Gluten Free/Casein Free (GFCF) Cheat Sheet
GFCF Cheat Sheet
More and more families are turning to the GFCF diet to help with Autism Spectrum Disorders and a whole host of other diseases and disorders.
When people begin this diet, it can be very overwhelming. I am hoping this cheat sheet will offer less anxiety, less confusion, and give you the power to move forward and continue to make a difference in your child and/or your family.
Begin by reading labels
Before we get to the gluten free and casein free tips, I feel it is most important to get your family healthy. Chemicals are for scientists, not for the human body to consume. This is important even for those who are typically developing. The most imperative thing to do first is to START TO READ LABELS. This will prepare you for what lies ahead.
Leave the following items on the store shelf!
Any food or drink items that say these following words or letters need to remain on the store shelf and never come into your home: artificial, Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5, aspartame, nitrites, BHA, BHT, TBHQ, preservative, MSG, and high fructose corn syrup. These ingredients can cause severe behavioral problems, sleep disorders, poor self-control, meltdowns, anxiety, aggression, hyperactivity, irritability, depression, mood swings, aches and pains and a host of other ailments and negative behaviors.
Cross contamination what is it?
Let us now talk about hints for ridding your body of gluten and casein. Many people are not aware of the damage cross contamination can cause. What is cross contamination? It’s a knife that is spread across your wheat toast, dipped into the peanut butter, leaving crumbs behind, waiting for the gluten free person in your family to later use their knife in the same jar. This can happen with condiments and other products in your home, too. It just takes one crumb or one sip to reverse all the hard work you have done being GFCF. Another way for cross contamination to occur is using the same cookware, bake ware and appliances that you use gluten filled and casein filled foods. You will want a new toaster, a new bagel cutter, new cookie sheets, new grill, new colanders and new cutting boards. Some pots and pans also can cause cross contamination, as they might be porous, thus the proteins you need to avoid could come in contact with your GFCF foods.
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