Truth about GMO

Because food is medicine, quality food is key. For reasons unbeknownst to me, "mainstream" nutrition gives little consideration to food quality. The nutrition principles generally touted in the media and through the nutrition community seem to focus on quantitative factors such as counting calories, grams of fat, levels of sodium, etc. They routinely fail to consider: the effects of artificial ingredients on the liver or brain, how MSG damages the hypothalamus, the effects of sugar on yeast, that certain foods are inflammatory to the gut, or how nutrient density influences brain function. These food factors affect the body's biochemistry and must be strongly considered when applying diet for autism spectrum disorders.

With "holistic nutrition" the quality of food matters. For healing, the amount of available nutrients, absence of artificial additives or refined sugar, and minimization of exposure to pesticides and antibiotics are important factors. Applying diet means to supply the body with the building blocks it needs for good health, and reduce the additives and toxins that can overburden the system. A holistic perspective embraces the whole body and considers the sustainability of the choices we make. And, by the laws of nature (not surprisingly), what's good for the individual is also good for all living things.

In holistic nutrition we consider the varying nutrients present in different quality and farming methods of vegetables and fruits. We promote the value of probiotics and good gut bacteria, which are necessary for good health (especially with the large use of antibiotics today). The artificial ingredients in processed foods that can trigger hyperactivity, headaches, asthma, and overburden the liver and detoxification systems are removed (don't eat them!). The fresh, living qualities of the foods and cooking/processing methods are emphasized. The level of nutrients present with organic, biodynamic, local, and pasture-raised farming is unsurpassed and vital.

These principles are paramount to children with autism spectrum disorders. Quality is an essential component to "autism diets;" boosting needed nutrients, probiotics, and promoting digestibility are factors that help their injured bodies heal.

This time and attention makes quality foods more expensive. Because commercial food producers (factory farmers and product manufacturers) compete on price, they look for ways to make food as cheap as possible. Americans have become accustomed to having some of the lowest food costs in the world. When people scoff at $5-7 for a dozen of pastured eggs, expecting $2/dozen, I always ask-not "why are pastured eggs so expensive?," but "why are conventional eggs so cheap?" Do you know what corners they cut to make them that cheap?

Without spending too much time on the "dirt" of the farming and food manufacturing industry, let's look at a few ways food quality matters.

The following are examples of how foods have been depleted and how to search out better sources.

SALT: Commercial salt is devoid of any nutrients except sodium and chloride, and often contain aluminum and dextrose for anti-caking.

A BETTER OPTION: Celtic sea salt, Himalayan crystal salt, and other unrefined salts have dozens of minerals and no added substances.

DAIRY: Commercial dairy commonly contains GM growth hormone (genetically modified rBGH), antibiotics, pesticides, and dead pathogenic bacteria. Commercial milk is devoid of good omega 3 fats, natural vitamins A & D, enzymes, and probiotics.

A BETTER OPTION: Grass-fed, dairy is rich in fatty acids such as omega-3 & CLA, vitamins A & D. Raw dairy products contain phosphatase, an enzyme essential for the absorption of calcium, as well as lactase and other enzymes for digestion.

VEGETABLES/FRUITS: Commercial, non-organic vegetables are grown in nutrient depleted soil from commercial fertilizers, sprayed with pesticides, picked before ripe and devoid of important vitamins and glyconutrients, gassed to ripen. Often, these vegetables are genetically modified, untested and unlabeled; these plants threaten native species and livelihood for millions of people.

A BETTER OPTION: Bio-diverse farms produce vegetables far superior in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. They are free from GMOs, pesticides, and toxins. Local, picked ripe, and fresh. Good for the environment.

CHICKEN: Commercial chickens (I'll spare the gory details) contain pesticides, hormones, additives, and arsenic.

A BETTER OPTION: Pastured chickens are free of pesticides, arsenic and create a superior food - they are much higher in nutritional value.

OILS: Processed oils often contain trans-fats. Even when they don't, commercial oils are processed with many chemicals used to refine, bleach, and deodorize the processed oils. Stored in plastic, chemicals leach into the oil. They are mostly rancid oils, creating free radical damage.

A BETTER OPTION: Unrefined, virgin oils made in small batches, containing healthy fatty acids and nutrients. No chemicals are used in processing. Olive oil, walnut and pumpkin oil, and coconut oil are all great options. Be careful not to heat nut oils.

SOUPS/BROTHS/GRAVIES: Commercial soups, broths, and gravies contain MSG (and hidden sources such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein and autolyzed yeast), and are devoid of health promoting properties.

A BETTER OPTION: Homemade soups and broths contain large amounts of absorbable nutrients. Free of toxic additives.

CANNED FOODS: Tainted with plastic or aluminum from the aluminum cans or plastic coating they use inside. Deficient in nutrients.

A BETTER OPTION: Fresh food is significantly higher in nutrients with no additives or preservatives. And contain no plastics or heavy metals.

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP: Used in "almost everything" commercial - soda, candy, condiments, and baked goods. Associated with increased risk of diabetes and obesity. Recently, many batches of high fructose corn syrup were identified to contain mercury from processing.

BETTER OPTION: Natural sweeteners such as honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup have many more nutrients to help the body's ability to process the sugar, and are not processed with chemicals.

Seek out the best quality you can find. Choose quality oils, salts, sweeteners, and other pantry items. Buy staples, nuts, and flours, in small batches and keep them refrigerated to retain freshness.

Read labels. Most importantly, read the ingredient lists - and avoid all artificial ingredients. Avoid products that contain ingredients you don't know, and products with long lists of ingredients containing things that you don't want going into your child's body.

Join a coop and group-buy straight from the farmer to save money. You may discover foods you otherwise couldn't' find in the store-pastured eggs, truly raw almonds, local honey, and grass-fed meats. Visit WestonAPrice.org for local chapter member recommendations on sources and farms. Join a CSA (community supported agriculture), a farm that supplies and delivers a fresh box of food directly to members cutting out the middleman for freshness and benefit to the farmer.

It's important to realize and remember the power we have to heal ourselves and our families through the choices we make about food. When following an autism diet, doing your best at maximizing nutritional intake will make a difference. Choose quality, because food matters.

Julie Matthews, a top US biomedical autism diet/nutrition specialist and Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) Practitioner, helps parents recover children from autism. She is a parent/physician educator and creator of "Nourishing Hope for Autism: Nutrition Intervention for Healing Our Children" (Book) and "Cooking to Heal Autism Nutrition and Cooking Classes" (DVD). Visit http://www.NourishingHope.com to study autism diets and view video presentations.