Note from Julie Matthews: After writing an article for the Autism File Magazine on traveling with food allergies (out in the June/July issue), I spotted this incredible post from a mother on a GFCF board.  After reading a lot out there on traveling with special dietary needs for my article, I knew a gem when I saw it!  This is an incredibly informative piece from Lisa, and I’m grateful she has offered to share it on Nourishing Hope for all of you to enjoy!

Last week, we went to Disney World.  My kids have a lot of food allergies.  I am allergic to milk products.  I thought I would document our dining results while it was fresh in my mind so that I can share it with others.  This kind of information would have been helpful to me before we went.  Overall, once we learned the system, we had mostly good experiences.

BACKGROUND

My two kids’ diet is free of gluten, casein, soy, peanuts, preservatives, and all things artificial.  I am dairy free.  We decided to try to eat all of our dinners and some lunches at Disney.  We stayed in a cabin at Fort Wilderness campground so that we could have access to a kitchen.  We took food with us for breakfast and for the kids’ lunches.  We ate all of our breakfasts in the cabin.  At the beginning of the week, we took their lunches with us into the park.  Later in the week, we bought their lunches from Disney.  (We also took a lot of healthy snacks with us.)

TYPES OF MEALS

If you buy the basic meal plan, there are 3 types of “meals” included for each person.  This includes:

• 1 quick service meal per day.  (This is where you get in line, order with the cashier, and then carry your own food to table.)
• 1 table service meal per day (This is where you sit down at a table to order and the food is brought out to you.)
• 1 snack item per day

QUICK SERVICE STEPS

The steps that you need to follow if you have food allergies are:

1. Go into the restaurant and find a manager.  They are usually walking around the lobby area.  If you cannot find one, ask a cashier to locate the manager.
2. The manager will bring you a book that includes every food item that they have available in their store.  It lists the ingredients for all food items.
3. You pick out what you want and tell the manager.
4. The manager goes with you to the cashier and together you place your order.
5. Wait at the counter until your food is prepared and brought to you.  At some locations, the manager would tell us to go ahead and sit down and they would bring our food to us.  Your food will take longer because they cook it special.

 QUICK SERVICE COMMENTS

1. The food items available vary from one restaurant to another.  Most have burgers and Udi’s buns available.  For sides and dessert, most have a bag of carrots and a bag of apples.
2. One place had some incredible chicken fingers that we could have.  But not all places carried them.  One store said they were going to start carrying them, but had not yet.  Their gluten free chicken fingers had both milk and soy in them.  (Restaurantosaurus is the place that had the really good chicken fingers.)
3. One place did give us a voucher to get a dessert at a snack cart since all they had to choose from for dessert was the apple slices. (more on snack cart later).
4. Some cashiers are more knowledgeable than others.  One caught the fact that I was ordering a sandwich that had cheese in the bread and had them prepare it on different bread.  I had not consulted the manager and the food book because normally breads do not bother me.

 TABLE SERVICE

1. It is helpful to make reservations ahead of time for all table service meals.  But don’t’ expect them to have done any preparation unless you somehow contact a chef at that restaurant ahead of time.
2. Assuming you made reservations, your ticket that is put on the table will indicate that you have food allergies.  If you did not make reservations, inform the waitress that you have food allergies as soon as she comes to your table.  The waitress will inform you that a chef will come by to discuss the options with you.  The sooner the chef comes to your table, the better.
3. The chef will come to your table and share with all of the food choices and take your order.  The waitress will take the food order for anyone that does not have allergies.

 TABLE SERVICE COMMENTS

1. You will probably have to wait a while for the chef to come to your table.  At all of the places we ate, there were apparently many families with food allergies and only one or two chefs that could come meet with you.
2. Some chefs are more knowledgeable than others.  One place the chef brought out Rice Dream Ice Cream to see if it was OK.  I pointed out to him that Soy Lecithin was in the ingredients.  He did not realize that.
3. Some chefs will bring the package out for you to read the ingredients.
4. One chef went on-line and looked up the ingredients of something to make sure it was safe for us.  This resulted in us waiting a long time to eat, but the food was safe.
5. Some places have more variety to choose from than others.  For dessert, some places only had apples or grapes.  Another place had Enjoy Life Cookies, some safe gummies candy, and Enjoy Life Chocolate bars.
6. I complained at one restaurant.  The manager that I spoke with told me that if you have a particular item that you want, you can contact the restaurant ahead of time and request that item.  Sometimes the chef will be able to accommodate this request.  She stated that one chef drove to the local Whole Foods to purchase something for one family.  We never made a special request.
7. Some restaurants serve more expensive food and therefore you have to use two table services credits for the meal.

SNACKS

Many things can count as a snack including a bottle of water, a bag of apples, and a bag of carrots.  We were happy to discover that most snack carts had Edy’s Strawberry Fruit bars that were safe for me and my kids.

OUR TABLE SERVICES CHOICES

Plaza Restaurant (Magic Kingdom)

I would not do this one again.  They only choices that they had were the same food items that you could get at a quick service restaurant.  We all had a burger, carrots, and grapes.  We could have eaten this same food at a quick service place and saved the credit for a place that required two table service credits.

Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review (Fort Wilderness)

I would not do this one again. Food is served family style here.  There is a performance on stage while you are eating.  While we enjoyed the show, our dining experience here was pretty bad.  I would not recommend it for families with food allergies.

First, when you sit down, everyone has a salad already on their table that we could not have.  So, while everyone else ate their salad, we waited about 30 minutes for our salad to show up.  There were so many families with allergies and only one chef going around talking to all of the tables.

Because the food is family style, they have very limited choices to offer you if you cannot eat what everyone else is eating.  So, again, while everyone ate their main entrée, we waited and got our food when everyone else was almost done.  Then they quickly tried to get us to eat our dessert and get us out of there.  My kids were not happy with their food at all and left hungry.

The tables are small and there was not room to keep the regular food away from my kids.  We also had a very rude waitress, but another waitress kindly stepped and tried to help us solve our table space problem.

Garden Grill (Epcot)

We had a great experience here!  I would recommend it.  Four different Disney characters rotate around and come to your table while you eat and you can take pictures with them.

The chef that we got and the waiter were both very knowledgeable of food choices. They had more to choose from and we found enough to fill up our kids.  They had warm Udi’s rolls that were very good!  They had several different dessert choices.  The chef did everything he could to make us happy.  He came out to our table several times to check on us.  It may not be the same with every chef.

Fulton’s Crab House (Downtown Disney)

We had a great experience here!  I would recommend it unless you have seafood allergies.  This restaurant serves a wide variety of food so there was more to choose from.  The chef that we got was very accommodating and willing to prepare a combination that made each kid happy.

Cinderella’s Royal Dinner (Magic Kingdom)

We had a great experience here!  I would recommend it!  You get your picture taken with Cinderella before you go in and get copies included in the price.  It is expensive.  Four different princesses come to your table and you can take pictures with them.

Our chef was very knowledgeable and had enough variety to choose from that we all were happy.  They brought extra food to my son who is 10 and eats a lot.  They had cup-cakes made from Namaste cake mix which was a huge success with my kids (after all of the apple slices and grapes at other places).

 OTHER

1. We did give our kids extra digestive enzymes to help in case of cross-contamination or if something was not actually allergen free.
2. You can order food ahead of time and have it delivered to your room at www.gardengrocer.com.  They carry some allergen free items like Enjoy Life Cookies.  They carry a granola from Bakery on Main that is gluten/casein/soy free and we loved it!
3. In Downtown Disney, there is a Baby Cakes located in Pollo Campero.  They carry GFCFSF desserts.  We purchased both some chocolate chips cookies and some cupcakes.  We all thought they were wonderful!
4. We took our own ketchup with us each day.  We used these tiny zip lock bags that you buy to put pills in.  My kids will eat more things if they can dip it in ketchup.
5. We took two boxes of food with us. We checked these with our luggage.  For us, this was cheaper than shipping it overnight.  We buy meats from Applegate Farms that come in a Styrofoam cooler inside of a shipping box. We save these and use them when we travel.  One direction, one box was opened by security but sealed back.  The other direction, neither box was opened.
6. Several places I suggested that they need to add some items to their choices to accommodate more people with allergies.  I suggested that they need to carry Earth Balance that is soy free.  One place had the dairy free, but not soy free one.  I explained that they could accommodate more people if they just switch to the soy free one.  I also suggested that they carry So Delicious Ice Cream.  I explained that soy is in Rice Dream and is one of the top 8 allergens.  But coconut is not one of the top 8 allergens.
7. The whole park is peanut free (and nut free I think).  One chef said that the people who purchase may think that coconut is in the nut family, although it is not.
8. Our diet for the week was much higher in carbs and natural sugars than we would normally eat.  They had very limited vegetables available that my kids will eat.
9. Other- I normally get motion sick on a lot of rides.  I used these acupressure bracelets that a friend recommended.  I do think that they helped.  Some rides did not bother me that normally would.  But, don’t ride the Mission to Space- Intense/orange if you get motion sick.  I decided to take the risk and try it.  Big mistake!
10. I am going to try to figure out who at Disney I can contact to provide my feedback.

Lisa Meili is mother to DD – 7 and DS – 10.

Photo credit: Sean MacEntee, Flickr, Creative Commons

Hooray, another scientific study that validates what autism parents and biomedical autism practitioners have known for years: that children with autism have higher rates of medical conditions.

Autism parents globally have shouted from rooftops (and to their doctors!), “My child is ill, help me!” Routinely, they have been ignored – mainly because the prevailing perspective of autism does not accept ASD as a physiological condition. Because of this, millions of children don’t receive common sense treatment. This ignorance must end!

A new study by Schieve, et al. published in Research in Developmental Disabilities, indicates that children with autism (as well as ADHD and other developmental delays) have higher rates of medical conditions than their peers. These medical diagnoses include: asthma, eczema, headaches and earaches, food allergies, and diarrhea or colitis.

The study compared children with developmental disabilities to those without, and those with autism to children with other types of developmental disabilities.

It’s a substantive finding, involving a large sample size: 41,000 children aged 3 to 17 years. 5,469 children had one or more of the following diagnoses: autism, intellectual disability, ADHD, learning disability or other developmental delay.

According to Schieve (in an article she published at AutismSpeaks.org), “As a group, these children (with developmental disabilities) had higher than expected rates of all of the medical conditions we studied.” Specifically, they were:

• 1.8 times more likely than children without developmental disabilities to have ever had an asthma diagnosis,
• 1.6 times more likely to have had eczema or a skin allergy during the past year,
• 1.8 times more likely to have had a food allergy during the past year,
• 2.1 times more likely to have had three or more ear infections during the past year,
• 2.2 times more likely to have had frequent severe headaches or migraines during the past year, and
• 3.5 times more likely to have had frequent diarrhea or colitis during the past year.

These increased rates of health conditions were true even for children diagnosed with ADHD or learning disability, but not diagnosed with autism or intellectual disability.

As an autism nutritionist that lectures about the influence of food on biochemistry, the gastrointestinal system, and certain physical symptoms common with ASD, one particular finding stands out to me.

When they compared the developmental disability groups to each other: “Children with autism were twice as likely as children with ADHD, learning disability or other developmental delay to have had frequent diarrhea or colitis during the past year. They were seven times more likely to have experienced these gastrointestinal problems than were children without any developmental disability.”

So many parents around the world are frustrated, and too many children needlessly suffer, because when gastrointestinal symptoms are described to “mainstream” physicians, they do not “see” what their paradigm does not believe. Therefore, I all too often hear from parents that their child’s gastrointestinal issues (such as chronic diarrhea) are dismissed by their doctor as “just the autism.” Symptoms and solutions are being ignored, while children go without the medical care and insurance coverage they desperately need.

This information is vital, and can be life changing for many. Schieve’s study demonstrates that children with developmental delays need MEDICAL care, and that they CAN be treated.

Many of the conditions highlighted in the study  typically involve the immune system (asthma, allergies, ear infections) and gastrointestinal systems. As I explain in my book, Nourishing Hope for Autism, there are several genetic conditions and environmental assaults that lead to and/or exacerbate the malfunctioning of these systems. It’s a complex situation where genetics and environment play a role, and these systems (immune and GI) impact each other in a vicious cycle, and often include further factors such as detoxification challenges, metabolic concerns, and nutritional deficiencies.

It’s good news that studies like this come out – and good news that the influential organization Autism Speaks is sharing it. Indeed, they require hard science to overcome their historic denial. As the medical community and key autism awareness advocates inevitably recognize these underlying medical conditions, address them accordingly, and recommend “do-no-harm” interventions like diet changes and supplementation, children everywhere can get better.

Why change diet? Because ASD children routinely present with multiple sensitivities or allergies related to foods (and food ingredients) in the traditional American diet. In order to absorb nutrients, food must be properly digested in the gastrointestinal tract. Offending foods trigger the gut’s immune system, affecting a reaction that creates inflammation, pain and digestive symptoms. This perpetuates discomfort, decreases nutrient absorption, and reduces nutritional status.

When gastrointestinal disorders and inflammation (i.e. immune system function) are present, addressing diet is most helpful to the comfort and health of the child – and well as their related autism/ADHD symptoms.

In my ten years of clinical experience, I have hundreds of clients who’ve experienced how removing foods that trigger inflammation (such as those containing the proteins gluten and casein) reduce pain, improve attention, and decreases behavioral symptoms. Equally important with any “autism diet” is the addition of good nutrition. Nutrient dense and probiotic-rich fermented foods are nourishing, healing to the gut, and aid systemic healing. Additionally, nutritional supplementation can be very helpful for supplying specific nutrients and supporting the gastrointestinal and immune systems.

I am enthused. These findings unquestionably validate biomedical approaches to ASD. No longer should parents be laughed at when they suggest addressing their child’s physical symptoms with tactics as innocuous as the omission of a food substance. Let NOW be the time we embrace one single shift in perspective – that ASD is a full body disorder (and that diet is a foremost concern).

While no one can specifically determine the extent to which an ASD child’s health and life potential can improve – the fact remains that this potential does exist. Accepting and sharing this truth in the face of mainstream denial is my moral responsibility and personal passion.

To bring more light to parents’ positive experience with diet changes, I’ve created a new series on my blog, Getting Your Hopes Up: Stories of Healing Thru Diet and Nutrition. You can read more about improvements and recovery through diet changes here.

—————–
Schieve LA, Gonzalez V, Boulet SL, Visser SN, Rice CE, Braun KV, Boyle CA. Concurrent medical conditions and health care use and needs among children with learning and behavioral developmental disabilities, National Health Interview Survey, 2006-2010. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2012 Mar;33(2):467-76. Epub 2011 Nov 24.

Jessica Galligani and the Galligani Family

Oxalate diet and camel milk – Our two biggest wows to date!

Only three years ago, our sweet, intelligent six year old was rapidly traveling down the autism road. He was hand-flapping, lining up cars, had multiple tics, rocked himself silly, severely persistent bloating (think 6 months pregnant!), he had chronic rhinitis, loose stools, he hated dirty hands to the point of crying, didn’t like cuddling and even pulled away from us immediately following his birth, had more than 25 food sensitivities, he was waking about 5 times a night, had low muscle tone, delayed fine motor skills, couldn’t sustain himself long enough to walk through a store, had an incredibly low frustration threshold, viral issues, immune dysfunction, he was beginning to lose eye contact, and we learned that he was riddled with yeast and Clostridia which quickly turned into aggressive and defiant behavior. Around the same time we discovered he had Sensory Processing Disorder, he also began to experience extreme reactions to just about every external stimuli and the OCD symptoms were ruling his world….and ours.

We knew we had to do something and fast, we were losing our child to this monster we call autism, although we still didn’t have a label, I knew what we were up against.

Fast forward to today….at the risk of sounding braggy, our six year old is bright beyond his years, sensitive, empathetic, a fabulous communicator, is very empathetic, makes great eye contact, and has lost every single autism symptom he ever had, he is virtually indistinguishable from his peers. In fact, we’ve had two teachers tell us that he is one of the most mature students in his class. He is extremely creative and his cognition is above average. He jumped on a two-wheeler for the first time this summer and rode off into the sunset with no help, never even looked back! This is a child who couldn’t even peddle a tricycle at 4 years old! He had balance, confidence and the energy to do it! His food sensitivities are already down by at least ten foods. It’s not perfect yet, because we are still in managed recovery, but considering the struggles we evolved from, I am grateful for every precious day and I am confident that it’s just a matter of time before this becomes the norm for him, without help from us.

How did we get from there to here?

Oxalates and the Low Oxalate Diet

Like so many biomed parents out there, we have tirelessly tried many methods of healing, some with great success and some not-so-much. Looking back to where we started, there is one thing I do regret, and that is not starting the low oxalate diet sooner. We had an OAT (organic acid test) done when he was three years old. Among many other markers, his oxalic acid markers were severely elevated, but we were so flabbergasted by his other issues, including 25 food sensitivities, going GFCFSF and his out of control Clostridia overgrowth which turned him into a child we didn’t even recognize anymore. As newbies in the bio-med world, we were hit hard all at once….where to start? We attacked the most pressing issues (or so we thought) first. Knowing what we know now, reducing his oxalate intake should have been first on our list. We struggled through years of trial and error. The dietary changes were impressive, we had immediate progress removing IgG-sensitive foods along with GFCFSF, and even greater progress getting the pathogenic load under control, but there was always something still amiss. The bloating never went away, the mood swings were still evident, although less frequent and we were having more good days than bad, but when it was bad, it was really bad. Those days always came without warning or reason.

Something led me back to the OAT we had done years prior, I began picking his past apart a bit more and I had an “AH HA” moment looking back at the OAT. I decided his diet needed an overhaul and we jumped into the LOD head first. I thought it would be a trial diet, but I have never looked back, because the changes we saw were nothing short of miraculous. What was even more surprising was how much this effected our two year old!! He is neuro-typical, but clearly had gut issues that we were slowly addressing. The diet was a huge factor for his behavior issues and bloating. We began to see an overall normalizing, for lack of a better word. Our daily routines were less strained, there was less fighting amongst the boys, a weight was lifting, finally!! Another very welcome change was that the yeast and bacteria overgrowth instantly became easier to manage! This is where I regret not trying this sooner.

Camel Milk

As many other biomed moms do, I am still always actively researching and talking with other parents. Camel milk had been on my radar, because my uncle in Dubai mentioned it once, then later a friend told me I should look into it more. Since things had calmed down so much, I actually had some down time to look into it! The facts were absolutely astounding!! Why had no one else found this information? Why wasn’t every autism parent using it? Oh wait….we ARE talking about CAMEL milk here, aren’t we? Where to get it was the question on my lips. I immediately went into research mode yet again and within days, we were picking up our first batch of camel milk to try with our kids. We were lucky enough to have two farmers right in our state! Had I lost my mind? It’s MILK! My kids need to avoid the opiate-effect of milk like the plague, so why would I try yet another animal’s milk with my children?

Each month, I’ll be posting stories direct from parents like you. In their own words, mothers and fathers will share their experiences of getting their hopes up by choosing to use food and nutrition to help their child with autism, ADHD, and other developmental delays.

As a Certified Nutrition Consultant specializing in autism and related disorders for the past ten years, I’ve personally connected with hundreds of families whose children have benefited from diet changes. Their stories range from modest to miraculous.

I want to share these stories with you, beginning now!  When you read the experiences of others parents, it helps to illustrate how “worth it” it is to “try the diet.” No one says it’s easy, but when you see other’s positive results, it helps you to believe and become inspired.

Strangely, just today I read a “news” article that discouraged parents from trying a special diet. It explained that the diet might be difficult, costly, and that after all your effort, it might not work. It told parents to not waste their time and money, and that it doesn’t work for everyone.

Such bogus articles are an insult to you and me, and the vast legions of parents globally. They conflict with the very laws of nature, science, and our own personal experiences by telling parents – “Don’t get your hopes up.  It might not work.  So don’t bother trying.”

With this new series of stories, I encourage you to, “Get your hopes up!” 

Try the diet.  It’s always worth it – the scientific rationale is unquestionable. Every child benefits from specialized attention to food and nutrition. I’ve never seen a child not benefit by putting attention on a healthier and specialized diet – and often the benefits are vast.  By sharing stories with one other, we can learn, grow, and help our children even more.

Some stories are of “recovery” from autism, some are of “improvements” and overall healing that highlights the power of food choices, nutrition supplementation, and dietary intervention.

Remember, there is no single “autism diet” that’s right for everyone. Each child’s circumstance, gastrointestinal condition, nutrient status, and individual biochemistry vary. That is why nourishing hope encompasses an array of adaptable dietary strategies, and the stories will represent varied diets, food choices, and supplements.

I hope you enjoy this series, learn something new, are inspired, and get your hopes up!

Julie

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Welcome to 2012 – a year of change.

Before we share with you all that’s in store for Nourishing Hope this year, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on an amazing 2011 – and share our heartfelt appreciation for all of the parents and professionals that helped further our collective cause of hope and healing. Thank you for remaining connected with us!

January 2011: We launched a new NourishingHope.com website, along with a refreshed blog and 40 new posts this year!

A big thank you to Stacey Fenech, amazing autism mom and web designer, for creating our new site!  We are thrilled with our clean, new WordPress site that makes it easy to share new articles and information with you.

March/April 2011: Canada tour: Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver – Hundreds educated!

We love Canada and enjoyed visiting from East to West in early Spring (rather than dead of winter like last time!). Thanks to Autism Montreal, Tammie Sarra, Kelli Pallett, and Karen Simmons of Autism Today.

Joined the Editorial Advisory Board for the Autism File Magazine

I’ve been contributing Autism Diet & Nutrition articles to the Autism File Magazine since 2008. So when the opportunity to join the Editorial Advisory Board of the publication arose, I was honored. The Autism File was acquired by Belvoir Publishing, which brings expanded resources and passion – and now 6 issues a year – to newsstands and mailboxes all over.

May 2011: Filmed Autism Mothers TV – 6 series cooking show – Aired on Sky TV in the UK & throughout Europe to THOUSANDS of viewers

It was such a joy to do a cooking show with Polly Tommey of the Autism Media Channel (and champion of the global Autism Mothers movement).  We had such fun creating something useful for parents, it was seen by thousands of people all over Europe.  We made Chicken Pancakes, Veggie Latkas, Gluten-Free bread, Liver Burgers, and more. You can watch the episodes on our website or YouTube page:

We created a new website, NutritionforPregnancy.com, and redesigned my online course.

With the help of my wonderful designer, Paula, we updated the look and feel of my advanced nutrition for pregnancy course. I’ve also made significant content upgrades that I will be launching the the general public soon (We pre-launched it to my loyal email readers during the holidays). Did you know that pregnancy nutrition is my parallel passion?

August 2011: Australia tour – Gold Coast, Sydney, and Perth – over 500 people in attendance!

Kris Barrett and Stacey Fenech helped organize a wonderful Food and Nutrition for Autism learning event in Gold Coast Australia (see video of parents). We drove from Brisbane to Sydney, stopping in the gorgeous seaside town of Byron Bay (which I loved).  In partnership with the MINDD Foundation and sponsorship from Great Plains Laboratory, I educated parents and trained medical professionals at the Mindd International Forum on Children.  The conference was a great success, Leslie Embersits and her team held an amazing event with one of the best food/culinary demonstration days I’ve ever participated in. We then went to Perth where Autism West hosted another inspirational day with parents – I have to say, next to San Francisco…Perth is where I’d want to live!

Attended IMMH – Mental Health Conference

I had a wonderful opportunity to go to Sedona for the IMMH Conference.  What a breath-taking place to learn from Dr. Greenblatt, Dr. Bill Shaw, and Dr. Kurt Woeller.  It was great to connect with good friends, clients, and colleagues.  And I’m excited to say, I’ll be speaking at IMMH later this year!

September 2011: Phoenix Food and Nutrition for Autism & ADD/ADHD Event

Thank you to Heidi Bonaroti, Jennifer Frandsen, and Terri Hirning for helping me get organized in Phoenix.  It was such a pleasure to speak to your group and talk to so many families.  Thanks for the opportunity!

Farmageddon Event

Julie Matthews of Nourishing Hope and Sandrine Hahn of Nourishing our Children collaborated to create a screening of the documentary film, Farmageddon, and fundraiser event for Evergreen Acres Goat Farm.  Prior to the screening we hosted a meet-and-greet with Director Kristen Canty (with food donated from Vital Choice Seafood, Organic Pastures, and Grindstone Bakery).  We are proud that 200 people attended and we raised about $1000 for Evergreen Acres.

October 2011: Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas – October – MORE parents informed and inspired!

Thanks to Laurence Becker, Irma Canfield, and Kendra Finestead (Greater Tots) for helping make these FNA events a success!  I had a great time eating at The Little Aussie Bakery right there in San Antonio–gluten-free, soy-free and egg-free delights.

November 2011: Bay Area Workshops:  I spoke at the Autism and ADHD Bay Area Conference put on my Natalie Mand, and at the Morgan Autism Center in San Jose – great people, committed parents.

Participation in Weston A Price, Wise Traditions, Conference

It was so wonderful to see my friends – new and old – from Weston A Price at the conference: Sandrine Hahn of Nourishing Our Children, Ann Marie Michaels of Cheeseslave, and Jenny McGruther of Nourished Kitchen.  This is where I pre-launched the new version of my Nutrition for Your Healthy Pregnancy and Baby course.

November 2011: Julie introduced the Nourishing Hope Food Pyramid

I’m proud to announce my new creation, the Nourishing Hope Food Pyramid. The Pyramid is a visual synthesis of the most healing and digestible foods, it underscores the bulk of my work over the past ten years. It debuted along with my new pregnancy course last Autumn, and I’ll be getting it out to a broader audience early this year – stay tuned.

December 2011: Launched an ONLINE VERSION of my 4-hour Food and Nutrition for Autism – Diet Success Workshop

While I love to connect with parents at my live events, I get so many e-mails asking “when are you coming to my town?” So, I put my entire workshop presentation online for people anywhere to “attend” virtually. I’m getting up to speed with digital delivery of information as there are so many people around the world to touch – very exciting indeed. Check out the online class here.

Started enjoying Facebook and Twitter!

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed connecting with you by Facebook and Twitter.  I have Pages for “Nourishing Hope for Autism” and “Nutrition for Pregnancy.”  I love that I can share other bloggers thoughts and articles quickly and easily. I think of it as a “peak into Julie’s inbox.”

Family Time: Ruby’s First Birthday, Camping trip and Holidays

VIEW our family photo album from 2011!

Thank you for remaining connected with us!

When I saw these at Lexie’s Kitchen, I had to share it with our readers!

They are simple, beautiful, and delicious!  As well, they are gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free!  You’ll even get a dose of antioxidants or two while you’re at it!

Pomegranates are seasonal and available in winter.  Their red color is beautiful and festive, making them perfect for the holiday season.  Try them at your next holiday gathering.

Lexie has inspired me to add pomegranate to my “Chocolate Bark” – which I will share soon.

For now, check out Lexie’s recipe for Chocolate Pomegranate Clusters.

An Easy-to-Make Delicious Meal Your Family Will Love

Thanksgiving is a holiday of food. Unfortunately for those with food intolerances, the prospect of a Thanksgiving meal rich in gluten and dairy leaves them saying “no thanks!” Traditional stuffing, a Thanksgiving favorite, is made from bread (wheat).   Gravy is made with wheat flour, and mashed potatoes are loaded with milk, cream and butter.  Pumpkin pie contains wheat and dairy. All of these foods are off limits for those following a gluten-free and casein-free diet (GFCF diet).

But you needn’t miss out on these delicious holiday dishes, nor the good times that accompany Thanksgiving – not just because your on a gluten-free or other allergen-free diet. With a little ingenuity you can maintain the special diet your family is on right through the holidays.

For those following gluten-free and casein-free, here’s a simple and delicious GFCF Thanksgiving dinner – along with recipes. Your guests won’t know the difference:

Roasted Turkey
Gluten-Free Stuffing
Gluten-Free Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Brussels Sprouts
Pumpkin Pie

Turkey is inherently gluten-free and dairy-free unless you add something containing those ingredients.  Use safe herbs and spices, oils, and avoid flour often used as thickener for gravy.  Avoid “apple pie spice” and other spice blends in your Thanksgiving dinner.

My Gluten-Free Stuffing and Gluten-Free Gravy recipes are included—they are simple recipes any home-cook can make.  For mashed potatoes: you can very easily substitute non-dairy milk for any milk or cream in the mashed potatoes, and ghee or other fat for the butter.  All vegetable recipes can be make gluten-free and dairy-free if they are not already.  See the link to my Brussels Sprout recipe – they’re in season and festive with the addition of dried cranberries.

For a pie, there is no excuse not to do GFCF—there are so many options and no one will know the difference!  See the Perfect Pantry Pumpkin Pie at GoDairyFree.org for a delicious dairy-free and soy-free pumpkin pie, as well as dozens of other GFCF pie ideas.

Whether you follow these ideas or create your own meal, with a few new twists on your old classics, you can make an allergy-free Thanksgiving meal that is simple and delicious.

Gluten-free Stuffing

(from Julie Matthews, Cooking to Heal)

• 1 loaf gluten-free bread (cut into1/2 inch cubes).  I use Udi’s
• 1/2 cup CF ghee (or other casein-free oil like pastured lard, coconut oil, or olive oil)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons sage
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• 1 ½- 1 ¾ cup homemade chicken broth from pastured chickens (not from a carton or can)
• 3 large eggs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°

Prepare the breadcrumbs (or bread “cubes” to be precise). Spread chopped bread pieces on a couple baking sheets one layer deep. Bake for about 10 minutes on 325 degrees, until cubes are dry; however, do not brown them.

Increase temperature of oven to 350°

Cool bread crumbs as you melt ghee in pan.  Add onions and celery and sauté for 10 minutes.  Add herbs, salt and pepper in for the last couple minutes of cooking. Add 1 ½ cups stock.  Temper eggs by spooning a bit of stock into the eggs, adding little by little to the eggs until all the stock/veggie mix is beat in the eggs.

Place bread cubes into a baking dish.  Pour stock/eggs over and mix, moistening the bread.  You want to make sure the stuffing is not too dry or too soggy.  I find that I like each piece of bread to be coated and a bit wet but not soggy all the way through.  If it’s too dry add extra stock a little at a time to not over moisten.

Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes on 350 degrees or until the top is brown.

Gluten-Free Gravy

(from Julie Matthews, Cooking to Heal)

• 1/4 cup ghee (or a lard and expeller pressed coconut oil blend if you are not certain your ghee has all the milk solids removed)
• 2-4 Tablespoons sorghum flour or sweet rice flour
• 2 cups of pan drippings strained through cheesecloth to remove bits (to make a large volume of drippings, add several cups of water to the bottom of the roasting pan, along with chopped onion and celery that you can place in and around the bird)
• salt to taste

After gently melting ghee in a pot, sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of flour into ghee and mix well by stirring it vigorously.  Add more flour until the roux is pasty in texture. Add pan drippings (or stock if you don’t have drippings) a little at a time, mixing vigorously with a whisk until all of the drippings have been incorporated.  Add salt to taste.

• 1 loaf gluten-free bread (cut into1/2 inch cubes).  I like Udi’s but any will do.
• 1/2 cup CF ghee (or other casein-free oil like pastured lard, coconut oil, or olive oil)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons sage
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• 1 ½- 1 ¾ cup homemade chicken broth from pastured chickens (not from a carton or can)
• 3 large eggs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°

Chop celery and onion.

Prepare the breadcrumbs (or bread “cubes” to be precise). Spread chopped bread pieces on a couple baking sheets one layer deep. Bake for about 10 minutes on 325 degrees, until cubes are dry; however, do not brown them.

Increase temperature of oven to 350°

Cool bread crumbs as you melt ghee in pan.  Add onions and celery and sauté for 10 minutes.  Add herbs, salt and pepper in for the last couple minutes of cooking. Add 1 ½ cups stock.  Temper eggs by spooning a bit of stock into the eggs, adding little by little to the eggs until all the stock/veggie mix is beat in the eggs.

Place bread cubes into a baking dish.  Pour stock/eggs over and mix, moistening the bread.  You want to make sure the stuffing is not too dry or too soggy.  I find that I like each piece of bread to be coated and a bit wet but not soggy all the way through.  If it’s too dry add extra stock a little at a time to not over moisten.

Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes on 350 degrees or until the top is brown.

Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos

Chop celery and onion.

Slice bread into half inch cubes.

Spread chopped bread pieces on a couple baking sheets one layer deep. Bake for about 10 minutes on 325 degrees, until cubes are dry; however, do not brown them.

Increase temperature of oven to 350°

Cool bread crumbs as you melt ghee in pan.  Add onions and celery and sauté for 10 minutes.  Add herbs, salt and pepper in for the last couple minutes of cooking. Add 1 ½ cups stock.

Temper eggs by spooning a bit of stock into the eggs, adding little by little to the eggs until all the stock/veggie mix is beat in the eggs.

Place bread cubes into a baking dish.  Pour stock/eggs over and mix, moistening the bread.  You want to make sure the stuffing is not too dry or too soggy.  I find that I like each piece of bread to be coated and a bit wet but not soggy all the way through.  If it’s too dry add extra stock a little at a time to not over moisten.

Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes on 350 degrees or until the top is brown.

• 1/4 cup ghee (or a lard and expeller pressed coconut oil blend if you are not certain your ghee has all the milk solids removed)

• 2-4 tablespoons sorghum flour or sweet rice flour

• 2 cups of pan drippings strained through cheesecloth to remove bits (to make a large volume of drippings, add several cups of water to the bottom of the roasting pan, along with chopped onion and celery that you can place in and around the bird)

• Salt to taste

After gently melting ghee in a pot, sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of flour into ghee and mix well by stirring it vigorously.  Add more flour until the roux is pasty in texture. Add pan drippings (or stock if you don’t have drippings) a little at a time, mixing vigorously with a whisk until all of the drippings have been incorporated.  Add salt to taste.