tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48307450885275459522012-01-23T09:01:17.738-08:00Your girlfriend's guide to all natural solutions to ADHD, autism, and allergies via diet, supplements, and a little common sense, with a Biblical perspective. I will be posting recipes, practical tips and advice on how to do the GFCF and Feingold diets and biomed (or at least what I've learned so far), and links to other great resources. We've also recently started our journey into homeschooling, so will be posting what I have learned thus far.Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-9257367869849167132011-12-22T22:18:00.000-08:002011-12-22T22:18:10.857-08:00

These days, it seems like nearly everyone is struggling to make ends meat.  If you want to eat healthy, that often means paying more at the grocery store.  I won't even tell you what my grocery bill is for the month to feed my family with 4 kids, but it's more than my mortgage.  Couponing helps and is fun, but honestly when I watch Extreme Couponing, I see a lot of overweight people buying food

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-8836068644564526102011-10-27T20:48:00.000-07:002011-10-27T20:48:15.275-07:00

I haven't updated my shopping lists for a while, and there have been a lot of new foods added to the market since then, so I thought I'd list a few of our favorites as of late.  Seems like it changes every few months with my kids.  Some of these aren't listed in Feingold's shopping guide, probably because they are too new, but they read clean and my kids seem to be OK with them. Angie's

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-56658731149744175762011-07-26T11:31:00.000-07:002011-07-26T11:31:45.292-07:00

I get asked a lot of questions about the Feingold Diet so I thought I'd start posting some common questions about Feingold and how we have dealt with the situations.  Feel free to send me your questions, and as I have time, I'll post them so that everyone can learn from them.   (Also, for some reason, I am temporarily unable to respond to comments on my blog.  Sorry!  I think it's an issue with

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-35634448739336614122011-06-14T13:19:00.000-07:002011-06-14T13:19:08.945-07:00

OK, I've been watching too many shows of Extreme Couponing on TLC!  I once tried to coupon a couple of years ago but I gave up because I thought it took too much time and many of the coupons were for foods that we don't eat, but I've changed my mind!  Once I saw this show, I had to try it!  I saw the stockpiles of toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, etc.  and I thought, this can't be any

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-42078904279049836132011-05-16T10:21:00.000-07:002011-05-16T10:28:03.398-07:00

Just a reminder - don't forget to start your gardens!  We planted some seeds outside last week.  We have had an unusually cold and rainy spring here in the Midwest, as has been the case around the U.S.  I'm sure all the crazy weather is going to affect produce prices and availability this summer, so all the more reason to start your own.  I started my seeds indoors early this year - about the

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-59234790591400566702011-04-11T21:23:00.000-07:002011-04-11T21:23:47.927-07:00

Below is an e-mail I received this week from The Feingold Association.  We have two days (nice of them to give so much time), to write the USDA to let them know how we would like to see school lunches.  Feingold is asking people to write to tell them that we want to see food dyes removed from school breakfasts and lunches.  Below is a sample letter you can copy and paste if you want, or just send

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-89589251676119815152011-01-04T10:15:00.000-08:002011-01-04T10:15:41.700-08:00

I could have labeled this post "How to Prevent Autism" because I do believe a woman can greatly reduce her chances of having a child with autism by taking care of herself before and during pregnancy.  But, in striving for an all natural pregancy, you can reduce a whole host of other issues as well.  With my first three kids, I pretty much just took a prenatal and tried not to drink caffeine.  In

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-30620325299022385482010-10-26T10:48:00.000-07:002010-10-26T10:50:12.175-07:00

GFCF Macaroni and CheeseThis is a “recipe” I made up using the new Daiya cheese. You can adjust the amounts to taste, but I wanted to have some kind of measurements. I make this in the morning for my daughter and then put it in her thermos for lunch. When I do that, I cook the noodles about 2 minutes less. Fill the thermos with hot water and put the lid on for a few minutes to get the thermos

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-52173643817547388512010-10-11T13:36:00.000-07:002010-10-11T13:36:36.420-07:00

All Natural Mom of 3 becomes All Natural Mom of 4!  No, I won't be changing my blog address. Brooklyn Grace was born safely at home on my due date, September 14th, 2010, at 5:08am.  Yes, I was up all night.  Not a quickie like I had hoped for.  14 hours of labor, 13 of those being with very mild contractions, and about 2 minutes of pushing.   She was 6 pounds, and half an ounce, and measuring

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-85554353862933843872010-09-29T12:17:00.000-07:002010-09-29T12:27:24.451-07:00

August 1st, 2003 After hearing too many times that my bouncing off the walls, never stop, energizer bunny son was "all boy", I was determined that my next child would be "all girl".  Two years before she was even born, I painted our spare bedroom pink.  With my first child, I had read the book, "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weischler, where they explain how to conceive a boy or a

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-3241040603317746332010-08-12T14:07:00.000-07:002010-08-12T14:07:26.630-07:00

Part of the reason I decided on homebirth was because of reading dozens of birth stories online.  I think http://www.childbirth.org/ had the most, and they group them so you can read homebirth stories, hospital, C-section,etc.  Nearly every story I read about homebirth seemed about 100 times better than all the other hospital birth stories.  The hospital stories were loaded with tales of

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-74272841568230760852010-08-04T13:31:00.000-07:002010-08-04T13:31:49.160-07:00

Below are just a few things I have learned on the GFCF boards about what is safest to use in the kitchen.  I had no idea about any of these things before.  It can be expensive to replace a lot of your kitchen ware.  I didn't do it all at once.  I asked for different things for Christmas and birthdays and when some of my things needed to be replaced, I replaced it with the good stuff.  Some things

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-51115944770857554132010-05-17T22:08:00.000-07:002010-05-17T22:08:25.373-07:00

(The top is a picture of our garden in the summer. You can see our little apple tree and below it was the start of our raspberry bushes. In the front are green beans and cucumbers are in the back. The big tall thing in the far back is a sunflower that my daughter planted. ) It's time to start your garden if you haven't already.  I'm no expert gardener, but we started our first organic garden

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-90991568927394879502010-05-05T20:42:00.000-07:002010-05-06T18:20:00.952-07:00

Below are a few new recipes we like.  Still need to add them to my cookbook recipes. Bruschetta Bread 1 to 2 tomatoes (I like using Roma), seeded and diced 3 TB olive oil 1 TB fresh oregano (or ½ TB of dried) 2 TB chopped fresh basil (or 1 TB dried; tastes better using fresh) 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried) ¼ tsp pepper ½ tsp salt (I use Redmond’s Real Sea Salt) 2 to 3 garlic cloves

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-596070774126360472010-02-13T21:58:00.000-08:002010-05-17T22:23:38.472-07:00

A soy free cheese!  Daiya Cheese Shreds is making its way into stores.  Right now, you might be able to find it at some Whole Foods, otherwise you can find it online.  I just ordered some from www.veganstore.com.  They have cheddar and Italian.  Everyone on the gfcf board is raving about it.  It melts and is stretchy like real cheese and makes great grill cheese sandwiches or on top of pizza. 

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-1175933633634021692010-02-05T17:56:00.000-08:002010-02-07T17:33:36.202-08:00

If you want to do food allergy testing, the best and most economical place to have it done is through Alletess.  Their web site is www.foodallergy.com.  They charge about $130 to check for 96 different food allergies, both IGG and IGE, which is what you want, and you can still bill it to your insurance.  (IGG will tell you food sensitivities which is what most people have, and IGE tells you true

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-3021553862489053142009-11-27T23:11:00.000-08:002009-11-29T21:30:25.165-08:00

After 5 years on the Feingold Diet, we are going back to stage 1.  Stage 1 is where you start at for the first 6 weeks of the diet and you eliminate high salicylate foods.  After the initial 6 weeks, you can add back in stage 2 items one at a time and watch for reactions.  Some people stay with stage 1, but most can add in at least some stage 2 foods.  The foods eliminated in stage 1 are certain

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-87146312872928767632009-11-07T22:20:00.000-08:002009-12-06T21:31:34.326-08:00

Below is a list of web sites pertaining to homeschooling. I'm just learning of many of these. There are tons out there. Also, if you find yourself needing a laminator, the cheapest ones are at Sam's for $24. Target also has them for $27. Sam's also has 3 ml laminating sheets for $20 for 200 sheets. For the Parents: http://www.mrsperkins.com/ - Preschool through about 5th grade - free printable

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-55910735191716146842009-11-05T09:14:00.000-08:002009-11-27T23:20:18.569-08:00

Feingold approved candy: Yummy Earth candy drops - pomegranate and root beer flavored, Sunspire Sundrops (like M&M's), Yummy Earth suckers, B-Fresh bubble gum (Solar Moon Melon, Spearmint), St. Claire's tarts (like sweet tarts), Yummy Earth gummy bears, Enjoy Life Choco Boom Bar (like a Crackle bar).  Not pictured (they were already casualties):  Surf Sweet gummy worms and jelly beans, Panda

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-74269567314505876542009-10-15T10:53:00.000-07:002009-10-29T22:38:40.640-07:00

I received a question under the "Comments" section of my "Why We Don't Vaccinate" post and my reply got too long to fit under there, so I am posting my reply here instead.  Maybe someone else has had a similar question.  I know this comes up when thinking about international travel for mission trips, which is something I have had to consider myself.  But the question was basically about whether

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-14126184288703422002009-09-28T11:23:00.000-07:002010-01-13T12:42:53.230-08:00

On one of the boards I'm on, someone asked for a posting of a diet diary.  I didn't have time to list out each day yet, but below is a list of what my kids typically eat at the moment. For my GFCF kids (my son occassionally has soy): Meals Applegate hot dogs (beef, turkey, and beef grass fed) Ian's GF Chicken Patties Ian's GF Chicken Nuggets Ian's GF Chicken Nugget Meals Ian's Mac-N-No-Cheese

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-22937811062443093992009-09-18T14:58:00.000-07:002009-09-18T14:58:06.614-07:00

By far the most important bit of information I can share with anyone is this. If you spend all your money and time and effort on healing your child from autism, ADHD, or whatever effects your family, and yet don't know where your child will go the day they leave this earth, it will all be worth nothing. The fact that I spend a lot of my time researching and cooking, has less to do with healing

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-62304786134407321242009-09-18T12:06:00.000-07:002009-09-18T14:32:10.155-07:00

(This is our homeschool room.  We're missing the back of our chair because my mom is recovering it.  We found the desk and chair on the side of the road for free.  We use the square shelves to hold books for Lynsey to read independently, books from the library, and books for me to read to her.  The bins are filled with toys.  We got it at Home Depot.) The workbox system is a structured

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-44638225026642968902009-09-18T12:02:00.000-07:002010-04-09T15:18:11.979-07:00

We just started homeschooling this year for our 6 year old. We decided to go with My Father's World 1st grade for our curriculum. It is a Charlotte Mason method curriculum, meaning more laid back, learning through reading, etc. I can't say that I'd recommend this curriculum, at least for 1st grade. It is not academically rigorous. Some families are happy with that, wanting their kids to relax

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-58143461081571824892009-07-08T16:09:00.000-07:002010-08-04T13:50:24.810-07:00

Below is a list of some of the natural remedies we use in our house. Cold or Flu - The main things we use are Virastop, Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Emer-Gen-C, and lots of water and fluids (but not sugary ones). Echinachea is also good. Teas are good fluids if your kids will drink them. Mine like tea. I give them either organic chamomile tea or the kids teas they have at the health food stores.

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-21420902445995457962009-06-30T15:25:00.000-07:002009-11-27T23:19:19.283-08:00

On February 11, 2008, Channel 2 News Chicago interviewed Cody and I for a 3 minute special they were doing on artificial dyes on the 10 o'clock news. They came out to our house for about 3 hours. Above is a picture of Cody in front of a spread of Feingold acceptable foods that they taped. To view the video, you can click on the link below. If that doesn't work, go to www.cbs2chicago.com and

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-85533639641059106452009-06-22T11:18:00.000-07:002010-05-27T21:50:38.334-07:00

If you would like to add your child's name to this Prayer Wall, I would be honored to pray for health and healing for your child, and any time anyone else comes to this post, feel free to do the same. Let us lift up the names of our little ones to the throne of God in heaven. To add a child's name, just send me an e-mail at sheridavis27@mchsi.com. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-82051762570851550592009-06-08T14:23:00.000-07:002009-10-01T09:53:43.198-07:00

I could devote an entire blog to this subject, but I'll try to keep it as brief as I can. That will be hard. Why did we choose not to vaccinate? When I was pregnant with my first child, I started reading a lot of books on the subject of pregnancy and childbirth. During that time, we decided to do homebirth. Our Bradley instructor and my midwife suggested we wait till our baby was at least 6

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-21566254930786574742009-06-08T12:50:00.001-07:002009-06-30T21:13:29.875-07:00

I started this blog because I have kids with issues! :) Because of that fact, I have run into many other moms who have kids with the same issues and don't know what to do about it, or have had no success in treating their kids going the mainstream route (Ritalin, anti-seizure meds, ABA (therapies like speech, occupational, and physical to treat autistic symptoms). By the grace of God, we have

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-798404755859539842009-05-22T22:20:00.000-07:002009-11-27T23:31:37.731-08:00

I think this is the question which should appear after the "Got Milk?" ads. These ads are run by dairy farmers, so of course they are trying to tell you that milk is good for you because they make money if you believe their ads, but it's simply not. Cow's milk was intended for baby cow's. Half of all ear infections are caused by milk or other dairy products. I found this out the hard way and with

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-47336836782115012292009-05-12T20:33:00.000-07:002009-05-22T22:18:41.179-07:00

Oh, no! Not another diet!...If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! Yes, on April 16th, 2009, we started another diet for Lynsey. This one is the Low Oxalate Diet which will add to our already Feingold/GFCF++ diet. What is the Low Oxalate Diet? On this diet, we elminate foods that are high in oxalates, mostly certain fruits and vegetables, a lot of grains, nuts, and seeds. Beef,

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-12810754037248597102009-05-11T14:11:00.000-07:002009-11-19T21:14:09.247-08:00

Below are some funny things my kids have said or done. If you're doing biomed and a have a child with autism or ADHD, you NEED a good laugh. :) 1. On the way home from preschool one day, I asked my 3-year old son Cody how he got crumbs in his hair. He said very matter of factly, "I don't know. That's just how God made me. He put crumbs in my hair." 2. After I had my last baby, my son Cody asked

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-31743649222305782632009-05-11T10:25:00.000-07:002010-05-27T21:56:26.489-07:00

Below is a list of supplements and their uses, common dosage recommendations, and brands that we use. I'll be adding to it as I learn of new ones. These are all specific to biomed protocol for treating autism, but many of these are helpful for just about anyone. This information is just a guide and it's information I have gathered from my DAN! doctor, Internet research, and from other moms on

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-18541099375991777122009-05-08T21:55:00.000-07:002009-05-19T12:20:37.500-07:00

All 3 of my kids were born at home with a midwife, with no drugs. I never imagined myself giving birth without drugs at home, but after I got married and we were thinking about concieving, I decided to read up on pregnancy and childbirth. I started reading on a web site called http://www.babycenter.com/, which led me to a web site called http://www.tryingtoconceive.com/. At the latter web site,

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-58184656734109233862009-05-03T13:49:00.000-07:002010-02-07T15:26:10.281-08:00

Below is a list of foods that we buy. This is just what we happen to like and to the best of my knowledge, they are GFCF, but I could be wrong, so please double check for yourself. Along with these, we cook a lot from scratch and choose to use organic chickens and organic meat from Trader Joe's and organic fruits and veggies whenever possible. To the best of my knowledge, these are also approved

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-78763169433800566222009-05-03T13:33:00.000-07:002009-11-27T23:17:38.074-08:00

Below is a copy of my personal shopping list when we were doing just Feingold. There are a lot more foods than this that are approved on Feingold, but this is just what we buy to give you an idea of the foods that are approved. I haven't updated this in about a year or two, so if you are a new member of Feingold, you will want to double check this with your 2009 shopping guide. Some products like

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-16729819530888489762009-05-03T00:02:00.000-07:002009-11-27T23:25:22.709-08:00

World’s Greatest Mom Cookbook (Kid friendly Feingold recipes that will make your kids think you are the world’s greatest mom. :) ) Table of Contents Dinners Beef Stew Broccoli Soup Chicken Bruschetta Chicken Fajita Seasoning Chicken Noodle Casserole Chicken Nuggets –A Chicken Nuggets - B Chicken Parmisan Chicken Piccata Chicken Stew Fried Chicken Garlic Lime Chicken Hamburger/Steak Seasoning

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-77662061518883078762009-04-22T15:52:00.000-07:002009-11-27T23:15:46.724-08:00

The Feingold Diet is mainly an ADHD diet, although it has been shown to help a variety of other symptoms. On this diet, we eliminate all artificial colors (like red #40, yellow #5, blue #1, etc. that you read on ingredient labels), artificial flavors (one common one is vanillin used in many chocolate foods), and certain preservatives such as BHT and TBHQ found in many breakfast cereals). Many

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-30997414741839777392009-04-15T07:16:00.000-07:002009-09-02T11:04:20.665-07:00

Here are the recipes that we use. We've been doing the diet for almost a year now, but I'm still no expert. I am pretty sure that the brands I have listed are OK, but please double check for yourself.The All NaturalGFCF Kids Cookbook(Kid friendly gluten and casein free recipes with all natural ingredients. All recipes are also soy free and Feingold acceptable to the best of my knowledge.)Table of

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-91003936246242095392009-04-04T12:12:00.000-07:002009-11-27T23:27:17.529-08:00

There were several changes we noticed in Lynsey in particular, upon going GFCF, but it might help to explain what she was like before we started the diet. Some of these are also common characteristics of kids with autism. 1. Prior to GFCF, she had no energy (at all!). She would constantly complain that she was tired (not sleepy tired, but physically tired). She would sit or lay on the couch most

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4830745088527545952.post-34993734733352236392009-04-03T16:10:00.000-07:002009-11-27T23:30:21.502-08:00

On December 6, 2007, my youngest son Dylan suffered a grand mal seizure at the age of 12 months (the same time I started introducing more foods like gluten and dairy.) (To the left is a picture of him 2 days after his seizure.) He was sick with a cold (he was sick often) and came down with a slight fever that came and went for 24 hours, but no big deal. He acted fine. The next day, he was

Sheri Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08867369624294607115noreply@blogger.com0