Great advise from the mothers of bedrok
The diet seems to make so much sense; I've studied the book and don't know how
to start or how I can implement the diet. What do I do?
Donna intends
you to take baby steps when implementing the diet. Pick one thing. I would suggest the YCK or with food combining.
It's not a diet that you take a day to buy the groceries and plan out what you are eating the next day. Donna also
would like you to have new foods they'll eat before you start taking away everything. Everything needs to step by
step and you’ll hear these words over and over again. Most of our kids have strong cravings for sugar and carbs/starches;
which means their blood is acidic. Often they love YCK and this helps swing their blood more alkaline and they will
be more willing to try healthy foods and often their craving for sugars and starches isn’t as strong.
Why is it recommended to take small steps
implementing the diet; step by step? Why are we encouraged to start slowly?
I think when we say slowly it really means do one change at a time. Watch and observe what
happens, look for the change of behavior. If you get to quick of a change you have options. First you could remove
the problem. Second you could reduce the food given or taken away. Let’s look at sugar first. When
yeast die off they fed on the other dead yeast. (Not good dinner guest!) They also produce more toxins in the die off process.
So in limiting sugar you are creating die off toxins. If the child’s bowels are not moving you could have a bigger
problem at hand. The use of magnesium flushes with vitamin c help in elimination. These two will relax the colon
to allow elimination. The colon is a muscle and magnesium will relax muscles. There are also other flushes to do such
as Oxy powder and some herbs. We also encourage colon therapy with home enemas and professional colon cleansings.
When behaviors pop up something is moving to fast for the child. If you have made only one change then it will
be easy to see where to go next. I also recommend that Moms go right along with the child and experience the same food and
diet changes; this will give you more insight to problems. The other thing I firmly believe in is to truly understand
the process of detox. In detox you are gong to put your child on a road trip. Questions I ask are does he have
enough fuel, meaning minerals on board? Is his body hydrated and ready to facilitate elimination? Are we giving
or eating natural enzymes that help in carry out toxins. I suspect if we put our heads together we could come up with
the top ten questions prior to detox. Step by step means one change or removal at a time. We are acting in behalf
of our children. As you are probably aware not many docs even understand what we are doing. In fact I find myself
educating them half of the time. I do know that together we can heal the intestinal system of our children. You
are doing a wonderful job and working so hard. Take this slow because you need to conserve your own energy so that you
can be there for your child. The one point I really feel a need to express is that I feel Mums just do not realize their valuable
role. Your health is so important to the success of your child coming out of autism. Which they can, it really
is just a matter of time. SO pack your bags well, take your minerals and water with you. Don't forget to pack
your smile and laughter. Sometimes that is the trick that will change the moment of stress; adding back in happiness.
This is a journey one that you must learn all the road signs, only special to your child. You have been given this job
because you are Mum; mover of heaven and earth, guiding light through out all the storms, dealer of unconditional love.
Every home needs a healer and that defines Mum. You have so much to offer. Your children and your husband are all so
lucky to have you in their lives. I hope I have helped in explaining what slow down means. I guess this is a process
of understanding your child. It definitely goes far beyond kindergarten basics!
It’s in the presentation
My son goes to preschool where there is a lot of junk around. I find that presentation is important.
I bring in juice boxes that are safe (although not perfectly ideal) and have candy which is free of dyes and organic for special
treats. He knows that everyone else gets something different and sometimes he wants what they have, but I just tell
him it makes his tummy hurt and he is getting better at accepting it. I worry sometimes that he will have issues with
the fact that he feels left out when it comes to food, but I have to remind myself that he wouldn't even be aware of being
left out without the diet, so its a small price to pay. We packed a lunch for him for daycare last year and he
really has gotten used to it over time. Try not to feel guilty about it because the right thing and the easy thing are never
the same
Some hints for the tight budget:
Scour the second hand shops for a food dehydrator or ask a relative
for one as a gift.
Get to know
the produce manager where you get your produce. Find out
if you can get bruised produce at a reduced price; same with
orchards.
Become a member
of your food co-op and pre-order your supplies...most
will give a 5-10% discount if they can pack your order for pickup
instead of shelving it. Many other co-ops will also allow you to have
member discount on sale items by just showing
your card. (This
includes supplements if you are using health food store/co-op brands)
Summer is coming and
so is Farmer's Markets...check with WIC in your
area. Even though you can't use WIC products, (you may be able
to get
the juice and dried beans only) they DO give certificates redeemable
at the Framer's Market for fresh
produce.
Meats: Packages with same day sale date are often reduced, but go
fast, if you or Mom or someone
can pop in early, you can pick up some
pretty good buys. Once you learn the store's meat dept procedures,
you
can hit it pretty regularly. (Don't bother trying this at
WalM***, just the other stores in town.
Herbs
and seasonings are easy to grow, easy to dry , far cheaper than buying
When people ask what you need/want tell them what kitchen appliances
you need (food
processor, dehydrator, more trays, replacement
cookware/containers) OR on-line, local grocery store & food co-op
gift certificates.
E-Bay, for items you would put in a yard sale...and clean out your
closets...and
ask Mom to do the same. Selling online will give you a
PayPal account you can pay for online purchases of foods and
such
that you can't find locally.
You
can do this!
Time will be your best friend. Oh how I remember those early years, how very exhausting they were,
my son was diagnosed severe ADHD at 2 years old, then with Aspergers at 4. Our house stayed a wreck and I was skinny
as a rail, running after him constantly, constantly picking up after him, he cried a lot, my nerves felt shattered, he had
so many food issues, sensory issues, and on and on. I remember when he was 3 and my daughter one, wondering how on earth
I would get through the days, just so bone weary tired. He got kicked out of all the preschools because he was too hyper and
unmanageable, so I never got a break, any family or friends nearby, very lonely and hard. He would charge us like a bull when
I was breastfeeding my daughter, and ran around and around, talking non stop, question after question, without ever being
satisfied with the answers. ASD has so many forms, from classic autism all the way to ADHD; they all are so draining
in different ways. The good news is that it gets sooo much better and soooo much easier. Most of the issues are gone
with our son now, as he nears 11, still some meltdowns and mild ADHD and some Aspie, but nothing like the early years.
Keep up the work with the nutritional angle, most of my son's progress has been related to whole foods and whole food
supplements, especially cod liver oil and the B vitamins, and lots and lots of healthy grass-fed meats. Magnesium has been
a miracle for us as well.
Your son will level out, don’t ever doubt that. I hope your hubby
is supportive, as I think I would have had a nervous breakdown without my hubby. I remember standing outside in the
driveway waiting desperately for my husband to get home to take Zachary so I could get a breather for a few minutes.
Just know you are strong and capable, and that God will never give you more than you can handle.
Trying
to keep a BED house
1. NO JUNK in the house to tempt anyone; BED friendly foods only. As you mentioned, there is plenty
of junk in America. As a comedian once said, "In America you are at all times five minutes away from a snack." But you don't
need the junk drama in the house. I don't know when candy, donuts, cakes, and fast food have become part of a well balanced,
healthy diet! The family is going to have to understand that it is for everyone's health and wellbeing to have good healthy
foods on hand. Be strong about it. This is also a perfect opportunity to have health and nutrition discussions. These are
all positive steps to teaching and reinforcing healthy eating principles and habits. Your daughter will benefit from your
strength and fall back on those principles and habits all throughout her life.
2. Photocopy the food combining
diagram in the Body Ecology Diet and hang it up on the refrigerator to remind you how to combine your foods.
3. When
you go to Starbucks, order the Grande China Green Tips Green Tea and sweeten the heck out of it with Xylitol. I even stick
a small spoonful of xylitol in my mouth to get my "sugar" - like fix.
But hold on, before running
to Starbucks, let me give you a glimpse into my world and how I have stayed strong on BED (since June). Bright and early first
thing in the morning I take 4 BED Ocean Plant Extract because I find it helps regulate my metabolism by nourishing my thyroid.
I also take a probiotic. A couple hours later I drink Young Coconut Kefir with Vitality Super Green.
Then
here is the trick: before eating lunch I eat as much Cultured Veggies as I can handle. I seem to eat normally with no cravings
during the day if I do that. I carry them in my car with
a fork ready if I am on the go. I also eat as much cultured veggies as I can handle at dinner because it satiates cravings
so I am not hanging out of the freezer door with the ice cream spoon sticking out of my mouth at 1:00am. The point is I find
my cravings go away with cultured veggies and young coconut kefir so I can eat normally the rest of the day and feel great
about myself and my health.
4. Ok, now I hear your issues with your daughter. This is what has worked for
my daughter: - She will eat whatever I have in the house. As I am sure you discovered embarking on this diet in March - If
you are hungry enough you will eat anything.
My daughter eats whatever she wants when she is outside the house because I have
no control over that. But she knows that our family values good health and that comes from good healthy foods. She knows our
home only offers nourishing foods. But it is not usually a problem because I offer her things she likes such as Applegate
Farms hot dogs, organic vegetables (like corn and carrots) , and granny smith apples. Also do a search on recipe in the archive,
people have written in wonderful recipes for BED pancakes, cakes, cookies.
5. You need support. Definitely
joining this group is going to help you stay strong because we are all trying to do the same thing here. You
can also call the BED line and schedule an appt. to talk to Donna. I was lucky enough to talk to Donna. She is wonderful to
talk to; she is knowledgeable, inspirational, and very helpful. Speaking with her gave me hope. That hope
gave me the strength and courage to keep me and my family moving in the right direction.
There are also many Certified
Body Ecologists who are willing to help you and support you. Don't be scared about the associated price tag, many are
there to give you a word of encouragement without a penny attached. However, I would advise you to find a CBE so there is
someone who knows your story pretty well to help you. I find that paying for ten minutes worth of serious questions that require
the CBE's expertise is TOTALLY worth it.
I really hope this helps you and anyone else with this issue.
Ditching addictive foods
I found that in the beginning I had to come up with friendlier
versions of old favorites,
but eventually my children would become
addicted to those also. They just craved these things. Slowly I
worked to
get us off all sugar and processed foods and that's when I
saw GIANT improvement with my son.
Now pineapple,
cranberry, or granny smith apple on an empty stomach
is a giant sweet treat. Stevia works good too to sweeten.
I guess what I've learned is that sticking to nature is best.
Sticking to the way our ancestors ate is best. I
would try to
gradually get your family off sugar for optimum results. This takes
work and patience and knowledge.
BED principles have been very
helpful. Understanding how to stop consuming foods that are
feeding bacteria, yeast,
etc......and then using fermented foods and
probiotics really can get the situation under control.
Getting
to the route cause of why we all need a sugar substitute I
believe will help you truly get to the bottom of health issues.
Take it from us. My son now 3 was addicted to McDonalds, crackers,
breads, cakes, sugar sugar, and sugar.
It took a ton of work, but the
result is well worth it. I'm embarrassed to admit how quickly my
son turned into
a junkie, but I'm proud to say that I got the
situation under control. Thank God I got a second chance.
I used to feel like I was living with an addict. Life is so much
easier now. We just had vegetable beef soup with garlic,
onions,
raw apple cider vinegar, ghee, and cilantro, topped with a good sea
salt. I used dehydrated veggie chips
to reinforce taking bites of
the soup. It is so nice not having a kid addicted to sweets. Life
is exponentially
better.
HELP, I need some sugar
Of course it is best if you can abstain from eating fruits for sometime, as long as it takes for YOU to
experience a breakthrough in YOUR situation. Having said this, if you are having a moment and absolutely
have to have some form of sugar you can always add your fruits to your coconut kefir and add minerals to minimize the effects
of the "sugar". If you are going to use this option stay away from the sweet fruits and stick to acid fruits. You
could possibly add some from the sub acid category in the form of berries like blueberries. You are really going to have to
be brutally honest with yourself in this process otherwise you will NOT actually gain any ground and could possibly loose
some.
I can tell you really have a sugar thing!!! It
would be too easy for you to allow yourself too much rope with regards to dealing with this yeast/fungal infection that you
have pertaining and sugar consumption. I want to see you WIN this battle!!! You are going to have to feed yourself with green
and fermented foods to a very large degree to get through this tough time.
If you should decide to have some of the acid fruits with your coconut kefir
PLEASE only take this on an empty stomach (that means in the mornings
before you have eaten anything else). Diane has a recipe that she made up for her son Thomas that Donna uses quite a bit to
show people an option using fruit on the BED. You would take blueberries,(coconut Kefir in your case instead of water) and
blend this in a high powered blender ( like the Vita Mix) if you have one and add 1/4-1/2 of a ripe avocado. I know it does
not sound like it would be tasty, but it is!!! The avocado just gives the blended drink a beautiful texture; you are not able
to taste anything that seems out of place. The taste of the avocado is neutral in this blended drink. The fat in the avocado
and the fiber content in the blueberries help to slow down the assimilation of the sugar into your blood stream. This is very
important in controlling blood sugar highs and lows and also in balancing your acid/alkaline ratio. This method can be used
with almost any acid fruit. Acid
fruit can combine well with protein/fats like the avocado.
A variation of this would be to use coconut kefir pudding or raw cultured cream (once you have enough dairy loving
bacteria in your gut and can handle dairy) in place of the avocado or if your system can handle the fats you could use
a combination of the protein/fat choices I have given. The later is NOT recommended for everyone. Some people's systems
would not be able to handle a double protein/fat acid fruit combination.
Always keep the fiber in your fruits with a Body Ecology type imbalance and or add some type of fat or
protein/fat to your fruit consumption. Also a fruit salad could be an option; in this case you could use the protein/fat as
a sauce or dressing over the fruit plate. You can add flavorings and Stevia to taste.
Consider taking "shot" glasses of fermented Spirulina throughout the day as well. You
could also blend cultured veggies with an avocado and Herbamare to taste and use this "dip" with some green veggie
spears like broccoli, yellow squash, or zucchini. Choose veggies that you can consume with your condition
...some advise
for a weary mom
TAKE
A BREAK!
"A good rest is half the work."
-- Yugoslav Proverb
Strong work ethic?
You can still justify taking
a break.
In fact, we NEED to take breaks -- regularly and frequently. Why? WE WORK
MORE EFFECTIVELY WHEN WE DON'T
WORK SO MUCH.
Rest periods and vacations break our work routines. They help
SHIFT OUR THINKING from its habitual,
stuck patterns. They create
the SPACE FOR ENERGY AND CREATIVITY to flow. They give us TIME
FOR REFLECTION, so we
can step back and look at what's happening
in our lives with greater detachment. We become more sensitive
and
aware.
And finally, we are stronger when we BALANCE DOING with BEING.
All work and no play throws our minds
out of balance and our minds need sufficient rest for
recuperation. This is critically important with the level of
stress in our lives these days.
"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it."
Sound
familiarTime will be your best friend. Oh how I remember
those early years, how very exhausting they were, my son was diagnosed severe ADHD at 2 years old, then with Aspergers at
4. Our house stayed a wreck and I was skinny as a rail, running after him constantly, constantly picking up after him,
he cried a lot, my nerves felt shattered, he had so many food issues, sensory issues,, and on and on. I remember when
he was 3 and my daughter one, wondering how on earth I would get through the days, just so bone weary tired. He got kicked
out of all the preschools because he was too hyper and unmanageable, so I never got a break, any family or friends nearby,
very lonely and hard. He would charge us like a bull when I was breastfeeding my daughter, and ran around and around, talking
non stop, question after question, without ever being satisfied with the answers. ASD has so many forms, from classic
autism all the way to ADHD, they all are so draining in different ways. The good news, is that it gets sooo much better
and soooo much easier.
Most of the issues are gone with our son now, as he nears 11, still some meltdowns and mild ADHD
and some Aspie, but nothing like the early years. Keep up the work with the nutritional angle, most of my son's
progress has been related to whole foods and whole food supplements, especially cod liver oil and the B vitamins, and lots
and lots of healthy grass-fed meats. Magnesium has been a miracle for us as well.
Your son will level out,
don’t ever doubt that. I hope your hubby is supportive, as I think I would have had a nervous breakdown without
my hubby. I remember standing outside in the driveway waiting desperately for my husband to get home to take Zachary
so I could get a breather for a few minutes.
Just know you are strong and capable, and that God will never give you more than
you can handle. Spring will be here soon! Juli
Getting the kids involved
AS most of us know that our children
are not in a world they cannot understand nor have some control over. As my kids have grown up with this thing called
autism I have learned that the more they are in the kitchen helping making new dinners and such the more they feel in control.
Or at least some sense of ownership of what is going on. So get them into the kitchen, get them in
the garden, and let them see what spouting means. Get them to understand the value of food and what it provides for
their little bodies. By all means have loads of fun at it.
Transitioning a picky eater
I totally understand what life may be like with Henry regarding eating.
It is sad to admit but at one point my son now 3 would only eat whole yogurt with applesauce and raisins and granola on top.
Pizza, grilled cheese, crackers, bread, baked goods, I can't go on it is too depressing.
In any
case we had to change things. I won't lie it took persistence and consistency. I agree with others
when they say with young children to do a transition approach; HOWEVER I caution you that he will most likely became re-addicted
to the new rice baked goods etc.......
My experience is that a transition is necessary so the body doesn't go into
total meltdown, however you have to start applying techniques that say to your child, Mommy is in charge and you need to take
a bite. Believe me when I say that NO WAY would my child take a bite. I totally get it and when we did take
him off foods it was like living with an addict, he screamed. And I would cry thinking “now that can't be
good for wellness to have a screamer??" But I stayed strong and we got through it.
First
I agree to find some replacement foods. There are many replacements available even an amaranth cheerio with rice I've
seen. Replace fruit with granny smith apples and pineapple, and kiwi. I did use rice no sugar bake mixes
at first. Try the BED mayonnaise for the chicken salad to transition.
Flash forward, my kids
are doing amazing. This same kid just a year later requests, "more wakame, green drink?" I
have been there and though I cried many days in regret, I pushed forward and I'm so grateful for my son's smiles and
bright eyes, and language and health.
Basically I got a replacement food and started breaking it into small pieces.
I had a plate in front of me and a plate in front of my children. I always started the session with a bite of the
"wanted food," to get him wanting more. Then I made him take a tiny bite of the new food. Initially
I didn't even go for vegetables. I just wanted to establish that Mommy is in charge and we eat what Mommy gives us.
I immediately rewarded with the desired food as soon as my son took that first bite of a casserole type dish. My point
was to establish him taking bites and being rewarded. Those first days that is all I required of him.
Next I started requiring him to eat 3 or 4 bites for one reward. .It literally was like training a dog to do tricks and
it was tedious. I won't lie. He screamed for 45 minutes straight the first time and it took my husband
and I to ensure that he would sit in the chair and take a bite. Every time he slid out of the chair we put him right
back in. (It killed me to see him cry). I think the key is to stay focused on your small goal, but to be very
highly happy and reinforcing when Henry does the right thing. Don't set yourself up for failure in expecting
too much too fast, however don't get re-stuck in new bad habits. Everyday, every meal you want to expect more and
more from your child.
We broke turkey dogs into 20 pieces to get Tyler to eat each bite of carrot.
We still sometimes hold the desired food, but now we can put it all on the same plate and point or say "3 more
bites first."
The work is intense, but the reward is that you and your child will establish huge positive behaviors
that need to be established if he is go into the world full of choices and be responsible. You are killing so
many birds with one stone by doing this. Not to mention, as his body improves and you can get more
and more fermented foods into him he WILL CHANGE. He will want vegetables. It is amazing to
have watched the transformation in our home. My child can eat right by other kids now who eat pizza and
teddy grahams while he enjoys dulse or vegetable soup.
Best to you, I hope this helps you create
a plan.
Help I’m afraid
my child will starve to death!My kids are 17, 13, 11,
and 9. Over the years they have all gone thru times when they are not hungry, or eat everything in sight. I take
comfort knowing that when I was breast feeding them that they took what they needed, when they need it and I learned to trust
that they will respond one way or another when they get hungry. This puts them in the driver’s seat and us a bit
at beck and call or better said responding to their needs. Let him get to know his needs and know that he will let you
know with words, crankiness, or poor behavior that he needs food. Just comment" wow I can tell you were really
hungry. “Or “gosh I think we need a food break". I had one little guy that ate best on the run.
not sitting, but snacking all day long as opposed to eating
now, just because I made it. Kids are not cut from the same cloth of eating regularly at meal times. It is society's
desire to make it all nice and neat at 3x a day that causes this.
Whenever they stop for a quick TV break they
were somewhat otherwise engaged so I always give them raw or lightly steamed veggies to snack on because they really aren't
paying attention and that is what I want them to eat anyway. Green beans, match stick carrots, steamed broccoli, even chunks
of chicken; finger food. That way if they come to the table and eat a piece of bread only, I know they already
got what they needed.
The good thing about eating these foods is that they are available to offer every several hours
and if they don't get eaten you don't mind eating them yourselves. I think so many moms get in trouble eating
what their kids don't finish and it isn't what they would be feeding themselves anyway. Kid food in this society
is not all its cracked up to be. :-)
If he was sick or had a cold and was loosing weight, when he is healthy he will
regain it when he feels well. I had several that were small by nature 10% in weight, consistently and still at 17, 10%.
Try not to compare and remember that health starts on the inside, not in body weight for right now. Water is probably
more important :-)
You might start saying a prayer or blessing the food that you do eat together.
Ask that it provide all the nutrition that you need to bring health and vitality
to your life, or whatever words feel good to you. Find things to be grateful for everyday to turn the chaos of not knowing
what is going on, to what you see and to keep you in the present, not spinning off to never never land.
If he
only had 2 eggs for supper consider him wise. First he is food combining naturally. He is not combining lots of
foods together that his digestion system has to figure out how to digest. Actually it is healthier to eat one food to
fullness instead of the American way to eat a little of everything on your plate. The digestive juices really get messed
up trying to digest meat, grains and veggies and fruit altogether. It certainly makes it easier to prepare one thing
as opposed to many :-) Read up on food combining and digestive juices. Consider that something he is doing "by nature" is intelligent and should be revered rather
than converted. :-)
Here is another way to look at it. Maybe your job is not to feed him, but to offer him the
best you have to offer and allow him to partake. Trust.
Blessings
I can’t possibly
see my child eating BED foods; all he will eat is McDonalds
I had to smile at your prayer segment because I have said soooo many "food
prayers" as we transitioned our son last spring from 100% Mc Donald’s diet, no exaggeration. He had narrowed himself
to only McDonald’s or Burger King, believe it or not and in our fear of his starvation, we had slowly allowed this to
take place. My husband would speed to the drive-thru if he was having a meltdown and come home with the "happy"
(sad in reality) meal.
Now that we have vegetable soups for breakfast, I marvel at the transformation of the last 8 months.
I have cooked things that Kevin would not have eaten in a million years and prayed and prayed as I prepared that I would just
put in the right ingredients and that he would like it. So many times he would taste it and LOVE it to my utter shock and amazement. There have been so many miracles. But it took time and
lots of patience and lots of ingenuity in transitioning things. I used things that are not so great like Xylitol gum and cookies to bribe at first, slowly reducing the amounts of
things until one cookie crumb would get a whole bowl of soup down.
These days our kids request green soup and
all sorts of things that they never had tasted before last spring. I feel that if we could do it with Kevin, anyone
can do it, but it takes time, determination, and lots of food prayers. I especially like your final advice: TRUST.
Sometimes
you just have to trust….
I am so new here, but I was reading Diane's journal from the FILES last night
and WOW!!! Thanks Diane, what an inspiration and a motivator to continue trying to get this BED going. Thanks so much Diane.
Anyhow, I read a part on her journal where she mentions that Donna had said that instead of taking
away things at first, to try and bring in the cultured things because then you naturally begin to lose that taste and cravings
for sweets. We started dairy kefir through our doctor some months ago before hearing of BED and I have to say that we have
all lost our sweet tooth to some degree. I used to bake a few nights a week with Xylitol and rice flour and these days, I
just have no taste at all for that, can't remember the last time I did this. I know it's the sour foods that have
gradually changed all of us. Our ASD 10 yr. child too, has come a long ways. I even offer him a piece of Granny Smith
apple sometimes and he actually says no than you. Yeah!
So anyways, maybe begin to add good things in and then slowly take bad things
out. Hope that helps, like it is helping me. I can’t possibly imagine how I can get my child to eat 80% veggies
75% vegetables, how we do it is first by having green drink with as
many meals as possible.
I always have celery, parsley, mint and
super vitality. Then I guess the other trick is that I don't sneak
vegetables
in. I have sat with my kids every meal for many months
now expecting that they eat vegetables. I use whatever is
reinforcing to them. My son loves shapes, or certain foods. He
can scream, hit, and cry whatever. First you take a
bite then you get
the food of choice. Some days are harder than others. In the
beginning the tantrums were constant
and I thought I would shut
down. Over time with me never giving in and staying calm/firm he
realizes that life
is simpler and more fun when he listens to
Mommy. We have had to strap him into his booster. My daughter
loves
other things, like movies; same deal.
I wish there was a short cut. I do think its great to be creative
and
sneak vegetables in, but you never get to the route issue. I
think that with anything we have to expect good things
from our
kids. When my kid’s tantrum I remember that I know best and that I
am not hurting them. I also
really really, really want to
emphasize that you have to start small. In the beginning I only
expected one bite.
Now he has to eat a whole bowl of vegetables.
Tonight for dinner we had zucchini millet pancakes, but first they
had to eat a whole bowl of mustard greens, carrots, leeks, garlic,
and zucchini (steamed). However at soccer practice
(I was in tears
wondering why my we have to work so hard???) I broke up the word
soccer into 6 letters. I took
scrabble letters. He had to follow
the coach to get each letter and then to the side we went and he got
bites
of turkey hot dog cut small. Then back to the field again as
he screamed because it is hard for him to try new things.
I
wanted to run away! Why God, why is this so hard. I am working so
hard. Why are all the other kids eating at
McDonalds and running
around smiling at their moms????
But I stuck with it and by the end of the 30 min (which
seemed like eternity) he was
not screaming and had a few smiles.
To win this autism thing is not going to
be easy, but I refuse the
alternative. I'm tired and often want to throw in the towel.
But I know that if
I hadn't worked so hard this last 6 months we
wouldn't even be on the soccer field. If I keep him out of soccer
I'm only handicapping him and keeping him from "normal living."
To all those out there wondering
how to get your kid to eat
vegetables, I don't have a sexy answer. I wish with all my heart
this wasn't
so hard. But I do know that step by step good things
will happen. Don't give up. Stay the course. Expect good
things from your kids and stay strong.
Shannon
