Gluten free diets

[claw3]

just saw this on another thread, but didnt want to hijack.

What are the benefits?

and why are these diets used?

I have googled and it states that diets can improve behaviour, what kind of behaviour are we talking about?

yes, my ds was white as sheet before gf plus loads of other symptoms, big and small.

nightcat thank you for your helpful posts too, did your ds have pain at night? I'm never sure if it's to do with this or because he has milk frequently throughout it and it's sort of laying on his stomach. Mind you that doesn't seem to bother babies.

It's horrible because I can see that he would actually (very unusually) rather be sleeping than dealing with it, his eyes are screwed tight and he twists and turns

Nightcat, thanks very much for the links will have a read

We have tried not making his usual food available and only offering food that i want him to eat, without having bread, choc spread etc in the house on the advice of Dietitian and sticking to it no matter what, as changes dont happen over night.

No strop, he just didnt eat and wasnt at all bothered. He has no motivation to eat and would be quite happy not to eat. He doesnt even eat, what he does eat without constant prompting. If i didnt put food in front of him, he would never ask.

He just didnt eat a thing for 2 weeks and lost weight drastically. Dietitian then did a u-turn and told us to let him continuing eating what he does eat and get psychological input.

I agree though, it is definitely a control thing with ds, having control over something he finds very threatening. Lots of sensory issues too.

Milady, yes no black bits and McDonald chips have to have straight ends, no pointy ends too!

Sandwiches have to be cut into quarters, if i cut into 2, he wont eat them.

If i sit next to him and im eating, he will move.

Perhaps replacing bread is a big step, perhaps i should focus on even smaller changes first.

Milady, my ds had no obvious gut symptoms, however, from what I have read in the last 4 years, gluten suppresses digestive enzymes by covering the inside of the digestive organs with glue-like substance. This slows down digestion and absorption and would explain your ds symptoms.

On the other hand, my ds had extreme pain in his legs, that went literally overnight since we went gf.

When his paleness went, I then realised that the rest of his body was in a similar way starved of circulation.

There is a whole lot more to gluten than meets the eye.

My DS is coeliac and it makes a huge difference. He has taken the changes in his diet really well but when I think back he has always preferred meat and veg meals (perhaps he knew it made his tummy hurt)

I could never fill him up and as fast as I put it in the top it came out the bottom.

He was thin but tall with a hard pot belly.

Since diag. (last Oct) he is a changed child, we can tell instantly if he has been glutened as EVERY thing is the end of the world and he is ratty and snarling. Teachers can't do anything with him. Each "attack" seems to last about 2 days before he starts turning back ....

One of the biggest things to gluten him was PLaydough - tis in the strangest things.

Genius bread is the only one he will eat but very expensive and only small loaves.

You can get a diary free choc spread (think I got it from Sainsburys/Holland Barrett)

are macdonald chips gluten free?
Apologies for the hijack

McD ones are Burger King aren't

I just ask for a burger with no bun happy meal (dons hat to avoid disapproving mums)

haha!

Thanks nightcat, ds is also very pale

claw did you get the bread? I was aghast at how expensive the "free from" range at Sainsbury's is but also amazed at how wide it is. They have cake and ice-cream cones without gluten so we may well be able to eliminate it soon especially now I know that McD's fries are OK

It is very expensive, but the range is very wide.

Have a look at Goodness Direct online, and also Dietary Needs Direct. They have massive ranges of gf and dairy free stuff too. I've not found anything I can't replace, iyswim.

Yoou can even get dairy free smartest, with natural colours etc.