Food changes
I am a mom with a three year old who has more energy than other children his age. He is strong, curious and brave. He is funny. But he borders on frantic energy and mean spirits. Often he moves so fast and so much that we have hard time catching up. And it has become apparent that he can't sit still for puzzles or art projects or meals for very long stretches.
I have had lengthy conversations with the pediatrician who finds nothing "wrong" with him. So we have all struggled along. While on vacation I reached my breaking point and decided we better do something. So being the clever mom that I am, I decided to alter what I feed him. I have googled sensitivity to artificial colors and I have found mixed messages. There is a lot out there. And most countries are not as prolific in coloring everything as ours is. But it seems to me the more I feed him, the more frantic and wild he gets. It is a place to start until I figure something else out! And the more I look, the more I find that frightens me. Like why we put ORANGE color on our oranges... because we need them to look a certain way. It is just a frightening thing. My mom found a book published in 1977 called Feeding the Hyperactive Child, in which the researcher suggests that the increase in children being diagnosed with Hyperactive Disorders is due to WHAT they eat and that we can help them by cleaning up our kitchens. That is in 1977.... it is 2012 and consider all the children who are having a hard time sitting still, who can't focus, who are aggressive... what if they had the opportunity to eat better and not watch/play so much tv/video games?
So Sunday I made a menu and we are making some changes. We are going to try for 2 weeks. It is not easy. Everyone loves cookies and ranch dressing and cheese and pizza! But once one starts looking, you will find so many of our foods have artificial coloring and other chemical preservatives. So our menu is as close to the source as possible. I have fresh fruit and veggies and whole bread. I found sliced cheese with no color. I have meat. I have been cooking and preparing leftovers for when I am working. Suddenly WHOLE FOODS became my ally. They do not sell any products with artificial coloring. So I can shop with less stress about the contents....
Espen knows what I am doing. I told him we were cutting out artificial colors and he helps me "look" for things. It makes the "NO you can't have that" response easier if he has a reason. And if I can offer an alternative to what he wanted. He has helped pick food at the store and cook dinner. He is active in the process. AND thus far it is helping. We just finished our third day and I see a huge difference. He is able to slow down and focus on tasks or play for periods of time. He is kind and happy. He is thoughtful. He is not racing around at break neck speed. He is eating better and more healthy foods. As are the rest of us!!
I can be sure now that his anger and aggression stem from missing his best friend and not from food. And I can calm him and not get smacked by a flying arm or fist. He can miss his buddy but needs to be kind to mommy! I will continue to update as the two weeks progress. And I have already three great fast meals using whole foods and no processed junk. I can share them. It is not an easy transition but one I am willing to try so that we can keep him off medication and able to focus.
But what I miss most right now is an Oreo and a coke!! But for my son I will keep them out of the house.
If you are looking for some resources... google ARTIFICIAL COLORS... but here are some places to start...
http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/a/artificialcoloring.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/health/policy/30fda.html
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/just_say_no_to_blue_green_red_and_yellow/
I have had lengthy conversations with the pediatrician who finds nothing "wrong" with him. So we have all struggled along. While on vacation I reached my breaking point and decided we better do something. So being the clever mom that I am, I decided to alter what I feed him. I have googled sensitivity to artificial colors and I have found mixed messages. There is a lot out there. And most countries are not as prolific in coloring everything as ours is. But it seems to me the more I feed him, the more frantic and wild he gets. It is a place to start until I figure something else out! And the more I look, the more I find that frightens me. Like why we put ORANGE color on our oranges... because we need them to look a certain way. It is just a frightening thing. My mom found a book published in 1977 called Feeding the Hyperactive Child, in which the researcher suggests that the increase in children being diagnosed with Hyperactive Disorders is due to WHAT they eat and that we can help them by cleaning up our kitchens. That is in 1977.... it is 2012 and consider all the children who are having a hard time sitting still, who can't focus, who are aggressive... what if they had the opportunity to eat better and not watch/play so much tv/video games? So Sunday I made a menu and we are making some changes. We are going to try for 2 weeks. It is not easy. Everyone loves cookies and ranch dressing and cheese and pizza! But once one starts looking, you will find so many of our foods have artificial coloring and other chemical preservatives. So our menu is as close to the source as possible. I have fresh fruit and veggies and whole bread. I found sliced cheese with no color. I have meat. I have been cooking and preparing leftovers for when I am working. Suddenly WHOLE FOODS became my ally. They do not sell any products with artificial coloring. So I can shop with less stress about the contents....
Espen knows what I am doing. I told him we were cutting out artificial colors and he helps me "look" for things. It makes the "NO you can't have that" response easier if he has a reason. And if I can offer an alternative to what he wanted. He has helped pick food at the store and cook dinner. He is active in the process. AND thus far it is helping. We just finished our third day and I see a huge difference. He is able to slow down and focus on tasks or play for periods of time. He is kind and happy. He is thoughtful. He is not racing around at break neck speed. He is eating better and more healthy foods. As are the rest of us!!
I can be sure now that his anger and aggression stem from missing his best friend and not from food. And I can calm him and not get smacked by a flying arm or fist. He can miss his buddy but needs to be kind to mommy! I will continue to update as the two weeks progress. And I have already three great fast meals using whole foods and no processed junk. I can share them. It is not an easy transition but one I am willing to try so that we can keep him off medication and able to focus.
But what I miss most right now is an Oreo and a coke!! But for my son I will keep them out of the house.
If you are looking for some resources... google ARTIFICIAL COLORS... but here are some places to start...
http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/a/artificialcoloring.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/health/policy/30fda.html
http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/just_say_no_to_blue_green_red_and_yellow/
Comments
Post a Comment