Nordic Naturals Giveaway

I just received this press release from Nordic Naturals. They are running a great giveaway over on their site. Here is the Press Release:





“We Love Kids” Contest from Nordic Naturals to Raise Awareness

About the Importance of Essential Fatty Acids for Children



Watsonville, CA (September 2, 2009) In light of the fact that children are still showing deficiencies of essential fatty acids, Nordic Naturals has created a consumer contest called “We Love Kids” to increase awareness that all kids, big and small, need Omega-3 fatty acids. From August 1 through October 31, 2009, the company will be accepting submissions by email naming the contestant’s favorite Nordic Naturals children’s product plus why they love it in a 200 or less word testimonial. A gift basket of Nordic Naturals products and promotional items for the entire family including the dog and cat will be awarded to the 3 winning entries. Winners must have a physical address in one of the 50 United States and be 18 years or older to enter. Emails can be sent to welovekids@nordicnaturals.com and need to include name, address, phone, and email address. To see complete contest information, go to www.nordicnaturals.com/welovekids.



Research shows that the safest and most reliable source of omega-3 fatty acids is a high quality purified fish oil supplement. Nordic Naturals offers products that are specially formulated for children in several age groups and with different needs. Supplementing with Nordic Naturals omega-3-rich fish oils and multivitamins is a safe, pure and effective way to improve overall health and give a child’s mental, physical, and social well-being a nutritional head start. In addition, Nordic Naturals products are a favorite with children because they taste so good and are easy-to-chew or swallow in small soft gel or liquid form.



Products include:

Children’s DHA available in chewable soft gels and liquid

Omega-3.6.9 Junior available in chewable soft gels, liquid, and convenient travel packs

Omega-3.6.9-D Junior available in chewable soft gels

Ultimate Omega 500 available in chewable soft gels

Nordic Omega-3 Fishies available in fish-shaped gummies

Nordic Omega-3 Gummies available in gummies

Nordic Berries gummy multivitamin with no fish oil added

Arctic Cod Liver Oil available in lemon, orange, peach, strawberry, spiced apple, and unflavored liquids and lemon-flavored soft gels

To learn more about research showing positive effects of omega essential fatty acids on children’s health and well-being, see www.omega-research.com.



Distributing products to over 20 countries on all 7 continents, Nordic Naturals is the international leader in omega-3 fish oils and EFA blends. The company has built a strong reputation in the omega fatty acid category by delivering exceptional purity, freshness, taste and demonstrating environmental responsibility. Nordic Naturals has over 150 different fish oil products including liquids, soft gels, and children's chewables – all in natural triglyceride form. For information, call 800.662.2544 or visit www.nordicnaturals.com.

ALEIA'S Gluten Free Products Review

My kids love cookies. Don’t yours? Although my son isn’t on a gluten free diet, I do like to incorporate gluten free items into his diet. It’s healthier for him. Also, since my daughter is a little cookie monster, giving her a cookie that is made of all natural, gluten free and wheat free ingredients makes me feel better.

ALEIA’S sent me the following items to review for my site:

Bread Crumbs
Croutons
Coconut Macaroon cookies
Almond Horn cookies

The croutons were too hard for us to eat with a salad, but they were great dropped into a bowl of tomato soup. The croutons made a great topping for my Chicken Divan casserole. Finally, the cookies were yummy. I savored each bite of the Almond Horn cookie. I kept thinking that they needed a special drink to dip them into, but I couldn’t think of the right one. Milk works, but I wanted something special.

We all really enjoyed the Coconut Macaroon cookies. They were moist and tasty. My kids wanted to cobble down all the cookies, but I made them limit the amount they ate each day. All of ALEIA’S products are gluten free. Some are also dairy free, but everything is manufactured in the same facility. The bread crumbs and croutons they sent me include milk in the ingredients. The cookies do not. Since they are all manufactured in the same facility, the company can not label casein free on these cookies. Their products listed on the ALEIA’S website includes the ingredients for each one.

ALEIA’S also makes two different types of breads, Farmhouse White and Cinnamon Raisin. Currently, you can find their products at select stores in the North East United States, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. You can visit their locations page to find out what stores carry ALEIA’S products.

Help Put Sunshine Burgers and Jones Dairy Farm On the TACA List

Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) has a section on their web site for those following a GFCF diet and have a list of “Foods you can buy at the Supermarket." I have worked with both Sunshine Burgers and Jones Dairy Farm in doing product reviews and giveaways here on my site. I think they both have great products.

During the giveaways for both of these companies, parents have told me that they didn't even know that meat can contain gluten. Jones Dairy Farm provides all natural, gluten free meats and Sunshine Burgers provides organic, gluten free veggie burgers.

I'd love to see both of these companies included on the TACA list, but they both need “Two TACA parent references that recommend you as a vendor resource for other families. These references need to also email their recommendation to Lisa at TACA. If you are a member of Talk About Curing Autism, please go to their site and fill out the contact form recommending these two companies. Thanks.

Home Free Treats Review

I was sent some samples of Home Free Treats cookies to try out and review on my blog. They sent me the Organic Oatmeal Cookies and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. I did get to try some of them. My family gobbled them down quickly. They were delicious. I liked that they were soft and had that fresh bakery taste to them.

Home Free Treats are Peanut, egg, tree nut and dairy free. They are not gluten free, but are made with organic ingredients. This makes them a good treat for our family, including my son. We do not have him on a complete gluten free diet. Instead, I have reduced his gluten intake and put him on a healthier diet with fresh and organic foods. It seems to be working for us. I have replaced some of his gluten food items, like waffles and pancakes, with non gluten versions. Here is a copy of the allergen information from their site:

“ALLERGEN INFORMATION: Contains soy lecithin. Our products are made in a dedicated facility containing no peanuts, no tree nuts, no eggs, no dairy, and no wheat*. However, due to agricultural practices, oats often contain traces of wheat. *THIS IS NOT A GLUTEN FREE PRODUCT.”

You can purchase these cookies online, Home Free Treats, and try them out for yourself. They even sell individually wrapped cookies. If you want to make your own, they have a cookbook you can buy and basic ingredients that you can purchase from them, too.

Log Cabin Review & Giveaway Closed

As a mom of an autistic child, I am very concerned about what our family eats. I am a dedicated label reader. Before I buy something new, I check the ingredients. One ingredient that I always make sure is not in the list is high fructose corn syrup. I’ve seen the commercials that say a little bit in moderation is alright. The problem with that is that you can find this harmful ingredient in a lot of products. I have found it in cereals that I was sure were healthy. A little bit here and a little bit there adds up.

One of our favorite condiments, syrup, is an item that is notorious for having high fructose corn syrup in it. The ones that do not, are usually really expensive. That was when I discovered that Log Cabin Syrup had taken it out of their syrup. I was very impressed. I bought a bottle for my family. The taste is great. It still tastes like syrup. Why, oh why, do manufacturers use this ingredient? Log Cabin Syrup has gotten it right by taking out the unhealthy and harmful ingredient and keeping the taste my family loves.

I contacted Log Cabin and asked them if they would like to do a giveaway on my site. I told them that I did not need a sample to review(I already had one in my refrigerator), but they sent me one anyways. We will definitely use it. They are also providing one 24 ounce bottle of their high fructose corn syrup free Log Cabin Syrup to a lucky winner of this giveaway.


This Giveaway will run from June 14, 2009 to June 27, 2009. The winner will be announced on June 27, 2009. There will be 1 winner, and the winner will get one 24 ounce bottle of Log Cabin Syrup. This giveaway is for USA only. Below are rules for entering this giveaway. Good luck.

• MAIN RULE –Leave a comment telling me why you would want to win this bottle of Log Cabin Syrup. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count) This gives you one entry.

For additional entries, you can do any or all of the following:

• 1 Extra Entry - Stumble this post and leave your Stumble name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry - Favorite AutismLearningFelt on Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
* 1 Extra Entry - Twitter this giveaway and leave your twitter name in a separate comment (my Twitter id is @taless)
• 1 Extra Entry - Follow my blog let me know in a separate comment
* 1 Extra Entry - Subscribe via email to my feed and let me know in a separate comment
* 1 Extra Entry - Put my blog button on your site and let me know in a separate comment
• 2 Extra Entries - Write a post on your blog linking to my blog, and let me know in a separate comment

GFCF 101

I have a guest blogger today. Thomas Dzomba's site The GFCF Experience is full of great information and recipes for those who are on a GFCF diet.


GFCF 101
written by Thomas Dzomba

It has been almost seven years since we embraced the GFCF lifestyle for our children, and much has changed during that time. An increase in the prevalence and awareness of autism, as well as celiac disease in my opinion, has led to a large growth in the GFCF product industry, particularly in the availability of gluten free products. Seven years ago, we had a hard time finding GF flours and CF milk even in some of the natural foods stores we shopped; now, many, if probably not all of the major supermarket chains boast a wide selection of GFCF items. The explosion is such that even some name brand items are being reformulated to be gluten free (and sometimes casein free), including Chex cereals and Betty Crocker cake mixes, and some restaurants are offering gluten free and/or casein free versions of their dishes.

Despite this surge in GFCF popularity, and the numerous success stories of adopting the GFCF lifestyle by parents (like myself) of children on the autism spectrum, there are many people who have difficulty going GFCF. It is challenging, to be sure, but definitely not a challenge that is insurmountable. Here are five tips to help you get started:

It’s not a Diet, it’s a Lifestyle

In the strictest sense of the word, it is the GFCF diet, since diet is a broad term for what we eat. But think about what comes to mind when you hear the word “diet”: weight loss, fad, temporary. Let’s face it, when people “diet” they usually are doing it to lose weight, and then they only stick to the “diet” until the weight is gone. That’s why I don’t like associating GFCF with the word “diet”, because it is not any of those things.

I prefer the term “GFCF lifestyle”.

Let’s face it – if you are a celiac, or have an intolerance to wheat or dairy, going GF or CF or GFCF has to be a permanent change in how you live. The same is true of parents on the autism spectrum who have seen positive results from using the diet. We believe the GFCF lifestyle has helped our ASD daughter in her behavior and mannerisms, and we have seen regressions when she had accidentally ingested gluten and/or casein. In fact, we believe the GFCF lifestyle has benefited all our children.

If you can put yourself in the mindset that this isn’t just a fad or trendy way to eat, but rather a wholesale permanent, positive change to your lifestyle, then I think the transition to GFCF living will be much easier.

Focus on the “Can” and not the “Cannot”

Another difficulty I see in people adopting the GFCF lifestyle is that they focus on what you have to give up. No more wheat or other gluten containing grain-based products, like off regular grocery shelf pasta, or fresh baked goods from most bakeries. No more dairy-based milkshakes or Haagen-Daz. No more cheese. No more M&Ms or Oreos or Budweiser – you get the idea.

Well, instead of focusing in the “cannot” focus on the “can”. There are a lot of great GFCF food choices out there:

Fresh meat

Fresh seafood

All fruits

All vegetables

Rice

Potatoes

Corn

Beans

Fruit juices

Wine

Great grains, like sorghum, quinoa, buckwheat, and mesquite

…and that doesn’t even include great prepackaged GFCF foods!

The point is, there is still a wide variety of foods you can enjoy when you adopt the GFCF lifestyle. Once you make that realization, I think it is easier to get started.

Become a Label Reader

This is an absolute must.

Back in 2006 FDA promulgated rules calling for greater disclosure of potential allergens in foods, and many manufacturers go so far as to list their products as gluten free.

While this has helped make label-reading easier, there are still products on the shelves that were packaged prior to the rulemaking and thus don’t have the enhanced disclosure. Also, I think there is a cutoff in the minimum percentage of allergens in the packaging below which companies are not required to report.

And just because something is wheat free doesn’t mean it is gluten free. Other flours, such as rye and spelt, contain gluten as well. Likewise, just because something says dairy free doesn’t mean it is casein free. Many non-dairy cheeses use casein as an additive.

The bottom line is that you need to read all labels carefully. And, you need to read them every time, since manufacturers change their product compositions and what one week was GFCF may not be GFCF anymore.

And, after reading the label, you still have doubts, do not hesitate to contact the manufacturer directly and ask them.

Be Prepared

Adopting the GFCF lifestyle means leaving some things behind. Like fast food, for example. Yes, some restaurants offer limited choices – you could get fries at Burger King or Chik-Fil-A, but at other places, like Arby’s, the most you can order is a pack of ketchup and a soda. Big Macs and Whoppers? Fuggedaboutit.

The lack of convenience is another deterrent I see in people adopting the GFCF lifestyle. How easy is it to hit the drive thru when your child in the backseat is screaming they are hungry? Yet this can easily be avoided if you do a little preparation before you go out.

When we go on a trip, even if it’s just for a couple of hours around town, we pack a cooler with drinks and snack foods that we can just give the kids (and ourselves) when hunger strikes. Celery and carrot sticks, fruit, candy for a special treat (Skittles and Starburst are GFCF), even a comfort food like potato chips (most non-seasoned chips are GFCF, but remember #3 above). On longer trips, we will even pack lunchmeat.

The point here is that with a little preparation, you can avoid the temptation of fast food convenience and provide yourself and your children a healthy GFCF alternative.

We Are Here to Help

I will not lie to you, undertaking a complete overhaul of your eating lifestyle is a daunting challenge. Fortunately, there is plenty of information out there to help you as you begin this journey, and thanks to the modern Web, it’s all at your fingertips.

There are two website I would like to mention:

www.gfcfdiet.org – this website is a great resource for information about going GFCF. Clicking on the “Directory of Website” menu reveals an index where you can find an extensive list of products that are GFCF.

www.godairyfree.org – Alisa Fleming, author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living, .has put together an incredible website filled with everything you need to live a dairy-free/casein-free lifestyle, including recipes, substitutions, and product reviews.

There are also a large number of food bloggers that routinely provide recipes and tips that are GF and GFCF. Please check out my by-no-means-exhaustive list at http://gfcfexperience.blogspot.com. If you Twitter, you can also search #gfree for lots of great GF and GFCF information and guidance.

I hope these tips will help you get started on the GFCF lifestyle. Yes, it is challenging, but there is so much more information and awareness out there, as well as products, than there was when we started seven years ago. We are at the point now where we can buy or make just about anything GFCF, and it’s as good if not better than the non-GFCF version.

It is a lifestyle change that is definitely worth trying.

Peter Rabbit's Organic Fruit in a Pouch Review

Peter Rabbit Organics was kind enough to send me the three different flavors of their fruit in a pouch to try out. These pouches are 3.5 oz. and come in the following fruit combinations:

Mango, Banana, and Orange
Apple and Grape
Strawberry and Banana

These organic fruit pouches contain pureed fruit. The package says that they do not have to be refrigerated until after they are opened. My family thinks that they taste a lot better when you refrigerate them first. My son is a very picky eater. I can not get him to eat fruit. I always worry about this and was eager to see if he would accept this form. I was excited to see that he did. He did not like the apple and grape combination. It tastes like applesauce and my son does not like applesauce. He did like the other two.

The rest of my family (my husband, daughter and myself) enjoyed all three. My favorite was the strawberry and banana combination. My husband liked the idea of putting these in a cooler and taking them with us to the park or the zoo. Peter Rabbit Organics Fruit in a Pouch’s are available at Whole Foods Stores and Amazon.com. They are a little pricey, SRP of $1.79 each. You can purchase them on Amazon.com by the 10-pouch for $15.08 if they are on sale, $17.90 if they are not. Is it worth it? Well, they are organic. That in itself makes the item a little more costly. They are healthy, and if your child will only accept fruit in this form, then I think the price is worth it. My husband and I talked about it, and we think that it is worth paying the price to get our son to incorporate the fruit group into his diet.

Peter Rabbits Organics has 20 different organic products that they sell. These products include juice, pasta, and pasta sauce (all available in the UK), with the fruit pouches just made available in the USA. Their website is www.peterrabbitorganics.com/usa. I’ll be ordering some for us to take to the beach. Hopefully, they will arrive in time. If you are already familiar with these pouches, please share your opinion. I love to read other opinions.

Sambucol Natural Black Elderberry Review and Giveaway Closed

“Sambucol® with natural black elderberry is trusted by millions of people worldwide. It is the original black elderberry dietary supplement developed by a virologist and researched and tested in published clinical trials showing it to help support the immune system. Sambucol® black elderberry extract is recommended by numerous nationally-recognized health experts, including Andrew Weil, M.D., in his popular book, Natural Health, Natural Medicine (Houghton Mifflin, 1995), to be taken if you get the flu. The brand is unique in that it is the only black elderberry extract used in published clinical trials and is manufactured using a proprietary method of extraction: Sambucol’s unique formulation and extraction process preserves and maximizes the naturally-occurring health benefits of the berry. A potent antioxidant, black elderberries have been used to traditionally combat illness since ancient times and have twice the natural antioxidant capacity of blueberries and almost twice that of cranberries.” Quote from their product fact sheet.

If you have been following my blog, you know I use nutritional supplements with my son. I had him on a probiotic, but it became too expensive to continue. I switched him to Elderberry. His immune system had improved a great deal on the probiotic, and since switching to the Elderberry supplement, he has continued to be healthier than he used to be. He is not getting sick all the time and his allergies have improved a great deal. He made it through the worse part of the year for his allergies, pollen season, without having to go to the doctor.

Sambucol has a line of black elderberry supplements for kids and adults. My kids like the tablets, which dissolve in your mouth and have a grape flavor to them. The liquid form is easy to swallow. To me, it tastes like juice. There are no drugs in this product, alcohol free and is a dietary supplement specifically for improving your immune system. When my daughter’s doctor found out that I had my son on it, he told me to use it with my daughter. At the time, she was having trouble with her allergies. Since she has been taking this, her allergies have improved, too. You can purchase the Sambucol products at your local pharmacy or drug store.

I am happy that Sambucol is providing a gift set to the winner of this giveaway. Here is what you will get:

The "Immune Boosting Gift Set" from Sambucol will include the following (total value $45):
• Sambucol® Original Formula - $14.99 for 4 ounce bottle
• Sambucol® For Kids 2yrs-12yrs. - $14.99 for 4 ounce bottle.
• Sambucol® Original Formula Chewable Tablets - $14.99 for 30 tablets

This Giveaway will run from May 30, 2009 to June 12, 2009. The winners will be announced on June 13, 2009. This giveaway is for USA only. Below are rules for entering this giveaway. Good luck.


• MAIN RULE – Leave a comment telling me who you would give this to(or if you are going to keep it for yourself. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count) This gives you one entry.

For additional entries, you can do any or all of the following:

• 1 Extra Entry - Stumble this post and leave your Stumble name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry - Favorite AutismLearningFelt on Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
* 1 Extra Entry - Twitter this giveaway and leave your twitter name in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry - Follow my blog let me know in a separate comment
* 1 Extra Entry - Put my blog button on your site and let me know in a separate comment
• 2 Extra Entries - Write a post on your blog linking to my blog, and let me know in a separate comment

GFCF Pancake Recipe

I would like to share a recipe from The Kid – Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook. I have used this recipe several times and will be using it in reviews of a couple of kitchen items soon. The batter is thin, but I found that if you pour it onto a hot skillet slowly, you will get thicker pancakes. My family really loves these, I hope you do too. I have done a review of this cookbook already, and you can read it by clicking on this link.

Low-Carb, No-Sugar Pancakes

1 egg
2 1 cup liquid (water, rice milk, or juice)
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup GF flour mixture (almond, buck-wheat, and rice or millet)
1 teaspoon baking powder

Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry mixtures to the wet mixture. Blend thoroughly. Batter should be thin. Cook on heated skillet, flipping once.

This recipe can be found on page 156 and there are variations of the recipe listed, too. You can purchase the Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autsim Cookbook at Amazon.com

Special-Needs Kids Eat Right Book Review

Judy Converse is a registered licensed dietitian that specializes in dietary intervention for autism. She has written the book Special-Needs Kids Eat Right to help parents navigate the world of nutrition. Her book covers the topics of picking a team of professionals, dealing with the financial side of implementing a nutritional plan, determining your child’s nutritional needs and implementing a nutritional plan for your child.

I enjoyed reading Judy’s book. I was able to relate to her viewpoints and I was able to comprehend all of the material she presented in the book. This book is written to incorporate all aspects of nutrition. Judy explains about supplements, GFCF diet, and healthy food choices. She also stresses that it may be easier for both the child and the parents if you take things slowly. If you pull out all problem foods at one time, you may be setting yourself up for a big battle with your child. Also, if you do a gradual change in your shopping, you will end up throwing less away because your child refuses it.

Judy covers the different tests that can be done by a doctor as well as tests you can do visually to determine deficiencies and excesses in nutrients. There are also tests that can determine allergies as well as sensitivities to specific food types. Some lab tests are covered by insurance companies, while others are not. Judy gives advice in how to get around the ones that are not. This is a good book to have if you have concerns about your child’s nutritional needs. You will find a lot of answers to questions that arise when you start on your journey to change your child’s nutritional status. Judy believes that diet alone is not enough. You have to know why your child is only eating a certain type of food and address that issue. For more information about Judy and her book, you can visit her site www.NutritionCare.net.

Tropical Traditions Sales

Tropical Traditions Healthy Buyer's Club, May 14th, 2009:

55% OFF Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil 1-gallon ENDS TODAY!

FREE Organic Coconut Flour Ends Sunday!

50% OFF Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Massage Oils Ends Sunday!

50% OFF Benefect Botanical Disinfectant Ends Sunday!
NEW SALE: 35% OFF Antioxidant Omega 3 Greens

New Coconut Recipe: Crispy Baked Coconut Chicken

Healthy Buyer's Club Discounts: 60% OFF on cases of Skin Exfoliators Ends Sunday!

50% OFF 20 Grass-Fed Bison Soup Bones

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are pretty fabulous for having no flour or butter in them! A bit on the crumbly side, but delicious!"

I found this great recipe on Seamstress of Avalon and needed to share with everyone. Visit her site for the ingredients and directions.

MixMyGranola Review

I love MixMyGranola. With MixMyGranola, you can buy a pre-mix or mix your own. I mixed my own. It was great. I loved being able to pick just want I wanted in it. Whenever I buy a granola mix at the store, I always end up with one or two ingredients in it that I don't like. With MixMyGranola, I selected the ingredients I wanted in my mix, and they shipped it to me. I also liked the fact that the container it was shipped in is recyclable.

I picked organic ingredients for my mix. I was surprised when I saw that their selection of ingredients included some organic items. I have been buying a lot of organic foods for my family. I do so because we are converting to a GFCF diet for my son and because I think it is important that everyone in the family eats healthy.

I highly recommend going over to their site and mixing your own granola. It is the next best thing to making it yourself. The website is easy to navigate and the selection and purchasing process is simple. The hardest thing about it was limiting the number of ingredients I had in my mix. There are a lot of really good ones to choose from. I received my order two days after placing it. I recommend trying this out yourself. Let me know what you think after you have received yours.

The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook

The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet

We are slowly converting into a GFCF household. The last time I had my son on this diet was five years ago. Things have changed since then. There are more cookbooks available with good recipes inside. There are also more foods and ingredients available online and at my grocery store that I can purchase.

I was still a little hesitant about going back to this diet. It had no affect the first time. After doing my article on nutrition and autistic children, I realized that I may not have done everything I should have on the diet. I didn’t address the issue of nutritional supplements completely. At the time, it was difficult for me to purchase them. Now, I can find everything my son needs either online or at the pharmacy.

When I received this cookbook in the mail to review, I was convinced that I needed to give this diet another chance. One of the things that I liked about this cookbook is that it starts with providing information about the diet, and how implementing it correctly may help your child. It also goes over a list of foods and drinks that you should avoid completely, and what nutritional supplements you may need to give your child. Another good point for this book is that it encourages the gradual removal of items from your child’s diet. I don’t believe that completely changing your child’s diet overnight would work for most of our children.

The biggest plus for this cookbook is the recipes inside. I tried two of them and both were great. The first one was the recipe for rice milk. It was simple and easy to do. The result was a plain drink, but I solved that by mixing the very sweet (too sweet) store container of rice milk with the homemade. The two together were perfect. Next time, I will try adding honey and see if that helps.

The other recipe I made was the corn chowder. This was also a success. Three out of four of us in the house ate it and liked it. My husband wouldn’t try it. He is a meat and potato guy. I am trying to convert him into a healthy eater. When I made the corn chowder, I used the really sweet store bought rice milk in it. This gave it a sweetness that I believe is the reason my kids enjoyed eating it. Overall, I give this cookbook two thumbs up. I look forward to trying the other recipes in it.

Free Jack's Harvest Frozen Organic Baby Food

Jack's Harvest makes frozen organic baby food. After reading my article on nutrition, Connie Pope
Co-owner of Jack’s Harvest, contacted me with a special for my readers.

"We welcome the opportunity to be a part of your blog and would be happy to offer your readers a FREE bag of Jack’s Harvest with their Amazon order. All they have to do is send us an email at: info@jacksharvest.com, mention your blog and which flavor they would like added, and we will be happy to include it with their order. Your readers can view our list of flavors at: http://www.jacksharvest.com/shop-jacks-harvest.html"

I am really happy to pass this opportunity on to my readers. I have not tried Jack's Harvest yet, but I intend to. If you are already familiar with Jack's Harvest, please share your thoughts about their product.

Coromega Omega 3 Supplements Review

Coromega Omega-3 squeeze supplements

I was able to try The Coromega Omega – 3 squeeeze supplements in the flavors lemon-lime, orange, and chocolate orange. I had my son try them too. They went over great with both of us. It was a great change over the capsules we empty into my son’s drink or the liquid that are available with most supplements.

My son said that they were “bad.” That is his new slang word for really good. He also said that they taste great. We both agreed on our favorite flavor, chocolate orange. What can I say, we love just about anything that is flavored with chocolate.

I’m not sure how to describe the texture of this product. It comes in an easy to open packet and you can squeeze it out onto a spoon. The consistency of this is a little thicker than yogurt (almost like squeezing mayo out of a small packet). It is smooth tasting. No bitter after taste.

I easily recommend this supplement. I will also continue using this with my son. Coromega can be purchased at Target. You can also find online store’s that carry this.

Nutritional Supplements Part 2

I wanted to revisit this post because of new discoveries with my son's supplements. First, the Max GXL. Before my son was on this, he never had a normal BM. Since my son is not potty trained yet, still in pullups, I hated changing him after he had a BM. After he started the Max GXL, his BM'S became normal. It is a lot easier to deal with changing him now. I had to take him off of the Max GXL for a couple of days(he was sick and had an upset tummy). His BM's went back to being ucky. Now that he is back on the Max GXL, everything is much better.

The other supplement I want to comment on is the probiotic. Before he was on this, his immune system was very week. If he came down with a cold, it would take a couple of weeks, a course of prescription decongestant and antibiotic before he was better. Last week, both my kids came down sick at the same time. My daughter, after a week(and a course of antibiotic she is still taking) is finally getting better. My son, was back to normal after two days. Yeah!!

So, if you are wondering if a probiotic is worth the money, I can tell you that, for us, yes. To see my son recover so easily from a cold and not have to put a lot of medicines into him to do so, is great. I've been told so many times, that for a child with Autism, taking antibiotics a lot isn't good. I know from experience with my son, that a child's body can build up a resistance to an antibiotic. This would require putting him on something stronger, which would have an adverse affect on his BM's(leading to yeast infections on his behind).

I spent a lot of money on these supplements. But now that he is on them, I spend less on medicines and other items to deal with the effects of the medicines. I also have a happier, healthier child.

Special Diets for Special Kids

If you are starting a Gluten Free & Casein Free diet for the first time, this is a great place to start. I found "Special Diets for Special Kids: Understanding and Implementing a Gluten and Casein Free Diet to Aid in the Treatment of Autism and Related Developmental Disorders", by Lisa Lewis, Ph.D., and published by Future Horizons Inc to be easy to read and understand. It explains how to begin the implementation of the diet and how to maintain it.

Dr. Lewis begins the book with sharing her son's story. At the age of three and a half, her son received the diagnosis of PDD-NOS. She details his behavior and skills. She also gives examples of how the diet has proved to be beneficial for her son.

I appreciated the lists of foods that can be eaten and can not be eaten on this diet. I liked the tips on eating out at restaurants. The recipes included in the book were a good starting point for me too. From the GF&CF Resources page at the back of the book, I was able to access online some of the special ingredients not found at my local grocery stores.

I had my son on this diet for a year. At the time, I did not see any benefits for him except a small increase in energy. I have been told by other mother's that they have seen great improvements in their child after starting this diet.

If you are thinking about taking on a GF & CF diet with your child, I recommend purchasing this book. All the information you need to successfully implement a GF & CF diet is laid out in easy to understand terminology. Below is the last recipe listed in the book. I hope you enjoy it.

"Edible Play Clay - This clay is good for sculpting or playing with, and it can be eaten. It doesn't dry out if stored properly.

Ingredients:
1/3 Cup CF margarine
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/3 Cup Light corn syrup
1 tsp. Vanilla flavoring (GF)
1 lb. GF Confectioner's sugar

Mix the first four ingredients with a strong electric mixer. When well combined, add the powdered sugar and mis. Knead the dough until smooth, divide into desired portions and color each with natural food colors. Store in airtight containers (zipper-type plastic bags work well) and place in the refrigerator to prevent spoiling.

Nutritional Supplements

My son started taking some nutritional two weeks ago. I was hoping for a small difference in his ability to think and function. I started him out on a low dosage and am increasing it a little over time. In about a week he should be up to full dosage.

The supplements he is taking are Living Streams probiotic, Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil, and Max GXL "The Glutathione Accelerator." I am seeing an increase in his cognitive skills. His comprehension and ability to follow verbal instructions has improved. He requires less verbal promts to follow directions and is comprehending and reacting to more complicated instructions.

I am not the only one that has noticed a change in him. His teacher has also. As I have increased his dosages, I see an increase in these skills too. He has also "told" me that he can "think better". That means a lot to me. He doesn't like the taste of the Max GXL. I have to break open the capsules and dissolve them in water. But, he doesn't fight taking it. He knows that it is helping him. The other two are easy for him to take. The Cod Liver Oil and the the probiotic are in liquid form.

I can not recommend these for other children. I am not a doctor or a nutritional expert. I can say, that for my son, these have been great. I don't know what the long term outcome will be. I hope, in time, that he will function at a higher level than he was when he first started these supplements. I am hopeful, because he is already showing improvements.

I don't believe that they will lead to a full "recovery". I am not even sure if that is something I want. I love him for who he is, and I would feel like I have lost my boy if he changed drastically. I went through that when he began to communicate with us. I was lucky that my instincts before were good and our adjustments relatively painless.

My son is diagnosed as severe Autism. For him to improve and be able to test as mild or moderate would be enough for me. I just want to make his life a little easier and so far, it looks like these supplements will do exactly that. They have already started to.