Happy Halloween!  

       Halloween can get a little tricky when your trying to stear clear of artificial colors, but I found some candy that won't even spook you!  It's called UNREAL and it stands up to it's name for sure.  The candy made by UNREAL is what they call - Unjunked.  No Artificial Colors, No Hydrogenateds, No Corn Syrups, No Preservatives, and No GMOs.  It has something unique as well - nutrition!  (5g of Fiber, 5g of Protein, 90mg of Sodium, 12g of Fat, and 17g of sugar, 200 Calories in a UNREAL Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat Bar)  What's more is that it tastes great!
      UNREAL has so many different candies to choose from.  They turned some of the classic candies into something deserving to give to your kids and you!  Don't be deceived by the nutrition label because it still tastes like candy.  I am not an advertiser for them or affiliated with them in any way.  They gave me some free candy to try and my family liked it so much that I'm returning the favor.  Thank You UNREAL for the box of candy and for making our Halloween a happy one!  

  
   http://getunreal.com/unreal-candy/?gclid=CO3JprivnbMCFQkFnQodHF8Aqg

FDA decides No Warning Necessary on Artificial Dyes- However, Consumer Choice can Change Market

  Parents who find the cause of their child's symptoms are buying foods without artificial colors and are not going to wait for the FDA to put warning labels on foods. We are not going to wait for someone to finally complete a very valid study so the FDA can say what we already know. It's about money, it's about consumer choice, but for me it's also about educating others. I was a parent who could not understand what was happening to my child and why no form of discipline would make a difference. I saw my child struggle with depression, a lower self-esteem, uncontrollable fits of anger, and a lack of friends. I was ignorant and unaware that artificial dyes could cause such a behavior change in my child. Two years of this without anyone telling me to look at the dyes my child was eating. Warning labels would have been helpful and saved valuable time with my child. Today he is a bright, sweet child, with the ability to manage his anger rationally like other kids his age. So studies or no studies, I am not buying it any longer. Money talks in this greedy world. That is the only way to make a change, although I hoped for the sake of others that some sort of warning was issued for the other children and adults suffering.
    MSNBC.Com health has the latest news on this subject and what the FDA decided.  It was a close vote 6-8.  Please click on the link below and add your comments.     
http://health.newsvine.com/_news/2011/03/31/6384389-fda-panel-no-warning-needed-on-food-dye?threadId=3093106&commentId=52954750#c52954750

Join the conversation: Are you worried about artificial dyes?

    Welcome to Red Dye Free!  Recently, Moms Today lead a conversation about artificial dyes.  I encourage you to keep the conversation alive by clicking the following link:     http://moms.today.com/_news/2011/03/29/6369981-why-some-moms-have-banned-artificial-food-dyes-from-their-kids-diets
 
    I also encourage you to vote here:   http://moms.today.com/_question/2011/03/29/6371288-do-you-worry-about-artificial-dyes-in-food

    Your opinions matter.  The conversations in the comment section is very interesting!  Why don't you join us and let others know how you feel about this topic? 

Could what you eat cause behavioral problems?

    I got started doing this blog years ago after learning that red dye 40 was the cause of my child's most turbulent behavior.  Then, I realized that the artificial dye was affecting other members of my family, including me.  After witnessing a complete turn around in my son, I felt compelled to share what I learned.  I learned that artificial dyes can cause stomach aches, depression, hives, have an effect on IQ, cause motor-coordination problems and behavioral problems - to name a few.  Why should children or anyone else needlessly suffer because of consuming these harmful dyes.  Before having my children, I taught third grade.  I recall some of my students having the same dye-induced look that my child used to have after consuming red-dye 40.  I couldn't understand why their behavior was so irrational while other days they were calm, sweet children who were able to focus.  One child could sit in his desk calmly and was able to focus on his work and then after lunch he would be a completely different child.  He would lay on the floor, roam the room, cause problems with the other students.  Could what he had during lunch have caused a behavioral change?  Could the dyes make this much of a difference in their life?  I believe it can and so do many people who leave their comments of thanks for this blog.  For children and even adults who are sensitive to these dyes, it will transform their lives if they eliminate these dyes from their diet.  My child's self-esteem blossomed, has many friends, can focus, lost the dye-induced violent episodes, makes wonderful grades and is the sweet child I thought he was. 
    Please check out the two new videos I added from YouTube (in the right side column).  Also, please sign the petition to make healthier school lunches without artificial dyes.  You and everyone together can make a difference!
   

Great News Moms and Dads! Another snack for your kids that switched to natural colors!!!

    Recently I received a comment from Kate saying that Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers with Colors now is made with natural colors instead of the synthetic dyes it previously had.  I am always glad to update my food list regarding which foods do not have artificial colors.   From the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers newsroom, White has the following to say:  “With the scrutiny surrounding artificial colors in foods, we were thrilled to be able to make this change in our Goldfish Colors crackers and introduce Goldfish Colors Neon using the same formula."  I am so thrilled about their switch that I dedicate this post to Pepperidge Farms for delivering healthier options for our children.  Thank you Pepperidge Farms and thank you Kate for the update!!!
*Remember always read the ingredients to make sure that you are getting what you think you are. 

Feingold Part 1 (of 2)

This is a very interesting video that I think everyone should watch.  Everything she talks about happens to be the truth.  I have witnessed the change in my own child after removing artificial dyes from his diet.  She also gives advice for ways to avoid artificial colors.  Synthetic Artificial food dyes like red 40 are harmful to everyone and she helps to give a clear understanding of the damaging effects of these dyes.  Please watch.   

My Testimonial: Is your child out of control?

Looking back, I thought my role as a parent was going to be a breeze. Besides, how hard could parenting be after teaching a class of thirty children. Staying home and raising them would be a piece of cake. I have always been a positive person so my kids will most likely be easy going too- so I thought. After my second child turned two, my rose colored glasses began to get foggy. My role as a disciplinarian was being tested in ways that I wasn't prepared for. My children entered the world of artificially colored foods, preservatives in almost every bite, and a world of processed foods that could make any kid's head spin (or at least those children who were sensitive to the stuff). I was ignorant. I thought that the foods that I ate and that my family ate were safe and that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) was out for our best interests.
So I went on, wondering, crying, reading, and taking my child to an occupational therapist for having some sort of conduct disorder, an autistic spectrum disorder, or whatever kind of label that would help define my child so that I could fix what was wrong. Let me first say this, no label was going to change how I thought about my son, it might only help me to help him better, but it was in no way to be used to define him (he would never know any term that was given to me).
He was four years old at the time and he was easily frustrated, he would hit and kick at his brothers or myself for reasons that were unexplainable. He could not be calmed by time-outs and holding him would only induce more of the same. His motor-coordination was poor and his occupational therapist said that he could possibly have dysgraphia. It was odd to me since he used to (when he was two years old) draw pictures with nice detail and have good control of his pencil. That was not all she said, but it is not necessary to bring that up now. During the time I was acquiring all of the labels that my child possibly had, I learned something that changed our lives in the process. I mentioned to her that I was trying to eliminate sugars from his diet so that he might act differently. I was acting on a hunch. She mentioned casually that I might also want to eliminate red dye 40.
In a quest to make my son better, I tried just eliminating red dye 40. First, I eliminated his favorite drink - Strawberry Nesquick Milk. I noticed a significant difference in his behavior. My husband and I began eliminating everything with red dye and saw positive changes in our son's behavior. Each time he was accidentally offered red dye 40, his behavior was significantly worse. His eyes had a "dye-induced look" that I could detect after having seen his transition time after time again proceeding him eating something with red dye 40. He looked depressed and had trouble responding correctly to the stimuli around him. His perception of reality became distorted. This I came to realize by seeing how he handled minor disturbances and how his explanation for his behavior was exceedingly irrational.
With each month improvements were made in our search for healthy foods. We decided to eliminate all synthetically-dyed foods. Our reasoning was that the dyes are created using petroleum. It does not add to the value of the food and can in fact be harmful. We chose not to eat foods with carmine or cochineal because it is derived from the cochineal bug. These changes that were made helped our son significantly. He is now in first grade and has very beautiful handwriting. He has good drawing skills and grip of his pencil. He has good behavior and makes high grades in his subjects. He has many friends now. He shows empathy and understanding of how his behavior and communication effects others and can adjust his behavior accordingly.
If you know of a child who is suffering from low-impulse control or who acts aggressively and irrationally - perhaps kicking or punching, I recommend taking a look at his diet and eliminated all synthetic artificial dyes. I can only say that for our family it has been a blessing to get this piece of the missing puzzle to turn our child back into the person he was supposed to be.

Don't you think it's time the FDA corrects the information on its web site about the impact of artificial dyes on behavior?

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) created an informative guide about food ingredients and colors. The following link can be used to access that information:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/ucmo94211.htm#coloradd

"CSPI's (Center for Science in the Public Interest) petition asks the FDA to require a warning label on foods with artificial dyes while it mulls CSPI's request to ban the dyes outright. CSPI also wants the FDA to correct the information it presents to parents on its web site about the impact of artificial food dyes on behavior. Joining CSPI's call are 19 prominent psychiatrists, toxicologists, and pediatricians who today co-signed letter urging members of Congress to hold hearings on artificial food dyes and behavior, and to fund an Institute of Medicine research project on the issue."
http://cspinet.org/new/200806022.html

The FDA created that guide in 2004. It is time that they change that information so that people can be correctly informed about the possible changes in behavior that some children and adults can experience. It severely downplays the terrible side-effects that these dyes can have on a number of people - not just those individuals with ADD/ADHD, but theoretically it could worsen undesirable behavior in people with conditions such as mood disorders and autistic spectrum disorders. In my opinion, it is not worth the risk and these dyes should be banned.

The School Challenge!

The School Challenge!

Greetings to all Principals, Faculty, and members of the Food Services for School! I challenge all of you to create healthier food choices in your schools. The benefits will be great! Please take the time to look at these three links.
The first one is a slide show and has statistics to show how much each school improved after making only food changes in their schools. (Very Impressive!)
http://www.school-lunch.org/fairfax.html (#11 on my Links and Videos section)
The next one is information on How to Change a School's Food Program. http://www.school-lunch.org/schools/intro.html (see #10 on my Links and Videos section)
And this last one is titled, Matthew's Story and is about a little boy who experiences the effects that artificial dyes have on his behavior http://www.school-lunch.org/school.html (See #9 on My Links and Videos section).
This could be my child's story and a number of others as well. You have the chance to make a significant change in the lives of the children who are in your care. You might know a problem child who has always acted aggressively and defiant change into a sweet wonderful kid. You might notice how that child is now completing his work and is able to focus better than before. You might even see a smile where that dye-induced frown used to be. I challenge you to make a change - our children are counting on you. :)
Are you up for the challenge? I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment.