Coconut Oil/Ketones and Autism... suggestions needed! page 2

[PHaselow]

Yes - coconut oil can cause GI issues for many people. You may want to start very slowly and work your way up. Coconut oil can just be added a little bit here and there to foods and during cooking.

I used to make a coconut oil bark that was amazing. I would toast coconut flakes in a mixture of coconut oil and butter then add honey and dark chocolate. Press it all down in to a pan, cool it, and cut it in to bars. It is the most delicious coconut dessert ever made.

Yes, that does sound like the most delicious dessert ever made! I have all of the ingredients for the bark... I was going to make it anyway but wasn't planning on using the coconut oil until you mentioned it. Thanks!

[PHaselow]

I'm not an expert on autism but I have read a lot about MCT oil use for pediatric epilepsy and the two conditions do overlap in a lot of cases.
There is a lot of info and support at the AtkinsForSeizures.com site much of it from parents sharing tips on keeping kids happy with a strict ketogenic protocol. Lots of recipes and things too. Perhaps it could help.

That is what the Well Being Journal article spoke of; the epilepsy help, too.

I cooked their basmati rice (I don't eat it) with a can of coconut milk. I'm trying to put it in everything: pancakes, eggs, hot chocolate, rice, etc. This is a 2 month experiment and I hope I can keep it up!

coconut milk ice cream... yum. The ideas are flooding in!

[PHaselow]

You could also try Ayam powdered coconut milk for some flexability. For instance on the back of my current pack is a recipe for lemon coconut cupcakes. AYAM Australia Homepage has recipes of which many could be adapted.
Fats will help with "lubricated" movements, but the loose stool could be related to straight fat ingestion, because folk on the spectrum need to pay extra attention to probiotic levels according to Dr. Campbell-McBride's protocol.

The coconut oil will help deal with any candida overgrowth. Based on his diet, I am sure he has some problems. I give him 30 billion count/day of probiotics on top of that. So many things to try for Autism, it is hard not to get lost.

[Urban Forager]

You can also add coconut butter along with coconut oil when you make the bark that's what we do. If I add a sweetener I use xylitol.

[Betorq]

Hi everyone,

I am going to put my 11 yr old son on coconut oil to hopefully gain some focus/improved mental function. He is on the Autism spectrum but is not seriously affected. In doing my reading, there is no way I can get enough MCFAs into him with supplements, so I need to use the actual oil.

Any suggestions on how to get a child to take a few TBSP of coconut oil per day? Today I used maybe 1T in/on his gluten free pancakes and again put about a teaspoon into some hot chocolate. I suppose I could try to get him to take it right off of the spoon (he used to take fish oil that way as a toddler)... but wondering how all of you get your oil daily. Also, is coconut butter lower in MCFA content? I have that in my cupboard, too.

There are a few good refined MCFA oils on the market. You might look into that as well. But there are some very high quality oils out there too, lots of so-so ones too, so caveat emptor. This, according to my buddy who owns this site & is Hawaiian & a certified coconut nut, is supposedly the best coconut oil there is commercially available, Pangaia Pantree - Raw Foods Products Organic Centrifuge Extracted Coconut Oil

Organic Raw Centrifuge Extracted Coconut Oil is the purest oil available anywhere. Coconut Oil has been said to the "Healthiest Oil on Earth." It is among the most stable of all oils, slow to oxidize and is most resistant to rancidity.

• 16 oz $12
• 32 oz $22
• 1 gallon pail $60
• 1 gallon glass $60

If you have tricks for kids, that is particularly helpful. As mentioned above, he is gluten free.

For anyone interested, there is a nice article in the Sept/Oct issue of Well Being Journal on this subject (but no mention of how much oil to use or how to use it!). I'm going to take the oil, too.

Thanks.

Yeah, I saw that article in the WBJ. Every month's issue has something terrific in it, imo. A really great health magazine, with no BS CW info. They are online also, Well Being Journal. My only recommendation would be this, try to limit the empty carbs, pre-ferment any pancakes or other grainy or pseudo-cereal things you make, emphasize the kales & dark leafy greens (excellent advice for anyone). Keep the sweets, even stevia or alcohol sugar ones, to a minimum, as some people report anything sweet tasting raises their insulin & bg. It doesn't effect me that way, not noticeably, but I am not typical.

You can also add coconut butter along with coconut oil when you make the bark that's what we do. If I add a sweetener I use xylitol.

I use erythritol instead of xylitol, as it gives a sugar-like crunch to baking that I never found with xylitol. I add a pinch of stevia to the erythritol & that works great to create sweetness. Not as often as I used to since getting more serious with PB. But it's still airtight tripled wrapped in my storage unit in Calif, flying there in just over a month...

[Alex Good]

The big thing for autistics is sugar. Without too much of it we're practically normal.

EDIT: By normal I mean not as easily overwhelmed. We still have better thought processes than the normies...

[Drumroll]

I myself, am on the autistic spectrum somewhat. Unfortunately, I cannot say that the primal diet, ketosis, coconut oil (and I eat a LOT of the stuff ) has done much to help me with it.

I mean, I've lost weight, leaned out, gained a fresh outlook on life, have way more energy, feel great overall. But as for my autistic symptoms (such as they are anyway)?

Yeah, I've not noticed too much of a change since moving over to my VLC/high fat primal diet. Sorry to be a mood killer.

I'll preface this by saying that I eat almost no dairy except for the occasional piece of raw cheese, no grains and gluten free, regularly do daily intermittent fasts of 16 - 24 hours, go for long walks regularly, eat TONS of fermented veggies for good gut flora (gotta love probiotics), eat tons of leafy green veggies as well, and I drink lots of tea (I'd say my antioxidant levels are pretty dang high in my diet).

I'm doing almost everything right with my diet and I am a better person for it. But I've never read or seen anything on the subject of ketosis, coconut oil, ect. for helping with autism (though I know it can be extremely useful for epileptics), and I'd say I am pretty much full on with that program already. Unfortunately, no changes have been noticed from my personal experience. But I still encourage you to try! Best of luck.

If anything, you'll know your child is ahead of the game nutritionally and you are at least building a solid foundation for his body's future.

[DeeDub]

I have a boy at the "high functioning" end if the spectrum. The only dietary change that appears to have had a meaningful impact was eliminating gluten. That change appears to have lessened his volatility, but honestly, even that is hard to quantify. We have stopped searching for magic dietary bullets and are focusing on behavioral side of things.

Best of luck to you - it's a hell of a journey!

[Drumroll]

I have a boy at the "high functioning" end if the spectrum. The only dietary change that appears to have had a meaningful impact was eliminating gluten. That change appears to have lessened his volatility, but honestly, even that is hard to quantify. We have stopped searching for magic dietary bullets and are focusing on behavioral side of things.

Best of luck to you - it's a hell of a journey!

This is about what I was trying to say in regards to myself. And yes, really, how WOULD you quantify something like "less volatility?" Seems like a loaded thing to quantify since it's almost an opinion-based judgement.

[PHaselow]

The big thing for autistics is sugar. Without too much of it we're practically normal.

EDIT: By normal I mean not as easily overwhelmed. We still have better thought processes than the normies...

Sugar is the hardest to eliminate. I admit I let him eat too much sugar. He is so darned bright, but hard to teach. Lack of focus and a lingering language delay (working memory deficit). Very tough to control the diet of a middle schooler!

Tackle the sugar. I function poorly with it; so why not him? Thanks. Nothing better than hearing from grown-up spectrum people. Gives me hope for my son. He's come so far (nonverbal until age 4).