A Story of Hope with Homeopathy: “I Should Have Done It Years Ago”
I frequently receive stories of hope, but I struggle to find the time to share them. Here is a story of hope sent to me last week from a mom that incorporated a low glutamate diet (REID) and then homeopathy. “I haven’t thanked you yet for being a huge motivator of me finally doing homeopathy for my son. I should have done it years ago when you were preaching about it in the REID Facebook group. He had huge [...]
Lowering Glutamate | Lithium Orotate
In this post, we are referring to the low-dose mineral supplement, Lithium Orotate, and not the high-dose prescription, Lithium Carbonate, which is known to have many side effects. Many within the Facebook group have seen substantial improvements from their high glutamate and PANS/PANDAS-type symptoms with the incorporation of this supplement. We have not personally tried it. Again, this is not considered medical advice, and dosing/exposure will depend on individual needs. "Lithium is thought to help regulate the neurotransmitter glutamate by [...]
Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
Who doesn’t love ranch dressing? I don’t think ranch dressing needs much of an intro, but this dressing is an easy way to sneak some herbs in and get your child eating salads. Did I mention we used mayonnaise to entice our son to eat salads, lol. Apple cider vinegar is the least offensive vinegar when considering levels of free glutamate. Feel free to play with the herbs used in this recipe to fit your needs best. Dill is an [...]
Lowering Glutamate | Astragalus Root
This is a powerful immune stimulator for anti-viral immunity and it powerfully inhibits the cytokine storm. Most immune stimulators activate the microglia. When this is done frequently, the microglia can be chronically activated, resulting in an outpouring of inflammatory cytokines and glutamate. There have been studies examining the TNF-α cytokine which is typically increased with immune stimulators, but astragalus, in particular, DECREASES TNF-α cytokines. I cannot tell you exactly why this happens, but there have been a few studies indicating [...]
A Story of Hope: “We Are Seeing So Much Progress”
We occasionally get letters or comments from parents that have seen improvements in health with REID. To help provide hope to so many still in the trenches, I’ve decided to make more of an effort to share some of these comments (with their permission, of course). Many of us don’t have it all figured out, but we cling to the hope and words of progress. Everyone’s journey is different, diet changes may not reap huge changes for all, but it is [...]
Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
We love to use breakfast casseroles and or frittatas for holiday breakfast options, but since they can be prepared or made ahead and reheated, they are also a nutritious option for mornings on the run. While this is a good base recipe, we tend to switch it up a bit by varying the vegetables, meat, and herbs used. It is important to note that some may be sensitive to bacon due to the glutamate risk (read below), but I have also [...]
Christmas Chia Seed Parfait
Christmas is just a few days away, and our little guy specifically asked for a special Christmas smoothie for lunch today. I decided to make our own version of an old Against All Grain recipe for the special occasion. Chia seed pudding parfaits are a fantastic option for breakfast on the run, as they can last a few days in the fridge. While this is a good base recipe, don’t be afraid to add your own spin to it by [...]
Mac & Cheese
One of the hardest dishes to make once you’ve removed gluten and dairy is macaroni and cheese. Even more so as you work to reduce glutamate since nutritional yeast is a source of free glutamate. This recipe is good, but it does not taste like your typical mac and cheese, rather a comfort food replacement that looks like it. That being said, our son loves it! We commonly serve it with a bit of protein and broccoli. The Defined Dish [...]
Instant Pot Pumpkin Oatmeal
Breakfast can be a more challenging meal to sneak vegetables in, and fortunately for picky eaters, you can hardly tell this pumpkin oatmeal contains zucchini. The addition of cinnamon and clove in the pumpkin pie spice increases the dish's anti-microbial properties. Feel free to adjust the ratios based on need. Ingredients 2 c. Gluten-Free Steel Cut Oats 1 c. Fresh Pumpkin Flesh (previously roasted) 2 c. Plant-Based Milk (additive-free, homemade is best) 2 c. Water 3 tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup (or [...]
Breakfast Hash
A breakfast hash is one of our favorite and most frequently made breakfast options because it is versatility. It is an easy way to scramble various sauteed and or raw vegetables into a mealtime that is typically very heavy in carbohydrates. I am not implying carbohydrates are horrible; rather, non-starchy vegetables are a priority. We use this sausage as a flavoring to load veggies in at breakfast, so feel free to tweak it based on your needs. If you are slowly [...]