Introductory Autism Talk at Bomaderry Preschool Fund Raiser

Written by Alvina Foo

By the time you read this, the statistic is probably already outdated. Nevertheless, it gives you a good idea of how fast these illnesses are progressing. We are faced with Childhood Epidemics. 

1 in 100 children diagnosed with Autism
1 in 100 children with ADHD
1 out of every 13 children diagnosed with asthma
1 out of every 20 children with food allergies
1 out of every 6 children suffers from eczema

As compared to some of the other developmental disorders, there is a rapid increase in Autism. Is Autism the tip of the iceberg in childhood illnesses?

What is Autism?

There are many types of autisms, there is not just the one type. Therefore, sometimes Autism is also called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism is a whole body, a biochemical and biological disorder. It is not a psychological disorder. 

The spectrum consists of Autistic disorder; Childhood Disintegrative Disorder; Persuasive Developmental Disorder - Not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS); Asperger's disorder and Rett's disorder. 

How would an autistic child present itself?

They are generally not very sociable. They have no interest in friends; avoid eye contact and prefer their own company. 

He or she may have problem communicating and may repeat words and phrases. 

An autistic child may display unusual behaviour such as, hand flapping; picky eating (sometimes only eating specific coloured food) and throw frequent tantrums.

They may have intense unusual interest in a specific topic which requires mechanical workings or be fascinated by facts and figures. 

This is an example of an autistic child…
"She always hated noise, people and busy places. She would scream, have a tantrum or cry because she was so overwhelmed."

Is there a single cause for Autism? Most people would like that answer to be a "Yes", then we can move on and find a cure for it. Unfortunately, it is a lot more complicated than that. I'm afraid we are looking at a multifactorial problem; genes interplaying with the environment. It cannot be a genetic epidemic, as this just doesn't occur in such a such period of time. Our environment, however has made drastic changes. 

The persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as DDT and PCB persist for years in the environment. They are stored in fatty tissue and biomagnify up to 10 million times…yes, 10 million times through the food chain. Some sea creatures are deemed as so toxic that their carcasses must be treated as toxic waste. 

"Tests Find More Than 200 Chemicals in Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood"made the headline in Dec 2009 in the American Scientific journal. In other findings, of the 287 toxins they found in newborn babies, 180 are known carcinogens, 217 are toxic to the nervous system and brain. 

Kids are more vulnerable to environmental toxicants than adults because:

There are more hand to mouth behaviour; more exposure to the ground; immature immune and detoxification system and higher absorption and metabolic rate.

It is also less comforting to know that our Australian preschoolers have higher levels of pesticide residues than our counterparts in America and Germany!

The question is no longer "Are we toxic?" It is rather "How toxic are we?"

So...what can we do about it? 

There're some simple measures that we can do to reduce exposure:

• Remove shoes at home
• Wash our hands before eating
• Keep indoor plants
• Minimise food packaging
• Eat organic food if it is possible

In regards to the last point,there is data suggesting that toddlers eating mostly organic food have less than 1/6 the pesticide residues in their urine. 

With the permission of Dr Debbie Fewtrell (NZ), who by the way is a great teacher and a passionate doctor. I was able to share the case history with the audience and show by using a biomedical approach, that we may be able to help many of these children. 

See link for Sienna's story:

http://www.nzwomansweekly.co.nz/your-stories/weekly-people/our-autistic-daughters-new-life/

I am a member of a non-profit organisation called MINDD Foundation. They provide a lot of wonderful resources for carers and healthcare practitioners. If you think that they're an organisation worth supporting, please either become a member or make a donation and help them make a difference!

Vegetarian Thai Green Curry (Shared by Kate Brumerskyj, Dietitian)

Serves 4

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 18 minutes

Ingredients:

·      1 1/2 cups medium-firm tofu, cubed

·      1 green bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces

·      1 to 1+1/2 cups chopped asparagus OR green beans

·      generous handful cherry tomatoes

·      3/4 can light and creamy coconut flavoured evaporated milk

·      1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable stock

·      1/2 cup fresh basil

·      2-3 fresh lime leaves

GREEN CURRY PASTE:

·      1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced

·      1/4 can light and creamy coconut flavoured evaporated milk

·      1-3 Thai green chilies

·      1 compressed cup chopped coriander/cilantro, leaves & stems

·      1 shallot, chopped

·      4-5 cloves garlic

·      1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, sliced

·      1 Tbsp. soy sauce

·      2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

·      1/2 tsp. ground cumin

·      1/2 tsp. ground coriander

·      1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

·      1 tsp. brown sugar

·      1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preparation:

1.     Place all 'green curry paste' ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz to create a fragrant green curry paste (you may need to add more evaporated milk if using a blender). To make sauce by hand: Mince and stir all sauce ingredients together in a bowl, OR use a pestle & mortar to mash dry ingredients followed by liquid ingredients. Set aside.

2.     Place a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp. oil and swirl around, then add all the green curry paste you just made. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.

3.     Add the tofu. Stir-fry until well saturated with sauce.

4.     Add the stock plus lime leaves. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer 5 minutes.

5.     Add the evaporated milk, plus vegetables (except basil) and continue simmering 5-7 minutes, or until softened.

6.     Remove curry from heat and taste-test for salt and spice. If not salty enough, add a sprinkle more salt. If too salty for your taste, add another squeeze of lime juice. If too spicy, add more coconut milk. If you'd like it sweeter, add a little more sugar.

Serve directly out of the wok, or transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle over the fresh basil (slice larger leaves into shreds). Sliced red chili can also be used as a topping, or to add more spice. Serve with a low Glycaemic Index (GI) rice such as low GI brown rice or Doongara rice.

(Original recipe thanks to about.com)

Tips in maintaining healthy skin in winter

Healthy Skin in Winter

Winter weather can be harsh on your skin. In winter the skin produces less oil and with the drying effects of heaters being on in the home, long hot showers and the cold air outside, the skin can be further depleted of its natural moisture. This can cause the skin to feel tight and dry and even create a flaky appearance. See below for five tips on maintaining healthy skin once the temperature starts to drop:

1.       Get enough sleep

Getting plenty of sleep aids healthy skin. During the deepest stages of sleep, cell and tissue repair is at its peak. Limited or disrupted sleep patterns can dramatically affect the effectiveness of this restorative process.

2.       Moisturise

Be mindful that the skin can dry out very quickly indoors. Use a quality skincare moisturiser such as McArthur Complete Skincare Cream, regularly during colder months to prevent problems associated with dry skin.

3.       Avoid very hot baths and showers

It’s very enticing to indulge in a hot shower or bath on a cold day, but beware that the hot water can rob the skin of moisture leading to dry skin. Keep showers and baths lukewarm or alternatively if you like it hot, try and cut down the duration.

4.       Exfoliate

By exfoliating frequently you are stripping the skin of dead cells which allows the skin to retain extra moisture. Any moisturiser applied after exfoliation will therefore be more successful in maintaining healthy skin. 

5.       Take advantage of the power of natural ingredients

Natural ingredient such as pawpaw is high in vitamins A, C and E, antioxidants and enzymes which are essential for healthy skin. Try a combination of eating the raw fruit, plus applying products such as McArthur Natural Products.