I AM A THINKING MOM

Maria Rickert HongHere’s a recent blog I wrote for the Thinking Moms’ Revolution, a very outspoken group of moms of autistic children who question the current medical paradigm.

Because traditional doctors and their medicine weren’t helpful in the recovery of my sons from Sensory Processing Disorder, asthma, allergies, acid reflux and eczema, I was forced to become a Thinking Mom and to learn to think for myself to recover them.

Here’s an excerpt:  “The first red flag was his incessant projectile vomiting, something the pediatricians waved off as colic and “he’ll outgrow it”.

As Thinking Moms know, this would be a recurring theme.  Next came his refusal to eat most solid foods, again dismissed by multiple pediatricians.”

 

INFLAMMATION AND AUTISM

fireNew research suggests that mom’s inflammation during pregnancy contributes to a higher risk of autism.

Inflammation was measured by the amount of C-reactive protein (CRP) in a pregnant woman’s blood.

Results were striking:

  • Pregnant women with CRP in the top 20th percentile have a 43% increased risk of having a child with autism.
  • Pregnant women whose CRP is in the top 10th percentile have a whopping 80% higher risk of having an autistic child.

If you have any kind of chronic allergies, asthma, chronic runny nose, autoimmune, rashes, pain, swelling, digestive issues, etc., you have chronic inflammation.

 

BOOK REVIEW: PRIMAL CUISINE – COOKING FOR THE PALEO DIET

Primal Cuisine: Cooking for the Paleo Diet

Primal Cuisine: Cooking for the Paleo Diet

What is the primal diet?  Heck, what is the Paleo diet?

As the author of “Primal Cuisine:  Cooking for the Paleo Diet“, Pauli Halstead, explains in this video:  “It’s the diet that humans evolved on, which consists of wild meat and fish, found vegetables and nuts, seeds and berries.”

She also tells us that “It’s a very good diet if you’re diabetic or have weight problems because it has virtually no carbohydrates.”

I would go further and say that it’s good for anyone with gut dysbiosis and/or autoimmune and/or neurological disorders, such as autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, asthma, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, etc. [Read more…]

ARE YOU USING ANTIFREEZE FOR CONSTIPATION?

Antifreeze bottle being poured

Antifreeze bottle being poured

Say what?  Antifreeze?  If you’re taking Miralax or any other laxative that contains polyethylene glycol, you (or your KIDS!) are essentially ingesting antifreeze, which is ethylene glycol.

Chemically speaking, polyethylene glycol is made from stringing ethylene glycols together.

Once again, I was furious at the lack of knowledge (and condescending attitude) of my former pediatrician for prescribing Miralax for my sons’ constant constipation when they were toddlers.

[Read more…]

THE “R” WORD

recover button

recover button

You may or may not know my personal recovery story.

I have recovered my 2 sons, now ages 6 and 8, from sensory processing disorder (SPD), asthma and acid reflux with a biomedical approach, which means correcting nutritional and hormonal deficiencies, removing toxicities and correcting gut dysbiosis.

I’m still working on failure to thrive, mitochondrial dysfunction and hypothyroidism.  In addition, they both had developmental delays, and my older son had severe hypotonia as a baby.

I have recovered from immune dysregulation, in which I had shingles twice, the worst case of poison-ivy ever, bronchitis (which I’d never had before), constant sinus infections and constant colds that would last 3-4 weeks at a time.  [Read more…]

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICITY AND AUTISM

Pollution of environmentHave you ever wondered WHY there’s such an epidemic of autism these days?  Why is the rate now 1 in 50, when it was only 1 in 10,000 a couple of decades ago?

Not only that, but WHY are there also epidemics of developmental delays, learning disabilities, ADHD, allergies, asthma, mood disorders, sensory processing disorder, OCD, Lyme disease, autoimmune diseases and ear infections?

One of the reasons, confirmed yet again, is that environmental toxicity plays a role.  Epidemiologist Irva Hertz-Picciotto’s research says that a mom’s proximity to car pollution raises her risk of having an autistic child.

Dr. Phillip Landrigan and his team at the Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center have been saying much the same thing about the detrimental effects of certain toxins such as lead, mercury and flame retardants on the neurodevelopment of children.

My friend and colleague from Epidemic Answers, Beth Lambert, has written an excellent book about the multi-factorial causes of these epidemics.  In her book, “A Compromised Generation“, she has written about the perfect storm of causes, including environmental toxicity, leading to these epidemics.

Have you looked into how toxicity might be related to your or your child’s chronic illnesses?

 

WEBINAR REPLAY: THERAPIES THAT WORK FOR AUTISM, PDD-NOS, SPD, ADHD, LD AND DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS

Patty Lemer

Patty Lemer

Earlier today, I interviewed Patricia Lemer, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Developmental Delay Resources (DDR), a non-profit that is dedicated to meeting the needs of children with developmental delays in sensory, motor, language, social, and emotional areas.

Today’s interview was phenomenal and full of practical information because Patty has worked with these children for over 40 years, and she knows what therapies and interventions work.

Some of her recommended resources are:

Patty lists many more references in the webinar, so it’s a good idea to listen to it.

ADHD AND HOMEOPATHY

homeopathy“Medicating children for ADHD with stimulants has become an epidemic”, writes Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, author of Ritalin-Free Kids: Homeopathy for ADHD.

She also writes that these medications have harmful side effects, such as “obesity, hypothyrodisim, elevated cholesterol, and liver problems”.

Instead of using harmful medications, Dr. Reichenberg-Ullman uses homeopathy to counter the symptoms of ADHD.

For those of you who are not familiar with homeopathy, it’s based on the principle of “like cures like”.  It’s similar to the concept of “the hair of the dog that bit you is the cure for what ails you”.

Homeopathy uses an infinitesimal amount of a substance to stimulate the body’s immune response. It gives the body just the right amount of information to counter an unwanted symptom.

You may remember that I discovered homeopathy a few years ago when I had the worst case of poison ivy, ever,

I had gone to my internist, who gave me a pack of steroids.  I didn’t want to take them because I know how harmful they are to the immune system, the liver and the GI system, but I was desperate.

The steroids worked for the 6 days I was taking them.  When I was done, the rash came back with a vengeance.

I didn’t want to take any more steroids, so I researched what else I could do.

That’s when I discovered Rhus toxiconderon, the homeopathic preparation of poison ivy.

And voila, it worked!  You can get the remedy at Whole Foods for just a few dollars AND there aren’t harmful side effects.

In any case, check out this article to read more about how homeopathy can be used to treat ADHD safely.

SOURCE:  Townsend Letter

 

WHY IS NEW JERSEY’S AUTISM RATE SO HIGH?

New JerseyNew Jersey’s autism rate has more than doubled in 10 years to one in 49 children, compared with one in 94 in 2002.  New Jersey’s rate is second only to Utah’s.

Why have levels increased so dramatically?  Talk to any teacher or school nurse who’s been around a while, and you’ll find it’s not just better diagnosis.

There is a perfect storm of environmental causes behind this epidemic.  In New Jersey, this likely has to do with the fact that a large part of the state is highly industrialized.  Perhaps those toxic industrial byproducts are contributing to this alarming rate.  Read more…

SOURCE:  NorthJersey.com

 

RECOVERY FROM AUTISM WITH THE GAPS DIET

GAPS diet bookWatch how ZiZi is recovering from autism with the GAPS diet.

GAPS stands for Gut And Psychology Syndrome, and it restores gut dysbiosis, an imbalance of good vs. bad bacteria, yeast and pathogens in the gut, where 70% of the immune system is located.

The GAPS diet can work on symptoms of autism because of the gut/brain connection.  Many neurotransmitters are made in the gut, and if your gut isn’t happy, your brain isn’t happy.  Watch the video…

SOURCE:  ABC News