One of most important ways of maintaining homeostatic balance in the body is through proper nutrition. The homeostatic balances that ensure good health cannot be maintained appropriately without appropriate nutrition, including a proper ratio of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, adequate levels of vitamins and minerals that are crucial for the function of many systems, adequate levels of fiber and other substances that slow down the digestion of more simple foods, and a proper balance between the types of fatty acids that your body needs. Without a good balance, the body starts to break down, and its resilience in the face of stressors is seriously degraded.

The challenge of good nutrition has gotten exponentially more difficult in the modern world. A significant portion of the food we eat today is essentially toxic to us, causing many problems for humans including the skyrocketing rates of childhood onset type II diabetes that was unheard of 50 years ago. However, these foods are so prolific that even the most determined adult has trouble staying clear of these foods. The pervasive preservatives, trans fats, chemical flavor enhancers, and other chemical added to food for various purposes are bad enough. But, their effects are dramatically worsened by a digestive villain: the highly processed carbohydrates that make up a greater and greater proportion of daily caloric intake for the average person. Soda, french fries, candy, white bread, white pasta, white rice, candy, sugary fruit drinks, potato chips and all the other convenience foods of modern life that are lacking in anything of than empty calories are loading our bodies down with stress as our bodies process foods that they are ill prepared to deal with.

This topic is too complicated to delve into in great detail here. However, it is often a great challenge in the lives of autistic children, not just because of their presence in a society in which the average diet has deteriorated to such extents, but because their diets are often even more limited because of mouth feel and texture issues they have. Recommendations of dietary changes and supplements are included in Matt's Daily Health Guide, which is downloadable from the Coping with Autism page of this website. I strongly recommend you read it and consider its recommendations.