There are many theories and general skepticism about autism and how food can enhance certain abilities in children on the autism spectrum. However, the story of Andreina Escalante and her son is a case that shows the opposite, Sebastián was diagnosed with autism in 2018 and after that news that changed his life he decided to work on his son's level of autism through diet , as well as a multidisciplinary approach and succeeded.
There are different levels of autism: severe, moderate and mild -no matter what level a boy or girl is in- food can positively impact any of these levels. In the case of Andreina, who is a nutritional health coach certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition´s(INI), his son had moderate autism and managed to get out of the diagnosis, but everything will depend on the causes of the autism or if the boy or girl has a brain lesion.
It is important to know that in order to more accurately determine the food that a child should eat, immunological and digestive tests must be carried out. However, she recommends all kinds of food that nourishes the nature of that child because it will undoubtedly help in the process. For example, a child can absorb all the nutrients from an avocado, but suddenly another child turns it into toxins and can cause neuroinflammation, which is why it is very important to carry out tests.
Likewise, it is transcendental to know that there is an established base of foods that cause inflammation at all levels of autism, these are those that contain gluten, casein, soy and sugar. One of the most frequently asked questions when people are faced with this type of diagnosis is whether the time to obtain results in the short, medium or long term can be determined. The answer is that cannot be specified because it is a lifestyle transformation and for it to be sustainable you must be constant in the process.
In Sebastián's case, he was eating only 16 foods for 3 years: duck, chicken, lamb, quail, carrot, zucchini, cucumber, avocado, onion, garlic, salt, olive oil, green plantain, green beans, sweet potato, and water. mineralized alkaline. These were for a very long period because they were the only foods he digested to absorb their nutrients.
“Today we are working on the introduction of other foods, in some it still presents a reaction such as almonds, but rice or blueberries have been very good for it. One of the main nutrients for the brain is fat, therefore the menu has always been accompanied by duck fat, chicken fat, avocado oil, and coconut oil. Hydrolyzed chicken collagen is the most efficient form of absorption and we have kept it in mind all these years” says Andreina.
Bioindividuality is the basis of progress in nutrition, because each organism is unique, therefore, it is impossible to repeat a diet from one child to another and it is correct in every human being with or without autism.
“Reversing the neuroinflammation originating from the gastrointestinal and immunological deficit is like seeing a sack of rice, the changes come in a grain per day. The miracle that families want is called the “process”, each case is unique because the intestine is like fingerprints, just as we are all different on the outside, we are different on the inside”, specifies Andreina.
Immunonutrition is vital to reduce levels of autism, but there are other complementary interventions that must be worked on in parallel, such as: gastrointestinal, immunological intervention which must be accompanied by occupational therapy, language, physical, auditory, and psychological.
In the same way, work must be done on the quality of the water and eliminate toxic household products such as chlorine. Obviously there are other therapies such as: craniosacral and equine therapy -which are very beneficial- but everything will depend on individual needs.
Tips that could help parents with a recent diagnosis of autism
A diagnosis of autism not only transforms the life of a boy or girl, but that of their entire family and, therefore, after this news that changes everything in the home, one must stop to breathe, live and heal what one feels in that moment so as not to make any wrong decisions.
Psychological intervention should be the first tool, because the functionality of the new family will depend on the mental health of the parents. Emotions must be put in order before acting because when they are not channeled, ruptures begin and it is impossible to carry out all the multidisciplinary approach that the child needs.
“Bad decisions are made out of despair and frustration. Each change will come at the time of being emotionally and physically ready to discover the new purpose of life. Respecting the stage of grief with self-compassion -as long as they can begin to investigate therapeutic programs and pediatricians specializing in autism- is the best decision that parents can make, Andreina comments.
On the other hand, there are many myths and ignorance about the Autistic spectrum that must be managed to face a diagnosis of this nature. The first is to affirm that autism cannot be reversed and that it is a mental state where the person cannot heal in any way.
It must be clear that everything will depend on the age at which the intervention begins, how precise the team that is working with the parents is, if there are brain lesions and what is the cause of the autism.
“Healing is seen in an innocent or romantic way, full of unrealistic expectations. For example, if the child had stereotypes (a series of uncontrolled movements that are emitted by the body such as: rocking, flapping of the hands or movements in the legs) and, through multidisciplinary intervention, you stopped doing them, so your cells are healing. Another example could be: if you used to live with diarrhea and infections and now you don't have any discomfort, it means that you are in the process of reaching your maximum potential, that is, healing”, specifies the specialist.
Food continues to be another myth because it is not yet accepted by the medical profession, nor by society. What happens is that each diet is individual and, obviously, what works for one child will not work for another, so this makes it much more difficult to have evidence. Similarly, there is a misperception that parents are not part of the therapeutic intervention and that this is a teamwork process.
The autism spectrum is an unknown world for many people, however, the greatest act of empathy that we can have as human beings is to educate ourselves on the subject, have an open mind and heart to deconstruct myths, break stereotypes and learn different things. It is also essential to study hand in hand with specialists who have made progress in their patients, but above all, be clear that this process is a path full of transformation, love and peace.
