YAY! One baby step ahead! Let's hope other schools follow.
"By Ed Bruske
aka The Slow Cook
Jeffrey Mills, director of food services for D.C. Public Schools, told parents at H.D. Cooke Elementary school yesterday that the city's schools beginning in the fall would no longer serve flavored milk or sugary cereals.
Mills made the remarks at a meeting to discuss staffing changes in the H.D. Cook cafeteria and further details could not be obtained. A PTA officer at the meeting said Mills told the parents that other positive changes in cafeteria menus would be made by the time school resumes in August.
Chocolate- and strawberry-flavored milk, as well as sugary cereals such as Apple Jacks, Raisin Bran and chocolate-flavored Little Bite Mini-Wheats, have been standard fare for breakfast in D.C. schools. Flavored milks contain nearly as much sugar as Classic Coke or Mountain Dew, and when served alongside sugary cereals and breakfast treats such as Pop-Tarts. Giant Goldfish Grahams and orange juice, consitute meals containing 60 grams of sugar before classes even begin. That's the equivalent of 15 teaspoons of sugar, more than a quarter cup.
Some experts argue that the empty calories from sugar cause behavorial problems in school and prime children for health problems ranging from tooth decay to obesity and early onset of diabetes. Flavored milks also cause a drain on school food budgets because they are more expensive than plain milk. But the dairy industry has fought hard to keep flavored milk in school, fearing that children would drink less milk if it did not contain the added sugar.
Many D.C. students drink flavored milk at least twice a day in school, both at breakfast and at lunch, even though other sugary beverages such as sodas, sport drinks and teas have been banned from schools since 2006.
Low-fat milk typically contains 12 grams of naturally occurring sugar as lactose in an 8-ounce service. The chocolate-flavored milk in D.C. schools, from Cloverland Dairy, lists 24 grams of sugar, the added sugar coming from high-fructose corn syrup. Strawberry-flavored milk from Cloverland Dairy contains 28 grams of sugar, or seven teaspoons.
Apple Jacks cereal lists 9 grams of sugar in a 1-ounce serving, or a bit more than two teaspoons, compared to just 1 gram of sugar in a similar serving of regular Cheerios. Cereals with higher sugar content, served aggressively by the D.C. Public Schools' hired food service contractor, Chartwells, are seen as a vehicle for imprinting on vulnerable children the popular kids' brands of corporate food companies such as Kellogg's, which pays hefty rebates to have its products promoted in schools.
The move to reduce sugar in D.C. school food would be significant, since neither U.S. Department of Agriculture standards nor the District's recently adopted "Healthy Schools" act regulate the amount of sugar in school meals. It would bring the District in line with other progressive jurisdicitions that have eliminated flavored milk as a health measure. Typically, milk sales drop after flavored milk is removed, but eventually rebound once students get used to the idea of drinking plain milk.
Mills, who previously worked developing restuarant concepts in New York City, took the DCPS food services job six months ago after the positioin had gone unfilled for a year. He has promised to act aggressively to improve D.C. school food quality. We will certainly report further details as they become available."
Showing posts with label success stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label success stories. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
a success story from Christina
This is a great success story from Christina on the yahoo Feingold group.
My son is in 1st grade (barely 6 and the youngest in his class). He testes above
grade level in all subjects and reads as well as his 8 year old sister.
However, we had him tested at the teachers request for autism and they
officially placed him on the autism spectrum. He has a slightly modified
schedule where he gets to leave class for 30 min. and take his work to a smaller
classroom to work on it without the classroom distractions. He also has
permission to do his work laying on the carpet when he needs to.
He has been a very extreme child. He gets upset easily and cries easily about
the smallest things. He is socially immature and groups have a tendency to
completely overwhelm him. He has always loved trains and when we filled in the
aspergers questionaire I was convinced Aspergers was our diagnosis. We also have
tourettes on my side of my family (my father and brother) and have seen the
beginning of what we believe to be TS.
Back on 2 months....we started him with chelation the middle of October. Within
2 weeks, we had eye contact (where previously we had had NONE ever...), he was
calmer, able to read for content, left his trains behind and joined friends and
his sister in almost any game. He started falling asleep quickly instead of
kicking the wall for an hour each night to calm himself down. We rarely have any
temper tantrums, although he is still easily upset, he now calms down quickly.
We started soccer this year and the first couple of games resulted in him
melting down in only a few minutes and sitting out the rest of the game. You
could sometime hear him screaming 2 fields away. It was the end of soccer
season, and we had a 2 week break due to rain, and on his tenth game (the last
one of the season) it was a NEW kid. We had started "watching" artificial colors
and flavors at this point but had not started Feingold at that time. He ran when
he needed to, walked and waited for the ball to come toward him. Previously he
had never been able to slow down and would exhaust himself within 5 min chasing
the ball...and then meltdown. He played 2 quarters with NO time outs or
complaints. When it was his turn to sit out, he said "Oh man, I want to help my
team!" and then did the 4th quarter perfectly. He stopped midplay to ask a
little boy if he was okay when he fell. Usually he would leap over the hurt
child, or be oblivious to them, or worse step on them. We had never seen empathy
on the field and had only noticed some recently at home. Needless to say we were
totally amazed. The assistant coach's wife and several team moms came over after
the game and said that if they hadn't seen it themselves, they wouldn't have
believed it. They wanted to know what in the world we had done differently. I
told them about chelation and removing the artificial junk from his diet.
We went for another IEP meeting at the school last week, and although there have
been many many improvements he is still somewhat overwhelmed in group situations
school. He has difficulty sitting in his chair for more than a few min. at a
time, and interacts with most of the kids in an immature way. He is frequently
LOUD and blurts out answers instead of raising his hand. He is clumsy and most
things he picks up he drops. His handwriting is the poorest in his class. Large
motor skills he's great. He learned to ride a bike with no training wheels at 4
and is really good at soccer (now:), but small motor skills are severely
lacking. He has also suffered from eczema on his legs and arms, since he was a
baby.
He has come soooo far, but we still have more to do. I bought a copy of "Why
can't my child behave" and was furious by the end of it. I believe now that the
FDA is not on our side, but is in allegience with the food and chemical
companies! We started Feingold officially last month with Stage II...but I
wasn't seeing as much difference as I would like so 3 days ago we backed up to
Stage One. Basically we took out his grapes, raisins, apples etc. The last two
days have been intermittently HARD. He has alternated between the sweet little
boy we have come to know and being very grumpy and defiant. I am thinking that
maybe this is a salicylate withdrawal period.
I am not much of a cook but have been making most everything for him by scratch.
Luckily, he is not a picky eater and except for missing his grapes and chili, he
is doing fine. I am hoping that on this site there is a recipe list for kid safe
recipes. Changing brands has been pretty easy but we have easily spent upwards
of 500.00 switching out our foods to FG safe brands. I went a little fanatical
and just this week started eliminating detergents and toothpaste etc. I even
bought a natural bristle toothbrush!
I looked back at the Aspergers booklet I filled in, and where I checked him off
as being "highly probable Aspergers", his answers now qualify him as "not
likely". I really can't say that any of his behaviors at this point are autistic
at all. His counselor called me last week and asked what was different. He was
demonstrating eye contact and empathy and appropriate responses to most every
social scenario she tested him on. The beginning of the year he tested "little
to no eye contact" and last week he tested "normal eye contact".
I attribute his success so far to REMOVING the toxic heavy metals from his
system as well as removing all the Artificial colors, flavors and preservatives
from his diet. I expect to see more changes as we continue with Stage I. I am
looking forward to the day when they ask to remove the label of "autism" from
his classification at school.
My son is in 1st grade (barely 6 and the youngest in his class). He testes above
grade level in all subjects and reads as well as his 8 year old sister.
However, we had him tested at the teachers request for autism and they
officially placed him on the autism spectrum. He has a slightly modified
schedule where he gets to leave class for 30 min. and take his work to a smaller
classroom to work on it without the classroom distractions. He also has
permission to do his work laying on the carpet when he needs to.
He has been a very extreme child. He gets upset easily and cries easily about
the smallest things. He is socially immature and groups have a tendency to
completely overwhelm him. He has always loved trains and when we filled in the
aspergers questionaire I was convinced Aspergers was our diagnosis. We also have
tourettes on my side of my family (my father and brother) and have seen the
beginning of what we believe to be TS.
Back on 2 months....we started him with chelation the middle of October. Within
2 weeks, we had eye contact (where previously we had had NONE ever...), he was
calmer, able to read for content, left his trains behind and joined friends and
his sister in almost any game. He started falling asleep quickly instead of
kicking the wall for an hour each night to calm himself down. We rarely have any
temper tantrums, although he is still easily upset, he now calms down quickly.
We started soccer this year and the first couple of games resulted in him
melting down in only a few minutes and sitting out the rest of the game. You
could sometime hear him screaming 2 fields away. It was the end of soccer
season, and we had a 2 week break due to rain, and on his tenth game (the last
one of the season) it was a NEW kid. We had started "watching" artificial colors
and flavors at this point but had not started Feingold at that time. He ran when
he needed to, walked and waited for the ball to come toward him. Previously he
had never been able to slow down and would exhaust himself within 5 min chasing
the ball...and then meltdown. He played 2 quarters with NO time outs or
complaints. When it was his turn to sit out, he said "Oh man, I want to help my
team!" and then did the 4th quarter perfectly. He stopped midplay to ask a
little boy if he was okay when he fell. Usually he would leap over the hurt
child, or be oblivious to them, or worse step on them. We had never seen empathy
on the field and had only noticed some recently at home. Needless to say we were
totally amazed. The assistant coach's wife and several team moms came over after
the game and said that if they hadn't seen it themselves, they wouldn't have
believed it. They wanted to know what in the world we had done differently. I
told them about chelation and removing the artificial junk from his diet.
We went for another IEP meeting at the school last week, and although there have
been many many improvements he is still somewhat overwhelmed in group situations
school. He has difficulty sitting in his chair for more than a few min. at a
time, and interacts with most of the kids in an immature way. He is frequently
LOUD and blurts out answers instead of raising his hand. He is clumsy and most
things he picks up he drops. His handwriting is the poorest in his class. Large
motor skills he's great. He learned to ride a bike with no training wheels at 4
and is really good at soccer (now:), but small motor skills are severely
lacking. He has also suffered from eczema on his legs and arms, since he was a
baby.
He has come soooo far, but we still have more to do. I bought a copy of "Why
can't my child behave" and was furious by the end of it. I believe now that the
FDA is not on our side, but is in allegience with the food and chemical
companies! We started Feingold officially last month with Stage II...but I
wasn't seeing as much difference as I would like so 3 days ago we backed up to
Stage One. Basically we took out his grapes, raisins, apples etc. The last two
days have been intermittently HARD. He has alternated between the sweet little
boy we have come to know and being very grumpy and defiant. I am thinking that
maybe this is a salicylate withdrawal period.
I am not much of a cook but have been making most everything for him by scratch.
Luckily, he is not a picky eater and except for missing his grapes and chili, he
is doing fine. I am hoping that on this site there is a recipe list for kid safe
recipes. Changing brands has been pretty easy but we have easily spent upwards
of 500.00 switching out our foods to FG safe brands. I went a little fanatical
and just this week started eliminating detergents and toothpaste etc. I even
bought a natural bristle toothbrush!
I looked back at the Aspergers booklet I filled in, and where I checked him off
as being "highly probable Aspergers", his answers now qualify him as "not
likely". I really can't say that any of his behaviors at this point are autistic
at all. His counselor called me last week and asked what was different. He was
demonstrating eye contact and empathy and appropriate responses to most every
social scenario she tested him on. The beginning of the year he tested "little
to no eye contact" and last week he tested "normal eye contact".
I attribute his success so far to REMOVING the toxic heavy metals from his
system as well as removing all the Artificial colors, flavors and preservatives
from his diet. I expect to see more changes as we continue with Stage I. I am
looking forward to the day when they ask to remove the label of "autism" from
his classification at school.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
great news about the candles
I just realized that I didn't share the great news. We talked with the director about the candles that all the TAs seemed to love and he spoke with them that day. The candles are now all officially gone. YAY! He said that since it wouldn't hurt anyone or cost anything to get rid of them but it would help several people, of course he would accommodate us.
Friday, June 5, 2009
yay
This is a reader comment that I'm posting. :) Good job!!!
This is my first time writing in on the FG message board, and I'm wanting to share a success story in hopes of encouraging others! My family of three joined the program in March in support of my sister's family and also to see if it would make a difference for my husband (32) and daughter (2 1/2)...both seemed like they might be chemically sensitive after researching through the FG website and taking the survey.
With our daughter we noticed immediate changes just after a few days on program. Her "edgey-ness" subsided, her reactions both high and low weren't as extreme, she was getting along with other kids, was less demanding and in general a much happier little girl and continues to be! She is still 2, so an occasional tantrum and defiance exists, but it just feels like she's lingered into the average range behavior wise instead of an extremely demanding FULL TIME and a HALF 2 year old! YIPPEE!
As for my husband, changes were also immediate...but not in a positive way. His anger/temper got worse, his reactions more extreme, his outbursts/cursing more intense (especially with road rage), his energy and patience was lacking and in general he seemed angry at the world. Often things I've noticed in him before, but at an even more extreme level.
Through my sister's encouragement on the program....and reading posts and information about detox....we stuck it out for over EIGHT WEEKS before witnessing what I can only attribute to a MIRACLE! In the blink of an eye, my husband turned a HUGE corner. He is laughing, singing, telling funny jokes, playing ponies with our daughter, working on PROJECT after PROJECT around our house and in the yard (a rarity before FG!), and even often asking what he can do to help me! He has even stated "I feel like myself again!" And as for me, it feels like I have a partner in life now that includes give and take instead always feeling like the giver! It is so much easier to give when there is balance and I am SOOO thankful! I kept thinking...this is too good to be true....it's going to end...this can't be real...this can't last. But, I can honestly tell you that the past 4 weeks have been the best it's ever been in our nine years of marriage....and it's only going to get better from here!!! THANK YOU FEINGOLD PROGRAM and volunteers....you've saved my family! :)
With our daughter we noticed immediate changes just after a few days on program. Her "edgey-ness" subsided, her reactions both high and low weren't as extreme, she was getting along with other kids, was less demanding and in general a much happier little girl and continues to be! She is still 2, so an occasional tantrum and defiance exists, but it just feels like she's lingered into the average range behavior wise instead of an extremely demanding FULL TIME and a HALF 2 year old! YIPPEE!
As for my husband, changes were also immediate...but not in a positive way. His anger/temper got worse, his reactions more extreme, his outbursts/cursing more intense (especially with road rage), his energy and patience was lacking and in general he seemed angry at the world. Often things I've noticed in him before, but at an even more extreme level.
Through my sister's encouragement on the program....and reading posts and information about detox....we stuck it out for over EIGHT WEEKS before witnessing what I can only attribute to a MIRACLE! In the blink of an eye, my husband turned a HUGE corner. He is laughing, singing, telling funny jokes, playing ponies with our daughter, working on PROJECT after PROJECT around our house and in the yard (a rarity before FG!), and even often asking what he can do to help me! He has even stated "I feel like myself again!" And as for me, it feels like I have a partner in life now that includes give and take instead always feeling like the giver! It is so much easier to give when there is balance and I am SOOO thankful! I kept thinking...this is too good to be true....it's going to end...this can't be real...this can't last. But, I can honestly tell you that the past 4 weeks have been the best it's ever been in our nine years of marriage....and it's only going to get better from here!!! THANK YOU FEINGOLD PROGRAM and volunteers....you've saved my family! :)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Message from a Mom
Dear Feingold,
I would just like to thank everyone who has helped put this program together. This diet has changed our lives forever.
My oldest daughter was born with a great personality and strong will. She was also born with many allergies. When she was about 4 months old she had her first ear infection, was given Tylenol and antibiotic. She then continued to have ear infections every month until she was 6 years old. We always treated her with Tylenol or Motrin and what ever the new antibiotic was prescribed. She also vomited 2 or 3 times a day.
She was seen by specialist after specialist who gave out new medication. or testing. Always the same response by the doctors "We don't see anything wrong." Meanwhile, she would throw temper tantrums 3 or 4 times a day sometimes for an hour. She would bite herself, scratch, throw items, cry till she vomited and her eyes would glow with anger. We always chalked it up to the terrible two's, horrible three's, strong willed child, maybe she was over tired, spoiled, etc., etc., etc.
When she was about 4 years old we were referred to a eating and behavior specialist. She was suppose to help her become more aware of how much she was eating and when she was full. Also, to help us to set up behavior charts. She then continued to treat us as though we were crazy and nothing was really wrong with our daughter. She didn't seem to believe that we were all being tortured by something. I knew that something was very wrong with her but couldn't help her.
We then broke down and took her to a child psychologist and psychiatrist. They put her on anti-psychotic and adhd medication. We we devastated for a long time. We had moved and found new doctors who confirmed the same diagnosis of bi-polar, adhd, OCD, and odd. The medications were not helping, the charts did not entirely work, and we were being advised to try a third medication. She still was throwing tantrums, nightmares, clothing issues, chewing issues, defiance, throwing up, and ear infections.
We were lost, frustrated and not willing to continue down this same road any longer. We had heard of the Feingold diet years before from a friend and honestly thought that she was crazy. How in the world could food make you sick? Well, I called that friend and we went through the process of the Feingold Diet.
We were absolutely overwhelmed at the thought of trying this. I didn't hardly bake or make anything from scratch! I finally received our packet and claimed the confidence I needed to succeed. We were dedicated to making the diet work and ended up doing it for a full eight weeks before we added any thing in.
The results were shocking! Our daughter was normal! After being on the diet for about 4 weeks we removed the anti-psychotic and two weeks later we removed the adhd medication. She was medication free and symptom free. No more fits, screaming, crying, obsession, nightmares or vomiting!!!! The doctors were absolutely dumbfounded. We had shown them a way to cure not just treat out daughter.
The main culprit causing all of our grief was red dye. Any time she had red dye she would have symptoms for two days. Red dye is in so many things! We gave it in all medications, popsicles, fruit snacks, candy and Kool-Aid. Our daughter is now 11 and lives a great normal healthy life. We tell anyone who listen our story and about how the Feingold Diet changed our lives! Thank you again for all that you do.
I would just like to thank everyone who has helped put this program together. This diet has changed our lives forever.
My oldest daughter was born with a great personality and strong will. She was also born with many allergies. When she was about 4 months old she had her first ear infection, was given Tylenol and antibiotic. She then continued to have ear infections every month until she was 6 years old. We always treated her with Tylenol or Motrin and what ever the new antibiotic was prescribed. She also vomited 2 or 3 times a day.
She was seen by specialist after specialist who gave out new medication. or testing. Always the same response by the doctors "We don't see anything wrong." Meanwhile, she would throw temper tantrums 3 or 4 times a day sometimes for an hour. She would bite herself, scratch, throw items, cry till she vomited and her eyes would glow with anger. We always chalked it up to the terrible two's, horrible three's, strong willed child, maybe she was over tired, spoiled, etc., etc., etc.
When she was about 4 years old we were referred to a eating and behavior specialist. She was suppose to help her become more aware of how much she was eating and when she was full. Also, to help us to set up behavior charts. She then continued to treat us as though we were crazy and nothing was really wrong with our daughter. She didn't seem to believe that we were all being tortured by something. I knew that something was very wrong with her but couldn't help her.
We then broke down and took her to a child psychologist and psychiatrist. They put her on anti-psychotic and adhd medication. We we devastated for a long time. We had moved and found new doctors who confirmed the same diagnosis of bi-polar, adhd, OCD, and odd. The medications were not helping, the charts did not entirely work, and we were being advised to try a third medication. She still was throwing tantrums, nightmares, clothing issues, chewing issues, defiance, throwing up, and ear infections.
We were lost, frustrated and not willing to continue down this same road any longer. We had heard of the Feingold diet years before from a friend and honestly thought that she was crazy. How in the world could food make you sick? Well, I called that friend and we went through the process of the Feingold Diet.
We were absolutely overwhelmed at the thought of trying this. I didn't hardly bake or make anything from scratch! I finally received our packet and claimed the confidence I needed to succeed. We were dedicated to making the diet work and ended up doing it for a full eight weeks before we added any thing in.
The results were shocking! Our daughter was normal! After being on the diet for about 4 weeks we removed the anti-psychotic and two weeks later we removed the adhd medication. She was medication free and symptom free. No more fits, screaming, crying, obsession, nightmares or vomiting!!!! The doctors were absolutely dumbfounded. We had shown them a way to cure not just treat out daughter.
The main culprit causing all of our grief was red dye. Any time she had red dye she would have symptoms for two days. Red dye is in so many things! We gave it in all medications, popsicles, fruit snacks, candy and Kool-Aid. Our daughter is now 11 and lives a great normal healthy life. We tell anyone who listen our story and about how the Feingold Diet changed our lives! Thank you again for all that you do.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
My article is in a GREAT magazine
www.HarvestSource.com
Hey all, I'm so proud to announce that my article has been published in a great magazine. Usually healthy magazines seem to be FULL of advertising and fake-o articles from people just trying to sell junk. I can't tell you how much I loved the premier issue of Harvest Source whole foods journal. Real articles, real people, and good all around healthy ideas.
It's normally $5.95 but if you go to the website you can subscribe for a whole year for free...and no junk of putting in your credit card number and charging you later to keep going. It's really free. I checked with them personally and they do not sell your email address either.
Happy reading and I hope you'll read my article on page 23 and 24.
Also, if you like inexpensive and healthy foods and suppliments check out the back page ad. For the first 49 NEW customers who place a $325 order Azure Standard is giving away $300 gas certificates. I wish I was a new customer. We order from Azure every month and buy almost exclusively from them.
Hey all, I'm so proud to announce that my article has been published in a great magazine. Usually healthy magazines seem to be FULL of advertising and fake-o articles from people just trying to sell junk. I can't tell you how much I loved the premier issue of Harvest Source whole foods journal. Real articles, real people, and good all around healthy ideas.
It's normally $5.95 but if you go to the website you can subscribe for a whole year for free...and no junk of putting in your credit card number and charging you later to keep going. It's really free. I checked with them personally and they do not sell your email address either.
Happy reading and I hope you'll read my article on page 23 and 24.
Also, if you like inexpensive and healthy foods and suppliments check out the back page ad. For the first 49 NEW customers who place a $325 order Azure Standard is giving away $300 gas certificates. I wish I was a new customer. We order from Azure every month and buy almost exclusively from them.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Have a great Easter
What a great Easter day we had! The kids were sane enough to enjoy the Easter readings, there were no problems, no fighting, just peace. We were able to visit family with no sneaking of their candy. They are all doing well now towards the end of the day.
I know it sounds a little hokey but thank heaven for the knowledge that the Lord presented us about how much diet affects our family. We are truly blessed to be able to live like we do now.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Tics are gone
This was taken from a public yahoo group that I am on...great going Sherri, this is a great testament to the destruction that petroleum can cause when ingested into the body.
"My son suffered a mild tic - his eyes would roll up into his head as he blinked. This would happen here and there.
After 2 weeks on Stage One of the FG program, we noticed his tic has disappeared.
Now that we are in Stage 2 and are reintroducing certain fruits, we notice that certain ones cause this tic to return. It's very interesting, and only further validates the value and effectiveness of following the Feingold program!
Best of luck!
~Sherri"
"My son suffered a mild tic - his eyes would roll up into his head as he blinked. This would happen here and there.
After 2 weeks on Stage One of the FG program, we noticed his tic has disappeared.
Now that we are in Stage 2 and are reintroducing certain fruits, we notice that certain ones cause this tic to return. It's very interesting, and only further validates the value and effectiveness of following the Feingold program!
Best of luck!
~Sherri"
Thursday, January 29, 2009
My own little brag
I don't talk a lot about Alyssa on here cause she's the kind of SID/ADD kid who floats by life. That's how I was. She's so smart but when on petroleum she spends all the time doodling in her head and can't concentrate for a second on an assignment.
FFWD to these days when she's a FEINGOLD girl...I'm pleased to announce that Alyssa won the Constitution Bowl because she studied hard AND memorized just about a whole book about the U.S. Constitution. She does just great as long as she's eating well. No head doodling anymore.
She won a gold medal, a banner, and $165 certificate to a Constitutional Convention simulation that she has been wanting to go to.
YAY ALYSSA!
p.s. I don't understand how to move pictures around...that's why they're skewed. She's cute anyway though, right?
Monday, January 26, 2009
A great day for Elizabeth
A great post from Eileen, a newbie, and in addition she said that this week she has also had 2 people comment on her daughter's intelligence...
I haven't posted since I introduced myself months ago. I have
procrastinated starting the program because I was a bit overwhelmed.
My target child had a horrible week at school last week (first grade)
so I felt I had no choice. I started Tuesday at dinner, and today
the teacher sent home a note commenting on Elizabeth's good behavior -
- two days in a row! -- and asking us if we were doing something
different. *grin* Here is my email to her:
"We saw the note today. I had debated whether or not to tell you and
decided not to. I figured it would be helpful to have an unbiased
observer! We started Elizabeth on the Feingold Program on Tuesday
with dinner. Clearly it is making a big difference already!
Last Thursday, her homework took 2 hours when it should have taken
maybe 20 minutes. It was because of her yelling, whining, and
crying. Even then the only reason it got done is because I told her
she if she didn't finish it, I was going to email you and explain why
it wasn't done. On Monday I forced her to sit down and do the
homework you sent home. Same scene. Yesterday she came home,
watched one TV show, and then got her homework out of her backpack
and sat down and got it done. I didn't have to say anything (beyond
suggesting and spelling words). I was amazed! She was so polite and
helpful at dinner time. I even asked her if aliens had abducted
Elizabeth and replaced her with such a delightful child, which she
found amusing. Today I asked her if she thought the diet was helping
her, to which she nodded vigorously and said she wanted to keep doing
it. She and her dad made that (Feingold-approved) cake this
afternoon. She made that goal, which I didn't think she'd have any
chance of making.
Anyway, I figured you'd share in our joy. It certainly hasn't
magically made her perfect, but if you're noticing a difference in
the classroom without knowing we made that change, it's working!"
We're so excited! I needed to share!!
Eileen
I haven't posted since I introduced myself months ago. I have
procrastinated starting the program because I was a bit overwhelmed.
My target child had a horrible week at school last week (first grade)
so I felt I had no choice. I started Tuesday at dinner, and today
the teacher sent home a note commenting on Elizabeth's good behavior -
- two days in a row! -- and asking us if we were doing something
different. *grin* Here is my email to her:
"We saw the note today. I had debated whether or not to tell you and
decided not to. I figured it would be helpful to have an unbiased
observer! We started Elizabeth on the Feingold Program on Tuesday
with dinner. Clearly it is making a big difference already!
Last Thursday, her homework took 2 hours when it should have taken
maybe 20 minutes. It was because of her yelling, whining, and
crying. Even then the only reason it got done is because I told her
she if she didn't finish it, I was going to email you and explain why
it wasn't done. On Monday I forced her to sit down and do the
homework you sent home. Same scene. Yesterday she came home,
watched one TV show, and then got her homework out of her backpack
and sat down and got it done. I didn't have to say anything (beyond
suggesting and spelling words). I was amazed! She was so polite and
helpful at dinner time. I even asked her if aliens had abducted
Elizabeth and replaced her with such a delightful child, which she
found amusing. Today I asked her if she thought the diet was helping
her, to which she nodded vigorously and said she wanted to keep doing
it. She and her dad made that (Feingold-approved) cake this
afternoon. She made that goal, which I didn't think she'd have any
chance of making.
Anyway, I figured you'd share in our joy. It certainly hasn't
magically made her perfect, but if you're noticing a difference in
the classroom without knowing we made that change, it's working!"
We're so excited! I needed to share!!
Eileen
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Krispy Kreme experiment failed
http://add-one-chinese-sister.blogspot.com/2008/04/experiment-failed.html
ooh yeah, I found that one out last year when I was desperate and the hot light was on...it was such a comfort to learn how to make our own doughnuts...one of those unreachable foods was reachable!
ooh yeah, I found that one out last year when I was desperate and the hot light was on...it was such a comfort to learn how to make our own doughnuts...one of those unreachable foods was reachable!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Jonathan's story
This is the story of Jonathan from a happy Feingolding mom...
When Jonathan was a baby we thought he had the most severe case of colic ever. He never slept for longer than twenty minutes at a time, screamed constantly and writhed in pain for much of the time. We tried over the counter gas drops, prescription medicines, teething gels....nothing seemed to help him.
When Jonathan was a baby we thought he had the most severe case of colic ever. He never slept for longer than twenty minutes at a time, screamed constantly and writhed in pain for much of the time. We tried over the counter gas drops, prescription medicines, teething gels....nothing seemed to help him. As a baby he was very physically active - was pulling up and standing in his crib by five months and walking by nine months, and once he took off there was no stopping him! He never spoke, though - not even "Mama" or "Dada".....his only means of communication seemed to be ear piercing shrieks. When Jonathan was 21 months old his baby brother was born and by this time Jonathan reminded us of the Tasmanian Devil - we never saw him walk anywhere - he had one speed: hyper warp speed. He would get around a room by running and jumping on couches, chairs even desks, and he would lash out at anyone for no apparent reason. He wouldn't sit still for a second, even for a hug - a movie or a story was out of the question. Even family refused to babysit him because he was so violent, and we were about at the end of our rope!
With a new baby in the house, and Jonathan still waking up every twenty or thirty minutes and insisting on sleeping in our bed, screaming when I got out to feed the baby, things seemed unbearable. My Mother flew over from England for a couple of weeks to help out after Chris's birth, and one night she observed Jonathan's "bedtime ritual", which consisted of me holding him down on the bed, kicking and screaming for two hours, until he fell into an exhausted sleep at 11pm. I came out of the bedroom in tears, wondering how I would cope after she left. My husband is a wonderful man and a great father but he was working nights at the time so wasn't there to help.
My mother asked if I had ever considered that Jonathan might be allergic to additives in foods, since she knew someone whose child had a similar problem, so we got on the internet and searched "diet,additives and hyperactivity". We discovered Dr Feingold's book "Why Can't My Child Behave",went out and bought it the next day, and started reading the Feingold website, a non profit organization made up of parents of children who are sensitive to and intolerant of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives in foods. We discovered that we were not alone, that hundreds of parents were agonizing along with us about their chidrens' behavior, and that they were changing and improving that behavior without medication, just by changing the diet!
I was still a little skeptical so we decided to try our own little experiment: for one week we would feed Jonathan plain grilled meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, and we would keep track of how he behaved. Within twenty four hours of eating this way my mother and I watched Jonathan walk slowly across the room - we thought it must be a coincidence and were scared to get our hopes up, but we had never, ever seen him WALK before! The second day we had to go shopping, usually a nightmare with Jonathan. He sat in the stroller for hours, not squirming, not complaining, not grabbing for things from shelves. 
We never looked back! We joined the Feingold organization, who research food manufacturers for us and put out newsletters and an extensive food guide of brand names that we can buy that have been researched and are free of the additives that we avoid. The whole family eats the same food - very little prepackaged. We're not "health food nuts" - I shop at Super Walmart for my groceries - I just have to be a little more careful about the brands I buy. We don't avoid sugar and our four children have plenty of treats, cake, cookies, ice cream, even chips and certain brands of candy!
Within three months, by the time he turned two, Jonathan had an extensive vocabulary, and now at four he is the most well mannered, articulate, polite and loving little boy we know! He is learning to read at kindergarten, follows complex directions, focuses on whatever he is working on, takes long naps and sleeps at night.....friends who hear his story can't believe we're talking about "sweet quiet Jonathan". He likes nothing better than to sit and snuggle and read a book, and when we go to a movie he won't squirm unless it's to turn around and whisper "I love you" in our ears.
We have to be very careful now that Jonathan's in kindergarten, that he doesn't eat anything that's off-diet. I get a month's snack menu in advance, and send it back to the school with notes on whether he can eat the school's food on any particular day, or if I will send in a substitute from home. I try to keep a few chocolate cupcakes (his favorite) in the freezer so he can take one to birthday parties, since we usually don't know what ingredients are in the birthday cake. I keep his teacher supplied with frozen cupcakes and acceptable candy so she can give him a piece when the other kids in his class get a sucker.
Occasionally though there's a slip up and he eats something with artificial colors, or artificial vanilla instead of pure vanilla....and then watch out! As soon as twenty minutes after he's eaten, he'll start screaming, or crying uncontrollably, or hitting his brothers for no reason, and the reaction can last anywhere from one to three days. The last time that happened I asked him if he felt sick and he said "no I don't feel sick, I feel BAD!" Now if anyone offers him anything to eat or drink he'll ask if it has colors in it, because he doesn't like the way he feels when he eats off-diet.
I look around the playground and I wonder how many other children would be helped by simple diet changes - so many children are medicated when they could be helped by just taking out the artificial junk in their diets. Unfortunately, many parents have tried diet changes and given up because they didn't give it long enough to see results. If a piece of offending food causes a three day behavioral reaction, then a piece of candy or a glass of artificially colored punch just twice a week can cause a continuous state of hyperactivity, even if you eat right the rest of the week. As for me and my family, we're Feingolders for life - we've discovered the joy of food without petroleum based colors and we'll never go back to the old way of eating.
JWFriday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Aiden's Story
Our son has done a complete "180"
since beginning the Feingold Program!
Sleeplessness
He was 2 ½ years old and a complete hellion. He had NEVER slept through the night and was an extremely light sleeper, waking up 3-4 times each night. Aiden suffered from night terrors (nightmares) and myoclonic jerks (twitching) in his sleep. He would wake up crying, and when we tried letting him cry it out he would bang his head against the wall, kick the bed, scream, and become downright hysterical. After he had physically hurt himself several times we gave up on that method and took turns comforting him at night, through the night terrors, twitching, and frequent awakenings. Tantrums
By day he had a horrible temper, threw major tantrums (sometimes lasting an hour), was destructive, and was completely unresponsive to any form of discipline. Aiden showed remarkable perseveration in his mischief - he would set out on a destructive course of action and could not be distracted from it. Our son basically seemed very uncomfortable. Fearfulness
Aiden was highly anxious and became very upset by any new situation, and by the sight of anyone he did not see almost daily. We could not take him anywhere in public without a complete meltdown. He became very upset over trivial things. For example, our neighbor Ralph would mow the grass and Aiden loved to watch. However, if Ralph waved or said "Hello," Aiden would start shrieking and crying, repeatedly saying "Bye-bye Raff, bye-bye Raff." My husband and I were absolutely at our wits' end and had been told by many "He must be ADHD," and "you'll probably need to medicate him." What went wrong?
We read books, talked to other parents, asked doctors, did Internet research - everything we could think of to try to figure out "what went wrong" with raising Aiden. Our 5-year-old, Jared, was an extremely sensitive, well-behaved, caring, intelligent, well-spoken, GOOD little boy, and we had been raising them exactly the same way. The pediatrician
At his 18-month check-up our pediatrician told us Aiden would "grow out of it" by the time he was two. Well, it was time for the two-year check-up and things were still awful. Our pediatrician was a wonderful, soft-spoken, gentle woman whom we absolutely loved. You'd never know it the way Aiden cried, kicked, pushed and frantically pulled on the exam room door to get out. She watched in disbelief and asked, "Is he always like this?" I replied that he was. As she watched me calmly tell Aiden it was o.k, and we were almost done, she asked, "Do you always handle him like this? Because I don't see where you're doing anything to make things worse. I'm actually amazed you are being so calm - most mothers would be pulling their hair out by now." I told her I try to stay calm (it doesn't always work!) because getting angry and yelling does nothing but make him more upset. She shook her head in confusion and said she had no idea what to suggest. She referred us to a renowned pediatric neurologist in our area for further examination. Testing and treatments
Aiden's speech was significantly delayed, which we later discovered can be related to a child's sensitivity to additives and salicylates. However, at the time, the speech delay combined with the twitching indicated potential seizure activity. He was given an EEG to look for seizures, along with a hearing test, speech evaluation, and developmental assessment. The tests/evaluations showed nothing was physiologically wrong with Aiden - nothing explaining the obvious delays in his speech and development, or his behavioral issues. We were relieved, but even more confused…so what was the problem? The neurologist prescribed Clonidine, a blood pressure reducing medication, to "take down his anxiety level" and help him sleep. He described Aiden's general well-being perfectly, noting, "He just seems uncomfortable in his own skin." We had said the same thing so many times. He would walk around wringing his hands, pulling at his shirt, pulling at his hair, and was always fussy and unhappy - even as an infant. Actually, that isn't exactly accurate…Aiden showed these behaviors about 75% of the time, except for the sleeping problems - which were nearly all the time. However, the other 25% of the time he was the absolute sweetest, most lovable, adorable little boy in the world. He was very affectionate and interactive, and seemed truly "himself" during these rare but promising moments. Parenting
People often told us what awesome parents we were and how wonderful our first son, Jared, was. We were certainly at a loss with Aiden! We felt like failures as parents. No one was capable of watching him for us except my husband's brave and loving Aunt Betty; he was just too difficult to handle. I am a stay-at-home mom…imagine not sleeping through the night for two years, dealing with an incredibly difficult child all day (while trying not to ignore your well-behaved child) with no relief but your husband - who needed a break sometimes too! No one believed me when I said, "When he gets in trouble he seems totally shocked, and then totally ashamed and devastated…it's almost like he can't help himself." People said he had me "snowed" and he was just a "good actor." This, about a two year- old who could barely communicate with us due to his speech delay! Clonidine and the Feingold Program
My mom had been suggesting for several months we try a change in diet. As a teacher back in the 1970s, she saw many children who benefited from Dr. Feingold's work. She also had a friend whose grandchild is on the diet; he is severely autistic and the diet prevents behavioral problems and tantrums. It wasn't until we had the Clonidine experience that we were ready to look elsewhere for answers. One Sunday we realized we had run out of his Clonidine and didn't give it to him before bed that night. When we called the neurologist's office Monday to get the prescription refilled, he was rather horrified we had let it run out and Aiden had gone a night without it. He said we couldn't let this happen - missing ONE dose of Clonidine would cause him to feel like "his skin was crawling" (a direct quote). At this point we thought, "If it affects him so strongly, we don't want him on it!" We did some better-late-than-never Internet research and discovered that prescribing the medication to children under the age of 6 is considered "off-label," meaning studies have NOT been done as to how it affects the developing brain. Needless to say, the day we read this was the day we decided we had to try something else. After doing our Clonidine research, we bought Ben Feingold's book "Why Your Child Is Hyperactive" and its companion book, Jane Hersey's "Why Can't My Child Behave?" (or as we like to call it: our Bible), ordered the Feingold member package, and began the diet. This decision gave us back our little boy, and saved our sanity as well. Thus began a lifelong family commitment to eating a more wholesome, natural diet. Aiden has been on the Feingold Program for about six weeks now, but we saw results in 3 days (no joke). I will never forget this: on the 6th day of the diet, I stopped by a convenience store to grab milk on the way home. This usually caused severe anxiety for Aiden (due to all the strangers in close proximity) and he would cry if anyone looked at him. A man in sunglasses and a hat got in line behind us; such "disguises" always caused a complete meltdown for Aiden. I was holding him, so I turned him away from the man so he couldn't see him - a habit I had adopted to get through these necessary quick stops. Aiden craned his neck to see around me, waved to the man and said "Hi!" I was so completely shocked, I almost cried. I called my husband on the way home to tell him about it, as it was SO uncharacteristic of him and I was so excited! Sleep!
After about a week on the diet we decided to try letting Aiden cry for a while at night, as he was still having trouble sleeping. He did cry, but it was a totally different cry than it had been before. He sounded sad, but not hysterical like he used to…it was mellow enough that we didn't feel cruel leaving him up there, or worry about his safety. Within 4 days we were able to lay him down, spend a few minutes with him, then walk out while he was still awake and let him fall asleep on his own. This, in and of itself, was an absolute miracle. Aiden is completely off the Clonidine and sleeping better than EVER. He had been taking almost two pills a night. The neurologist had even prescribed 1 - 2 mg of liquid Valium for the nights when he twitched so badly it woke him up every 12 seconds or so. Yes, we timed it because we would be up with him ALL night long for several nights in a row. The Valium worked once; the other times we tried it, not even liquid Valium would allow him a full night's sleep. Now, he sleeps ALL the way through the night. We were shocked the effects of the additives and salicylates were so strong they could override Clonidine and liquid Valium - it certainly showed us how severely they can affect a child. The night terrors and twitching have returned only once: we hadn't finished reading Jane Hersey's book yet, which recommends not reintroducing the salicylates right away. We decided Aiden was doing SO well it might be fine to reintroduce a salicylate food, so we tried giving him ketchup on a Friday night. He was a bit more anxious Saturday, but nothing awful. We gave him ketchup again on Sunday…Sunday night he had a night terror (his first in weeks)! He took a terrible nap on Monday, and usually when Aiden's sleep patterns were interrupted more than once it triggered a twitching episode. Sure enough, we were up with him all night Monday because he kept jerking himself awake. Normally, at this point we would try the liquid Valium to calm down his body and try to allow him a full night's sleep and end the twitching episodes. However, we were reluctant to use the Valium because it was obviously artificially colored and flavored. We figured we were in for 3-4 nights of not sleeping (his usual pattern) and we would just have to suffer through it. Lo and behold, he slept like a log Tuesday night and the twitching was gone. Consequently, we decided to follow Jane's advice and wait much longer before reintroducing the salicylate foods. It keeps getting better!
We are absolutely, 100%, total advocates of this diet and have talked about it to virtually anyone who will listen. Those who knew Aiden "pre-Feingold," or as we like to call it "the old Aiden," are absolutely astounded at the difference in him. 
My brother was over this Thanksgiving (before the diet) and jokingly said he was never having kids after watching Aiden in the throes of one of his tantrums. He came to our house Christmas Day and Aiden ran to greet him, something he had NEVER done before. My brother was even wearing sunglasses! He had not seen Aiden since Thanksgiving and was absolutely amazed at the change in him. He said during dinner he could not believe how happy and well behaved he was, and he seemed like a totally different kid. He was impressed with Aiden's excellent behavior, especially on an exhausting, overly exciting day like Christmas. Aiden spent the entire afternoon hugging my 81 year-old grandma, who he only sees 2 -3 times a year, saying "I nuh noo (I love you). I nuh noo, Gee-ma." Our typical two year-old
It is rather funny when Aiden behaves like a typical two year-old and gets a little crabby, because we have to remind ourselves he IS only two! What used to be his best behavior has now become ordinary, and his previously acceptable behavior is now his worst behavior. All the successful parenting tactics we employed when Jared was younger, such as time-outs, redirection/distraction, a stern tone or removal of the offending item, now work well on Aiden too. Before the diet, he would ignore these methods, retaliate against them, or (most commonly) become very upset and confused when he was disciplined. The Feingold Program has been surprisingly easy to follow…besides a few specialty favorites of Aiden's we have found everything we need at the regular grocery store. We figure we have to go to the grocery store anyway; we are just buying specific brands. Any extra effort is WELL worth it for the wonderful results we have experienced. This diet has been a lifesaver and we are SO grateful for its existence. We only wish we had learned of it sooner. Because of this diet Aiden is a wonderful, adorable, COMFORTABLE, loving, happy two year-old. We cannot thank you enough.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Finding Joshua
My son, Joshua, was plagued with social and behavioral problems. He was asked to leave two private schools, rejected from several local day care facilities, and finally placed in a program for "severely emotionally handicapped" children and put on medication for ADHD - all before the age of five!
He was in a class of six children and three teachers to deal with the behavioral challenges these children presented. Throughout the years my son was diagnosed with severe ADHD and ODD (oppositional defiant disorder), along with traits of obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome, and mood disorder syndrome. These years proved to be more difficult than I could have ever imagined.
Even before they're born, parents have so many hopes and desires for their children. I felt as though my dreams had turned to nightmares and it seemed like I'd never wake up.
Even though testing indicated that Joshua was extremely gifted, his emotional and behavioral problems kept him labeled as emotionally handicapped.
During the next seven years he was on three medications, totaling nine pills a day. It seemed necessary to keep him medicated 24 hours a day, every day. Symptoms that were treated with one medicine caused him to have trouble sleeping, so he had to take an additional medication for that, and yet another for the endless anxiety resulting from the issues he faced daily with social and behavioral problems. He had huge problems with opposition, defiance, aggression, anger, and impulsivity. The doctors tried different dosages and combinations of the medicines but without success.
He was kept medicated 24 hours a day and the problems only got worse.
Toward the end of his fourth grade year, Joshua was placed in an outpatient facility for depression, leaning towards suicidal. Children typically attended this facility for a week at the most, just enough time to be evaluated, receive recommendations for therapy, medication, behavior modification and family counseling. However, Joshua's behavior was such that he continued for five weeks.
None of the many professionals we saw were able to help him.
Time passed and problems remained despite medication and continual counseling. Two other medicines were recommended, in addition to the three he was on, but I couldn't bring myself to give my ten-year-old 5 different drugs. Towards the end of his fifth grade year he was placed in a children's psychiatric facility after he threatened to kill others and tried to hurt himself. Joshua had reached the end of his rope.
I was told that I could not see him or call him for the first 24 hours he was at the facility. As I said "good-bye" there was so much hurt behind his beautiful blue eyes, so much uncertainty of "Where do I fit in, why am I like this? When will my life be normal, and when will I feel at peace inside?"
The immense pain I felt for my child left me numb and hopeless. I wanted so badly to take him in my arms, hug him and tell him that everything would be okay, but I didn't know that to be so. I would go to the ends of the earth for him but felt as though I was already there and didn't know where to go from here. Despite all the avenues I took, all the endless hours of searching, every year continued to grow darker and darker.
The immense pain for my child left me numb and hopeless.
After several days Joshua was released from the hospital. Since the medicines were not helping, his doctor recommended we remove them all and start on a different regimen. For the remaining weeks of school he was in a homebound program where the teacher came to our home.
The doctor assured me that by weaning Joshua off the medicines slowly there would be no problems with withdrawal. The opposite was true! We went through three weeks of severely out-of-control behavior. Several times Joshua became extremely violent and I came close to calling 911 for help.
His reaction to withdrawal from the many drugs was a nightmare.
Next, I tried allergy treatments at a clinic and they helped somewhat. Still searching, I learned of the Feingold Program and that's when my son's recovery began in earnest.[www.feingold.org / (800) 321-3287]
Joshua has a severe behavioral reaction to certain synthetic food additives.
Joshua had traveled down a difficult road filled with hurt, disappointment and fear for as long as he can remember. He lost much of his childhood to this journey, but because of Feingold, Joshua has a new beginning.
Now, at age 17, we are starting our seventh consecutive year that Joshua does not carry the label "emotionally handicapped." Looking back, our success began when Joshua was in the sixth grade. It was roughly 8 weeks prior to school starting that we began the Feingold diet. Six weeks into the diet we saw dramatic changes in Joshua. Seventh grade went so well that during the annual meeting required for all students that receive "special services," the school suggested a battery of behavioral testing and classroom observations to determine if Joshua still needed the services and the label that he carried in his file. After thorough testing and review, Joshua's eight-year special needs folder was permanently closed. He no longer exhibited any signs of needing help in any form. This was truly a victory!
This is the seventh consecutive year Joshua's teachers have told me he shows respect and cooperation without any opposition. Joshua is finally able to manage his anger when things don't go his way (this feat alone was like a mountain to conquer).
Joshua no longer has trouble controlling his behavior. He is thriving in school and in all areas of his life.
His teachers view him as pleasant to be around as well as a good student. Joshua is able to remain seated for an extended period, is capable of thinking before acting, and no longer needs behavioral therapy. I no longer receive calls to come pick him up at school because he's out of control and disruptive. Joshua has been able to attend events through the school or sports where I was not required to stay "just in case there's a problem."
Joshua went a total of seven years being medicated 24 hours a day with three medications (totaling 9 pills a day, for 365 days a year) to a healthy diet and absolutely no medicine.
Joshua is finally forming strong friendships. This list could go on but the bottom line is ...since Feingold, this is the first time I like my son, and best of all HE likes who he's become.
Our life finally feels, and is, "normal." This is what we have both hoped for.
I know my son's "transformation" did not occur due to maturity, changing schools, peer pressure, a reward system, or anything of the sort. The changes in Joshua came as a result of the simple changes we made in the food we eat.
A few months after we began seeing success on Feingold, Joshua wanted to do what he called "an experiment." I allowed him to eat the synthetic chemicals (foods containing artificial colors and flavors) for a week because I knew his cooperation was essential for this to work. On the fourth day he began having rage attacks, showing opposition and defiance, just like before. He shouted at his teacher, threw a book across the room at another student, and spent a day in the principal's office.
When he went back to eating the synthetic chemicals, the old behaviors returned in four days. It was a humiliating experience for my son.
He embarrassed himself terribly in front of his peers and came home asking to ditch the experiment. This validated the fact that the diet was truly the key to his happiness and success.
During Joshua's seventh grade year he became involved in athletics and I watched with admiration as he showed dignity and self-control with each competition. Joshua demonstrated a wonderful balance with athletics and academics. In football he was cool under pressure and always showed good sportsmanship. As a basketball player, he illustrated great coordination and superior instincts handling the ball. He was awesome on the court, scoring a majority of the points at nearly every game. In track he surprised everyone when he went to district in pole vaulting and won first place. This was a sport he'd never attempted, yet he was smooth with style and grace. On the swim team, he enjoyed the meets and swam his heart out, going to district with his team and placing 2nd in several relays.
Today he is cool under pressure and treats other people with respect.
During these athletic events he demanded much of himself but was still a solid team player with a friendly approach to his teammates and competitors. He has a lot of respect for the rules and for his opponents. At the end of the school year I had the joy to see him presented with the 110% Award from his coach. This was one of the two top awards given to athletes at his school. It represented sportsmanship, hard work, self-control, dedication, respect towards coaches and peers, and overall athleticism. The coach described how Joshua was at every practice with a smile on his face and a determination to do his best, with an attitude that was hard to surpass as he showed a tremendous amount of cooperation towards being a team player. That award meant even more to us. It signified a 110% turnaround from his oppositional defiance and lack of self-control he displayed daily in previous years, and the very behavior that would have prevented such an accomplishment.
Joshua was singled out for a top honor from his coach, receiving the "110% Award."
During 8th grade, Joshua kept his academics up and continued to participate in a variety of sports. With pride, he repeated the same performance, winning district in pole vaulting. In addition, I again had the joy of supporting Joshua as he was presented with the 110% Award from his coaches at an assembly in front of the entire school. The coach stated that it was a unanimous vote from the coaching staff to award this to him once more, as no other student was more deserving. That was a remarkable compliment to Joshua and only reiterates the progress he has achieved, yet another year.
High School begins a new chapter for Joshua as he enters the Air Force JROTC
Joshua began high school in September 2003 at Klein Collins High and enjoys it immensely. A week into school, he came home and announced that he had decided to discontinue his path in sports and pursue an interest in ROTC. Needless to say, this surprised us all. However, once the initial shock wore off and I learned more about the program, I was quite pleased with his decision. I was even more proud of him for his courage to make such a drastic change in his life. At his age, change is not always easy, but Joshua has learned a great deal about making changes in his life.
A couple of weeks went by and before I knew it Joshua had gone from wide receiver to Cadet. The hair was cut, the shoes were polished and the uniform was pressed. He was on his way to making this change as successful as possible.
In ROTC, Joshua is taught many things that he will take with him everywhere in life. Such as leadership, time management, organization, community involvement, ethics, decision-making, communication skills, writing and giving speeches, just to name a few. There is also a great deal of commitment expected from the students in this program. The Colonel & Sergeant are strict with the cadets and they are held to higher standards than that of other students.
This type of program & level of commitment is not something Joshua would have ever been considered for prior to our success with Feingold, however, Joshua loves the commitment and is thriving in the program.
He was quickly promoted and was soon asked to be a part of the armed drill unit. This is a position that students are normally required to try out for after one year on the unarmed team. However, fellow cadets recognized Joshua's determination at practice and he was invited to join the unit. At that time, he was the first freshman that had ever had this experience or exception made.
He was an integral part of winning a very prestigious victory of Best in Air Force at the National Meet. Due to this, the team was invited to the 30th Invitational Drill Meet at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where the armed drill team placed first in two out of three categories. He also applied and was accepted to Leadership School in San Antonio during the summer. Joshua is very proud of all the accomplishments he has had since he began the JROTC Program.
The first day Joshua wore his uniform to school was for the 9/11 ceremony. As I watched him standing at attention and saluting the flag with his unit, dressed like a soldier, so regal and confident, I was more proud of him in that instant than I think I have ever been in my entire life as his mother. Time stood still for a moment as I looked around the campus. There were so many kids dressed in teen clothes with their fad haircuts and dreamy looks of "what's for lunch today".
When I looked back at Joshua I saw the boy he had been and the young man he has become. I could see a look of pride on his face.
He seemed to stand out above the rest. His past is well behind him now, with nothing standing in the way of his future. Although he is your typical teenager in so many ways, there has always been a soldier inside of him, fighting to survive. There is an unspoken depth, determination and willingness in Joshua to master anything life brings his way.
Both tenth and eleventh grade brought their own set of victories. Joshua was promoted to command the Armed Drill Team and led his unit to two national titles in one year. He was voted Prince by his peers at the Military Ball, which spoke highly of the friendships he has formed. He was awarded with two national leadership awards: the Air Force Sergeant's Award and the American Legion Military of Excellence Award. In addition to these accolades, Joshua was one of two students selected from the state of Texas to tour with a leading global youth exchange program, Up with People. This is a unique experience for young adults that combines 22 weeks of international travel, community service and global leadership while building bridges of understanding as a foundation for world peace. In July of 2007, Joshua will represent Texas as an ambassador for the United States with an extraordinary semester of traveling the world with 100 students from over 20 countries. His extensive travel will cover 19 cities on three continents where he will meet political, corporate and social leaders around the globe. It will be a world of discovery as he learns about other cultures and countries while giving of himself.
Joshua's future awaits him with endless possibilities.
As Joshua prepares to enter his senior year in high school and then heads off to tour the world before going to college, I can hardly catch my breath as I reflect on this journey. I am so privileged to have witnessed the years unfold as they have.
Joshua will grow up to be a man of strong character and will exhibit a zeal for life that will make everyone around him a little bit better for having known him. My heart beams with pride when I see the young man he's becoming and leaps with joy as I marvel at his future.
I am hoping this story will help others become aware of the importance diet has on behavior. Perhaps it will result in giving other children a chance to live a happy "normal" life like my son now has.
Taunya Stevenson Updated 2/1/08
He was in a class of six children and three teachers to deal with the behavioral challenges these children presented. Throughout the years my son was diagnosed with severe ADHD and ODD (oppositional defiant disorder), along with traits of obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome, and mood disorder syndrome. These years proved to be more difficult than I could have ever imagined.
Even before they're born, parents have so many hopes and desires for their children. I felt as though my dreams had turned to nightmares and it seemed like I'd never wake up.
Even though testing indicated that Joshua was extremely gifted, his emotional and behavioral problems kept him labeled as emotionally handicapped.
During the next seven years he was on three medications, totaling nine pills a day. It seemed necessary to keep him medicated 24 hours a day, every day. Symptoms that were treated with one medicine caused him to have trouble sleeping, so he had to take an additional medication for that, and yet another for the endless anxiety resulting from the issues he faced daily with social and behavioral problems. He had huge problems with opposition, defiance, aggression, anger, and impulsivity. The doctors tried different dosages and combinations of the medicines but without success.
He was kept medicated 24 hours a day and the problems only got worse.
Toward the end of his fourth grade year, Joshua was placed in an outpatient facility for depression, leaning towards suicidal. Children typically attended this facility for a week at the most, just enough time to be evaluated, receive recommendations for therapy, medication, behavior modification and family counseling. However, Joshua's behavior was such that he continued for five weeks.
None of the many professionals we saw were able to help him.
Time passed and problems remained despite medication and continual counseling. Two other medicines were recommended, in addition to the three he was on, but I couldn't bring myself to give my ten-year-old 5 different drugs. Towards the end of his fifth grade year he was placed in a children's psychiatric facility after he threatened to kill others and tried to hurt himself. Joshua had reached the end of his rope.
I was told that I could not see him or call him for the first 24 hours he was at the facility. As I said "good-bye" there was so much hurt behind his beautiful blue eyes, so much uncertainty of "Where do I fit in, why am I like this? When will my life be normal, and when will I feel at peace inside?"
The immense pain I felt for my child left me numb and hopeless. I wanted so badly to take him in my arms, hug him and tell him that everything would be okay, but I didn't know that to be so. I would go to the ends of the earth for him but felt as though I was already there and didn't know where to go from here. Despite all the avenues I took, all the endless hours of searching, every year continued to grow darker and darker.
The immense pain for my child left me numb and hopeless.
After several days Joshua was released from the hospital. Since the medicines were not helping, his doctor recommended we remove them all and start on a different regimen. For the remaining weeks of school he was in a homebound program where the teacher came to our home.
The doctor assured me that by weaning Joshua off the medicines slowly there would be no problems with withdrawal. The opposite was true! We went through three weeks of severely out-of-control behavior. Several times Joshua became extremely violent and I came close to calling 911 for help.
His reaction to withdrawal from the many drugs was a nightmare.
Next, I tried allergy treatments at a clinic and they helped somewhat. Still searching, I learned of the Feingold Program and that's when my son's recovery began in earnest.[www.feingold.org / (800) 321-3287]
Joshua has a severe behavioral reaction to certain synthetic food additives.
Joshua had traveled down a difficult road filled with hurt, disappointment and fear for as long as he can remember. He lost much of his childhood to this journey, but because of Feingold, Joshua has a new beginning.
Now, at age 17, we are starting our seventh consecutive year that Joshua does not carry the label "emotionally handicapped." Looking back, our success began when Joshua was in the sixth grade. It was roughly 8 weeks prior to school starting that we began the Feingold diet. Six weeks into the diet we saw dramatic changes in Joshua. Seventh grade went so well that during the annual meeting required for all students that receive "special services," the school suggested a battery of behavioral testing and classroom observations to determine if Joshua still needed the services and the label that he carried in his file. After thorough testing and review, Joshua's eight-year special needs folder was permanently closed. He no longer exhibited any signs of needing help in any form. This was truly a victory!
This is the seventh consecutive year Joshua's teachers have told me he shows respect and cooperation without any opposition. Joshua is finally able to manage his anger when things don't go his way (this feat alone was like a mountain to conquer).
Joshua no longer has trouble controlling his behavior. He is thriving in school and in all areas of his life.
His teachers view him as pleasant to be around as well as a good student. Joshua is able to remain seated for an extended period, is capable of thinking before acting, and no longer needs behavioral therapy. I no longer receive calls to come pick him up at school because he's out of control and disruptive. Joshua has been able to attend events through the school or sports where I was not required to stay "just in case there's a problem."
Joshua went a total of seven years being medicated 24 hours a day with three medications (totaling 9 pills a day, for 365 days a year) to a healthy diet and absolutely no medicine.
Joshua is finally forming strong friendships. This list could go on but the bottom line is ...since Feingold, this is the first time I like my son, and best of all HE likes who he's become.
Our life finally feels, and is, "normal." This is what we have both hoped for.
I know my son's "transformation" did not occur due to maturity, changing schools, peer pressure, a reward system, or anything of the sort. The changes in Joshua came as a result of the simple changes we made in the food we eat.
A few months after we began seeing success on Feingold, Joshua wanted to do what he called "an experiment." I allowed him to eat the synthetic chemicals (foods containing artificial colors and flavors) for a week because I knew his cooperation was essential for this to work. On the fourth day he began having rage attacks, showing opposition and defiance, just like before. He shouted at his teacher, threw a book across the room at another student, and spent a day in the principal's office.
When he went back to eating the synthetic chemicals, the old behaviors returned in four days. It was a humiliating experience for my son.
He embarrassed himself terribly in front of his peers and came home asking to ditch the experiment. This validated the fact that the diet was truly the key to his happiness and success.
During Joshua's seventh grade year he became involved in athletics and I watched with admiration as he showed dignity and self-control with each competition. Joshua demonstrated a wonderful balance with athletics and academics. In football he was cool under pressure and always showed good sportsmanship. As a basketball player, he illustrated great coordination and superior instincts handling the ball. He was awesome on the court, scoring a majority of the points at nearly every game. In track he surprised everyone when he went to district in pole vaulting and won first place. This was a sport he'd never attempted, yet he was smooth with style and grace. On the swim team, he enjoyed the meets and swam his heart out, going to district with his team and placing 2nd in several relays.
Today he is cool under pressure and treats other people with respect.
During these athletic events he demanded much of himself but was still a solid team player with a friendly approach to his teammates and competitors. He has a lot of respect for the rules and for his opponents. At the end of the school year I had the joy to see him presented with the 110% Award from his coach. This was one of the two top awards given to athletes at his school. It represented sportsmanship, hard work, self-control, dedication, respect towards coaches and peers, and overall athleticism. The coach described how Joshua was at every practice with a smile on his face and a determination to do his best, with an attitude that was hard to surpass as he showed a tremendous amount of cooperation towards being a team player. That award meant even more to us. It signified a 110% turnaround from his oppositional defiance and lack of self-control he displayed daily in previous years, and the very behavior that would have prevented such an accomplishment.
Joshua was singled out for a top honor from his coach, receiving the "110% Award."
During 8th grade, Joshua kept his academics up and continued to participate in a variety of sports. With pride, he repeated the same performance, winning district in pole vaulting. In addition, I again had the joy of supporting Joshua as he was presented with the 110% Award from his coaches at an assembly in front of the entire school. The coach stated that it was a unanimous vote from the coaching staff to award this to him once more, as no other student was more deserving. That was a remarkable compliment to Joshua and only reiterates the progress he has achieved, yet another year.
High School begins a new chapter for Joshua as he enters the Air Force JROTC
Joshua began high school in September 2003 at Klein Collins High and enjoys it immensely. A week into school, he came home and announced that he had decided to discontinue his path in sports and pursue an interest in ROTC. Needless to say, this surprised us all. However, once the initial shock wore off and I learned more about the program, I was quite pleased with his decision. I was even more proud of him for his courage to make such a drastic change in his life. At his age, change is not always easy, but Joshua has learned a great deal about making changes in his life.
A couple of weeks went by and before I knew it Joshua had gone from wide receiver to Cadet. The hair was cut, the shoes were polished and the uniform was pressed. He was on his way to making this change as successful as possible.
In ROTC, Joshua is taught many things that he will take with him everywhere in life. Such as leadership, time management, organization, community involvement, ethics, decision-making, communication skills, writing and giving speeches, just to name a few. There is also a great deal of commitment expected from the students in this program. The Colonel & Sergeant are strict with the cadets and they are held to higher standards than that of other students.
This type of program & level of commitment is not something Joshua would have ever been considered for prior to our success with Feingold, however, Joshua loves the commitment and is thriving in the program.
He was quickly promoted and was soon asked to be a part of the armed drill unit. This is a position that students are normally required to try out for after one year on the unarmed team. However, fellow cadets recognized Joshua's determination at practice and he was invited to join the unit. At that time, he was the first freshman that had ever had this experience or exception made.
He was an integral part of winning a very prestigious victory of Best in Air Force at the National Meet. Due to this, the team was invited to the 30th Invitational Drill Meet at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where the armed drill team placed first in two out of three categories. He also applied and was accepted to Leadership School in San Antonio during the summer. Joshua is very proud of all the accomplishments he has had since he began the JROTC Program.
The first day Joshua wore his uniform to school was for the 9/11 ceremony. As I watched him standing at attention and saluting the flag with his unit, dressed like a soldier, so regal and confident, I was more proud of him in that instant than I think I have ever been in my entire life as his mother. Time stood still for a moment as I looked around the campus. There were so many kids dressed in teen clothes with their fad haircuts and dreamy looks of "what's for lunch today".
When I looked back at Joshua I saw the boy he had been and the young man he has become. I could see a look of pride on his face.
He seemed to stand out above the rest. His past is well behind him now, with nothing standing in the way of his future. Although he is your typical teenager in so many ways, there has always been a soldier inside of him, fighting to survive. There is an unspoken depth, determination and willingness in Joshua to master anything life brings his way.
Both tenth and eleventh grade brought their own set of victories. Joshua was promoted to command the Armed Drill Team and led his unit to two national titles in one year. He was voted Prince by his peers at the Military Ball, which spoke highly of the friendships he has formed. He was awarded with two national leadership awards: the Air Force Sergeant's Award and the American Legion Military of Excellence Award. In addition to these accolades, Joshua was one of two students selected from the state of Texas to tour with a leading global youth exchange program, Up with People. This is a unique experience for young adults that combines 22 weeks of international travel, community service and global leadership while building bridges of understanding as a foundation for world peace. In July of 2007, Joshua will represent Texas as an ambassador for the United States with an extraordinary semester of traveling the world with 100 students from over 20 countries. His extensive travel will cover 19 cities on three continents where he will meet political, corporate and social leaders around the globe. It will be a world of discovery as he learns about other cultures and countries while giving of himself.
Joshua's future awaits him with endless possibilities.
As Joshua prepares to enter his senior year in high school and then heads off to tour the world before going to college, I can hardly catch my breath as I reflect on this journey. I am so privileged to have witnessed the years unfold as they have.
Joshua will grow up to be a man of strong character and will exhibit a zeal for life that will make everyone around him a little bit better for having known him. My heart beams with pride when I see the young man he's becoming and leaps with joy as I marvel at his future.
I am hoping this story will help others become aware of the importance diet has on behavior. Perhaps it will result in giving other children a chance to live a happy "normal" life like my son now has.
Taunya Stevenson Updated 2/1/08
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Sara's success story
Life has changed so much around here that I don't even know where to start!
My older son is happy and calm for the first time in his life. No joke. He has never been happy, not even as an infant or a toddler. 13 years of frustration, depression, misery, insomnia, stomach aches, crying jags, low self esteem and anxiety.
It has been almost 2 weeks now since his last difficult day. He finally stood up for himself to a "friend" who had been treating him poorly, he knows he deserves better now. He goes to sleep easily at night and sleeps all night without talking in his sleep, sleep walking or nightmares. He is affectionate and calm. His tolerance for pain and frustration have increased greatly. He has received compliments from his scout leaders and climbing coaches due to his vastly improved attitude, strength and stamina. I look at him now and feel hope and joy instead of sadness and despair for his future.
He is no longer scared of the world and has enrolled in school starting in February. This will be his first venture into school since his extreme social anxiety led to us homeschooling 3 years ago.
He has grown an inch and gained 10 pounds now that eating doesn't make him feel sick!
My 3 year old has been calmer too, he's not the target but we have seen some improvement in his behaviour. The biggest thing is that he is starting to eat more foods and his dairy allergy/intolerance is lessening.
He would normally refuse to eat anything other than a soy yogurt and juice for lunch. He just sat down and ate homemade bread with sharp white cheddar melted on top, some grapes and a glass of water. He is contemplating the orange pepper slices and I think he might just eat them.
We have started to introduce stage 2 foods and I am thrilled that the boys are both tolerating grapes well and we are trying tomatoes this week. I hope that goes well as it will open up a whole range of meals that we love.
My husband was extremely skeptical when we started this almost 8 weeks ago and this weekend he gave me a hug and thanked me. He is astounded by the change in the boys and completely convinced that this is the right thing for our family.
HOLY CRAP! Logan just ate the orange pepper slice, he's never eaten a vegetable in his life!!
I feel better too, I "cheated" the other day and got some Skittles to soothe a pregnancy craving. I ate half the package and felt sick for 3 hours.
Sorry it was so long, I just wanted to share our success.
If you want to read more about Sara and her successes see her blog at
Saturday, November 22, 2008
from ADHD to "off the charts I.Q."
When my DS was eligable for Kindergarden he had pencil and paper issues as
well as attention issues, but he was very sharp and knew all the
answers. The school told me he's ADHD, gave me printouts on it and
said to take him to his pediatrician and put him on a low dose med and
he'd be fine. I started looking for answers and found diet and the
junk in our food could affect behavior. We started removing
additives from my children's diets just less than 2 years ago, at
first I did it on my own and thought I was doing good. Then I found
FG.
I was overwhelmed, I got rid of 17 bags of groceries and went
into it head first. Within the first 5 days my son could color in a
square, and things got better from there. We've since added and
played around with Stage 2 items and there seems to be much that I
need to restrict in the way of silicates, but FG changed everything.
This year when we took DS back for Kindergarden again, they said he
was gifted and his IQ was off the charts. Sure he's still a 6 years old
with lots of energy and some attitude issues, but he's manageable and
succeeding in school.
Since starting FG I see so many families that could benefit from
this, I'm an advocate for it all the time. My nephews need this
diet, but when the kids refused the food and they don't like aunt-
michele's syrup, my SIL quit.
A dear friend watched me do this for a
year and just started herself, she's seeing results for both her
children, it's amazing.
Thanks,
Michele
well as attention issues, but he was very sharp and knew all the
answers. The school told me he's ADHD, gave me printouts on it and
said to take him to his pediatrician and put him on a low dose med and
he'd be fine. I started looking for answers and found diet and the
junk in our food could affect behavior. We started removing
additives from my children's diets just less than 2 years ago, at
first I did it on my own and thought I was doing good. Then I found
FG.
I was overwhelmed, I got rid of 17 bags of groceries and went
into it head first. Within the first 5 days my son could color in a
square, and things got better from there. We've since added and
played around with Stage 2 items and there seems to be much that I
need to restrict in the way of silicates, but FG changed everything.
This year when we took DS back for Kindergarden again, they said he
was gifted and his IQ was off the charts. Sure he's still a 6 years old
with lots of energy and some attitude issues, but he's manageable and
succeeding in school.
Since starting FG I see so many families that could benefit from
this, I'm an advocate for it all the time. My nephews need this
diet, but when the kids refused the food and they don't like aunt-
michele's syrup, my SIL quit.
A dear friend watched me do this for a
year and just started herself, she's seeing results for both her
children, it's amazing.
Thanks,
Michele
Friday, November 21, 2008
"completely normal"
A Feingold success story...
In the Spring to Summer of 2007 my wonderful little boy started changing. He began to have severe and debilitating night terrors at about 13 months of age. At first they came 2-3 times a week and then began to come every single night. If you have ever witnessed one you know how terrifying they are and how helpless you feel. As the night terrors progressed I started to lose my sweet little boy. At 15 months of age we began what we thought were temper tantrums¨ but they were accompanied by head banging. Now my pediatrician (whom I do love) said these were completely normal and he would outgrow¨ it. As a mother, it is hard to see your child have night terrors every night and bang his head almost to the bleeding point every single day. His head was constantly full of bruises that I was afraid he would do permanent damage to his skull.
His head banging was not what I would consider normal. As his head banging became worse, his aggression was starting to take over. It is hard to say now that my son would be in such a rage¨ that I would have scratch marks and even bruises from trying to restrain him not to hurt himself. Mind you he was roughly now only 18 months of age but had the temper of an older child. We were basically quarantined at home b/c we could not take him anywhere except home, babysitter and grandmas. I remember leaving him at the sitter sometimes and my lasting memory was of him pounding his head on the stairs as his first 15-20 min tantrum of the day would begin. His tantrums were fierce and could last 5-20 minutes of rage, rage, rage. It was so sad to see and my husband and I kept thinking what had gone wrong. Had we been too easy in his 1st year, was I not disciplining him enough? Our marriage began to crumble as our inability to help him took over. I will never forget last Jan. taking him to a neighborhood park and he did not want to leave, well my husband picked him up and took him to the car, well he managed to scratch my husband so hard that he looked like a cat had got to him and when I attempted to grab him he pulled my hair so hard that I lost chunks of it and we left there wondering why we had ever gone. He was 20 mths old. His tantrums were so common and severe that we would sometimes have to take the pillows off the couch and place them on the floor as we let him somewhat roll back and forth on them but not be able to hurt himself as he bashed his head on the ground. So many stories, so many tears until I found Feingold.
As my son had one of his severe night terrors I began to cry and could not sleep. At 2 in the morning I googled head banging in toddler. I came up with a website on someone saying that they removed apples from her daughter's diet and how it improved her head banging and that the woman was doing the Feingold program. I had no idea what the Fiengold program was but one thing I did know was that my son LOVED apples in any form and had apple juice EVERY DAY. I told my husband about it and said I planned to remove apples for a week and would give it a try. I loaded up on baby pear juice and tried it on my vacation week (also am a school teacher). Well the last time he had the juice was on Sunday night and on Monday night for the first time in nearly a year we did not have a night terror. just like that. We had them every single night but we did not on M, T, W, Th, and then had a small one on Friday and one on Sunday. I started to keep a food diary and noticed on those days that he had one he also ate either a banana or banana product. Cut them out and the night terrors COMPLETELY went away. Just like that. I then knew I was onto something and HAD to order the packet. It was May and I tried to implement as much as I could until my summer vacation started. I began 100% in June and probably had 2-3 of FULL detox and it wasn't nice at all but it really hadn't been that nice since we started to cut things out in May but was REALLY bad when we went 100% . It was like seeing our darkest moments coming to life again but I began to get glimpses of some calmer behavior. We decided to remove HFCS in July(1-2 week detox-not nice at all) We actually visited Storyland in NH that week and he had such a severe and sooooooo embarrassing tantrum that I was praying that a helicopter could have picked me up. But the end result is like nothing I could have ever excepted and completely life altering.
Some of things my son is very sensitive to is apples, bananas, grapes(really bad, especially raisins)chocolate(turns into an edgy, aggressive boy), food colorings, maple syrup (have small amounts) egg(tolerates organic though)tomato(can tolerate small amounts now), HFCS and CS and after trial and error the allergy med claritin. I began to give Claritin to him(the white tablets) in Sept. and he began to have night terrors again. I didn't make the connection right away as I didn't think it would bother him and was going crazy thinking what is he reacting to and then when I looked at the food diary I thought what the heck maybe it is the claritan and I took them out and night terrors went away. Really so amazing how sensitive he is and how different he is when he is reacting.
Now our life is what I best sum up as calmer. He still has his quirks and likes to have things his way and does have a tantrum now and again but they are in the realm of what would be called normal. He is so happy now and really a fun loving boy. It is amazing how different he is when he is reacting that we pick up on it right away. I also give him omegabrite supplement and magnesium taurate supplement which has helped him a lot. **On a side note the magnesium supplement helped to almost cure his stuttering. He began to stutter in the Spring and then it stopped when I began the mag supplement and then I stopped in Sept and the stuttering returned and when gave him supplement it again went away after about a week. Very strange but true.
I am sorry that this is so long but I see people posting daily who seem like I did not so long ago hopeless..PLEASE hang on b/c it is completely life altering. My son is in such a good place right now and our home life is at peace. I used to cry nightly thinking how can I help him b/c I love him so much(even though it was so hard to live with him). Hang on b/c once they are clear of all this junk they will be at a better place. Thank you to all of you who daily put little bits of your life here and things that have worked for you that have helped me put Antonio's life back together.
Stephanie
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Doubting Family
This is a post that asked to copy here...
I had put myself and my 18month at the time on the program(she is now 4)
due to eczema and the my oldest (age 11-1/2 at the time now 15 ) was
diagnosed with ADD and they wanted to put her on meds. I showed my husband
the side effects of the meds so he gave me 2 months to change his
mind.
1st off we made 6 weeks worth of menu's
that he approved.... lol. I made pretty much the same thing as always
and our food budget changed by $4.00 a week.
He never even noticed a difference in the food except he missed
lasagna and spaghetti. I had not figure out how to do that yet.
About 3 1/2 week into the program we noticed a wonderful difference
and then about 4 1/2 weeks into it we had a slip up, someone gave her
those fish crackers, boy was that a long 2 days. That was
all it took to change his mind.
I know that it is hard to convince some
people of the problems that food can cause but once most people see
the difference their eyes can be opened.
Her behavior is as normal as it can be for a 15 year
old teenage girl. I still have attitude.... LOL but it is normal
attitude not disruptive or destructive. She actually likes
herself...most of the time :). Her grade are good and her teachers
comment on what a wonderful person she is turning into. What a
difference from her elementary and middle school year. I wish we
would have found this out sooner.
As for my little one as long as
she does not get anything she is able to have then no allergy
problems but her dr. and I figure that if she was exposed to
unapprove items she would probably be ADHD. When she had for example
colored fish crackers(a teacher gave them as a snack even though I
had provided approve snack for her....arghhhh. .....long story) she is
literally climbing the walls. She actually tried to ride our dog and
colored on the walls which she has never done before and her drawings
changed from trying really hard to stay in the lines to who cares
where the lines are.
Rebecca S.
I had put myself and my 18month at the time on the program(she is now 4)
due to eczema and the my oldest (age 11-1/2 at the time now 15 ) was
diagnosed with ADD and they wanted to put her on meds. I showed my husband
the side effects of the meds so he gave me 2 months to change his
mind.
1st off we made 6 weeks worth of menu's
that he approved.... lol. I made pretty much the same thing as always
and our food budget changed by $4.00 a week.
He never even noticed a difference in the food except he missed
lasagna and spaghetti. I had not figure out how to do that yet.
About 3 1/2 week into the program we noticed a wonderful difference
and then about 4 1/2 weeks into it we had a slip up, someone gave her
those fish crackers, boy was that a long 2 days. That was
all it took to change his mind.
I know that it is hard to convince some
people of the problems that food can cause but once most people see
the difference their eyes can be opened.
Her behavior is as normal as it can be for a 15 year
old teenage girl. I still have attitude.... LOL but it is normal
attitude not disruptive or destructive. She actually likes
herself...most of the time :). Her grade are good and her teachers
comment on what a wonderful person she is turning into. What a
difference from her elementary and middle school year. I wish we
would have found this out sooner.
As for my little one as long as
she does not get anything she is able to have then no allergy
problems but her dr. and I figure that if she was exposed to
unapprove items she would probably be ADHD. When she had for example
colored fish crackers(a teacher gave them as a snack even though I
had provided approve snack for her....arghhhh. .....long story) she is
literally climbing the walls. She actually tried to ride our dog and
colored on the walls which she has never done before and her drawings
changed from trying really hard to stay in the lines to who cares
where the lines are.
Rebecca S.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)