About 80% of the body's immune system
is in the digestive tract. A healthy
digestive tract is imperative to overall
health, especially for those with autism.
Many children on the spectrum struggle
with constipation. Even with one bowel
movement a day, they can still be
constipated if all the waste in the colon
is not eliminated. One way toxins are
carried out of the body is through bodily
waste. The body can become even more
toxic if waste remains in the intestinal
tract.
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Increasing Fiber
Autism Angels Network
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High-Fiber foods Air-popped pop corn Almonds Apples* (with the skin on) Apricot Artichoke** Avocado** Baked beans, vegetarian, canned** Banana Beets Black beans** Blueberries Bok choy Broccoli Brown Rice* Brussels sprouts Cabbage, cooked Cantaloupe Carrots, cooked* Carrots, raw Cashews Cauliflower, cooked Celery Collard greens, cooked Corn Dried Fruits: apricots, dates, prunes, raisins Flaxseed* Garbanzo beans* Grapefruit* Green beans Green peas Kale, cooked* Kidney beans** Kiwi Lentils** Lima beans** Mango Oatmeal, instant (not processed in a facility with wheat) Oats, rolled** (not processed in a facility with wheat) Onions, raw Oranges Peach Peanuts Pear* Peas* Pecans Pistachio nuts Plum Potato, with skin, baked Pumpkin seeds Raspberries* Spinach Spinach, cooked Split peas** Strawberries Summer squash, cooked Sunflower seeds Sweet corn Sweet peppers Swiss chard Tomato Tomato paste Turnip greens, boiled* Walnuts Zucchini, cooked *foods that contain 5 or more grams of fiber per serving **foods that contain 10 or more grams of fiber per serving |
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- Although the majority of the time supplemental help is needed to
successfully move the bowels in autistic children, below is a list of foods
that can be added to your child's diet to assist this process naturally.
Since fruits generally tend to be more accepted by children, start by
offering those from the list. Many vegetables can be pureed and added to
sauces, and meatloaf, and be virtually undetected. When adding pureed
vegetables, start with very small amounts and gradually increase over
time.
- A convenient way to add pureed foods to your recipes is to buy small jars
of baby food, preferably organic. Try carrots, spinach, and squash.
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for proper brain function and development. Flax seeds are also high in fiber, and are beneficial in naturally alleviating constipation. An easy way to incorporate flax seeds into your child's diet is to add them to smoothies. I recommend buying whole organic flax seeds and grinding them yourself prior to each use, to preserve their delicate oils. Invest in an inexpensive coffee grinder, and add 1-2 tbs. of ground flax seeds. |
