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!

No, I Haven't Given Up!

It is about time, I wrote an update about our Feingold Journey. No, I have not given up. We went on vacation and it has just taken a while to get back into the swing of things. If you recall, right before we went on vacation, Elijah had to take an antibiotic that had several additives in it. Then, of course, we went on vacation. With just a few minor adjustments, we were able to stay on the plan about 80% when we were on vacation to California. But, since we are in the elminiation period, between the sickness adn vacation, I decided we needed to go back to square one and stay on stage one for several weeks before introducing salicylates. Currently, we are on week 4 (again!) and he is doing very well. Interestingly, in the meantime, I found another trigger-High Fructose Corn Syrup. While this is not specifically elimintated on the Plan, many members have a sensitivity to it. Feingold only eliminates the chemicals that are most problematic for people. I had noticed after vacation, that he did not seem to be doing quite as well as we were before we left. After some detective work, I remembered that I had bought some frozen bread loaves (to eliminate the possibility of preservatives), but it had high fructose corn syrup. I had also just stocked up on Stauffers Animal Crackers, which also has HFCS. The next week, I elimiated those items and we seemed to be back on track. I am waiting until Spring Break, which is in two weeks to start adding in natural occuring salicylates so I can more closely monitor possible reactions and eliminate outside factors that could contribute to unwanted behaviors, such as just having a rough day at school.

I'm sure some of you are wondering about how we stayed on the plan on vacation. It took some planning, but it was not too difficult for this type of vacation because we were staying with friends and not eating out for every meal. One friend, who knew we were on the Plan, very kindly did some grocery shopping for approved things like sandwhich fixings, breakfast and snack items before we came. That was a huge help. When we ate out, I tried to choose safer options like pasta or hamburgers instead of chicken nuggets. One treat was that In and Our Burger, a California based fast food restaurant, makes their fries from fresh cut potatos and does not use preservatives so we made a special trip to In and Out for Elijah to induldge in fries. Ghiradelli also has an outlet near our destination, so we let him stock up on approved chocolates from there. Finally, I was able to find more approved "all natural" snack brands at Target than I can at our local Target so he got a few special treats. Overall, it was not difficult to stay on the plan, I would just advise not doing it when you are in the first few weeks of the diet.

What I Love. What I Miss

The more I read about the food additivies the closer I become to trying to limit them for myself as well as my kids. When I was at Target today looking at the discounted Valentine's Day candy to add to my "Mommy" stash, I began reading the ingredients and put everything back except for some Dove chocolates which still had "artificial flavors" but none of the other stuff. It means that I may need to replace my beloved junior mints for the Ghiradelli squares with mint filling. Not a bad sacrifice. In fact, the best thing about being on this plan so far is that the more natural foods taste better! I've loved having my house filled with the smell of fresh baked bread (I do cheat and buy the frozen bread dough, but the aroma is the same!). The usual store bought 12 grain bread that I bought for my husband and I has been sitting in my pantry for 3 weeks (without any mold growing on it!). A loaf of homebaked bread is usually devoured in a few days.  Once you get used to better food, it is hard to go back. There are some things that I do miss though...mostly the convenice of frozen foods. There are some brands of frozen foods on the food list, but they are usually too expensive to justify buying them. Here is a list of my favorite and most missed foods.

Things I Miss Having Most
Frozen waffles
M&M's
Apple Juice (This is what Elijah misses most)
Frozen Pizza/ Bagel Bites
Store bought bagels, bread and buns
Lunchables
McDonalds Happy meals
Store bought jams/ jellies

Newly Discovered Feingold Stage One Approved Products I Love
Ghiradelli White Chocolate Chips (these are amazing and have replaced m&ms as a treat)
Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix (Makes my life much easier!)
Krusteaz Honey Cornbread Mix
Stauffers Animal Crackers (they are cheap!)
Rhodes Frozen Bread Dough
Sister Shuberts Rolls (My family ate an entire pan of these at one meal)
Life Saves Mints
Dunken Hines Dark Chocolate Cake Mix (what is not to like about that!)
Any Annie's Homegrown products
Sunchips
Hanover Frozen Pretzels

This is just a sampling of how my refrigerator and pantry look different now than they did a few weeks ago.

Parties, Treats, and Holidays

Valentine's Day. Love, roses, gourmet dinner and red dye no. 40. Yes, this is what I was thinking about in the days before Elijah's Valentine's Day party at school. Before the party, I emailed his teacher and asked what was going to be served at the party. The menu was red punch, red jello, skittles and twizzlers. My heart dropped...not a single thing that he could have. I was hoping there would be just one thing served that he could have. When I first started this, I looked up all of the ingredients of his classes approved snack list. His teacher has an approved list because of allergies, including Elijah's peanut allergy. While the snacks are typically low sugar, and "healthy" snacks like goldfish crackers and cereal, there was only one approved item on the list...baked tostitos.  His teacher and I agreed that I would send in his own snack from the approved list everyday...he's been eating a lot of baked tostitos. This is by far one of the hardest parts of this program...having to go against the norm. I am the type of person who likes to just go with the flow, not draw attention to myself and not cause trouble. Perhaps, that is why I am even trying this. It was hard for me to have a child that stood out for negative reasons. It's hard to tell someone, "My son is on a special diet and can't have ????, please only allow him to have what I provide." Or asking at a bakery, "Excuse me, can you please tell me what type of pan sprays you are using when you bake your bread?" I also don't want to seem ungrateful when others offer treats. I am still trying to find the best way of handling this. It is out of my comfort zone. Usually, I think that others think that I am either crazy or strict or both. So what did I do about Valentine's Day? First, I attached an "approved" organic lollipop to all of his valentines. The kind that had he received one last year, I would have thought, "This must have come from a hippie family!" I figured his teacher would be OK with him eating a sucker that was given to the other classmates. Then, I told him that I would exchange any unapproved candy for another non-food treat. So, he came home from school, he gladly gave me his small pile of candy and in return got a new Star Wars lunch box.Now, this may seem like a small pile of candy for the gift, but to a kid who had to refuse the treats at his school party, I think it is totally justified. I guess I better start saving up for the Halloween exchange!

Feingold and Sickness

If there was any doubt that this food plan was making a huge difference for Elijah, there is none now! After a week or so of getting used to a calmer, less impulisve and downright sweet 6 year (the other day I teasingly asked him if he would cook dinner for me and he replied, "I would be delighted too.") we saw a dramatic change over the weekend. More "mini-fits" and crying over little things. He had trouble completing his homework that he missed last week. His handwriting was messier. And then it dawned on me...the antibiotic.He was home from school last week for a few days and diagnosed with strept throat on Friday. By Saturday morning, the old behaviors began creeping in. You might be thinking, "Well, of course, he was on edge, he was feeling sick." I would agree except that the days he was sick before going to the antibiotic were fine. I even made a FB comment about how I was enjoying having him at home from school those days.  So, I did some research. I knew before I even read the ingredients online that it had to contain something that is not on the diet. I had asked both the pediatrician and the pharmacists about dyes and they both didn't really know, except that there were no dyes listed in the ingredients. I didn't think to ask about the other stuff. To make a long story short, the antibiotic he is on, Cefdinir (because he has a penicillin allergy), contains artificial flavorings, artificial preservatives and salicylates. I was so discouraged. This was week 4 of our trial week...the week before I knew we would have some infractions because of our trip to California. He is on the antibiotic for 10 days and while I am going to leave him on the rest of the diet as far as food goes, I can't count this as a trial week because one of the variables has changed! I feel like I will need to start over when we get back from our trip. Because this is an elimination diet, the substances are supposed to be totally gone from their system before beginning to add the salicylates back in. And he was so looking forward to his first cup of apple juice after we got back from our trip. Anyway, in the future I am going to explore using a compounding pharmacy as recommended by a friend who follows Feingold. They can mix the drugs there without the added stuff. Then then question is...would he take an antibiotic that doesn't taste like strawberry cream. After all, that is the reason for the additives.

Feingold and the Heart

"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward apprearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7. I've been reading a lot of books (in addition to the Bible) about parenting this year and have realized that I need to take this verse to "heart" when it comes to raising my children. In other words, behavior modification, just won't cut it. In order for your child to develop into the man or woman that God wants her to be, their behavior change is going to have to come from deep within...the place between them and God. My job is a parent is to guide them on that journey. I've prayed with my children after they have been disciplined, have had them memorize scripture about patience and self-control and have emphasized that they need to obey me in order to honor God. Enter, the Feingold diet.

Here is one "danger" if you will about this diet. Too often, we would like to blame something for our children's poor behavior (he's tired, he's hungry, he's off is normal schedule, etc.) These things are perhaps a "reason why", but not an excuse for naughtiness. I often say things like, "I understand that you are tired, but that is not an excuse for yelling at your brother." That is what I want to clarify about this food plan. I don't think that being on this food plan is going to get rid of all of my child's bad behavior or hyperactivity. That is not the point. Only God working in his life will help him overcome his natural state. What I am trying to do is to possibly eliminate the "reason why." If he does have sensitivities to certain chemicals then I need to eliminate them from his diet, just like I eliminated peanuts when I found out about his peanut allergy. In addition, some of the behaviors that I am hoping to see decrease are not necessarily problems of deep heart issues. Running everywhere or talking loudly all the time is not necessarily a deep heart issue. It's a behavior that needs to be modified.

Maybe I am getting a little philosophical, here. It is just something I am myself am grappling with as I keep his food/ behavior diary. I don't want to look at a behavior today and say, "Oh, he hit is brother because he had grapes at lunch." What kind of message is that sending! Yikes! It is interesting though, because when some of the overreacting behaviors are dimished, it is easier to see his true heart and communicate about the deep work that needs to be done there. As another Feingold mom said, "Diet is not (my son's) savior, Jesus is." For more on this visit http://practicingjoy.blogspot.com/2011/11/adhd-feingold-and-gospel.html. I found this after I wrote this blog and it is very applicable!

The Suspects

We are now 2 weeks into this journey so I am starting to make some more specific observations about the effectiveness of this food plan. First, I will definitely say that we have seen some positive changes. Sometimes it is small things like my son not arguing when given consequence for behavior or actually sitting and listening to a sermon. (For the first time in several years, I was able to actually worship during worship time and not worry about what my six year old was doing.) His teacher said that he was not as "high strung." There are still many things that he needs to work on, but overall, I don't feel like I am walking on eggshells all the time with him and he seems to get out of his bad moods quicker, especially if Wii playing is on the line! I do have a few food suspects. I am not definitely saying these are triggers, but I am going to be watching more closely. Mainly, certain types of naturally occurring salicylates. Grapes and honey are both on my "watch" list...both are high in salicylates. At this stage, honey is not specifically eliminated, but many moms on the forums have found that their children could not handle this. Ironically, I have been using honey in my homemade granola bars that I have been making as well as buying several Annie's Homegrown snacks with honey in them. I tried to pinpoint something different in his diet on the days that he seemed off and both of these seemed to be likely culprits. Interestingly, he "accidentally" had a fruit roll-up at a friend's house and did not seem to have a reaction to the dyes. I am not saying that dyes aren't an issue, but some have found that children react to as little as a jelly bean if they are super sensitive. So, I did some investigating about salicylates. When I began, I was actually going to "skip" this stage of the plan but I felt God was saying if you are going to do this, do it 100%. Now, I am glad that I did. When my son had allergy testing done several years ago, three of the foods they tested for are high in saliyclates. He was allergic to two of them (Peanuts and almonds, but not tomatoes). Also, as a baby he had a period of time when he broke out after eating strawberries, also high in sals. Now, this kid loves fruit. In one day, he may have apple juice, a clementine, a bowl of grapes and an apple. All of these are high in salicylates. If indeed he does have a sensitivity, I can imagine why he might have some negative behaviors associated with eating too many.  The good news is that if this is indeed a problem, it typically doesn't mean that the person has to eliminate them fully. Most salicylic sensitive people can tolerate some. They are strictly eliminated on Stage One of Feingold to see if they are a problem. Incidentally, it was an "infraction" of eating grapes at school that clued me in. Also, as I got thinking about it, he usually doesn't have problems when we are on vacation. I always thought, "Well, we are on vacation, that's why there aren't any problems. We are typically doing something out of the ordinary and fun." But, factor in that we are eating less fruit and there COULD be a correlation. Finally, and less of an issue, but still noteworthy is that we do have a member of our extended family with a severe aspirin allergy (salicylate sensitivity is also known as aspirin triad sensitivity) and it seems that there is a genetic component to this sensitivity. So, for now, I have my eye on salicylates.

Couponmom Meets Feingold

My Stash of "Educational Incentives" from the Library Books Sale!

Last week I went to a natural foods store in town and soon learned why it was called the “Green Grocer”…and they aren’t just talking about Earthy green, either! $5 for a loaf of organic bread…yikes! As a stay at home mom living in a high cost of living area of the country, I’ve been trying to find ways of reducing my costs, especially in the area of groceries. We are so blessed because we have so much, yet I want to make my dollar go as far as it can.  Last Spring, I read the coupon mom book (www.couponmom.com) and began using some of her tips to reduce my grocery bill. Things like saving coupons to use when an item is on sale and then stocking up or using leftovers for lunch the next day, etc. I started shopping at Aldi and fell in love. Not only could I get food for a lower price (especially produce), but I can get in and out of that store with two boys in 20 minutes. Well, needless to say, there are not too many Feingold approved items at Aldi. So, what is a Feingold mom to do? First, I panicked.  The first two weeks I felt like I was at the grocery store every other day buying this and that.  I threw out old products and stocked up on new things…vitamins, toothpaste, snacks, etc. The truth is that after the initial “investment” I think things are going to average out over time. Once I got a handle on the Foodlist that came with my materials, I realized that many of the items can be found at Target, Superwalmart (although many of you know how I feel about Superwalmart!) or Hannaford, our local grocery store. Many times it is just a matter of paying a little more for a name brand product rather than the store brand. I’ve become a big fan of Annie’s Homegrown Organic products, all of which can be found at Target! While, I am paying more for these products I am paying less in prepackaged products. For example, I am just sending meat, cheese and crackers instead of a lunchable for school lunch. Often,  making something homemade is cheaper, too.  Probably the biggest money saver is not eating out as much.  Well, actually not eating out at all at this point. There are some “approved” items listed in the restaurant guide but at this stage when we are totally trying to eliminate non-Feingold items it is easier to just eat at home.  Of course, you also know about my cheap way of bribing…stocking up on like-new books at the library book sale. For fifty cents, I can get him to stick to the plan for 5 days…just 10 cents a day! So, even though there may be a monetary investment, the thrifty mom in me and still be thrifty.  I also remind myself that there are some things that you can’t put a price tag on.

How in the World Do You Make Pear Jelly?

I am not a big fan of cooking. I don't hate it, but I don't love it. I love eating, though. Unfortunately to eat, you must cook. I do enjoying baking, but probably because I like to eat what I bake! For me cooking dinner is often opening a can of Prego, cooking some spaghetti, making a salad out of premade salad mix and voila...dinner in 30 minutes. In the Fall, a friend (you know who you are :)) introduced me to the Pioneer Woman and I started making some "from scratch" recipes like chicken pot pie, cinnamon rolls and maple pecan scones. While this was somewhat fun, I gained 4 pounds in a month and quickly fell back to my old habits. Then, I checked out Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious cookbook and tried my hand at making vegetables purees in "brownies." In the past few weeks, I have had to become good friends with my kitchen. The best way to know what is in something is to make it yourself! So, after searching all of my hometown for pear jelly (one of the only jellies allowed in stage one when grapes, berries and oranges are eliminated), I finally decided to make my own. I bought some mason jars, tried to figure out how to make something gel and then was giddy like a school girl when I heard the "pop" of the jar sealing. The most fun was that my kids both enjoyed helping. My son learned to use a vegetable peeler and peeled the pears for me. He was so proud of himself. Almost as proud as I was that I was acutally able to do something like make jelly the old fashioned way. In the past few weeks, I've experimented with making my own pesto and homemade pizza crust, homemade chicken tenders and I've made batches and batches of pancakes to put in the freezer for school mornings. You can imagine my excitement when I found out that the Aunt Jemima pancake mix is approved. The amazing thing is how much better homemade food actually tastes, not just homebaked, but homemade. (The pizza was just so so, but everything else has been a big hit). When you make your own, your kitchen is messier, your dishwasher is fuller, but the end product can be what you want it to be...without the artificial stuff. Sometimes I even add a dash of flaxseed or sweet potatoes to the pancakes, but shhh... don't tell! And this week at least, it seems like it all might be worth it!

P.S. Ironically, tonight after two weeks of homemade meals, we ordered Papa Johns (non-official Feingold approved with no tomato sauce). Mama's Happy!

The Week One Evaluation

I know that many of you following this blog just want to know, "So, did you see any changes? Is it helping?" As my husband would say, "We need more data." It was both a good week and a difficult one. I feel like the beginning of the week I began to see some pretty dramatic improvement in some areas and then later in the week some of the "old" patterns of behavior returned, perhaps even being worse. I had a long talk with his teacher on Friday and realized that some of the problems at school are more disruptive than I thought. I rememebered breezing through some of the posts on the Feingold members forum about "detox" and ignored it until Friday when I wondered what happened to my little boy! Now, there could be a variety of factors to both the positive and negative behaviors. (After all, he doesn't seem to have problems in other places such as the YMCA childcare or Sunday School). Trust me, I realize this diet is not going to solve all of my child's behavior problems. He has to grow in character and let God change his heart in many things. I also don't want to just say that positive behaviors are just because of a new diet plan. Both are absurd viewpoints and warned against in the Feingold materials. I am not trying to find an excuse for his behavior, but perhaps a reason why. Anyway, back to detox. It seems that the pattern I saw is not uncommon...for children to show improvement and then have a period of what some moms call "detox" for lack of a better word when their bodies have to adjust to the dietary changes. In addition, I also noted that in the middle of the week, he had some grapes (non-Feingold, stage one because of high salicylates) as a snack at school because a classmate brought them in to share with the class. All that to say, the jury is still out on whether this has "worked," but I will leave you with some highlights of the week.
1) Overall, he seems to be getting along better with his three year old brother...even offering to read to him, tuck him in for a nap and play swords "appropriately" for a while.
2) We had some fun making some homemade, Feingold approved foods together. Typically, he doesn't really like to help out in the kitchen.
3)One evening at the beginning of the week, my husband commented, "He actually showed some signs of self-control tonight!" We were not even on the topic of the diet at the time.
4)He was self-directed in making a really cool dragon art project for Chinese New Year, evening getting up one morning and working on it before school instead of asking to watch PBS.
5)He chose to wear jeans to school--twice This may seem little, but for a year he has refused to wear anything but elastic wasted, sporty type pants.

Stay tuned. I am excited and anxious about what this week will bring! I have so many more topics that I want to cover, too!

The "Easy Child" on Feingold

Several people have asked if I am doing this diet with the whole family. The answer is yes and no. I also have a 3 year old son who is night and day different from my six year old. He is my happy go lucky, I am going to try to make you laugh kid. God put him in this house to lighten things up! He is my child who just yesterday put himself in "time out" because he did something I told him not to do. He still is no angel, though. So in answer to the question, by default, my 3 year old son is on the "no artifical stuff" diet only because I have replaced the usual snacks with additive-free ones. He doesn't like some of the same high salicylate fruits like grapes, oranges and strawberried, but I am not limiting other things high in salicylates for him. He has even cried because he wanted pear juice instead of apple juice when he saw that his brother got some. So I let him have some pear juice, all the while thinking to myself, "This is not twice as expensive, this is not twice as expensive." So, while he is not officially on the diet, but naturally has been eating some of the same food as his brother. My husband and I are not on the diet either, but we also don't eat m&ms in front of our kids. I save my non-Feingold snacks for when he is at school or in bed.  Again, "naturally" we are getting fewer additives and saliclylates because of what I am making and buying. And we've both indulged in the homemade bread over the store-bought bread that I purchased for us. Many families say that the whole family saw benefits from being on the diet. We will see if thesw little changes make an difference. Stay tuned. Tomorrow is Day 7....evaluation day.

Apples? No. Spam? Yes.

Here is, a sampling of the Feingold "approved" items that I bought at the store today. It is so interesting because this food plan is not like any other. It is not a diet of just organic foods (although a lot of organic products are by nature, free of food additives) or glutten-free or of cutting fats, salt or even high fructose corn syrup. It specifically cuts certain chemicals that have been shown to be problematic in certain people. Specifically, it eliminates artifical dyes (blue #1, red #40 for instance), artificial sweetners (aspartame, etc.), artificial flavorings (vanillin, etc.), and artificial preservatives (BHT, BHA) and finally, naturally occuring salicylates (asprin related compounds which can also be found in fruits like apples, grapes, tomatos and oranges). In the first phase, you eliminate everything. Then, slowly, add in the salicylates. BTW- don't worry if you have never even heard of salicylates. I hadn't before I started this. The difficultly is that these chemicals are hidden everywhere from vitamins to cheese and most cereals. I thought I was doing fine by reading labels for these buzz words, but when I received my PDF of the Feingold approved food list, my heart sank. I didn't recognize hardly any of the brands of food and some items that I bought thinking they were OK were not on the list (Mom's Best Cereal, for example). Ironically, Hormel spam was acceptable...I guess it has enough salt to preseve it naturally. Don't worry, I didn't add spam to my grocery list. When I asked about this on the Feingold forums, I was told that many items are not on the list because
1) The larger companies haven't been cooperative in filling out paperwork to get their item approved (in other words, it could be OK, it just hasn't been officially researched and approved)
 2) Sometimes an item will have these chemicals in the packaging (BHA in cereal for instance) and companies are not required to put the packaging information on the item
3) The companies are only required to put what they added, but if they buy from a supplier who uses the chemicals they are not required to include that. (They gave the example that a certain yogurt company uses strawberries from a supplier that put red dye in their strawberries).
4)Salicylates (like apples or grapes) are often found in "natural" flavorings that are listed in the ingredients, but are not individually listed.
Naturally, this was a freak out moment for me! But, I downloaded my Foodlist pdf to ibooks and set off to the store. I was most pleased to be able to get Aunt Jemina pancake mix because we eat a lot of pancakes in this house! Who Hoo! I also decided that if it seemed OK on the label that I wouldn't freak out about every item. I would buy as many of the approved products as possible. If it were a matter of life or death because of a severe allergy it would be one thing, but this is different. It won't help my son too much if his mom ends up in an insane assulym because she spent half of her waking hours driving to a mom and pop grocery store 50 miles away to find approved chicken nuggets. For right now, I'll take my chances with the non-approved, preservative free Rold Gold pretzels and stick with plain chicken tenders. After all, I do have a life, too!

Book Bribe

I am counting down the days until Feb 3--the Clifton Park Library used book sale. What does this have to do with the Feingold diet you might ask? A lot! I am not a big believer in bribing kids. I never (well, almost never) say things like, "If you are good at Target, I'll get you a lolipop." Don't get me wrong, there are sometimes natural consequences for good behavior. "If you have a pleasant attitude, then dad will likely play something with you after dinner." But, in general, I think kids desirable behavior needs to come from the heart and not just because they get something. There have been two exceptions to this rule so far. Potty training and the Feingold diet. You can't just tell a child, "You are not going to be able to have your favorite foods because we are going to put you on a special food plan and you need to be cooperative and happy about it!" Especially a child who is in need of the Feingold diet! I did my best to shop for some fun alternatives to his favorite foods, even stocking up on some "junk food" treats. (This was actually an idea on the website. At first, allow your child to go a little overboard on the "junk food" items allowed on the diet...Lays potato chips or Breyers all natural ice cream for instance so it is a little more palatable. Then, gradually ease up on the special treats once they get used to it). So I did that in moderation, but still felt I needed a little more. So, I bribed him. Yes, it is an outright bribe. I told him that for every 5 days that he stuck to the diet plan without complaining, he would get a new "surprise" book. In other words, I am not taking a trip to the bookstore every 5 days for you to pick out a new book. My budget is being stretched enough buying more wholesome foods. Fortunately,  I have a few books that I've held back from the Fall library book sale that are in like-new condition. Over the past few months, Santa has put some in stockings and the "Book Fairy" has brought them when he was sick, but I still have a stash of 1 or 2 more that will last me until the next book sale, where I can get $.50 children's books. Now, if you notice, this is day 4. He is soooo excited about Day 5 because he can't wait to get his new book. Tonight before bed, he was asking if he actually gets the book on Day 5 or if he has to wait until Day 6. I assured him that he will get the book before bed, but that he had to continue to stay on his food plan, including saying, "No, thank you" to others who might offer him something when I am not there (This is going to be another blog topic).  I must say that his cooperative spirit is an answer to prayer. I know many of you have been praying for this specifically and I want to tell you, your prayers are being answered. I am very proud of him. I know that many of you are anxious to know if I have seen any changes in his mood/ behavior yet. I told myself that I would wait at least a week before trying to make any evaluations. Don't worry. I am keeping a journal and will let you know soon!

Why Am I Even Trying This?- Day 3

First of all, thank you to all of you who have left comments or sent personal message about this. I have gained some helpful suggestions and I am glad to know that someone is even reading this! Some of you may be asking, "Why are you trying this with your son?" or "How did you find out about this diet?" Those of you who have spent anytime around my 6 year old know the answer to the first question. He is a little ball of energy who would talk all day if you would let him, has major mood swings and just plain does everything fast. His first grade teacher (who is fantastic by the way) has sent emails about him with phrases like "I was tired at the end of the day," "He tries (to raise his hand before speaking) but just can't seem to help it," and "He is very body busy." Emails like these started in Kindergarten and I always took them seriously in that I addressed them with Elijah but always tried to blame it on something else...he is a young kindergartener and a boy, he could be gifted (every parent wants to think that, right!), God just made him that way, etc . I wouldn't entertain the idea that he could be showing signs of what the psychologist now call ADD/ ADHD. After all, if he wanted to, he could sit and do a lego set for an hour and didn't have problems academically. Then, of course, there is just downright pride. I am a teacher. There is now way my child could be hyperactive! We've addressed the problem from a number of angles. First and foremost was helping him to realize that the situation is not hopeless. God can help him to overcome it. This quote from the website, biblicalparenting.org, gave me a great perspective. "One of the greatest ways that you can help a child who has ADD or ADHD is to provide hope. God has a prescription for hope in Romans 5:4-5, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Notice that hope comes from character, which comes from perseverance, which comes from suffering. Children need a plan for dealing with the suffering they experience. In fact, suffering can be the key to hope, if the child responds well. Your job is to help your child develop a plan for his or her suffering. Once children begin to respond to suffering with perseverance, then they will see character developing. That character will be encouraging and hope is the natural by product." Reading that was like having a ton of bricks lifted from me! Other Christian parents deal with this, too! Now, he has not been officially diagnosed with ADD/ ADHD. I have just read several articles about it and he displays many of the characteristics associated with these "disorders." I know if he is in school long enough, a teacher will eventually, if they haven't already, insinuate that he might have this, so I want to address it head on. He has so many great qualities. He is smart, creative and loves to be around people. I don't want these qualities to be overlooked because he can't sit still in his seat or talks without raising his hand. Some teachers are good at ignoring this and others only focus on it. "Why not homeschool?" you might ask. For now, I don't think that would be the best situation for him but that is a different blog for a different day. So, here I am with a dilemma. Is this stircktly an issue with of outright disobedience that needs more consequences or is possible that something else could be playing a role,  too. I remembered a friend of mine from California talking about trying this diet with her son with spectrum disorder. So, I began researching. The statisitcs were impressive and the testimonials from both parents as well as adults who had themselves followed this plan were encouraging. While the impact of the diet varied in effectiveness, in one study, only 1% found no change at all! That is when I decided that I needed to try it just to see if chemical sensitivity was not an issue for my son. After all, he already has an egg, peanut, almond and pencillin allergy. It wouldn't suprise me if he had other sensitivities, if not outright allergies, to food additivies as well. I didn't want him to be 20 years old, try a diet like this and have success and say, "Mom, why didn't you try this 14 years earlier!" So, now, on day 3, I am literally dreaming about reading food labels.

Two diets at Once-Day 2

I've been using the word "food plan" with Elijah instead of "diet" because in our household diet is a word used frequently in January when my husband and I are trying to shed those pounds gained over the holidays. I do not want him to confuse the two. With the in mind, my struggle today is to meet the needs of both Elijah's additive free diet and the traditional shedding pounds diet that Russ and I are trying to follow. Last night, I made some homemade "healthy" granola bars, but the calories in those made the numbers red on my husband's "my fitness pal" app. for yesterday. The boys loved them though. And what could get me out of bed on a Saturday morning after being up several times in the night with a fussy 3 year old? Simple Mornings Muffins. I saw these new additive free muffin mixes by Dunkin Hines at the store yesterday and was excited to try them since we love to have muffins on Saturday morning. The Blueberry strussel muffins looked delicious (and were!) but at 200 calories a muffin, it was not exactly diet food. My husband made scrambled eggs instead. I indulged in 500 calories worth of muffins. My son gobbled them up with his pear juice (no tears this morning!). Then, it was on to what to make for a birthday party cake. I was originally going to make the weight watchers cake where you put a diet cola in a boxed devils food cake mix, but since there were additives in both the mix and the soda, that was out of the question if my son was going to be able to eat it. I started searching for other diet cake recipes, but most had margarine instead of butter. This would be good for us, but again, not for my son. Finally I found a weight watchers recipe that used 2 T of butter in with the other ingredients. I did a little dance, made my low-cal, low-fat, preservative-free, aspartame-free, dye-free chocolate cake and everyone was happy! In the Feingold materials, they suggest not combining this with any other type of dietary restrictions because it will be too much to handle. Now, I know why! The search is on for snacks and desserts that the whole family can enjoy!

The Journey Begins- Day 1

I do not consider myself to be a crunchy person. I had an epidural with each of my boys, used disposable diapers and am currently drinking a diet coke. I have, over the years, done some things that lean toward being "all natural," particularly in what I use to clean, but in general I try to give my kids a well balanced diet, recycle as much as I can and use All Free and Clear. That is the extent of my crunchiness. I've just begun the journey into reading food labels for chemical ingredients that could possibly be causing my 6 year old son to show symptoms of hyperactivity. I'm following the Feingold diet for 30 days to see if there is any change in his mood, ability to sit still or incessant talking. I am not going to go into detail about the diet or the research behind it. If you are interested in that, you can visit http://www.feingold.org/. Basically, it elminates food additives such as artificial dyes, artifical preservatives, artificial sweetners, and artificial flavors as well as items that contain salicyates, naturally occuring asprin products.  I've decided to blog about the everyday, real life journey of being on this program. Really, I am using it to keep my own sanity Writing often helps me with that. Plus, I've always wanted to blog and this gives me something to blog about. It's not fancy and will probably be filled with grammatical errors for you English majors, but will, hopefully, be informative.
If you have any type of dietary restrictions, you know about label reading. It takes you twice as long to grocery shop because you are looking for words that you can't even pronounce on every item you buy. Yesterday and today, I began the process of looking on labels of products in our pantry and then trying to find an alternative in the organics/ all natural section of the grocery store... the section that I usually pass up because the item are twice as much as the more mainstream items. After a while, you start to pray that you don't see the words "red, blue, yellow, BHT or artificial"on the packages of your child's favorite foods.  Thankfully, the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish in our pantry are colored with beet juice...nothing artificial! The first thing that had to go were the Flintstone vitamins which contain both aspartame and artifical dyes. Luckily, I was able to easily substitute the Lil Critters gummy vitamins. No harm done except to the wallet. Then, it was on to finding substitutes for treats. Instead of jelly bellies, m&m's or gummies, we went to the store and found some all natural alternatives like yummy earth lolipops. I knew that the only way this was going to work was if I had something to substitute for the items that he liked. I was pleasantly surpised to find a decent selection of these types of items at Target (so I can get my 5% red card discount!). I was thrilled to find Annie's Homegrown Mac and Cheese was on sale this week for $1! That will be dinner tonight. Whew! But then the moment I knew was coming. The time I had to tell him that he couldn't drink apple juice. Tears were soon followed by a willingness to try Pear Juice (I found some on the bottom shelf of the baby foods section, but we're not telling him that!). He tried it and liked it! Thank you, Lord! I am sure over the next several days, we will have more moments like this, but overall, I will say it was a successful first day!