Reviewed by Katherine Olson

“Progress lies not in enhancing what is,” wrote poet Khalil Gibran, “but in advancing toward what will be.” For parents of autistic children, making lifestyle changes is not simply about helping their sons and daughters today, but is reflective of hope for a healthy, fulfilling future. Author and nutritional consultant Donna Gates understands this and her holistic approach, explained in The Body Ecology Diet, is rooted in the principles of restoring balance and promoting vitality. The result is an optimistic, forward-thinking method.

“We are destroying the delicate balance of the ecosystem that exists within our own bodies,” Gates writes. She traces this destruction in part to the overabundance of yeast known as candida, as well as other “unfriendly organisms” that lead to systemic infections, lowered immunity and Candida Related Complex. Candida Related Complex in turn often results in food allergies, digestive disorders, mental fuzziness and other health problems. Candida, Gates explains, can thrive as a result of using antibiotics, which often kill the body’s helpful bacteria. Further contributing to the growth of unfriendly bacteria are such environmental factors as stress, our nation’s fast-food culture, and the use of certain supplemental hormones.

The Body Ecology Diet ultimately aims to strengthen the body’s organs, digestive tract and immune system, remove and cleanse the body of harmful yeast, balance the body’s chemistry, and “re-establish and feed” the body’s internal ecosystem. To achieve balance, Gates outlines seven principles, which cover how to choose, prepare and eat certain healing foods that may relieve symptoms associated with autism, such as a weakened digestive system.

Because The Body Ecology Diet is written not just for those suffering from autism but also for those seeking to improve their health and immunity, it is workable and valuable for both autistics and their families. There is planning and preparation involved, and some followers may have to adapt to a diet vastly different than what they had been eating. The Body Ecology Diet is gluten-free, casein-free, sugar-free and, predominantly plant-based. The tools for success are all here: detailed, gentle guidance, an extensive reference source, and the encouraging, positive results of B.E.D. followers. And, of course, there is hope, as Gates says, when your child progresses: “He starts to become strong. His brain starts to heal╔ He will feel happier, be more focused, sleep better and possibly grow up to be healthier than a child who never developed autism.”