If autism is a genetic mutation...how and why is that effecting so many people?

                I logged in this morning and looked for some new autism articles and I found the same old information that continues to repeat itself. Genetic mutations and another long list of possible triggers, which I feel like I have read a million times before. Then you have the articles about the safety of the vaccine schedule tossed in to add to the information piled up happening in your mind. That is when I decide even looking it up was a waste of time.

                Here is what is comes to mind each time I look up new autism articles. Ok, so we have genetic mutations but I have not read one time what may be causing such a drastic change in genetics across the world. Actually I don’t think I have even read a mention of why or how this is happening and that seems odd to me. People will say the diagnosis is easier now so the numbers have risen but if you take a good look at the numbers and how fast they have gone up that just doesn’t make sense. Twenty years ago autism was 1 in 10,000 and now we are at 1 in 54. A small amount of that could be related to more understanding but there is just no way that increase is simply because doctors are more aware of how to diagnose autism.

                Yesterday I drove by my kid’s school just before school was getting out. The Special needs buses line up first to pick up the kids and there were six buses in a school of around 600 kids. Six special needs buses? I don’t know about you but that seems like a very high number and no not all of those kids are autistic but regardless they are disabled in some form. I do not remember, and maybe my memory is distorted from being an unaware teenager, a special needs program being so large 20 years ago when I was in Junior high school. In fact I recall a very small number of disabled kids in my school. I can look around in society and see unhealthy people everywhere. Not just disabled but physically don’t look healthy. Lately I have noticed the elderly appear to be healthier then our younger generations. My 90 year old grandfather has a better glow than many of the young people I see and let me tell you his mind is healthier than the majority of the people in society as well.

                Yes I would say our genetics are changing, mutating, and whatever else science has claimed is happening but why are these genetics mutating? Why are families with no genetic history of autism or other disabilities having children or more than one child with a genetic disorder? If the odds of having a child with autism are 1 in 54 than the odds of me or dad having that genetic mutation as they call it seem to be incredibly high as well.

                Maybe I sat on my couch during pregnancy and the flame retardant that seeped into the air pulled the trigger. Maybe I got a fever during pregnancy and autism began. Maybe I got to close to the linoleum in my kitchen and autism hit. Or my favorite article of all time, Fat moms, a tasteless and clear view of how ignorant man can be in the title alone. We can put all of these causes and triggers that parents are blamed for in a pile that would be taller than Mount Kilimanjaro and still the science gods of our time cannot tell us why genetics are being altered….and element of the autism question is the one we should all be asking.

               

Even Science needs a little faith

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/post2468343_b_2468343.html

http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/researchers-identify-24-more-%E2%80%9Chigh-impact%E2%80%9D-autism-gene-changes

                Couple of articles that caught my eye this morning and one I have already shared on my Facebook page. I am just a stay home mom with a little mystery running around my house but that mystery keeps me thinking, even if I don’t have the energy to think for one more second.

                Just some food for thought today and not everyone agrees with each other when it comes to autism and we all know one case is never the same the same as the next. The vaccine debate is always there and lately seems to be gaining some strength but then we have the Autism Speaks article that clearly states DNA is being modified. It doesn’t state even a hint as to how DNA is being altered but could it be there is a connection in these articles?

                If DNA is changing and many things could be causing that, GMO comes to mind for me, which has been outlawed in many countries but our government is too invested in GMO to allow that here. DNA changes and apparently at an alarming speed, then other parts of the body are altered but we have no knowledge of it. Then we throw some vaccines in play and what we could end up with a body that is confused and fighting back and fighting things it doesn’t recognize. The immune system that is already altered goes into hyper drive and crashes.

                Vaccines can be declared safe because in a typical body that has not been affected by this DNA change or other organ differences the vaccines are safe.  The greater population is going to process things as expected but then you have that piece of the puzzle so to speak that does not react the same way. There is no question autism is on the rise and continues to be on the rise. Some say it’s a better understanding in the medical community but as a parent of autism and knowing the difference first hand, that doesn’t fly so much with me. If you live with autism you know it’s unmistakable.

                I think one day the connection between modified DNA, organ structure, and the way a vaccine is processed is all going to come to light. Of course it will take someone brave enough to study the connections, prove it, and challenge the powers that be. Until then school yourself on these elements that really do effect all of us in the long run if not right now.  When you are bombarded with autism cause, even if you don’t want to be, it soaks in and you want to know more. I have heard some of the most ridiculous things from people about autism and I was once even told two smart people are the genetic trigger. One that to this day makes me laugh but there is no doubt a science to autism that hasn’t been figure out yet.

                My son will get through life just fine and he will have challenges but I read so many stories of children who are not fine and their challenges are debilitating for families. We hear all the time that saying “until all the pieces fit” and maybe those pieces aren’t all in the same place. Science has the power to find them and put them together and I pray for that to happen one day because even science needs a little faith to find answers to a mystery.

               

The hurricane of autism video

Last thing on his mind and first thing on mine.

                It has been a very long couple of days and thank God for cheesecake or I may have felt totally alone by now. Phillip was not drinking his spirulina laced juice for a few days; in fact he wasn’t drinking or eating much at all. So, the after effects of a system change and I assume major life change have begun to kick in. One the move faster than usual, his ears appear to have completely stopped working, habits are coming in full force such as asking for a bath every hour, and total intolerance for any public place have all taken over.  

                It doesn’t help my own stress level has elevated due to certain life issues I need to make a firm decision on but difficult decisions so it sits in my mind and takes up space I need to store more patience in.

                Since moving I have gotten a real taste of how much autism awareness is really out there in the greater population. Let me tell ya, we have a very long way to go before people are aware. Not just aware of what autism is but aware of how to have some kind of social manners towards others who are packing some autism induced behaviors around with them in life.

                Today was a difficult day and unfortunately isn’t nearly close to over yet, but it began with an argument with my daughter about getting her room cleaned. After the incident I realized I was a jerk and even though she knew this and so did I, I was still a jerk. Then I had to go to Target to get a few things and my oldest son decided to come with along with Phillip. I can’t leave him home all the time and every time I take him somewhere I like to think, this is going to be a good outing. More often than not, I am wrong and today that was one of those days. The reason is routine and the one time he has been in Target he wasn’t given time to take it in which led to a meltdown. Routine creates the mindset for him that this is how it will go next time as well. He was given time and plenty of time but still we had to repeat the last visit. He may move away from this with time, but for now Target is his target meltdown zone.

                Here is where the lack of awareness comes in. There was not one person who did not slow down to watch, to observe his behavior, and the looks on the faces where full of disgust. Not so much directed at Phillip but me. I could actually see on their faces the wonder what I was going to do about my out of control child. If autism awareness was strong in society these looks by so many would not be tossed at me so quickly. Now I know if another autism parent were to have walked by I may have gotten a smile or a hang in there, but there was no kindness in sight. I could also clearly see the frustration on my oldest sons face and it wasn’t because of his little brother. I assume it’s from being stared at by strangers in an unpleasant way. Understandable at fourteen years old, especially when he tries to help and just wants his little brother to stop. He would have preferred for me to leave Phillip home but I can’t just keep him out of public places and then assume when we have to go he will be ok either. Leaves you in the hard place of knowing leaving him home isn’t good and yet taking him with us also might not be good.

                In all of the awareness parents are trying raise is it actually getting to the right people? By that I mean to people who really aren’t aware. Or are we spending hours and hours just babbling to each other things we already know. Does it have to take someone actually having an autistic child to learn? No, but what can we do other than what we are already doing to reach people is what comes into my mind. What can I possibly do to raise awareness to a point most of the people walking by might consider autism is literally hitting me in the head out the door. Face book, blogging, and trying to explain the difference is great but it’s not enough.

                I am not going to put a bumper sticker on my car or put a t-shirt on my child that shouts autism, because if I do that no one sees Phillip. They bypass who he is to look for the autism and that is not how I want him to live his life. I want people to bypass autism and look for Phillip because they know and understand enough to do that. Although that is sort of a silly statement after what we just went through at Target because even Phillip couldn’t bypass the autism to look for himself. He is also just three and doesn’t know he has autism. It’s the last thing on his mind when he is throwing himself around on the floor, and the first thing on mine.

No labels for GMO? Are you kidding me?

              Well the election is over and last night was spent on the edge of my seat waiting like most of America. I was disappointed Obama was given four more years but another issue weighed on me like a 600lb man, literally

               Proposition 37, which was a bill in California the whole country should have been voting on to label GMO food and it was shot down. A label, just a little notification to Americans the food they are about to consume has unknown consequences. When I discovered this was voted against I was completely shocked as this was an American choice. I had to wonder if people know what GMO is. Or what I really wanted to now was why on earth people would not want to be informed. Are we so secure in out of site out of mind we actually don’t want to know?

                GMO’s have been in nearly everything we eat for ten years mostly unknown to the greater population but becoming more understood. This is what I know personally from my own life that makes me so passionate about the cause. I have two older kids both born before GMO was introduced to our systems. My older children do not have autism and yes they have received all of their vaccinations to date. During that ten years my thyroid stopped working which at one time I healed by adding algae to my diet. When I stopped my thyroid also stopped. GERD was introduced to me and I had to medicate to repair possible holes developing in my stomach lining. Then I discovered I was pre-diabetic and had to limit my sugar intake on top of avoiding acidic foods. Now we have Gastric Reflux, hypothyroidism, and pre-diabetes at 29 years old and 115lbs.

                During my pregnancy with Phillip I had to keep track of my pre-diabetes to make sure we did not go into full on diabetes. I was able to manage that without any kind of intervention from the doctor and then I have a healthy 7.7lb baby boy. I breast feed him like all three of my kids to give him the healthiest start in life I can. He cries a lot but not colic. He hates loud noises, being held by anyone but mom or dad, and seems to already take comfort in a system as an infant. He is vaccinated and at 16 months he begins to fade. At two I realize my son has autism and begin endless nights of research.

                If you are wondering if I am targeting vaccines I am not. Although if his system was compromised in a way we can’t see on the outside, yes I do believe vaccines would not have been allowed to flow through him properly. Around this time I am fighting allergies. A new fight I have never experienced in my life. Allergies at 33 years old and no doctor can pin point what I am allergic to. We ensure nothing in the house could be the cause. Get rid of a bird, bleach the hell out of everything, and I vacuum every day in case it’s the dog. Although I have been around dogs my whole life so I had doubts it was her at all. When you’re sick with no answer you will blame everything.

                Today I have an autistic child who just had an allergic reaction to the only antibiotic he has ever taken. He needs a probiotic to have a bowel system that works properly and an algae supplement seems to giving him some ease neurologically. I take an allergy pill every day of the year and I have no idea why. All I know is I can’t function if I don’t have relief from whatever allergy I have. All of these things pull my brain towards GMO. Only two countries do not require a label and that would be America and Canada. Some countries have demanded a label or have flat out said no to GMO without a vote by their citizens even required because common sense and consequences stepped in before a vote was ever needed.

                I have no understanding of why in the state of California, where the doors for same sex marriage were opened, a label to give us a choice was turned down. Are we so selfish in our out of site out of mind culture we are willing to gamble with our own lives and our children’s lives? We will legalize marijuana, we will fight for same sex marriage, we want free health care and we will hold on to a failing economy. We will complain about our health and the effects are right in front of us in society every day but we don’t want to know what is in our food? That is devastating insight into the priorities of way to many Americans. That alone will keep you from sleeping sound at night.

 

Spirulina or a blessing? Either way it's mind blowing!

            http://vitamins.lovetoknow.com/Spirulina_for_Autism  

 

                This week has been a real eye opener with new things coming at us from every direction. One of the new things happening here is only what I can call my son busting out of locked doors autism has been holding him hostage behind. I have always been a big advocate for the genetic side of autism and still am but over the last three years it has been hard to ignore some of the medical clues thrown at me.

                From constant bowel problems, the lost look in his eyes, and the way his mind would not allow him to communicate. Yes he has physical ways of communication but at the same time, I could always see the desire in him to verbally communicate. My son has had basically no therapy to this point with lack of resources and the ones we did have were just not effective from day one. Twice he regressed from even attempting to utilize what we did have available to us. Heartbreaking both times and one of the biggest setbacks with this was therapists putting his frustration level to the test. To learn his limits and a tactic I can’t understand. A child who lives on the brink of frustration every day is taken into a room with a stranger only to be pushed beyond what they can tolerate for a test? This never made sense to me at all and clearly he felt the same way.

                We solved the bowel issues for the most part with a simple probiotic given to him daily but when life changes a bit that issue does come back. I can say that is stress related and doesn’t seem to be related to his digestive system like it used to be. We tried gluten free for some time and although a good diet for anyone, he is very thin and again lack of resources sent us back to regular but healthy eating. Gluten free was good for him, but the picky side of him or sensory side of him limited his food intake to a point of concern. Then we had the allergic reaction to the only antibiotic he has ever taken which again sent me into research mode and the medical side of autism.

                Late nights of reading until my eyes begged me to stop I found myself researching Spirulina. A blue algae supplement with a ton of benefits. Just to name a few, anti-inflammatory, balanced immune system, protein up the ying yang and so much more. It is even thought to fend off those GMO active DNA cells that sit in our system.  Very much worth reading about for anyone who is looking into taking back their health. I take this every day now and fatigue is no longer my side kick.

                I also starting giving Phillip 1/8^th of a teaspoon in his juice every day and he doesn’t seem to mind the taste one bit. The protein benefit is a God sent alone just because tapioca and bacon are not cutting it. There are also some changes that have come quick in the last week. First change that was a bit shocking was a new show of emotion and if you are raising a child with autism you know sometimes the only emotions that are clearly expressed are joy and anger. On day two I told Phillip it was bedtime and typically no reaction to this comment but to our surprise he whimpered. A typical three year old reaction that did not escalate into tantrum and it blew my mind. The same day he ate his dinner and more. Something he has actually never done. The next day we heard a few new words come from him while playing. Four, total for the day and again my mind was blown. Now let’s move onto day five and we have eight sign language and words come out of his mouth. Please, thank you, ball, eat, book, all done, more, and help.  He hasn’t said these things or signed them but knew them. Something opened the door to let them out all together.

                Was it Spirulina? I don’t know for sure and wish will all my might I could know for sure. We are going to continue using it every day and see how changes play out. Getting ready for a huge move and if the doors are in fact open then his reactions will be different through the changes. If he is able to communicate emotions in a healthier way then I will have to credit Sprunila for creating some kind of balance in his system. Until then it is a blessing and taking it in as I watch it happen, thankful for every moment.

                 Aside from autism I would suggest anyone look into Spirulina and do some research. The above link is just one break down of the algea but there is much more info to look into.

 

What I want...but I am a dreamer.

                The worlds gone mad or at least the people in it have. We could say it’s been going mad for some time and now it is starting to boil over. I don’t watch the news daily like I used to because it’s depressing and to be honest makes me never want to leave my house.

                On that note here is what I want, and I know others feel the same way. Simple break down of what I would like to wake up to tomorrow and I know I am a dreamer. I want to turn on the news and see back to back inspiring stories of people doing awesome things. I want to know my kids are going to school and will come home with a quality education by high paid quality teachers. I want the teachers to know I will raise my children and all you have to do is educate them. I want less money in prisons and more money into our children’s future and less kids on the free lunch program because parents can afford to feed them healthy meals. I want people to feel the system is a way to build life up and a not a way to stay down. Getting off of it should be the goal and actually working towards it.

                I want to see our president on TV and feel secure when I see his or her face. I don’t want to hear remarks about the color of skin because no one cared when a white man was in office. I don’t care if Papa Smurf is our leader as long as I feel respect and trust when I hear is voice, which I actually do feel respect when I hear Papa Smurf talk. No one cares he is a little blue man because he is wise.

                I want wars to stop being fought for reasons most people don’t understand and soldiers to be respected for being the kind of people who will risk going to war in the first place. I want politically correct to be thrown out the damn window because the only way to be politically correct is to not speak anymore. I want unknown cancer causing ingredients taken out of our food because there is no point in finding a cure if we don’t address the cause but I also want a cure. I want to go to the doctor and for a simple reason and not be charged an obscene amount of money. Four hundred dollars to take my blood makes me have to choose between getting my kidneys checked and then having to sell one to pay to bill.  I also don't want health care that takes my choices away so if I had to choose between a high priced choice and a dictated free service, I would pay the price.

                I want to gas up my car for under what I have been paying because once I put gas in I may not be able to go anywhere. I want to go in to pay for my gas and get smiles from the person working without having to try and force one out of them because even if your job sucks at least you have one. I want shelves at eye level with my child to full of organic fruit or healthy snacks instead of five hour energy and junk no one should be eating because profit is killing people by way of our food supply.

                I want Alcatraz to be up and running for child molesters to have a neighborhood they are actually welcome in forever. If we have to build more concrete islands surrounded by sharks to hold them, fine, that's a tax we all can agree on. No internet, no TV, no recreation hour, nothing but concrete walls and fed the same crap our kids have been served in schools. It is pretty comparable to prison food if not worse.

                I want to believe in God without being told I am delusional and say it without offending someone who doesn’t believe the same thing I do.

                This is a blog about autism so I need to go there as well. I want my son to be autistic without media talking about it like it’s a life sentence. I want people who fear it to understand it and know my boy is just that. A boy who is not like any other but still a boy who plays in the dirt, smiles, laughs, and feels like all of us do. I want people to come together when it comes to autism and fight for education systems we all feel good about. I want people to stop trying to find things to blame and move forward. If there is blame it will be found eventually but I think some people really do see autism as a genetic trait not a disease to fear. I want to be able to talk about autism and tell someone I had my child vaccinated because I felt it was right and not be looked at as though I made a bad decision. If you vaccinate or don’t vaccinate, either way your goal is protect your child. Judgment isn’t necessary. Most of all I want people on the outside looking in to see my son the way I do. A child with a difference who needs what everybody else on earth wants....understanding.

Common sense, Pesticides, and GMO's

http://www.kidsforsavingearth.org/mnchec/articles/pesticides.htm

               There is some debate lately about the safety of foods treated with pesticides and if organic is really more beneficial. First off I don’t believe anything caused my own sons autism but genetics but I also don’t believe that is the case for everyone. I can say I do really have days I am not 100% set on genetics myself as to a cause for my own child. It can be an emotional roller coaster and I have just accepted the difference as something given to our lives for a reason I do find the beauty in it every day.

  Autism aside if we really step back and take a look at the direction of health in our society we are in a major crisis. It’s not as simple as blaming McDonalds for creating the Super Size option or our desire to have everything instantly including our food. Take a good look around at people in general and you will see the crisis happening all around you.

                Who is to blame? For one, ourselves and there really is clear evidence linked to the negative effects to what we consume. Above is a link and it’s an older link but some clear info on pesticide effects on our bodies and children’s bodies. Keep in mind these studies were done in regard to pesticides being used IN the environment. Now consider it is being genetically built into our food so instead of being in the air, in a water supply, or on our food, it’s genetically part of it. Giving it a direct way into our system disguised as something we believe to be healthy.

                The information we lack that would really set it into the mind of the general population is a study that clearly defines what will happen to you if you consume genetically altered food, and altered to destroy pests from the inside out, on a daily basis over a long period of time. No healthy person is going to step up and say, I would like to consume pesticide soaked food for a few years and have my health tracked so we have a clear study. No healthy sane person would do this because common sense tells us that person could be offering to take on something that they may not recover from. So we have to rely on bits and pieces of evidence gathered over time from different sources and our own common sense.

                Food awareness has become very important to me and not just because of what I have learned after days and days of research to learn about autism, but because when I look around in society it seems like the evidence is all around us. No one is bionic and the human body is built to break down with time, but could it be we are making the process faster and more painful just by ignoring the effects of what we consume? If we somehow changed our mindset that it’s just small doses so it won’t harm us or the thought that if it is on the shelf and says healthy it must be, would we see the health of our society start to improve? Now that is a study I would love to see happen. Totally unrealistic but I am an unrealistically optimistic person most of the time. I am no doctor or Harvard graduate but I am a mom with common sense who has changed her lifestyle to organic and aware…..and I can feel the positive effects every day since.

               

Wal-Mart cares....I am sure of it!

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/wal-mart-to-sell-monsanto-gmo-corn-this-summer.html

                Here is a link to some info we all need to be aware of. No surprise Wal-Mart will be selling GMO’s and completely expected. I am posting this article number one because people need to be informed on every level. Number two to get you thinking!

                If you don’t understand what this GMO corn is, the simple break down is the pesticide is genetically part of the food. You can’t avoid it and the effects on your body are completely unknown. We know pesticides cause many serious problems but now it's in the form of DNA, not just a crop dusting. It is known what It does to insects which is destroying them from the inside out, but to people is a mystery so far. Although I am sure the affects will be known in time. I suppose we could assume we are above the laws of nature and we are immune to any destruction from the inside out intent behind the GMOs but that is a pretty risky way to think.

                Interesting thing to me is Wal-Mart started selling Autism Speaks office and school supplies just a short time ago. Much of the proceeds go towards research and I am sure much of those proceeds go into a fat cats pocket or they wouldn’t have agreed to do it. Some people seemed excited to see autism awareness products for sale on the shelves and some weren’t so sure it was a positive thing in regard to autism. Popular opinion seemed to be many people were glad Wal-Mart was stepping in to raise awareness but is that really what they were aiming for? My personal opinion is no because anything they place on the shelves has to have a profit involved and a large profit.

                This is what I want you to think about. We all know there is no direct cause or answer to autism and if your mind works anything like mine you have decided with all of the info being thrown around there is many causes. Including the simple fact it is genetic and that’s the way it goes. So why on earth would a large corporation who appears to care about the cause of autism awareness also decide to sell genetically modified food knowing the affects are unknown? The answer is simple….they don’t care. They could even sell the product and take it upon themselves to label it but why would they sabotage their own sales by making sure everyone is aware. Wal-Mart also is known to sell cancer awareness products but there is a large profit margin on that to.

                Before you get thrilled about awareness products or think GMO’s wouldn’t be sold if they were unsafe, think at the level of why it’s being sold to us. The big picture is they don’t care about autism, cancer or what GMO’s will do to us because we are all numbers and profit to them.  The bottom line is YOU are profit unless you chose not to be. You and your children are people who deserve to be treated accordingly. Don’t settle for anything less or less is exactly what you will get.

No Autism in the Amish? Lets Think About That....

                 On my facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ourtriptoparis?ref=hl, I have been posting food awareness and I have many reasons for this. Top reason is knowing what you are putting into your body is extremely important, especially when health care providers do not address this like we need them to when it comes to autism. I am in no way suggesting food causes autism but we don’t know what causes it, so we end up taking our own steps to see what helps or doesn’t help.  The majority of the things I read are based on diet. I feel even if you make a few changes to your daily intake and you don’t see results as far as autism goes, you are still doing your child a huge favor.

                On our adventures with autism I can say there have been many times as a parent I have felt very powerless and if I can find one way to take control and make a huge difference for my family and our health, food is where that begins for me. The steps man has taken to ensure more production as far as food is catastrophic for our health, long term. I used to think people who shouted organic were just angry hippies who doused themselves in too much patchouli and had a case of extreme paranoia. In my ignorance I can admit, I was very wrong.

                A lot of people have the same thought pattern I did and that is thinking it’s not a big deal. Why would things be added to our food supply that will harm us? Produce has to be good for you no matter what.  Whatever they put on or in it must be such a small amount it won’t harm us….right? Wrong, the way I look it is to take a bundle of health food and put it in your blender or whatever way you will eat it. Cut it all up and add those fruits and veggies along with any other ingredient you trust for your daily health. Keep in mind you are going to feed this to your child, if they will eat or drink it. From an autism stand point we are still working on that. Now, imagine someone coming up behind you and giving it a little spray of Round Up or dropping a little mix of steroids and mystery hormones in.  If you actually watched someone put it in your food, would you still serve it to your child? No, because you would never poison your family if you actually watched the process of toxic chemicals being put in or on your food.  Out of sight out of mind is why we have grown into a society that accepts this. The average person can't wrap their mind around toxic chemicals or the genetics of a poison being placed in our food and can harm us. Why would anyone do that and say it's safe? Profit...period. I am not saying these things cause autism but aside from autism there are so many things it could be causing.

                There is a lot of talk about the Amish not having autism and much of that talk goes to the fact they don’t vaccinate. An easy thing to target in the autism community but what I haven’t heard about is the fact the Amish live a very organic lifestyle. They grow their own food and that includes meat that hasn’t been soaked in chemicals for an appealing color.  They grow non GMO food and sell it, which I highly recommend we all start purchasing when we are given the opportunity. The health of our society is unacceptable and if you really pay attention you will see this. Yes, we over consume but we need to consider what we consume also, even what we have been told is healthy is questionable. Personally I think we could all learn a lot from the lifestyle of the Amish and get rid of our out of site out of mind mentality. Maybe these things are out of site and out of mind but they are not proven to be out of our bodies. If you don't believe in the affects change your way of eating to organic and GMO free for one month and you will feel the difference!

Do You Understand Gut Flora and Probiotics?

http://www.pointofreturn.com/probiotics.html

            The link above is an easy to follow read about probiotics and getting your gut flora healthy. My son used to suffer from extreme constipation, to the point a week would go by and his physical discomfort was horrible for him to endure. I was told this is unfortunately an autistic trait but I just couldn't settle for that. Autism is a neurological difference and considering the gut is sometimes called a second brain it seemed to me, this problem had to be affecting his brain and not the other way around. The toxic affects of fecal matter sitting in his body for way to long was to much for me to ignore and just push through the problem.

             They say a probiotic is important after a round of antibiotics because antibiotics will eliminate the good bacteria, the gut flora. My son has never been on an antibiotic and for the most part he is very healthy but what kept weighing on me was what if what he is not digesting properly is causing a toxic effect? I began to give him a daily probiotic called Culterelle and quickly I saw a change. For a month now he has not been constipated one time and because of that he is able to get rid of toxins and hopefully digest nutrients regularly. He focuses better and the hand flapping stopped all together.

             There is a reason I chose this article and it's because it points out one fact most do not. What we consume, meats, milk, eggs, preservatives etc... Antibiotics are in these products along with many other things we shouldn't be consuming daily. It's my belief over time, consuming these things will affect your digestive system and although it's not a immediate affect like a prescription antibiotic, we have to consider the long term effects of the small doses in mass produced food we eat. After all if we know these things harm our system with a large dose all at once, why would we assume small doses over time won't harm us?

             Go organic as much as possible and add a probiotic to your daily routine! I don't know exactly how my son feels because he can't tell me but I can see it's had a positive affect. I now do the same and I can say I feel better then I ever have in my life with this small change.

Being Offended Is a Choice...Choose Wisley.

Pro-gay marriage groups plan Chick-fil-A ’Kiss-In’

 Lets take a look at how silly human nature can be for a second. No matter what your beliefs are or who you want to support, there is one thing ALL of these people on different sides of the fence could be addressing as one united group. The health crisis that is infecting the future generations of our country.
 I find it really interesting everyone is in an uproar about each others beliefs, when it really only affects them if they want it to at the end of the day. It's a choice to be offended by another persons opinion, and having a Kiss-In isn't going to change a persons life long stance.
 Here is what they are all missing in the war with each other.....fast food is bad for everyone. The effects of fast food on our bodies could care less who we are kissing or what our religious views are.
Bottom line, no matter what your views are, I don't want your french fries. If you want to have a Kiss-In, try to consider the protest alone gave this company a record setting income. By choosing to be offended, it actually turned into feeding the source that offended you.
 This land we live in of free speech has turned into the land of free speech as long as what you speak of isn't offensive. Parents of autistic children are bombarded with offensive remarks no matter what. I know every where I go in public someone always has some kind opinion or look of judgment. Comes with the territory of raising a child that operates differently.
 Yesterday my son and I did some shopping and this not a fun outing for me at all. He runs, he has to touch everything and his energy level is very difficult to keep up with. Stopped at a store we rarely go to so I could look for some education products for him. I figured it was a small place so he would be free to touch and I could see what he has the biggest interest in. Hard to find things he stays focused on because once he has soaked it in, he moves on to something else to soak up. So, we spent nearly an hour looking, and 90% of that time was me redirecting and chasing him.
 An older women who worked there told Phillip twice not to run, it was clearly bothering her from the start. Each time she didn't know I was 3 ft away and could hear her. I actually watched to see if he would even react to her because sometimes kids will listen to a new voice...not this little man. He was totally ignoring her. Or actually to focused on what he was doing to process her voice directed at him.
 When we finally established some things that might keep his interest I wrestled him up to the register. The women said to me..." you need to establish some authority" Now, here is the part I could have been offended but I chose not to be. I actually giggled at her observation because she had no idea how much authority I have been able to gain. Still kind of funny to me a day later.
 Moral of the story...she was offended by my parenting and I could have been offended by her opinion. I chose not to be....just that easy.

Long Term Effects Of Toxins Shouldn't Be Ignored...

http://www.purezing.com/living/living_guidetotoxins.html
Full of information you need to know...

What are you eating every day? You might think you know but we are consuming a huge amount of toxins every day and have for years.
I have never watched what I eat, blessed with a high metabolism and have basically treated my body like a garbage disposal, or chemical dumping ground, for years. I really never thought I had to pay much attention to what I was eating since weight was never a problem. Until I learned being thin had nothing to do with being healthy. Yes, I should have known this but as a society we tend to just assume thin is healthy and carry on.
I began researching food when autism came along. There is so much information about diet and allergies linked to autism I was of course worried I was feeding my son something everyday that was acting as an opiate on his brain, or flat out causing toxic effects on his little body.
What have I learned? The average consumer probably has no idea what they are really eating. Most of our "healthy" foods are treated with so many chemicals we are barely getting what our bodies need from it once it hits the market.
We read about all those chemicals in our food and once we hit the part that says it may cause some life altering illness in large quantities we stop worrying. In the average persons mind, that translates into, if I sit down and eat it over and over in one day maybe it will effect me, but as consumers we need to consider the long term effects of what he eat and drink.
My eating habits have completely changed and I feed my son only what I would feel good about eating. He is gluten free now and I am doing it with him, I also give him a daily probiotic and the these two changes have shown positive effects. Is he still autistic of course he is, but you could say some of the autistic side effects of eased.
My basic rule of eating now is, if I read the ingredients and I don't know what it is....I don't eat it. You would be surprised how many things you remove from your daily eating habits if you consume this way, and how much better you will feel.
The biggest obstacle with changing my eating habits has been flavor and convenience. Some of the foods were bland to me, and it's not nearly as convenient as the unhealthy options. That's when I hauled out the blender I really never had a use for. I used to skip breakfast all together but this morning it was a acai berry pulp, blueberry, banana, probiotic juice, spinach smoothie and I like the taste along with the effects. In fact I actually feel run down and tired if I skip this smoothie in the morning.
With the health crisis and mental health crisis happening in our country and no one trying to fix it, we need to be active in fixing it in our own lives. It's my opinion we protect the health of our genetics and our future generations if we take action now. My only wish is that I would have taken this action years ago in my life. Could it have prevented autism? I don't know and maybe not, but my advice would be to assume yes because there is no risk is to thinking that way. On the other hand if we assume what we consume is totally safe....the risks are endless.