Back to School Events!

Hi everyone!

We have been super busy here at Brain Balance of Summit! Sorry for our lack of posting! Here is an update for our events this month!

This month until 9/15 we are offering our comprehensive two-part evaluation for $149 (regularly $350)

We also have a few back to school open houses coming up!

August 20th @ 10:00 am
September 9th @ 10:00 am
September 25th @ 6:30 pm

We also have a very special event on September 26th @ 7:00 pm!
One of our parents of a graduate of Brain Balance of Summit, who is a hypnotist, will be doing a special presentation about her line of work and all the areas of life that she can touch! This is a limited opportunity so please RSVP.

All of our events are open to family and friends! Always remember to RSVP (908) 517-1101 or bbacsummit@brainbalancecenters.com

Hope to see you there!

Up Coming Events!

Hi everyone!

We are so excited that it is April! The weather is finally nice and it is Autism Awareness Month! In honor of this we will be having the following events!

Wednesday 4/10: Open House @6:30 pm.
We will be giving a short presentation about our program, a tour of our center, and answering any of your questions!
Please RSVP: (908) 517-1101 -- seating is limited!

Thursday 4/11: Dr. Melillo Book Signing @ Words Bookstore in Maplewood.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Melillo on his book tour, for his new book: Autism. He will be at Words Bookstore @ 7:30 pm. Come meet the founder of Brain Balance, and get your book signed! We would love to see you there!
For more information, please go to the Words Bookstore website

Saturday 4/21: Autism Awareness Baseball Game with the Somerset Patriots!
Play Ball! Brain Balance is co-sponsoring a baseball game with the Somerset Patriots! Join us for a 1:05 pm game as we celebrate Autism Awareness!
For more information about tickets check out the Somerset Patriots
**We have free tickets available! Please call us at (908) 517-1110 to inquire about how many we have left for you and your family to enjoy the day!**

Tuesday 4/23: Open House @ 10:30 am
This will be our second open house for the month! We hope to see you there! Remember this is a great time to get your child signed up for our program. Brain Balance is open all through the summer!
RSVP: (908) 517-1101

We hope to see you at one of our events this month!!

We Did It!

The last 30 days have definitely flown by! Each Brain Balance staff member has now realized the benefits of eating a clean and whole diet. The first two weeks were by far the hardest, we were a very cranky office, but once we all got into the swing of things, and started to see the benefits of our diets, it became second nature.

So, I am sure that a lot of you are concerned with what happens next. For our children we do a strict reintroduction process, where we allow the child to consume one of the foods that they eliminated for one day, and then remove that food from the diet again, and observe the child to see how that food reacts in their system. Our overall goal with this reintroduction is to strengthen the brain, while healing the gut, which allows the foods to be reintroduced back into the diet, without causing any negative reactions. 

As a staff we will also be reintroducing our food sensitivities, and seeing how we feel after eating things that have caused us problems in the past. After our personal observations we will then see what foods we can consume again, and what foods still give us some issues. Personally, I know that this diet has propelled me into making wiser choices for life. I know that I cannot go back to the way I felt or how I was eating.

We will let everyone know how our reintroduction goes! 

Still Talking....

We recently received this wonderful testimonial from a family with a little girl that won over all of our hearts. She came through our doors every day with a huge smile on her face, and a boisterous hello! She loved to share her toys with us, she brought a different one every day, and no matter what she worked her hardest. We are so proud of her and her family. They dedicated themselves to seeing this program through, and we are so thankful for the feed back they they were able to provide us with. We miss you guys! Hope to see you soon!

To the entire Brain Balance Team,

It’s been a few months now since we left Brain Balance after Maegan’s program and we are still talking about the great things Brain Balance has done to improve our lives.   I say our lives because what Maegan goes through we all go through.  Maegan has always been a happy-go-lucky girl.  She developed normally from infancy through early learning years, but we knew she was developing differently than her twin sister.  She was physically more active and less afraid of doing things that seemed risky or dangerous.  When we enrolled the girls in a preschool run by Franciscan nuns, the nuns would always tell us that they used every trick possible to keep Maegan from getting up throughout the day or during circle time. 

When she started kindergarten, she showed the same behaviors of fidgeting and disrupting the class with her constant need to keep moving, touching things or not following instruction and at times throwing fits during class.  She had to be removed from her classroom several times during the year and placed in the pre-school classes on those days.  Maegan would come home crying saying she was placed in the baby classes because she was behaving like a baby.   We would discipline her at home only to see her do the same thing over and over again with some good weeks and some very bad weeks. 

First grade was a lot like Kindergarten, but fewer bad weeks as she started to make friends and socialize more.  Challenges at home were similar to challenges in school.  She would often get frustrated when she could not figure out the answers to homework on her own.  She would throw fits and toss her books and pencil across the table and refuse to complete the homework.  Maegan would cry hysterically and it would take her hours to finish her homework assignments when her sister would do it on her own and in a fraction of the time.  This would frustrate Maegan even more.  Before 1^st grade was over we received Maegan’s Tera Nova test scores (these are the state-wide academic tests) and we were disappointed to see Maegan score in the 15^th to 25^th percentile of the average scores of a 1^st grader.  The teacher told us she never finished the exam because she got frustrated and simply stopped trying.  We were all worried about Maegan at that point and realized this was not a maturity problem, but that this was a much bigger problem so we took her to the pediatrician for an evaluation.  That’s when she was diagnosed her with ADHD.  Now we knew what the issue was and we went looking for help.  That’s when I found Brain Balance.   

When we started Brain Balance Maegan was often too afraid to try new things and was too afraid to read out loud.  She would read very slowly and often lose her place on the page.  She was easily distracted and was difficult for us to bring her back to continue the task of reading.   Maegan was skeptical at first, and honestly so were we, but we had to try something to help her.  We started her sessions during the summer break and she enjoyed going to each session.  Some days she would say she was working really hard and other days she would say she had a lot of fun.  Her twin sister Lauren would wait outside and play with the toys and she also enjoyed going to BB each day with her sister.  Mid-way through the sessions I could already see a change in Maegan.  She was eager to read and she was reading much better.  She was attempting to sound-out words when before she would wait for me to sound them out for her.   Maegan was also not afraid to do new things anymore.  I was amazed with her new found confidence in herself.   

Maegan continued BB into the early part of her 2^nd grade and she started the year with a better view of herself.  At this point she was assigned a school aide to her class as part of the school program.  Her aide happened to be the aide that was with her during Kindergarten.  After the first week in school, the aide pulled my husband aside and mentioned that she had seen a tremendous change in Maegan.  She said she did not fidget during class, she didn’t disrupt the class and that she was indeed a better reader.  She asked us what we had done to achieve such changes and we said Brain Balance.  We are now mid-way through 2^nd grade and Maegan still has her days but she and her teachers tell us she’s able to manage herself out of those situations better.  What would take her hours to get through an emotional breakdown now only takes 10 minutes at most.  She knows and is aware of those situations and tries her best to avoid them.  It’s a work in progress but we know this is now easier for her and us to deal with thanks to Brain Balance.  As she grows older and deals with different situations, I will always think back at what Brain Balance has taught us about ADHD and I would not think twice about putting her through another session with BB if we think it will help her again.  We enjoyed the teaching sessions with Dr. Milello and Dr. Scire – they both offered great learning and tips on how to deal with Maegan’s issues.

Thank you to the team that was so patient and kind with Maegan.  Maegan continues to ask me to bring her back to say hi to her teachers.  She has her star posted to her wall to remind her of all the great things she’s achieved!   See you all soon…

Yours truly,

Sharon B.

Open House Invitation

I don't know if you know this, but Brain Balance of Summit, has been committed to having two [THAT'S RIGHT TWO] Open Houses a month. One in the morning, and one in the evening.
We realized that a lot of interested families want a little bit more than just a phone call or an email about our program. They want to come in and meet the staff, see our center, participate in an awesome presentation, and ask their questions. So we decided to make regular open houses a must for our families. You are not required to attend one, but so many of our families benefit from getting a first hand experience from seeing where their child has the potential to be for the next 12, amazing, life changing weeks!

If you are one of those families, teachers, or professionals who wants to see our center and learn about the Brain Balance approach, then come visit us on Wednesday 2/20 at 6:30 PM. We will have a presentation, followed by Q&A, and then a tour of our center.

Interested? RSVP to (908) 517 - 1101.
We are located at 33 Union Place, Summit NJ 07901
Hope to see you there!! If you cannot make it, then "like" us on Facebook (Brain Balance of Summit), we post regularly about our open houses, and other interesting facts!

Ooohhh, We're Half Way There!

The Brain Balance staff embarked on a 30 day (4 week), elimination diet. Just like our kids do! I know the title is corny  but we have just hit the half way mark of our diets. We are starting to really understand what families have to go through. The ease of just running out to grab lunch is gone. We all have to watch ourselves as we are preparing food for others, no more snacking! Our comfort foods are gone - We miss coffee and ice cream most :(. Granted, we are adults, and we understand what we are doing, and why it has to be done, so making dinner and trying new things is exciting. We know this is not always the case for our kids, and we hope that our journey allows us to motivate them more, and bring in some better recommendations - I've tried three different breads already! Some of us are already seeing some positive changes and have found substitutes that we love! For our kids it generally takes them about 2 weeks to get adjusted to their new lifestyle, have a few mess ups, and then we start to see the change.

Now, we are by no means experts, and we have all spent our fair share of time in a supermarket combing the shelves for a certain food item that we can have, and yes some of us have even made mistakes so far. But that is why we are on this adventure, to better ourselves, to better our understanding of the program that we fully believe in, and to better help the families that we work with.

We are now going to share some of our favorite new finds, some recipes, and of course our mistakes!

•  Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour! Good for bread, cookies, and thickening up soups!
•  Arrowhead Mills gluten free Quiona Rice and Shine - a great breakfast option and a great substitute for oatmeal!
• Bob's Red Mill gluten free pizza crust
• Bob's Red Mill Almond meal/flour - great for adding a little protein to your baking

• Pacific Almond milk - yummm
• Once Again almond butter 
• Suzie's rice cakes - great crunch 
• King Soba black rice noodles
• And my favorite, not pictured, Goldbaum rice noodles. They are a fabulous substitution for this pasta lover!

• Old Wesse Ltd, Cream Oat Bran - a little different than plain old oatmeal
• Sprouted Chia Powder - Superfood!
• Ginger and Cinnamon - a sweet treat for a anti-candida diet!
• Hemp Seeds
• Ground Premium Flaxseed - more omega 3 please! 

More pictures to come! We are so excited to be on this journey with our kids. The King Soba was actually a recommendation from one of our families - I had it last night, it was delicious!!

Our favorite recipe so far:

Almond milk ice cream

• 2 cups almond milk of choice (or any other dairy alternative)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave - I haven't tried brown sugar or regular sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• I made mine with enjoy life chocolate chips and a little mint extract - yummm
• Combine all ingredients and then put in ice cream maker
• let it churn for about 15 mins (watch it though for the consistency you like)
• put in chocolate chips and enjoy!
• I recommend eating it all at once, letting it freeze in freezer wasn't as appealing 

Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 Butternut squash - roasted (really roasted)
• leaks 
• olive oil 
• 6 cups chicken broth
• Roast your butternut squash - 350 for about an hour or so 
• Cook leeks in the olive oil until soft
• Scrape out the really roasted butternut squash into your pan 
• Add chicken broth and let simmer for an hour
• Use a hand mixer and puree in pan to desired consistency  

Now on to try Cherrybrook kitchen chocolate cake and so delicious mint chocolate chip (coconut milk of course!)

The Nutrition Component

The Nutrition Component has come up a few times in the past, but now we are really going to go into detail about this integral part of the program! Mostly because it is the least understood part of the program, but even more so because the staff here at Brain Balance has recently gotten their ALCAT test results back, and each of us will be starting our own elimination diet! If the kids can do it - we can do it!

Dr. Robert Melillo, our co-founder, realized that while we might be stimulating your child to improve the functional disconnection, there is more then just a weak hemisphere that is contributing to the negative behaviors that you observe. To quote Dr. Melillo's book Disconnected Kids (p 213) "The brain's primary fuels are oxygen and glucose, which are manufactured from nutrients in our food supply. A brain that has plenty of stimulation but too little fuel will not be able to take advantage of that stimulation."

That being said the brain and the stomach are directly connected by a single nerve called the vagus nerve.   

Have you ever been nervous and you get that feeling we call "butterflies in your stomach"? Well your stomach isn't nervous! Your brain is! That feeling of nervousness is being perceived in your stomach. If you know what I am talking about then you have experienced the direct correlation of the brain and the stomach at work.  

Now, when a child has a deficit in one of their hemispheres, that lack of strength is consequently emulated in the gut. 

A weak brain = a weak gut

A weak gut leaves the child susceptible to:

• Less stomach acid, which breaks down food
• Weaker stomach muscles - less peristalsis to churn the food
• Nutrients from food cannot be absorbed
• Decreased circulation to the stomach and its large/small intestines

We call having a weak gut, leaky gut. The gut is actually so weak that the walls of the organ become permeable, and food that the child is eating leaks out of the gut. This leakage causes a continuous response from the body's defense system - the white blood cells - and results in inflammation that is wide spread throughout the body (the same way a cut gets inflamed when a white blood cell response to the breaking of skin). Inflammation generally means that a cut is healing, and in a sense the white blood cells are trying to heal the gut, but they cannot keep up with the constant bombardment from eating some of these foods every day.

As a result we see such negative responses like:

• Eczema 
• Inability to focus
• Diarrhea
• Constipation 
• Picky eaters
• So much more! 

BUT! If given the chance to heal, the body will heal itself! The body can only begin to heal itself if we know exactly what is causing the damage. That is where the ALCAT test comes in. All of our children are required by the Brain Balance Program,to have a routine blood draw. That blood is then sent to our lab, ALCAT, where the blood is tested for the individual antigen response (White Blood Cell response) to the introduction of an individual food to the blood stream. If the white blood cells respond to the food being introduced to the blood stream, then the lab knows that this food is a sensitivity for the child. The reason being, that the white blood cells are only supposed to respond to foreign invaders in the body (like when we are sick, or have a cut). Food should not be considered a foreign invader, but in this case, when it is, that is where we get a food sensitivity, and hence all of the negative reactions that accompany it.

That being said, all of the results that we receive are discussed thoroughly with the families, and the child in our program is put on a strict elimination diet. This elimination diet removes all of the foods that are manifesting themselves as a negative reaction, and allows the body to do what it does best - heal itself. The combination of our program, which is strengthening the brain, and the elimination diet, which allows the stomach to strengthen, allows the child to not only see an overall improvement in their functional development, but they are allowed to have all of their foods back!

The goal of the nutrition component of the program is not only to eliminate the food sensitivities, but also to heal the gut through the stimulation of the program combined with the elimination diet. This healing process reversese the permibility of the gut, and the food sensitivites can slowly be reintroduced into the child's life - with no negative reactions!

Knowing all this, the staff at Brain Balance of Summit, has decided to embark on the same journey as so many of our kids have before and many will after. We all got our blood drawn, and we are all doing our own individualized elimination diet. This will be our story. We will be posting about how we feel, what challenges we have, and will even be sharing some of our food choices. We realize that it is a little easier to reason with us when we can't have our favorite food because of a sensitivity, but we hope that our experiences will help anyone who is doing their own elimination diet, or any of the families that are in our program who need a little bit more motivation with their child!

Miss Betsy, Miss Casey, Miss Nicole, and Miss Sarah Anne are doing it too!

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar!

One of our main concerns at Brain Balance is getting the amount of processed junk out of our kids food systems. The main culprit being sugar. Sugar not only has an addictive quality, but it has also become a comfort food for so many of our children.
The main reason that sugar has become such a problem is because of the way that it reacts in the gut. The stomach has a delicate balance of both good and bad bacteria. That balance has to be maintained in order to keep digestion consistent as well as to maintain a normal pH. The balance can be disturbed though, and when it does sugar consumption blows this situation out of the water. Bad bacteria feed on sugar, and when the bad bacteria gains the upper hand that's when we see gut issues, especially when it comes to constipation and diarrhea.

So how can we avoid mass consumption of sugar? It seems to be in almost everything today, and unfortunately that is a very VERY true statement.

Our First step is to first learn some of the clever alias of sugar:
Sucrose
Fruit Juice Concentrate
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Brown Rice Syrup
And so much more! Check out this awesome article to better understand all of the hidden sugar in your life!

Our Second step to avoiding the consumption of bad sugar is to find good sugars!
Honey, stevia, and maple syrup are all great ways to go, but check out some of these "crazy" ways to sweeten up our life

I hope these sweet tips help everyone eliminate a little more sugar from their child's day to day life. It will allow them to eat healthier foods and you won't have to deal with the sugar crash. If you are interested in a little bit of light reading, check out what this recent Yale University study just concluded!

Happy New Year!

Brain Balance of Summit would like to wish all of our followers a very happy and healthy New Year!

Get Screen Time Under Control

One of the hardest things for our families to get under control is screen time. We ask our families to limit screen time daily to about an hour. Screen time stimulates the left hemisphere, which we like to call the gas pedal of the brain. By stimulating the gas pedal we not only ramp kids up to the point of out of control behavior, but we also bring out negative emotions like anger. Kids today have so much access to screens, that we try to help our families as much as possible when they are trying to ween away the screens. If you are trying to limit screen time in your own household check out this awesome list that we found online! The link is below.

100 fun kids activities for Screen-Free Week

By Cathy James on April 29th, 2012

Just as a healthy diet can certainly include cake, so a balanced childhood can include screen time. Family movie nights, skyping with Grandma and typing stories on the laptop are all great fun. It’s just there are so many other fun thing to do if you step away from a screen.
This week is Screen-Free Week. It also happens to coincide with two birthdays in our household and an extra day off school for the girls. So, I’m not here. We’re embracing Screen-Free week, going offline and enjoying some fun family time. We’re probably baking birthday cake, visiting an art gallery or up to our knees in water beads as you read this. If you’d like to join in and spend a little more time with the kids and without a screen this week, whether for an hour, a day or the whole week, here are 100 fun kids activities you could try.

Click each idea to see the full details.

And you can print off the list at the bottom so you really can log off and go play.

Step away from the screen and play

1.With shadow puppets 2. In the jungle 3. With chickens 4. Under the sea 5. In space  6. With water beads 7. In a bath of jelly 8. On a building site 9. Camping 10. Yoga 11. Dressing up 12. Pirates 13. With potatoes 14. Dinosaurs 15. With homemade play dough 16. With toothpicks 17. Washing up 18. With salt dough 19. Mad hatters 20. With your feet

Step away from the screen and cook

21. Jam 22. Bunny rabbits 23. Lovehearts 24. Marshmallow lollipops 25. Child-made soup 26. Chop chop salad  27. A snowman 28. Homemade cornettos 29. Welsh cakes 30. Maths cocktails 31. Eggs 32. The alphabet 33. Snowflakes 34. Cookies 35. A rainbow 36. A gingerbread man 37.  A gingerbread house 38. Mini meringues 39. A car 40. Ice cream play dough

Step away from the screen and make

41. Caterpillars 42. Butterflies 43. A robot 44. A town 45. A playground 46. A marble run 47. An incy, wincy book 48. A superhero peg doll 49. Your own doll 50. A meadow 51. A horse riding stables 52. Chocolate play dough 53. A weather station 54. Beautiful candle holders 55. Rockets 56. A boat 57. A dinosaur land 58. A den 59. Story stones 60. A comic

Step away from the screen and be arty

61. Try blow art 62. Set up a painting station 63. Decorate flower pots 64. Explore symmetry 65. Reverse print 66. Make a roly poly painting 67. Try contact paper art 68. Use oil pastels 69. Print with flowers 70. Go big! 71. Paint with marbles 72. Create a self portrait 73. Make a marvellous hat 74. Thread an art bag 75. Try old materials new ways 76. Make a store cupboard collage 77. Spin! 78. Try waterpainting 79. Paint outside 80. With cotton buds

Step away from the screen and play outdoors

81. Make tree gargoyles 82. Make mud pies 83. Plant a tree 84. Create cement art 85. With worms 86. With bugs 87. Go on a treasure hunt 88. Play in a rock pool 89. Create a fairy garden 90. Make a miniature garden 91. Grow some seeds 92. Start a garden journal 93. Plant sunflowers 94. In a story tent 95. Build a sandcastle 96. Make a bird cafe 97. Wear woodland jewellery  98. Hand print a sunflower 99. Race snails 100. Hunt mini beasts

(http://nurturestore.co.uk/screen-free-week-kids-activities)

"Pesticides: Now More Than Ever"

Dr. Melillo has long recognized pesticides as one of the underling factors affecting children in the "perfect storm" that has led to the marked increase in incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders. Now pesticides are being called out by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) a factor in neurodevelopmental disorders as well as cancer and other significant health issues. The New York Times published an op-ed piece today citing pesticides on our produce affecting our children "now more than ever." From a neurodevelopmental perspective, this is "including lowered I.Q., autism, attention disorders and hyperactivity." Below find the article, "Pesticides: Now More Than Ever" written by Mark Bittman of the New York Times. 

By MARK BITTMAN

Mark Bittman on food and all things related.

How quickly we forget.
After the publication of “Silent Spring,” 50 years ago, we (scientists, environmental and health advocates, birdwatchers, citizens) managed to curb the use of pesticides[1] and our exposure to them — only to see their application grow and grow to the point where American agriculture uses more of them than ever before.
And the threat is more acute than ever. While Rachel Carson[2] focused on their effect on “nature,” it’s become obvious that farmworkers need protection from direct exposure while applying chemicals to crops[3] . Less well known are the recent studies showing that routine, casual, continuing — what you might call chronic — exposure to pesticides is damaging not only to flora but to all creatures, including the one that habitually considers itself above it all: us.
As usual, there are catalysts for this column; in this case they number three.

I was impressed by a statement by the American Association of Pediatrics — not exactly a radical organization — warning parents of the dangers of pesticide and recommending that they try to reduce contact with them. The accompanying report calls the evidence “robust” for associations between pesticide exposure and cancer (specifically brain tumors and leukemia) and “adverse” neurodevelopment, including lowered I.Q., autism, and attention disorders and hyperactivity. (Alzheimer’s, obviously not a pediatric concern, has also been linked to pesticide exposure.)
This reminded me of recently disclosed evidence showing that pesticide exposure in pregnant women may be obesogenic — that is, it may cause their children to tend to become obese. The mechanism for this is beginning to be understood, and it’s not entirely shocking, because many pesticides have been shown to be endocrine disruptors, changing gene expression patterns and causing unforeseen harm to health.
And that in turn prompted me to recall that genetically engineered crops, ostensibly designed in part to reduce the need for pesticides, have — thanks to pesticide-resistant “superweeds” — actually increased our pesticide use steadily over the last decade or so. (In general, fields growing crops using genetically engineered seeds use 24 percent more chemicals than those grown with conventional seeds.)
Although these all caught my attention, the most striking non-event of the last year — decade, generation — is how asleep at the wheel we have all been regarding pesticides. Because every human tested is found to have pesticides in his or her body fat. And because pesticides are found in nearly every stream in the United States, over 90 percent of wells, and — in urban and agricultural areas — over half the groundwater. So Department of Agriculture data show that the average American is exposed to 10 or more pesticides every day, via diet and drinking water.
This shouldn’t be surprising: pesticide drift is a term used to describe the phenomenon by which almost all pesticides — 95 to 98 percent is the number I’ve seen — wind up on or in something other than their intended target. (This means, of course, that in order to be effective more pesticides must be used than would be necessary if targeting were more accurate.)
Much damage has been done, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The long-term solution is to reduce pesticide use, and the ways to do that include some of the typical laundry-list items that find their way into every “how to improve American agriculture” story: rotate crops, which reduces attacks by invasive species; employ integrated pest management, which basically means “think before you spray”; better regulate pesticides (and both increase funding for and eliminate the revolving door policy at the Environmental Protection Agency) with an eye toward protecting the most vulnerable — that is, farmworkers, anyone of childbearing age, and especially women in their first trimester of pregnancy
[4]; give farmers options for “conventional,” that is, non-genetically engineered seeds (around 95 percent of all seeds for soy, corn and cotton contain a pesticide-resistant gene, which encourages wanton spraying); and in general move toward using more organic principles.
Note, please, that only this last strategy helps us protect ourselves and our families now. But although there’s the usual disclaimer that not everyone can afford organic food, at a time when organic food has been under attack it’s important to remember that part of the very reason for its existence is to bring food to the market that, if not free of all traces of pesticides — remember drift — at least contains none that have been applied intentionally. Charles Benbrook, in his excellent 2008 report “Simplifying the Pesticide Risk Equation: The Organic Option” estimates that organic food production would reduce our overall exposure to pesticides by 97 percent; that is, all but eliminate it.[5]
If I were of child-rearing age now, or the parent of young children, I would make every effort to buy organic food. If I couldn’t do that, I would rely on the Environmental Working Group’s guide to pesticides in produce. (Their “Dirty Dozen” lists those fruits and vegetables with highest pesticide residues, and their “Clean Fifteen” notes those that are lowest.) But regardless of age, we need to stay awake, and remember that the dangers of pesticides are as real now as they were half a century ago.

"Gut-Brain Connection? Leaky Gut? No longer “Crazy Talk” says AAP"

Today we came across this article where the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), is now beginning to recognize the connection between the brain and the gut! This is HUGE! Brain Balance has been addressing this underlying issue with all of our children, and we are so excited to hear that the AAP is getting on board! The reaction below, to the article released by the AAP, is written by Dr. Bob Sears, a pediatrician and TACA Physician Advisory Member.

By Dr. Bob Sears, Pediatrician and TACA Physician Advisory Member

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has just taken a giant leap toward recognizing the association between gastrointestinal problems and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD.) The November 2012 issue of their journal, Pediatrics, has a 200-page supplement entitled Improving Health Care for Children and Youth With Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders (Note: this guide was not currently available online.) As I perused the various articles to see what the AAP was up to, one particular gem caught my eye: Gastrointestinal (GI) Conditions in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Developing a Research Agenda. Curiously optimistic, I decided to pause the Saturday-afternoon college football game and read the article. After a mere three sentences, my jaw dropped. “Many individuals with ASDs have symptoms of associated medical conditions, including seizures, sleep problems, metabolic conditions, and gastrointestinal disorders (the italics are mine), which have significant health, developmental, social, and educational impacts.” A few lines later I found there is a “lack of recognition by clinicians that certain behavioral manifestations in children with ASDs are indicators of GI problems (eg, pain, discomfort, or nausea).”
My first thought was that someone from ARI or MAPS had snuck into the AAP and switched a few words in the article before it went to press, and no one had noticed. But as I read the entire piece, I was shocked to see other crazy ideas such as:

• “Clinical practice and research to date indicate the important role of GI conditions in ASDs and their impact on children as well as their parents and clinicians.”
• “Gut-brain connection, immune function, and genome-microbiome interaction.” Yes, it actually said gut-brain connection!
• “Increasingly, evidence supports a combination of changes in gut microflora, intestinal permeability (intestinal what?), inappropriate immune response, activation of specific metabolic pathways, and behavioral changes.”
• “Endoscopic analyses of children with ASD and GI symptoms have revealed the presence of a subtle, diffuse inflammation of the intestinal tract.”
• “Autoimmune responses in children with ASDs and a familial history of autoimmunity have been reported.”
• “Autoantibodies could indicate the presence of inflammatory processes and/or an autoimmune component that could affect the integrity of the mucosal barrier and contribute to decreased mucosal barrier integrity.”
• “Leaky gut.” Yes! It actually used those two foreign words that have been scoffed at for so long, and explains the research supporting this theory so that we general pediatricians can understand and begin to believe it.
• “Nutritional status and nutrient intake are inextricably related in children with autism.”
• A table on “Biomarkers as potential outcome measures” includes testing for: intestinal permeability to assess leaky gut, calprotectin for intestinal inflammation, celiac disease serology tests to assess gluten sensitivity, food allergy panels (not sure what for . . . maybe food allergies play some sort of role in all this?), organic acid testing for B12 or folate deficiency, and analysis of gut microbiota.

The article ends with a discussion on the lack of accepted treatments for GI problems specific to children with ASD and outlines six key research objectives:

1. Determine the pathology of GI conditions in ASD.
2. Increase animal research in this area.
3. Identify biomarkers to guide treatment.
4. Better evaluate nutritional status.
5. Identify behavioral phenotypes related to poor nutritional status.
6. Develop evidence-based algorithms to help guide clinicians in the evaluation and treatment of GI problems in ASD.

By the time I finished reading, the cynical frame of mind with which I usually read mainstream articles about autism treatment was replaced with optimism. Finally, mainstream research is planning to look at the gastrointestinal and nutritional aspects of biomedical treatment for autism. For twenty years or more, biomedical physicians have been treating GI problems in autism without much support from thorough mainstream research, and we’ve endured much criticism for doing so. Even worse, parents of children with autism have been begging pediatricians for help, will little acknowledgement that there is any possibility of a gut-brain connection in autism. The tide began to turn in January 2010 with Dr. Tim Buie’s consensus report on GI problems in autism (Pediatrics. 2010;125(suppl 1):S1-S18). And now the tide is actually surging in our favor.
This article doesn’t actually support any particular treatments for GI problems in autism, and we are many years away from mainstream medical research coming to fruition in this area. But it is nice to know that mainstream help is on the way, and that if any doctor tries to ridicule parents for asking for help with their child’s GI problems, you now have the AAP on your side. You can waive this article in the doctor’s face. We pediatricians love that. But seriously, the full text of this article will likely become available online soon. You can view the first part of it here: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/130/Supplement_2/S160.extract?cited-by=yes&legid=pediatrics;130/Supplement_2/S160 . If you have an open-minded pediatrician, and need help, hand he or she this article, and you may be able to get your doctor to test and treat some of your child’s GI problems.
As a side note, this same edition of the journal has an article on the importance of evaluating and treating constipation in ASDs. Definitely a good read for your pediatrician if your child struggles with this, and it even suggests testing such kids for thyroid disease, lead overload, and, get this . . . celiac disease! Here’s a link: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/130/Supplement_2/S98.abstract
Thank you AAP!!!
Dr. Bob Sears
Pediatrician and TACA Medical Advisory
Pediatrician and author of The Autism Book: What Every Parent Need to Know About Early Detection, Treatment, Recovery, and Prevention and The Vaccine Book.

Resources:
1) AAP Standards of care for Autism https://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/aap-standards-of-care/

The Ten Principles of Brain Balance, By: Dr. Robert Melillo

Buy Disconnected Kids Today! The Brain Balance Program is the most comprehensive approach to the treatment of autism, ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, dyslexia, and the host of other neurobehavioral and neuroacademic disorders. It is a totally holistic program that has proven to achieve measurable changes in behavior and academic performance. At best, it can permanently correct these disorders -- meaning symptoms totally disappear. At least, symptoms will markedly diminish so that a child can resume or begin to function in the real world, both socially and academically. The success of Brain Balance Program is based upon ten unique principles that we simply call The Ten Principles of Brain Balance.

1. Childhood neurobehavioral and neuroacademic disorders are actually one condition with different sets of symptoms. Brain Balance recognizes the majority of childhood neurological conditions as one disorder, Functional Disconnection Syndrome[FDS]. Children display different symptoms depending on the part or parts of the brain affected. 2. The underlying problem is a dysfunction in either the left or the right hemisphere that puts the brain out of sync. All human functions are distributed in either the left or the right side of the brain, not both. To function properly, however, the brain must work as a whole. Symptoms of FDS differ depending on whether the dysfunction is caused by a reduction of function on one side or an exaggeration of function on the other. 3. The problem and the dysfunctions must be accurately identified. Brain Balance is specialized to assess, document and objectively quantify FDS though the use of state-of-the-art testing in specific areas of function. 4. The only way to correct the problem is to fix the imbalance, not treat the symptoms. Fix the functional imbalance and the symptoms go away. Treat the symptoms with medication -- the current and most popular approach -- and brain function will never improve. Symptoms will return as soon as the medication wears off. 5. All functional problems in the brain must be addressed individually. If all the dysfunctions in the brain are not corrected, the symptoms will return and the problem will continue. Each function must be addressed one at a time.

6. Success is achievable through a hemispheric-based program. The only way to correct the imbalance is to stimulate the side of the brain that is out of balance without directly affecting the other side. Brain Balance uses a three-pronged program that includes sensory motor, academic exercises [with behavioral techniques] and a nutrition program. 7. Same Time Integration gets the brain back in sync. The Brain Balance Program addresses each impaired function individually at first and gradually integrates exercises to achieve balance in the timing and rhythm between the left and the right sides of the brain. Same Time Integration incorporates all modalities simultaneously within the same time frame to get the left and the right brains working in synchronization. 8. The brain and body must grow together. Brain Balance is based on new science that shows that if the body is out of balance, the brain is out of balance, and vice versa to an equal degree. 9. The problems are not primarily genetic and are therefore permanently correctable. Brain Balance is based on the scientifically backed belief that the various symptoms of FDS are primarily the result of environmental factors. Genetic predisposition is the result of environmental factors that only alter the way a gene or genes are expressed. In other words, genes are not destiny.

10. Parents play a crucial role in a child's individual success. Parents have the power to achieve success using the Melillo At-Home Brain Balance Program. To this end, they must be motivated and fully involved in the motivation of their child to complete the required tasks. Correcting a behavior and/or learning disability through professional guidance and school involvement alone is not enough. However, using them in conjunction with the program can be a great help to parents and can even help enhance results.

Change Your Child's Developmental Trajectory -- call your nearest Brain Balance Center today to schedule an Assessment for your child.

A Side by Side Comparison

Here at Brain Balance of Summit, we take the nutrition component of the program very seriously. All of our children have to take a comprehensive blood test to determine their food sensitivities. Food sensitivities are a product of the functional disconnection that we are addressing here at the center. Since the children coming to us have a functional disconnection between the hemispheres in their brain, they consequently have a deficit in their stomach. This deficit allows for food particles to leak out of the stomach and cause negative reactions, ranging from the inability to focus, skin conditions, digestive issues, and so much more. We address this deficit by creating a specific diet for each one of our children based on the results of their food sensitivities test. 

Even though the diets can sometimes be daunting we always find fun ways to motivate our children. We have a fun food chart, that helps the children visualize the goal that they have to keep in order to maintain the elimination diet, and we even have a one year old hamburger that teaches the kids that real food rots (pictures below)! 

The diet is important to the overall success of the program, and even though it can be tough at times, families are so happy to see the fabulous results that their child is able to achieve! 

The pictures below are of our one year old hamburgers! The picture on the left is one that our center director made out of all natural ingredients. The picture on the right is of a hamburger that we picked up from a fast food restaurant. You can see how the real hamburger, that our center director made, has been disintegrating for the past year. While our friend on the right, from the fast food place, has kept its good looks. Lesson learned? Real food rots. And to quote from one of my favorite books Food Rules written by Michael Pollan "Eat only foods that will eventually rot," "It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car," and "It's not food if it's called by the same name in every language (Think Big Mac, Cheetos, or Pringles)."  

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A Happy Family!

Today at Brain Balance of Summit we received a heartwarming testimonial, from a very happy family. Their son, was one of the first kids through the door when we opened last summer, and since then he has only flourished! This young man and his family took what Brain Balance gave them and really emulated a star student! They rarely missed a session, they were diligent with doing their home exercises, and they were all troopers when it came to the specialized elimination diet. We could not be PROUDER of this graduate! Please read along to see what this mom has to say about her son's sessions with us.

"Nicholas was a healthy 9 year-old boy the March he was injured. That night he began making noises that I assumed were a soothing mechanism. Within a few days he sounded like a car horn. It was at that point that Tourette’s Syndrome became all too familiar to me. In June of 2011, he was officially diagnosed. Within a week, I saw an ad for Brain Balance Centers in a magazine. I mentioned it to him, and he was all for trying it. In August 2011, he began his first program term. By the time the 12 weeks were up in November, Nicholas had made great improvements in regards to the exhibiting of tics, as well as improved confidence and socialization.

Because tics have been known to peek during the middle school years, we decided to enroll him in a second session to try to “get ahead of the game.” At that time, Nicholas was only exhibiting some mild grunting, unnoticeable to others around him. In March 2012, he began his second program term at Brain Balance. Throughout this session he continued to improve functionally, as well as socially. He also continued to perform well in school.
During a class game on his second day of school this year – new school, new classmates, new teachers – Nicholas told his class something unique about himself: he has Tourette’s Syndrome. He did this on his own, his decision, his way. It was a huge difference from me having to be in the room the prior year and explaining it to his classmates while he sat quietly next to me, looking down. His confidence had grown over the year in that he wasn’t ashamed of having Tourette’s and wasn’t letting it get in his way. I had tears in my eyes when he told me after school. Tears, because this disorder is not my friend, but also because my little boy has accepted this disorder into his life and he is giving it his all to overcome it. That has been our philosophy since day one – this is not going to stop him from doing anything that he wants to do.
For any parent who sees the ad for Brain Balance and thinks it’s going to be a quick & easy fix: I’m telling you that you’re wrong. It is not going to be easy. What it is going to be is an intense 12 weeks for you & your child. The home exercises need to be done to enhance the program; the music needs to be listened to; the elimination diet needs to be followed without cheating; the positive reinforcement needs to be there; the patience needs to be there; your child needs to see that you believe in this program. The progress may be slow in the beginning but then all of a sudden you will blink and see that positive changes have been made right before your eyes. Your child will balk at the idea of the elimination diet (you may, too – you need to get creative!), but the differences you may see as a result of it all will be your reward. Quick, easy – not at all – but so worth it.
We enrolled my son in two 12 week sessions because we saw such a positive change and knew that there was room for more growth & development. We took the challenge full force both times, had the blood work done again as our choice and followed through with the elimination diet again as our choice. Yes, it was tough. Yes, he fought going to the sessions at times because he wanted free time. Yes, he cried at times during the elimination diets. Yes, it was worth it. Yes, I would do it again.
Looking back at our time with our Brain Balance family, I am so happy that we gave the program a chance. It has made such a positive impact on Nicholas. As of today, he is ‘tic free’ with the exception of the pencil twirling that is just sticking with him and some very seldom, random noises – but I’ll take it! He is still the same happy child that walked into the program making noises, but he walked out with the confidence to speak about Tourette Syndrome for himself and continue his journey to overcome it.
The staff in the Summit Center has been so amazing from that first day we walked into their office. The support from each and every one of them as Nicholas gained success was genuine and unconditional. Once he was there, he enjoyed his sessions and built a relationship with each one of them throughout our 24 weeks with them. Nicholas finished the program months ago, yet their support is still there if I need it. It’s a great feeling to know they are vested in each and every child who walks through their door."

End-of-Year Promotion

It is snowing again here at Brain Balance of Summit! Just a reminder that the end of the year is fast approaching! With the holiday right around the corner and the kids counting down the days to their coveted days off, what better time to save a few bucks and start your child's new year off with a bang!
Brain Balance of Summit is offering to any family that gets their child evaluated and signed up for our program a $500 discount! To learn more about our program and to inquire about the promotion contact us at (908) 517-1101. Also we will be having an Open House on December 5th at 6:30 PM, so feel free to join us to learn even more about our program!

Friendly Reminder

Today, is the day before Dr. Melillo comes! The Brain Balance of Summit staff is all busy finishing up last minuet details. We all know how busy we have been over the past few days and weeks, so we just wanted to remind you about the three amazing opportunities that you have this week to meet and greet with Dr. Melillo: 

Dr. Melillo has been working with children with neurodevelopmental disorders for the last 20 years.  His long-held belief that such disorders are the result of uneven brain connectivity (known as a functional disconnection in the brain) has been borne out in extensive independent research, and thousands of children have been helped by his methods of using natural means of exercise, sensory stimulation, cognitive stimulation and dietary change to strengthen neural pathways and improve behavior, socialization, and academic skills.  Dr. Melillo has lectured extensively around the world on neurology and neurodevelopmental disorders, has authored multiple books on neurodevelopmental disorders in children (including Disconnected Kids, Reconnected Kids and his new book, Autism: The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders And What Parents Can Do Now, which is being published by Penguin Books and due out at the beginning of 2013), and is shortly to start co-sponsored research with Harvard University neurologists.   

Everyone is invited to attend Dr. Melillo's speaking events:

An Invitation to Meet 

Dr. Robert Melillo
 

Ground-breaking Neurologist

Pioneer in Childhood Neurodevelopmental Disorders

NY Times Best-Selling Author

Founder of Brain Balance Achievement Centers

  

 Tuesday, November 13

10:30am: Book Signing Event

 Barnes & Noble Bookstore – Livingston Mall, 112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston, NJ 07039

7:00pm: Free Lecture for Parents & Professionals

Summit High School Auditorium, 125 Kent Place Boulevard, Summit, NJ 07901    

Wednesday, November 14

10:30am: Book Signing Event

[words] Bookstore, 179 Maplewood Avenue, Maplewood, NJ 07040

www.wordsbookstore.com

We hope to see you there! RSVP to (908) 517-1101