Thoughts on diet and behavior?
- Thread starter Nikki88
- Start date
H
HaoZi
Guest
This is one those things that is very individual and trial/error things. Among us you will find parents who have had success with girlfriend or girlfriend/CF diets, dye-free diets, you name it. In my case, my difficult child seems to react to something(s) in processed meats and does better on whole grains (including wheat), organic milk, and added Omega-3 supplements.
Keep a diary, let that diary include moods, foods, medications, moon phases, known allergens (if your difficult child has ragweed allergies and it's that season you expect issues). You never know what connections you might make, because allergy testing doesn't catch everything. Some kids have reactions to artificial sweeteners or excess sugars, and some don't.
There's a lot of research about GMO based foods (you might be surprised how many foods we think of "healthy" fall into this category) that's rather scary. I think organic is healthier in general but obviously it's simply not possible for even most of our food to be organic, and Kiddo's biggest protein source is milk so that's where I concentrate our budget for organics. Since she can't have processed meat I've found things she considers to be viable substitutes (also expensive but worth it), such as vegetarian versions of bacon and corndogs, and preservative-free lunch meat (Hormel makes this, their Naturals line). Living in a small town we don't have access to a place like Whole Foods, I wish we did, but I do what I can within our means. We use flaxseed bread to get more fiber and omega-3 in her, and Jif's Omega-3 peanut butter, too (JIF is the only brand she'll eat). We use whole grain wheat pasta, Kiddo was raised on it and thinks the typical "white" pasta tastes funny
You'll have to figure out what works (and doesn't work) for your difficult child and your family. Expect to stumble and make some mistakes along the way, it's natural.
Keep a diary, let that diary include moods, foods, medications, moon phases, known allergens (if your difficult child has ragweed allergies and it's that season you expect issues). You never know what connections you might make, because allergy testing doesn't catch everything. Some kids have reactions to artificial sweeteners or excess sugars, and some don't.
There's a lot of research about GMO based foods (you might be surprised how many foods we think of "healthy" fall into this category) that's rather scary. I think organic is healthier in general but obviously it's simply not possible for even most of our food to be organic, and Kiddo's biggest protein source is milk so that's where I concentrate our budget for organics. Since she can't have processed meat I've found things she considers to be viable substitutes (also expensive but worth it), such as vegetarian versions of bacon and corndogs, and preservative-free lunch meat (Hormel makes this, their Naturals line). Living in a small town we don't have access to a place like Whole Foods, I wish we did, but I do what I can within our means. We use flaxseed bread to get more fiber and omega-3 in her, and Jif's Omega-3 peanut butter, too (JIF is the only brand she'll eat). We use whole grain wheat pasta, Kiddo was raised on it and thinks the typical "white" pasta tastes funny
You'll have to figure out what works (and doesn't work) for your difficult child and your family. Expect to stumble and make some mistakes along the way, it's natural.
Nikki... I'm a strong believer in "first do no harm".
I cannot for the life of me see where dropping food dyes has any downside... except some whining because the kid wants gummie bears...!
Moving diet in general toward "more healthy"... go for it.
When it comes to restrictive stuff... go slow. Only take one thing out at a time. Give it some time. Impact? keep it out, otherwise put it back. Either way, move on to the next one. And whatever nutrients would be impacted (for example, calcium and vit-D in milk) need other sources.
It's definitely less "dangerous" than some medication trials!
I cannot for the life of me see where dropping food dyes has any downside... except some whining because the kid wants gummie bears...!
Moving diet in general toward "more healthy"... go for it.
When it comes to restrictive stuff... go slow. Only take one thing out at a time. Give it some time. Impact? keep it out, otherwise put it back. Either way, move on to the next one. And whatever nutrients would be impacted (for example, calcium and vit-D in milk) need other sources.
It's definitely less "dangerous" than some medication trials!
JJJ
Active Member
We had huge success with both boys. We eliminated caesin(dairy) the 1st week, then gluten(wheat,barley,rye) the 2nd week, then all artificial ingredients the 3rd week. We kept them on that diet for about 3 months and saw HUGE improvements. However, due to the high cost of a gluten-free, casein-free All-Natural diet, we slowly reintroduced things. Both boys now avoid gluten and anything that has an articifial sour flavor. We keep the other stuff at a minimum (Eeyore drinks Rice Milk, Tigger drinks Soy Milk but they both eat regular cheese and ice cream).
Each child is going to react differently. The key is to give it a long enough trial and to be sure that you have completely eliminated the ingredient that you are 'testing' (for example, there is gluten in many BBQ potato chips). IIRC from when we did the trials, dairy should be eliminated for 3 weeks before you will see a result; gluten is 6 months before you can tell; food dyes were 8-10 weeks??? I remember the gluten free needed to be a long time because the gluten damages the intestines and the body needs time to heal the damage before improvement can be seen.
Each child is going to react differently. The key is to give it a long enough trial and to be sure that you have completely eliminated the ingredient that you are 'testing' (for example, there is gluten in many BBQ potato chips). IIRC from when we did the trials, dairy should be eliminated for 3 weeks before you will see a result; gluten is 6 months before you can tell; food dyes were 8-10 weeks??? I remember the gluten free needed to be a long time because the gluten damages the intestines and the body needs time to heal the damage before improvement can be seen.
Rome
New Member
Personally, we stopped buying any type of soda or drinks that do not list real juice as the first ingredient. Also we stopped eating bread everyday and use the one day yes, one day no method. We also buy almond milk instead of regular milk and whole grain cereals. So far so good and I have lost 10 pounds in the process naturally and have more energy and less mood swings.
claudineriddle
New Member
I was having tough time to lose my weight and I started with low carbo diet and put a ban on sweet and chocolates and it really helped me a lot. Also, during my research on how lose weight effectively, I found that sleep also plays an important role in it. If you have sufficient amount of sleep, you will have a positive effect on your health and keeps your body fit and healthy.
I believe food is a huge issue with moods and behavior issues. I have a lot of food allergies and I'm very sensitive on all levels. I now notice the impact of sugar in a big way, inflammation, irritation, anxiety, sometimes feels like a hangover if I were to over indulge in chocolate. Wheat, gluten, dairy, alcohol, all have negative effects on me. It's hard to be so strict with diet, however, the benefits are pretty astounding.
