Tips for getting a resistant teen to go gluten-free?

[mama2alex]

Our doctor has put my son on a gluten-free diet as part of the Shoemaker protocol for treating mold toxicity. Five weeks in, I've come to realize that he's not sticking to the diet whenever he's out with friends. Every time I catch him, he promises he'll stick to it moving forward, but its not happening. I've given him good food that he likes, including spending a lot on sushi for lunch occasionally, going to the GF bakery for sandwiches, but this hasn't been enough.

 

He's a kid who definitely has food addictions (sugar/carbs) and who resists change or doing anything uncomfortable unless he understands WHY he has to do it, but so far I haven't found much to help me explain it to him in a way he can understand. He's 15, but probably has the maturity of a 13-year-old. Has anyone been through this and know of some good online resources and/or books, articles that might help us? I think even a picture book explaining what gluten can do to the body would be helpful.

 

Any help would be appreciated - I'm stuck between the doctor who says we "have to" and the teen who won't!

[rowingmom]

This may be perhaps over his head a bit, but I would have him read several of the articles on Stephanie Seneff's website pertaining to glyphosate/gluten/celiac/inflammation and autoimmune disease.

 

Both my children understand the effects of glyphosate on the gut microbiome, and both are very happy that we are modifying our diets to avoid it. Glyphosate is most often found in GM and conventional grains and legumes where it is used either before planting, during plant growth or before harvest to produce uniform die-down.

 

http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/

 

If he can't make it through the papers himself, sit down with him and explain it.

 

Seneff says that it's not gluten that's the problem, it's the glyphosate.

Edited November 7, 2015 by rowingmom

[MomWithOCDSon]

In our experience, to get to a teenager's head (especially a boy), you might need to start with his stomach!

 

I went GF first, and DS watched me feel better and still eat lots of delicious stuff. So, eventually, he consented to try, provided I would feed him things he enjoyed.

 

So, I made GF (quinoa) pasta, which he adored. Then I made GF mac and cheese; again, adored. He's a big pasta lover, so between the quinoa pastas and the thai brown rice noodles, etc., I'm able to make lots of entrees he enjoys. The GF cookies made with almond flour sealed the deal for him. There're so many good GF recipes and "cheats" available now that it's not difficult to find stuff he likes.

 

In college now and eating at the dorm, I know he's not GF strict anymore. But even so, I'm able to load him up with GF snacks that he keeps on hand and taps into constantly. I figure, every little bit helps!

 

You might even try just serving something like spaghetti and meatballs one night and only tell him afterward that the "spaghetti" was quinoa and the "meatballs" were turkey! Good luck!

[Wombat140]

If the problem's that he sticks to the diet at home but not when he goes out with friends, maybe make sure there's always something good available that he can grab straight away and take with him. (Apologies if you already do.) The incredible scones (I think you call scones biscuits in America?) from Marilyn LeBreton's recipe book would be one handy option for that - I say incredible because they're exactly like normal scones (good ones!), but they keep for a week. We ate rather a lot of those when I was trying the GF/CF diet.

 

As for books, Luke Jackson's "A User Guide to the GC/CF Diet" (Jessica Kingsley Publishing, www.jkp.com ). It explains the basic principles of the diet in plain language, and it's also a complete hoot. (It was written by a 12-year-old with Asperger's and a weird sense of humour.) It's based on the original theory, that the diet works because of peptides from gluten and casein, so it contradicts the articles Rowingmom mentioned, but so it goes. It also has some good recipes in the back.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Wombat140