Like most parents of young children I know, I’ve been scrambling to buy school supplies and revert back to strict bedtime routines to prepare Ethan to start school in just over a week. Additionally, since Ethan lives with an Autism Spectrum Disorder – Asperger’s Syndrome – I’ve also been busy working to prepare information to be shared with his new classroom teacher next week at “Meet the Teacher” night.
Every year I tend to do the same thing(s) and I’ve had rave reviews from teachers, administrators and support staff, so I wanted to share some ideas.

Ethan and I have spent some time with the masses this week at a very busy theme park. And, like all the others, this theme park sells not just bottled water, but also a variety of other drinks (think: sodas, frozen lemonades and electrolyte drinks like Gatorade and PowerAde). Now, it is no secret that at one time I was totally addicted to Dr Pepper. Trust me, I know it tastes good and sometimes feels like it is the most thirst-quenching thing ever created. I love the sweet, fizzy feel and taste of it and had to literally detox myself down from the stuff a few years ago. I knew the empty calories weren’t doing my figure any good, but when I learned that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS – which is used to sweeten most sodas) has mercury, I gave the Dr. “the boot.”
But I digress…Ethan has always been primarily a water drinker. I do allow some juice and an occasional glass or two of chocolate almond- or hemp-milk. I have never felt that Gatorade and PowerAde (with stiff artificial colorings) are a good thing for developing bodies and brains, so Ethan was never introduced to the stuff. Here’s the thing though – Ethan appears to be in the minority. As looked around at the many families we encountered livin’ it up in the heat, I realized that most children [understandably] prefer sweet sodas (often of the caffeinated variety) or colorful electrolyte drinks; but what astounded me was that these kids’ parents supply said drinks seemingly without a moment’s thought or hesitation.

My local National Autism Association Chapter recently hosted a nutrition seminar presented by Elizabeth Strickland. Elizabeth is a registered dietitian specializing in nutrition therapy for individuals living with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Much of what Elizabeth shared pertained directly to my family as we are raising a child with ASD; but so much of what she shared pertains to all of my friends’ children (even neurotypical children), too, they just may not know it yet!
In our fast-paced society with many convenient “food” options for lives lived on the run, “We often forget about basic nutrition,” says Strickland.
She’s right. I don’t know many families who don’t eat fast food several times a week. With very concerning information out there about fast food, like the information found in this article about McDonald’s chicken nuggets, I think it is important to get back to the basics and set our children up for success with basic, wholesome nutrition.

Two weeks ago I wrote about Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup here. Because Mercury, also known as “Hg,” is the most toxic, non-radioactive element on the planet, and a verified neurotoxin, I wanted to continue the discussion of the dangers of Mercury.
Did you know that the US alone releases an estimated 200 metric tons of mercury into the environment each year? Once released into the atmosphere, it returns to earth as rain and pollutes every body of water and the soil on which it falls. This is something we as a society should be aware of when looking at our energy resources and changes that we make – as a society – going forward.
Further, Mercury can enter the body in three ways that we have much more immediate control over than exposure from dirty air: 1) Fish consumption, 2) Dental Amalgam Fillings, 3) Flu Vaccines. While a “safe” level of Mercury has never been truly identified, the US EPA recommends no more than 0.1 mcg/Kg of body weight per day.

About a year ago I attended the ARI (Autism Research Institute) conference in Dallas and heard a few speakers discuss how our environment is greatly affecting the health of this generation of kids, especially our kids on the Autism Spectrum. I walked away feeling overwhelmed but also armed with knowledge plus a thirst to learn more and motivation to share what I learn. At that conference I heard for the first time that High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) – used in everything from soft drinks to candy bars to white bread loaves and a million other processed foods in between – contains Mercury. I remember thinking Mercury? Really?
A known neurotoxin in our soft drinks? Our candies? Our loaves of bread for heaven’s sake? Seems ridiculous, but there is data out there to support it. With Halloween coming up, I wanted to share this oh-so-spooky information because so much of the candy our kids get from door-to-door trick-or-treating will have HFCF as the primary or only sweetener. But, aside from Halloween, this concern – or threat, if you will - is ongoing, in my opinion.