Natural Options for Healing And Reclaiming Medicine
Questions Frequently Asked of Shauna
How do I know if my child is (or I am ) a candidate for this Protocol?
1. If your child is displaying associated symptoms and/or has been diagnosed anywhere along the Autistic Spectrum (ADD, ADHD, Aspergers, Sensory Integration Disorder, Autism, etc.), then it's worth a look.
2. Especially if your child displays any of these particular symptoms:
A. Oversensitivity to sensory input
This is first and foremost, and I have rarely seen anyone in our program who didn’t display at least some of this. Sometimes it can be an overreaction to a single sensory source such as light, noise or certain sounds, but it’s often from combinations of input. This can manifest in ways such as not wanting to be around other people (especially in a classroom, restaurant or shopping mall), flinching, squinting or watering eyes in bright light, intensely smelling everything from fabrics to foods (sometimes getting very offended by strong smells), to always complaining that they are “being yelled at”. It can also induce claustrophobia and a tendency to physically strike out at anyone who gets too close. On the “touch” end, I’ve seen kids who refuse haircuts because they can’t stand the way the little cut hairs “hurt” them, who can’t stand wearing bedclothes, or who keep tearing off their clothes because of the little tags in the neck of a shirt. If your child hates going to the mall, doesn’t like to go to the movies, constantly sniffs all his/her food or hates all the shirts with tags on them, you’re probably looking at a case of sensory overload. Although it shows up in varying degrees, this is the most common of the issues and reflects the basis of the problem.
B. "Extreme" Dreaming
Frequent, horribly frightening and very realistic Technicolor nightmares that they have difficulty waking up from are quite common. Others might just dream very frequently and in extreme detail. Children often times don’t voluntarily tell their parents about these dreams, but it will manifest in a kid who always wants to sleep with Mom and Dad, or at the very least can’t sleep without a nightlight. Others tell long very-involved stories about the vivid dream they had the night before. At least 90% of the time these affected people tell me that the worst part of the dreams are that objects, people or quite commonly “demons” or other scary beasts, are “coming at them from everywhere”, or that they are being “pounced on” or otherwise attacked. Another strange aspect of these dreams is that for some reason in many people, the syndrome seems to invoke some of the darker areas of the subconscious resulting in dreams that the person is actually ashamed of for even thinking.
C. Impulsivity and/or "Blurting"
This can range from saying inappropriate things or acting out, all the way to violence – sometimes even extreme violence. A common statement to look for from older vocal children and adults is, “I know I shouldn’t be doing that, but I just can’t stop myself”, which is often accompanied by tears of frustration or recriminations that they are “a bad person”. It took me a long time to stop being shocked at some of the things children said to their parents or siblings, or sometimes even to me during office visits. These things range from the odd or inappropriate to incredibly sarcastic, cruel or lewd. I’ve had everything from kids who tell me how horrible their parents are, to those who started screaming and cursing at, or even hitting, their parent who was with them.
D. "Scenario Building", or hearing voices in their head
So common that it is nearly universal, is this “scenario building”. It involves hearing your own voice (or sometimes someone else’s) in your head making up wild stories and primarily-negative fantasies. In children (especially the younger ones) this manifests most often in fear and particularly in paranoia. They very often are afraid of other children, teachers, normally harmless animals, or of what they project someone may do to them – even their own parents! Some of the scenarios related to me by children have been absolutely chilling, and there have been some very shocked expressions on the faces of Moms who find out that their own beloved kids are afraid of them or their Fathers. It also shows up regularly as the “tall story teller” with a child who either wildly exaggerates or just commonly lies altogether. The thing to remember is that because of the high sensory input, this “tall tale” stuff is quite often not an exaggeration in their mind, but rather exactly as they remember it happening.
E. Related Physical Symptoms and Especially Digestive Complaints
Not always, but with enough regularity to definitely mention, I see that kids who fall into this category also have chronic stomach pains, diarrhea, rashes, eczema, allergies or asthma. Presenting with these symptoms alone I would not necessarily first consider our syndrome, but these often accompany the other more-recognizable ones.
How hard is this diet to follow? Can we still eat in restaurants?
The diet is actually relatively simple: No measuring or worrying about specific portions, or searching for foods and ingredients you’ve never heard of, and as long as you’re eating in restaurants that offer decent quality food, you’re usually going to be okay. And the best part is that the diet will be healthy, nutritious and delicious for the whole family – no reason to have to make more than one meal for the whole gang. A real plus for busy parents.
Back to TopHow do I get my picky-eater kid to eat healthier food and go without his/her favorites?
Actually, it’s probably much easier than you think. Unlike adults who are set in their ways, once you show kids a better way to go, they generally grab onto the changed lifestyle with gusto. I have seen two-year-olds (and older) who walk around with open bags of raw spinach eating from it like another kid might with a bag of potato chips. Besides, it’s not essential that you serve a large variety in order for this process to start working. If the child initially only seems to like a limited number of food items on the diet, then let them eat just those for a little while. Truthfully, that hasn’t really happened as yet with the clients who have come to see me, but that would be my general answer. Many of our most beneficial foods can also be blended into “smoothies” that most kids don’t have much problem with. Purees that mix meat and vegetables, or fruit and vegetables (not fruit with meat), can be very effective. I know some of this may sound a little far-fetched at first look, but trust me - the kids usually do just fine. It’s generally harder to change the habits of the parents, than of the kids!
Back to TopHow long will it take to see any results?
That’s hard to predict with any consistency as every case is different, although I need to reinforce that the people who adhere most strictly to this Protocol will always see the fastest results. As a general rule, the younger (and smaller) the child, the quicker the parents usually see some results. In general – let me stress that – IN GENERAL, we are seeing the first significant changes beginning within the first 10–30 days.
Back to TopIs this program expensive to take on?
In a word...no. Even with those clients who are able to come see us, we usually only recommend limited supplements, and the necessary food items can all be easily included on your family’s usual shopping list. If you’re not accustomed to eating anything beyond junk-food, then this will probably be somewhat more expensive for you. If you usually eat good quality foods, then you probably won’t notice a difference in your budget as the diet is mostly based on avoidance and substitution.
