April

Autism Awarness Month

I have been trying to get to this all day.....trying to gather my thoughts on what I want people to know about Autism since it is Autism awareness month then I read my friend Terri's blog who just knows it all and she summed it up perfectly. Please take the time to read it ,pasted below . She and I share this world. We each have a beautiful little boy who is in this crazy world of autism and has taught us , at times, more that we ever wanted to know. Patience, nutrition, patience, love, patience, medicine, neurology, patience, etc..... It is what we do. Thanks, Terri! But first, I want to leave you with my thougths. I don't share much of this on my blog because I want to focus also on prevention. Prevention that is about nutrition for ourselves and our families. You see, the problem with our world today is that they are spending millions, billions, trillions of dollars on trying to find this Autism cure. The problem is talking about the prevention. The Dr.'s dare not say a thing about what may be causing it. It would open a can of worms. There are so many variables that Terri Talks about. So many things that needs to be changed. Getting chemicals out of our foods, out of our homes. No more lead from china and mercury in our apple juice. The world isn't going to change it. It would take a revolution of sorts. But, I beg of you, the mothers, change it in your homes. As the new research points out, as many as 1 in 38 of boys will be diagnosed with some form of autism. That is astronomical. If you knew that there was a disease headed your way affecting that many children what would you do? How would you protect your children? Well, that is happening. What are you doing?

I go into classrooms at school and can identify sometimes as much as one forth of the children in each class with signs of autism. I am a professional at this now. The sad part, so much of it can be prevented or reversed. I see friends with children with early signs and want to scream at them to stop it, reverse it, don't let it progress! But, I don't. Moms don't want to see it and usually don't many times until it is progressed to the point of full blown autism. It is scary. We don't want it to be us. So, my mothers out there. Take a moment. Look at the signs. If you suspect anything, anything at all, check it out. If you catch it early, you can reverse it. It takes hard work. It takes determination to change the diet and chemicals in the body. But, it can change a life. It can change your life. Me and Terri are living proof. Our little boys play together. That is a miracle in itself. Not too long ago our little ones would be incapable of interacting together on a social level. Just the other day they were playing "Train" and had imaginary tickets they were handing out. Such typical play for 4 and 5 year olds, almost completely impossible play for children with autism. Our hard work and research is working. I want everyone to know. I want everyone to stop this from happening in their homes. Please read below and learn and share. Here are the signs I had with Tate that I had to figure out myself after the Dr. told me I was a neurotic mother. Six months later he was formally diagnosed. Six months I wasted at the hand of a neurotic Dr. My signs:

Diarrhea
Eczema
Head banging
lining up toys
repetitive play, same movement over and over
hand flapping
obsession over certain things
anger and aggression
only wanting wheat products, very picky eater
non verbal
would loose skills, ie, saying "ball" then would not say it again
hard to make eye contact sometimes
eyes would look spacey at times
irritable
allergies

*These did not happen all at once. It was little things at first. Lining up the cars, lining up videos. Wanting to hold a certain toy for days on end. Loosing skills he once had learned. It progressed in the end to banging his head in anger on everything until he was bruised.

I would be happy to talk to anyone with questions. I know Terri feels the same. My little boy is still mostly non verbal although that is coming. But, most every other symptom is gone. He is so happy. So fun. He signs and told me all about his day today and I really could understand so much. When he was in trouble at the ball game tonight for wanting one of the boys baseball helmets and taking it from him, he sat in the car to "think" about it then in sign language, without prompting, signed that he was sorry and put his fingers on his cute little cheeks with a big smile to indicate that he was happy now. He gets it. He is out of the fog he was in. Miracles... everyday in my life. Don't wait for signs of autism in your family to make changes. Bad diets, too much immunizations, too much antibiotics can cause so many problems. Change your habits now to save your family from a lifetime of problems. It is so important. Here is Terri's beautiful article. I am sure she wouldn't mind me sharing.


I love April, it is Autism Awareness Month but today is extra special. It has been deemed World Autism Awareness Day. Autism has become an epidemic of such proportions, the UN has dedicated a whole day to it. And yet in our country, our CDC has yet to call it an epidemic. Jenny McCarthy was on Good Morning America yesterday along with Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) practitioner. Check the GMA website if you missed it. They were discussing some possible indicators that you MAY have higher chances of having a child with Autism. (I love Jenny for always getting out there and saying the controversial things that many mainstream doctors bash, even when her son has recovered from Autism like so many others - without the help of mainstream doctors who have nothing to offer most families with Autism!). They discussed the Methylation issue which showed family history of mental disorders (depression, bipolar, manic, etc) and then the autoimmune dysfunction side (lupus, MS, arthritis, etc) which probably relates the the sulfation chemistry I have blogged about before. Having relatives with those issues is a key that there is faulty sulfation and/or poor methylation which is very prevalent in the Autism community. My son has both poor methylation and faulty sulfation. That means his brain doesn't communicate quickly enough without help (methyl B-12 injections). He also has faulty sulfation which is huge in Alzheimer patients as well. Poor sulfation is another kink in the hose of biochemical processes and can have a huge impact on sensory issues (which have their own behavioral fallout as a result). We do nightly epsom salt baths and increase sulfer rich foods like broccoli in his diet. And we avoid ALL Tylenol products.Evidently the UK did a new study and the rates are staggering, 1 in 38 boys will be diagnosed with some form of Autism. And yet many are still so skeptical about the role of toxins (not JUST immunizations) in the development of Autism. More money gets thrown at "genetic studies" when about 1% of all children with Autism have it at birth. Many develop normally up to a point or regress into Autism. Early intervention is key and I believe, so is biomedical treatment. It still baffles me as to WHY Autism is still considered a psychiatric disorder, and not a physical one. Yes, there are odd behaviors that come, but they have biological roots! My son is proof. As we found out what has gone wrong in him body we've taken things out of his diet that he cannot tolerate and guess what, many of those behaviors are GONE now that would classify him as Autistic. I will go through the progression again since this is WAAD and I want people to be aware of what Autism can look like:You have a child that has a developing immune system. You assault it with toxins (immunizations, bleach cleaners, pesticides in your environment and on our food, mattresses and bedding and paint that off gasses VOC's, flouride, etc). Add in a few rounds of antibiotics and the natural good flora in the body is disrupted. Yeast and bacteria can take over. It can become so invasive that it rips holes in the lining of the gut. Digestion is impaired due to enzymatic failure and you have large peptides in Gluten (wheat) and Casein (dairy) that get through these holes and shouldn't. Oddly enough, they fit opiate receptors perfectly in the brain. You have kids "high" on wheat and dairy. They crave it, some kids will self select which means ALL they eat is dairy and wheat. They are reacting like they are on opiates. You can see bizarre behavior like headbanging (since they have impaired pain sensation), aggression, red cheeks/ears, they can act like they are in a fog, don't hear you, don't respond, etc. The yeast can also contribute to those behaviors. Bacteria like Clostridia can cause high escalation. You then have a child who freaks out at the smallest issue, can get a toy to work right for example. Instead of asking for help or coming to an adult, a tantrum ensues. Inappropriate response to challenging situations. These kids can be SUPER sensitive to the junk in our foods, dyes, soy, trans fats, MSG (all 200 forms), etc. They can become hyper after ingesting these things, especially dyes and MSG. They can have profound sensory challenges. My son has auditory issues. He has super sonic hearing and certain sounds send him over the edge. When he was younger, if there was a sound that bothered him, he would make other sounds to cover it up. He would get ALL of his sound making toys to play at once, or he would scream. You can see HOW this would be a psychiatric disorder at first because they can act in very strange ways. But then you begin to understand the role of biochemistry and see how it is failing in these kids. The sensible thing would be to FIX those things, not JUST stick them in behavioral therapy. I don't care who you are, if a child has an intolerance to their food and is impacted by that, no therapy is going to as effective as when they are not being influenced by that physical challenge. That's like taking a test when you have the flu. Certainly you will not do as well when you are sick as when you are well. Some kids can muddle through and do make small gains but I have found with my own son, he completely blossomed when we "fixed" some of those biomedical challenges. We have yet to tackle viruses, but that is next in his treatment protocol. When an immune system is not functioning properly, viruses, bacteria and yeast have an even better chance of getting a hold of a body. My son rarely ran fevers, even with 2 bouts of chicken pox. There is now data to suggest the herpes virus (which is what chicken pox is) can spark Autistic-like behavior in children. I think the role of viruses can be huge in children with Autism. And with a mal-functioning immune system, they can wreak havoc. I compare it to a virus on your computer, your computer may work but it just kind of acts funny or doesn't exactly do what you want it to.So there are just a few things that WE know about Autism. Every child with Autism is different. Once you know one child with Autism, you know one child with Autism. We cannot lump them into simple behaviors or characteristics. Each child (as with kids NOT on the Autism spectrum) is unique. I truly believe that Autism is not JUST a genetic issue. As we see this disease rise, we need to look at the toxic burden we place on our bodies and our babies that are born into this world. Inherited disease is a theory in Eastern medicine. It means as we continue to pollute our bodies, each generation "inherits" the fallout and the susceptibility of the diseases of our parents and grandparents. We don't know the effects of all the things in our food, water, drugs, clothes, mattresses, carpets, and the list goes on and on. Things get more and more cheaply made with concern for health and safety left by the wayside in favor of big profits. We are creating this disease called Autism and our children are the fallout. I urge everyone to learn the signs and symptoms of Autism. And they can be varied:* Speech delay* Or the other side which is no speech delay but intense interest in ONE thing (like trains for example) and a young, young child being able to know EVERYTHING about that one specific category.* Repetitive behaviors* Lack of eye contact* Aggressive behaviors and/or self-injury* Fixation on random objects (my son used to get attached to weird things and HAVE to carry them around)* Low muscle tone* Sensory issues - sensitive to touch, sound, failure to respond appropriately to pain, likes to be hugged tight or the other extreme - hates to be touched.* GI problems, constipation or chronic diarrhea The list goes on and on. I just want people to be aware of some of the signs of Autism. These kids often times have exceptional talents and cognitive functioning but they need extra work to help them communicate these things. Parenting a child with Autism has been the most challenging and yet rewarding thing all at the same time. We have been tested more than I thought possible and yet forced to grow and recognize things in my child I would never have without this experience. If it tells you anything, there is an 80% divorce rate in families where there is a child with a disability. It can be very stressful and yet the changes our family has made and the knowledge we have now is invaluable. We've seem dramatic and measurable changes in our son as the result of biomedical interventions. My son is very close to losing his diagnosis of Autism. I could not be happier at how present, focused, and happy he is now. My goal is to help other families out there who believe that their child CAN be helped and to show them what has worked for us. No guarantee that what we have done will work for anyone else but I believe it can give the HOPE that is so crucial for parents to keep going, keep striving to help their child with Autism feel better, be healthier and put together their child's puzzle that is Autism.

Mittleider method blog

Another great blog to understand this method a little easier is http:/mittleidermethodgarden.blogspot.com/ Thanks , Kara for the lead!

Gardening pumped up.....

I went to an absolutely amazing gardening seminar this past weekend, cancelling the traffic school I had to go to saving it for another less important day. This was well worth it and I simply can't wait to learn it all so I can teach everyone. I plan on going pro with this new method in a year so get ready! Some of you may have heard about it but I in my 14 plus years of gardening had never seen this method - The Mittleider Method. You can check in out at www.foodforeveryone.org. They have books and even fertilizer that you can purchase. It is organic which is huge for me and super easy, also huge. The gentlemen presenting this method is Mr. Jim Kennard and he has done this forever under Mr. Jacob Mittleider. Mr. Mettleider and Mr. Kennard have traveled the world revolutionizing growing methods to third world and even larger countries. It is their mission to teach the world how to sustain themselves and grow triple the crops in one third of the water. They teach that food can be grown in any climate, in any soil. It is how you water, space and feed. You can even grow in sand and saw dust. Promise. Check out the website, order some fertilizer and go to town. You can still plant now. Email me if you have any questions but I am trying to soak it all in myself. I thought I knew it all but once again I have proven to yet be perfect. Another example.... I never knew that you could grow potatoes from the eye of an existing potato. If you are also potato ignorant like me.....here is the deal. Just cut up one inch chunks of the potato where the little yucky roots are growing out, at least a quarter inch.Let them air out for a few hours then plant them with the root facing up. The photo above is my cute little potatoes sprouting up. The potatoes grow in clusters underneath. I just can't wait to harvest them. So exciting.

This instructor kept driving in the point that he believes at some point we will probably all need to be eating from our garden. He firmly states, "Everyone MUST have a garden." No more excueses. Get it done. However little it may be.

More on Agave

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.html

Here is another great article on agave. To me it confirms my speculations. I should have gone with my gut on this one. It makes sense. Back to honey and fruit sweetened things for me. I still use the good old raw sugar, brown sugar and maple in moderation also. I am sure that agave in moderation is fine too. I just don't want to spend a ton of money on a sugar product that isn't any better than the regular stuff. Still open for comments.

Agave Syrup???

Whenever their is something "new" on the market, even if billed as new super healthy etc. , I am skeptical. So goes with the Agave nectar. I had heard about it for quite a while and checked opinions after opinions. They were divided. Only raw, only organic most said but I still wasn't sure. I finally gave in and started using it, sometimes. Still not sure. I have read the bad things about it but also read that it isn't all processed like that. I think for now I am just going to stick with honey. I know, they say bad things about that too but raw honey is just taken straight from Bee to bottle, like God made it. Maybe Raw agave is the same. I would love some feedback. Below is an article a fellow EH sent me. Read for yourself and leave a comment on your opinion.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_syrupProductionTo produce agave nectar, juice is expressed from the core of the agave, called the piña.[1] The juice is filtered, then heated, to hydrolyze carbohydrates into sugars. The main carbohydrate is a complex form of fructose called inulin or fructosan. The filtered, hydrolyzed juice is concentrated to a syrup-like liquid a little thinner than honey and ranges in color from light to dark depending on the degree of processing. The syrup naturally contains quantities of Iron, Calcium, Potassium & Magnesium which contribute to the resulting color.[citation needed]An alternative method used to process the agave juice without heat is described in a United States patent for a process that uses enzymes to hydrolyze the polyfructose extract into fructose, using an enzyme derived from Aspergillus niger (black mold). [2] A. niger fermentation is "generally regarded as safe" (GRAS) by the FDA.[3]CompositionAgave syrup consists primarily of fructose and glucose. One source[4] gives 92% fructose and 8% glucose; another[5] gives 56% fructose and 20% glucose. These differences presumably reflect variation from one vendor of agave syrup to another. Due to its fructose content and the fact that the glycemic index only measures glucose levels, agave syrup is notable in that its glycemic index and glycemic load are lower than many other natural sweeteners on the market. [6].However, the extremely high percentage of fructose (higher than that of high-fructose corn syrup) can be deleterious and can trigger fructose malabsorption, metabolic syndrome[7], hypertriglyceridemia, decreased glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and accelerated uric acid formation.[8][9][10] Low-carb diet advocate Dr. Michael Eades M.D. advises to "avoid it [Agave syrup] like death".[11]Some criticism [12] has targeted agave syrup. In the late 90s, the agave syrup on the market contained 90% thermally or chemically hydrolyzed fructose, the salmiana variety syrup on the market today is still primarily fructose, but is enzymatically hydrolyzed using a black mold enzyme.[13]

Black Beans, nutrition in a small little package

I have two giant pots of these cute little legumes simmering on my stove right now. I will warn anyone who stops by, my house stinks. I love the taste of these black beans but the aroma is nothing like the warm cider candle that I burn. I apologize. However smelly they may be, the nutritional content of these little guys make up for it. They truly are an amazing food and a basic staple in many South American countries. Just a little fun facts for you:

1.The Black Bean is exceptionally high in fiber, protein, calcium, iron, folic acid and potassium.

2.They contain 8 different flavonoids which are an antioxidant.

3.They also contain some Omega 3 Fatty Acids, 3 times as much as other beans.

4. They are inexpensive and go with so many dishes!

I love them and make a bunch in quantity to freeze for later dishes. They will last 3-4 days in the fridge but several months in the freezer. I usually cook them in my pressure cooker which takes less than an hour with no pre soaking time but have a huge quantity to make today for a church function tonight. I may be coming home with a huge pot if the crowd is low, no problem. I am prepared to use them in any number of delicious dishes. You can simmer them with garlic, onions, cilantro, etc. But I prefer to cook them plain, adding salt and pepper after so that they are a clean slate for a meal. I think it is so important that we add different sources of protein into our diet other than meat. Meat is hard to digest and we as a society overdue it. If you don't buy grass fed or organic meat, you are also running the risk of overloading your body with pesticides and hormones. You don't have to worry about hormones with beans. If you are needing a recipe to try out for those black beans you are now planning to cook up, here is a great one I will be putting together with those leftovers.(excuse me if I already posted this)

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

1 pound potatoes, sweet potatoes or russet, peeled and diced, 1/2 inch cubes

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 T. Ketchup

In a bowl, toss diced potatoes together with above ingredients and put on an oiled baking dish. Cook 25 min or until golden and tender at 400. I usually turn up the heat to crisp them up a bit at the end.

Combine:

1 can or about the equivalent of black beans, drained

1 4 oz can green chili's

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, or more as desired

Cooked potatoes

Next:

12 corn tortillas, heated in oil or sauce to soften

Large can green enchilada sauce

Mexican Cheese, as desired

Spread some sauce on bottom of 9X13 pan. Add about 1/4 cup bean mixture or more in softened tortillas and as much cheese as you want. Roll it up and place seem side down in pan. Repeat until all filled. Top with sauce and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake about 20 min or until hot and bubbly at 350. They are even better the next day!

**Just a quick Happy Birthday shout out to my exceptionally wonderful mother in law! Wish I could be pampering you today. You are amazing and the decorations for the party look beautiful! Thanks for the help...as always!

Yellow Dye, Red Dye, Blue Dye

I am really quite uninspired tonight. I cannot think of anything motivating , nothing I really want to research. I just don't feel like thinking much at all and am a bit sad as ER has only two episodes left. I do feel like I owe my blogging community some food for thought ,however so here you go. Just a little something to get you thinking, to help you understand why we have a saying here at the Goodman house, "If the color of your food does not naturally occur in nature, don't eat it." Do you know what those FD&C colors really are or how they are manufactured? Do you really want to know? I will quote it for you from my Food Additives book just so you know I am not making this up.

"FD &C colors are considered safe by the FDA for use in food, drugs and cosmetics; most of the colors are derived from COAL TAR and must be certified by the FDA not to contain more than 10ppm of lead and arsenic; certification does not address any harmful effects these colors may have on the body; most coal tar colors are potential carcinogens, may contain carcinogenic contaminants, and cause allergic reactions."

How did anyone even think of using coal tar in foods? How did anyone think it was OK to use anything that could contain any amounts of lead or arsenic in our food? Now, how are we letting our children eat this? Tell FDA it is not OK. Stay away from it. Boycott.

If you want to read more about food additives, check out this great little book called "Food Additives: A shoppers guide to What's safe and What's Not." Great light reading.

Essential Oils web page and orders...

I have been asked about the new Essential Oil Web page and what oils I use. The new link is at the right under "Be Young essential oils". The web page still says "Forever Green" but that has changed to Be Young. When you are on the main page, go to the left side under categories and click on essential oils for the list of oils. I am ordering this Friday for anyone interested. I am also placing a large order this week so for anyone interested, there will be no tax or shipping charge in state, $5 if you live out of state. The prices you see for the oils are the prices you will pay total. Great Savings. The Spice of Life, now called Touch of Spice will be $29 instead of $34. My personal favorites:

Lemon oil
Orange oil
Peppermint
Lavender
Tea Tree
Touch of Spice
Oregano
Breathe (used to be Exchange)
Eucalyptus

The perfect medicine Chest! There are many more and if you are looking for symptom specific oils, email me and I will let you know!

**I get emails from those with great stories from using the oils. The latest is from Linda who says her husband has issues with periodontal disease and has tried everything. His Dr. told him about a lady who used a product that has helped her immensely. He called this lady to find out that it was the Spice of Life! They are now using it as toothpaste with great results. I have heard this was a perfect toothpaste as it kills almost everything and bacteria is why we get tooth and gum decay. You can mix it with some coconut oil to brush with. The best part is no toxic junk in your mouth!

Eat Naked Segment.....Flavored Waters

I could tell you again how horrible soda is for you and those insane amount of caffeine laden rock star drinks, but... you all know that story. Let's visit the popular craze of flavored waters. They are labeled as "Vitamin Waters", "Powerades" or even just water with "real fruit juices added". They seem innocent enough. They even may lead you to believe that they are better than water. They give us electrolytes to replenish what has been lost in vigorous activity, they give us vitamins to make us healthier, they add some real fruit juice. Well, as we all know, advertisements can be misleading. Labels can be misleading. Companies are misleading....on purpose.
BECAUSE, we fall for it. Lets just talk a bit about Vitamin waters.

Did you know that in one bottle of Vitamin Water there are actually 2.5 servings in the bottle? So, the calories and sugar contents you think you are getting on the back should be timed by 2.5. The total amount of sugar grams is 32.5, compare that to a Coke which has 39 grams. Sure, they throw in some synthetic vitamins to make it sound better and some "natural flavors" to make it seem well, "natural" but that is also a cover up. If it was just a natural product, they would list the product. If it was once natural but has been synthetically processed and changed, it is now a "natural flavor." In other words, you don't want it. I won't even go into all the other synthetic ingredients in these drinks. We will just focus on the sugar alone.

When sugar is ingested, the sugar just goes right through the stomach wall and raises the blood sugar levels in the body. Your body is programmed to keep the blood sugar at a certain level. When it soars, the pancreas secretes insulin to balance it all out. When the insulin is increased, your metabolism is disrupted. Metabolism has a very important role in the bodies. It is the process by which the molecules in your body combine and create new material that that help take in energy and release heat. By changing the natural metabolism in your body by disrupting it in a negative way, the immune system is suppressed.

What does this mean? The very drink you are sipping to help give you some vitamins can actually help make you sick. Not to mention add some love handles. Many of these are even laden with High Fructose Corn syrup, now even linked to mercury content in many foods.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY: DRINK NAKED. Drink water. To add some flavor, essential oils are great, and....even beneficial. I love to put some lemon or orange oil in my water. It has a sort of creamy taste to the oil and is very refreshing. It will help cleanse the water also of any bacteria. It is much cheaper than vitamin waters but just make sure that you get a pure brand of oils. We put some oils in our water jug in the fridge for a little zip. We also love cutting up cucumbers in the water jug. It has such a fresh and light taste. I wouldn't have expected to like this much but sampled it one day at a store and have been hooked. My kids all love it , a true "vitamin water" . This really all should be so obvious. I mean, can anything blue or bright neon colored be healthy? Stick to what God gave us. I want to keep my sugar intake to where it really counts, a good desert or chocolate bar. Don't waste it on a drink. We all need to take our sugar level down and drinking it daily will kick it over the edge. Especially for the little kiddies who consume these drinks like they are , well....water. I know that now and then a good Gatorade will not kill us. All in moderation. But, on a daily basis, lets kick up the water intake. We can't live without it.