I was born in the 70's... in my opinion, parents tended to be more laid back, the economy was decent... I was a latchkey kid. I have an older (by 4 years) sister, so by the time I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, I was often home with her with an hour or two before my mother or father would arrive home. It was not uncommon for me to have to prepare a late afternoon snack for myself. Some of my go-to meals? Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, peanut butter and jelly, pancakes, cinnamon toast... I knew how to prepare all of these things (as well as run the washing machine) at a very young age. If you've read any of my other forums, you might already know I was a pudgy kid. Back then, this didn't phase me in the least. Now, however, at 36, I'm extremely careful about how I treat my body.

As I've mentioned in other forums, at the age of 15 I decided to become a vegan. I gave up meats, dairy, eggs... anything that came from an animal. While I attempted this lifestyle, I was heavy and sluggish- I didn't know why. I didn't think it was my diet, but several years later I had an eye-opening experience.

When I was 26, I gave birth to my only child, Andrew. He was amazing, and there was nothing I wouldn't do to make him happy. He had dietary issues from the time he was 6 weeks old, so by the time he was 3 and diagnosed with autism, it was no shock that I had to experiment with his diet.

I had heard so many encouraging stories about the GF/CF (gluten-free, casein-free) diet for children on the autism spectrum. After about my 3rd conversation with yet another convinced parent, I decided officially to submerge myself in this gluten-free, casein-free world they spoke of. Within a matter of several days- sleep normalized, tantrums dissipated. It was nothing short of miraculous!

Me, however? I don't have autism. I've never had allergies. Initially, I gave up gluten out of guilt for my son's position- how could I possibly eat it when my poor little man cannot? Guess what though? I felt better. I became less bloated, not constipated, my rashes (mostly eczema) cleared up). I had improved my life tremendously!

How long does it take me to realize the gluten is hurting my gut? Usually within 3 hours. As I sit here at the moment, I snuck a few Triscuits not too long ago at my mother's house. Currently, my belly aches with bloat and regret. My fix? Tons of water, and perhaps an extra probiotic to help out my intestines. My son? His symptoms are way different than mine. At the onset of a gluten breech, Andrew typically acts a bit high... almost immediately. Then, he gets hyperactive, and sometimes ritualistic. Afterwards, he has a hard time using the bathroom as normal, and he might be difficult to get to sleep.

Regardless, usually both of us have "normalized" within 24-48 hours. Within this time frame though, we always promise we'll never do it again! When did I know I made the right choice for my son? Within a day or two (although results are not typical)! Andrew stopped his daily 3 hours or so of tantrums the very first day I eliminated gluten and casein from his diet. He slept better, his moods were more consistent, his vocabulary improved. Me, however? It took a few months. I wasn't actually convinced months later, when I had something (likely beer, bread or pasta) that contained gluten. I felt like I was going to have another ulcer. It's definitely not worth it for either one of us to stray from our diets!