Chapter 9 The Complete Un-Prescription Action Plan A Year of Ideas to Keep You Going Let’s start an exciting year for you and your child! I’ll take you through a sample year, week by week. At the beginning, I’ll start slowly, just as I would in real life, focusing on the basic support protocols, getting organized, and regaining some calm and control in your life. As the weeks and months go by, we’ll branch out as your life becomes calmer and everything is more doable as your child calms down, sleeps through the night more, and is less irritable and challenging. With the exception of Basic GI Support, once I discuss a protocol, I don’t list it on each and every week because any given child or adult will need or use different protocols. It would be rare for every child to do every protocol year-round. If you find a particular protocol that works for your child, fill it in on your own personal calendar in your Un-Prescription Organizer and keep it going. Remember to use age-appropriate doses. Week 1: Getting Started Monday Tuesday Wednesday Digestive Enzymes with DPP-IV DE x 1 DE x 1 with one meal per day (DE x 1). Elevate the head of the mattress Journal any observations— Your first goal is to set up your in case your child has hidden positive or negative—as you start Un-Prescription Organizer this reflux. Do this even if you don’t the enzymes this week. week. Gather your supplies. think your child has reflux—you Keep track of mood, sleep, bowel Order online if you can’t get to might be surprised! movements, and eating patterns. the office supply store—don’t put it off! Begin filling out your Organizer: Every time you run across medical records, business and appointment cards, stash them in the binder. Thursday Friday Saturday DE x 1 DE x 1 DE x 1 Add immune support: Give a Use today to fill out the This would be a good week to Vitamin D3 supplement daily Medication Log in your Organizer. work on some of the organizing from now on. See Chapter 2 for a sample log. tips in Chapter 2—my favorite trick is the vertical stacking Vitamin D3 is made when sunlight laundry baskets! Stack’n Sort by hits our skin, but children either Rubbermaid can be found online don’t play outside as much these and in Walmart for less than $15 days, or wear sunscreen when each. they do. Sunday Enzyme Tips: DE x 1 You aren’t likely to notice any changes using enzymes with just one meal a day this week. Relax! Restore is a great gut-healing See Week 5 for tips on how to mix the enzymes with food and supplement, and help to close drink. tight gap junctions in the GI tract. You’ll find tons of information on enzymes at Houston- Enzymes.com. It can be found in stores, and You’ve started your child’s journey back to vibrant health— online at Walmart and you can do this! https://shop.restore4life.com Week 2: Constipation Tips Monday Tuesday Wednesday Digestive Enzymes with DPP-IV DE x 2 DE x 2 with two meals per day (DE x 2). George’s Aloe Vera Juice is To get the bowels moving, soak great for constipation—and some chia seeds for 10 Make that first step of taking good news: It looks, tastes, and minutes, then add a spoonful back control of your life this smells just like spring water. or two to oatmeal, cereal, or week: Go to FlyLady.net and Even the pickiest of ASD kids smoothies. sign up today—you can thank will accept it in a drink. me later! Truly an amazing Suggested dose is 1 ounce program and it’s free. twice a day in a drink on a short-term basis. Thursday Friday Saturday DE x 2 DE x 2 DE x 2 Add immune support: Begin low-dose selenium. Vitamin C in higher doses is Read the insert and check out good for a poop! Try 500 mg of the side effects of your child’s If your child catches every cold Vitamin C twice a day for one medications: Many of the meds “coming and going,” support day, then 1000 mg twice a day used for ASD have constipation immune health with a low dose the next. You may continue to as a potential side effect. of selenium 3 times a week for increase this dose up to a max a few months. Suggested dose of 2 grams twice a day. For is 100 micrograms (not short-term use of a few days milligrams). (not for toddlers or infants). Sunday DE x 2 I’m sharing some temporary strategies for constipation this week, since it may take another week or two for this Common mistake: Fiber problem to lessen with the enzymes. absorbs water. If your child is You might notice a little edginess this second week of taking a fiber supplement, but enzymes, but most children sail through just fine. isn’t drinking enough water, Nurture Yourself Tip 1: Stick on a B12 patch for energy the fiber may absorb water and memory. Find them at B12Patch.com. Parents love from the contents of the colon these! and make constipation worse. Week 3: Calming Tips Monday Tuesday Wednesday Digestive Enzymes with DPP-IV DE x 3 DE x 3 with three meals per day (DE x 3). Run a warm bath with 1-2 cups of Week 3 of introducing the Epsom salts dissolved in it. Let enzymes can be a doozy for Yo GABA GABA! If you haven’t your child play with plastic cups irritability. If it’s nice weather, tried GABA yet, this is a great and bowls in the water for 20 to have your child play outside as week to start. Try GABA (gamma- 30 minutes. The magnesium in much as possible for this difficult aminobutyric acid) three times a the salts is very calming! week. day. Dosing range: 250 mg to 750 mg depending on age and weight. Swimming and water play can be especially helpful. Thursday Friday Saturday DE x 3 DE x 3 DE x 3 Magnesium supplements are very Have your occupational therapist Give your child a garden spade calming. Choose a children’s (OT) show you a calming sensory and let him dig in a big pile of dirt formulation. brushing technique, followed by or sand. This is called “heavy compression/distraction of the work”. It stimulates the larger L-carnitine has been shown to large joints. YouTube is loaded joints and can be very calming. improve behavior.1 with how-to videos. Sunday DE x 3 Incoming! Brace yourself and your household this week as you progress to giving enzymes with three meals a day. This is Try tossing a squishy weighted usually the most difficult week, as your child will be majorly ball back and forth with your coming off of opiates, so I’m sharing my best calming tips this child—the stimulation of the week. large joints is calming. If it’s too much to take, switch to the Slow Enzyme Schedule. Nurture Yourself Tip 2: Take some GABA yourself! Week 4: Sleep Tips Monday Tuesday Wednesday Digestive Enzymes with DPP-IV DE x all DE x all with every meal and snack (DE x all). Continue to elevate the head of Turn down the thermostat—cool the bed to help with acid reflux. temperatures promote better Sit quietly in your child’s room in sleep. the middle of the night. What do Don’t eat within an hour of you hear? Listen for sounds that bedtime. Add a small night-light to the may keep your child from a good room or project a starry sky on night’s sleep. the ceiling to calm anxiety. Don’t put your child’s bedroom on the side of the house with a Night-light ceiling projectors are noisy heat pump or busy road. available at Amazon.com. Thursday Friday Saturday DE x all DE x all DE x all Reduce or eliminate caffeine. If Try Essential Oils for sleep and Do not get in the habit of giving you cannot eliminate it entirely, calming—many of my patients Benadryl for sleep—this is not at least consume it early in the swear by them.2,3 healthy for your child in the long day. My best sleep hack? The amazing run. Alpha-Stim (see www.Alpha- Make sure no drafts or vents Stim.com). blow directly on or across the Chocolate should be consumed bed. earlier in the day, as it can be Melatonin may help your child stimulating. get to sleep; but it won’t keep him asleep. For short-term use only. Sunday DE x all Sleep should be smoothing out some by now. You may still Stop all video games, computer need a little help, so I’m sharing my best sleep tips this week. work, TV, and electronic devices Being so sleep deprived years ago was disorienting; I felt like I at least one hour before bedtime. landed on the Knight Bus from Harry Potter! Switch to low-key activities such as coloring or reading. “When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, ‘Did you sleep good?’” I said, ‘No, I made a few mistakes.’” Steven Wright White noise such as a fan or soft music might be helpful.