SKay
Member Emeritus
Posts: 1,126
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Post by SKay on Jun 7, 2004 14:57:36 GMT -5
Just thinking "out loud": We have the Feingold program, but unfortunately have made only limited changes to DS's diet. One of the changes we did make was to eliminate food colorings. Saturday was his birthday, and we (mainly DH) let him have a lot of blue and red food coloring. That night he fidgeted terribly in his sleep--seemed like severe restless leg syndrome. I couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the food coloring. He also started on an antibiotic that day.
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Post by catatonic on Jun 8, 2004 9:11:16 GMT -5
I've noticed my son reacting to artificial colors with sleep disturbances, as well. The preservatives and artificial flavors seem to affect him more behaviorally. Overall, with Feingold, we've found that we have to be VERY strict, even with the healthy salicylate fruits like strawberries, apples, and tomatoes. Allowing him to eat, on a regular basis, anything that is not Feingold-safe, results in his behavior declining noticeably. It doesn't take much for him to revert to the dreaded "before" behavior. I believe the Feingold diet is nearly miraculous in addressing many of the behavior problems that go with ADHD (tantrums, oppositional behavior, fighting with siblings, etc) but only if it is followed very consistently and without exception. You might want to try a month of extremely strict Feingold to see just how big a difference it makes. For us, the difference is so enormous that it's worth all the inconvenience that goes along with giving up most prepared foods. (My son can't tolerate corn -- especially corn syrup -- which makes our diet much more limited than just the basic Feingold program.) I don't think you get the same kind of dramatic results if you cheat on the diet, even in small ways.
On antibiotic...our compounding pharmacist makes my son's special for him so that it contains no artificials and no corn sweetener. It tastes awful, but my boy doesn't react to it. The pharmacist also recommended putting my son on probiotics (acidophilus) as soon as he started the antibiotics so that the beneficial intestinal flora wouldn't be destroyed. Last time he took antibiotics, he did so without any noticeable reaction at all.
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Post by rosyred45 on Jun 15, 2004 10:47:33 GMT -5
If Mikey has gotten into anything I can tell what it is by how he's acting. If he got into artificials, he's very nasty and anal, more like my way or the highway.
If he had the apples and all that, he get whiney and clingy. He only really gets bull headed from, I forget now. Gee that's nice. I'll think of it and put it in later.
Kaiti
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Post by rosyred45 on Jun 22, 2004 8:34:55 GMT -5
Just thinking out loud here for me.....I have noticed a BIG difference since school has gotten out. We have been a bit stricter on the FG stuff, but every once in a while we let him have something. The wierd thing is that the something being a piece of candy or such, He doesn't get as nasty as when he has say grape jelly or strawberry jelly. I guess it's the salysitate thing  But we definately know his moods |
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Post by DenverSarah on Jul 13, 2004 10:39:15 GMT -5
My kid reacts to all food dyes horribly, BUT after being on the Feingold program for over a year, I have concluded that the worst reactions are caused by natural foods. It's hard too, because for him it is a very subtle and gradual build up, which we've witnessed a couple of times this summer since we haven't been as strict as during the school year. Only once has it gotten to the point where it was a bad as it was before we started the program, and then it was very obvious because it was like he was quoting his "pre-Feingold self verbatim...." I'm bad" "I'm always the one in trouble" etc. NOTHING is a coincidence.
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