Feingold Diet
God bless his soul, Dr. Ben Feingold is the reason I am half way sane today. You see Dr. Feingold is the creator of the Feingold Diet program. He was a pediatrician who later researched and found a link between food additives and effects on human behavior. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, some people are sensitive to certain foods and chemicals we call additives. These food additives are prevalent today, especially in foods contained in the Standard American Diet.
What Dr. Feingold hypothesized was that there was a biochemical basis for behavior and that some foods and food additives effect that chemistry. This can be a hard concept for people to get until they have lived with it, witnessed it full on. It is easy for someone to understand that a peanut can cause such a dangerous allergic reaction because the reaction is physically notable, but if a persons brain chemistry is effected and that translates into a behavior that can so easily be overlooked as some sort of emotion. But what if I could tell you that by eating something with food additives in it could be causing you not to be able to focus well, make you moody, cause depression, anger issues, tics or panic attacks. Would you believe me?
Well, I am sure Dr. Feingold had a hard time convincing others too. But there is nothing like seeing is believing.
My own journey to changing the foods contained in my diet was one thing but my son's journey in eating changed everything for good.
I have always had a very gregarious, witty, charming, bold little boy. But in that same breath there were times when he just seemed out of control. He has always been smart sometimes too smart. So in school his grades were great but being in school and following the rules sometimes was difficult for him. We managed to get through Kindergarten although not without a reputation. Then in First grade he had a teacher that was willing to help up work to get him to understand expected school behavior. However, this is when both his teacher and I started noticing the blinks. Which we thought was an allergy or eye infection. So many trips to the doctor later, (this back and forth went on for months) we finally discovered it wasn't just eye blinking. Now by Spring of that year my poor child had a myriad of issues, some physical, some behavioral and some psychological. I called a truce on life and took the warrior Mom stance and said enough is enough. I could not have my child fall apart. I got angry with doctors giving me the run around and angry with myself for not focusing more on him. I demand tests and answers for my son. Then I cut back my hours at work to focus on his needs. By June I had my answer. My son had been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome.
What does have to do with food you say? EVERYTHING. I say.
It took a lot of work in researching and I read a lot of material and talked to a lot of people but the thing that turned me onto to this Feingold way of thinking and is now my finest resource is the the book "Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourettes: by Sheila Rogers.
The book really brings home the fact that lifestyle, diet and environment can really affect symptoms. So going along with this theory I did just what I could to help my child. I began with his diet.
We started treatment and the Feingold diet in June and by September my son was alleviated of the most of his symptoms. He has done fabulously in school this year both in grades and behavior, even winning a Bright Light award for being a positive role model. But how can you be sure that its the diet, you say?
I can immediately tell when he has had something that has the food additives. We have a reaction in the way of behaviors almost 18 to 24 hours later. At first when it happened I thought for sure I was crazy because of course I wasn't 100% sold on the diet either. But now..let me tell you seeing is believing. Don't even try to give my kid a piece of blue birthday cake, even he will lecture you on how bad it is.
So you say, so what removing food additives helps people who are sensitive to them, so what. Well I can tell you most food additives aren't even food and have I mentioned that I used to be prone to panic attacks, seasonal allergies and had been treated for fibromyalgia? I have not had any of those things since we have changed our lifestyle.
I have to admit that food is not the only lifestyle change I have made for my family either. I have changed cleaning products, cookware, food storage, shower liners, etc. anything that goes into our system or touches something that goes into our system. You can call me crazy...oh wait, nope you can't..because I have never felt better in my life.
What Dr. Feingold hypothesized was that there was a biochemical basis for behavior and that some foods and food additives effect that chemistry. This can be a hard concept for people to get until they have lived with it, witnessed it full on. It is easy for someone to understand that a peanut can cause such a dangerous allergic reaction because the reaction is physically notable, but if a persons brain chemistry is effected and that translates into a behavior that can so easily be overlooked as some sort of emotion. But what if I could tell you that by eating something with food additives in it could be causing you not to be able to focus well, make you moody, cause depression, anger issues, tics or panic attacks. Would you believe me?
Well, I am sure Dr. Feingold had a hard time convincing others too. But there is nothing like seeing is believing.
My own journey to changing the foods contained in my diet was one thing but my son's journey in eating changed everything for good.
I have always had a very gregarious, witty, charming, bold little boy. But in that same breath there were times when he just seemed out of control. He has always been smart sometimes too smart. So in school his grades were great but being in school and following the rules sometimes was difficult for him. We managed to get through Kindergarten although not without a reputation. Then in First grade he had a teacher that was willing to help up work to get him to understand expected school behavior. However, this is when both his teacher and I started noticing the blinks. Which we thought was an allergy or eye infection. So many trips to the doctor later, (this back and forth went on for months) we finally discovered it wasn't just eye blinking. Now by Spring of that year my poor child had a myriad of issues, some physical, some behavioral and some psychological. I called a truce on life and took the warrior Mom stance and said enough is enough. I could not have my child fall apart. I got angry with doctors giving me the run around and angry with myself for not focusing more on him. I demand tests and answers for my son. Then I cut back my hours at work to focus on his needs. By June I had my answer. My son had been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome.
What does have to do with food you say? EVERYTHING. I say.
It took a lot of work in researching and I read a lot of material and talked to a lot of people but the thing that turned me onto to this Feingold way of thinking and is now my finest resource is the the book "Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourettes: by Sheila Rogers.
The book really brings home the fact that lifestyle, diet and environment can really affect symptoms. So going along with this theory I did just what I could to help my child. I began with his diet.
We started treatment and the Feingold diet in June and by September my son was alleviated of the most of his symptoms. He has done fabulously in school this year both in grades and behavior, even winning a Bright Light award for being a positive role model. But how can you be sure that its the diet, you say?
I can immediately tell when he has had something that has the food additives. We have a reaction in the way of behaviors almost 18 to 24 hours later. At first when it happened I thought for sure I was crazy because of course I wasn't 100% sold on the diet either. But now..let me tell you seeing is believing. Don't even try to give my kid a piece of blue birthday cake, even he will lecture you on how bad it is.
So you say, so what removing food additives helps people who are sensitive to them, so what. Well I can tell you most food additives aren't even food and have I mentioned that I used to be prone to panic attacks, seasonal allergies and had been treated for fibromyalgia? I have not had any of those things since we have changed our lifestyle.
I have to admit that food is not the only lifestyle change I have made for my family either. I have changed cleaning products, cookware, food storage, shower liners, etc. anything that goes into our system or touches something that goes into our system. You can call me crazy...oh wait, nope you can't..because I have never felt better in my life.
By Carla Bearup