FAILSAFE #29
Newsletter of the Food Intolerance Network
November - December 2001
|
FAILSAFE supports families using the low-chemical elimination diet recommended by the Australian Royal Prince Alfred Hospital - free of additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavour enhancers - for health, behaviour and learning problems. |
The FAILSAFE Newsletter is
now available free by email. Just send your email address to failsafe_newsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
THIS MONTH
- Preservative warning
- Food and Grocery Council Myths
- Brochures
- Research: the soymilk controversy; kids missing
out on fruit and veg.
- Questions, Readers Stories
- Around the groups: Tasmanian report
- Cooks corner: margarine, hot chicken rolls,
caramel cakes, toffee bark
Hello everyone
Since the last newsletter I
have been on a tour of
Ever wondered about the
best gift for a failsafer? A failsafe family visiting
And on a different topic,
if you've sent me an unanswered email, please try again. There are always some
with an undeliverable error message. Include your phone number so I can contact
you if necessary.
- cheers, Sue Dengate (sdengate@ozemail.com.au)
PRESERVATIVE WARNING
A warning about mercury in
vaccinations from the
While the
Parent groups are
particularly concerned about late-onset autism, a relatively new disorder.
Children typically develop normally until they receive their DPT or MMR shots
then stop talking and interacting with people and develop autistic symptoms
such as toe-walking, headbanging and arm-flapping. The first lawsuit regarding
thimerosal and autism was launched on 28th March this year in
FOOD AND GROCERY COUNCIL
"MYTHS"
A report from the Food and
Grocery Council aims to debunk common food myths. According to them, food
additives are good for you, MSG is not a problem because it is natural, and
there is no truth in the myth that additives like red food colouring cause
children's bad behaviour. It's just that children drink these things at
birthday parties and behave like, well, children. They're really just having fun.
I have spoken to a number of people (not necessarily failsafers) who were
completely outraged by the report. Our best way to fight back is to keep
spreading the word. Many thanks to failsafers who have written to newspapers or
magazines to raise awareness, others have sent me cuttings (see readers
reports) so it is obviously working. Remember you can write as "name and
address supplied" to keep your privacy. If your family has a story about
food additives for television you can write to A Current Affair
(aca@nine.com.au).
BROCHURES
At last, the new, updated
brochures are available on "Behaviour, health and learning problems in
children can be caused by common foods" and Oppositional defiance".
Sorry about the delay. Mark your requests "brochures" on the subject
line.
|
Research |
THE SOYMILK CONTROVERSY - for
Soy formulas for babies
have been given the thumbs up in a new long-term study from the
- against
Reader story:"I have
had a bad experience with soy milk. After showing up intolerant to cow's milk
on a blood test I went onto soymilk, which I used like cow's milk. After a
couple of months of this I ended up with a disturbed menstrual cycle and very
sore breasts. A blood test showed elevated oestrogen levels. My doctor has seen
a few women like me from using soy. [1-2 glasses of So Natural soymilk per day.
So Natural's advertising material regards it as a benefit that their soymilk is
high in natural phytoestrogens.]
- undecided
In a review of the risks
and benefits of soymilk called "What We Still Don't Know about Soy",
doctors from
Read the report for yourself at http://www.cspinet.org/nah/soy/soy.html
KIDS MISSING OUT ON FRUIT AND
VEG
We failsafers are often
accused of denying our children the full range of fruit and veges, but how do
they compare to other kids? According to a recent survey, my teenagers would
have been among the 20% of children - and only 6% of 16-18 year olds - who eat
an adequate amount of fruit and vegetables.
About 3000 children aged
2-18 were questioned. One-quarter did not eat fruit and one-fifth did not eat
vegetables on the day of the survey. "If fruit juice was excluded, 40 per
cent of all participants and 60 percent of the 16-18 year olds had no
fruit," researchers said. There was also a worrying lack of variety in
vegetables. Potato was the most popular, and much of it was consumed in fried
form. Reference: Australian Doctor, 25/5/01.
PRODUCTS
Failsafe sausages now
available in Brisbane Rode Meats, Bi-Lo Shopping Centre, Cnr Rode Road and
Appleby Road CHERMSIDE WEST, Phone: 3359 7425. If you want them fresh, contact
them about reserving you some, so you can then freeze them yourself in quantities
that suit you. Otherwise, they will be available frozen in 1kg lots at $6.99
per kg. Organised by the new Brisbane FI group, phone Jan, 07 3264 4265.
Fish should be white,
fresh, and eaten within 12 hours of being caught or frozen immediately and
eaten within 2 weeks. Woolworths at Nightcliff, Darwin get big deliveries of
fresh fish on Tuesdays and Saturdays, from both Cairns and Darwin. Fish from
Cairns is likely to be much fresher because fish in Darwin has usually spent
10-14 days on ice coming in from the fishing grounds, whereas fishing boats in
Cairns come in every day.
Diet not
working as well as you'd hoped?
One tiny mistake can make a
huge difference. For fine-tuning, see the updated list on the website Checklist
of common mistakes.
Also new guidelines for extra sensitive amine responders, thanks to Alison and
Karl from the email discussion group.
Readers tell us this list
is very useful.
|
Readers' comments |
Food chemicals can affect
everyone from fully breastfed babies to senior citizens with an astonishing
range of distressing effects. Thank you for your reports and comments. See
summaries below with more details and extra reports on the website.
"I am getting SO MUCH
out of the Failsafe email group. Often I don't even have to ask the question as
others are already talking about it." - reader, Adelaide
"This whole process is
made so much easier by having the group to bounce ideas off or ask questions
about the million and one things that come up in the course of 're-learning'
" - reader, WA
FI in adults
"Almost all the
enquiries I get are about adult diseases. I have had reports of people with
Lupus improving greatly and people with late onset diabetes having their doctor
stop their insulin. Adult problems seem to be far worse because of the many
years of damage. One doctor told me that in the next year or two he thought
local GPs would be looking at food as a cause of chronic disease." -
Bernard Trudgett (Bernard leads Illawarra FI support group. His specialty is FI
and arthritis, phone 02 4229 8595)
"I am an early childhood
nurse …"
"By 5 months our
daughter Rosie was really quite miserable, irritable, constantly grizzling and
wanting to be held (except of course when we went out anywhere, where she
played the cute, smiley happy babe). Sometimes she seemed to be in pain, and we
gave panadol with some relief for only a short time. We tried the reflux,
colic, etc avenues, with no improvement. I am an early childhood nurse, and had
great support from my two wonderful colleagues, one saw her in a really sad
state when visiting us at home. We had tried me off all dairy products at 5 1/2
months, as she was fully breastfed. That seemed to improve things a bit, but I
still felt that babies should be happy, unless they had good reason not to be.
Then I read your article called "Restless babies", in the Nursing
Mothers Magazine [see Restless Babies article on website]. I felt the article
was about us!! It was the start of a big change in our lives. We saw our local
dietitian who gave us the booklets from RPAH, and discussed it. As I was
breastfeeding, and she was on some solids, Rosie and I started the elimination
diet when she was 7 long months old. My very supportive husband was quite
skeptical, she was such a beautiful fat healthy looking babe, how could it be
diet related?? Anyway after only 3 full days on the diet, he was very
apologetic for his skepticism. Our little girl was significantly happier, and
so were we." - Cath, by email ( - see the full and moving story on
the website under stories).
Constipation and salicylates
"Our daughter is
salicylate intolerant, which means that most fruit and vegetables upset her
system, with constipation being just one of the effects. This may be hard to
believe, as it is contrary to what we all think, but for some individuals, an
apple a day or a fresh fruit salad, is not a good idea at all." - from
a reader's letter in the
Food-induced tonsillitis
"I just wanted to says
"thanks" on behalf of my family. My wife discovered our daughter's
salicylate intolerance after serendipitously finding and buying Fed Up 3 years
ago. It's not easy to stick to the diet, as you will know, but it's definitely
worth it for the difference. If only some of our friends and family had the
willpower required.
A curiosity for us was our
daughter's apparent intolerance to garlic oil capsules. She was taking them for
a year or so, to supplement her limited diet, and in that time, suffered
repeated attacks of tonsillitis, to the extent that the ENT surgeon had
scheduled her for surgery. Then we stopped the garlic supplement, and the
tonsillitis disappeared. That was 18 months ago and she's been fine since. Very
odd.
Keep up the good work. Many
people worry about the possible problems associated with GM foods but are happy
to let their kids drink something that looks like anti-freeze; taking all the
junk out of what we eat would be a better first step in the right direction.
Tim Tams? You can keep 'em!" - father, by email
Rather than outright
"reactions", these effects crept up on us …
"We have just tried
our first challenge (amines) and it was a disaster. Rather than noticing
outright "reactions" as such, we noticed that everyone was yelling
more. The kids were doing things which they knew they would cause big trouble -
such as knocking a hole in the back fence so they could see better - but it
still didn't make them stop and think first. These effects crept up on us until
we realised that things were as they had been pre-diet.
One of the best things I
have found is to have a mindset of "eat as your grandparents did" and
this is handy to remember when you go shopping as well. As Sue says in her book
these food additives were fairly rare in our grandparents generation, as was
the incidence of ADHD etc.
Also invaluable is a
notebook of some sort (I have one of those ones which is divided into 5
sections so everyone has their own notes) and jot EVERYTHING down, even if it
seems irrelevant at the time. You may see a pattern emerge later on. Keep notes
on what you ate and drank, how you feel, how the kids are moodwise and
behaviourwise. This is better than trying to rely on your memory.
Last of all, when things
get on top off you, find a quiet spot, have a little cry, give the kids a hug,
and tell them you love them!" - Connie, discussion group
Swimming against the tide
"I wish I knew all of
this about food some thirty years ago after so many misdiagnoses and painful
experiences. The cost to me has been huge and I think it will take a while
before I can emotionally deal with the shame I still feel at always having been
told (and came to believe) that I was just a nut! Failsafe for me isn't just
about getting my health back - it's about getting my life back after all these
years. To say I am inspired by the parents who are fighting for their
children's rights to be healthy is an understatement. I recognise the very real
future scenarios that they are preventing for their children in taking these
actions. Bless them and people such as yourself that are providing such
necessary assistance and swimming against the tide to do so." - reader,
What parents go through - the
Camphor
The elimination diet was
just the beginning for Jesse Patch, aged 6, from northern NSW. His behaviour
improved dramatically but his parents soon noticed strong reactions to cleaners
and other chemicals. Because of his extreme sensitivity, Jesse was referred to
the RPA clinic and diagnosed with MCI (Multiple Chemical Intolerance). Then
some camphor laurels trees were cut down at Jesse's school. Camphor laurels are
strong-smelling trees which grow like weeds in that area. Jesse reacted badly
to the smell of the woodchips. The school refused to believe it was anything
other than a parenting problem. As a result, Jesse must now stay at home to do
his schooling. Read David Patch's compelling letter on the website under Reader Stories.
READERS' STORIES at www.ozemail.com.au/~sdengate
|
Your questions: |
Check out the Questions
and Answers
section in the website with detailed answers to your questions:
Q. I'd like to write a
book about my experiences. Any hints?
A. Writing is time-consuming and
poorly paid. The Australian Society of Authors (www.asauthors.org ) calculate that authors are paid less per hour than any other
occupational group including fruit-pickers. Publishing houses pocket 90% of the
RRP, so the author gets $2 for a $20 book. You can make a profit if you
self-publish, but publishing houses get bigger distribution and so spread the
word much better. Only about 1% of manuscripts submitted to publishers are accepted.
See the Writers and Artists Yearbook in your library for information about
publishers.
Q. What exactly are
those kids eating on the cover of the Failsafe Cookbook?
A. It was a ham and tomato roll - not
failsafe, but it's a great photo. So I asked the graphic artist to change the
ham into chicken and the tomato into beetroot which is moderate in salicylates.
I would prefer the lettuce to be iceberg but you can't have everything.
Q. What's in Coke? I'm
addicted to it and I'm sure it's bad for me.
A. See answer in updated FAQ file on
the website.
Q. Help. Where do I
start?
A. This is definitely the most
frequently asked question. Write down everything your child normally eats in a
day. Now check whether they are failsafe by going the list of failsafe foods
(in the booklet from your dietitian, also page 206 Fed Up, page 195 FS
Cookbook) or the recipes. If not, write down a substitute for each food. For
example, breakfast: Nutrigrain. Not failsafe. Use Rice Bubbles or rolled oats
instead. Raw sugar. Not failsafe. Use white sugar instead. Milk. Decide whether
you will include milk or not (eg if frequent ear infections, switch to Vitasoy
Calciplus). Toast. Read label on bread and switch to preservative-free bread.
Margarine. Read label and switch to Nuttelex … If you have the FS Cookbook,
read "How to Start" on page 18 and the Checklist of Common Mistakes
on page 207 (or on the website). Any questions, join the discussion group,
phone your local contact, or email me for support. See the full answer and
others in FAQs on the website.
|
Around the groups: |
Tasmanian report
Tasmanians showed strong
interest in food intolerance. There were supportive dietitians or childcare
nurses at every talk I gave, even a couple of GPs and of course, plenty of
parents and others with FI. As always, it was lovely to meet so many readers and
discussion group members.
The good news about food in
The bad news: it is very
difficult to find preservative-free bread. Helga's is OK for some people but
not failsafe because of the vinegar. Noble Rise contains whey powder (which is
natural 282). Still checking on Banjo's - don't take the sales assistant's word
for it, ask to see the label on the packet of premix. Your best bet is
Woolworths instore bakery bread labelled without preservatives, Pritikin if you
can manage wholemeal bread - some failsafers can't - and Laucke's premix for
breadmakers.
Failsafe contacts (all can
recommend sympathetic dietitians, advise about bread and failsafe sausages and
some are organising meetings):
Hobart, Jean, phone 03 6243 8307
Launceston, Megan phone 03 6382 2561
Burnie, Caroline, phone 03 6432 3223
(Caroline belongs to the allergy association FACTS which already runs regular
meetings but is interested in catering for failsafers as well)
Group news
Our phone contacts and
support groups all operate in different ways. They range from people who have
just got through their elimination and challenges to experts who have been
doing it for years. Most people can recommend the name of a supportive
dietitian or provide support themselves. They can usually tell you where to buy
failsafe sausages and bread.
Some groups run occasional
meetings, such as Jenny's failsafe get-togethers in the Melbourne Botanic
Gardens.
Others have several
meetings planned in advance, like the new
Darwin group has an
information night with Sue Dengate on Tuesday 13th November 7.30 pm
At Essington, phone Deb 8932 1520, Also starting fortnightly chat meetings,
children welcome, (first one Saturday 17th November, 10 am, phone
Erica 8927 0121).
Bernard of the Illawarra
group gives scheduled talks (and see readers reports).
Others like the
|
Cooks' corner |
Hints:
* Add citric acid to a
packet of Kettle chips and toss for a salt and vinegar flavour - Carlia
Miles
* For a different flavour,
use brown sugar instead of white in Margie's Lunchbox muffins, FS Cookbook
p132. - Howard Dengate
* Birgit's pear ketchup
keeps best in the freezer. It is so soft you can use it while frozen. - Sue
Dengate
* To have fresh gf muffins
for breakfast, I put all the dry ingredients in my food processor at night,
then add the wet ingredients first thing in the morning. - Erica Waite
Margarine
1 cup sunflower oil
1 tsp liquid lecithin
1 cup cold water
Pour a little of the water
into a blender, then add oil and lecithin. Blend briefly on high speed while
adding the rest of the water. Store in refrigerator and use within 2-3 weeks.
Variation: for a very rich cream substitute, add 1 tbsp maple syrup and 2 tsp
carob powder. - Margie Turner
Hot chicken
rolls
Caramel cakes
125 gms butter (Nuttelex)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 cup S.R. flour
1/2 cup plain flour (I use
1 1/2 cups Debs G.F. flour)
1/2 cup milk (rice or soy)
Cream butter and sugar,
stir in eggs and golden syrup and beat until combined. Fold in sifted flour
alternatively with milk. Spread in Gladbake lined 20cm tin or patty pans. bake
50-60 mins or 20mins respectively. Cool on racks and ice.
Caramel icing. Melt 60 gms butter (Nuttelex) in a
saucepan and stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar. Stir till sugar dissolves and add 1/4
cup milk (rice or soy). Leave till cold. Add enough of this mixture to 1 cup of
icing sugar to make a spreadable consistency. Left over butter mixture can be
stored in the fridge till next time and reheated in the microwave before adding
to icing sugar. - Andra Somerville
Toffee Bark
Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar
evenly over a lightly greased baking tray lined with foil and place under a hot
grill. Cook until sugar is dissolved and is a dark caramel colour. Turn the
grill tray as it cooks to dissolve sugar evenly. Leave until completely cold
and then break into pieces. Make 1-2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container
in a cool, dry place. - Margie Turner
The FAILSAFE Discussion Group : On-going support is the key to
success with FAILSAFE eating. Access the wealth of experience and information
in this free email group and share recipes and stories with people from around
the world, particularly from
The FAILSAFE Newsletter: You can have this Newsletter emailed to you for free about every two months, and also see it on this website. Subscribe: failsafe_newsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Frontpage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/failsafe_newsletter
© Sue Dengate (text)