I probably will not be posting as much during Little League season as my boys have games Mon-Thurs and again on Saturday. Since they alternate days and my husband is coaching 2 teams, we are really living on the go right now. I kind of wonder sometimes if it is worth all the insanity and portable dinners, but then Ben pitched 3 strike outs in a row in one inning and Alex got his first 3 hits all in one game and we can't help but celebrate.
The down sides of Little League: concession stand full of red candy, just about every kid on the team has a brightly color sport drink, and my kids sit back and watch all the other kids have their food coloring fiesta for 2 1/2 hours every night. I have stocked up on safe gum, candy, treats, and other drinks, but sometimes it gets to be a pain. At least I think we have finally seen the last of the effects of that dixie cup of Crystal Light the other night.
I'm not sure how I would survive if my son were that irritable, whiny, demanding and over-reactive on a regular basis. It makes me all the more thankful I've been able to see his REAL personality without the food dyes for the past 2 years. The contrast is so "Jekkyl and Hyde" it is hard to describe. Imagine watching your calm, loving, affectionate, smart, considerate, polite, responsible boy turn into a sobbing, cranky mess over little things like, "I can't find a ruler to do my math homework." So, here's hoping for a better dye free weekend.
Happy Mother's day to all the moms who follow.
Would you feed your child chemicals that would cause them to be hyper, moody, or distracted? Of course not, no parent wants that. Well, this blog is to help parents understand that your kids probably eat foods at every meal that could really keep them from being their best. It's time to get the word out.
IF YOU ARE NEW TO MY BLOG, START HERE
you get more smiles when you eat dye free
LINKS TO THE RESEARCH
- 2007 Lancet Study
- BBC research and news about school lunch foods
- Center for Science in the Public Interest
- Cut ADHD by 1/3 with ban on dyes
- Die dyes on Squidoo
- Dyes can double ADHD
- Feingold research on dyes
- Food coloring and ADHD
- Food dyes rainbow of risks
- food-dye-rebellion-starts-now
- Fooled by petrochemicals
- Health Observatory from IAPT
- Twin study from the BBC
LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION
About Laurie
- food dye diaries
- I'm a mother of 3 and a part time Counselor. I'm interested in improving the health and well being of children. I have found food coloring to play such a crucial role in the well being of my own kids, I want to get the word out. I think we should all work to make the world better than we found it. If even one family finds their child better off by not having food dyes, than this blog is successful.
Followers
More about me
First I was a therapist. I have a Masters degree in Community Counseling. I have treated children with emotional and behavioral problems for over 15 years. Never once in my advanced clinical studies or in my extensive reading and web searching about ADHD and other behavioral issues, did I ever hear about food coloring.
I am also a Mom. It took me 7 years of parenting to discover that food coloring was a trigger to many of my children's worst behaviors. I didn't go looking for something to blame. I didn't really think there was anything wrong with my kids. I only found the connection by accident. When I first starting telling people that food coloring was bad for my children, they looked at me like I was nuts. I wondered if it was some weird trait carried only in my family. Now I know better. I'm not the crazy one. Entire countries are banning dyes from their markets. I hope the FDA or Congress catches up soon. So many children will be better off, if we can just get the word out.
I am also a Mom. It took me 7 years of parenting to discover that food coloring was a trigger to many of my children's worst behaviors. I didn't go looking for something to blame. I didn't really think there was anything wrong with my kids. I only found the connection by accident. When I first starting telling people that food coloring was bad for my children, they looked at me like I was nuts. I wondered if it was some weird trait carried only in my family. Now I know better. I'm not the crazy one. Entire countries are banning dyes from their markets. I hope the FDA or Congress catches up soon. So many children will be better off, if we can just get the word out.
4 comments:
Popsicle brand actually makes "dye free" popsicles. You just have to watch because theirs are not all dye free.
Thanks - we have some popsicle dora ones that are dye free at home. I just haven't found a way to bring them to people's houses without offending anyone. Most everything else can be left in the car or in a cooler and quietly substituted when the kids are offered something with dye in it. I'm afraid that a cooler won't be cold enough for frozen treats --- maybe I need to look around and get a better one?
Good luck at Little League!
Another mom brought a cooler with dry ice and kept Ice cream sandwiches cold for a whole hot baseball game last year. Not sure how practical that is, but maybe worth a try.
You are doing the right thing K. Don't worry about offending people. It is a dietary choice. To me it is just like being a vegetarian. A vegetarian wouldn't eat meat that was offered. Spread the word - so many people will benefit. There are so many people out their who have no clue about artificial dyes and many are shocked to find out that their lives could have been so much better if they had known sooner.
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