Nutrition and Behavior

[splendra]

I just read a great book titled Food and Behavior By: Barbara Reid Stitt.

She is a Probation Officer for children. What a wonderful and caring person she must be to have gone thru the pain to find out why so many children become hardened criminals. She did her homework big time and found that most children with behavior problems also have hypoglycemia (Low blood sugar). It was also noted that very few children who's diet was changed failed to improve.

She found out that much research went into alcoholism in the 1970's. She found that a whooping 97% of all alcoholics are definately hypoglycemic and that there are researchers who claim that all alcoholics are hypoglycemic. This book is very well referenced with many studies that show that food alergies and low blood sugar are the culprit for most children with behavior problems. It is written for regular people so you do not have a college degree to read it and understand.

Ms Stitt explains how a malnourished brain can cause out of control behavior leading to criminal acts and points out that most people who are in prison also have low blood sugar and are fed diets that petuiate the problem. In doing her research she also found that most people with mental illneses also are suffering from with low blood sugar and malnutrition of the brain. Drugs will never cure these problems but food will...

Please, please read this book if you have children with behavior problems or, who are in prision or, if you are a person with alcohol issues or mental health issues. The biggest crime of all is knowing that these dietary defiencies are causing so many problems. All of us need to start advocating about prisons being over populated with people who are malnourished. The book can be found at amazon.com

[nevergivingup]

That was very interesting Splendra! I know with my students, I ALWAYS recommend that the parents take them to an allergist and an endocrinologist, as sometimes food allergies and other imbalances can mimick the symptoms of Autism. The book sounds very interesting and I'll definitely have to look into it!!!!!

[splendra]

I am kinda disappointed in the review i wrote here about this very informative book is not stiring more interset here on this board. My words do not do this book justice. It is very well written with all the proper references.

The thing that just breaks my heart is that science has known about the affects of low blood sugar on mental illness , alcoholism, and behavior for years.... and the reason it does not get properly addressed is that there are very powerful lobbist is Washington working for pharacutical companies who will do anything to block this kind of information getting out to the general public because they are so hell bent on making drugs to do the job that only nature can do...

People need in the USA need to start demanding that sugar be cut out of breakfast foods for children and that advertizing geared to reach them not be allowed for sugary and high salt snacks.

Junk food is the culprit of so much of the behavior problems and mental illness. I just hate to hear about children being put on drugs and put in juvenile detention when the drugs don't do what they are supposed to do and the kids start committing crime and even suicide because litterly their brains cannot make the choice to to not do these things. I think many children will be able use this as a legitimate defense. Maybe the lawyers can get on board with this and make it come to a head. I hope so.

We all loose when our children are falling by the wayside to ADD, ADHD, Autisum, Psycotopic drugs, Crime, Prison. Two children in every 1000 are autistic and it is because of heavy metal poisoning from vacine and poor nutrition plain and simple. People we need to wake up!!!

[megamysterioso]

Yes splendra-- it is sick the way society is being over-medicated. It all has to do with the goings-on at D.C. I totally agree that we live in a pill-popping age and people do need to get educated about the CORE of the problem- proper nutrition, exercise/lifestyle. The saying "you are what you eat" is completely true. Hopefully, others will have comments about this as well.

[nevergivingup]

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I do/have worked with children with autism, and now work as an ABA consultant, and just want to specify that unless the child is allergic to a specific food or food additive, there is no effect on their behavior or their ability to function normally in their environment by limiting their diet. I'm not trying to take away from what you are saying, I just want to clarify that. In the field or autism (and ADHD, and conduct disorders, and learning disabilities, etc.), there's more often the not, MANY money hungry people pushing for someone to buy their "cure." And this was a huge push back approximately 10 years ago, where MANY dishonest people came forth with the "cure" as being a gluten free or caesin free or sugar free diet, and MANY parents bought into it, bought the books, drove themselves crazy searching for "free" foods, put their child on the diets, and saw NO results whatsoever!!!! The child still displayed the exact same characteristics even months and sometimes years after being on the diet. Beyond that, it gave false hope to already despondent and depressed parents who allowed their child's continued education and therapy to fall to the wayside under a misconception that changing their child's diet would "stop the child from being autistic." <--a quote from some of their adds!!!!!

However, if the child is actually allergic to one of those things, limiting them in their diet SOMETIMES lessens (where the child has a food allergy and a form of autism) or even outright removes all of the symptoms. In which case, the child didn't actually have autism to begin with, instead, had a food allergy that was mimicking the symptoms of autism.

As far as the vaccine is concerned. It's another popular misconception. The symptoms of Autism present themselves around the same time as the MMR vaccine is administered (18 months old). Which for a long time was deemed as the number one suspect in the cause of Autism. However, MANY children with Autism display autistic characteristics far before this time even some at birth present as an infant who has autism. 90% of the time in dealing with parents of a child with autism, they will tell you that they had an idea far before the MMR that there was a problem with the child's ability to relate to his/her environment. Also, up until 18 months, most of the developmental milestones that a child is expected to hit, don't necessary fall under the typical characteristics of deficit areas that a child with autism would have. It's when language, specifically expressive language should be developing that parents take a more intense look at their child's behavior and development and seek intervention.

Moreso, the concept behind the MMR shot being tied to the cause of autism was more about the child having a specific genetic component that would interact with the components of the shot itself, hence triggering the autism, but (as theory went) the child had to be genetically predisposed in order for this to happen. This theory has since gone out the window. I can't comment specifically as to whether or not that is ultimately a factor in the cause of autism or not, as I'm not a research scientist, but it seems as there's alot of evidence to counteract the theory.

As for the increasing rates....... MANY doctors who are authorized to diagnose a child with autism are not actually qualified and because the health system is incredibly lacking, and a psychologist or a neurologist will see a child for about a half hour and then determine (using a check list) that the child has autism, which isn't always the truth..... more and more, I get children referred to me that are labelled autistic, who are not! And, since there is so little research actually being done on autism spectrum disorders, there's a huge mass of children being serviced under this label (the only special education label under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that actually qualifies for a child to receive intensive services like ABA, AVB, etc.) who actually don't qualify for the services, but the parents push for the label and the doctors freely hand it out, knowing that they are guaranteeing that the child will receive AT LEAST 10 90minute sessions per week of in-home ABA therapy from a special education teacher with at least a master's degree in special education. Furthermore, since the research is so inconsistent and has so many short comings, there are many children out there who fall in what seems like a completely different disability area, that they have yet to pinpoint and label with a specific name ---- which they can do so, since all that is involved in labelling a child with autism is a checklist --- not any medical tests!!!!!

I know this is alot of information, but I deal with parents and relatives all the time in these situations that are literally hanging onto every thread of hope for a cure, and I would HATE for them to think that changing their child's diet will stop them from being Autistic. To date, the only intervention that has been scientifically noted to be effective in helping children with Autism Spectrum Disorders is ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis).

The book truly does sound incredibly fascinating Splendra! And it's definitely something I will read. On the other hand, I'm a skeptic, and part of me thinks in the back of my head, that for every book that says it's diet, there's one that says it's genetics and their's one that says it's upbringing, and so on. I understand the position that she's taking on the whole pharmacuetical companies and their influence on the government, but I promise you, that as much influence as they have, the government (state, federal and city) are spending about 30x as much to educate children with special needs, rehabilitate hardened criminals, court costs, research, etc. then they would ever receive in kickbacks from pharmacuetical companies.

That's just my opinion and my education on the subject! And all is said with the utmost respect! As you know I love you dearly!!!!! It's just that I spend way too much time working in this field, and have literally devoted my life toward it, and am incredibly passionate about it!!!!!

Much love and hugs!

[leviathon]

As a lawyer I will keep what you are saying in mind when dealing with alleged offences and with regard to sentencing. Perhaps I can propose a sentence of proper nutrition rather than imprisonment. I am not kidding, prisons do nothing but harden people into seriously bad criminals.

Peace, Levi

[splendra]

Originally Posted by nevergivingup

I understand the position that she's taking on the whole pharmacuetical companies and their influence on the government, but I promise you, that as much influence as they have, the government (state, federal and city) are spending about 30x as much to educate children with special needs, rehabilitate hardened criminals, court costs, research, etc. then they would ever receive in kickbacks from pharmacuetical companies.

((((Neverending))))
Ms.Stitt is basically doing her study on the behaviors of children in the juvenile detention system, alcoholics, and people in prision. I thew in the autisum and ADD stuff. I do have a nephew that is labled as autistic and I remember when he "changed" right after he had the MMR vaccine. My nephew lives with 3 active crack addicts,his mom being one of them and I think this is one thing that really affects his behavior but he does consume tons of sugar and eats a lot of junk food and has almost no exercise except at school. He gets screamed and yelled at everyday and is fed junk food and given a narcotic to calm him down at night. He is the only child in our family including extended family that has this problem the medical exams he has had show no genetic defect what so ever. My sister threatens him with being "put in a home" when his behavior does not comform to how she wants him to behave. He refers to himself in the 3 person and also is very sexually aggressive (at 12 years old but since about 9 years old) and I do not know how all the people who work with him can over look these obvious signs that something else is not right. My nephew is very verbal and reads very well,makes eye contact with everyone he is however very OC. He has several special ed teachers, a team of behavoior therapist and a shrink working with him....

Anyway the author of this book found research done on kids during the 30's I believe that had behavior problems they took half of them and gave them all the best therapy money could buy and helped them in all ways possible the other group they did nothing for the astounding conclusion was 30 years later the "control group" was twice as likely to be in trouble with the law and have addiction problems while the people who had no therapy went on to have more normal lives. She did say that there are some kids that she works with that had low blood sugar and their diets were changed who's behavior did not change. She also says the behavior therapy is an important part of the therapy offered to these kids and that diet changes has bumped up the chances that these kids have of getting out of the system and on to leading productive lives. I know just how complicated this is. It is not just one thing.

I know and the author knows that diet is not the only factor in helping these kids and that accountablility and punishment has to be dealt with as well.

I have a brother who has spent much of his adult life in prision. He drinks lots of milk which is one of the more common alergies. I am alergic to milk and refused to drink it even as a child.( I am the only person in my family that has overcome addiction and I am the only one who has always been very aware of how what I eat affects me) My whole family of origin has all kinds of allergies. My sister(the one who bore the autistic child) has asthma really bad her doctor keeps giving her meds but, does not insist that she stop smoking cigs, crack, and pot plus she is at least 100lbs overweight. She recieves disability checks for herself and her son. Nobody that is dealing with these people says that my nephew needs to be in a house that is smoke free either by the way.... To me the way my family is being dealt with is insane totally insane. Now most of my mom's grand kids are having trouble with the law, having their kids taken away by DSS and the cycle of addiction grows deeper and more ugly. I just want these kids to have a fighting chance in the hell they are living in ya know...Oh my God this is just killing me.

((((Levi)))) I hope you will look into it. It sounds to me that a large class action suite against the FDA for allowing all this sugar and now artifical sweetners to be thrown around in foods a that are directly marketed to children needs to be powered up. The FDA is one organization that really needs to be gone over with a fine toothed comb and held accountable for their lack of concern for public health.

BTW artifical sweetners are killing people especially kids but that is a whole other rant and probably law suit too....

[leviathon]

The funny thing is that doctors are fully aware of the sugar dilemma. Kids with behavioural problems can be dealt with by sending them to a dietician and modifying their diet to get rid of simple sugars, processed foods and their additives. It has been proven time after time, but still no we send em to docs that put them on riddalin and other medications that have side effects likely more harmful than the cure they promise.

[brigid]

I so believe that we are what we eat. We wouldn't put the wrong type of fuel into a car and expect it to perform, that is obviously stupid, but we do put the wrong fuels into our bodies and expect that we can work properly, that seems not so obviously stupid to us for some reason.

The chemicals in our bodies come from the foods we eat, food is meant to nourish us, yet we continually put food into our bodies that needs to be detoxed, hmmm, we are no so smart in the modern world.

Sugar is the first drug that we come into contact with ... I know it is not technically a drug ... but it does throw the balance of chemicals in our bodies out and put us into a recovery type mode. With our bodies in a spin it is no wonder that behaviours are a bit strange.

peace and love,
Brigid

[splendra]

Can I get an Amen(((Brigid))))

[Lollipop]

Thanks for the info. Splendra,
I find it extremly interesting and will be hitting the library tomorrow. When I was in the 5th grade, I started having episodes about 11 am. every morning (right before lunch)in school, I would get lightheaded, feel sick and eventually, most times, pass out. After going through extensive (and painful) allergy tests etc, I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia!!! From then on until today, I always carry p-nut butter crackers and hard candy with me. I know I have to be very careful, if I do not eat regularly and healthy, my sugar drops and Im doomed. Just yesterday as a matter of fact, hubby and I had so much to do that I was already in the garden picking beans etc. by 7 am. and still running errands at 1pm. I forgot to eat. I noticed at about 1 that I was getting shakey and sick feeling, we swung through a local Burger joint, grabbed me a cheeseburger and diet coke, literally within minutes, my headache was gone and I was much better. Just the sugar in the sauce and bun fixed me up! Thanks again, Ill let you know when I finish the book.
Liss