Kaiden's diet

As individuals with Down Syndrome are more likely to be lactose and gluten intolerant, I made the decision to go not only dairy free, but completely legume and grain free.  I'm not crazy.  This is how our ancestors ate.  This is also the ancient Taoist diet - and I mean ancient, before the 5 sacred grains.  Think, if you were a caveman or part of a nomadic tribe . . . you picked it fresh and ate it as you went.  Basically what's called the "paleo diet" or the "raw" diet . . . except I cook our meats . . . I say cavemen had fire and knew how to use it!  I do cook some veggies as well, and I do know that anything heated higher than 118F, the heat begins to destroy essential enzymes and nutrients. 
 
Dairy free?  But didn't you know you can get soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk you say?  What is this obsession people have with drinking milk?  Milk comes from animals . . . not plants - that's not milk and never will be.  It just looks like milk to make those who are lactose intolerant feel more normal, like they are drinking milk like anybody else.  Who first looked at a cow and decided that should be our primary source of calcium instead of fresh foods anyway? And why are people today so squeamish about breastmilk?  It's human milk, meant for human children to consume.  It's best suited to their needs.  Cow's milk is best suited to calves.  Soy and rice are grains, so they aren't even an option in my book.  Yes, I do realize there are situations where breastmilk is not an option . . . you do what you gotta do.

Grain free you say?  Why?  Well, because grains inhibit absorbtion of certain nutrients, calcium being one of them.  Calcium is essential to the nervous system and as Kaiden was already having trouble with that, why make it harder for him?  Grains are not an essential part of our diet.  They're just convenient these days.  We also stay away from as much processed foods as possible.

A little vent here . . . I don't think the government wants us to be healthy . . . think about the FDA and what they have approved as food - all sorts of non-food artificial colors, preservatives, flavorings, etc.  And, if we all stopped eating processed foods, dairy, and grains, think of all those people who would be out of jobs.  Farmers . . . unless they switched to growing something else.  People who work in the factories that make our processed "foods".  People who work in the factories that make the packaging.  People would be healthier, so there would be much less need for doctors, nurses, clinics, hospitals, etc.  But I digress . . .

Back to Kaiden's diet.  If we take away dairy, legumes, grains, and now nightshade foods, what the heck is left to feed him, you say?  Plenty!  Kaiden eats:

Beef
Chicken
Turkey
Pork
Fish
Walnuts
Pecans
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Almonds
Pine nuts
Coconut
Acorn squash
Butternut squash
Spaghetti squash
Summer squash
Zucchini
Cauliflower
Rutabaga
Turnip
Asparagus
Kohlrabi
Cucumbers
Radishes
Cabbage
Celery
Mushrooms
All lettuces/leafy greens including Spinach
Fresh/dried herbs
Onion
Garlic
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Pears
Cranberries (sweetened)
Cherries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Mangoes (frozen, got a rash from fresh)
Strawberries
Pineapple
Avocados
Grapes
Hemp – yes, you can eat it!  You can get it dried/powdered like you buy your spices & herbs.
Maple syrup

I use olive oil to cook with.

Kaiden drinks my breastmilk as well as water.  Juices are fine but he doesn’t get them that often, once/twice per week usually or less:
Apple
Orange
Blueberry
Grape (purple, healthier for you than white)
Prune

Did you know you can actually get fresh squeezed, not-from-concentrate juices at Walmart?  Priced decently too.

Technically, maple syrup, olive oil, and juices are processed foods.  But any processed foods I buy I make sure are 100% natural - just real food, no other crap.
 
There's plenty more fresh foods out there than the short list above.  It's true, once you switch to whole foods, you lose your taste for processed foods.  I actually feel ill now after eating processed foods with crap ingredients.  Oreos are my nemesis . . . and yes, I do realize some of that passes thru my breastmilk to Kaiden.  That's why they are very rare treats.