OUR ORIGIN STORY
As a child I dreamed of having a massive family, nine kids to be exact. Though I would later realize I wasn’t even close to being mother-to-9-kids-material. My husband and I met when I least expected it. I had recently sworn off of dating altogether when he strolled into my life after being reluctantly set up on a blind date. He was undoubtedly my perfect match. Our courtship was easy and seamless. So much so that it only lasted for four and a half months before we were blissfully married. Marriage continued to be a new and fun adventure. We’d stay up late watching Jack Bauer in episodes of 24 while eating bottomless bowls of cereal. It was perfect, but this level of simplicity was short-lived. Six weeks after we were married I became pregnant. Not exactly part of the plan as it was about eighteen months too soon, but this was happening. It was real and mental adjustments would have to be made. We accepted our new but exciting reality that life had just dealt us with thorough and dutiful preparation.
As with all expecting parents, the months leading up to our first-born’s arrival was a wonderful flurry of emotions and questions. Like any studious mother-to-be, I had completely consumed What to Expect When You’re Expecting and had already started marking up What to Expect the First Year. We were as ready as we would ever be. It had been a rather seamless pregnancy with only mild nausea in the first trimester. This being our first child paired with my own affinity for planning, learning the gender was an absolute no brainer. We were over the moon to learn that our firstborn would be a boy. This seemed perfect for my husband and I as he had been a decorated basketball athlete into college and passing on such skills, knowledge, and dedication that he had been brought up with on to his very own son would be tremendously fulfilling.
When the due date finally rolled around it would be only a few more days, a few spicy burritos, and a few long walks later before our little man arrived as a long-limbed, eight-pound embodiment of perfection. It was thrilling. I felt that this life had been custom-built for me. Our newborn son was calm and quiet for those first few days in the hospital. However, there was a sudden and stabbing shift that occurred on the day we were to pack up and head home. He cried ceaselessly and for no apparent reason. This crying continued throughout the whole entire following night and for many nights afterward. It was enough to make a young and once optimistic mother wonder what in the world she had gotten herself into. As our sweet baby continued to have many sleepless nights, inevitably my husband and I did too. We attributed his crying and discomfort to colic as this is a common reality for many babies. The long nights were filled with pacing in front of the fireplace patting his tiny back and trying to calm the painfully uncomfortable child. We felt helpless but continued to do all we could from gripe water to 3 a.m. car rides in an effort to soothe his discomfort.
However, despite the topsy turvy schedule we all endured, our beautiful baby was still a tiny miracle in the perfect way only new life can manage to be. He was sweet, mild-tempered, and a fairly splendid napper. However, this latter attribute was likely due to an underlying challenge. He was consistently wide awake and ready to take on the world all night long, every night for nearly his entire first year of life. We followed all of the textbook suggestions, keeping lights and sounds low for nighttime feedings and even trying to evade naps all together in order to get him “back on schedule”, but nothing effectively worked. It was probably a good thing then that we didn’t yet know that his ability to sleep reasonably through the night would be challenged all the way up until he was three years old.
Also, like any half-enthralled, half-anxious ball-of-parent, I was a vigilant Baby Center subscriber, reading thoroughly every article that might pertain to our new baby. Thus, I was inevitably and fretfully aware of each missed milestone within his first few months of life. One of the earliest markers they tell you to look for is the ability for a baby to lift their head, followed by their ability to roll over, sit up, and crawl, all leading up to that prestigious moment when they take their first steps. None of these took place at the time, or anywhere even close really, to when they were “supposed” to. He was late to this gross motor party that I felt all other babies had under lockdown. This, of course, I took personally. No way was there anything the matter with him, this was a total reflection on my inability to be a decent parent, despite my all-in mentality to the realm of parenthood. I talked to our pediatrician who told us to just wait it out and that some children were in fact just late to the party. This brought me a light sense of comfort. I reassured myself that this made sense, he was pretty laid back after all. This definitely had to be the reason.
Finally, at nearly two years old, our son walked on his own. It was such a momentous occasion that I remember it vividly. Within his timeline, he managed to pull all of his weight up and with great uncertainty balance atop his two chunky legs. He then carefully tottered over to a brightly colored blow-up ball pit and retrieve one of many soft plastic balls. It was a wondrous moment.
Due to his delay, we were able to take advantage of a local early intervention organization. Through this, he was provided an occupational and physical therapist, both of which would come to our home once per week for 30-60 minutes. They would prescribe ideas to help him “feel” his world a bit better than he was currently able to do on his own. Their recommendations were practical and noninvasive and we dutifully implement them along with anything and everything else that seemed appropriate to help fill the gaps. He was still too young to be given any real diagnosis, but words and titles that were then new to me would occasionally come up as I would chat with my son’s therapists such as sensory processing, pervasive developmental delay, and autism.
We recognized too as time progressed that this budding child also lacked proper and recommended communication skills such as forming words and short sentences to express his needs and wants. For his first four years, we would use sign language to communicate as he was unable to speak distinguishable words. However, we got pretty good at using sign language and our son picked up on it quickly. We even became well versed in the art of distinguishing what his “duh”’s meant depending on the enthusiasm behind the sound and of course the direction his chunky little finger pointed.
Within this time we also employed many forms of therapy, from traditional to alternative. Outside of the early intervention therapists he also did equestrian therapy, nutrigenomics, ABA therapy, aromatherapy, an alternative medicine practitioner who specialized in autism and traditional pediatric doctors including a neurologist, geneticist, and a gastroenterologist. These therapies ranged from pleasant to more invasive, from affordable to let’s take a second mortgage out on the home expensive, and from some kind of results to none at all. But we were new parents who had lived “normal” lives with “normal” opportunities. We wanted desperately for our only child to have these same possibilities in his life as we had had in ours. To be successful in school both academically and socially. To chose any vocation that strikes passion and to make a decent living at it. To have romantic relationships and the prospect of starting a family. We were going to do our part as we saw it at that time, to help our son get where he needed to be in order to attain these things that we had found value in within our own lives.
Like most kids with suspected autism, stimulatory behavior became standard for him. This was accompanied by other challenging behavioral symptoms such as a lack of proper emotional control. Crying unconditionally when there was no real need to cry, such as straight ballistics in the Target cart while I, as the parent, had no choice but to rapidly conclude our shopping trip while people stared in amazement, or perhaps disgust as they proceeded to form their own opinions of the situation. Or his laughing for no apparent reason at a completely inappropriate moment, such as during a prayer amidst a large group of people, that was fun. Both of these happened regularly enough that I was uncomfortable leaving the house for fear of what social embarrassments might await. Thus, slowly but surely my recluse tendencies began.
Additionally, from around two years of age, our son also experienced regular diarrhea which made life uncomfortable for him and potty training impossible. At around two-and-a-half years old his pediatrician recommended he be placed on a gluten-free and casein-free diet which was adhered to for one-and-a-half years. However, during this time no significant improvements in his behaviors nor digestive problems were remedied through the GFCF diet alone.
At nearly four years of age, his health was beginning to deteriorate. In addition to regular diarrhea, his symptoms also grew to include gray colored skin, dark circles under his eyes, teeth that were growing in yellow, and his fingernails began to peel in layers from the top down. This all led to an awareness that he was malnourished despite reasonable nutrients that were included in his current diet, yet for some reason, his body was not accepting these incoming vitamins and minerals. It was apparent that a drastic change needed to occur and so far all of the other doctors we had seen had been no significant help. Through research and a touch of inspiration, we found a lot of information on different diets such as SCD, GAPS, and paleo. I felt so strongly and it simply made sense that a strict, strategic, and specific diet would be the appropriate next step based on scientific findings that suggested such a diets ability to heal inner workings of the digestive system and in turn heal externally manifested problems such as diarrhea and even behavioral problems.
It was settled. We had found our answer and started the introduction phase of the diet I had assembled the very next day. Within two short weeks of strictly adhering to the "rules" of the diet, nearly all of our son's previously problematic health symptoms had vanished. His skin color returned to normal, the dark circles completely disappeared, his bowel movements found normalcy, and his fingernails began to rebuild. In addition to the remedied external symptoms, he began to speak in three-word sentences! This was coming from a previously nonverbal child further making it an incredible turn of events within such a short amount of time and a testament that the healing provided through the dietary intervention was exactly what his body and brain needed. Through the elimination of specific foods and amping up others, his body was able to reset and find a new homeostatic level which then allowed healing to begin.
The rest is now history for our son. This wholesome diet eliminated stress on his body and allowed it to heal from the inside out. Years later we continue to adhere primarily to the guidelines you will find throughout this website since this type of diet allows one's body to function optimally. However, in addition, he can now enjoy certain treats during parties or events without the side effects he once experienced because once again, the diet allowed his body to rest, reset and rebuild. He is now able to thrive, to the best of his personal ability both physically and mentally.
And while this story of healing is incredible, it does not stand alone among children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or similar dysfunctions who have benefited significantly through comparable elimination-type diets. Physical symptoms of health and behavioral challenges associated with autism can be improved through appropriate nutrition.
I also must quickly interject an imperative message, and that is the fact that we are not setting out to "cure" our children, we are here to assist them in finding their best, happiest, and healthiest self. I mentioned above that when our son was very young, we wanted him to have the same life experiences we had; groups of friends, athletic trophies, prom, a job. But we thankfully came to recognize that each person's life needs to take on its own unique course, and that is a wonderful thing. Our son has and will continue to pave his own path in this life. And though it is different from the one my husband and I experienced, it is no less. This is a healthy and liberating mindset, it just takes a moment to warm up to and accept.
Lastly, I am 100% confident that nutrition is the most important thing we can do for health, no matter the challenge we are faced with. If you step back and look at that for a moment it makes sense. We are literally putting items in our mouth, swallowing them, and our body is processing and using whatever that item is and contains. The more natural and nutrient-rich, the easier and more efficiently the body can utilize that item.
As I'm sure you've noticed, I have created an e-course that compiles the exact dietary strategies that I implemented with our son. I didn't reinvent the wheel with this diet. It is simply a compilation of research and what I found to provide the greatest opportunity for dietary success in children with autism. This includes the above story of my son and other families that I have had the privilege to work with. Within this diet, I have also created printouts and helpful tools to make this healthy transition accessible to you and your family, even if your child has sensory issues or is non-verbal, as mine once was. So, if you feel so inclined at this moment, come with me on this journey and together we will discover how optimal health can be achieved for your child.
Wishing you the very best! XO
At nearly four years of age, his health was beginning to deteriorate. In addition to regular diarrhea, his symptoms also grew to include gray colored skin, dark circles under his eyes, teeth that were growing in yellow, and his fingernails began to peel in layers from the top down. This all led to an awareness that he was malnourished despite reasonable nutrients that were included in his current diet, yet for some reason, his body was not accepting these incoming vitamins and minerals. It was apparent that a drastic change needed to occur and so far all of the other doctors we had seen had been no significant help. Through research and a touch of inspiration, we found a lot of information on different diets such as SCD, GAPS, and paleo. I felt so strongly and it simply made sense that a strict, strategic, and specific diet would be the appropriate next step based on scientific findings that suggested such a diets ability to heal inner workings of the digestive system and in turn heal externally manifested problems such as diarrhea and even behavioral problems.
It was settled. We had found our answer and started the introduction phase of the diet I had assembled the very next day. Within two short weeks of strictly adhering to the "rules" of the diet, nearly all of our son's previously problematic health symptoms had vanished. His skin color returned to normal, the dark circles completely disappeared, his bowel movements found normalcy, and his fingernails began to rebuild. In addition to the remedied external symptoms, he began to speak in three-word sentences! This was coming from a previously nonverbal child further making it an incredible turn of events within such a short amount of time and a testament that the healing provided through the dietary intervention was exactly what his body and brain needed. Through the elimination of specific foods and amping up others, his body was able to reset and find a new homeostatic level which then allowed healing to begin.
The rest is now history for our son. This wholesome diet eliminated stress on his body and allowed it to heal from the inside out. Years later we continue to adhere primarily to the guidelines you will find throughout this website since this type of diet allows one's body to function optimally. However, in addition, he can now enjoy certain treats during parties or events without the side effects he once experienced because once again, the diet allowed his body to rest, reset and rebuild. He is now able to thrive, to the best of his personal ability both physically and mentally.
And while this story of healing is incredible, it does not stand alone among children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or similar dysfunctions who have benefited significantly through comparable elimination-type diets. Physical symptoms of health and behavioral challenges associated with autism can be improved through appropriate nutrition.
I also must quickly interject an imperative message, and that is the fact that we are not setting out to "cure" our children, we are here to assist them in finding their best, happiest, and healthiest self. I mentioned above that when our son was very young, we wanted him to have the same life experiences we had; groups of friends, athletic trophies, prom, a job. But we thankfully came to recognize that each person's life needs to take on its own unique course, and that is a wonderful thing. Our son has and will continue to pave his own path in this life. And though it is different from the one my husband and I experienced, it is no less. This is a healthy and liberating mindset, it just takes a moment to warm up to and accept.
Lastly, I am 100% confident that nutrition is the most important thing we can do for health, no matter the challenge we are faced with. If you step back and look at that for a moment it makes sense. We are literally putting items in our mouth, swallowing them, and our body is processing and using whatever that item is and contains. The more natural and nutrient-rich, the easier and more efficiently the body can utilize that item.
As I'm sure you've noticed, I have created an e-course that compiles the exact dietary strategies that I implemented with our son. I didn't reinvent the wheel with this diet. It is simply a compilation of research and what I found to provide the greatest opportunity for dietary success in children with autism. This includes the above story of my son and other families that I have had the privilege to work with. Within this diet, I have also created printouts and helpful tools to make this healthy transition accessible to you and your family, even if your child has sensory issues or is non-verbal, as mine once was. So, if you feel so inclined at this moment, come with me on this journey and together we will discover how optimal health can be achieved for your child.
Wishing you the very best! XO
Crystal Jordan, B.I.S. (Bachelor of Integrated Studies- Nutrition, Health, and Family Studies)
Personal Titles- Founder, mother, wife, daughter, sister, born-caretaker, peacekeeper,
serious dog-lover (even if I can't get my family onboard), tired homeschooler, sometimes a disaster.
Firm Beliefs- 1) Nothing is better in life than a clean house that smells good.
2) Sweets taste the best when you can eat them in a dark room when nobody knows you're in there having the time of your life.
Personal Titles- Founder, mother, wife, daughter, sister, born-caretaker, peacekeeper,
serious dog-lover (even if I can't get my family onboard), tired homeschooler, sometimes a disaster.
Firm Beliefs- 1) Nothing is better in life than a clean house that smells good.
2) Sweets taste the best when you can eat them in a dark room when nobody knows you're in there having the time of your life.
