I do, however, want to clarify a few things.
In the first article published in our local Albert Lea Magazine, there was some incorrect information that unfortunately, downplayed the amazing things that happened.
- they wrote that I first noticed Kaiden's sensitivity to nightshades when I started keeping a log of what he ate. NOT QUITE correct - I had been keeping his food log for months, but didn't connect the dots until I realized I had to keep track of what I ate, too (because of breast milk).
- they wrote that "eventually, in conjunction with a calcium supplement, his seizures stopped". NO!! The calcium supplement had nothing to do with his seizures - it did not stop or slow them. Trying the calcium supplement and seeing increased cognitive function is when I began looking into TNI (Targeted Nutrition Intervention).
- they wrote that in 4 to 6 months, Kaiden excelled. NO!!! In THREE short WEEKS, he gained 4 to 6 months in development.
- they wrote the whole family is on the paleo diet. NOT QUITE. It's really just myself and Kaiden. My husband eats what I cook here at home, but eats whatever he wants otherwise.
In the many very appreciated!!! shares, some are writing that going paleo "cured" Kaiden's seizures.
This is not what happened.
I mean, sort of yes, but not exactly. This needs clarification! "Paleo" has many different versions. Paleo at its easiest, is being grain, dairy, and legume free. There is also Primal (allows some dairy & nightshades), Raw (everything is raw, including meat, can also include nightshades), Auto-immune (eliminates nightshades, nuts, & eggs, as well as grain, dairy, & legumes), etc.
I had Kaiden grain & dairy free about 5 months before the seizures stopped just simply because I'd read that with Down Syndrome, he was more likely to be gluten and lactose intolerant. He was not legume nor nightshade free at that time. It was solely dependent upon eliminating nightshades (and the carrots & sweet potatoes as discovered early on) that eliminated his seizures. It wasn't until seeing that Kaiden needed to be grain, dairy, AND nightshade free, that we went whole hog, so to speak (and yeah, slightly pun intended) with paleo.
I just don't want anyone out there thinking I'm claiming that "going paleo" cured his seizures, because I'm not, and I never have. There are many different versions of paleo. Many are NOT nightshade free. Carrots ARE allowed in all versions of paleo, yet Kaiden is sensitive to them. Some say sweet potatoes are okay to eat as well on paleo, and some say they are not. Kaiden is sensitive to them.
Kaiden is almost on the auto-immune version of paleo, with the exception of nuts. He does just fine with nuts. He is sensitive to eggs, too, so he gets limited quantities of those - and only if they are mixed into something else; he does not tolerate them by themselves.
