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!