ProudGrandma Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 What foods or types of foods tend to cause more problems with sensory kids? We try to eat pretty healthy, but we are not perfect...and we do eat at others homes and eat out once in a while. But if I had a better idea as to what specifically I should try to avoid, it would be helpful. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) It really varies with the kids. gluten (it can take months to fully metabolize out of the system after it is removed.) - there are studies linking gluten to behaviors that MIMIC bipolar and schizophrenia. casein (protein in milk) soy (similar protein chain to milk - so sensitive to one, probably sensitive to both) I plan on asking my DAN! about goat's milk. yeast are considered the four big offenders (and they are in lots of things you wouldn't think they'd be in. One mom on a support groups I'm on was Not. a. happy. camper. when she found gluten in her child's rice milk.) some kids are sensitive to only one, or even none, and some are sensitive to all of them. My son become agressive when he eats nitrates. My son's Dr has eggs on the list of foods to remove from his diet due to sensitivity. I know some kids are very reactive to yellow and red dye. (I don't remember the exact ones.) eta: I also have SPD - years ago I did a yeast free diet. (and most dairy was also out, though that was a byproduct.) I felt FABULOUS. It took about a month of being very strict - NO sugar of ANY kind - with what I ate to notice a difference. I did eat oats and regular wheat pasta, so it wasn't gluten free. Edited February 4, 2012 by gardenmom5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 so where does one start?? I mean, if it can be so many different things, how do I even know where to begin and how??? Today has been an especially bad day...and I don't even know why....maybe he is just more vocal today and telling me things he has been feeling for a long time....and it is all coming to a head today, I don't know...I just feel like I am not doing as much as I could to help his cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 start with a food diary that records what he ate, and what the behaviors were. does he eat alot of bread/pasta? start with gluten (and it's in many things. read labels.) does he have a major sweet tooth? start with yeast the kids will often either crave or abhor the food they are sensitive too. those foods can create an opiate effect - so if it's something they really crave, and then it is removed, watch out while it works out of their system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 ok...I started that today. about how long would you recommend I do this for...2 weeks? a month? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 ok...I started that today. about how long would you recommend I do this for...2 weeks? a month? take it one thing at a time. I'd consider a month a bare minimum. It can take a few weeks just to get to the point of truly being gluten free. (it's not just food - soap, lotions, fabric softeners, cleaners, etc. can all have these things in them. casein is in paint.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Artificial dyes & sweeteners are VERY commonly an issue there. Also dairy & gluten. Check out the Feingold Diet. :) For my sensory kid it's dye (red dye 40 is horrid for her) and dairy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Artificial dyes & sweeteners are VERY commonly an issue there. Also dairy & gluten. Check out the Feingold Diet. :) For my sensory kid it's dye (red dye 40 is horrid for her) and dairy. This turns my daughter into a monster. That alone made a HUGE difference in her behavior, as in we can live with her or we look for a boarding school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyz Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 We just signed up with the Feingold Association. Once we receive the materials we plan to begin. I'm really hoping we will see some changes. I thought we were eating healthy until I started poking around this site. http://www.feingold.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 it doesn't say anywhere on the site (that I can find) where such a diet helps kids with sensory issues. Not that I doubt that it would, I am just surprised to see it doesn't say it anywhere. Also, the cost seems sort of steep...$82...can't you get the same information for free somewhere?? Or does this program have secrets nobody else knows?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 take it one thing at a time. I'd consider a month a bare minimum. It can take a few weeks just to get to the point of truly being gluten free. (it's not just food - soap, lotions, fabric softeners, cleaners, etc. can all have these things in them. casein is in paint.) I was talking about how long should I document his diet? 2 weeks? a month? or will I see a trouble pattern faster? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 Start by eliminating all dyes and sodium benzoate. Move onto cutting out all processed foods. what is sodium benzoate in? I am sure I can find it, but I was wondering whattype of foods it is in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyz Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 it doesn't say anywhere on the site (that I can find) where such a diet helps kids with sensory issues. Not that I doubt that it would, I am just surprised to see it doesn't say it anywhere. Also, the cost seems sort of steep...$82...can't you get the same information for free somewhere?? Or does this program have secrets nobody else knows?? I agree that the price is high! It was very hard for me to put that out as it's almost a week's worth of food for our family of three. I scoured the internet before purchasing and you can find almost all of the information that you need to do it on your own...except with the membership you get the 200 page booklet that tells you exactly which brands and items meet the guidelines which saves you from reading a lot of labels. Also many foods have hidden additives that aren't listed on the ingredients so you may think they are safe when they are not. Also, you get access to the forum for support and more brand names, etc. There is a yahoo feingold group that you can join, but again they are not allowed to tell brand names that are safe for each stage. Hopefully it will be worth it for us. My son has a diagnosis of ADHD and sensory processing disorder. Sometimes I think the ADHD is because of the processing disorder (constant sensory seeking or avoidance). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyz Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Although I did just find this which may or may not be helpful. http://allnaturalmomof3.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-feingold-shopping-lists.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 Although I did just find this which may or may not be helpful. http://allnaturalmomof3.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-feingold-shopping-lists.html thank you for this. I am going to check her out a little bit more. i would greatly appreciate it if you would let me know if you think this program is worth the $83 or not. I am sure you won't know for a little while, but if you remember, please let me know. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I was talking about how long should I document his diet? 2 weeks? a month? or will I see a trouble pattern faster? If his diet is fairly consistent - you want to document longer. If it constantly varies - I'd do it at least two - three weeks, or, until you start to see a clear pattern. (or at least enough of one to go on.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 For some reason, chocolate sends my youngest daughter into a tailspin. So we avoid chocolate. She's already gluten-free and soy-free as those foods have been a problem for her since she was a toddler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 thanks for all of the rsponses. I do appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momma H Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Just another vote to stay away from Artificial colors. It takes 4 days to get it out of a person's system. Because it takes so long it took a while to see the correlation. In our case it is dramatic. There are several very strange personality changes that happen to my son when he has any colors of any kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Dyes are our big thing too. My dh thought I was nuts until I made sure our ds had no dyes for a week, and then gave him a handful of M&Ms one day. My dh asked what was wrong with him, and he was shocked that it was the dyes. There are lots of organic candies without dye, so he does not feel deprived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.