Modern Diets and Autism: Are We Looking in the Wrong Place?

Autism rates have increased dramatically over the past several decades.

In the 1960s and 1970s, autism was estimated to affect just a few children per 10,000. Today, the CDC estimates that approximately 1 in 36 children in the United States is identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

That is a staggering increase.

The standard explanation is that better awareness, broader diagnostic criteria, and improved screening account for much of the rise. There is certainly truth to that. Children who may have been overlooked decades ago are now more likely to receive an accurate diagnosis and support.

But many researchers believe that explanation does not tell the whole story when the numbers increase to 1 in 36!

Could environmental factors be contributing as well? More specifically, could the dramatic changes in our food supply be affecting the developing brains of future generations?

A growing body of research suggests we should not dismiss the possibility and with my background with a PhD in Holistic Health Sciences I would say this area is a major factor in the spread of ASD.

The Food Experiment Nobody Talks About

Think about what your great-grandparents ate…their diets included butter, eggs, cream, lard, tallow, meat, vegetables, and food prepared from scratch.

What they did not have were the industrial seed oils that now dominate processed foods. Today, soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, and other vegetable oils are found in everything from salad dressings to restaurant meals and packaged snacks.

Most people consume them every day without giving them a second thought.

Yet from a historical perspective, these oils are relatively new additions to the human diet.

A Study That Raises Important Questions

A recent study published in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences examined umbilical cord blood and found that elevated levels of certain metabolites derived from arachidonic acid were associated with greater autism symptom severity later in childhood.

One compound, called diHETrE, stood out (good luck pronouncing that word!).

This is what is called an inflammatory metabolite and children exposed to higher levels of this substance during fetal development appeared more likely to experience greater challenges related to ASD symptoms.

To be clear, this study does not prove that seed oils cause autism.

What it does suggest is that compounds produced from certain dietary fats may influence neurodevelopment during pregnancy.

Why Fat Quality Matters

To answer this, we need to turn to the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid which is abundant in modern seed oils. While linoleic acid is an essential nutrient, the amount consumed today is dramatically higher than what humans historically ate.

As a matter of fact, researchers estimate that linoleic acid intake has increased more than tenfold over the past century. When we consume linoleic acid, it can be converted into arachidonic acid which helps produce compounds involved in inflammation and immune function.

Inflammation itself is not bad. We need it to train our system for when it needs to defend itself.

The concern becomes whether excessive inflammatory signaling during critical periods of development could influence long-term health outcomes.

Because the developing brain is especially vulnerable during pregnancy, researchers are increasingly interested in how maternal nutrition and inflammation affect fetal brain development.

Autism Is a Complex Puzzle

Autism is strongly influenced by genetics. Researchers have identified numerous genetic variations associated with autism risk.

At the same time, genetics alone cannot explain why autism diagnoses have risen so dramatically over a relatively brief period.

This is why many scientists are exploring interactions between genes and environmental exposures, including nutrition, toxins, metabolic health, gut health, and inflammation during pregnancy. All of these factors can impact when genes turn on or off.

So, the reality is that autism is likely influenced by multiple factors working together and that maybe Grandma was onto something!

Plus, Grandma didn’t have to be concerned about eating organic or conventional foods since everything was organic in her time.

Modern research seems to bring us back to traditional foods, such as eating:

• Butter
• Eggs
• Whole milk
• Homemade soups
• Slow-cooked meats
• Farm-fresh foods

Were their diets perfect? Of course not.

But they consumed far fewer ultra-processed foods and significantly lower amounts of industrial seed oils.

The Bottom Line

If you’re wanting to become pregnant or are pregnant, the smart thing to do would be to eat like your great grandma did.

If you have children, you want to feed them that way, too, since these highly processed foods can affect children in all kinds of ways. You don’t want to be looking back and saying to your kids…oops…you want to be able to say we did our best to protect you!

 

Are Children Losing the Ability to Play? What We Gain and Lose When Every Minute Is Scheduled

 I grew up in a public housing project, and it was full of kids. After school, our moms would say go outside and play until dinner time. The kids in the neighborhood would spend hours outside making up games, building forts, riding bikes, and finding creative ways to entertain ourselves. Adults weren't organizing every minute of our day. We figured things out as we went along.

Today, many children go from school to sports practice, dance lessons, tutoring, music classes, and other organized activities. While these opportunities can be wonderful, I sometimes wonder if we've lost something important along the way.

Are children getting enough time to simply play?

In addition, are parents losing their ability to do what they want to do? My nieces, who each have 2 kids, go from rec soccer to travel soccer to rec baseball to travel baseball to dance lessons to gymnastics class. After school, they are always running around and don’t really have time to relax and think!

Even researchers have noticed that free, unstructured play has been declining for decades. Psychologist Peter Gray has written extensively about how children have fewer opportunities for self-directed play than previous generations. At the same time, rates of anxiety and other mental health challenges among children have increased. While many factors contribute to these trends, it raises an important question: what happens when children have less freedom to explore, create, and solve problems on their own?

More recent research has also found that unstructured play in the preschool years predicts stronger self-regulation abilities later in childhood. Self-regulation—the ability to manage emotions, focus attention, and control impulses—is one of the strongest predictors of future academic and social success.

In other words, what may look like "just playing" is actually some of the most important learning a child can do. It’s much more than having fun.

When children create their own games, they learn how to negotiate, compromise, solve conflicts, and think creatively. They learn resilience when things don't go as planned. They develop confidence because they are making decisions without an adult directing every step.

I can remember having physical fights one day and being back playing together the next day.

Today, the coach is making all the decisions - deciding what position everyone will play. The kids have no input.

Plus, skills like negotiating and compromise can't always be taught through instruction alone.

This doesn't mean organized sports and activities are bad. Sports teach teamwork and perseverance. Music lessons build discipline and focus. The issue isn't participation…it's balance.

Children need opportunities to be bored.

They need time to build a fort out of blankets, invent an imaginary world, or spend an afternoon creating something without a specific goal or outcome.

One program that recognizes the importance of imaginative play is Filament Theatre's FORTS: Build Your Own Adventure. Instead of sitting and watching a performance, families are invited to build, create, explore, and tell stories together using simple materials and their imaginations. 

Experiences like this remind us that children don't always need more structured activities. Sometimes they need more opportunities to lead their own adventures.

Other programs, including nature schools, forest schools, adventure playgrounds, and loose-parts play spaces, are built around the same idea: children learn best when they have the freedom to explore.

As parents, grandparents, and educators, it may be worth asking ourselves a simple question:

Have we become so focused on providing opportunities and wanting our kids to win at whatever sport or activity they are involved with that we've forgotten to leave room for play?

Research continues to show that free play supports creativity, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and social development. In many ways, play is the work of childhood.

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give children is not another activity on the calendar, but the time and space to create an adventure of their own.

So…anybody have a big cardboard box and some sheets?

Got a Tick? Don't Do What Grandma Told You

Tick season is here. I’ve decided to write about it, because last week both my wife and I found ticks on our bodies and we hadn’t been in the woods…just in our back yard! So, I decided to look at the tick picture.

First of all, if you get a tick on you, somebody is about to suggest one of the worst pieces of health advice that just refuses to “die.”

"Put a match on it."

"Cover it with nail polish."

"Smother it with Vaseline."

"Rub it with soap on a cotton ball."

No. Just NO.

While Grandma may have been right about many things, these things are BIG mistakes. Why…they stress the tick.

And a stressed tick is the last thing you want attached to your skin.

When a tick gets irritated, burned, suffocated, or otherwise disturbed, it can regurgitate the contents of its gut back into the bite before it lets go. Think about that for a second. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are spread through the exchange of bodily fluids.

So instead of helping the tick leave, you're increasing the chances that it dumps potentially infectious material into your body on the way out.

Not exactly a winning strategy.

So, here's what actually works.

Get a pair of fine-tipped tweezers.

Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, right where the mouthparts enter the skin. Not the body. Not the swollen abdomen. Right at the head.

Then pull straight up with steady pressure.

Don't twist.

Don't jerk.

Don't try to rip it out.

Just pull steadily.

The mouthparts are barbed, so it may feel like the tick is hanging on. That's because it is. Keep the pressure steady, and it will usually release within a few seconds.

If part of the mouthpiece breaks off and stays in the skin, leave it alone.

Most people immediately reach for a needle and start digging. That's usually a mistake. Your body is surprisingly good at pushing tiny foreign objects to the surface on its own. Digging around often causes more damage than the leftover fragment ever would.

Once the tick is out, wash the area with soap and water or clean it with rubbing alcohol. Then wash your hands.

Simple.

But here's the part almost nobody talks about.

Don't flush the tick.

Don't throw it in the trash.

Save it.

Take an index card and tape the tick to it with a piece of clear packing tape. Write down the date and where on your body you found it.

Then stick the card in a drawer.

If you develop unusual symptoms over the next month, fever, fatigue, joint pain, headaches, a rash, or that weird "I think I'm getting sick" feeling that doesn't quite fit, that tick could become important.

Some laboratories can test ticks for disease-causing organisms. Tick testing is not a substitute for medical care, and a positive or negative result doesn't automatically tell you whether you've become infected. Still, it can provide useful information for your healthcare provider and may help paint a clearer picture if symptoms appear later.

A taped tick with a date on it may end up being one of the most useful things you can bring to a doctor's appointment.

There's one more thing people need to know.

If the tick was engorged when you removed it, and you can't honestly say it was attached for less than 24 hours, call your healthcare provider that same day.

Don't wait for a bullseye rash.

A lot of people assume they'll know they have Lyme disease because they'll get the classic target-shaped rash. The reality is that many people never see one. Waiting for a rash can mean waiting too long.

In some cases, a healthcare provider may prescribe a preventive dose of doxycycline if treatment begins within 72 hours of removing a deer tick. That's a conversation worth having sooner rather than later.

The bottom line is simple.

Forget the matches.

Forget the nail polish.

Forget the Vaseline.

Forget the soap tricks.

Use fine-tipped tweezers. Pull straight up. Clean the area. Save the tick.

Sometimes the best medical advice isn't complicated at all. It's just the stuff that actually works.

 

Breathing Your Way Back to Balance

Lately, science has been catching up with something ancient cultures have known for thousands of years: the way we breathe affects nearly everything…stress levels, sleep, energy, focus, and even emotional balance.

A recent article in Discover Magazine called “All in Your Breath” explored how slow, controlled breathing may help regulate the nervous system and calm the body naturally. Researchers are finding that breathing slowly, especially around five to six breaths per minute, may help synchronize heart rhythms, lower anxiety, and improve resilience to stress.

The researchers also found that people have specific breathing patterns that are similar to fingerprints. They found that an individual can be identified with almost 100 percent accuracy by their breathing pattern.

Subtle differences in these patterns can provide important information about a person’s health status, as well as mood, cognition, and behavior. This means that down the road, our unique breathing pattern could be used to diagnose and treat certain diseases and conditions.

In addition, changing the breathing pattern might even lead to a better mental state.

What is fascinating is that these discoveries are not new at all.

Ancient yogic traditions have practiced breath control, or pranayama, for centuries. In yoga philosophy, breath is considered the bridge between the body and the mind. Slow breathing was believed to calm the nervous system, sharpen awareness, and restore internal balance long before modern science had equipment to measure these effects.

Today, studies are showing that yogic breathing techniques may:

• lower stress hormones
• improve heart rate variability
• support better sleep
• reduce anxiety
• improve focus and mental clarity

One of the simplest practices is alternate nostril breathing, known as Nadi Shodhana. This technique is believed to balance the body and quiet mental chatter. Another calming practice is Bhramari, or “bee breath,” which uses a humming exhale to relax the nervous system.

Even ancient Buddhist and Taoist traditions emphasized slow abdominal breathing during meditation. Zen monks often practiced long, steady exhalations to cultivate stillness and mental clarity. Taoist breathing practices focused on conserving energy and promoting longevity through calm, gentle respiration.

Modern researchers are now discovering that nasal breathing may also play an important role in health. Breathing through the nose helps filter air, regulate airflow, and increase nitric oxide production, which supports circulation and oxygen delivery.

What I find most interesting is how something so simple can have such a profound effect on the body. Breathing is automatic, yet it is also one of the few body functions we can consciously control. That means we have a built-in tool for calming the nervous system anytime we need it.

Here’s a simple breathing practice you can try:

• sit quietly
• breathe in slowly through the nose
• exhale gently and fully
• slow the breath without forcing it
• continue for 5 minutes

Sometimes, the oldest healing techniques still turn out to be the most powerful.

And science is finally beginning to explain why.

A Very Touchy Subject: What Happens to Women When They’re Denied an Abortion?

For years, abortion has been debated as a political issue, a moral issue, and a legal issue and with the latest court decisions around the pills, I feel I need to add my voice to the mix about the one thing that often gets ignored in the conversation which is what actually happens to the woman afterwards? I know this is a charged issue, but people need to know about this aspect and its importance.

This is not hypothetically. Not ideologically. I want to share with you what happens in real life.

Research has now followed women for years after they were denied abortions, and the findings are to put it mildly sobering. The effects go far beyond the pregnancy itself. Denying abortion access can impact a woman’s physical health, mental well-being, finances, safety, and future opportunities for years afterward, as well as, the wellness of the other children she may already have.

One of the largest and most widely cited studies on this issue is called the “Turnaway Study,” and was reported in 2013 by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. Researchers followed nearly 1,000 women over five years. Some were able to receive abortions, while others were denied it because they were just past their state’s gestational limit. Keep in mind that this was before the Supreme Court gave states the right to ban abortions in 2022.

What they discovered in their research challenges many of the assumptions people have about abortion.

The Emotional Impact of Being Denied

One of the most repeated claims in abortion debates is that abortion harms women emotionally. But the research did not support that idea. Women who received abortions generally did not experience worse long-term mental health outcomes. In fact, more than 95% said years later that having an abortion was the right decision for them.

The women who received abortions did not experience worse long-term psychological outcomes than those denied abortions. The women who struggled the most emotionally were often the women who were denied abortions.

Researchers found that women denied abortions experienced significantly higher stress and anxiety immediately afterward. Many reported feeling trapped, overwhelmed, and fearful about the future.

So just imagine today already knowing you are not financially, emotionally, physically, or mentally prepared for another child and then you’re stuck in a state where abortions are banned, and you have no ability to get to another state that permits abortions.

That kind of loss of control can affect every part of a woman’s life. Let’s talk a closer look at these aspects.

Poverty Increased for Women Denied Abortions

One of the clearest findings from the Turnaway Study was financial hardship.

Women denied abortions were:

• More likely to fall below the poverty line
• More likely to be unemployed
• More likely to rely on public assistance
• More likely to struggle paying for basic living expenses like food, transportation, and housing

And newer research found these financial effects lasted for years.

Researchers also connected study participants to actual credit report data over a ten-year period. Women denied abortions experienced:

• Increased debt
• More unpaid bills
• Higher rates of bankruptcy and eviction records
• Greater long-term financial distress

One of the most important details in that research was this: before the pregnancy, women in both groups had similar financial situations. The economic decline happened after the denial of an abortion. Researchers found these financial effects lasted for years.

This is important because many women seeking abortions are already mothers. Many are already trying to hold together jobs, rent, childcare, and rising costs of living. Adding an unplanned birth into an already unstable situation can create negative long-term economic consequences.

And those consequences don’t just affect the woman. They affect the children she already has too.

Physical Health Risks Were Higher

Pregnancy and childbirth are not medically risk-free.

Women denied abortions experienced more serious physical health complications than women who received abortions. Some reported chronic pain, hypertension, and other lasting health problems. Two women in the study died from childbirth complications.

That part often gets left out of public conversations about abortion.

People talk about abortion as though carrying a pregnancy is always the safer or easier option, but medically, childbirth carries significantly more risk than abortion procedures, especially in the United States where maternal mortality rates remain concerning.

Increased Risk of Staying in Abusive Relationships

One of the most heartbreaking findings was that women denied abortions were more likely to remain connected to abusive partners.

When a woman shares a child with someone abusive, it can become far harder to fully separate from that person emotionally, financially, and legally.

Access to reproductive healthcare is not just about pregnancy. Sometimes it is directly connected to safety and survival.

Existing Children Were Also Affected

Research found the effects of abortion denial did not stop with the mother.

Children already living in households where a woman was denied an abortion were more likely to experience economic instability and developmental hardship.

So, this is not only about one pregnancy. It can affect an entire family’s stability and future.

Life Goals Were Delayed or Lost

Researchers also found women who did receive abortions were more likely to achieve personal goals like:

• Finishing school
• Finding stable employment
• Leaving unhealthy relationships
• Becoming financially independent

Women denied abortions were less optimistic about their futures almost immediately after being turned away.

This means that underneath all the politics are real women trying to build lives for themselves. Some are trying to escape poverty. Some are trying to finish school. Some are trying to protect the children they already have. Some are simply trying to survive.

Research Continued After Roe v. Wade Was Overturned

Since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, researchers have continued studying the effects of abortion restrictions nationwide.

New research examining online discussions after Dobbs found women frequently described:

• Fear
• Financial panic
• Delayed medical care
• Emotional distress
• Confusion about healthcare access  

Researchers are especially concerned about increasing maternal health risks and growing healthcare inequality in states with severe abortion restrictions.

Why This Conversation Matters

No matter where someone stands politically, I think we should at least be honest about the reality’s women face.

Research does not show that denying abortions magically improves women’s lives. In many cases, the evidence points in the opposite direction that having
the abortion keeps the woman’s life from deteriorating.

The women denied abortions in these studies experienced:

• More poverty
• More health complications
• More stress and anxiety
• More exposure to abusive relationships

It’s these real-life experiences that are often missing from the public debate. It’s easy to discuss abortion as an abstract issue or legal issue.

It’s much harder to look honestly at what happens to these women afterward and is I worth banning both abortions and the pills that will stop
a pregnancy.

The bottom line is that these women’s lives are not political talking points. They are human lives, with consequences that continue long after the headlines fade.

You Have a Super Highway in Your Body, and You May Not Know It

This superhighway that you may never have heard of is called the vagus nerve, and it may be one of the most important systems in the human body.

It’s a Super Highway because the nerve travels from the brainstem down through the neck and into the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, intestines and other organs. It’s like taking a trip to all the great National Parks in this country. This means it acts like a communication highway between the brain and the body.

So, when the vagus nerve is working well, the body tends to function in a calmer and more balanced way. Your heart rate stabilizes, digestion improves, inflammation decreases, and stress becomes easier to manage.

However, when what is called your vagal tone is in poor condition, the body can remain stuck in a constant “fight or flight” state. Over time, that can affect nearly every organ in your body.

Researchers are now looking at vagus nerve stimulation for conditions ranging from chronic pain and inflammation to depression and stroke recovery. 

Since the vagus nerve sends signals back and forth between the brain and many major organs, it influences everything from mood to immune function.

What I find especially interesting is that ancient healing traditions have long recognized the importance of calming the nervous system. Now modern science is finally catching up.

The vagus nerve is also closely tied to what is called the parasympathetic nervous system, which is also called the “rest and digest” system. This is the opposite of the body’s stress response.

This means when the vagus nerve is activated in a good way, breathing slows, blood pressure can lower, digestion improves and the body shifts into repair mode.

Now think about what chronic stress does to people today: Digestive problems. Anxiety. Insomnia. High blood pressure. Fatigue. Inflammation. Sound familiar? It does to a lot of folks. 

Many researchers now believe that what they call low vagal tone may play a role in these issues.

There is now growing interest in what is called polyvagal theory, which explores how the nervous system responds to stress and trauma. 

One study explains how the nervous system constantly scans for danger, even at levels below conscious awareness, and this affects emotional and physical health.

So…what can you do to get this Super Highway working so you can cruise along at high speeds?

It turns out that many of the methods used to strengthen the vagus nerve are simple and natural.

Here are some of them (I’ve listed a bunch, so that you can find, at least one or two to do regularly).

1.   Deep, slow breathing is actually one of the best tools you can use. Breathing slowly from the diaphragm sends calming signals through the vagus nerve. Even five minutes a day can help shift the body out of stress mode.

A simple method is:
Inhale slowly through the nose into the diaphragm for a count of 4
Exhale slowly through the mouth for a count of 6

Keep in mind that deep belly breathing works better than shallow chest breathing because the diaphragm is closely connected to vagus nerve activity.

2.   Another technique is humming, singing, and chanting, which may also stimulate the vagus nerve because it connects to the vocal cords and throat muscles. This may explain why singing in choirs or listening to calming music can feel healing.

3.   Cold exposure is another technique many people swear by. It can be as simple as splashing cold water on your face or ending a shower with cold water (and no, you don’t have to do a plunge into ice water!)

4.   Meditation and prayer can also strengthen vagal tone. Many studies have shown that regular meditation helps regulate stress hormones and calm the nervous system.

5.   Exercise is important too, especially walking, yoga, and tai chi. Movement helps regulate the nervous system and improve circulation throughout the body.

6.   Gut health also matters because the vagus nerve is deeply connected to digestion. Eating whole foods, reducing ultra-processed foods, and supporting the microbiome may positively influence vagal function.

7.   Another often overlooked factor is our social connections. Positive relationships, laughter, and feelings of safety in our relationships all support the vagus nerve. Chronic isolation and emotional stress can do the opposite.

All of this highlights how interconnected the body truly is. The vagus nerve reminds us that mental health, digestion, inflammation, immunity, and heart health are not separate systems operating alone. They are constantly communicating!

Researchers are even studying medical vagus nerve stimulation devices for epilepsy, inflammatory diseases, and treatment-resistant depression. 

While some of these therapies are still evolving, they show how central this nerve is to overall health. The vagus nerve is not our Super Highway for Nothing!

So…anybody for breathing, humming, meditating, and taking a walk. And no…you don’t have to do them all at once. Just pick one or two to start on your drive along your Super Highway to Better Health!