RE: BUTTER - LISA ACK. where are you?

[Guest guest]

I'm not , but I do have a comment about this. I think all of us are

committed to our children; I think we are only committed to the diet

insofar as it is helping or we are hoping it might help our children. The

problem wasn't that gluten and casein are " bad " ; the problem is that our

kids' ability to process gluten and casein is damaged. None of us likes

having to put our children, and in some cases our whole family, on a

highly restrictive diet. We would like our children to eat healthily and

if the diet has helped with that, would not want to abandon those

particular

changes. But honestly, if we were quite sure there was a way for our

children's bodies to process gluten and casein properly (and while I

understand some believe this I am not convinced at this point) most of us

would make this choice for our children rather than maintaining the diet.

And certainly, if I was to find out that a particular food (like butter,

maybe) didn't have to be considered off-limits any more, I'd be happy that

that limitation could be removed. I think there is some question as to

what a " gfcf " diet really means, especially now with apparent reportings

that soy breaks down similarly to gluten and casein, and I also think it's

very difficult (though I'm not saying impossible) to actually be 100

percent

gfcf constantly, no matter how hard you try. If you are convinced that

only strict adherence to a particular regimen of elimination will help

your child, or if you're starting out and want to make absolutely sure

you're giving this every opportunity to work, you may want to avoid

anything that anybody questions. But I don't think that those who don't

find that their child needs gfcf by the strictest definition available are

" wrong " for not following a particular definition, and I don't think that

those who for some reason can't manage a completely strict diet in the

narrowest sense should be discouraged from trying at all. This list can

be supportive of all levels of participation and adherence. Some people

have to be " free " of a lot of other things besides gluten and casein, but

not all of us have to do that. If this diet helps my daughter, I will

probably mention it to others as a possibility, but not as a " must " or a

" cure " . And if I find out that butter or anything else that my daughter

likes to eat really doesn't have to be withheld from her, I'll certainly

let her have it. I'm not at all ready myself to buy into enzymes as a

substitute for the diet, but wouldn't all of us really be happy if the day

came when our children's problems could be eliminated at the source and no

child would ever again have to be on the diet? If the diet really helps,

I would think you would be avid in its support and rigorous in its

maintenance for your child, but I think we should remember that the diet

is a necessary means and may or may not continue to be a necessary means

for life; it is not an end in itself.

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

I certainly agree; nobody on this list should appologize for wanting to be

sure of the facts! Facts are what we all would like, but sometimes it's

hard to get through the " theories " and " interpretations " to actual facts.

That's why it's hard sometimes to decide what is or is not ok!

Cheryl