So, we have started the Feingold diet here at our house. This diet eliminates all artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners and the 3 preservatives TBHQ, BHT and BHA. At the beginning (stage 1) we are also eliminating fruits and vegetables which contain high amounts of Salicylic Acid or Salicylates because these can trigger extreme reactions in some people as well. Some people refer to them as "nightshades". This includes thing like apples, oranges, grapes, berries and tomatoes. You know... our favorite foods.
Many of you know my story as a child. Around age 1, I was a completely unmanageable child. I didn't sleep at all (just 30 minutes at a time), I was constantly sick with asthma and bronchitis, I didn't eat, I just banged my head on the high chair a lot. I did not deal well with changes from my routine. My mom says that anytime someone came to visit at our house I would just scream. And then it would take another 30 minutes to an hour to calm me back down after they left. I didn't like people. If they tried to talk to me I would just yell, "no" at them. My pediatrician told my mom that I would always have special needs and have learning disabilities. He finally told my mom he had no more ideas to help me. But, he had heard of this diet and maybe she should just talk to a group of people that were doing it. So, mom was introduced to the Feingold diet. 3 days after implementing it, I was a different child. She later put my brother on it as well because his sinuses were so compacted he was having horrible migraines. The doctor recommended just trying the diet on him as well before they flushed his sinuses. And in 2 weeks his sinuses were completely drained. So, all that to say, I know this diet works and not just for ADHD, which it is most commonly known for.
I know that we should not be eating these artificial things. But without a major reason, it seams so overwhelming to even start. We already eat fairly healthy. I know from doing our 30 Days of Real Food a few years back, how to read labels and choose pretty healthy foods. But, there always seems to be some excuse for allowing junk. It's their birthday, or they went poopy on the potty, or they had junky prizes at church, or it's Halloween, etc. What seems to be an occasional treat, turns into a weekly, if not daily thing. So, when Madeline started showing signs of tics we decided it was time to take the plunge. Our doctor said that there isn't any diet that will eliminate tics. So... challenge accepted. We are giving it a try.
We joined the Feingold program right before Christmas so that I could get my head wrapped around some things before sending them back to church and preschool where there were snacks. I thought I was doing pretty well by choosing most of my food from Trader Joe's that said no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives right on the packaging. But, the problem is that there are hidden things. If an ingredient has been previously preserved, it doesn't have to be indicated on the label. Oils and Vitamin A are very bad about this. So, many chips that only have 3 ingredients may have hidden preservatives in them because the oil was preserved before the company added it to their product. Or milk often has Vitamin D or A added to it. But, you don't know if it was preserved before being added or not. Many products have preservatives sprayed on the packaging. Many cheeses, like cheese sticks and sliced cheeses have preservatives in the plastic packaging that is then absorbed by the food and then ingested by you. So, a lot of people gawk at paying for this program. But, they have done all of the research for you and tell you which products are safe to eat. They are a non-profit and it actually takes time and money to find out this information and to print it for you. Being a member also gives you access to their member facebook pages. There is a general page and a lunch bunch page. Everyone is very encouraging and helpful with any questions you have. They are all just moms (probably dads too) that have changed their families with this diet and are excited to help others do it too.
So, how is this diet working for us? I have to say that we are still working on getting on this program 100%. It took a while to get the foodlist which tells me which products are safe to buy. (I should have just bought the e-version.) So, I was just kind of guessing before. Non of the milk that I was using was acceptable even though it was organic. And I still haven't gotten rid of our colored and fragranced laundry detergent, dish soap and toiletries. If you think about it, your skin is your largest organ. All those chemicals get absorbed right into your body. But, in doing the best we can (so far), all of Madeline's tics that I talked to the doctor about are gone. She still has a few OCD tendencies that haven't gone away. But, we have really been on the diet only 3 weeks. So, we are going to stick with it and see if we can help those too.
In the rest of the family, we noticed an immediate change in Oliver. My parents said over Christmas that he seemed much calmer and more emotionally even. He stopped bed wetting very quickly. Although he has been having issues the past few nights. So, we are trying to figure out if there is some food triggering it or maybe he is just drinking way to much at bedtime. But, after 5 years of rarely ever being dry he went 5 straight nights in a row. Our house is much more peaceful as well. Before Madeline's birthday party (Dec 6th), I called my mom freaking out because everyone was arguing, fighting and yelling at each other. I couldn't get anything done without being interrupted by an argument or tattling every 2 minutes. We just needed a break from each other. She ended up taking 2 kids home with her after Madeline's party. But, now they are happy to make up elaborate games together and are happy to be playing with each other. They still have arguments occasionally. But, they seem to resolve much easier. I have also noticed that Lucy is falling asleep much easier.
So, I definitely think this diet is a success and we will continue it indefinitely. After about 6-8 weeks of seeing the behaviors that we want, we can start introducing back in the salicylates one by one to see if there is any specific sensitivity to them. So, hopefully we will get our fruits and pizza sauce back. If you have any interest in doing this diet to help someone in your family I would highly recommend just going for it. There is basically an alternative to every food your child loves. There are plenty of candies and snack foods that are acceptable. There are even natural food colorings and sprinkles for birthday cakes that you can get. So, your child won't feel like they are missing out on everything good. And you don't have to make everything from scratch (although, you can if you want). So, even though it seems overwhelming, giving it a few weeks could be life changing for your child and family. I can't imagine what my life would have been like if my mom hadn't done it for me. I am so thankful she gave it a try. I will post some things that we have been eating this week soon.
Monday:
Breakfast: Sausage
Thursday:
Friday:
