Naturally Recovering Autism with Karen Thomas

Safe Water Solutions for Children with Autism: Proper Filtration and Hydration Tips [Podcast Episode #199]

Overcoming Confusion and Misinformation in Meeting the Needs of Children on the Spectrum

While I’m used to guiding health-minded audiences deep down the Rabbit-Hole of water topics, today’s discussion with Karen will be light on science and heavy on practicality. It aims to explain the challenging path for families who are intent on providing the safest and healthiest water for children on the Autism Spectrum and other Special Needs.

Choosing water for consumption (drinking, beverages and food preparation) and water for bathing water for your family is daunting task because of the minefield of misinformation and hype that is associated with suppliers of water treatment for consumers. You cannot trust the Internet, your local water dealer, big-box stores or persuasive TV promotions. It is unconscionable and embarrassing to me – someone who spent the past 50+ years in the water industry that it has has not kept up with the current state of water contaminants AND the growing assaults on the declining state of health of humanity. Based on decades of observing homeowner’s selection of water treatment technology, I conclude that more than 80-90% purchase and install inadequate systems for their and their children’s health needs.

Introduction

The human body is 50% to over 90% water by weight depending on the stage of life. Not too long ago it was revealed that if we were to segregate all the types of molecules that make up the body, H2O would amount to 99% of them!

An adult body contains roughly 40 liters of functional water derived from more than a billion years of evolution in the sea. No other single factor had such a profound influence on the animal kingdom’s biological design and function.

There are two primary compartments in the body: The Extracellular fluid (ECF) and the Intracellular Fluid.

So, our 50+ trillion cells are floating in the Extracellular fluid (the Terrain) and contained within them is the Intracellular fluid where all the action is. It is the biochemical quality of the Terrain that governs overall health. Virtually all the great physiologists over the past 2 centuries agree one central concept – “The Terrain Is Everything”

Understanding healthy hydration and how to maintain it

Maintaining proper hydration is not only about consuming enough water. In fact, consuming an excessive amount of water can interfere with optimal hydration. Many factors can jeopardize the body’s ability to maintain healthy hydration (illness, diarrhea, excessive work or exercise in hot climates, an imbalance in the quantity and variety of electrolytes).

Key indicators of dehydration are varied and can include

• Lightheadedness or dizzy feeling
• Dry mouth and tongue and cracked lips
• Less frequent need to urinate
• Muscle cramps
• Thirst
• Frequent headaches
• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Urine has a darker color
• Eyes more sunken than usual

The key physiological measure in achieving proper hydration is having sufficient water inside our cells – referred to as intracellular water.

Sufficient pure water with the proper quantity and mix of electrolytes is key to achieving optimal hydration. A very rough daily guideline for those in good health is to consume – as water or sugar-free beverages (e.g. coffee, tea, vegetable juices, etc.)...

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How to Stabilize During Detoxification for a Smoother Journey In Autism Recovery [Podcast Episode #198]

What’s easier to follow and get results faster, a zig zag or a straight line? Of course, it’s a straight line. 

In our autism recovery journeys, we parents often zig zag around looking for answers from various practitioners and therapists, internet searches, and purchasing random supplements we’ve heard about, but don’t know how to use properly.

Detoxification, while essential for health and recovery, can be challenging. Here are strategies to stabilize during this process for a smoother journey and better outcomes in autism recovery.

Seek Guidance From Someone Who Has Knowledge about the Specifics of Autism

After a decade of research and a lot of implementation to find what worked, today my son’s symptoms of autism are gone. This is after the so-called ‘experts’ told me it wasn’t possible.

Having a guide that has personally lived through it with success is important too.

Have a specific plan that is unique to autism 

There are very unique issues and sensitivities involved in autism recovery. We cannot assume that every professional knows what to do. In fact, on my own autism journey with my son I found doctors didn’t really know what to do so I began researching on my own...

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https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/198

Toxic Heavy Metals Found In All 20 Brands of Baby Formula Tested [Podcast Episode 197]

Karen Thomas of Naturally Recovering Autism interviews Zen Honeycutt from Moms Across America on Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury Found in Baby Formula.

Catalyzed by the FDA’s failure to regulate heavy metals in baby formula, a coalition of consumer advocacy groups commissions testing of 20 different brands. Groups urge the FDA and legislators to protect infants from toxic exposure.

Severe health risks posed by these toxic metals include developmental delays, cancer, kidney damage, and neurocognitive difficulties.

A coalition of consumer advocacy groups, including Moms Across America, GMOScience, and The New MDS, has uncovered alarming levels of toxic metals in baby formula. Testing of 20 popular brands revealed that 100% of samples contained aluminum and lead, with over half also testing positive for arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. Disturbingly, six formulas contained all five metals in both samples.

Notably, aluminum levels in one goat’s milk formula were up to 40,000 times higher than other metals tested, far exceeding FDA safety limits. Mercury and cadmium levels in several samples also surpassed allowable limits in drinking water.

Despite the FDA’s “Closer to Zero” initiative launched in 2021, no substantial regulatory limits have been set, leaving babies vulnerable. Recent efforts, including the Baby Food Safety Act of 2024, which was announced by Congress on May 9, one week after the heads of Moms Across America and GMOScience met with lawmakers and the FDA in D.C. to deliver the results of the baby formula testing, aim to give the FDA authority to regulate and enforce limits on levels of heavy metals found in baby food and potentially formula.

Talk points in this podcast:

Alarming rates of toxic metals when testing 20 different baby formula brands.

• • 100% of the 40 samples tested contained aluminum and lead.
  • 57% of the samples tested positive for arsenic, 55% for mercury, and 35% for cadmium.
  • Six of the 20 formulas were positive for all five toxic metals in both samples.
  • At 41,000 ppb, aluminum levels in a goat’s milk baby formula were 4000 – 40,000x higher than other metals in the formulas tested and exceed limits set by the FDA for maximum safety level of aluminum for a preemie.
  • Levels of mercury in four samples measured above the limit allowed by the FDA in drinking water.
  • Levels of cadmium in both samples of one formula were nearly twice the level allowed in drinking water.
  • The is heightened vulnerability of infants due to their small bodies and rapid cellular growth...

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https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/197

Underlying Causes of Speech Issues and Autism [Podcast Episode #196]

It’s common in children, and adults, with autism to have speech issues. This can be a difficulty speaking clearly all the way to completely non-verbal, at any age.

Many symptoms come from various toxins, pathogens and coinfections. We begin with healing the gut and diet, but there is so much more involved. In my last podcast episode We discussed the toxicity of aluminum. In studies it has been noted that speech is one of the symptoms associated with speech issues of all kinds.

It’s never just one thing. Speech is helped by all of it, but for best results the complete A-Z approach must be done. As underlying common symptoms of speech issues with autism I find there are three issues that are an absolute must to be covered properly for best results.

Speech issues are caused by many things, but the top three I’ve found in my research and experience are:

1. Aluminum 
2. Viruses 
3. PANS 

Aluminum

How Do We Get Aluminum Exposure?

Aluminum is prevalent in our society in the air, soil/food, water, cookware, and in the health care products most people use daily such as deodorants, fragrances, lotions, make-up, and so much more. It is contained in antacids, over the counter supplements, and medications.

Almost 75% of all adjuvant-based medical treatments include aluminum salts. 

Aluminum Poisoning with Emphasis on Its Mechanism and Treatment of Intoxication See Study here.

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The Health Risks of Aluminum Exposure: What You Need To Know [Podcast Episode #195]

How Do We Get Aluminum Exposure?

Aluminum is prevalent in our society in the air, soil/food, water, cookware, and in the health care products most people use daily such as deodorants, fragrances, lotions, make-up, and so much more.

It is contained in antacids, over the counter supplements, and medications. Aluminum-based adjuvants are also used in the immunotherapy of allergic conditions. Almost 75% of all adjuvant-based treatments include aluminum salts.

Aluminum Poisoning with Emphasis on Its Mechanism and Treatment of Intoxication See Study here.

Mehrdad Rafati Rahimzadeh, 1 Mehravar Rafati Rahimzadeh, 2 Sohrab Kazemi, 3 Roghayeh Jafarian Amiri, 1 Marzieh Pirzadeh, 4 and Ali Akbar Moghadamnia 5

Aluminum, a corrosion-resistant metal, has light weight and density, high electrical and thermal conductivity, and high ductility and is easily deformable.

For this reason, it is used in aerospace industries, transportation industries, packaging and food industries, building and construction, electrical industries, a wide range of home household and appliances, machinery and equipment, and monetary currency like aluminum coins...

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A Mother’s Triumph Sharing Her Child’s Autism Success Story [Podcast #194]

Nanti’s son was diagnosed with autism at twenty-eight months. For almost a decade, she searched for answers to help give him a future with more independence,  peacefulness, and a better way of life.

After trying various practitioners, one after the other, that did not give her any real help or hope for his future, she persevered to find the education, guidance, and support she needed and found it at Naturally Recovering Autism.

Today, due to her efforts, Nanti’s eleven year old son has greater independence, is now calm and happy, sleeps through the night, can speak, write, ride a bike, has friends, and the whole family has more peace. She says he is FINALLY on the road to recovery...

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https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/194

Environmental Factors On Food Safety and Toxic Chemicals [Podcast Episode #193]

Karen Thomas Interviews Zen Honeycutt, Founding Director of Moms Across America

Diet does matter! The food we eat causes chemical reactions to take place in the body. These reactions can be healthy ones such as strong bones and immunity, or they can be unhealthy reactions such as an underlying cause for aggression and even violent behaviors, sleep disorders, hormonal disruption, gut dysbiosis, weak immunity, inability to focus, fatigue, anxiety, and much more.

Please listen as Karen Thomas interviews Founding Executive Director of Moms Across America, Zen Honeycutt , to discuss important environmental factors relating to the food you eat and the connection to a variety of health issues. Learn what you need to know to keep your family healthy.

Talk points:

• Current US policy regarding regulations of heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides in our food
• Latest test results of popular children’s cereal
• The FDA banned Red Dye No.3 in cosmetics in 1990 based on scientific evidence of its carcinogenic risks, yet the agency has never moved to ban it from our food. In October of last year, California became the first state to ban Red dye No.3 with the passage of AB418. Seven other states have followed suit and passed similar bills so far in 2024.
• What consumers can do to avoid toxic-laden food
• What consumers can do to help change policy to ensure better regulations of pesticides and heavy metals in the food supply, especially ultra-processed foods
• What farmers can do to ensure a clean food supply...

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https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/193

Breaking Point to Breakthrough: Transforming Life For Your Child with Autism [Podcast Episode #192]

A time comes in your life when you know that in order to make changes in your life you have to do something differently.

When my son had debilitating symptoms of autism that no one knew how to help me with I realized it was up to me to make a change happen for him. After that last trip to the Emergency Room it was the fuel for my fire to learn on my own.

Do you have this fire burning inside of you? If you want to know how to help your child with autism to live a happier, healthier and more productive life to their full potential then please join me for my free live virtual event, the  Autism Recovery Action Plan. Registration is now open. Register here now!

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https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/192

Why Is Candida So Hard To Get Rid Of? [Podcast Episode #191]

Candida is very tricky to work with so you need to know many of the contributing factors and why it is so hard to get rid of. It’s never just one thing, and prsistency is key.

Candida Induced Alcohol Poisoning

Candida requires sugar as food. This can come in the source of any chemical that ends in “ose” such as glucose, fructose, or sucrose. Carbohydrates such as bread and pasta are also converted by the body into sugars that act as another food source for the yeast. When glucose (from sugars and carbohydrates) is digested by Candida, it creates the alcoholic chemical ethanol and its extremely toxic byproduct, acetaldehyde.

Candida and this alcohol, acetaldehyde, are transferred via the placenta to the developing fetus and are capable of doing harm during development. After birth, the baby continues to receive alcohol through the mother’s breast milk.

Alcohol can cause malnutrition by preventing the body from digesting proteins. Many liquid herbal tinctures contain alcohol. Be sure supplements are alcohol free.

Associated problems from alcohol:

• Aggressive and violent behavior. Alcohol causes damage to areas of the brain that can increase aggressive behavior to violent behavior.
• Anxiety
• Lethargy
• Impaired coordination, speech, and memory loss.
• Liver damage causing a lowered ability of the body’s detoxification processes.
• Damage to the intestinal lining reducing the ability for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.
• Inability of the hormones released by the thyroid to become activated. NOTE: The thyroid may produce an acceptable lab test because it is releasing the proper hormones. The problem is that, once released, the hormones cannot do their jobs due to acetaldehyde inhibiting the working sites needed by those hormones.
• Malabsorption and malnutrition due to inhibition of pancreatic enzymes and reduced ability for the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid...

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https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/191

Autism and the Candida Mercury Connection [Podcast Episode #190]

Children on the autism spectrum usually have both candida and heavy metal toxicity. The essential candida diet where we starve out the bad bacteria by removing the bad processed carbohydrates and excess sugars that they thrive on ensures a better outcome.

However, it is lesser know that mercury will slow down the removal of candida. Mercury inhibits the body’s natural ability to fight off excess candida so it is imperative to not only do a proactive diet and candida protocol, but this must include heavy metal detoxification.

Mercury is candida’s friend. It’s likely that one reason why candida can be so challenging to get rid of is because there is still mercury in the system. I have found that if we get rid of the mercury, candida seems to go away more easily, but first we must heal and strengthen the gut. The toxins released from heavy metals and fungus lower the body’s ability to turn the food we eat into energy.

With conventional sulfur containing heavy metal chelating methods, such as DMSA, one must exercise caution to be sure the liver is supported first and the gut has more balance prior. Sulfur may likely disturb the already weak GI tract. These drugs also deplete the body further of important minerals and allow for reabsorption of the toxins while it’s being excreted.

Mercury is known to inhibit the human body’s ability to kill Candida. It does this by preventing a type of white blood cell called neutrophils from killing the Candida fungus. These cells normally destroy microorganisms and foreign matter in the blood.

Some common sources of mercury come from our environment. The air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink all contain heavy metals. Be sure you have a high quality water filter like the one here.

Additionally, mercury amalgam dental fillings are a strong source of toxicity and the amalgams a mother has during pregnancy leak mercury into her system which is passed in utero to the growing fetus so the child can be born with mercury toxicity...

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https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/190