How is that new diet going?

Oh, you mean the one with no wheat, gluten, soy, rye, barley, eggs, dairy (whey) or peanuts?

Amazingly well, actually. Right away we started seeing real differences. First, his complexion and pallor normalized, skin tone now has a nice pink healthy color. Then we noticed he was able to pay attention and focus like he had never been able to before. Concentration was better and for much longer durations. He was attempting to say things that he wouldn't even try just a few days earlier. He was trying to say everything, any word we asked him to say. This was very new and different. Literally, we saw a difference in just a couple days. By the time we made it to the 3 week mark where all the allergens are supposed to be out of the system, we were sold. No going back. We saw amazing results right away, his teachers and specialists noticed too. This wasn't just us parents wishful thinking.

So, now we just needed to gather and expand the food options. Remember Shea has always been a super picky eater. So, finding foods that he could eat, that we could make was a big challenge. Seriously, at the beginning with all his "taboo foods" we were wondering what he could eat; potatoes, corn, oats, rice were all safe.

To start, we promptly changed to Rice Dream milk. No problem; Shea didn't even seem to notice any difference. I even found that they sell the the original flavor at Costco by the case. Easy to cook with, tastes good, affordable; basically that was a home run right out of the gate.

We have tried the Rice Cream (ice cream alternative) with less happy results. My daughter says it has a weird after taste, Shea is pretty luke warm about it. And, that is never good when dealing with ice cream. But, we found a Rice Dream Vanilla bar dipped in chocolate. Those get a big, sticky thumbs up from the little man.

Cliff Bar makes a kids energy bar called Z Bar which Shea loves. He could eat 10 a day if I let him. They are gluten free, 3 g. fiber and 3 g. protein and have all sorts of vitamins and minerals in them. These are a no-brainer for school snack times and easy access, on the go snacks. We go through a lot of them so I found a place I can buy them by the case for a lot less money, even with shipping included (Gotbody.com)


We discovered a great little company here in the Northwest, Wow Baking Company. They make a wide selection of cookies and brownies all wheat and gluten-free. You can find them individually at grocery stores or purchase by the dozen through their website. I also just found out that they will be selling cookie dough so you can bake them at home. Now, that will make holiday cookie time a little funner for Shea.

I am finding and trying new products all the time and will continue to share the good, the bad and the ugly.