Obesity

Hi Desmond79.

  I have realized over the years (I'm now in my 50th year) that some foods are highly problematic for me. As an Asthmatic, I cannot tolerate Citrus and as a migraine sufferer a whole host of foods trigger migraines for me and my son, including Chocolate, Citrus, red wine, cheese, marmite, chinese five spice and star anese to name but a few.

Despite this, I'm a real foodie, but forget to feed myself. If it wasn't for my family, I may forget to feed them; as my mum did me, resulting in severe malnutrition. Consequently, I personally tend to binge. (The result of a childhood riddled with starvation.)

Now I cook everything from freah for my family and use ready meals as a treat rather than a solution, but inevitibly, eating fresh costs more and requires military precision for my own family who have very individual needs.

Over recent years, i've learned about autism burn out.

I have two sons diagnosed with ASD and both exhibit different forms of eating disorder. One has sugar consumption issues only matched by an overactive bee hive desparate to produce a liquid so rich in sugar you are high for a week, the other apparently eats just for comfort 24/7.

The truth is, that both consume so much energy just getting through the average day (Due to their stress and anxiety issues) that they hit the sugar dips of the natuaral human body at extreme levels and at different times and consume it in different ways just to enable them to get through the day.

My sugar crazed child no 3 troughs enough spoons of sugar in his tea that would put most humans into a diabetic hyper state, but forgets to both eat and drink throughout the day frequently enough, giving him hyperactive behaviour if unchecked, and son no 2 grazes food continually over 24 hours just to survive, but forgets to drink enough fluids giving him severe cramps and migraines if he consumes the wrong food.

People say, that on regular diets, you must consume little and often. The reality of those on the spectrum however, is recognising the patterns of the weekday stresses of those with ASD, verses the weekend issues of those with ASD, and adapting to those demands whislt trying to factor in the unplanned changes, Consumption of food and fluid at the correct regular intervals and that is healthy and umproblematic. Quite an undertaking if you suffer with food allergies and ASD.

I could supply many web links to back up my findings, but I urge you to reseach food urges related to ASD yourself and experiment.

Personally, I can't cope with sugar and prefer savoury hits, but recognising changes that trigger a greater need for energy may help you make more healthy choices for your energy hit.

Once you accept that your hunger pangs may be related to dips in your own energy levels related to the demands of your ASD day, you may feel better able to control the sorts of food you eat and the quantity consumed to sustain those demands.

If you are also unfortuate enough to suffer with food allergies as well, your progress maybe prolonged whislt you establish a balance. I strongly advise you take professional advice guided by a Autism Aware Nutritionalist.

(A detailed diary of your food consumption/verses daily dairy/verses your mood/emotional wellbeing and food cravings, would be very useful at this point) Not only for you, but for the nutritionalist to make sense of your consumption.

Dont feel at all guilty about your consumption or be tempted to fake your findings. Your recordings are an accurate record of your bodies needs and you should not feel bad about that. Take my advice and listen to your body. It's giving you the most accurate information and It's how we react to that, that makes the impact.

Please note, I'm not a nutritionalist or expert, just an observational parent of four.

Coogybear

Hi Desmond79.

  I have realized over the years (I'm now in my 50th year) that some foods are highly problematic for me. As an Asthmatic, I cannot tolerate Citrus and as a migraine sufferer a whole host of foods trigger migraines for me and my son, including Chocolate, Citrus, red wine, cheese, marmite, chinese five spice and star anese to name but a few.

Despite this, I'm a real foodie, but forget to feed myself. If it wasn't for my family, I may forget to feed them; as my mum did me, resulting in severe malnutrition. Consequently, I personally tend to binge. (The result of a childhood riddled with starvation.)

Now I cook everything from freah for my family and use ready meals as a treat rather than a solution, but inevitibly, eating fresh costs more and requires military precision for my own family who have very individual needs.

Over recent years, i've learned about autism burn out.

I have two sons diagnosed with ASD and both exhibit different forms of eating disorder. One has sugar consumption issues only matched by an overactive bee hive desparate to produce a liquid so rich in sugar you are high for a week, the other apparently eats just for comfort 24/7.

The truth is, that both consume so much energy just getting through the average day (Due to their stress and anxiety issues) that they hit the sugar dips of the natuaral human body at extreme levels and at different times and consume it in different ways just to enable them to get through the day.

My sugar crazed child no 3 troughs enough spoons of sugar in his tea that would put most humans into a diabetic hyper state, but forgets to both eat and drink throughout the day frequently enough, giving him hyperactive behaviour if unchecked, and son no 2 grazes food continually over 24 hours just to survive, but forgets to drink enough fluids giving him severe cramps and migraines if he consumes the wrong food.

People say, that on regular diets, you must consume little and often. The reality of those on the spectrum however, is recognising the patterns of the weekday stresses of those with ASD, verses the weekend issues of those with ASD, and adapting to those demands whislt trying to factor in the unplanned changes, Consumption of food and fluid at the correct regular intervals and that is healthy and umproblematic. Quite an undertaking if you suffer with food allergies and ASD.

I could supply many web links to back up my findings, but I urge you to reseach food urges related to ASD yourself and experiment.

Personally, I can't cope with sugar and prefer savoury hits, but recognising changes that trigger a greater need for energy may help you make more healthy choices for your energy hit.

Once you accept that your hunger pangs may be related to dips in your own energy levels related to the demands of your ASD day, you may feel better able to control the sorts of food you eat and the quantity consumed to sustain those demands.

If you are also unfortuate enough to suffer with food allergies as well, your progress maybe prolonged whislt you establish a balance. I strongly advise you take professional advice guided by a Autism Aware Nutritionalist.

(A detailed diary of your food consumption/verses daily dairy/verses your mood/emotional wellbeing and food cravings, would be very useful at this point) Not only for you, but for the nutritionalist to make sense of your consumption.

Dont feel at all guilty about your consumption or be tempted to fake your findings. Your recordings are an accurate record of your bodies needs and you should not feel bad about that. Take my advice and listen to your body. It's giving you the most accurate information and It's how we react to that, that makes the impact.

Please note, I'm not a nutritionalist or expert, just an observational parent of four.

Coogybear