One Year Later

I can hardly believe that a year has past since we began the Feingold Program to help my DS with some ADHD/ emotional issues. I won't go into detail about the program as I have answered many of those questions in other blogs, but will give an update on how things are going. I have learned so much about what is in our food and how it can effect our bodies. I can say that after one year, our family is healthier and happier! Most of you know that another huge change was taking my DS (now 7 y.o) out of public school to homeschool this year. When I began this program a year ago and read some blogs my other moms who followed it, I came across one entitled, "Accidentally Homeschooling." It honestly scared me. I thought, "Oh, I hope that isn't going to be me." Since this is not a blog about homeschooling, I won't go into details about how my heart changed in that area, but will say that in life, you should never say never! That and following the Feingold program have been the best decisions, we have made as parents so far. God lead us every step of the way in each decision. How did I know about the Feingold program? God's guidance. Why this and not just an additive free diet? God knew my son's body (after all He created it!) and that he needed a low-salicylate diet in addition to removing food additives. Thank you for reading and following me on this journey. It has been a challenge to keep up with the blog now that I am homeschooling, but I didn't want to leave you hanging, so I will answer some FAQ.

1. Is this something that only certain people are sensitive to or can everyone benefit from the Program?
I believe everyone can benefit from Stage 2 of the plan which eliminates artificial food dyes, artificial sweetners, artificial preservatives and artificial flavors from their diets. I have tried to eliminate most of these things for the whole family and overall, we have been much healthier (fewer visits to the doctor, improved moods,fewer digestive issues, and I can atest to having more energy...just to name a few). Something that is unique about the Feingold program is that in Stage One, you eliminate salicylates. Only certain people are sensitive to naturally occuring salicylates(such as apples, berries, tomatoes, mint, tea) and those symptoms can be anything from depression to vertigo and possibly fibromyalgia. Some are actually allergic to these, but usually it is just a sensitivity. For example, peanuts are not bad for you unless you are allergic to peanuts. Some people are not allergic to caffeine, but their bodies react negaitivly to having it.

2. Do you eat only organic foods?
No, I would go broke. I end up buying a lot of organic foods because many of those brands do not have additives. I do not necessarily buy organic fruits and vegetables. I look for labels like "All Natural,"" No Preservatives" or Additive Free."

3. What is the easiest thing to eliminate on the Plan?
Petrolium based food dyes (that's right, they are made from coal tar...yum!). They are in everything from lolipops to cocktail sauce and children's ibuprophen, but there are so many alternatives that it is usually easy to find a substitute. Companies are beginning to catch on to the consumer's desire to not have these in their products. And it is easy to see if it is in a product. If it has any color listed with a number behind it (Red 40, Yellow 5, etc.) It does not go in my cart.

4. What has been the hardest thing to eliminate? That's tricky. The preservative TBHQ is difficult because it is mainly found in pan sprays or shortening and since it is not an ingredient in the final product, but rather used in production, it does not have to be listed on the packaging. Goldfish cracker, for instance, are baked on sheets using TBHQ so it does get on the goldfish but is not listed on the packaging. It is for this reason that I bake my own bread or buy from Trader Joe's.
The natually ocurring salicylates has also been hard because it is from nature's good food (many fruits and vegetables), and it's hard to explain to people why you try to avoid those for your child.

5. Where do you shop for groceries?
Target and Aldi on a weekly basis. I stock up on certain things at Shoprite or Trader Joe's once a month.

6. How do you go out to eat?
Very carefully. We have certain restaurants that we like to go to including Wendy's, Moe's, McDonalds, Chili's and Olive Garden. Usually, when we go out I ask a lot of questions (I already have to do that because of peanut/ egg allergies). Hamburgers and pasta are typically safer choices as well as grilled chicken nuggets. We also frequent the Philly Pretzel Factory as a special treat. (I was pleased to find that they use parchment paper and not pan sprays when cooking their pretzels.) If we are going somewhere I am unsure about, I pack him a sack dinner to take.

7. How do you even get started on this program? For ~$80 I ordered the Feingold material and with that came a food guide which lists specific foods and brand names that have been researched and approved for both stages of the program. That is where I started. The first few months, I typically stuck to the list. Since then, I have ventured off to try other things by just reading labels. It also came with a restaurant guide, too, which was helpful at first.

8. How do you balance this Program and the peanut/ egg allergy? It is difficult because a lot of the "approved" foods are made with peanuts or "may contain" peanuts. Many of the treats that I would get at Trader Joe's fall into this category. I'll pick up a box of Trader Joe's cookies or their version of M&Ms only to find it may contain peanuts. On the other hand, it does give us an excuse for why he can't eat certain things or why he needs to bring his own snack somewhere. Naturally, people are more accepting of "My son has food allergies" rather than "We try to avoid food additives."

9.  What are salicylates? Don't worry, I had never heard of them before either, nor had my pediatrician. I will link to a website that explains better than I can. http://salicylatesensitivity.com/about/about-salicylate-sensitivity/

10. Has this solved all of your problems with your son? NO! This program does not change the heart. Only God can do that.

11. Would you recommend this program to others? Absolutely! Especially if you have heard the words "ADHD" or spectrum disorder at a Parent/ Teacher conference or wonder why your child's behavior or mood is inconsistent despite loving consistent discipline. It's not only good for kids, but adults, too.

6 Month Update

I know I am way overdue for an update on our journey! Our summer has been so fun, yet busy, but don't worry, I haven't given up on Feingold. In fact, I now finally seeing some consistent results. While Feingold claims that many people see results in 4-6 weeks, many professionals and others familiar with additive free diets had told me it takes 6 months to one year to totally rid the body of the remnants of the chemical additives. I would say that has been true for us. While I did see improvements early on, it seemed that gradually, I noticed that some behaviors that used to be a problem were less frequent, if not gone. The biggest improvement by far has been his overall mood and ability to sleep better. He has been less irritable and more pleasant to be around. I don't feel like I am walking on eggshells all the time. When, we stick to the diet strictly, I notice that he is able to concentrate better and use more advanced vocabulary. He still has a lot of energy, but I am learning to try to redirect that energy into a positive thing. For instance, his baseball coach frequently commended him on his "hustle" on the ball field. When I started running a few weeks ago, he ran two miles with me and received many words of praise of the people at the YMCA who were watching him. He still has a positive attitude toward the plan, especially now that we are able to eat a few more "treats" than before. When I say "treats" I am not referring to the artificial additives...those are eliminated. Treats might include apple juice, all natural gummies,  and meals out at restaurants where we try to make better choices based on his food plan. This plan can be confusing at first, but for those of you who are interested, here is the list of what we have eliminated and what we eat in only small amounts.
Eliminated on Feingold
Artificial Petrolium based Dyes (red #40, yellow #5, etc. basically if it has a number and a color listed in the ingredients, we don't eat it or use it in any products)
Artificial Preservatives (BHA, TBHQ, Sodium benzoate)
Artificial Flavors (Vanillin is probably the most popular example)
Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, sweet n low, splenda, etc.)

We have also eliminated High Fructose Corn Syrup, corn syrup and honey as those seemed to cause problems for him. While these are not officially eliminated from Feingold, it is the next suggested step if results seem inconsistent)

Naturally occurring salicylates are eaten in moderation (perhaps one a day)
Apples, berries, peppers, grapes, many spices, mint, oranges,and  tomatoes are a few examples.
We have also eliminated this from products we use such as soaps, lotion and sunscreen

(FYI- While research is still being done on salicylates, studies show that a low-salicylate diet can also been successful in helping treat fibromyalgia and Meniere's disease)

So that's the scoop. We are still on the plan and doing well. Just wait until my next blog topic. It will surprise many of you!

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Ashtma and Allergies

I know without a doubt God led me to read this book by Dr. Kenneth Bock called Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies. I "just happened" to stumble upon it at the library and it caught my attention not only because Elijah has classic symptoms of ADHD, but also because he suffers from both allergies and asthma as well. I checked it out and read it as if it were a best selling Nicholas Sparks novel...I couldn't put it down. A few weeks later, a friend handed me her copy of the book and said, "Here is the book I think you should read," and it was this book! My learning curve has been huge in this area and I will not do it justice in this blog but rather introduce you to a few key concepts.  In short, he takes a step back and looks at healing these disorders from diagnosing underlying medical problems that could be causing these symptoms. In his practice, he will test for everything from undiagnosed allergies to thyroid function to heavy metal toxicity based on the individual. That is the key. The individual. In a world where doctors just don't have the time to sit and evaluate an individual, he takes time to connect all the pieces of the puzzle. Then, based on the rest results, he will recommend a personalized healing program for each child. He has a four tier approach: 1. Nutrition and diet 2. Supplementations (vitamins, probiotics, etc.) 3. Detoxification 4. Medication. Notice the medication is last. Unlike some naturalists, he is not against medication, even stimulant medication like Ritalin, he just feels that they are over prescribed and sometimes used as a bandaid for an underlying problem. Interwoven throughout the medical information are success stories of children in his practice. He recognizes that not all problems can be healed in this way. While many of the children he see have severe, even life threatening disorders, many seek him because of his more holistic approach. I cried several times reading the book, but especially when I read about "Loukas." Reading about Loukas was like reading a description of Elijah. He was six years old, had dark circles under his eyes, history of food allergies in the family, asthma, pale skin, irritable, and small for his age. In addition, he had all the classic features of the inattentive type of ADHD. Dr. Bock says of Loukas, "...he was probably on the road Ritalin. If that happened, though, it would be a disaster. The last thing he needed was a stimulant that would mask the physical exhaustion that was already destroying him. There was nothing wrong with this kids brain, that couldn't be remedied by restoring the health of his body." He goes on to describe the plan for Loukas and how he, in one year, gained 50 percent of his body weight. How he no longer had asthma issues, was more focused and calm and that the dark circles under his eyes were replaced by nice pink cheeks.  I stopped, took a deep breath, and prayed. "Lord, help me to know if there are underlying problems for Elijah." Immediately, I became more strict about his known egg and peanut allergy. While, I don't allow him to have peanuts at all,  I've been relaxed about eggs in pancakes or other baked goods because the allergist said that he could have eggs if they were baked at a high enough temperature to kill the egg protein. Most other people that I know that have an egg allergy avoid them even in baked goods. If there is one thing I learned from the book that I didn't know, it is how much allergies can affect the body in ways that can't be outwardly seen. I always thought, "No Hives, no problem." Luckily, I have for a while been using flax seed as a substitute for eggs in some recipes for health reasons, so he can still have his pancakes, just with flax seed instead of eggs. The next step, of course, was finding a good multi-vitamin. That is easier said than done for someone who needs to avoid fruit flavoring. I finally found a children's chewable vitamin from Freeda vitamins that is carob flavored. Elijah says they taste like Smartees, which is a good thing! In addition, I have recently been trying to increase his protein, especially as breakfast, but that is also easier said than done for someone who can't have eggs or peanut butter and won't eat legumes. Adding a little ricotta cheese to pancakes and pecans to chocolate chip cookies has been a start. Finally, I know what things that ask the Dr. about on my next well child visit in June. I hope that they will take seriously some of my concerns and do some testing...perhaps a complete blood panel, urinalysis, and thyroid test. As I told a friend of mine, I am still in the stage of trusting my pediatrician since we have only been here for 2 years. So far, my concerns have been related to allergies and asthma issues. We have seen some great improvements following Feingold, but, that may just be the first step in helping Elijah be as healthy, calm, and focused as he can be. We shall see.

Short and Sweet

The past few weeks, I have been overwhelmed thinking about things associated with Elijah and his issues with ADHD...a conference with his teacher, continuing to find "trigger" foods, finding a multi-vitamin that agrees with him and reading an amazing book by Dr. Kenneth Bock called, "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies." I've had so many thoughts that it is almost too much to blog about right now. Sometime I hope to blog about those things when I get my thoughts together! I did want to share one little tidbit that happened on Mother's Day. On our way to church, Elijah asked me what was the happiest things that had happened in my life so far. "The day I married dad and the days that you and Isaac were born," I replied, "What is the happiest thing that happened to you?" Elijah thought a minute and said, "That I got you and dad and this new food plan." I'll let you draw your own conclusions. It was a great Mother's Day gift...that and the fact that he sat in church coloring quietly through the whole sermon :).

A Peaceful Place

I am truly thankful to God for creating a more peaceful home for the Fitzgerald family. It's not a perfect place my any means, but it is much more relaxed and enjoyable now that we are on track with the Feingold diet. I finally eliminating a huge trigger...high fructose corn syrup. While not specifically eliminated on the initial stage of Feingold, it is one of the things they suggest eliminating if you are seeing inconsistent results with just eliminating the artificial additives and naturally occurring salicylates. I suspected this and it was confirmed after a trip to TGIFridays when Elijah had a hamburger. The next morning, he was a little off and weepy. I called Fridays just to see if what I suspected was true. They did have corn syrup solids in their hamburger buns. Since then, I've eliminated HFCS, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, corn sugar and dextrose. The results have been consistent. More compliance, less irritability, and overall, just a happier kid. It is interesting that I started this because of hyperactivity issues and the biggest difference I've seen is being less irritable and more agreeable. Overall, I feel better that our whole family is eating more natural foods and we feel better as a result. BTW- this was strawberries week. It seems to be going well. Adding in apples didn't go so well, so I am glad that he seems to tolerate the salicylates in strawberries. He is so excited to try strawberry jam this afternoon!
There are two things that I am so grateful for. One, is that I can truly say I am enjoying being Elijah's mom. I know that sounds strange, but sometimes I didn't enjoy being his mom. I, of course, always loved him, but no one likes to argue and feel like they are walking on eggshells all the time with their child. I look forward to him getting off the bus and am truly excited about summer. We had a fun Spring Break together and he and his brother are getting along much better.  (Well as brothers should get along. They wouldn't be siblings without a good fight now and then!) One other great thing about being on this plan is that since it eliminates the behaviors that were the result of chemical reactions to foods, I can now more clearly see the heart issues and behaviors that he struggles with and can address those head on. I guess you can look at it as a filter to the heart. I still feel like I am in the beginning stages of this. Don't worry, the journey is not over yet!

P.S. Parents magazine just ran an article about ADHD and that the FDA says that studies have proven that eliminateing food dyes and preservatives was not effective in treating ADHD. A few pages later, they had a pages of fun birthday cake ideas with a pageful of artifically dyed candies and icings. Wonder who Parents magazine and the FDA are are in cahoots with? Even China's health director has just started an initiative to elimiate food dyes in their country because of it's effects on children. Maybe this is a different blog for a different day, but it is one my mind today. :(. Needles to say, I was pretty disappointed. Am I sounding like a hippie, yet?

Stage Two Results

If you have been following my blog, you know that so far we have been on Stage One of the Feingold diet...eliminating a lot of artificial additives including artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, artificial flavorings. In addition, in Stage One, we have also eliminated naturally occurring salicylates as these can be problematic for some people. I have from the beginning thought this could be a problem for Elijah, but was hoping that it wasn't. We eliminated from apples, grapes, berries, and tomatoes and any products containing these in any form. It has been very limiting especially in treats that are all natural yet used these juices for color or flavor. After several peaceful weeks in our home, I began reintroducing some of these naturally occurring salicylates. I began with half of an apple last Thursday and I have never seen a kid so excited to eat an apple before! Day 1 was fine. Day two, I gave him another half of an apple. Day 3, I added his gummy vitamins (which contains fruit juice) and that pushed him over the edge. Each day, I have given him a small amount whether it was from an organic sucker made from fruit juice or a few slices of apple, but only one "treat" a day if you will. Unfortunately, the results have shown that he does seem to react to the salicylates. I've seen more overreacting and crying over the past few days than I have in the past few weeks. Interestingly, he has had some infractions where he ate food dyes and did not seem to have an adverse reaction to those. Salicylates can have a cumulative effect meaning that just eating one item may not be a problem, but having too much in his system can be problematic. It is also known that some fruits and vegetables can be well tolerated while others cannot. Therefore, we are slowing down on the salicylates and will move toward trying to see which foods cause the most problems. Honey and corn based products (corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) are also on the watch list for now. I am truly amazed at how what we eat can affect our bodies so much, especially in people who are extra sensitive like my darling son.

It May Sound Crazy, But It's True!

So after weeks and weeks of being on this program, we are finally seeing consistent improvement and are ready to move on to the next stage of gradually adding in foods with naturally occuring salicylates...things likes apples, oranges, strawberries, and grapes. It has been a long process and frustrating one as I felt I was seeing inconsistent results up until a huge revelation last week. Now, a good researcher will only have one variable at a time. While I knew this, there were a few other things I tried along with the food plan thinking that it couldn't hurt. One of those was suggested on the Feingold forums...giving epsom salt baths can be calming and soothing for children. Without going into a whole chemistry lesson, I did some reading and it sounded like a good idea. I like to soak in epsom salt when I have muscle aches so I started putting a cup of epsom salt (magneisum sulfate) into Elijah's bath, too. He seemed to love it, but the night after his first bath, he woke up with nightmares, which is very unsual for him. I took a mental note and thought maybe it was just a fluke. Later that week, he had a bathroom accident which he hadn't had in years. Again, I thought maybe it was just coincidence or due to "detox" from the diet.  I would see a good pattern of behavior and then it seemed like something would change out of the blue without having any "infractions" on the diet. It is important to realize that in the winter the boys maybe get two baths a week because they are not as dirty. Finally, last week, he was doing really well for several days and then it seemed like someone flipped a switch and he was back to undesirable behaviors. My husband jokingly asked me, "What did you feed that kid?" My answer was, "Nothing different!" The day was not unsual. He seemed to be feeling fine. He had plenty of rest. Plenty of time to play with dad. Then, I was in bed thinking (dangerous I know). The only thing that was a little different was that I remembered that I gave him an epsom salt bath the night before. I pulled out the food/ behavior diary I have been keeping. In the diary, I also noted each time I gave him an epsom salt bath and it was so clear that the days after an epsom salt bath, his behavior was in some cases even worse than before! "Holy Cow," I exclaimed! I posted something on the Feingold forums to see if anyone else had found epsom salt baths having an opposite effect and found that this is not uncommon. It has been suggested that children who are extremely low in magnesium can react poorly to having such intense exposure to magnesium (remember that epsom salt is magnesium sulfate). Often, the salt will remain on the skin after the bath and continue to be asborbed by the skin.  In doing some research, I then learned many children with ADD/ ADHD are low in magnesium. Most natural supplements for hyperactivity (such as "Natural Calm") are strickly magnesium supplements! I think it is very possible that what was suggested on the forums is exactly what was happening. So, I stopped the epsom salt baths immediately and since then, we have had two consistently great weeks. I am also trying to up his magnesium by giving him "brownies" with hidden spinach, pumpkin seed granola bars and whole grains. I am going to discuss  magnesium supplements with our pediatrician, but for now, we are doing well and I don't want to add another variable....I learned that lesson the hard way!