is it really worth it?

It's hard to believe it's only been 4 weeks since we officially started the Feingold program. At first it was quite tricky, and I wouldn't necessarily advise a person to begin while on vacation, like we did. However, when you are desperate, like we were, you make things work. As time has passed, things are getting easier. Either that or we are adjusting to a new normal! At the prodding of another (thanks, Beth), here are the details:

-Cut out all artificial colors.
This includes things like FD&C Yellow No. 5. Artificial colors are made from petroleum, and are likely to be one of the most problematic additives in our food. Studies have shown they cause everything from behavior issues to a link with cancer. And because of their over-use in food, kids who are sensitive to them are also sensitive to their use in lotions, shampoos, air fresheners, paint (including face paint and yes, we did have problems after letting Josiah have his face painted at the fair), and all kinds of other places petroleum is used. Hey, we just decreased our need for foreign oil! And we weren't even trying...

-Cut out all artificial flavors.
This includes vanillin, a synthetic vanilla made from...the waste left over after manufacturing paper products. Yum, huh? This is the only flavoring clearly labeled by its name, but others are listed as artificial "lemon-flavor, grape flavor," etc. What is it that we are eating, exactly? There are no regulations to govern artificial flavors. They can be made from anything. Most are derived from petroleum.

-Cut out the preservatives BHT, BHA, and TBHQ.
This one is tricky. Go get a box of crackers or cereal and look at the ingredients. Chances are, you'll find it listed. If it's not, chances are it's still there. It is often sprayed on the packaging which allows it to leech into the food. This saves food companies tons of money because it extends the shelf life of food products. These preservatives are also hidden in food because they can be used in oils used to prepare the food, and yet not be listed on the ingredients. Preservatives are even used in most of the Vitamin A Palmitate added to milk, which means we have to buy organic if we want to use a lowfat variety. (Vitamin A is naturally found in whole milk and therefore not added.) And again, these preservatives are products of petroleum.

-Cut out aspartame and other artificial sweeteners.
This is the easiest...we were already doing it.

-Cut out natural salicylates and aspirin products.
This is the least understood part of the diet. However, apparently there is a relationship between aspirin, artificials, and a compound naturally found in many fruits and a few vegetables. Some kids can eventually add these foods back into their diet once their sensitivity to these compounds decreases (there seems to be a build-up over time due to over-exposure) . This cuts out most berries, apples, oranges, other fruits, and (gulp!) tomatoes.

-Cut out chocolate.
This is not part of the diet, officially. But it is a trigger for Josiah. He loves the carob I use to substitute. I don't like it at all, but if he's happy, I'm happy. Chocolate gives me migraines, so less headaches for me are a good thing, too.

So what can we eat?

Lots!!! I have a whole book filled with researched choices of prepared food, and plenty "always safe" choices (like flour, sugar, some cheeses; many canned, frozen, and fresh produce) are available. We eat watermelon, pears, pineapple, mango, kiwi, cantaloupe, and lots of other fruits. I say "we" loosely. Josiah likes about 3 of the acceptable fruits so that is a bit frustrating. But he likes pear juice, found in the baby aisle, so that's something! Almost all veggies are fine, if I could just get my kids to eat them.

I've found acceptable margarine (not many choices, but my local grocery store does carry one), graham crackers (sadly, the only ones I can find are $5 a box at the health food store), cereal, snack food, ice cream, yogurt, and pre-made cookies. However, in some cases it pays for me to use homemade. I've yet to find an acceptable bread for less than $3 a loaf, so I make my own. Cookies are better homemade than bought, so I make those myself, too. Making them myself means we are consuming less sugar...hooray! I tried a great recipe for white pizza, so we're making do without tomato sauce for now. I have a recipe for un-tomato sauce and un-ketchup, but I've stopped short at buying beets to use for that. If we get desperate, I suppose I could try it...

And yes, it's all worth it. More on that in my next post!