Claire

Did you see "Super Size Me" (the documentary). The guy ate only MacDonalds for months. At first it made him puke, but after a time he got addicted to it. Of course he was a walking heart attack after a while and had to stop the experiment. Interesting thought on Cadmium. I have (had?) high Cadmium too. Claire

Patty, Ideally I would do both hair and urine. Each is ~$100. Tough to pick which one if you can do one only. The urine porphyrin test will show excess lead/mercury only, but those are the most common toxic metals we seem to see. The hair test shows more metals, but often gives false negatives if the child isn't excreting properly (or supplmenting with antioxidants to help excrete). It does not give false positives if done properly (ie use Baby Shampoo for 2 weeks prior and no hair gels). The blood test shows recent exposure to all metals. My son and I were both positive on all 3 of these tests! But his hair and blood now show negative, and his urine is still positive. Urine doesn't show false negatives and is good in that way. Claire

Patty, This discussion came up a couple of years ago. What your son is doing could also be 'stimming' (as well as tics/OCD). Spinning and hand flapping for example are classic stimming behaviors. They can be associated with the ASD (autism spectrum disorder). Remember, that is a broad spectrum that many feel include ADD/ADHD for example, it doesn't mean he has 'autism'. In any case, even if it is stimming, it is still a neurological issue, and the underlying immune issues tend to be similar. The point is really that it isn't likely to be simply 'behavior' that he 'should' control. Claire

Giselle, Wonderful, wonderful news! You handled it beautifully, and your son must be so happy too! Thanks for sharing, what a marvelous Christmas Story for us all. Claire

Giselle, What an amazing story. I am so sorry for all your challenges, as I do remember how smoothly things were going for you for so long. I think the toughest challenge would be sensitivities to the vitamins, good luck working through that...I sometimes worry about that for our family, since we have been taking them for so long now. I know exactly what you mean about your moods being impacted by how our child is doing. I heard once that a mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child. There is a lot of truth to that, for better or worse. Claire

Hi Patty, Sometimes I just had to take a break from the research and new recipes (internet and books). I just worked with what I had for a while. Then came back when I was refreshed. For me, some epiphany of relaxation came when I realized that when my son had setbacks, they were only temporary. So each 'setback' no longer meant that all the hard work I did was a waste of time and had no impact. I let go of Christmas gift buying...for better or worse. I do much much less than I used to do. I did not want to deal with long lines. I also bought much more via the internet! Good luck and give yourself a great big pat on the back, then get some big hugs from the kids! Claire

Hi Kim, Amazing. No liability/consequences for the untruths about soy?? My friend says they grow there own soybeans, but I always wonder how they no there is no GMO. I didn't realize it was 80%! Claire

Kim, Good point! My first reaction was 'it's genetically modified', then like a good consumer, I believed it when they said it wasn't...! Anyway, we don't eat wheat, in this case fortunately. Claire

Interesting. They say it isn't genetically modified... (of course more protein means more gluten I guess) Gene makes wheat more nutritious http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/11/24...reut/index.html Scientists have found a way to boost the protein, zinc and iron content in wheat, an achievement that could help bring more nutritious food to many millions of people worldwide. A team led by University of California at Davis researcher Jorge Dubcovsky identified a gene in wild wheat that raises the grain's nutritional content. The gene became nonfunctional for unknown reasons during humankind's domestication of wheat.... ... The wheat varieties bred by the scientists are not genetically modified, which could help them become accepted commercially, they said. "We didn't do it by genetic modification. The normal wheat crosses perfectly well with the wild wheat. So we just crossed it after normal breeding," Dubcovsky said.

Hi Carolyn, I am glad that your diet is more under control...good luck with that! Remember to try the hot cocoa recipe if the chocolate doesn't come in time. I bet it would go very well with your rice milk. Parents always affect us, even when we know that we are 'right'. We can be so sensitive to getting their approval...I am the same way. You would think that she would notice the improvement in tics. Perhaps have your own foods as much as possible (as you are doing) and trying to change the topic when her criticism of your food choices and weight come up. Also complimenting her on whatever she DID do to accommodate you. 'That was so nice of you, I really appreciate it.' By the way, it really is nice to see your picture. I like Kim's china doll comment, that fits you well! You are so young, too! Claire

Dear Code Consultant, Could you please clarify something... Are you promoting consulting services here (based on your 'name' and the fact that you posted your email), or are you simply volunteering expertise? Your insights are welcome, and forgive my cautiousness, but the rest of us here volunteer our time and experiences and for the regulars here, our guard goes up when we see someone new come in whose goal appears to be trying to get business. I am asking the question outright to offer you the chance to correct what I admit is my initial perception...I apologize in advance if I have misunderstood. It just hurts the credibility of this site when a newcomer can't tell whether or not some of us have secondary objectives. Claire

Chemar, My mercury filling removal was covered by insurance to a substantial. That surprised me. I think because they were old, so he noted them as needing replacement anyway. Also, I would not be surprised if your younger child being born later was likely a factor...after all the 90's were the peak time for vaccines with thimerisol. It is the combo of the 2 that I think did it for my son. Julie , More and more dentists do this, and there is a non-profit organization that somehow is involved. DAMS (dental amalgam mercury syndrome). I couldn't find the list, but my neighbor said they should use the DAMS method--you can ask them http://www.dams.cc/ http://www.amalgam.org/ It involves: suction filter by the mouth to pull vapors rubber dam to prevent it going into the system some use a breathing thing over your nose so you don't inhale vapors Some do IV C, mine did some liposome based antioxidants...or they will send you to a doctor that does this. He said I didn't need either because I had been supplementing antioxidants. You might wish to do the www.spectracell.com FIA 5000 test to see what your antioxidant levels are, to be able to handle the mercury removal without extra precaution...but in general I would think okay to be conservative. I had 2 crowns and to be thorough he removed them and sure enough, there was a ton of silver amalgam under them. They did it in a couple of sessions to ease the load. I felt better immediately, meaning my sleep pattern changed for the better and my energy improved once the system was complete. I have heard to wait a month to chelate afterward. I never did mercury chelation like Carolyn, just continued antioxidant supplementation. But then I still have some in my system. Even so, my symptoms (primarily sleep related) were night and day improved, so this was a major benefit. Good luck. Claire

Hi Carolyn, I will let you know how the erythritol with stevia goes then...we are going to a potluck tomorrow so I will make pumpkin pie for that. I like the idea of erythritol for you because the idea is to be able to 'overeat' this occasionally without repercussions (ie diahrrea). I am finding that erythritol + a little stevia has similar sweetness to the xylitol, without any digestive issues. Plus virtually no calories. I know erythritol is derived from cane sugar, so you would need to test it. Check out this sugar alchol comparison chart. http://www.globalsweet.com/Inositol-Nutr.html Re the butter, not everyone who is sensitive to milk products is sensitive to butter. Glad to hear that it at least isn't definitely on your 'no' list. Someday you can experiment with it, when things are more in control. It definitely makes cookies better, that is for sure. HOT COCOA I just made this for my son, and he loves it. And he occasionally gets the sugary one from StarBucks, so he does have a comparison to make. I tasted it and it is great...very comforting, just like the real thing to me! I heard that xylitol and chocolate didn't do well (I tried once and failed), so I used erythritol. 1 Cup milk (of choice...rice milk, etc.) I used 1/2 1% and 1/2 whole milk for creaminess 2 teaspoons organic cocoa (I have read that cocoa and chocolate really absorb pesticides) 1 teaspoon erythritol 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2/3 dropper stevia. Try less and add to taste. Too much leaves an aftertaste. Warm and whisk in saucepan Again, I can't have this cuz chocolate makes me break out, but it was really, really good. Perfect for the holidays, cuz a little chocolate goes a long wasy compared to some of the candies out there. Claire

Hi Ryan, It is critical to find the right doctor. The DAN list that Carolyn posted (originally recommended by Sheila Rogers, who wrote the book you are reading) have a very specific immunce testing protocols that Does your boyfriend at least use an LCD monitor for his computer games, a small (15") screen and do it in a well lit room? It does tend to aggravate tics for many people. If your boyfriend is only tracking this thread, then here are some links. http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1211 Re the genetic aspects, that can be confusing. It can be TS that is passed down, and/or the immune issues that tend to manifest Virtually every parent of, or person with a tic syndrome visiting this board in the last 3 years I have been on it that have done many of these immune tests..and there are a LOT of them...have uncovered some issues. Some haven't done testing, but done things like eliminate artificial additives and found improvement. Carolyn is an incredible example because we found countless times that we could help reduce our kids tics, but she was the first to show that an ADULT could use the same methods to reduce them. Please note that it isn't the exact same program for everyone. It would be easier if it was. But again, a doctor who does immune testing for autistic kids would have some great background (similar immune issues, different neurological symptoms, and there is more attention to this in the medical community than tics). Furthermore, getting a faulty immune system to function more normally is a great thing for overall long term health. Often it is toxic metals interfering, for example. I have to point out that my son hasn't tic'd in 3 years, and most here have seen dramatic improvement...WITHOUT meds. Claire

Carolyn, Glad you liked the pie. I forgot you can't even have sweet unsalted butter. I would add 1 teaspoon of xylitol to the crust, because that HINT of sweetness in the crust (from the sweet unsalted butter) made a difference to me. Re butter, even when we couldn't have milk products, since butter didn't have the milk protein (casein), it never seemed to bother us. Did you actually test sensitive to butter? Does this mean that you tried xylitol? Did it upset your stomach at all? For Thanksgiving I will do the erythritol and stevia version so that my sister doesn't get a stomach ache (the xylitol didn't both us). I believe she is in denial on problems with wheat and sugar, so I would like her to taste good things without them. I don't know about gluten-free flours for sure, but I have found that my rice breads were a little dry and adding just an extra tablespoon of water helped a lot. I would try to use the gluten-free flour recipe where possible (versus straight rice flour) because it holds together better. Anyway, it should have the same moist texture as a normal flour as you work with it. I want to make a zucchini or pumpkin bread/muffin sometime. ICE CREAM I just modified the ice cream recipe for a version with less xylitol and a little stevia. Still haven't tried the erythritol in icecream. I just saw your question on rice milk. Did you try this? I never have liked rice milk, but if you like it and it doesn't have a bad aftertaste, then that is an important thing. One caveat though: I found personally (and heard from my friends who make ice cream) that the more watery it is, the more sorbet-like and less creamy that it is. Maybe cook down the rice milk to make it more 'evaporated'...ie less water. Also, fats apparently they help carry the flavor. I asked about adding coconut oil and they thought it wouldn't mix well, but maybe it is worth a try to add some fat to act like the cream. (unless rice milk is fatty and I just don't know it)..... COOKIES I tried 1/2 erythritol and 1/2 xylitol (plus a little stevia) in the choc chip cookies and they tasted great. Next time I will do just erythritol and stevia. Next time I will do no oatmeal too. The chocolate chips are important to the taste, but gave me a pimple again, so next time, no chocolate for me. Maybe I'll try snickerdoodles or butter cookies. I just can't cook sweets too often or I would gain weight, unlike you. And again, given no sucrose, I am fine without having them daily...no cravings there. Someday I will make a chicken pot pie. Claire

Giselle, I respect that you don't want to go to the principal, but I thought the same thing about going offstage and coming on last minute. To me that God gave your child this gift and that he is sharing this beautiful gift with the world ...does the teacher think one single parent out there would CARE that the child had tics before, after or even during? Did she watch American Idol? Taylor Hicks had quirks out the ying yang and Simon thought he would never cut it because though Taylor had a good voice, he was just too weird--he made odd faces and bent over weird. Well, guess who won the entire competition? His quirks made him human, then his love of music and sincerity won the audience over. Then he grew into his role. Claire ps Still, what a wonderful thing that your child sings so beautifully!!

Hi Patty, It is "Simply Organic" all-season salt. Claire

I have to repeat something on yeast... It can be a result of metals, and some doctors think it is best to get rid of the metals before the yeast. It might be worth doing the porphyrin urine test for mercury/lead. No doctor's sig required, $115. Claire

Hi Carolyn, Yes, I called them on this also, forgot to post it. I much prefer cane sugar to corn... If you are sensitive to cane sugar, theoretically this can be an issue, but REALISTICALLY, since it is one step removed, you are MUCH better off than what you are doing now. I would order both the dark and the light chocolate to see which you like better, maybe even melt them with some nuts, or again, choc chips. Claire

Kim, Thx...no time to digest right now, busy week. I will investigate your research later (you know it is important to me)! Claire

Carolyn/Kim, I can't answer Kim's comment...just not my area of expertise. But it really could be something else going on that makes it not so simple. Also, can't a change in appetite signal some hormonal thing? My point is that it might be worth having hormone levels and your sugar checking. You might call the lab to see if they have alternate drinks to try. Especially since you did show some excess insulin in one test I think. Are you gaining weight? Or maybe it is because you are depriving yourself of so many different things that it is just too much and you end up craving things? Oh yes, I have read that having healthy protein/fats (versus carbs) in your breakfast helped to eat healthier all day. Anyway, as I said before, I found for me that exercise, no sucrose-based sweets and having protein in every meal helped. I just don't know what will work for you. I used to go nuts for the Kentucky Fried Chicken skin/coating when I did low carb diet in my early 20's....Yes it has carbs too (though lots of fats). Claire

Hi Chemar, Correct, that is how I read it also. This may be where the concern originated, I personally wouldn't be concerned. Even in the case of folic acid, which is better absorbed (by 2x) when taken on its own versus in a vitamin... most of us don't have the luxury of splitting doses all day long? I am more concerned about the lead in calcium...I think everyone should call their manufacturer and get the hard data! If someone finds a brand where the manufacturer posts lead <1 ppm, I would be very interested. Claire

From the Linus Pauling site...just one source... http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/mine...zinc/index.html Zinc Nutrient Interactions Calcium High levels of dietary calcium impair zinc absorption in animals, but it is uncertain whether this occurs in humans. Increasing the calcium intake of postmenopausal women by 890 mg/day in the form of milk or calcium phosphate (total calcium intake 1,360 mg/day) reduced zinc absorption and zinc balance in postmenopausal women, but increasing the calcium intake of adolescent girls by 1,000 mg/day in the form of calcium citrate malate (total calcium intake 1,667 mg/day) did not affect zinc absorption or balance (11). Calcium in combination with phytic acid reduces zinc absorption. This effect is particularly relevant to individuals consuming a diet that is highly dependent on tortillas made with lime (calcium oxide). For more information on phytic acid, see Food Sources. Food sources Zinc bioavailability (the fraction of zinc retained and used by the body) is relatively high in meat, eggs, and seafood because of the relative absence of compounds that inhibit zinc absorption and the presence of certain amino acids (cysteine and methionine) that improve zinc absorption. The zinc in whole grain products and plant proteins is less bioavailable due to their relatively high content of phytic acid, a compound that inhibits zinc absorption. The enzymatic action of yeast reduces the level of phytic acid in foods. Therefore, leavened whole grain breads have more bioavailable zinc than unleavened whole grain breads.

Nah, don't worry about Stevia sensitivity cuz my issues are blood sugar ones and usually not food sensitivities. I can't have chocolate (except the rare choc chip cookie) cuz it makes me break out. I like gluten-free cinnamon rolls, berry pie, pumpkin pie, zucchini bread, fruit smoothies. I never noticed anything with zyne prime. Claire

Interesting. No question that buying direct would allow you to see the conditions. A little off-topic, but someone was asking about raw milk, and they now sell it right at Whole Foods. The times are changing...even Safeway has an organic line. Anyway, really glad that this diet is working well for you! Claire