Dietary Infractions: Prevention and Response
To achieve success, it is important to adhere to the gluten-free, casein-free, and soya-free (GFCFSF). It is inevitable that your child will experience a dietary violation at some point. Some kids may not react at all, but many will. One bite of Goldfish or bread can trigger severe reactions such as GI discomfort, difficult behaviours, rashes or difficulty sleeping. This article will explain how to avoid dietary violations and what to do in the event that one occurs.
It explores strategies to minimize and address lapses in dietary compliance effectively. This guide emphasizes proactive measures to prevent deviations from dietary goals while offering practical steps to manage and recover from such occurrences. By understanding these principles, individuals can maintain consistency in their dietary choices and navigate setbacks with resilience and informed decision-making.
Preventing Dietary Infractions From Occurring
As with many other things, prevention is better than cure when it comes to dietary infractions. Let’s start with a few tips to help prevent dietary infractions.
- It can be easier when starting the diet to say “My child only consumes food at home.” “No exceptions.”
- No one can feed your child unless you give your permission.
- Inform your family and friends of the special diet.
- Keep an eye on your child at all family events, parties or gatherings.
- You can bring your own food to your child’s school to ensure that it is safe.
- Share your GFCFSF food with the other guests at your party so that your child doesn’t feel left out.
- Please include any special dietary needs in your child’s school record. IEP (Individualized Education Program).
- Teachers and therapists should know that they cannot feed your child unless you give them permission.
- Stock up on healthy snacks and treats to give them while they are at school.
- Give GFCFSF supplies to the staff so they can use them with your child.
- What’s in your food?
- Learn to read food labels, and identify hidden sources of gluten casein and soy.
- Check the ingredients of your products regularly. Manufacturers often change their formulas.
Empower your child to make safe choices for themselves
The best way to avoid dietary infractions is to make sure your child knows why they’re on the GFCFSF and how to advocate for themselves. You can’t protect your child every minute of the day.
Empowering your child with a clear understanding of why they are on the GFCFSF diet and how it supports their health is essential for fostering independence. Teaching them to advocate for themselves equips them with the skills to make informed food choices even when you’re not present. While you can’t monitor them constantly, providing them with knowledge and confidence in managing their diet helps them navigate situations with dietary restrictions more effectively.
Here are some suggestions on how you can help your child make smart choices:
- When your child is experiencing a dietary infraction first, you should help them understand that their symptoms are due to eating something with gluten or casein in it.
- Understanding the cause-and-effect relationship of diet is essential to self-managing!
- Teach your children what foods they are allowed to eat.
- Start by telling them that gluten, soy, and casein are bad for their body.
- When appropriate, teach your child to read labels.
- Model this behaviour even if your child cannot read when you go grocery shopping together.
- Encourage your child to discuss the importance of diet with their doctor.
- Make sure that your child knows how to tell others they are only allowed to eat certain foods.
- Role-playing with your children regularly will help them to learn how:
- When someone offers you food, accept it.
- Order food in a restaurant.
Reduce the effects of diet infractions
Accidents will happen no matter how careful you are in your prevention. Dietary mistakes indeed affect all children differently. However, some kids experience GI discomfort or regress until the effects of the food have cleared their system.
There are some products you can purchase that will help ease the symptoms that your child may be experiencing. These products work by binding, neutralizing or helping the body to break down the proteins in the offending foods more efficiently.
Digestive Enzymes
An enzyme containing DPP-IV can help your child’s body digest the gluten and casein proteins if given right after they eat the offending food.
- You can buy digestive enzymes on a prescription or without a prescription.
- Tri Enza is a product manufactured by Houston Enzymes that can assist in breaking down both the gluten and casein proteins. The product is available in powder, chewable tablet, and capsule form.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal acts as a binder to mop up any GI tract contents. It will stop the stomach from absorbing any harmful food. The charcoal will not be absorbed by your body, so whatever it binds with will pass through the stool.
Activated charcoal is a form of carbon that has been processed to have small, low-volume pores that increase its surface area and make it more porous. This porous structure allows activated charcoal to adsorb (not absorb) a variety of substances and molecules onto its surface. This adsorption process is due to the binding of particles or chemicals to the activated charcoal, which can then be excreted from the body.
Activated charcoal is commonly used in medicine and in various products for its ability to bind to toxins and chemicals, making it useful in emergency situations such as drug overdoses or poisonings. It is also used in water filtration systems to remove impurities and in skincare products for its purported ability to absorb excess oil and impurities from the skin.
- You should give the medication within 45-60 minutes of your child eating the food.
- Although activated charcoal may look gross, it has no taste or odour.
- You should keep it away from supplements and medications for at least two hours.
- If you notice constipation, take the charcoal with plenty of water and magnesium.
- You can buy activated charcoal in your local health foods store.
Alka-Seltzer Gold
Alka Seltzer Gold can be used to soothe sensitive or upset stomachs.
- Give the warning within 45-60 minutes after the offence.
- Alka Seltzer Gold is available at many drugstores or online.
- Alka-Seltzer Gold is required. Regular Alka-Seltzer will not work.
- Alka-Seltzer Gold is a product that has a flavour that many people find unpleasant.
Tri-Salts
Trisalts is a neutralizing electrolyte that helps stop mast cell reactions.
- Tri-Salts can be purchased at local health food stores or Amazon.
- You should give the medication within 45-60 minutes of your child eating the food.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can be used to neutralize the effect of foods that are causing you problems if you do not have Alka-Seltzer Gold.
Benadryl
Mast cells are found in abundance in the GI tract. It is therefore not unusual for a food infraction to cause a mast-cell reaction. Benadryl can be helpful if this happens.
- Target and Walgreens sell Benadryl for children that is dye-free.
- Consult your doctor before using any medication to get the correct dosage and instructions.
- Tri-Salts, as mentioned above can also alleviate symptoms of mast cell activation.
EPSOM BATHS
Epsom salts contain magnesium sulphate. Epsom salt contains magnesium, which helps to calm while sulphate aids in detoxification.
- Epsom salts are available at most drug stores.
- One (1) cup of warm water, up to the belly button, is usually enough.
The conclusion of the article is:
There are many ways to avoid dietary errors. Accidents can still happen, no matter how careful you are. We strongly recommend parents keep some of the above items on hand to ease their child’s symptoms and help their bodies process foods that are causing them harm.
