Last updated on November 26, 2023
Podcast Episode 0035; Season 03, Episode 07; December 10, 2019
Baking was, for many years, a favorite hobby. I love cookies and cakes. I enjoy all things high in carbohydrates, unfortunately. Fat? You have to use butter in baking. Real butter, ideally the Amish or European butter brands.
I’m not a picky eater unless you consider it “picky” to like fine pastries and excellent Italian cooking.
For more than ten years, I’ve counted calories and tracked nutritional intake. I’ve tried to balance my carbs, proteins, fats, and fiber. A donut? That meant soup and salad for dinner, with a low-carb dressing. That pizza I love? It has to be thin crust and I need to offset those carbs.
Even when I was 200 pounds, my body mass index could be misleading. BMI can suggest someone is with an expected weight range for a given height, but it doesn’t account for muscle. (That’s why BMI charts suggest athletes are “obese” when they’re obviously not.) I’m active, with low blood pressure and a low (50 beats per minute) resting heart rate.
Unfortunately, daily exercise and a balanced diet wasn’t enough to stop Type 2 Diabetes. So, now, I have a diet I don’t enjoy because I’d rather be healthy and live a long life.
Transcript (lightly edited)
Hello and welcome to The Autistic Me Podcast. I am Christopher Scott Wyatt, speaking as The Autistic Me.
For this episode, I’m responding to a question from a Facebook follower. Remember, you can find us on Facebook at The Autistic Me.
The question from a parent was whether or not I have any special dietary issues.
[00:00:26] No.
Technically that’s not accurate, though.
I do [have dietary issues], but they are not autistic-related.
I have been diagnosed as prediabetic within the last two years. And so, I now watch my carb intake more than before. And I monitor my blood sugar. However, before that diagnosis, I ate anything and everything that you might expect.
[00:00:55] I am, in particular, a sweet tooth for pastries, cookies, cakes, you know, any dessert. I love my breads, my pastas. I am certainly not in the gluten-free category. I have no allergies to any food that I am aware of and I don’t react poorly to anything I can think of.
Overall, I would say that I have no dietary restrictions other than eating a more balanced and healthy diet.
[00:01:30] When parents and caregivers ask me about autistic individuals and dietary restrictions, my first question for those parents is if the autistic child has been tested for any allergies or other medical conditions.
I am not an expert. I am not a dietician or an M.D., but I do know that dietary issues are common in our society.
[00:02:05] In a normal first or second grade, it’s not uncommon to have three or four or five kids, even, with notable allergies and sensitivities.
For a number of reasons, we have seen an increased incidence of diabetes in our culture, both early-onset, juvenile diabetes, Type One diabetes. And, later, acquired pancreatic diabetes, Type Two diabetes often associated with insulin production and intake problems.
[00:02:37] So we do see dietary issues in our general population. And I’m wondering if some of those are just more noticeable in the autism community because we pay so much attention to diet and other external factors.
I am aware of several autistics with gluten sensitivity, with Crohn’s disease, and with other very serious medical conditions.
[00:03:06] One autistic, I know has a severe allergy to strawberries. Another is allergic to tree nuts. These allergies happen.
But then, people immediately ask, “Do you think it’s related to autism?”
I don’t know if there are solid data-based studies on the prevalence of dietary issues within the autism community.
[00:03:32] Autistic individuals certainly do have diet preferences that are often heightened. And I believe that often in young children these dietary preferences, and the nutritional challenges presented by these dietary preferences, lead to digestive issues.
[00:04:00] So, for example, I have met parents of young autistic children who have been giving into single food preferences or very narrow preferences. And whether we associate the problems with the autism or with the diet, it really doesn’t matter. The child has a problem. The lack of a balanced diet can certainly lead to severe issues.
One child had a preference for fruit and veg, but wouldn’t eat protein or carbohydrates had a severe digestive problem, which would quite honestly be expected if you are eating nothing but tree fruit.
[00:04:39] If you’re eating nothing but fruit and then having dietary issues and digestive tract issues, really not a surprise.
Another parent explained to me that she had to give her child nothing but the deep-fried chicken nuggets because that is all the child would eat. And again, the child had dietary issues ranging from severe constipation to stomach pain.
[00:05:05] Those discomforts, with the help of a doctor, were determined to be the lack of a balanced diet. And the doctor had to prescribe a laxative supplement.
What happens is that autism causes a dietary set of preferences that result in poor nutritional value or unbalanced nutritional intake.
[00:05:30] And we certainly struggle with that in the autistic community, especially with children who have such strong preferences or routines.
If someone is only going to eat a small, small slice of what would be the “nutritional plate” that is now used in schools (instead of the nutritional pyramid) that sliver of a plate might only be carbs or might only be fibrous vegetables, or might only be protein.
[00:06:00] Any one of those narrow choices instead of a complete diet can lead to vitamin deficiency. Certainly, you can have mineral deficiencies as well.
We see that children not getting those balanced plates throughout the day have dietary issues. They have intestinal problems, they have digestive problems, and they certainly have what parents associate with autism.
[00:06:29] They call it a sensitive gut and there’s really no way around the cause and effect problem here.
As I said, I don’t have any preferential issues that I’m aware of.
I like all food. I love it.
My wife and I collect cookbooks. We download recipes and experiment. There’s really nothing that I don’t like.
Our daughters are normal in terms of their diets, too.
[00:06:56] And, unfortunately, like all little kids they like their carbs a lot, especially sugars including both natural and added sugar. It’s our responsibility as parents to watch their diets and make sure that we insist upon a balanced meal three times a day. It is a challenge.
We do have the same challenges that other parents have.
[00:07:20] We have to explain to our children, “You need to eat your protein.” Now the protein may take various forms depending on your family and your values. I know vegans and vegetarians who look to alternative sources of protein. That’s certainly great.
[00:07:40] As long as the child’s getting protein and you consult with a doctor or a nutritionist and make sure that you’re getting a complete intake of everything that the child needs.
I don’t think you should ever make dietary decisions for a child or a young adult without consulting a physician and maybe a dietician. I guess I’m very careful, myself, to talk to my doctor since becoming a prediabetic.
[00:08:05] I know that the prediabetes was triggered by anemia. I had a medical condition that was causing severe anemia and that contributed to some blood sugar issues. Working with the doctor and using a dietary tracker on my smartphone, I am careful.
[00:08:30] Really the only advice I can give when you are considering whether or not to try a gluten-free, casein-free diet: know the potential benefits and know any potential challenges you will have.
The most common challenge for families looking at special diets would be the cost. Organic food, low-carb foods, those special diets, whether it’s a GFCF or other diets that you might consider, the food is more expensive.
[00:08:59] There is no question that shopping for organic produce is more expensive. Shopping for stone-ground whole wheat and whole grains is more expensive.
There is a financial challenge to adopting what might be an ideal diet. And that’s also why I ask, “Is it really necessary or is there something you can and work through with your pediatrician or your family physician?”
[00:09:26] I have been asked if I think that our daughters or myself, if our sensitivities are triggered or heightened by certain foods.
I can tell you that I’m actually agitated and discontented because I can’t have my donuts and my chocolate on a regular basis. Thankfully, there are ways around any special diet, but again, it gets costly.
[00:09:50] Since developing the prediabetes, I am very careful to reduce carb intake, which means using sugar substitutes. It means looking at alternatives to traditional white flour. I have looked at alternatives to even the semi-sweet chocolates, going with the bittersweet and the 100% cocoa.
What you find is there are ways to locate recipes online on Pinterest and Facebook and elsewhere.
[00:10:18] There are some really wonderful websites that will give you substitution guides for having a low-carb diet, in my case.
There are very good GFCF diet websites, if you do want to experiment with those.
I am not going to give up cookies, I am not going to give up pastries, or any of the other things I enjoy, but what I’m going to do is modify how I prepare meals and desserts.
[00:10:41] Modifying the meals has meant switching out from potatoes cauliflower; switching from rice, again, cauliflower. Not a problem.
I am more likely now to go with green beans and beans instead of something like yams that are high in natural sugars. Like corn. Corn is certainly on the “do not touch” list for a prediabetic.
[00:11:07] I’m learning how to adapt. And I think you could do that with other special diets.
The parent who was asking me on Facebook about special diets had heard that you can cure or reduce autism through diet.
And I honestly am not qualified to say one way or the other.
[00:11:31] I will tell you my autistic traits are exacerbated more when I’m hungry and they are certainly more pronounced when I’m not eating what I enjoy. I am far more agitated just because I can’t have the donut I want or the cookie that I want while at work than I would be if I have a special diet.
So for me, it is more that hunger pain certainly leads to a foul mood.
[00:11:56] And we noticed that that’s true for our six-year-old, too. If she’s in a foul mood, part of it might be that she is simply hungry. And so that’s something we do monitor.
I am sorry that I don’t have better advice on so many of these topics that parents ask for help with.
I can only provide assistance and insights based on what I’ve experienced or what I’ve observed.
[00:12:19] I am certainly going to say that again.
As a teacher and a parent, I am aware of far more food allergies now. Far more issues with diabetes and other diseases. In particular, there’s an uptick in Crohn’s being diagnosed. I don’t know if there’s actually more Crohn’s disease, but certainly more diagnoses among the students that I see.
[00:12:43] I am painfully aware of the food allergies. They are not all peanuts. A lot of people assume that when we talk about food allergies in the schools, we’re talking peanuts and peanut butter. But as I said, berries are common. Tree nuts, not just peanuts. I do know people who are gluten sensitive and we can’t dismiss that.
[00:13:07] Another one that is very common, especially among young children, is lactose intolerance. A lot of times parents will try diets that move from the glutens and the carbohydrates. They move to yogurts and yogurt, squeeze treats, and other things like that. Things that actually have a high milk content. Cottage cheese is another one. String cheese.
[00:13:32] And so the child’s eating these cheeses and then having a reaction and it turns out to be lactose intolerance. That’s not uncommon in the general population. It’s not necessarily an autism thing.
I’m hoping that we do get more data over time that’s more conclusive, from some respected sources in our universities and research centers.
[00:13:57] But I’m more predisposed to believe that these are general population issues that we simply become more aware of because we pay so much attention as parents and as individuals.
As an autistic individual, when I hear, “Oh, there might be something that helps you be less anxious that might reduce your sensory sensitivity!”
[00:14:16] I want to try it, but quite honestly, I don’t see how not eating a donut is going to decrease my sensory issues or how not having cookies will somehow help me focus and think clearly.
I just haven’t found that to be the case.
And as I said, if anything, I thrive on, or at least I did before the prediabetes diagnosis, I thrived on having something, little snacks all the time.
[00:14:42] Part of that is also that I’m very active. My weight is where the doctor wants it to be. I’m in good health. I cycle. I ride my exercise bike at least six and a half, seven miles a day. Usually double that. I ride my bike with the kids outside. I have rollerblades. I go ice skating. So I’m doing all of these things that also offset the increase in prediabetes warning signs.
[00:15:11] I can offset the prediabetes with exercise, and I think that’s just good health practice.
When I see children who are having problems, I want to remind parents to make sure that your child is getting that well-rounded diet all of the nutritional value that a child needs to develop properly.
[00:15:31] And to exercise. You cannot, you cannot, promote exercise enough in this society.
When so many of us are sitting around playing video games or chatting on our phones or using our tablets, we are at risk of becoming couch potatoes in our daily lives. And that’s very disconcerting when I see children doing that.
I do encourage our children to go outside two or three times a week, beyond what they do at school.
[00:16:00] And I hope that that helps their bodies and minds as well.
So in summation, as I said, I really am sorry that I don’t have a better answer for the parent, but in terms of dietary special needs, the only special need I have is recent. And since I am now 50 years old, I didn’t notice any special things growing up, positive or negative, in terms of what I ate.
[00:16:25] What I have always needed is a good balanced diet along with, quite honestly, my occasional sweet tooth.
Activity. That really is what I need. I need to be active. And I know that’s not a great, complete answer, but it’s the answer I can give as The Autistic Me.
You’ve been listening to The Autistic Me Podcast.
[00:16:49] I am Christopher Scott Wyatt. I look forward to our next meeting. Thank you very much.
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