QuestionHi:
I have two children-my oldest, who is 3 1/2, has had purple circles under his eyes since he was a few months old (and nursing), has always had loose stools and has some borderline Autism spectrum issues. My 22 month old has a growth hormone deficiency and severe, global developmental delays and failure to thrive(and ironically, is chronically constipated and has excellent social skills). We have ruled out celiac disease, however, I am suspect that maybe there is a food allergy. I wish to start by taking wheat out of their diets for a few months to see how they do, but...urgh....ALL they will eat are noodles, crackers, breads, bagels, etc. How in the world do I phase out the one thing they will consistently eat? And how do I replace those calories? Both are very thin, but the baby is severely underweight-Any suggestions?
Thanks
Jodi
AnswerIt is important to figure out what the children are really allergic to, wheat or gluten. There are many wheat substitutes but some contain gluten so you'll need to keep track of exactly what the kids are eating to determine what's going on.
Some wheat substitutes that you can find as breads, crackers, and noodles are Almond, Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Cassava, Chestnut, Chickpea, Flaxseed, Hazelnut, Jerusalem artichoke, Kamut, Kuzu (also called Kudzu), Legume Flours - yellow & green pea, red & green lentil, white, lima & pinto bean, Malanga, Millet, Milo/sorghum, Oat, Pearled Millet, Poi (dehydrated), Potato, Quinoa, Rice -(short, medium, long grain), Rye (Light Rye has no yeast, only rye flour, water, and salt), Soy, Spelt, Tapioca, Teff, Water Chestnut, White Sweet Potato, Wild Rice, Yam.
A Rotation diet can be used to cycle the foods so that you can get a real good idea of what each food type does with your children. The calories should be easy to replace using the substitutes listed.
Thank you for your question, Jodi. I hope that my answer was helpful.
.
- Prev:Serotonin connection to weight loss
- Next:Healty cooking oils