Garga Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 My ds is hyperactive. This is just my own assessment, after reading what the symptoms are and realizing he has all of them. However, he's not ADD. Just hyperactive. Someone on another post mentioned that one piece of candy can set off her child for DAYS, with bad ADHD side effects (impulsiveness, lack of concentrations, etc.) Is this true? Can teeny bits of candy set kids off for days? Is it the Breyers Cream Savers yogurt he eats every morning (with it's bright pink and blue colors) what is making his hyperactivity worse? Help! He's sooooo picky with food. I think I'll pull my hair out if it turns out its the food feeding his hyperactivity. What will I feed him? He hates to eat anything! What foods have made your kids go bonkers? (Please, not mac and cheese and hotdogs, please, please, please) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I know my nephew had issues with food that had the Red Dye #40 in it, maybe that yogurt has it in it? I was just talking to a friend the other day that used to I guess work at a hospital or therapy or something and he said they had a little girl who would go crazy with applesauce. So I guess every kids different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 My dd will not have anaphylactic shock with peanut butter - but it does make her wet the bed. I know one kid who goes nuts on red anything - but can eat chocolate just fine. Fake food sucks and you can still eat mac and cheese without the crap in it. I gave my dd a taste for good foods as a toddler - do you want carrots or peas? Apples or blueberries? I gave her a choice - but they were healthy options. http://www.drrapp.com/about.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Back when my dh was a kid there was the Farber diet (I think that's right) that emphasized nothing artificial. His mom made him his yogurt and pretty much everything else that he ate. She swears it helped him so much as a child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apmom Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Personally, we avoid all brightly colored foods (artificially, that is). There are great yogurt cups without all the added colors...natural real fruit snacks, etc. There are much better substitutes for that stuff than you might think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 You should read Is this your child by Rapp and also look up Feingold. People definitely react to food dyes. And many people have a reaction that doesn't look allergic to foods that don't typically produce allergic reactions. My ds is allergic to oats (among other things). He has a tendency to become belligerent when he's exposed to oats. I think he has an internal reaction which makes him physically uncomfortable and so it comes out as anger. It's been a few years since we've had oats so I don't know if he'd do this today. He's also had similar reactions to food dyes. Eliminating things that I know caused reactions helped a lot. It's been years since I read the feingold materials, but I remember one the recommendations on changing diet. They suggested to first buy all the junk that fits within feingold recommendations (they have lists for candy and cookies, etc) so your dc can see they still get "junk" , while switching over regular food. Shopping when making dietary changes is difficult the first couple of months, but it becomes second nature after a short while. I don't spend a lot of time at the grocery store anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 :lurk5: I don't have any answers, but I'll be reading replies, as this subject certainly interests me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnetteB Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Hot dogs gave one of ours night terrors years ago. I phoned Oscar Meyer to ask about the ingredients list and they felt that it was the nitrites and nitrates and advised that he never have their products again...and we haven't. I've found that if a child "craves" a food it is probably bad for them. The chemicals in the food seem to cause some sort of addictive desire along with anxiety. We avoid artificial ingredients like the plague. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach Mom Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 We won't let our 2 boys have anything artificially bright colored (and we found cream savers yogurt was one of them), because we found it caused behavior issues in otherwise decently well mannered kids. Colored gatorade given to them by coaches, colored candy any kind, colored yogurt or ice cream, all of it seem triggers. They both now say "that food makes me wild" and they are so right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthie Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Yeah, since cutting out all artificial colors, dyes, & flavors, my son is a new kid. The difference was so dramatic, even HE noticed and now voluntarily avoids those things. Ruthie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 One of my friends is HORRIBLY allergic to blue dye of any sort. It's so bad that she recently discovered she can't use Electrosol tablets in her dishwasher because she reacts to the residue left inside the dishes from the blue gel. Her daughter (age 4) had also been showing allergic symptoms that subsided after the Electrosol use stopped. Dyes are just plain icky. My own son actually eats more when we avoid ingredients such as HFCS and dyes, and he also doesn't complain about stomach pain. Since he's on ADHD meds that can suppress appetite anyway, I make sure to keep these sorts of things away from him so he doesn't lose weight. He's skinny enough as it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I know my nephew had issues with food that had the Red Dye #40 in it, maybe that yogurt has it in it? I was just talking to a friend the other day that used to I guess work at a hospital or therapy or something and he said they had a little girl who would go crazy with applesauce. So I guess every kids different! We know a boy who would go bonkers after Sunday School every week - literally spinning out of control. They finally figured out that it was the red cool aid they had during class every week. Another friend had a son who would react like this after having apple juice or anything with apples. I've also heard that coloring in bath soap/bubble bath/shampoo can be an issue - it is absorbed through the skin. For my own son, he had some strange behavior symptoms - not hyperactivity, but hyper-sensitivity to temperature, sounds, and other things, and an inablilty to cope with frustration or disappointment. We took all the artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors out of his food/drink and he was a different child within a couple weeks. I make mac-and-cheese from scratch using elbow noodles, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. It's as easy as the boxed stuff, but without the yucky fake cheese. I know it's hard when you have a picky eater. Just try to find substitutes that he'll accept - there are a ton of choices at the grocery store now days, and he may not even notice the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2att Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 My middle child has always been my most difficult, and when he was five I did some reading on artificial flavors and colors in the diet affecting behavior, and the anecdotes given were close enough to home for me to give it a try. Interestingly enough, it wasn't that difficult--the foods he ate regularly either were already okay, or were easy to find a "clean" substitute for. Just start reading the labels--you'll be amazed at all the stuff that's in some foods! Chocolate milk was a big one for us--he drank a lot of it, and we couldn't find choc. syrup without artificials anywhere, which led us to buy expensive organic chocolate milk. His behavior improved, but I was never sure that it was the diet change or just him getting older. Fast forward to last January, when I tried him out on a fish oil supplement with artificial flavor--that's when I was sure of the connection. A couple of weeks on the stuff, and it was like he was four years old again and totally out of control. Once I took him off it and it was out of his system, I had my son back. Now he knows he supposed to avoid them, but he still likes candy and other stuff like that. In small doses he's okay, but with a regular intake of foods with artificial flavors and colors he's no fun to live with! It seems there are plenty of people out there with similar stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 Thank you everyone for your replies. I'm thinking of stopping the yogurt, hotdogs and mac and cheese for awhile. Those seem to be the big no-no's, what with the dyes and nitrates, etc. Well, maybe I'll stop them on Thursday. Tomorrow is a special day out with Mom-mom, and I know she'll be feeding him lots of junk. (It's a mom-mom prerogative.) I'll re-assess, but I think everything else is pretty healthy that he eats. He doesn't eat a lot of variety, so I don't have a lot to re-assess :001_smile:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Anything with food coloring makes my oldest go bonkers. He has calmed down since we cut that out as well as adding Fish Oil to his morning routine. Really works!! He had a weird eye thing that looks more like a tic. That goes away as long as he is regualy taking his fish oil pills. We also eliminated anything with nitrates and nitrites. However we do make an occasional trip to McDonalds for ds's favorite breakfast sandwich every now and then (Sausage Egg cheese mcGriddle) and I know their sausages are not Nitrate or nitrite free. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runamuk Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Food dyes make my son into an out of control, hyperactive, violent, emotional mess. We cut out all dyes and he's such a wonderful person to be around (that's not to say he still doesn't act out - he's 4 :)). He's much calmer and can focus very well now, so much so that he's learning to read. His allergic reactions to detergents, soaps and shampoos has disappeared as well. Our oldest daughter was diagnosed with ADHD 13 years ago. We tried the Feingold diet, but felt it didn't work. We didn't take into account the food dyes she was getting at school in the form of school lunches. Now that she's older, she's been following the Feingold diet and is doing very well. It's not that hard to cut out food dyes (lots of label reading and you'll be surprised at the things they're in) and the kids got used to not eating junk food pretty quickly. They learned to eat fresh fruit and veggies when it was all that was being offered. They like the organic yogurt tubes just as much as the ones with SpongeBob on the front. And they now ask for bruschetta or hummus for a snack instead of toaster pastries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 We had to get rid of dyes and nitrates too. The only hold out is pepperoni, because that is the only kind of pizza that he likes. I cannot get him to eat the whole wheat, natural cheese pizza without pepperoni. Does anyone know a pepperoni brand without nitrates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 You might be interested in this independent study. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 We know a boy who would go bonkers after Sunday School every week - literally spinning out of control. They finally figured out that it was the red cool aid they had during class every week. Another friend had a son who would react like this after having apple juice or anything with apples. I've also heard that coloring in bath soap/bubble bath/shampoo can be an issue - it is absorbed through the skin. For my own son, he had some strange behavior symptoms - not hyperactivity, but hyper-sensitivity to temperature, sounds, and other things, and an inablilty to cope with frustration or disappointment. We took all the artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors out of his food/drink and he was a different child within a couple weeks. I make mac-and-cheese from scratch using elbow noodles, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. It's as easy as the boxed stuff, but without the yucky fake cheese. I know it's hard when you have a picky eater. Just try to find substitutes that he'll accept - there are a ton of choices at the grocery store now days, and he may not even notice the difference. Can I have the mac and cheese recepie please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Oh, yeah. It can happen. I remember when my brother was little sugar and red food dye set him off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 You might be interested in this independent study.Laura and sodium benzoate is in EVERYTHING. IMO it's the hardest one to eliminate. It's even in my organic hummus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2att Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Thank you everyone for your replies. I'm thinking of stopping the yogurt, hotdogs and mac and cheese for awhile. Just fyi the Yoplait kids yogurt with Dora or Blue's Clues on the front don't have artificial flavors or colors. They do still have plenty of sugar, but no bright blues or pinks. My son likes this kind, or he also likes just plain vanilla. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Can I have the mac and cheese recepie please? Sorry I missed this. Here's the basic recipe...my measurements aren't exact and I usually make much more than this (probably double) since I have lots of kids to feed :) 2 1/2 C elbow macaroni 3 T butter or coconut oil 3 T flour 2 C milk or coconut milk 4 oz cream cheese 1 C shredded cheddar or other cheese pinch nutmeg (opt.) salt & pepper to taste Cook the macaroni in a large saucepan. Strain in a colander. While the macaroni drains, put the saucepan back on the stove over medium heat. Melt the butter and stir in the flour. Add the milk and stir until thickened. Stir in cream cheese and shredded cheese, and optional nutmeg. Stir the cooked macaroni into the sauce and serve. Usually, I add a cup of frozen peas to the macaroni just before straining. You can experiment with the varieties/amounts of cheese and additions - carrots, green beans, cooked chicken or ham, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouseacademy Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Keep in mind that the pasta in mac and cheese, even made from scratch, can irritate behavior. I notice that if my son has flour products or flour he acts nuts (he is fine with sprouted grain breads though- just no flour). He also CAN NOT handle food dyes. He notices and now polices himself. As for grandparent's prerogative to feed junk, my personal feeling is that if they are willing to deal with the repercussions, that is one thing, but if they turn the child back nutso, that is another... My inlaws thought it was their prerogative to give junk cereals for a treat. After my fil had to deal with the food dye reaction, they are careful to choose treats that don't create the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmomof2boys Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 My son has seizures and we have cut out all processed foods, among other things. We have cut out all artificial ingredients. We cook from scratch. It's made a night and day difference. Things that are really bad on the brain are aspartame, splenda, msg (and it's in everything, goes by different names), nitrites, artificial colors, etc. We use natural organic foods: butter, good oils, etc. My son is a calm, different child. A good book about the Feingold Diet is: "Why Can't My Child Behave?" by Jane Hersey. Another good book about food and additives is "What's Food Got to Do With it?" by Sandra Hillis and Pat Wyman. Another good book is "Bad Attitude--Reverse Your Child's Rudeness in 1 Week--With Food" by Audrey Ricker, PhD. I really like Dr. Rapp also, as someone else mentioned, and there's a book called "Excitotoxins, the Taste that Kills" by Russell Blaylock. I think so much of a child's behavior does have something to do with what he eats. Also, if they eat a lot of carbs and sugars, their blood sugar levels can fluctuate, and that causes moodiness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWSJ Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Another friend had a son who would react like this after having apple juice or anything with apples. Our ds reacts to apple juice and apple sauce (even organic). He gets very hyper and loses self-control. Others have noticed it with him too. We've talked with many specialists about it and have always been told it's in our imagination. It's somewhat a relief to hear other's experience with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetsouthern Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 my dd cannot have certain fruits because of the salicyates (sp?), anything at all with dye, or high fructose corn syrup.... they will set her off for days and then the withdrawl on the 3rd or 4th day is AWFUL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 We had to get rid of dyes and nitrates too. The only hold out is pepperoni, because that is the only kind of pizza that he likes. I cannot get him to eat the whole wheat, natural cheese pizza without pepperoni. Does anyone know a pepperoni brand without nitrates? Hormel has an uncured pepperoni that is very good. We just had it on homemade pizza the other evening and I could not tell any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojomojo Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Artificial dye makes my 4 yr old ds violent and out of control. For a while he was having awful nightmares. I think it was a reaction to the steady dose of vanillin he was getting from Ovaltine (once we cut that out, the nightmares stopped although vanillin still slips in the diet every now and then). I think there may still be some food/additive sensitivies to figure out, but cutting those out have made a world of difference (and 2 yrs later we finally have the grandparents trained lol). Kind of a funny story.... I was over at my moms and reading labels and I got all excited reading the label on a container of bright red jello with the fruit bits in it. She wasn't as excited to learn the dye in it was cochineal :D That used to be her favorite snack and now she won't eat it. She told me to quit reading the labels on her food lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Artificial dye makes my 4 yr old ds violent and out of control. For a while he was having awful nightmares. I think it was a reaction to the steady dose of vanillin he was getting from Ovaltine (once we cut that out, the nightmares stopped although vanillin still slips in the diet every now and then). I think there may still be some food/additive sensitivies to figure out, but cutting those out have made a world of difference (and 2 yrs later we finally have the grandparents trained lol). Kind of a funny story.... I was over at my moms and reading labels and I got all excited reading the label on a container of bright red jello with the fruit bits in it. She wasn't as excited to learn the dye in it was cochineal :D That used to be her favorite snack and now she won't eat it. She told me to quit reading the labels on her food lol That's just disturbing. I remember reading about that here - but when you actually see what they look like - ewwwww.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojomojo Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 That's just disturbing.I remember reading about that here - but when you actually see what they look like - ewwwww.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal I agree :ack2: I was mostly excited because I'm used to finding red #40 in just about everything, it was nice to check something red for a change and not see #40 lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest j_forever Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I heard about dyes also causing behavior prob's. anyone have research articles about this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/13/health/he-foodcolor13 - an article that cites several research articles, though I didn't do the legwork to make sure the references were legitimate (though I'd guess the Lancet one is, at least) edited to add the Lancet article link: http://www.feingold.org/Research/lancet.html (takes you to a pdf file) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 Wow. :( There's nothing left to feed the little guy. I mean, if you break it down, every single type of food has a potential problem. I was going to write, "Well I'll just let him eat ----." But I can't think of anything to fill in the blank. It doesn't help that he's amazingly picky. I mean, he's the king of picky. I've yet to meet another child as picky. I'm feeling low now... Oh, but thanks everyone for trying to help. I didn't buy any more yogurt this week. We'll start there, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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