looking for a smoother morning routine?

Read this article for a great way to feed a nutritious breakfast to your family while cutting down on some of the early morning chaos.  This breakfast is easily adaptable for most diet requirements and restrictions and still tastes great.
http://www.examiner.com/dairy-free-food-in-topeka/breakfast-the-easy-way-with-out-the-milk

Keeping it calm through the Holidays

Hopefully everyone survived Thanksgiving. Now we move forward to December with more celebrations to look forward to. If you Celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or any of the other Celebrations during the month your sure to dread the effects of over stimulating the Autistic child. Finding ways to celebrate with out over stimulating and triggering rages and other reactions can be tricky. I have a few tips to help you survive and keep your hair attached to your head! I know I have had many Holidays that when done I am sure I had less hair than in the beginning! First stick to the schedule as much as you can. When the schedule will change remember to add it to the schedule ahead of time. Give enough warning and prep time for the child to understand and prepare for the change. I tell anyone I work with that change needs to be part of the routine. It helps them adjust when things are different. So if on the 7th your going to decorate the house start prepping now. Repeat that you will be putting away some of the items that are normally out all year long to decorate for Christmas. Make up a story about it, putting the=ings away to make room, pulling out the Decorations, sorting, going through them and putting them out. Remind the child, and family why your doing it, what your celebrating, how important it is, and do it daily until the big day. When the time comes take a few days ahead of time to pack up anything you need to put up to make room. Then when the biog day comes if your child is over whelmed and refuses to take part do not get upset, make sure he/she is ok, safe, and not harming anyone and then continue on. Many families try to minimize the change by using less decorations, use only your favorites, or only have a tree. There are ways to do it. We keep 2 Nativities out all year round. It makes it normal to have them out, and I think it is a beautiful decoration reminding me always of the Savior and what he has done for me. Many families have music going and it is a party to decorate. Sometimes this is to much stimuli for the Autistic/aspergers child. Turn down the music, or even off. Maybe you can spread out the days the decorating is done. Instead of 1 day to do it all take a week or more, doing a little each day. Many families have parties, Santa is invited to some, gifts exchanged and dinner. This is often to much for someone in the spectrum. You may have to skip out on the Large family parties, or go for a short time. Being prepared to leave. It is good to teach your child a signal, when it is to much and he is about to be over stimulated and realizes it, a way to let you know can be helpful. Then you can quietly excuse the family and go home, or maybe a time out away from everyone, where he can have a few moments of quiet solitude and regroup. For older Aspergers. Autistic children this sometimes works. Allowing them to take part but escape for a brief period when they need. A spot to sit alone can make it possible to attend family functions. Even if it is in the car, allow it if it helps. Make sure to take safe foods for your family if there are any special diet requirements. and also comfort foods. Sometimes a favorite food is very comforting during chaos, and can help avoid over stimulating during the meal. Stick up for your child and do not allow others to tease or set off. There are many ways to make it possible to attend family functions. But for the times that it is just not do able skip it and do something at home. If it makes your child miserable it is not worth it. And if you really must attend but your child is not up to it find an alternative for the child that they are happy with. I suggest this as a last resort for those who must attend for some reason. Remember the Holidays are to be enjoyed but we all have a different comfort level. It is important to make sure everyone feels safe, loved, and part of the celebrations without over stimulating. This can be hard but can be done. Take it slow and remember family is most important! If you have any questions please feel free to email me ladyjae@renaissanceofnaturalhealth.com Jaelene H. Merry Christmas!

If you have an Aspergers child, or anyone else in your home has an allergy to dairy or intolerance here is an awesome way to be able to enjoy a great dessert and not worry about the dairy. Add your favorite herbs and spices and make it nutritious and delicious! I make Black Rice pudding using herbal tea and water and coconut milk. I add cinnamon, Good Earth sweet N Spicy tea, Ginger, Nettle leaf, Roasted Dandelion, and whatever else I feel like to the water and again to the coconut milk. The recipe is 2 Cups  black rice                                             6 Cups water                                                                                         Spices and herbs                                                                                                            3 tea bags of any packaged tea used              3 TBS any loose spice or Herb used                                                                 Bring to boil then simmer until water is gone      usually takes an hour or more Add 1 cup sweetener- sugar, brown, sugar, stevia, or honey. You can use more or less according to your taste and 1 package coconut                                              Add 4 -6 Cans Coconut Milk so it is liquidy again. Stir well and simmer again until Thickened and rice is soft. If you use this recipe you can change anything, add your favorite tea or herbs,  try with almond milk also.                                   For a change in chocolate or Vanilla Pudding try some of the following ideas. Choose your milk substitute first. Water, Hemp Milk, Almond Milk, Coconut Milk or Rice milk are my favorite options. Measure the amount of liquid needed for the recipe, and add herbal tea. If I use packaged tea bags I use 2 bags per cup of liquid. If I am using loose Herbal tea I use 3-5 TBS per cup depending on how strong I want it and the type of Herb being used. I use a tea ball or muslin tea bag for this. I steep for at least 20 minutes. Sometimes longer, you can sit it in the fridge covered overnight if you want.  Remove herbal tea and continue with recipe as normal. There are so many ways to change pudding using spices and herbs. Use your imagination. Cloves, Orange peel, ginger, Raspberry herb and chocolate mint tea in chocolate or vanilla pudding.  Use chamomile at night for a relaxing dessert to help mellow out the kids. Rose Hips are great in Vanilla Pudding. Orange ginger in Vanilla is a nice twist as well!

foods effects

So a while back we had to cut out dairy for chubs. He gets none, and we cut out gluten for a month to see what happens. We ended up going to gluten again but less of it, we now use a lot of rice, potato, sorghum, tapioca,and anything gluten free. The only time we use anything else is if its whole wheat.
So how does this fit? We discovered that Chubs angry outbursts, the raging lets up to almost gone as long as he gets no dairy. If he has even a small amount wow watch out, he is violent, screaming, freaking over everything, refuses to do what he is asked, and can not retain anything he is taught. Take away dairy and he retains it better! it is amazing. So I made everyone go dairy free for a short time. I noticed a difference in them all. Unfortunately some refuse and so I am slowly working everyones milk into being dairy free milk. They all have it more often than they know, they always love whats cooked. I cant get them to drink it yet. Hope soon.
The gluten we went without 1 month. I think we need a redo and for it to be a few months to really know. I am fairly sure someone will have an issue of some kind. That starts next month.
Dyes play a role also, avoid them and artificial colorings of all kinds, artificial flavors as well.
I have discovered a few items that contain one form of milk or another, for someone with a severe reaction this could be bad, it could be the cause of morning or bedtime battles, or sickness.
One toothpaste! Can you believe it!
Dairy is something many react to and are not aware of it. If you are dealing with a dairy allergy here is a list of the various names it goes under on labels. I write a column on eating dairy free you can follow for ideas, recipes, and also ask questions and I will respond if possible to help. Check out examiner.com/dairyfree-food-in-topeka/jaelene-huffman                                                             

Acidophilus milk

Ammonium caseinate

Artificial butter flavor

Artificial flavors / flavoring

Brown sugar flavoring

Butter

Butter fat

Butter flavor

Butter solids

Buttermilk

Calcium caseinate

Caramel Color

Caramel Flavoring

Casein

Caseinate

Cheese (All)

Coconut Cream Flavoring

Condensed milk

Cottage cheese

Cream

Curds

Custard

Delactosed whey

Demineralized whey

Dry milk powder

Dry milk solids

Evaporated milk

Fat Replacers - Brands such as Dairy-Lo® and Simplesse® are made with milk protein

Galactose

Ghee

Half-and-half

High Protein Flour

Hydrolysates

Hydrolyzed casein

Hydrolyzed milk protein

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein

Iron caseinate

Lactalbumin

Lactalbumin phosphate

Lactate

Lactic Acid Starter Culture

Lactoferrin

Lactoglobulin

Lactose

Lactulose

Magnesium caseinate

Malted milk

Margarine

Milk (whole, lowfat, and skim)

Milk derivative

Milk fat

Milk powder

Milk protein

Milk solids

Natural egg flavor

Natural flavors / flavoring

Non-Dairy - This does not mean milk-free, it indicates 1/2% or less milk by weight

Nougat

Potassium caseinate

Protein - The added protein in foods is often milk protein

Pudding

Recaldent

Ready sponge

Rennet casein

Sodium caseinate

Sodium lactylate

Sour cream

Sour milk solids

Soy Cheese - Often contains milk protein

Sweetened condensed milk

Whey

Whey powder

Whey protein concentrate

Whey protein hydrolysate

Yogurt

Zinc caseinate

Goat's milk is avoided also. Some people may be able to handle milk after a while of dairy free. Talk to your doctor or a Nutritionist about this possibility. Goats milk has smaller fat globules and they break up easier in the stomach.