into my room and he asked where his dad was, I told him he must be downstairs. He headed off downstairs only to come back into my room to say "sorry mom, but my father isn't downstairs". Wow, that is a great way to wake up, hearing a sentence like that! So the gains are happening and I know this journey is a marathon, not a sprint, so we keep plugging along. I also understand that doing an antiviral approach can also be a good chelator as well. My son did not really show very high metals except for aluminum. We have never done chelation but I certainly think anything that will increase his detox pathways is a good thing. Speaking of, if you know of anyone with a Heavenly Heat FIR sauna that they are wanting to sell, please contact me. I would love to pick up a gently used one for increased detox for my son. Time to run, my son just woke up and said he's "especially hungry" this morning. The day is already giving us some wonderful new gains!! I hope you all had a great 4th of July!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Great book!
I read a book called "Ultra Metabolism" by Dr. Mark Hyman. The material was not new to me at all, many of the things I have blogged about. He also discusses the issues of chronic inflammation, stress, metabolic disorders, etc. I have been blogging about how I feel that many parents with children on the Autism Spectrum should look at themselves since many of the problems their children have, they do too! I have started taking some supplements that we have Matthew on. This book talks about many of them. So, if I were to refer a person looking to improve their own health, I would definitely suggest this book. It even has recipes to help get you started, and there is a whole seperate book of recipes that he has written as well. I got both books at the library but am thinking of buying them, that's how beneficial I think they are. I think many people have the same problems present in children with Autism, just not to the level where they have interfered with their development or manifests so strongly in their behavior. And, this book is not even focused on Autism! He has great advice about why we NEED fats in our diet, daily (YES, including dark chocolate, how can you NOT love a book like that). He talks a lot about this not being a diet but a lifestyle change. I got some great reminders out of it and yes, have even made some changes myself. This is not about deprivation, the fact is if you do not consume enough calories, your body goes into starvation mode which then means loss of muscle, then you go off of the "diet" because it doesn't work and you gain all the weight (and then some) in all fat. It is a cycle that so many are on. He states you need to eat at least enough to fuel your resting metabolic rate (RMR) which generally is your body weight times 10. So, if you weight 150, you need to at least consume 1500 calories. If you try and restrict your caloric intake to 1200 calories per day, you are actually doing yourself no good in the long term. As your weight goes down, so will your caloric need. But, it is about feeding your body the right stuff to spark that metabolic fire and addressing issues like mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation which all impede your metabolism. I loved this book, I agreed with what he said and it made so much sense!! And, from what I have learned about the body and all of these problems (inflammation, mito dysfunction, etc) it was great to see this presented to the general public, not just the Autism community. He talked about nuts, seeds and legumes that give us great fat and protein that our body recognizes, understands and can process. And, if you add into that soaking and dehydrating of nuts that I have recently shared, you get even MORE of a protein boost! I think adding in some raw food principles here work really well with his advice. Overall, 2 thumbs up!! Do yourself a favor and read his book!! You won't regret it.
Here's a link to his site http://www.ultrametabolism.com/
New adventure!
So this should explain my lack of posts lately! While at our annual in-person visit with Dr. Woeller, he mentioned an employment opportunity with New Beginnings Nutritionals, the only supplement company we use for Matthew (and the rest of our family too!). They were looking for a parent marketing rep to attend California trade shows. He asked if he could refer me for this. He did and the rest is history! I start training next week at a trade show. It will be very part time, which works great for my schedule. But, it is one more thing going on and may mean less posts. But, if ANYONE is interested in high quality, allergen free supplements from a trusted source, let me know. I would be happy to help you get started!!
Raw (GFCF) mango, flax, coconut cookies
Here is another raw recipe inspired by Sunny. It is just 1/4 cup ground flax, soaked about 2 hours (it will become a gelatenous mass, just drain some of the top water off), 2 mangos peeled and sliced and shredded coconut to your liking. Put all in a blender and dehydrate for about 24 hours. They are a hit!!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Cheesy Kale Chips (GFCF raw snacks)
Sorry for the lack of posts, we've been on vacation and trying to get back into the swing of things!!
In my attempt to use my 2 new toys to their fullest (Blendtec blender and Excaliber dehydrator) I am attempting to recreate some more of Sunny's great RAW food she fed us last month! I chose cheesy kale chips because they were SO yummy and healthy. Here's the recipe:
1 red bell pepper
1 cup of cashews (soaked at least 4 hours)
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
dash of salt
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon smoke paprika
1 bunch of kale
Place all ingredients except for kale in a blender. Blend until smooth and saucy. Add extra water if needed. Place sauce in a very large bowl and add kale. Massage sauce into kale. Let marinate for 20 - 30 inutes. Spread out on dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 105 degrees for up to 24 hours until desrired crispiness.
I did one batch just like this for the kids and a batch with crushed red peppers for the adults who like spicy stuff. Tastes similar to a spicy dorito, I know, it sounds crazy but it is true, and SO much healthier for you!!
Enjoy!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Autism and Toxins
Here is an excellent article by Jay Gordon found on the Huffington Post:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr Harvey Karp has just written an excellent blog beginning to discuss the role environmental toxins play in causing autism. I agree that the huge rise in autism is real, and not just related to better diagnosis or reclassification of mental illness. Autism is most likely caused by a genetic predisposition and an environmental "trigger."
Studies showing that vaccines and their many constituents do not contribute to this problem are flawed, filled with specious reasoning and, for the most part funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Even articles in reputable medical journals are often written by doctors with an economic interest in continuing the vaccination program's status quo. This does not invalidate all of these studies but it certainly makes them suspect and a poor foundation for an argument excluding vaccines from the list of environmental influences on the increase in autism in America and elsewhere.
The facile dismissal of those of us calling for safer vaccinations and scrutiny of the current vaccine schedule is not scientifically based and polarizes the discussion. Perhaps most importantly, this dismissal is insulting to the thousands of parents and families who aver that their children have been harmed by vaccines. There are extremists choosing to ignore the facts in all vaccine/autism camps. I am not one of them.
Asking that cars be manufactured with more attention to safety and that driving is best when done safely does not make one "anti-car" or anti-driving. Asking for safer vaccinations and more judicious use of those we have does not make me or anyone else "anti-vaccine."
The studies Dr. Karp cites show pretty much the opposite of what he's claiming they do. The opposite. The Danish Study's data are misused by all and interpreted to suit one's needs. The Japanese study also shows a connection between the MMR split into three components and autism. Mainstream medical journals rarely will publish editorial comment impugning the quality or integrity of vaccines because they are dependent upon the good graces of the pharmaceutical industry for their publishing dollars. Seeking out reputable commentators is difficult because the extremists on both sides of this debate exaggerate their claims and speak louder and more unpleasantly as if this helps to make their points.
In April of 2009, the "Journal of the American Medical Association" spoke to the conflict of interest and possible corruption as the journals, the AMA, the AAP and other medical associations rely on money from the manufacturers of vaccines and other drugs.
I have been in practice thirty years and watched thousands of children get shots, not get shots, develop autism or remain developmentally "neurotypical." I have no proof that vaccines cause autism and would be very excited to have my large group of extremely healthy mostly unvaccinated children studied someday. It would be disingenuous to imply that non-vaccination might not lead to an increased incidence in vaccine-preventable illness. It would be equally disingenuous to state that this possibility poses a great threat to America's children. The risks of vaccinating the way we do now exceeds the benefits of this vaccine program. "Scientists" who suggest that experienced doctors ignore their eyes and ears are wrong. Detractors who say that we should ignore parents who are certain that vaccines caused their children's autism are wrong and often quite mean-spirited.
Dr. Karp, if you are going to talk and blog about kitchen cleaners, furniture polish, pesticides and other toxins, how can you possibly ignore the 30-40 injections of potentially risky material we give children in their first 24 months of life? There is absolutely no proof that these shots are as safe the makers say they are and certainly no proof that new combinations of vaccines and hastily created shots are safe enough for our children.
Certain childhood illnesses are far less common than before we had vaccines to decrease their numbers. When numbers drop so low for certain illnesses, we have to cast a strong critical eye on the possible side effects of a vaccine. This loving, reasonable principle can initially be applied by an individual parent to an individual child and family. We certainly have to add public health into this complicated calculus of risk versus reward. It remains very possible that changing the way we manufacture vaccines and being more selective in our use of them may have huge public health benefits. It would be unscientific and immoral to ignore these more difficult possibilities in favor of the easier answers in Dr. Karp's post. We can save more children if just think harder.
Giving children the chicken pox vaccine may lead to huge shingles problems in adults.
Autism is triggered by many environmental, infectious and other causes. Vaccines are one of these triggers. Believe the parents!
Jay Gordon, MD, FAAP
http://twitter.com/JayGordonMDFAAP
Autism
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr Harvey Karp has just written an excellent blog beginning to discuss the role environmental toxins play in causing autism. I agree that the huge rise in autism is real, and not just related to better diagnosis or reclassification of mental illness. Autism is most likely caused by a genetic predisposition and an environmental "trigger."
Studies showing that vaccines and their many constituents do not contribute to this problem are flawed, filled with specious reasoning and, for the most part funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Even articles in reputable medical journals are often written by doctors with an economic interest in continuing the vaccination program's status quo. This does not invalidate all of these studies but it certainly makes them suspect and a poor foundation for an argument excluding vaccines from the list of environmental influences on the increase in autism in America and elsewhere.
The facile dismissal of those of us calling for safer vaccinations and scrutiny of the current vaccine schedule is not scientifically based and polarizes the discussion. Perhaps most importantly, this dismissal is insulting to the thousands of parents and families who aver that their children have been harmed by vaccines. There are extremists choosing to ignore the facts in all vaccine/autism camps. I am not one of them.
Asking that cars be manufactured with more attention to safety and that driving is best when done safely does not make one "anti-car" or anti-driving. Asking for safer vaccinations and more judicious use of those we have does not make me or anyone else "anti-vaccine."
The studies Dr. Karp cites show pretty much the opposite of what he's claiming they do. The opposite. The Danish Study's data are misused by all and interpreted to suit one's needs. The Japanese study also shows a connection between the MMR split into three components and autism. Mainstream medical journals rarely will publish editorial comment impugning the quality or integrity of vaccines because they are dependent upon the good graces of the pharmaceutical industry for their publishing dollars. Seeking out reputable commentators is difficult because the extremists on both sides of this debate exaggerate their claims and speak louder and more unpleasantly as if this helps to make their points.
In April of 2009, the "Journal of the American Medical Association" spoke to the conflict of interest and possible corruption as the journals, the AMA, the AAP and other medical associations rely on money from the manufacturers of vaccines and other drugs.
I have been in practice thirty years and watched thousands of children get shots, not get shots, develop autism or remain developmentally "neurotypical." I have no proof that vaccines cause autism and would be very excited to have my large group of extremely healthy mostly unvaccinated children studied someday. It would be disingenuous to imply that non-vaccination might not lead to an increased incidence in vaccine-preventable illness. It would be equally disingenuous to state that this possibility poses a great threat to America's children. The risks of vaccinating the way we do now exceeds the benefits of this vaccine program. "Scientists" who suggest that experienced doctors ignore their eyes and ears are wrong. Detractors who say that we should ignore parents who are certain that vaccines caused their children's autism are wrong and often quite mean-spirited.
Dr. Karp, if you are going to talk and blog about kitchen cleaners, furniture polish, pesticides and other toxins, how can you possibly ignore the 30-40 injections of potentially risky material we give children in their first 24 months of life? There is absolutely no proof that these shots are as safe the makers say they are and certainly no proof that new combinations of vaccines and hastily created shots are safe enough for our children.
Certain childhood illnesses are far less common than before we had vaccines to decrease their numbers. When numbers drop so low for certain illnesses, we have to cast a strong critical eye on the possible side effects of a vaccine. This loving, reasonable principle can initially be applied by an individual parent to an individual child and family. We certainly have to add public health into this complicated calculus of risk versus reward. It remains very possible that changing the way we manufacture vaccines and being more selective in our use of them may have huge public health benefits. It would be unscientific and immoral to ignore these more difficult possibilities in favor of the easier answers in Dr. Karp's post. We can save more children if just think harder.
Giving children the chicken pox vaccine may lead to huge shingles problems in adults.
Autism is triggered by many environmental, infectious and other causes. Vaccines are one of these triggers. Believe the parents!
Jay Gordon, MD, FAAP
http://twitter.com/JayGordonMDFAAP
Autism
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Raw GFCF dessert (chocolate cake and pudding)!
After a weekend in the mountains with our friends and raw foodists (and also former OT - but friends first!) the Savages, Sunny, Lee, Justin, Ivy and baby Lucy, we came back to the valley energized and also motivated to add in some raw foods into our diets. Why are raw foods important? Well for one, eating raw means inevitably you will each no processed foods or junk! All that stuff is "cooked" and therefore not raw! And another things is the very fact that you are eating food in its natural state means all of the great enzymes and nutrition stays intact without degrading as the food is heated. But, you have to be pretty motivated and creative to start an endeavor like this. I watched my friend Sunny do this a few years back. Not only did she lose a bunch of weight (80 lbs I think) but she got a bunch of stuff out of her diet that was not benefiting her or her family. Last weekend she made raw taco salad with all the fixings (tons of veggies with ground walnuts and seasoning for the taco "meat" - it tasted JUST like taco meat, I swear!) and then a very yummy raw chocolate cake with vanilla cream pudding on top. So, I recreated the cake and pudding (with a few variations) and I am going to share it with you here.
Chocolate torte
1 1/2 cups raw walnuts
Dash of salt
Blend those two until it is powdery
add in 10 pitted dates unsoaked if they are medjool or soaked if they are deglet or very hard
1/2 cup raw cacao or carob powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp water (use the date water if you soaked your dates)
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
Blend all in a food processor until is begins to "stick" together and is well mixed
1 cup fresh berries - sliced as garnish
After everything is blended you smooth into a pie plate and you can chill or eat immediately. We topped with strawberries. It will be very thin. You can also double the batch, spread half on the bottom, layer sliced berries and then top with the other half. We added the vanilla cream pudding on top. We need a *good* blender, ours was not as smooth and creamy as Sunny's! Here it is:
Vanilla cream / pudding
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours or more
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 additional tsp of vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp coconut butter
blend and chill
I want to discuss the agave nectar issue. I know the issue of agave can be iffy. My friend who is very smart about nutrition still uses it but from one source that uses an enzymatic, not heat process and is not the high fructose that many on the market today are turning out to be. Since I don't have that source, I subbed in coconut sugar. It is a new thing that Sunny told me about. It has way less sugar than traditional sugars. It comes from the sap of the coconut tree flower. Let me tell you, it tastes JUST like sugar but with a smoky coconut flavor, yummy!!! I cut the amount in 1/2 for the pudding and used the full amount for the cake. It is rich, a small piece will do! But as summer approaches and we all get sick of heating up our kitchens, here is a healthier, yummy treat that needs nothing more than a blender and food processor. And I will guarantee that your whole family will LOVE it!! And, I plan to use the pudding recipe as regular pudding, not just to top the cake. I have been looking for a healthier pudding recipe. And you could throw in a half of a banana for banana cream, or some cinnamon, or some cocoa powder for chocolate pudding! Dairy and wheat free and lots of protein to boot!! More raw recipes to come as we get some additional tools like a good blender and a dehydrator! Come on kitchen fairy!!!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
How to prevent having a child with Autism
Wow, that sounds like such a heavy post. And I again want to put out the disclaimer, this is MY blog and MY opinion. I am not a doctor although I play one in my own home. These are my thoughts on what I would do if I were planning to have another child (or my first one) knowing what I know today. I recently reconnected with my very first best friend. I found her on Facebook and since then we have been communicating electronically. My blog feeds right in to Facebook and of course I post a lot about Autism. She is newly married and thinking of starting a family soon and she asked me how to prevent having a child with Autism. I thought the question was one I should answer for my blog friends as well.
When I moved to AZ I met a couple of women who also had young children. We all seemed to get pregnant with our second children about the same time. We all seemed to get diagnoses for our first borns (all boys) at about the same time. Two of us went on to have girls, 1 had another boy (and has since had a 3rd boy). We all seemed to face the same issues, maybe in different ways, with our first borns. I began to wonder if this could work the same way as Omega depletion does. When you are pregnant, your Omega stores are depleted as your developing baby uses them for brain development. If you do not replenish them, your subsequent children get less and less omega's which can often times mean less IQ/cognitive functioning. That is why it is so important to get your daily Omega dose since it is so critical for brain development and functioning. I began to wonder if the reverse were true as well, could our first borns also have gotten the bulk of our own toxicity? I mentioned my wacky theory to Dr. Woeller and he said there is a saying about the best way for a woman to detox is to get pregnant. Yikes. So here are some recommendations:
1) Get a good detox program started, NOW. See a naturopath or other health professional. I ask my doctors for them, I do not do my own combos, can't help anyone there!
2) Clean up your diet.
a) Get off MSG (all 200 forms - search my blog for MSG to find out all the ingredients that do the same thing to your brain and cells as MSG).
b) No trans-fats (hydrogenated oils) this includes CANOLA, dump it, now.
c) More raw fruits and veggies, get lots of them, start doing green smoothies (veggies and fruit) in the mornings, big salad with healthy dressing and then a sensible dinner.
d) Only organic meats and dairy (if you must consume dairy). Choose raw dairy if you can. Meats have very high levels of pesticides since the animals store them in their tissues (i.e. the meat we are eating). Biggest bang for your organic buck nutritionally is meat and dairy.
e) If you can, go organic on fruits and veggies, or at least the dirty dozen. There is a list (search the Internet and I think I posted on my blog too) that lists which fruits/veggies you should get organic. Think skin, if it has a thick skin/peel or you peel it, don't worry as much about going organic. Things with thin skins or things you don't peel, think about going organic. A must for organic in our house is strawberries, highest toxicity of fruits.
3) Clean up your environment. Get rid of bleach, pesticides and herbicides. Choose more natural remedies to clean and control pests. Don't use commercial shampoos/conditioners/body washes with things like sodium laurel sulphate, sodium laureth sulphate, etc. I have blogged about this before. We absorb through our skin so our washes and lotions should be as pure as possible.
4) No vaccines before 2 years of age if you choose to vaccinate. I have done enough talking about vaccines, you can search my blog if you want to know why or just do some internet research. Talk to a family who watched their perfectly healthy child fade into Autism after their shots, it could change your mind. And do your research on the immune system, that is going to help your child WAY more than any vaccine. Understanding and supporting immune function is key.
5) Increase your own sulfation and detox pathways. Take epsom salt baths or use epsom salt lotion.
Basically get the junk out and only put good stuff in. I had no clue about ANY of this before becoming a mom. Now I choose foods with the least amount of ingredients possible, and more often make everything my family eats. May seem like a lot of effort, you should try raising a child with Autism, it puts things in perspective. I understand toxicity and what we have done to our food supply. Fast food is crap and should be avoided. Make your own cakes and cookies, they are tasty and a lot healthier when made with REAL ingredients like flour, eggs, butter and milk. Avoid margerine and fake stuff like that. OK blog followers, what am I missing??? If I didn't cover something, speak up!! I live this daily so I could miss something!
When I moved to AZ I met a couple of women who also had young children. We all seemed to get pregnant with our second children about the same time. We all seemed to get diagnoses for our first borns (all boys) at about the same time. Two of us went on to have girls, 1 had another boy (and has since had a 3rd boy). We all seemed to face the same issues, maybe in different ways, with our first borns. I began to wonder if this could work the same way as Omega depletion does. When you are pregnant, your Omega stores are depleted as your developing baby uses them for brain development. If you do not replenish them, your subsequent children get less and less omega's which can often times mean less IQ/cognitive functioning. That is why it is so important to get your daily Omega dose since it is so critical for brain development and functioning. I began to wonder if the reverse were true as well, could our first borns also have gotten the bulk of our own toxicity? I mentioned my wacky theory to Dr. Woeller and he said there is a saying about the best way for a woman to detox is to get pregnant. Yikes. So here are some recommendations:
1) Get a good detox program started, NOW. See a naturopath or other health professional. I ask my doctors for them, I do not do my own combos, can't help anyone there!
2) Clean up your diet.
a) Get off MSG (all 200 forms - search my blog for MSG to find out all the ingredients that do the same thing to your brain and cells as MSG).
b) No trans-fats (hydrogenated oils) this includes CANOLA, dump it, now.
c) More raw fruits and veggies, get lots of them, start doing green smoothies (veggies and fruit) in the mornings, big salad with healthy dressing and then a sensible dinner.
d) Only organic meats and dairy (if you must consume dairy). Choose raw dairy if you can. Meats have very high levels of pesticides since the animals store them in their tissues (i.e. the meat we are eating). Biggest bang for your organic buck nutritionally is meat and dairy.
e) If you can, go organic on fruits and veggies, or at least the dirty dozen. There is a list (search the Internet and I think I posted on my blog too) that lists which fruits/veggies you should get organic. Think skin, if it has a thick skin/peel or you peel it, don't worry as much about going organic. Things with thin skins or things you don't peel, think about going organic. A must for organic in our house is strawberries, highest toxicity of fruits.
3) Clean up your environment. Get rid of bleach, pesticides and herbicides. Choose more natural remedies to clean and control pests. Don't use commercial shampoos/conditioners/body washes with things like sodium laurel sulphate, sodium laureth sulphate, etc. I have blogged about this before. We absorb through our skin so our washes and lotions should be as pure as possible.
4) No vaccines before 2 years of age if you choose to vaccinate. I have done enough talking about vaccines, you can search my blog if you want to know why or just do some internet research. Talk to a family who watched their perfectly healthy child fade into Autism after their shots, it could change your mind. And do your research on the immune system, that is going to help your child WAY more than any vaccine. Understanding and supporting immune function is key.
5) Increase your own sulfation and detox pathways. Take epsom salt baths or use epsom salt lotion.
Basically get the junk out and only put good stuff in. I had no clue about ANY of this before becoming a mom. Now I choose foods with the least amount of ingredients possible, and more often make everything my family eats. May seem like a lot of effort, you should try raising a child with Autism, it puts things in perspective. I understand toxicity and what we have done to our food supply. Fast food is crap and should be avoided. Make your own cakes and cookies, they are tasty and a lot healthier when made with REAL ingredients like flour, eggs, butter and milk. Avoid margerine and fake stuff like that. OK blog followers, what am I missing??? If I didn't cover something, speak up!! I live this daily so I could miss something!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Question about kids sleepwear
Sorry for the hiatus! My mother in law was in town to enjoy a week with us and with that and our Mother's Day preparations, it got really busy around here. But, we are getting back to normal and back into blogging.
Thanks for all the kind comments about our recent success!! It is very much appreciated.
Andrea writes: "That's awesome progress Terri!! I have a quick question for you. Awhile back I remember you saying something about what children's flame replent nightgowns were made of. I've been searching your blog all morning but can't find it. Do you know off hand where I can locate that info? Thanks again for all your insight! ~Andrea"
Here's my blog post about this topic and some additional resources on the web:
http://thirning.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-find-out-what-toxins-are-in-your.html
http://www.thenaturalsleepstore.com/whybuyorganicfaq.html
http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/safety/fireresist.html
I avoid all "flame retardant" sleepwear in favor of cotton shorts and tops in the summer and long cotton pants and shirts for the winter. Old Navy seems to have a good line of sleepwear that is all cotton and without the chemicals!
Next up ~ an article on preventing Autism! It will be a long one and I am still working on it!
Thanks for all the kind comments about our recent success!! It is very much appreciated.
Andrea writes: "That's awesome progress Terri!! I have a quick question for you. Awhile back I remember you saying something about what children's flame replent nightgowns were made of. I've been searching your blog all morning but can't find it. Do you know off hand where I can locate that info? Thanks again for all your insight! ~Andrea"
Here's my blog post about this topic and some additional resources on the web:
http://thirning.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-find-out-what-toxins-are-in-your.html
http://www.thenaturalsleepstore.com/whybuyorganicfaq.html
http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/safety/fireresist.html
I avoid all "flame retardant" sleepwear in favor of cotton shorts and tops in the summer and long cotton pants and shirts for the winter. Old Navy seems to have a good line of sleepwear that is all cotton and without the chemicals!
Next up ~ an article on preventing Autism! It will be a long one and I am still working on it!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Hip Hip Hooray!!!!
We have reason to celebrate in our house (well, many actually but I will cover one here). And I find this appropriate to be posting on the last day of April which is Autism Awareness Month. We had my son's IEP yesterday. This included full evaluations from the team (OT, SLP, teacher and school psychologist) since he will be entering Kindergarten next year. When we entered the school system in August of 2006 the school district placed my son in the integrated preschool class since that was the least restrictive environment. I understand that reasoning however, after just a short time, the team realized that was not the right setting. I had my reservations from the beginning but I let them try the integrated setting. In late October 2006 the team reconvened to do the same battery of tests as were just performed, including an ADOS test. That ADOS test would be the piece that allowed my son to receive the diagnosis of Autism. His SLP at the time also did a CARS evaluation which is another Autism rating scale. She came up with a score of 39.5 which put him in the severely Autistic range. I have never thought my son was severely Autistic. But these scores showed us the need to place him in the SPICE preschool program which is geared towards children with Autism. I have documented our journey from then on in this blog and shared our news last October when he was released from SPICE and moved into the integrated preschool class again fulltime.
The CARS rating scale was used to evaluate him last month. This time it was done by his current preschool teacher. She gave him a score of 26.5 which is in the Non Autistic range!!!! We still have our formal diagnosis, although our state will require us to re qualify him at his 6th birthday which is coming around the horn. I have my doubts as to whether we will get another diagnosis of Autism but I will cross that bridge when I get to it.
His school SLP completed a battery of tests and he does still qualify for speech, although his vocabulary tests (both expressive AND receptive) fell within normal ranges! Not bad for a child who could barely talk just a couple of years ago! He also qualifies for OT for fine motor assistance and a sensory diet.
He also qualifies for a program in our school district that is for children whose primary disability is in the oral communication realm. It is a small class (10 - 12) as opposed to the large Kindergarten classes (20 - 30) and has 3 aides. The children are held to the same curriculum but they are given more time to cover the material and it can be more child directed. And, we still have him on the waiting list for a charter school which is also very child-centric. Either course will be an exciting new adventure for him and I welcome both programs at this point. From the school district's perspective, we now have a classification of Specific Learning Disability - Oral Expression and Listening Comprehension.
I have always said all along, I could care less what you call my son's challenges, as long as we meet them head on. His school team has accurately assessed him (his teacher's scores and my scores on the Vineland and SSRS were almost EXACTLY the same which was amazing but goes to show how well she knows my son!) and are providing all the supports that we have asked for and that he needs to succeed in school. I cannot ask for anything more than that.
I think of all the progress my son has made and know it is due in large part to our biomedical treatment protocol. The fact that we and the school team are seeing less "Autistic behaviors" is directly attributed to our work to heal his gut, get rid of pathogens, clean up his diet and provide his body with methylation and sulfation support. And, I made sure I told everyone that! I want people to look at my son's scores, his progress and UNDERSTAND why he has made such progress. To understand WHY people have a hard time recognizing Autism in him is to understand our journey towards healing. This is not a fluke, my child is not one in a million. I firmly believe ALL children with Autism can be helped with biomedical support. And here comes my plug for Dr. Woeller. He has directed our progress and it is with his guidance that my son has achieved such dramatic success. I do not proclaim that ALL children who do biomed will lose their diagnosis but I will say they will all be healthier and when you are healthier you do function better, period. Not such a hard concept really.
So, there is our exciting news. My son has made so much progress and his future seems brighter than ever. Kindergarten is around the corner and I am enthusiastic that whichever path we go (school district or charter) he will thrive and excel, which is always my hope. And, my goal for sharing is to 1) brag a little and 2) offer some HOPE to others out there in the same boat. I have been working for the last 3 years with my eye on this prize, getting him into a kindergarten class as functional as possible. We are there! He definitely needs some supports and our school is providing them. Now I need to stop, do my own reassessment and set some new goals for my son's future. I love the Taca tagline on their website "Some of our families have been told to put their child in an institution. We're hoping for Harvard.". I think it is so appropriate. Autism is an epidemic, more families will face this childhood disorder than any other and yet there is so much hope for healing and recovery. Never give up, never count your child out. That reminds me of a quote on our old SLP office "Aim for the moon and even if you miss you will land among the stars!".
The CARS rating scale was used to evaluate him last month. This time it was done by his current preschool teacher. She gave him a score of 26.5 which is in the Non Autistic range!!!! We still have our formal diagnosis, although our state will require us to re qualify him at his 6th birthday which is coming around the horn. I have my doubts as to whether we will get another diagnosis of Autism but I will cross that bridge when I get to it.
His school SLP completed a battery of tests and he does still qualify for speech, although his vocabulary tests (both expressive AND receptive) fell within normal ranges! Not bad for a child who could barely talk just a couple of years ago! He also qualifies for OT for fine motor assistance and a sensory diet.
He also qualifies for a program in our school district that is for children whose primary disability is in the oral communication realm. It is a small class (10 - 12) as opposed to the large Kindergarten classes (20 - 30) and has 3 aides. The children are held to the same curriculum but they are given more time to cover the material and it can be more child directed. And, we still have him on the waiting list for a charter school which is also very child-centric. Either course will be an exciting new adventure for him and I welcome both programs at this point. From the school district's perspective, we now have a classification of Specific Learning Disability - Oral Expression and Listening Comprehension.
I have always said all along, I could care less what you call my son's challenges, as long as we meet them head on. His school team has accurately assessed him (his teacher's scores and my scores on the Vineland and SSRS were almost EXACTLY the same which was amazing but goes to show how well she knows my son!) and are providing all the supports that we have asked for and that he needs to succeed in school. I cannot ask for anything more than that.
I think of all the progress my son has made and know it is due in large part to our biomedical treatment protocol. The fact that we and the school team are seeing less "Autistic behaviors" is directly attributed to our work to heal his gut, get rid of pathogens, clean up his diet and provide his body with methylation and sulfation support. And, I made sure I told everyone that! I want people to look at my son's scores, his progress and UNDERSTAND why he has made such progress. To understand WHY people have a hard time recognizing Autism in him is to understand our journey towards healing. This is not a fluke, my child is not one in a million. I firmly believe ALL children with Autism can be helped with biomedical support. And here comes my plug for Dr. Woeller. He has directed our progress and it is with his guidance that my son has achieved such dramatic success. I do not proclaim that ALL children who do biomed will lose their diagnosis but I will say they will all be healthier and when you are healthier you do function better, period. Not such a hard concept really.
So, there is our exciting news. My son has made so much progress and his future seems brighter than ever. Kindergarten is around the corner and I am enthusiastic that whichever path we go (school district or charter) he will thrive and excel, which is always my hope. And, my goal for sharing is to 1) brag a little and 2) offer some HOPE to others out there in the same boat. I have been working for the last 3 years with my eye on this prize, getting him into a kindergarten class as functional as possible. We are there! He definitely needs some supports and our school is providing them. Now I need to stop, do my own reassessment and set some new goals for my son's future. I love the Taca tagline on their website "Some of our families have been told to put their child in an institution. We're hoping for Harvard.". I think it is so appropriate. Autism is an epidemic, more families will face this childhood disorder than any other and yet there is so much hope for healing and recovery. Never give up, never count your child out. That reminds me of a quote on our old SLP office "Aim for the moon and even if you miss you will land among the stars!".
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Jim Carrey's Huffington Post Article and other comments
Allyson writes: "Hello my name is Allyson. I heard about your blog from Shari's blog. Just recently we are starting to wonder if our 2 1/2 year old son is autistic. As I've read from your blog and Shari's I'm reading things that describe my son! Lightbulbs are going off in my head! So, I'll probably be checking out your blog often as I try and wrap my head around this. Thank you for sharing your wisdom."
Allyson, first off KUDOS to you for being aware of the signs and being willing to consider this may be an issue for your child. Sometimes that can be a very large hurdle for a family to jump, no one WANTS to think about Autism and their child. But, you are on the look out and an early start is one of the best advantages you have!!!! My son was so "borderline" that we missed a lot of time. We still did some dietary interventions and sensory support because of my dear friend Sunny who also was his very first OT. But, I think of where he could be today if I had found Dr. Woeller sooner and started all the biomed stuff back when my son was 2, 2 1/2 or 3! Good for you for being on top of things, your son is very lucky to have you for a mom!!! Keep up the awareness and don't hesitate to ask Shari or I anything! We will help in whatever way we can!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Briana writes: "Hey Terri,Thanks for the comment you left for me. I really needed to hear that. My mom came across this article written by Jim Carrey and I think you should post about it:) I know a lot of people look to your blog for inspiration. I know I do!! If you haven't read it yet here is the address: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-carrey/the-judgment-on-vaccines_b_189777.html "
Hi Briana! As always it is great to hear from you. Yes, this article.... I read about it earlier this week. What can I say about it? Well, I have blogged a lot (a lot more than I really intended) on vaccines. I think this issue can be so divisive and my goal truly is to have this blog be a source of info and advice for people wanting to get started in biomed and/or dietary interventions with their child with Autism and to hear our story. However, I can't seem to hold back on this topic. Let's just get this out of the way.....until about 2 years ago I was 100% pro vaccine, full schedule, never missed a shot with my son. Even though at his 4 month shots (just as he was getting into the groove of sleeping) he stopped sleeping for longer than 20 minutes at a stretch. From that point forward, he was even more colicky, inconsolable and I was very, very exhausted and frustrated. He screamed for hours after vaccines. Once I had my daughter I realized then how negatively he reacted to vaccines. He was my first so I had no frame of reference. One thing I remember about his infancy is his desperate screaming for hours each day and night. It breaks my heart. And yet I did not question that he needed all the vaccines, including hep B which we should ALL know by now that NO infant or child needs unless they are an IV drug user or engaged in unprotected sex, how dumb! So flash forward a few years. The more I learned about Autism the more I learned about the human immune system.
The immune system is largely found in the digestive tract (which is why it is even more important to eat a healthy diet and why a bad one can impact our immune system so much). We are expecting attacks through the mucous membranes. When the body receives an attack like that it can wage an appropriate battle against it. However, an injection largely bypasses the normal immune response. They add additional toxins in the form of thimerisol, aluminum, formaldehyde, etc. not only as preservatives but to garner an even larger immune response. Things can go haywire. Andrew Wakefield was the first to show the vaccine strain Measles virus embedded in the lining of the gut in children with Autism. This was not community acquired, it was the vaccine strain! Do you think this was supposed to happen? No.
Do I think it is all about the mercury? No. Thimerisol IS still in vaccines, even in trace amounts they are not legally required to report so don't fool yourself that it is all gone. But, what of aluminum or other toxins? I think those are as harmful.
What about Hannah Poling? You remember her right? The first child to receive a judgement in vaccine court that showed her Autism WAS caused by vaccines. The vaccine court worked hard to show that she had a "rare" mitochondrial disorder. Really?!?! Rare?!?! I would argue that mitochondrial disorders (and even more commonly DYSFUNCTIONS) are not rare in Autism at all. Muscle biopsy is the real definitive way to test and rarely do people want to subject their children to that. There is an acronym that is useful here:
Hypotonia (low muscle tone)
Epilepsy
Autism
Development
Delays
My son has all but 1 (epilepsy) right now and I know seizures can start for our kiddos at any time so maybe one day we will have all of these. Many kids with Autism would fit this description. Mitochondria come from us moms, dads are off the hook here. Mito disorders have also been connected to chronic fatigue, something I have joked about having for years.....maybe not such a funny joke now. Mito disorder and dysfunction DO leave our kids more susceptible to vaccine injury.
I have blogged about inherited disease before. What if over the generations we have so polluted our bodies to the point of an increase in these mitochondrial disorders and dysfunctions, that would explain why this generation has seen such a rise in Autism with the increase in vaccine schedules and other toxins. I love Jim Carrey's analogy about smoking. I don't think there are many people who would debate that smoking increases your "risk" for cancer. BTW - I remember this number from biological psychology in college, you are exposed to 4,000 carcinogens with EVERY PUFF of a cigarette. When you expose your body to that level of toxicity, of course bad things are bound to happen. We are very resilient beings but we can only take so much. That doesn't mean you will get it if you smoke 100% of the time. But, especially if the predisposition is there, you increase your chances. I think our kids with mito dysfunction (and certainly mito disorder as proven by the Hannah Poling case) are at greater risk for developing Autism (being a catch phrase here for impaired immune function, gut dysbiosis, sensory processing issues, language delays, etc).
My world today is very different than it was 5 years ago. I like to think I know more about the preservation of health. Some of my best friends here in AZ are doctors, chiropractors, alternative health professionals and other moms just as dedicated to this journey as I am. The doctors I have found here have been DO's which are more likely to consider holistic and alternative means in addition to standard medical practices. But, more and more, I am taught about the negative effects of some of these toxins we eat, drink and inject into ourselves and our children. They have all shared with me more things to read and learn, legitimate resources that explain the natural immune function and why these things (like vaccines) don't work as well as they were theorized. These people are not just weighed down in medical dogma. I have come to my own conclusions, as MANY parents have. I did not watch my child slip away necessarily after a vaccine like many did. I wonder what the outcomes would be if we took these cases out of "vaccine court" and into the court of our peers? I live this life daily and I am still brought to tears by these families' stories. They are powerful, and sad, and real. And they are more common than you think. These are not quacks, fringe people or weirdos. We are all people who believe that in some way the very things we were told would save our children have taken them away in one way, shape, or form. For me that is an irrefutable truth. Do I think it is the smoking gun on Autism? No. I think it goes deeper, it is more complex and there is no magic bullet for ANY child.
But, I was on the phone with the kids' naturopath yesterday. She has just been accepted as a DAN! physician!!! Yeah Dr. Carrie Rittling at East Valley Naturopathic Doctors!!! What an amazing resource for us here locally, she has seen my children for years. She said she started Nystatin (a very safe antifungal) on a 19 year old who has never spoken. She started the antifungal and he is talking!!! Wow!!! Anyways, for those who care, I spoke with Dr. Rittling regarding a medical waiver for immunizations. My little one starts preschool in the fall and my son hopefully will be going to a new school as well. I really wanted a medical waiver as opposed to just a philosophical one. We spoke (for a long time because we talked about her DAN! affiliation a lot!) and she looked up codes for exemption. Guess what?!?! There is a code for Disorders of Mitochondrial Metabolism!!! Yippee!!! Even the medical community recognizes that these children with mito disorders are at more risk for injury. The only problem is you don't realize your child has this until it is too late sometimes. But, in any event, I got my lifetime waivers so I was happy!! And I was thrilled that there was a "legit" excuse, maybe now I won't be glared at by the school nurse when I use one of her own codes she can understand! ;)
So what can I say about Jim Carrey's article? I like it, I agree with it. I can't really say anything else. I think it is repetition for those of us living it, hogwash for the people who make money off of vaccines (Paul Offit for example) and maybe an excuse for those who don't have a child with Autism. And you know, there are parents out there with kids with Autism who think parents like me use vaccines as an excuse. I have already stated that I think it goes deeper. But, I don't know how you understand the immune system and still believe in the power of vaccines. And I mean UNDERSTAND the immune system. Biochemistry, etc. to that level. Unless you are Paul Offit, an immunologist and co-creator of Rota-Tek rotavirus vaccine. He knows where his bread is buttered and he doesn't sell anymore vaccines if we all wise up and realize they are not ALL good. Did you hear that? I said "not ALL good". I do still think some vaccines can be useful. Not all and not as early and not every one for every child. Each child is different and I think we as PARENTS need the right to decide. This became way longer than I intended but I hope that answers your question!
Allyson, first off KUDOS to you for being aware of the signs and being willing to consider this may be an issue for your child. Sometimes that can be a very large hurdle for a family to jump, no one WANTS to think about Autism and their child. But, you are on the look out and an early start is one of the best advantages you have!!!! My son was so "borderline" that we missed a lot of time. We still did some dietary interventions and sensory support because of my dear friend Sunny who also was his very first OT. But, I think of where he could be today if I had found Dr. Woeller sooner and started all the biomed stuff back when my son was 2, 2 1/2 or 3! Good for you for being on top of things, your son is very lucky to have you for a mom!!! Keep up the awareness and don't hesitate to ask Shari or I anything! We will help in whatever way we can!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Briana writes: "Hey Terri,Thanks for the comment you left for me. I really needed to hear that. My mom came across this article written by Jim Carrey and I think you should post about it:) I know a lot of people look to your blog for inspiration. I know I do!! If you haven't read it yet here is the address: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-carrey/the-judgment-on-vaccines_b_189777.html "
Hi Briana! As always it is great to hear from you. Yes, this article.... I read about it earlier this week. What can I say about it? Well, I have blogged a lot (a lot more than I really intended) on vaccines. I think this issue can be so divisive and my goal truly is to have this blog be a source of info and advice for people wanting to get started in biomed and/or dietary interventions with their child with Autism and to hear our story. However, I can't seem to hold back on this topic. Let's just get this out of the way.....until about 2 years ago I was 100% pro vaccine, full schedule, never missed a shot with my son. Even though at his 4 month shots (just as he was getting into the groove of sleeping) he stopped sleeping for longer than 20 minutes at a stretch. From that point forward, he was even more colicky, inconsolable and I was very, very exhausted and frustrated. He screamed for hours after vaccines. Once I had my daughter I realized then how negatively he reacted to vaccines. He was my first so I had no frame of reference. One thing I remember about his infancy is his desperate screaming for hours each day and night. It breaks my heart. And yet I did not question that he needed all the vaccines, including hep B which we should ALL know by now that NO infant or child needs unless they are an IV drug user or engaged in unprotected sex, how dumb! So flash forward a few years. The more I learned about Autism the more I learned about the human immune system.
The immune system is largely found in the digestive tract (which is why it is even more important to eat a healthy diet and why a bad one can impact our immune system so much). We are expecting attacks through the mucous membranes. When the body receives an attack like that it can wage an appropriate battle against it. However, an injection largely bypasses the normal immune response. They add additional toxins in the form of thimerisol, aluminum, formaldehyde, etc. not only as preservatives but to garner an even larger immune response. Things can go haywire. Andrew Wakefield was the first to show the vaccine strain Measles virus embedded in the lining of the gut in children with Autism. This was not community acquired, it was the vaccine strain! Do you think this was supposed to happen? No.
Do I think it is all about the mercury? No. Thimerisol IS still in vaccines, even in trace amounts they are not legally required to report so don't fool yourself that it is all gone. But, what of aluminum or other toxins? I think those are as harmful.
What about Hannah Poling? You remember her right? The first child to receive a judgement in vaccine court that showed her Autism WAS caused by vaccines. The vaccine court worked hard to show that she had a "rare" mitochondrial disorder. Really?!?! Rare?!?! I would argue that mitochondrial disorders (and even more commonly DYSFUNCTIONS) are not rare in Autism at all. Muscle biopsy is the real definitive way to test and rarely do people want to subject their children to that. There is an acronym that is useful here:
Hypotonia (low muscle tone)
Epilepsy
Autism
Development
Delays
My son has all but 1 (epilepsy) right now and I know seizures can start for our kiddos at any time so maybe one day we will have all of these. Many kids with Autism would fit this description. Mitochondria come from us moms, dads are off the hook here. Mito disorders have also been connected to chronic fatigue, something I have joked about having for years.....maybe not such a funny joke now. Mito disorder and dysfunction DO leave our kids more susceptible to vaccine injury.
I have blogged about inherited disease before. What if over the generations we have so polluted our bodies to the point of an increase in these mitochondrial disorders and dysfunctions, that would explain why this generation has seen such a rise in Autism with the increase in vaccine schedules and other toxins. I love Jim Carrey's analogy about smoking. I don't think there are many people who would debate that smoking increases your "risk" for cancer. BTW - I remember this number from biological psychology in college, you are exposed to 4,000 carcinogens with EVERY PUFF of a cigarette. When you expose your body to that level of toxicity, of course bad things are bound to happen. We are very resilient beings but we can only take so much. That doesn't mean you will get it if you smoke 100% of the time. But, especially if the predisposition is there, you increase your chances. I think our kids with mito dysfunction (and certainly mito disorder as proven by the Hannah Poling case) are at greater risk for developing Autism (being a catch phrase here for impaired immune function, gut dysbiosis, sensory processing issues, language delays, etc).
My world today is very different than it was 5 years ago. I like to think I know more about the preservation of health. Some of my best friends here in AZ are doctors, chiropractors, alternative health professionals and other moms just as dedicated to this journey as I am. The doctors I have found here have been DO's which are more likely to consider holistic and alternative means in addition to standard medical practices. But, more and more, I am taught about the negative effects of some of these toxins we eat, drink and inject into ourselves and our children. They have all shared with me more things to read and learn, legitimate resources that explain the natural immune function and why these things (like vaccines) don't work as well as they were theorized. These people are not just weighed down in medical dogma. I have come to my own conclusions, as MANY parents have. I did not watch my child slip away necessarily after a vaccine like many did. I wonder what the outcomes would be if we took these cases out of "vaccine court" and into the court of our peers? I live this life daily and I am still brought to tears by these families' stories. They are powerful, and sad, and real. And they are more common than you think. These are not quacks, fringe people or weirdos. We are all people who believe that in some way the very things we were told would save our children have taken them away in one way, shape, or form. For me that is an irrefutable truth. Do I think it is the smoking gun on Autism? No. I think it goes deeper, it is more complex and there is no magic bullet for ANY child.
But, I was on the phone with the kids' naturopath yesterday. She has just been accepted as a DAN! physician!!! Yeah Dr. Carrie Rittling at East Valley Naturopathic Doctors!!! What an amazing resource for us here locally, she has seen my children for years. She said she started Nystatin (a very safe antifungal) on a 19 year old who has never spoken. She started the antifungal and he is talking!!! Wow!!! Anyways, for those who care, I spoke with Dr. Rittling regarding a medical waiver for immunizations. My little one starts preschool in the fall and my son hopefully will be going to a new school as well. I really wanted a medical waiver as opposed to just a philosophical one. We spoke (for a long time because we talked about her DAN! affiliation a lot!) and she looked up codes for exemption. Guess what?!?! There is a code for Disorders of Mitochondrial Metabolism!!! Yippee!!! Even the medical community recognizes that these children with mito disorders are at more risk for injury. The only problem is you don't realize your child has this until it is too late sometimes. But, in any event, I got my lifetime waivers so I was happy!! And I was thrilled that there was a "legit" excuse, maybe now I won't be glared at by the school nurse when I use one of her own codes she can understand! ;)
So what can I say about Jim Carrey's article? I like it, I agree with it. I can't really say anything else. I think it is repetition for those of us living it, hogwash for the people who make money off of vaccines (Paul Offit for example) and maybe an excuse for those who don't have a child with Autism. And you know, there are parents out there with kids with Autism who think parents like me use vaccines as an excuse. I have already stated that I think it goes deeper. But, I don't know how you understand the immune system and still believe in the power of vaccines. And I mean UNDERSTAND the immune system. Biochemistry, etc. to that level. Unless you are Paul Offit, an immunologist and co-creator of Rota-Tek rotavirus vaccine. He knows where his bread is buttered and he doesn't sell anymore vaccines if we all wise up and realize they are not ALL good. Did you hear that? I said "not ALL good". I do still think some vaccines can be useful. Not all and not as early and not every one for every child. Each child is different and I think we as PARENTS need the right to decide. This became way longer than I intended but I hope that answers your question!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Easy ways to be kinder to our Earth
So this morning we took our son to school using a bike and trailer. The kids had a blast and I got my workout in easier and quicker than waiting until after getting home from dropping him off and hitting the exercise bike. My husband updated his Facebook status with that and other things we do, composting, recycling, turning off lights that aren't needed, etc. Some people commented either how they were or were not helping the environment. But it hit me that we do most of those things everyday. I figured I would post some easy ways to be earth friendly, so YOU (yes, you) can get started TODAY!!
* Reuse a water cup. Either use a plastic (if you must) or stainless steel cup to get your daily water in. Those individual water bottles are bad for the environment and can leech yucky chemicals into your water when exposed to heat and light (so keep them OUT of your cars in the summer if you live here in Arizona!!!!). Bring your cup with you so you always have water and aren't going through a bunch of bottles.
* Compost. The Town of Gilbert gives you one for FREE. It is a much better way to dispose of fruit and veggie scraps and you are giving back to the soil by doing so.
* RECYCLE!! Know what goes in those blue bins and DO IT!! It kills me to see neighbors with TWO CANS overflowing and cardboard and recycle ables making up a good chunk of that. We requested a 2nd recycle bin from the Town of Gilbert (again, FREE of charge) and we only have about 2 bags of trash for the landfill each week.
* Get a reusable shopping bag. I stash mine in the car so I always have it, no matter whether I have a planned trip or pop in to a store on my way home. Many stores now even deduct 5 cents per bag you bring in to use.
* Walk or bike for a quick trip to the store. With summer fast approaching that may not be as likely for us in AZ but if you can, it adds up!
* Open up your house first thing in the morning to get the cool air in, around 9 or 10 when it starts to heat up start closing those windows and slightly closing those blinds. It will help keep your house cooler and you won't have to run that AC as much. That saves the environment AND your wallet!!! Run fans which are much easier on electricity than you AC.
* Plant trees to shade you home - see above.
* More fresh breeze and less Febreze!! We spray too many "things" into our air. I know here in AZ we have awful pollution. A large chunk of that is traffic but we need to be aware of the other junk we are putting into the air and our lungs. Do away with the air fresheners (which are toxins that also lead to health and skin problems) and go more natural. Getting a nice airing out will not only clean the air but remove the toxins from our furniture, carpets, flooring, and other VOC's that we produce in our homes. Use essential oils like lavender, lemon, eucalyptus or Cinnamon in a spray bottle with water. It is safe for your kids and animals and so much more earth friendly.
* Plant a garden!! You are doing the world a ton of good by planting your own garden. You know where the food comes from, it tastes great, you aren't making a trip to a store for it and you can use your own compost!!
* Buy locally when you can, i.e. farmer's markets. It takes a WHOLE LOT of energy to get bananas from Ecuador!! Think of all the resources that go into shipping food all over the world. That can mean giving up some things but to eat locally not only brings more resources to your own neighbors it also saves the oil it takes to ship/truck/fly this stuff all over. If you grow some of your own food you make an immediate impact in this as well.
* Pass things on....hand me downs are a great way to reuse! Kids (especially little ones) don't care one iota about a brand or style. By giving and receiving hand me downs you consume less and reuse more.
* Look for "antiques" before buying new. Did you know that most "furniture" these days is simply particle board and that it releases formaldehyde? This toxin can cause all sorts of health problems (including skin problems like eczema) and should be avoided. Shopping at 2nd hand stores for solid wood furniture and refinishing them using eco and health friendly materials is a better bet, not only for the environment but your health. It is a sad day when our furniture consists of wood ships glued together with a picture of wood on the front.
* Look for more sustainable products when remodeling your home. Bamboo is an excellent choice these days for flooring and cabinetry. It is a very fast growing product and it is very safe for people with allergies. It will release less VOC's than other hard floor alternatives.
If you have a child with Autism, some of these things are probably on your mind daily. I know I worry alot about environmental toxins with my children and especially my son who is more reactive. But, these things are also just good for our mother Earth too! Deforestation, a reliance on oil and a mindset that is on consume, consume, consume will only get us into more trouble economically, environmentally and physically. Lets all be gentler with the Earth and we can all breathe a little easier, literally!
* Reuse a water cup. Either use a plastic (if you must) or stainless steel cup to get your daily water in. Those individual water bottles are bad for the environment and can leech yucky chemicals into your water when exposed to heat and light (so keep them OUT of your cars in the summer if you live here in Arizona!!!!). Bring your cup with you so you always have water and aren't going through a bunch of bottles.
* Compost. The Town of Gilbert gives you one for FREE. It is a much better way to dispose of fruit and veggie scraps and you are giving back to the soil by doing so.
* RECYCLE!! Know what goes in those blue bins and DO IT!! It kills me to see neighbors with TWO CANS overflowing and cardboard and recycle ables making up a good chunk of that. We requested a 2nd recycle bin from the Town of Gilbert (again, FREE of charge) and we only have about 2 bags of trash for the landfill each week.
* Get a reusable shopping bag. I stash mine in the car so I always have it, no matter whether I have a planned trip or pop in to a store on my way home. Many stores now even deduct 5 cents per bag you bring in to use.
* Walk or bike for a quick trip to the store. With summer fast approaching that may not be as likely for us in AZ but if you can, it adds up!
* Open up your house first thing in the morning to get the cool air in, around 9 or 10 when it starts to heat up start closing those windows and slightly closing those blinds. It will help keep your house cooler and you won't have to run that AC as much. That saves the environment AND your wallet!!! Run fans which are much easier on electricity than you AC.
* Plant trees to shade you home - see above.
* More fresh breeze and less Febreze!! We spray too many "things" into our air. I know here in AZ we have awful pollution. A large chunk of that is traffic but we need to be aware of the other junk we are putting into the air and our lungs. Do away with the air fresheners (which are toxins that also lead to health and skin problems) and go more natural. Getting a nice airing out will not only clean the air but remove the toxins from our furniture, carpets, flooring, and other VOC's that we produce in our homes. Use essential oils like lavender, lemon, eucalyptus or Cinnamon in a spray bottle with water. It is safe for your kids and animals and so much more earth friendly.
* Plant a garden!! You are doing the world a ton of good by planting your own garden. You know where the food comes from, it tastes great, you aren't making a trip to a store for it and you can use your own compost!!
* Buy locally when you can, i.e. farmer's markets. It takes a WHOLE LOT of energy to get bananas from Ecuador!! Think of all the resources that go into shipping food all over the world. That can mean giving up some things but to eat locally not only brings more resources to your own neighbors it also saves the oil it takes to ship/truck/fly this stuff all over. If you grow some of your own food you make an immediate impact in this as well.
* Pass things on....hand me downs are a great way to reuse! Kids (especially little ones) don't care one iota about a brand or style. By giving and receiving hand me downs you consume less and reuse more.
* Look for "antiques" before buying new. Did you know that most "furniture" these days is simply particle board and that it releases formaldehyde? This toxin can cause all sorts of health problems (including skin problems like eczema) and should be avoided. Shopping at 2nd hand stores for solid wood furniture and refinishing them using eco and health friendly materials is a better bet, not only for the environment but your health. It is a sad day when our furniture consists of wood ships glued together with a picture of wood on the front.
* Look for more sustainable products when remodeling your home. Bamboo is an excellent choice these days for flooring and cabinetry. It is a very fast growing product and it is very safe for people with allergies. It will release less VOC's than other hard floor alternatives.
If you have a child with Autism, some of these things are probably on your mind daily. I know I worry alot about environmental toxins with my children and especially my son who is more reactive. But, these things are also just good for our mother Earth too! Deforestation, a reliance on oil and a mindset that is on consume, consume, consume will only get us into more trouble economically, environmentally and physically. Lets all be gentler with the Earth and we can all breathe a little easier, literally!
Earth "friendly" products to be wary of
I love Earth day and all the focus on being more Earth friendly. But, I don't love that we reserve this for one specific point in time each year. I am always leery of mainstream companies "going green" or organic, or healthy. I don't buy (in the figurative AND literal sense) the All Natural Jif (I am just using this as an example, not sure if Jif makes all natural) or the Clorox Green Works products for this reason. You can tell the motivations of a company by what their primary focus is. If they were concerned about health or the environment, they wouldn't wait until it became a money maker in their segment to jump in. I am always skeptical at mainstream products that try and move into a health food category. If you have been wondering about some of these so called green products, read the link below. I think it is awful for organizations like the Sierra Club to lend their name to products for profit and not because they are safe and healthy. Shame on Clorox and shame on the Sierra Club!
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/4-green-claims-to-be-wary-of.aspx
When in doubt, find out what companies are more trustworthy and in the business for the love of it and not just for profit and support them. I know people who use Seventh Generation, I like the Biokleen line for cleaning/laundry detergent/dish soap/etc. I also order lots of products from Azure Standard. They only service select areas since they do truck shipments once per month. But their company has very high standards, they select companies to stock based on health and wellness. Now, that doesn't mean that it is a free for all on every items. You still need to read labels and understand what you are eating or cleaning with. But, I trust their judgement on bringing in healthier items that I would a Wal-Mart where it is all profits. And their pricing is better than health food stores, etc. You can check them out at www.azurestandard.com.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/4-green-claims-to-be-wary-of.aspx
When in doubt, find out what companies are more trustworthy and in the business for the love of it and not just for profit and support them. I know people who use Seventh Generation, I like the Biokleen line for cleaning/laundry detergent/dish soap/etc. I also order lots of products from Azure Standard. They only service select areas since they do truck shipments once per month. But their company has very high standards, they select companies to stock based on health and wellness. Now, that doesn't mean that it is a free for all on every items. You still need to read labels and understand what you are eating or cleaning with. But, I trust their judgement on bringing in healthier items that I would a Wal-Mart where it is all profits. And their pricing is better than health food stores, etc. You can check them out at www.azurestandard.com.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Bacterial communication via quorum sensing
This is a fabulously interesting video that Dr. Woeller put on Autism Action Plan and I watched the other day. I am sharing it here because I think it really is important to understand these pathogens and how they may be communicating and thereby activating themselves. I think it points to ramifications on the types of "antibiotics" that may be available in the future and also the concept of increasing the communication of the good bacteria that is necessary (yes, necessary) for our survival. I have used enzymes such as Candidase and Virastop for natural enzymatic treatment of yeast and also viruses. They break down the protein shell of the virus (in the case of Virastop) and as you watch the video you can understand the ramifications of this type of therapy with blocking communication of bacteria.
I used to be an OCD bleach/wipes mom, really I did. I was not always this crunchy, granola-esque, Buddha, save the bacteria kind of woman. But, a little understanding of the human immune system taught me we are all about the bugs, the big thing is you need the good bugs to defeat the bad bugs, then you are healthy. When the bad bugs outnumber the good bugs you are sick (actually disease and also yeast here too so listen up ladies!). When you use antibiotics (which means "against life"), they don't discriminate. They napalm the whole place, nary a bug to survive. Well, that takes out your ground forces as well as the rebels you are trying to defeat (if I can use a military metaphor). So unless you are putting them back through probiotics (which means "for life") you are hurting yourself as well as the bad bugs.....So killing every last bacteria should not be our life's mission. Making our own immune system strong by increasing the good guys SHOULD be. If you haven't read my blog posts about Kombucha, you should it is a powerful way to add the good yeast and bacteria that your body needs. And, yogurt and kefirs can also fit that bill. But, not mainstream, off the shelf yogurt with aspartame, red dyes, fake fruit and the such. I would encourage you to buy a high quality yogurt with just milk and enzymes and maybe some fresh fruit, or make your own. We make our own coconut milk yogurt, you can control exactly what goes in and what your kids are eating. That way they aren't jacked up on the bad ingredients hidden behind a "healthy" carton label. Ah....the beauty of our food supply when they can even make something inherently good into something bad! So, watch the video, first scroll all the way down to the bottom of my page and click on the pause button on the music player so you can hear it. Enjoy!
I used to be an OCD bleach/wipes mom, really I did. I was not always this crunchy, granola-esque, Buddha, save the bacteria kind of woman. But, a little understanding of the human immune system taught me we are all about the bugs, the big thing is you need the good bugs to defeat the bad bugs, then you are healthy. When the bad bugs outnumber the good bugs you are sick (actually disease and also yeast here too so listen up ladies!). When you use antibiotics (which means "against life"), they don't discriminate. They napalm the whole place, nary a bug to survive. Well, that takes out your ground forces as well as the rebels you are trying to defeat (if I can use a military metaphor). So unless you are putting them back through probiotics (which means "for life") you are hurting yourself as well as the bad bugs.....So killing every last bacteria should not be our life's mission. Making our own immune system strong by increasing the good guys SHOULD be. If you haven't read my blog posts about Kombucha, you should it is a powerful way to add the good yeast and bacteria that your body needs. And, yogurt and kefirs can also fit that bill. But, not mainstream, off the shelf yogurt with aspartame, red dyes, fake fruit and the such. I would encourage you to buy a high quality yogurt with just milk and enzymes and maybe some fresh fruit, or make your own. We make our own coconut milk yogurt, you can control exactly what goes in and what your kids are eating. That way they aren't jacked up on the bad ingredients hidden behind a "healthy" carton label. Ah....the beauty of our food supply when they can even make something inherently good into something bad! So, watch the video, first scroll all the way down to the bottom of my page and click on the pause button on the music player so you can hear it. Enjoy!
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