FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK FACTSHEET
Women’s health and
diet
Premenstrual symptoms (PMS/PMT)
Period pain (dysmenorrhea), absence of periods (amenorrhea),
painful or heavy periods
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and young babies
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), Cystitis, Painful Bladder
Syndrome (PBS)
Urinary urgency, incontinence, bedwetting, bladder problems
Combining failsafe eating with a very low fat diet
Over the
last 15 years, I have talked and emailed to many thousands of people – approximately 95% female – about what I call
failsafe eating (additive free, low in salicylates, amines and flavour
enhancers). Most of these women have changed their eating habits for their
children and are then surprised at the improvement in themselves.
Women are more susceptible to food intolerance because of their hormones.
This
factsheet is based on questions and reports that I have received from failsafers over the years plus the latest scientific
evidence. – Sue Dengate
Premenstrual
symptoms (PMS/PMT)
Can failsafe
eating help with premenstrual symptoms?
In my
experience, most failsafers - and I was one of them -
find that premenstrual symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, temper
outbursts, foggy brain and food cravings disappear completely with failsafe
eating. Failsafe women often joke that a disadvantage of the diet – with no
premenstrual signs at all - is the lack of warning about when your period will
start.
Research
shows that an additive-free, low salicylate, low amine diet can help with
symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, temper outbursts, foggy brain,
insomnia, anxiety and bloating, see references below.
Reader reports
[120] PMT has completely gone (August 2001)
The biggest
thing in my life is that my PMT has gone. I am amazed. I have had this problem
for so many years. It was ruling my life and threatening my
marriage to the point where earlier this year I started taking Lovan (another name for Prozac) to help me with it.
I know you said that PMT disappears on the diet but I must admit mine was so
bad I really didn't believe you. Anyway, my PMT has completely gone. I am
convinced about this diet now! - NT, by email
[376] No more pre-menstrual migraines
We have been
on the failsafe diet for nearly three and have had excellent results for the
whole family - I have had no pre-menstrual migraines, my 18 month old’s eczema all but disappeared and my three year old's behaviour has changed dramatically. – by email
[536] PMS, period pain and diet 1 (January
2007)
I too have
had lots of success in regards to the diet with my whole family but the main
improvement for me was dealing with PMS. I am a 28 year old woman and have had
two children. As a teen I had very irregular periods and would sometimes not
have a period for 3 or 4 months, quite often becoming physically sick when the
period did come, not to mention the cramps and mood swings, and I always had
PMS symptoms when I was due, whether the period came or not. Having children
actually seemed to help my symptoms, but without realising, I was eating
differently through my pregnancy and then afterwards because I was breast
feeding.
Two years
ago all my symptoms started again and six months ago I figured out why. I had
gone back to work and was relying on prepackaged food
a lot more where I always used make my own, and as a result my whole family
suffered. My then six year old had all sorts of trouble emotionally and my then
two year old turned into a monster. My husband was diagnosed with irritable
bowel and I had all my former problems including depression. Now thanks to a
friend who recommended failsafe I am pleased to say we are now back on track
and I can safely say that it is all down to food. We tried, through trial and
error, all different sorts of treatments to help all our ailments, but simply
changing our diet has helped us all. - by email
[535] PMS, period pain and diet 2 (January
2007)
Prior to
failsafe I was having irregular cycles, really really
bad irritability for almost two weeks prior to my period and bleeding which
sometimes lasted for three weeks for each cycle. I had sore breasts from about
day 17 of each cycle, sometimes they were so bad I
couldn't hug my little boy without being in pain. Since being on the diet I no
longer have sore breasts prior to my period. I only have very mild irritability
about a day or two prior to my period and I am having 27 day cycles every month
with bleeding only lasting about 5 or 6 days and no clotting. Also, my period
pain has lessened a great deal too. – by email
Scientific references
Clarke and
others. The dietary management of food allergy and food intolerance in children
and adults. Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics 1996 (53:3),89-94 and
Loblay RH and Swain AR. Food intolerance. In: Wahlqvist ML,
Period pain (dysmenorrhea),
absence of periods (amenorrhea), painful or heavy periods
Can failsafe
eating help with menstrual pain (period pain, dysmenorrhea) and clotting?
It is
thought that approximately ten percent of all women
suffer from menstrual pain severe enough to miss work and other activities. For
some women, pain and clotting also goes away completely on failsafe eating.
However, others - including me - have found that they need to reduce the fat in
their diet as well.
Research
confirms that circulating oestrogen is reduced by a high fibre, low fat diet.
Note that by low fat these researchers mean really low fat not the 30% of
calories from fat recommended by the American Heart Association. See more about
the definition of a very low fat (VLF) diet at the bottom of this factsheet.
In 2000, a
carefully designed study with 33 women in
·
reducing
fat intake reduces the amount of circulating oestrogen in the blood
·
dietary
fibre absorbs oestrogens, enabling them to be excreted from the body.
The
researchers led by Dr Neal Barnard found that it was important to follow the
diet strictly throughout the entire cycle and to avoid animal foods completely
including skim milk and eggs. While we would agree that the diet must be
followed throughout the entire cycle, we do not find it necessary to exclude
animal foods. (See scientific references at the bottom of this section)
Reader Reports
From [343] severe cramping with heavy bleeding
and frequent clots (Sept 2004)
I always had
horrible periods. I was a chronic bitch for two weeks out of every month and
also suffered severe cramping with heavy bleeding and frequent clots. … [When]
I went on the elimination diet for myself, my PMS, other menstrual problems and
depression all disappeared. by email -
see full story below under postnatal depression
[729] Period pain completely went away (June
2009)
I have
always suspected my period pain in the past was due to me eating all sorts of
additives and high natural food chemicals. Since eating failsafe with my boys I
NEVER get period pain anymore, however still very heavy periods. We need to
keep in mind I had three children, which in itself can help, but the pain did
return after my third (not as bad as previously) and then completely went away
when I went failsafe (haven’t had pain for about six years now – no PMT
either!!!). - by email
[375] Sick and tired (July 2005)
I purchased
your book earlier this year as I was well and truly sick of asthma and many
other health problems like period problems, chronic sinus and hayfever, varied stomach problems and lethargy. I found out
that I am intolerant to gluten, salicylates, amines, preservatives and some
other additives. I want to thank you so much for your book - it has changed my
life. I am not fully better but I can now breathe and have so much energy, no
stomach troubles, minimal hayfever and I haven't been
sick since I started the diet. I just wish doctors would tell their patients
about trying different diets to help asthma - I could have done with knowing
years ago! – Rosemaree, by email
[780] Amenorrhea (June 2009)
My almost 15
year old daughter who has had monthly cramps but no period for 4 years suddenly
got her period. We have been on the elimination diet for 3 weeks. Is this a
coincidence?
Scientific references
"Our
goal was to smooth out the hormonal roller coaster many of them experience each
month," says Dr. Barnard, who had noticed former
patients overcome terrible menstrual pain after changing to a low-fat diet.
"Their pain was gone or dramatically reduced, something they had not
experienced for years. If they needed any pain medicine at all, they needed
much less than before." http://www.pcrm.org/news/research000131.html
See also
references from the Breast Cancer section below which
show exactly the same phenomenon: that women on high fibre, very low fat diets
have lower levels of circulating oestrogen.
Is morning
sickness related to food intolerance?
Morning
sickness – nausea and sometimes vomiting in early pregnancy - is considered to
affect about 80% of women as estimated in Western medical journals. However, a
cross-cultural study of thirty traditional societies found eight societies
reported no morning sickness (Minturn and Weiher
1984). Their findings suggested that certain foods seemed to protect against
nausea and researchers concluded that morning sickness is not a universal
symptom associated with pregnancy but a condition that is influenced by diet.
Reader reports
From [723] Morning sickness related to amines
(February 2009)
My partner
is pregnant at the moment, and we worked out that what gives her morning
sickness is foods high in amines. It’s amazing hey, how at important times (or
when very little) our bodies are capable of sending us clear signals that say
"This is poison. No more please"... it's even more amazing that
people seem so unbelievably blind to these signals.- by email
[785]
Morning sickness and intolerance to lactose, salicylates and amines (June 2009)
I have been failsafe now for 4 1/2 years
and am very sensitive to salicylates, all of the artificial additives I have
challenged, lactose, and especially amines. In my first two pregnancies I had
strong cravings for cheese, cheese flavoured snacks,
and cola soft drinks, I also had horrendous morning sickness (actually all day
sickness for the whole pregnancy), and during the second pregnancy I was hospitalised for dehydration due to non-stop vomiting. By
my third pregnancy I had become more aware of my lactose intolerance and did
not touch any dairy products or cheese flavoured
anything (by luck I stuck to failsafe soymilk), thereby unwittingly eliminating
almost all amines from my diet and a lot of the additives I normally consumed.
I was so well throughout the pregnancy, compared to the first two. I stumbled
across the Fed-Up book when my youngest child was 12 months old and as we worked
out our intolerances I slowly realised why I had had
such terrible ‘morning’ sickness. Now that I am so much healthier it is almost
tempting to conduct a Failsafe experiment and have another baby just to see
what a completely Failsafe pregnancy would be like. However three is enough
right now. – Jen, NSW
[784] Morning sickness and salicylates (June
2009)
I am 15
weeks pregnant with my fourth child and once again I've had a big problem with
toothpaste and morning sickness. It was the worst with the first pregnancy,
basically, I would feel a bit queasy before brushing and as soon as I cleaned
my teeth I would throw up. As in the other pregnancies I've also gone off a lot
of my favourite high salicylate foods and am completely unable to handle
caffeine and chocolate (makes me very anxious and heart palpitations). – Julia
[783] Morning sickness and salicylates 2
(June 2009)
I suffered
from terrible morning, afternoon and evening sickness when pregnant with my son
(now 7). The only foods I could eat that didn't cause problems were cheese on
toast, bananas and chocolate milkshakes.[these foods are all low in salicylates
although not failsafe due to amines] We also had problems with breastfeeding -
he would throw up most of what I fed him. Perhaps he was sensitive to
salicylates passing through the breast milk. Needless to say we gave up on that
after struggling for two months. (he was far happier on solids at 2 and a half
months). Later down the track when trying to solve his behaviour and asthma
issues, we tried (as a last resort) failsafe eating, and guess what? we are
both sensitive to salicylates but not amines. If I'd known then what I know
now... by email
[782]
Morning sickness and other symptoms in mother and children due to diet (June
2009)
We only found out about "Fed Up With
Food Additives" when Maternal & Child Health nurse suggested we look
at a possible problem with food chemicals for our youngest child’s (14 months)
eating disorder. However, now that I think about it, I was violently ill during
my pregnancies after eating high salicylate foods - particularly broccoli,
cucumber and citrus fruits – even the smell of these foods would make me
queasy.
My IBS symptoms have cleared up since I
have reduced the number of high salicylate foods in my diet (I was doing it for
the kids so also have adjusted my husband's diet and my own). I used to think I was doing the right thing
by eating a huge fruit salad every day, and wondered why my digestive system
was so messed up. I have also suffered
from a hives-like rash all over my thighs for the past few years and couldn't
work it out - I now have long rash free periods after avoiding dried fruit as
much as possible, as well as msg, yeast extract, 627,
635 etc. We avoid additives as much as
possible but occasionally I slip up and we really notice the effects now.
My 9 year old daughter seems to become
very vague and forgetful with amines - especially cheese - and we have found
our 3 year old son to react badly to glutamates - he becomes quite aggressive
and uncontrollable. The other thing we
have noticed is the effect of colours - my daughter
becomes very silly and hyperactive - for example, today she had a ‘slushie’ at the local shops that a family member bought for
her - tonight she is jumping all over the house, falling off chairs, making
silly noises and facial expressions etc.
But I'm sure you've heard all of this before!
I have found the effects on my kids
particularly interesting, as when I was a child, I was unable to have food with
MSG (I got severe migraines including vomiting) and red-coloured
foods/cordial made me vomit badly. Thank
you so much for really making a difference to our lives. – Michelle by email
[781] Morning sickness and amine intolerance
(June 2009)
It has taken
8 years for me to find out why certain foods made me so sick during my last
pregnancy and still do! I had constantly complained to my GP that even the
smell of cooking meat made me feel ill during pregnancy. If I touched anything
with even a small amount of banana or avocado in it, I would be in bed for 24 hrs feeling like I was going to die. I also found
chocolate, ice cream and coffee made me sick. My GP’s response: ‘that’s
strange’! It wasn’t until last year when my 8 year old daughter became unwell,
that it was all figured out. Initially she had a lymph node biopsy for lymphoma
and then was tested for lupus and referred to a paediatric rheumatologist. It
was through chance that my middle daughter who is lactose intolerant was
referred to a dietician due to a flare up of her irritable bowel symptoms. I
happened to discuss my eight year olds symptoms with the dietician as I was
convinced there was something wrong with her gut that may have been causing all
of her other symptoms and sure enough, after 4 weeks on an extremely restricted
elimination diet, her symptoms disappeared. The dietician also informed me I
have amine intolerance. I find it interesting that with my two other
pregnancies I had no issues with foods at all and that the child I had after
developing the symptoms myself ended up with such severe chemical intolerances
that she was investigated for cancer and lupus. Sondra, by email
Scientific References
Minturn L, Weiher AW. The influence of diet on morning sickness: a
cross-cultural study. Med Anthropol. 1984;8(1):71-5.
Flaxman SM
and
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and
young babies
Is it
possible to follow a low salicylate, low amine diet during pregnancy and
breastfeeding?
Yes, some
women do, either for themselves, their babies or other children - see reports
below. Many women find that their tolerance improves during pregnancy (after
morning sickness), see research in the next paragraph. If following the strict
low salicylate elimination diet during pregnancy, breastfeeding or with a young
baby, we strongly recommend supervision by an experienced dietitian.
A nutrition check is also available on-line from www.optimumintake.com.au.
RPAH-trained dietitians generally recommend Elevit pregnancy supplements during pregnancy and
breastfeeding.
Research
suggests that during pregnancy there is a marked increase in the production of diamine oxidase - the enzyme that detoxifies histamine -
which may be the reason why, in women with food intolerance due to low diamine oxidase levels, remissions @@in what? frequently
occur during pregnancy.
Reader reports
See some
reader reports related to failsafe eating during pregnancy/breastfeeding below.
There are more in Your Stories on the website and under postnatal depression
(next topic below).
[068] "I am a 20 year old mother
pregnant with our second child …" (September 2000)
I am a
20-year-old mother with a very restless, hard to manage 18-month-old son. He
has been hard to manage from the start with colic, chronic wind, constipation,
reflux and eczema. He would have us up usually every 2 hours just screaming the
house down for no apparent reason and my doctor stressed NOT to put him on soy
products as "in his opinion, they were of no help", so my son remained
on an AR formula to help his reflux. As he gets older, he is very active,
running every where, bouncing off walls and
furniture, falling over all the time ... more trips to the doctor, nothing
mentioned about diet.
It wasn't
until my parents saw the article on A Current Affair that I even thought about
diet other then lactose intolerance and they both
encouraged us to try it. I was sceptical at first and then one night he had me
in tears and, being pregnant with our second child, decided to give it a go anyway.
It has been
8 days now and there has been a noted change in his attitude. He is slowing
down enough to smell the roses and his attention span has lengthened a little.
Although he is still waking up at night, I am a lot more rested from not
chasing him around all day! – by email
[602] Diet helps aching joints that began
during pregnancy (February 2008)
I began the
elimination diet after reading Fed Up with Asthma. I was pregnant with our
second child. My first pregnancy was fraught with pain from aching joints, hips
especially, from which I d never suffered before. The
pain was very great and continued after childbirth, though not troubling me
much, just now and then. My joint movement continued to be impaired. In this
pregnancy the pain began in the first trimester, whereas it had begun late in
the previous pregnancy. I suffered much sleeplessness and worried how I would
last 9 months like this. After 2-3 weeks on the diet (dairy and gluten-free as
well) I no longer needed ventolin at all, just one
puff daily of my preventer (I'd been using ventolin
up to 8 times daily with little effect and 4 puffs of the preventer). Also, no
joint pain at all, and the return of a normal range of joint motion. -
[321] 635: Life-threatening reaction to
flavoured chips during pregnancy (April 2004)
I believe I
had a very real dangerous reaction last year to chips whilst I was in early
stages of pregnancy. I was admitted to emergency and due to difficulty
breathing a nurse had to stay in with me. They asked me had I taken any unusual
drugs etc and were baffled when the only different
thing I had eaten was flavoured chips. I even took the packet with me, the
reaction started almost immediately. Previously I had only ever eaten plain,
but due to a craving I got a flavoured variety. I thought I was going to die.
By the time I got to hospital (luckily it wasn't far from home) my mouth and
throat was so swollen I couldn't talk or breath properly, of course because of
this I was treated as high priority and treated straight away. Thank God I had
realised straight away when I got a tingling burning sensation and felt like I
had been to the dentist and had a local anaesthetic. My mother had said
something about these chemicals recently in our diets (I had actually dismissed
this at the time) but thank goodness she did. I think I am lucky to still be
here. [Flavoured chips often contain flavour enhancer 635 which can be
associated with Ribo Rash and/or swelling of the
throat] - reader, SA
[496] Ribo rash during
pregnancy – could it be associated with food allergies in my child? (January
2006)
Here is
another story that is now "making sense" given the many I've read on
your webpage.
During the
final week of my first pregnancy I developed a rash that looked precisely like
the ones in the photos on your webpage. It was on both my legs and similar to
the other stories, the itch was maddening and sleep was impossible (given that
I was at term this didn't bother the doctors). My GP sent me to a dermatologist
who prescribed oral steroids and colloidal creams, which had no effect. I was
told it was probably just pregnancy, and as with another of your stories, the
rash cleared up after the baby was born. As this was five years ago you would
think I'd have trouble remembering a specific food cause, but funnily enough
one of the things I've always remembered fondly about this period was the lack
of guilt I felt for eating takeaway chicken 3-4 nights a week.[takeaway chicken
usually contains flavour enhancer 635, often responsible for “Ribo Rash”] It was 35 degrees outside and I didn't feel
like cooking. When I came home from hospital my Mum was there and helped with
the cooking. We ate no more take away from that shop.
What I am
now thinking about is the fact that my son was diagnosed with anaphylaxis
related to extreme food allergies at age 5 months. His main problems are dairy,
egg and peanut, but even with a total avoidance of these triggers, he usually
has a blocked nose and dry, itchy skin. My second son has asthma and to date,
touch wood, my daughter has excellent health. I have been told by doctors that
the milk I drank whilst breastfeeding probably exacerbated my eldest's food allergies, but I am now wondering about the
food additive issue in late pregnancy. I realise that until we get the issue of
food additives on the agenda for primary sufferers, there is no chance of
research into the effect on unborn babies, but I am voicing my concern on both
issues nonetheless. I came to your site after an article in the paper about
food additives and behaviour issues, I am now thinking about the ramifications
for our family's overall health. I will now start looking at additives in our
diet and take note of any changes – Jane, NSW
From [655] The best baby (September 2008)
My daughter
now has a 5-week-old baby boy - she stuck to failsafe while she was pregnant
and she is still on it now while she is breast feeding and her little boy is
the best baby, feeds and sleeps. - by email
[146] Restless babies from tartrazine (yellow
#5, colour 102) (February 2002)
Thank you so
much for the "Restless Babies" article (www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/information/presentations.htm). I recommended it to a distraught mum in the
Here are the
foods that the
From [651] Changed from irritable screaming baby
(September 2008)
We started
our 1-year-old on the elimination diet, and it has been an absolute bliss. He
changed from being an irritable, screaming baby, to a content playful little
boy. - Jeanette, by email
Scientific references
Maintz L and Natalija N, Histamine and histamine intolerance, Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 85 (5):1185-1196.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/85/5/1185
Can failsafe
eating help with postnatal depression?
There are
numerous reports from women whose food-related depression started after the
birth of a child; or women who thought they had postnatal depression only to
discover it was one particular food item causing the problem.
Reader reports
[677] ‘Postnatal depression’ due to diet coke
(September 2008)
I noticed
that I have a dramatic reaction to diet coke. If I drink it, I get depressed
and mood swings within 24 hours. So what we thought was emotion due to having
bubs, was really the diet coke I was drinking as a pick-me-up due to lack of
sleep. The challenge was eye opening. I
did a benzoate challenge and was fine. I did another challenge with Diet Coke
and the mood change is profound. The next day I was depressed, despondent and
my husband said it was like turning off a light. [Possible culprits in diet
coke include benzoate preservatives (211), artificial sweetener aspartame 951,
natural salicylates, natural amines and the known effects of caffeine
addiction/withdrawal] – by email
[678] ‘Postnatal depression’ due to fish oil
capsules (September 2008)
I've
recently noticed that I get really grumpy when taking a certain brand of super
strength fish oil capsules. I started thinking I was suffering from post natal
depression as I could feel the anger start inside me and build really fast and
grow bigger. A bit hard to describe but I had never had this feeling before. I
forgot to take them for a while which is what made me realise it was the
capsules. - Carole, by email [see our
supplements factsheet for similar reports http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factsupplements.htm#fishoilsupps]
[342] Depression: helpless, hopeless
depression due to salicylates (Sept 2004)
I have
suffered depression since at least age 15 and am 38 now. I self
medicated on huge amounts of alcohol over the years, and was always very
emotional and explosive. Either very 'up' or totally down and in a complete
mess.
When I fell
pregnant at age 29, I sank into a deep depression that only worsened with a
long labour and breastfeeding difficulties. I was prescribed Prozac and stayed
on this medication for seven years during which time I tried to come off twice
with very bad results.
I did a lot
of counseling and support group work regarding
childhood abuse issues, relationship and communication counseling
work with my husband, and received the assistance of a social worker with
trying to manage mothering my child. My daughter was three before I received
this assistance and also started to work through my own emotional issues. It
took until she was six before I came across Sue's information about diet. My
daughter always had Oppositional Defiant Disorder behaviours and was not
interested in learning at school or at home, but it had been presumed that it
was I who was not coping. Which I wasn't anyway, to top it off! ODD people can
appear so normal to others making me seem quite neurotic.
I came off
antidepressants again at the beginning of last year after having felt very
level for quite a few months in a row. It was a very rocky 12 months. At times
I was OK and at others I thought I would not survive unless I went back on the
drugs. At least my husband was far more understanding at this point, but I
wouldn't have called it a life.
I know now
that we (my daughter and I ) had been bouncing off each other for years. Her
behaviour and concentration improved enormously on the diet. It has changed our
lives. We laugh, play, cuddle and talk together instead of constant aggression
and fighting. I cannot remember ever being so level and calm and capable. I
cried with joy (or over the loss?) one night when she was just so caring
towards me. Of course we still have bad times. Everyone does after all. Now we
have good times too.
When we
tested salicylates, as soon as I woke the next day I could feel the return of
my helpless, hopeless, awful black depression. I wanted to strike out at others
in my pain. Once again I couldn't think straight to make even the simplest of
decisions. I hated myself and anyone that I loved. It took about five days
before I started to come up again. I don't ever want to feel like that again
and I know what causes it now. To be able to say that feels so good. I have
some form of control over a life that was totally out of control. I find the
diet very hard in some ways, but I know which I prefer. To maintain my life in
any reasonably happy form, I need to be failsafe. - reader, Vic
See more
reader reports on our website at http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/stories/failsafestories.pdf
See the Depression
factsheet
Scientific references
Parker G,
Watkins T, Treatment-resistant depression: when antidepressant drug intolerance
may indicate food intolerance, Aust N Z J Psychiatry
2002:36(2):263-5.
Loblay RH and Swain AR.
Food intolerance. In: Wahlqvist ML,
Can diet
help with infertility?
It is well
recognised in the medical literature that gluten intolerance can affect both
male and female infertility. There has been limited investigation of other
dietary changes.
It appears
gluten is not the only culprit, see reader stories below. Everyone is
different, and the culprits probably vary with the individual. An elimination
diet would seem to be worth a try particularly if there is a family history of
food intolerance symptoms or if personal symptoms include irritable bowel which
can result in nutrient deficiency through malabsorption.
Reader reports
[788] Coeliac diagnosis results in pregnancy
(June 2009)
I attended
one of your talks 12 months ago where you mentioned a link between coeliac
disease and infertility. Since we have been trying unsuccessfully to get
pregnant, I had a test for coeliacs and it was
positive so I went gluten free and am now the very proud mother of a new baby.
I just wanted to say thank you! – by email, Vic
[787] Unexpectedly pregnant after starting
failsafe (June 2009)
Is pregnancy
a side effect of going failsafe ? because that’s what happened to me. We had
been trying for a while and had sort of given up. I never thought that changing
my diet would help but I fell pregnant within a few months of going failsafe. –
by email (failsafe but not gluten-free)
[786] Unexpected pregnancy when food issues
sorted out (June 2009)
I have
become pregnant unexpectedly. At 41 too, yikes! I think once I sorted out all
my food issues somewhat, my fertility increased, whoops! Jane, by email
[failsafe, gluten free, dairy free, and most recently reduced fructose]
Scientific references
Pellicano R et al. Women and
celiac disease: association with unexplained infertility Minerva Med.
2007;98(3):217-9.This article describes how unexplained infertility has been
reported since the 70s as a complication of coeliac disease. It is widely
accepted that untreated coeliac disease represents a risk for miscarriage, low
birth weight babies and short breastfeeding period and that these problems can
be corrected by a gluten free diet. The authors suggest that since coeliac
disease causes malabsorption of folic acid and other
nutrients, this may explain why coeliacs sometimes
suffer unfavourable outcomes of pregnancy. They conclude that women with unexplained
infertility should be screened for coeliac disease.
Chavarro JE et al, Diet and
lifestyle in the prevention of ovulatory disorder infertility. Obstet Gynecol. 2007;110(5):1050-8. Conducted by the
Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, this study
followed 18,000 women without a history of infertility for eight years.
Researchers concluded a diet may favourably influence fertility in otherwise
healthy women. Their recommendations:
·
get
into the "fertility zones" for weight and physical activity (don’t be
overweight or underweight; don’t over or under-exercise)
·
avoid
trans-fats, the artery-clogging fats found in many commercial products and fast
foods (from the food intolerance point of view, any dietary intervention that
limits commercial products and fast foods is helpful because it reduces
additive consumption)
·
eat
more vegetable protein, like beans and nuts, and less animal protein (all beans
except broad beans are failsafe, however, the only nuts that are failsafe are
cashews. This observation could be because commercial meat and chicken dishes
such as pies, sausages, burgers, hot dogs and BBQ chicken usually contain
additives. We recommend fresh additive free meats and chicken.)
·
drink
a glass of whole milk or having a small dish of ice cream or full-fat yogurt
every day -temporarily trading in low-fat dairy products for their full-fat
versions (we are happy with this recommendation because many low fat dairy
products such as spreads, icecream, yoghurts and
desserts contain extra additives but this recommendation would only apply to
women who can tolerate dairy foods).
Can failsafe
eating help with menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes/flashes, insomnia,
restless legs, irritability etc?
For me,
menopause was brief and relatively trouble free. I had already been failsafe
for about ten years when my symptoms started - about six months of fluctuating
breast tenderness followed by a few months of hot flushes and restless legs. By
the time I realised I was getting regular hot flushes - about 4 per day - and
had worked out that a low fat diet helped, it was all over.
What worked
best for me was to be strictly failsafe plus very low fat. As a result of doing
the elimination diet with challenges I already knew that I was sensitive to
salicylates, amines, additives, and A1 dairy foods. As well, I had already
noticed that I needed to go relatively low fat to abolish period pain, so the
same diet that worked for period pain for me also worked for menopausal symptoms.
Dietary fat is known to increase circulating oestrogen levels - which is the
last thing you want – so a low fat diet makes sense, see scientific evidence
below.
[679] Menopausal symptoms and hot flushes
from salicylates (September 2008)
I put myself
on the diet five years ago as I was suffering severe hot flushes, was
continually tired, felt sick most times after I ate, felt fuzzy in the head,
got cranky for no reason and did not sleep well at all. My life changed - I now
sleep well, I am not tired all the time, the hot flushes stopped, my head is
clear and I very rarely get sick. If I have a lousy day or night I can always
trace it back to something I have eaten the day before or two or three days
before. The worst offenders are additives and salicylates. I have always been a
big fruit eater especially watermelon, and it has been one of the hardest
things to give up, however if I do binge on fruits high in salicylates
especially watermelon I pay for it with hot flushes and a sleepless night. I
also get hot flushes if I eat chicken that is not organic which I avoid at all
costs now.
I see a lot
of women I work with suffering with menopausal symptoms and I think myself
extremely lucky that I found and was prepared to give failsafe eating a try.
Unfortunately you can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink. These
women as many other people I talk to don't believe it could be that simple and
are not prepared to give it a go, silly them. - by email
[789] Failsafe plus low fat for
peri-menopausal symptoms (June 2009)
I am a woman
in my mid 40s and have been failsafe for 5 years or more. I notice I am
starting to have a little more insomnia, and irritability, and some other
symptoms which I attribute to peri-menopause. Thank you so much for your extra
information about low fat diets for menopausal symptoms. It really makes sense.
I know when I indulge in a big steak with potatoes, lots of butter and whole
milk I get extreme breast tenderness the next day and feel warm all over. I
will keep you posted, but I really think this could greatly help some of my
symptoms. 6 months later: Thank you for
your information regarding menopause, it seems to be working - Dawn,
Scientific references
Clarke and
others. The dietary management of food allergy and food intolerance in children
and adults. Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics 1996
(53:3),89-94 This reference is about the
RPAH elimination diet for management of symptoms such as insomnia, restless
legs irritability, headaches, anxiety and foggy brain.
These two
studies show that a low fat diet reduces circulating estrogen:
Bagga D and others Effects
of a very low fat, high fiber diet on serum hormones
and menstrual function. Implications for breast cancer prevention. Cancer. 1995
15;76(12):2491-6. This controlled feeding study from the UCLA School of
Medicine followed 12 healthy premenopausal women for 3 months. In the first
month, subjects consumed a typical Western diet providing 30% of their energy
from fat and 15-25 g of dietary fiber per day. For
the next two months they consumed a very low fat, high fiber
ad libitum diet providing 10% of their energy from fat and 25-35 g of dietary fiber per day. By the end of the second month of the very
low fat, high fiber diet, there was a significant
reduction in serum estrone and estradiol
levels without affecting ovulation.
Urinary Tract Infections
(UTIs), Cystitis, Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS)
UTIs are one
of the most prevalent infections for humans, with almost half of all women
experiencing at least one UTI in their lifetime. More worrying is the high
frequency of acute UTIs which turn into chronic infections, with symptoms
recurring several times or more within months of a primary infection. Since
antibiotic resistance appears to be increasing, and overuse of antibiotics has
been linked to irritable bowel syndrome, researchers have been looking for
alternatives, see last reader report and below
Reader reports
[792] Cystitis and diet (June 2009)
I had
suffered repeated attacks of cystitis and infections which damaged my kidneys.
‘If you don’t take these antibiotics, you won’t live to be forty,’ my doctor
had warned me, and talked about kidney transplants.The
antibiotics made me feel sick all the time, didn’t prevent the attacks and
probably set me up for irritable bowel symptoms later on. I stopped taking the
medication, changed my diet and never had another attack. I had noticed that
red wine and citrus seemed to cause my attacks although my doctors ignored this
observation. ‘Your condition resembles analgesic abuse,’ commented one
specialist. I had rarely taken painkillers but I had eaten a diet very high in
salicylates which are part of the same family as aspirin. – from Fed Up by Sue
Dengate
[791] UTIs, cystitis, interstitial cystitis
(IC) and painful bladder syndrome (PBS) (June 2009)
I have had
painful bladder syndrome for over four years now. I have no damage to my
bladder lining so in Australia it is not called Interstitial Cystitis but I have
hypersensitivity of the bladder nerves which gives me constant bladder
discomfort. Diet could not control completely so now I take Lyrica
and Endep to calm the nerve pain. In the
My symptoms
presented after a series of bad UTI's. I started to get burning after wine and
coffee: well known bladder irritants. But as time
went on I started to react to many foods and my bladder became more and more
hypersensitive. In the
[790] A case of cystitis – “OUCH” (June 2009)
I recently
had a case of cystitis (or urinary tract infection) - fairly mild but still
uncomfortable.
I didn't
want to try herbal remedies because I knew they weren't failsafe but in the end
I did because I was so desperate!! "OUCH" is all I can say about the
whole experience. None of the herbs or naturopathic remedies I tried did
anything at all to help relieve the infection and as expected, a fresh herbal
mixture from a naturopath made me feel terrible - fuzzy head and a terrible
night's sleep with lots of weird dreams!
Luckily,
after some frantic research, I found info on d-mannose and it was the only
thing that finally worked for me. Once I got some of the powder, I started
taking a dose every two hours for a few days and it gave me relief very quickly
and cleared the problem within days. Having been an IBS sufferer (pre-Failsafe)
I was worried I might get some adverse reactions from it but it didn't seem to
bother my tummy.
I'm also
staying well clear of the salicylates too. I definitely agree that they are a
contributing factor (they really do cause their fair share of problems don't
they!) – Jodie, by emailFailsafe cystitis treatments
·
Recurrent
UTIs are often related to salicylates and similar food chemicals and respond
well to failsafe eating.
·
Traditional
urinary alkylizers such as baking soda and Citravescent from pharmacies are failsafe: (http://www.homepharmacy.com.au/products/products_view.cfm?ProductID=1612)
·
D-mannose
is a simple sugar that works the same way as cranberry juice which is a well known remedy for cystitis. They both prevent the ‘bad’
bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall so they are flushed out on
urination. D-mannose appears to be even more effective than cranberry juice
(which is high in salicylates and therefore not failsafe). Urologist Dr Michael
Blue from Norman Oklahoma has been using d-mannose in the treatment of cystitis
and painful bladder syndrome. In a clinical trial, he reported that 71% of 24
patients with cystitis experienced improvement on d-mannose and 80% of patients
with PBS became totally symptom free. As a simple sugar, d-mannose could be failsafe,
and one failsafer has tolerated it. Most people
report improvement within hours or days. However, as far as we know d-mannose
has not been recommended by RPA. You may need to check with your dietitian. You can buy d-mannose from www.waterfall-d-mannose.com.
Scientific references
Blue M,
D-Mannose and urinary tract infections, 2005. In this study, 17 of 24 (71%)
females with confirmed-culture cystitis reported symptom improvement. Patients
who were not confirmed by culture to have bacterial UTI but had UTI-associated
symptoms were classified into a painful-bladder-syndrome (PBS) group. Of the 18
PBS females who were treated daily with two scoops of D-Mannose, 17 (94%)
reported symptom improvement, the lone exception being a subject unable to be
contacted, but also not returning for treatment. Eighty percent
became totally symptom free. Abstract from a report submitted to Progressive
Laboratories http://www.healingtherapies.info/D-Mannose.htm
Wellens A and others,
Intervening with urinary tract infections using anti-adhesives based on the
crystal structure of the FimH-oligomannose-3 complex. PLoS
ONE. 2008 30;3(4):e2040 This very recent study reported in Medline showed that
d-mannose effectively blocked bacterial adhesion on the bladder lining and also
antagonised invasion and biofilm formation.
Urinary urgency,
incontinence, bedwetting, bladder problems
Everyone is
different, but salicylates and preservatives are the commonest causes of
bedwetting, urinary urgency and daytime incontinence. Milk can contribute too,
as well as the usual culprits including colours and amines.
Reader reports
[793] Urinary urgency in a nine-year-old
(June 2009)
I have a
nine-and-half-year-old daughter who has a day and night time bladder problem
(urinary urgency) since the age of 3. I have seen all the specialists,
psychologists, and natural helpers available. By the age of 8 she was, as it
seemed, growing out of it. But after reading your book, Fed up, I linked it to
preservatives, flavours and colours. Coincidently I was cutting down after our
son had behavioural problems, and I heard you speak around that time. I took
your advice and cut out the bread preservative first and then other things, but
I didn't take salicylates seriously yet, especially with our daughter because
she is so thin and a fussy eater. Her bladder problem seemed to creep back when
Grandma was buying strawberries for her alone, as she knows our son could not
have them.
Then when
her brother was doing the salicylate challenge she was indulging in all these
foods too, and of course her bladder problem is so evident now. – by email.
From [338] Urinary incontinence in a 50
something reader (July 2004)
We gave up
282 preservatives in bread after reading your book ‘Fed up’ about two years ago
– within a week my wife was free of urinary incontinence and over a period of
about three months I was able to give up all asthma medications. – readers aged
60 and 56
Many failsafers assume that if they get thrush (candida) they
have to do the candida diet. This is not true: the candida diet (yeast free,
sugar free) is difficult to do and is not scientifically proven. We find
failsafe eating gets better results. It is counterproductive to try to combine
failsafe eating with a candida diet.
People who
are failsafe 'but not 100%' and swear they are affected by sugar or yeast have
almost certainly failed to reduce their salicylate level enough.
Usually when
failsafers get thrush it is because they have allowed
too many salicylates to creep back into their diet, through foods, supplements
and/or fragrances, and they just need to go back to the low column for
salicylates. A number of failsafers have reported
that they find the failsafe diet much easier to stick to than the candida diet
and their lifelong thrush problems have cleared up.
Reader reports
[796] Kids get thrush from salicylates (June
2009)
My kids
(3-year-old and 15-month-old) get thrush as a sals
reaction … Many thanks for all of your work.
I just can’t thank you enough for the difference in my kids – M from NZ
[795] Thrush from a supplement (June 2009)
I have been
wondering why I was regularly getting thrush despite being on a low salicylate
diet. Then I challenged with a multivitamin I had been using until recently
(not one recommended by RPA) and it gave me thrush immediately. – Lea, NSW
[794] Thrush and a preserved herbal drink
(June 2009)
I am
interested in the possible effects of sodium benzoate. I note that this preservative is used in an
aloe vera drink. When I increased my dose of the aloe
vera drink, it was around the same time that I
developed a case of candida. [Aloe vera contain
salicylates, so it could be a combination of the salicylates in the drink drink as well as sodium benzoate preservative which is
chemically very similar to salicylates.] -
by email
[148] For the first time in 31 years I feel
normal (February 2002)
After ten
years of trying different diets - elimination, candida, vegetarian, allergy
testing, you name it - I tried your diet after buying your book and the results
were amazing. Convinced I was a chronic fatigue sufferer, I used to take more
and more vitamins and health foods, only to find I was sicker and sicker.
But now, for
the first time in 31 year, I feel normal. I have energy and have lost my coated
tongue, mouth ulcers, acne and negative attitude. I am actually a nice person!
I can't believe how even tempered and smiley I am when I stick to this diet.
And my 9 year old daughter and 11 year old son are actually best mates. Before
the diet, at times my daughter used to be IMPOSSIBLE, no matter what.
I can't
thank you enough for having the insight, intelligence and love to dedicate so
much time to this insane practice of adding chemicals and preservatives to food
- and then trying (as the medical system does) to fix the resulting disorders
with medication. - reader, Vic
Everyone is different, but salicylates seem
to be the most commonly reported cause of sore vagina. Any of the other usual
culprits could also be to blame: additives, amines, dairy foods. The only way
to find out for sure what affects you is to do a trial of the RPAH elimination
diet & challenges.
Reader
Reports
[982]
Sore vagina due to salicylates (February 2011)
I react to salicylates with pain in my
joints, also I get very tender, raw skin in my genital area and intercourse
becomes very painful. I saw you mention sore vagina in children - makes me
happy to know I'm not the only one - I have always felt like a freak - so thank
you for your books - they have helped me tremendously! - by
email
from [860] Very sore and red
vagina due to high salicylate lip-balm
We are currently in the midst of an
incredible food reaction, brought about by less than a week's worth of
lip-balm! Our daughter developed a
cold-sore about a month ago as a part of the withdrawals associated with going
back onto the very basic elimination diet after we'd let a few too many fruits
and veges creep back into our diet. Once it healed I
decided to get her some lip-balm, as cracked lips had proceeded
the cold-sore. Her behaviour started deteriorating after about three days,
culminating on day six (yesterday) in difficulty following instructions,
defiance, extreme sensitivity (tears, screaming, sulking), kicking and
attempting to isolate herself when upset. Also, a very sore
and red vagina (poor little thing). The only thing I had changed was the
lip-balm, minute amounts, twice a day (I'd kept hold of it so I knew she wasn't
slathering it on). The ingredient list - Coconut oil, beeswax, sweet almond
oil, peppermint oil, Vitamin A, lanolin, comfrey root extract, rosemary
extract. I had realised that all bar the Vitamin A and lanolin weren't
Failsafe, but made the mistake of thinking it was such a small amount it
wouldn't matter. Luckily, oncemy daughter and I had
figured out what was making her feel bad (I always get her to work it out with
me, even at four) she decided that she'd give the lip-balm away (literally -
"but I love it! I want someone in my family to have it,
I'll give it to Uncle Ian...). I'm going to try pure lanolin, and hopefully
that will work out better. It really high-lights that one small mistake can
make all the difference!
from [596] Vaginal
irritation clears up on diet
In 2006 my quiet 7 year old daughter was
diagnosed by her paediatrician as having severe inattentive ADD. He offered
Ritalin to help the symptoms. I was not comfortable giving her this as a first
step because in the 2 weeks since our last appointment I had read 10 books and
scanned the net. A common theme kept coming up. If your child has an intolerance to a food group there is a likelihood of more
than one intolerance which can lead to behavioural issues. I felt I had to
investigate this before trying medication because we already knew she had a
dairy intolerance as a baby.
I chose to follow the Fed Up elimination diet
by Sue Dengate. Following are the results when food groups or additives were re introduced.
Colours - anger followed by tears,
inattention, lack of concentration, memory loss, head banging and rocking
MSG/635/Glutamates - nausea and stomach
cramps
Benzoates - aggression
Antioxidants (310-312, 319-320) - nightmares
and trouble going to sleep and staying asleep
Propionates 282 - bedwetting and daytime
bladder control issues
Dairy
- nausea, stomach cramping, diarrhea,
inattention, fatigue
Soy
- stomach aches
It has been 14 months since adapting to my
daughter’s dietary needs. She has been reassessed for ADD with a normal out come. Her school work has progressed. She is able to
concentrate. She can tie her shoes, hold a knife and fork, remember her phone
number, ride a bike, and skip a rope. She is able to follow multiple directions
and hold attention to the task at hand. She has friends. We have also
discovered she is a budding artist.
Through dietary changes we helped many of our
daughter’s physical and behavioral issues including
fatigue, tearfulness, emotional outbursts, inattention, lack of short term
memory, lack of application at school, bedwetting, vaginal irritation, rash,
insatiable appetite, imbalance and clumsiness (she could not ride a bike, skip,
hop), nausea and stomach cramps.
My daughter did not need medication. She has
food intolerances. As grandma said ‘Whatever you are doing keep doing it. She
is a different child’ - Trudi, NSW
... and see another
story about sore vagina due to salicylates on our DVD ...
Scientific
references
Costello C, Smith JR. Vulvodynia
associated with coeliac disease. Br J Obstet
Gynaecol. 1996 Nov;103(11):1162-3.
This study found
that women with vulvodynia had a higher than normal
number of voidings but
Baggish MS and others. Urinary oxalate excretion and its role in
vulvar pain syndrome. J Obstet Gynecol. 1997 Sep;177(3):507-11. A group of 59 women with vulvodynia
and elevated oxalate concentrations were treated with an antioxalate
regimen. Fourteen (24%) demonstrated an objective response, but only 6 (10%)
could have pain-free sexual intercourse - the researchers concluded 'the role of oxalates as instigators
is doubtful'. Unfortunately we couldn't find any published studies on
salicylates and vulvodynia.
My doctor
told me I should eat broccoli to prevent cancer. But broccoli isn’t failsafe.
Is there anything else I can eat?
Diet and breast cancer
Breast
cancer rates have risen in the last thirty years to become the most common
cancer among women in the EU and the
Very recent
diet studies suggest that a high fibre diet can reduce the levels of
circulating oestrogen which in turn reduces the risk of breast cancer. A low
fat diet also seems to be helpful. There are also certain vegetables that can
protect against cancers, including but not limited to broccoli, see more below.
Effects of high fibre and low fat
In 2004, a
Swedish study reported that postmenopausal women with the highest fibre intake
had a 40 per cent lower risk of breast cancer than those with the lowest and in
2007 an international study of Mexican American women showed that women with a
higher intake of dietary fibre have lower circulating oestrogen levels, a
factor associated with lower risk of breast cancer.
For failsafers who want to increase the fibre in their diet, a
high fibre diet doesn’t have to mean lots of wholegrain wheat and bran – just
as well, since many failsafers are sensitive to a
natural chemical in wholegrains such as bran,
wholemeal bread, weetbix and brown rice. The most effective form of soluble fibre is psyllium, recommended by RPA, with
a fibre content of 70% compared to 5% in oat bran see
Psyllium factsheet and the Failsafe and Low
Fat topic at the end of this factsheet.
Fruit and vegetables not what they seem
At first,
many researchers assumed a diet high in fruit and vegetables must be beneficial
due to natural antioxidants but that’s not what they’ve found so far. High
fibre followed by low fat seem to be the most important factors and some
vegetables have been found to be beneficial but there is little evidence for
the benefits of fruit in the diet regarding breast cancer.
Foods found
to inhibit (or increase) breast cancer cell growth: of the top six breast
cancer fighting vegetables - found in laboratories to inhibit breast cancer
cell growth by 100% - five are failsafe:
·
garlic
·
leeks
·
scallions
(also called shallots or spring onions see Wikipedia scallion photo)
·
Brussels
sprouts
·
cabbage.
The other
one was cauliflower (not failsafe). Other failsafe vegetables that inhibited
breast cancer cell growth were green beans, red cabbage, beets (moderate in
salicylates), potatoes, celery and lettuce. Effects are similar for other
cancers. In laboratory studies, some fruits and vegetables such as grapefruit,
avocado and tomatoes (not failsafe due to high salicylate and amine levels)
have been found to actually increase cancer cell growth. Further reading:
Anti-Cancer by Dr David Servan-Schreiber.
Scientific references and further
reading
Mattisson I and others,
Intakes of plant foods, fibre and fat and risk of breast cancer--a prospective
study in the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort. Swedish Br J Cancer. 2004
12;90(1):122-7. This study investigated prospectively the associations between
intakes of plant foods, fibre and relative fat and risk of breast cancer in 11
726 postmenopausal women in the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort. High fibre
intakes were associated with a lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. The
combination high fibre-low fat had the lowest risk. There was no significant
association between breast cancer risk and intakes of any of the plant food
subgroups. http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v90/n1/full/6601516a.html
Monroe KR
and others. Dietary fiber intake and endogenous serum
hormone levels in naturally postmenopausal Mexican American women: the
Multiethnic Cohort Study Nutr Cancer.
2007;58(2):127-35.
This
international study demonstrated that women with a higher intake of dietary
fibre have lower circulating oestrogen levels, a factor associated with lower
risk of breast cancer In addition, as dietary fat intake increased in the women
studied, so did the hormone levels …. Researchers say that their findings,
which offer direct evidence of the association between fibre and the hormone,
could lead to a dietary strategy for lowering a woman's risk of breast cancer …
http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2004/1/2004036.shtml
Bagga D and others Effects
of a very low fat, high fiber diet on serum hormones
and menstrual function. Implications for breast cancer prevention. Cancer. 1995
15;76(12):2491-6.
This
controlled feeding study from the UCLA School of Medicine followed 12 healthy
premenopausal women for 3 months. In the first month, subjects consumed a typical Western diet providing 30% of their
energy from fat and 15-25 g of dietary fiber per day.
For the next two months they consumed a very low fat, high fiber
ad libitum diet providing 10% of their energy from fat and 25-35 g of dietary fiber per day. By the end of the second month of the very
low fat, high fiber diet, there was a significant
reduction in serum estrone and estradiol
levels without affecting ovulation. Researchers concluded that their findings
provided a rationale for the prevention of breast cancer through a very low
fat, high fiber diet.
Dr David Servan Shreiber Anti-cancer: a
new way of life http://www.standup2cancer.org/node/1682
Combining failsafe eating
with a very low fat diet
Like most
people, I used to think low fat meant avoiding fried food and trimming fat off
meat but I learned what low fat really means from the Pritikin
diet. Technically, a diet that provides about 10 per cent of calories from fat
is called a VLF or Very Low Fat diet, compared to the American Heart
Association recommendation of 30 per cent of calories from fat. Women in
developing countries naturally eat a VLF diet. They don’t experience PMS,
menstrual pain or menopausal symptoms and have much lower rates of breast
cancer.
The Pritikin diet is where we started our dietary voyage twenty
years ago and while it resulted in easy weight loss and ultra
low cholesterol levels, unfortunately, the Pritikin
diet as practised in the West is full of natural salicylates so it led to an
increase in salicylate-related symptoms for us. Eventually I found a way to
combine the most important Pritikin principles with
failsafe eating:
·
use
only skim dairy products – I admit I use
reduced fat milk and it still works; cheese, cream, cream cheese, butter are
not permitted on a VLF diet except as a cheating factor (options include other
foods on toast: eggs (limited), leftover main meals, mashed bananas if amines
are tolerated, mashed butternut pumpkin if moderate salicylates are tolerated)
·
meat
is limited to small quantities of lean meats - e.g. chicken breast or trimmed
lean beef and lamb in stir fries and stews served over rice, pasta or noodles –
basically, use the meat for flavouring
·
margarine
or butter is not used – this means few bakery products, other than bread
·
eggs
used to be limited to whites only but are now permitted in small quantities,
find your own limit
·
oil
- use only limited quantities of vegetable oil e.g. for stir-frying - we use
canola because it has the best omega ratio
·
fruit
and vegetables – Pritikin recommends eat lots but
obviously this is restricted for people on a low salicylate diet. I eat low
salicylate vegetables especially dried beans and lentils; as many moderate
salicylate vegetables as I can tolerate (not many) and not much fruit (mainly
pears with mango, tamarillo and rhubarb as tolerated).
·
grain
– Pritikin guidelines say eat whole grains such as
rolled oats, real wholemeal bread and brown rice. For people with food
intolerance, this can be counterproductive because many people with IBS and
other symptoms of food intolerance (including behaviour) have problems with a
chemical in the whole grain of wheat and even in brown rice. An alternative is
to add extra fibre e.g. for those with intolerances to wholegrains,
psyllium is the safest and most effective high fibre
supplement of all. (See the psyllium factsheet)
·
salt
- Pritikin
guidelines say don’t cook with or add salt. Failsafers
generally eat little salt because they don’t eat much processed food so it is
OK to add salt for flavour.
·
sugar
– I avoid sugar when I want to lose weight, but didn’t find that white sugar in
moderation (sugar is low in salicylates and fat) had anything to do with pre-menstrual or
menopausal symptom for me. It is best to eat sugar as part of a balanced meal
(e.g. in a dessert) rather than in drinks or treats on an empty stomach when it
can affect blood sugar levels. Apple juice concentrate is sometimes used as a
sugar substitute by Pritikin chefs – obviously this
is not suitable for salicylate-sensitive women.
Further
reading: any book by Robert or Nathan Pritikin
Women and fragrance
It is worth
remembering that salicylates can be inhaled as smells as well as ingested in
food and drinks. As perfumed toiletries, cosmetics, airfresheners,
scent sprayers and household cleaners mostly used by women have become
increasingly pervasive and over-fragranced, they can push you over your
salicylate limit. Would you rather smell your salicylates or eat them? See factsheet
on inhaled salicylates.
We recommend
a trial of the RPAH elimination diet - free of additives, low in salicylates,
amines and flavour enhancers, and with optional removal of dairy foods and
wheat or gluten, depending on severity of symptoms - preferably supervised by a
dietitian. Write to confoodnet@ozemail.com.au for our
list of supportive dietitians, and see Failsafe Eating.
The information given is not intended as medical
advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before
beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food
intolerance. You can find a supportive dietitian by writing write for our list (confoodnet@ozemail.com.au)
© Sue Dengate February 2011
