baddad Report post Posted May 23, 2006 Who are the people who are doing the gluten only diet? J's Sunderland test came back quite low for casein so we've been advised to do gluten only, however I've just read Marilyn Le Breton's book and the implication is that I'd be wasting my time (and of course J's) if I don't remove casein as well. I'd like to speak with anyone who's doing GF only and find out their experience. Karen x Hi karen - can't comment on Marilyn Le Breton's book, or a GF diet only, but i do think MANY advocates of the diet are overly absorbed withe the 'theory' than the visible results for their individual kids... If you look at certain websites, the amount of things to cut out of the kids diets grows by the week (which by implication means that THE PREVIOUS week they must have been eating something which undermined the possible benefits of the diet, which by implication means the benefit the parent perceived the previous week was flawed!!)... My OWN experience - and i fully accept that others experiences will be different because every childs immune system is different - is that 'G' has a direct implication for my sons BEHAVIOUR, while 'D' has a huge impact on his digestion... The last 'challenges' i made to the diet confirmed this again, and also provided me with the knowledge that SMALL amounts of dairy can be tolerated without any negative effects... 'Delia' (call me jaded, for the uninitiated) mentioned somewhere above 'anecdotal evidence' being taken at face value.Sometimes the 'dietary intervention' lobby has as big a problem accepting that evidence as the 'establishment' does... Do it, see what YOU think, and go with that... L&P BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KarenT Report post Posted May 24, 2006 Thanks Badders, that's really helpful. Although I know you can't speak for everyone it does help to have individual perspectives on this - as you say I'm sure experiences will vary depending on the child in question. M le B IS quite evangelical about the full diet, but I couldn't help but be surprised that she didn't consider removing chemical additives from her children's diet until AFTER she'd gone the whole gf/cf hog. Maybe it's just me but I'd have thought that was an obvious first step. I found a few contradictions in her advice too (though my head's too blurry atm to remember them right now). I can't help but wonder how much of he son's improvement could be attributed to that as much as the diet. I think I'll contact Sunderland ARU and see what they have to say, since it was they who recommended gf alone in the first place, but I'd still like to hear from others doing the gf only diet if you're out there. Ta again Karen x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
call me jaded Report post Posted May 24, 2006 (edited) Marilyn's book is quite mild when you compare it to the AiA forum. I found it (the book) very useful for getting the first few recipes under my belt. The actual advice on GFCF products is out of date IME. Some simple 'rules' for doing diet Every child is different, intolerances can be very individual Other people in the family may benefit (3 out of the 6 of us do) Keep it simple - better to make your own gravy with cornflour than search out the 'best' substitute Gluten free bread is made of cardboard Everybody makes loads of mistakes along the way Almost everyone I know wanted to give up at about 2 months in, it's normal Never remove an 'offending' food after just one bad reaction - anyone can have an off day Use vitamin and mineral supplements so that you're not watching every mouthful It is generally a healthier way to eat Food and behaviour diaries really help A child's attitude to food will change Although it has taken a lot longer for some people, three weeks is long enough to know if there are any benefits for most people Remember the Herxheimer reaction - things can get worse before they get better. This is when most people give up, but a bad reaction can be an excellent indicator that the long term effects will be good. BTW it took me nearly a year to find 'the right moment' to start - there isn't a right moment. Edited May 24, 2006 by call me jaded Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big mamma Report post Posted May 28, 2006 Karen, My daughters sunderland test came back with no peaks for casein but that's what I took out first anyway and within 3 days her bowel habits had improved enormously. Definitely worth a go I'd say. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites