six months on Feingold

In January we passed the six month mark of using the Feingold diet.  I like anniversaries as they make me ponder where we've been and wonder what is ahead.  Here are some thoughts:

Josiah

We still have our ups and downs, but watching this little boy progress has been such a joy.  We've found that Josiah is very sensitive to salicylates (present in many fruits, a few vegetables, and a few other foods) and I continue to try new ways to come at this issue.  I've tried enzymes that have been very helpful to others with little noticeable difference.  However, Josiah is a complicated little fellow to feed, and I think the enzymes may have some corn issues that make them less effective.  So...I may try a new one that is less corny, but in the meantime we are finding new ways to eat!  Thus, my carrot-based chili, spaghetti sauce, and this week, I used pureed carrots as a base for his taco soup.  He loves mango, banana, pears, and tolerates pineapple in a few things.  We go through baby pear juice pretty quickly even though he only drinks it for breakfast.

We recently removed milk and found another huge source of trouble.  Now that Josiah's dairy-free, he is less sensitive to a few corny foods and much calmer.  It made such a difference, his gymnastics teacher commented on the change.  He did go from spinning around and not attending the first two weeks to tracking right with the class the next two.  About that time I reintroduced a vitamin he'd been having trouble with (corny!) and although it went OK at first, we had to remove it again.  So...our ups and downs are mostly due to dealing with the huge amount of corn in the American diet and adjusting to what he can tolerate.

One interesting thing I've noticed with Josiah is that the better we get at detecting and removing food sensitivities, the better eater he becomes.  He used to shun all meat and most veggies.  Now he'll eat hardboiled eggs, pieces of ground beef and chicken, green beans, and raw carrots.  His pickiness is disappearing little by little.  I had heard this could be the case and am so excited to see it really happening!!

Josiah and I started a new preschool curriculum in January and have been having a ball with it.  I realized just how structured his days need to be and how he thrives when they are!  It has made me seriously consider the option of homeschooling at least for kindergarten, and perhaps beyond. 

Rachel

Where would we be if it weren't for Feingold?  It is mostly thanks to all my reading in the forums there that I began to wonder if Rachel needed a gluten-free, casein-free diet.  Nine weeks into it, she's still healthy and having no more urinary issues, chronic diarrhea/constipation, and even her joint aches are better although not completely gone.  I'm still hoping as gluten can take months to exit the body.  When I googled "gluten sensitivity in children," at least three of Rachel's symptoms were in the eight listed.  Now I know!!

Feingold has also been a help to Rachel.  She was once a very moody girl but very rarely do I see that side of her anymore.  She is bubbly, content, and her maturity this year has surprised us in many ways.  I'm so thankful she can tell the difference and is cooperative about all the food changes. 

Leah

Yes, I'll include myself in here.  I didn't think that artificial dyes, preservatives, or flavors bothered me that much until I'd been on Feingold myself for a few months.  Now, when we eat out or I grab a treat that isn't on our approved list, I can tell.  I feel grumpy and on edge.  PMS flares up.  Perhaps most remarkable, I have gone from taking a strong prescription acid reducer twice daily to once every week or so, if that.  It's hard to believe what a difference food can make!

The only downside I can see to Feingold and GF/CF is the amount of money I now spend on groceries.  I'm still trying to find ways to cut this down, but I do know we are eating better quality food, and more fresh produce, meats, and homemade meals.  Between that and the changes I've seen in our children, it's worth it!  I wouldn't go back to our old ways of eating for anything.