FAILSAFE #41
Newsletter of the Food Intolerance Network
February - April 2004
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FAILSAFE supports people 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
Big win for
additive free team
The McDonald's
diet
44-day 'starvation
stunt'
Student tests
junk food
Research: 6-day fast for autistic boy, Most
urticaria is food-related, say researchers, Food additives and runny nose,
Gluten and mental symptoms, Mercury-based preservatives in vaccines
In brief: report adverse drug reactions,
antidepressant suicide-related warnings, aspirin induced asthma, autism
reaching 'epidemic levels'.
Lobbying: Preservative complaint rewarded
Readers' stories: [312] - [327]
Product updates: ***WARNINGS*** Amines in meat from
Coles and Woolworths, McCains Healthy Choice, Pampas butter puff Pastry, Bakers
Delight finger buns, Sunicrust Mighty Soft bread, BiLo bread caution, Regarding
mercury in fish, Honey blends. ***GOOD NEWS ***Sunfield safflower oil in New
Zealand, Cheap canned pears, tinned halves or quarters in syrup, Fantastic Long
Life Noodles, Sunbeam home Fairy Floss (cotton candy) makers, Fluff is a
failsafe marshmallow spread.
Questions: Easter eggs, BeCALM'd, Food
packaging legislation, preservative in 7UP lemonade, vitamin supplement and
heart beating fast.
Cooks Corner: Fluff marshmallow spread, Chicken
noodle snack, Moroccan Chicken, Butterscotch Pudding
Hi everyone
Apologies for the lateness
of this newsletter. After living in
Welcome to the many new
subscribers who have joined us since the last newsletter, and thank you to
those who have responded so enthusiastically to my new book 'Fed Up with ADHD'.
In this newsletter there
are more 'bad news' product reports than at any time since the start of the
Food Intolerance Network, especially regarding amines in supermarket meat, the
spread of antioxidants BHA(320) and TBHQ(319), propionates (282) in bread and
benzoates (211) in 7UP. The new way of distributing supermarket meat in
particular might account for many families who are scratching their heads about
why the diet isn't working.
For good news amid the
gloom, see increasingly positive medical research and some outstanding
unofficial research looking at the effects of foods, and I love the
heartwarming story about an additive-free sports team. See the Q&As for
Easter suggestions, and reports of the Sunbeam home fairy floss maker in the
Product Updates.
Happy failsafe eating -
Sue Dengate (sdengate@ozemail.com.au)
Big win for additive free team
A team of tiny T-ball
players demonstrated the benefits of additive-free eating last month when they
won 9 matches in 3 days to become undefeated under-10 champions in the ACT.
'I knew they would have to
maintain focus and stamina, so I requested a junk food ban 2-3 weeks before the
competition', jubilant coach Sheryl Sibley explained after the win.
While other competitors
lined up during the three-day carnival for treats such as coloured shaved ice,
Sheryl's team proudly asked for their shaved ice without topping.
'These were all normal kids
who had never been diagnosed with anything, yet the parents could see a
difference' said Sheryl. 'It was a long, tough competition, but everyone was
happy. There were no tears or complaints afterwards as often happens. The girls
showed exceptionally sustained skill, focus and teamwork, beyond what you would
expect for their age'.
After the win, parents with
other children in the competition asked 'why can't they do this for the older
teams as well?'
For details of Sheryl's
additive-free sports plan, see the Eating to Win low additive factsheet on the
website.
The McDonald's diet
When McDonald's declared on
television that their food was nutritious,
During the course of the
film, Spurlock gained 12 kg (25 pounds) and developed headaches, depression and
high cholesterol.
'He was an extremely
healthy person who got very sick eating this McDonald's diet', said
Spurlock said he felt
terrible by the end of the month. 'It really affects you in so many ways that I
think a lot of people don't realise, very subtle little things. Over the course
of the film you see my transformation and it's not pleasant.'
Every day McDonald's feeds
46 million people worldwide. The company has declined to comment on the film,
which will be distributed later this year. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4078903
44-day 'starvation stunt'
While Morgan Spurlock was
filmed stuffing himself at McDonald's in the
Student tests junk food
Thirteen-year-old Justin
Fletcher from
For two days, Justin ate
only junk food including Coco Pops, Coke, cake, meat pies and lollies then put
himself through a series or reading, typing and mathematics tests. Justin
repeated the exercises after two days of eating chicken, rice, bread and lettuce.
The results showed that he
read 43 per cent slower, typed at nearly half his usual speed and solved maths
problems up to 35 per cent slower.
'It was only once I had
finished the tests and converted the results to percentages that I realised how
big the difference was,' said Justin.
Justin's family also
noticed behavioural changes, like mood-swings, after he binged on junk food.
His mother Philippa, a community health promoter, was shocked. 'It was such a
short period of time, I didn't think it would have much impact, she said. www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,280284a7144.00.html
|
Research |
6-day fast for
autistic boy
An 8-year-old autistic boy
with hyperactivity, uncontrolled laughter and disruptive behaviours such as
screaming, biting, scratching and object throwing showed behavioural
improvement during a 6 day fast with only spring water allowed. Throughout the
tests, the boy was kept in a room under observation and allowed out only for
toilet and bathroom breaks. Reintroduction of individual foods showed that
foods including wheat, dairy products, tomatoes, mushrooms and corn were
instrumental in producing behavioral disorders with this child. O'Banion D
and others, Disruptive behavior: a dietary approach. J Autism Child Schizophr.
1978;8(3):325-37.
Most urticaria
is food-related, say researchers
German researchers using a
diet 'largely avoiding preservatives, dyes and natural pseudoallergens' found
nearly three quarters of patients with urticaria experienced remission of more
than 6 months, compared to one quarter with spontaneous remissions. Nearly all
patients who improved on diet reacted to tomatoes. Henz BM, Zuberbier T. Exp
Dermatol. Most chronic urticaria is food-dependent, and not idiopathic.
1998;7(4):139-42.
Food additives
and runny nose
Twenty non-allergic
subjects with chronic rhinitis reacted to sodium benzoate (E211) with symptoms
including runny or blocked nose, sneezing and itchy nose. There were similar
but fewer reactions to tartrazine (102), erythrosine (127),
para-hydroxybenzoate (214-219), sodium metabisulphite (223) and monosodium
glutamate (621). Pacor ML and others. Monosodium benzoate hypersensitivity
in subjects with persistent rhinitis. Allergy. 2004;59(2):192-7.
Gluten and
mental symptoms
A family history of coeliac
disease is a risk factor for schizophrenia, according to authors of a study
published last month. Meanwhile in
Mercury-based
preservatives in vaccines
A Centre for Disease
Control study led by a vaccine manufacturers employee revealed a significant association
between mercury-preserved vaccines administered to infants and later
developmental abnormalities such as speech and language delays, tics and
ADHD-type symptoms. This association was not included in the final report, say
critics. 'I do not want [my] grandson to get a thimerosal-containing vaccine
until we know better what is going on,' said Richard Johnston, a pediatrics
professor at the University of Colorado, according to the transcript of a
meeting in July 2000. Study authors and advisers discussed preliminary findings
that indicated the risk of autism was 2 1/2 times greater among children who
received the highest levels of thimerosal compared with those who received
none. http://www.safeminds.org/CDCSuspicion/cdcsuspicion.html
Diet not working as well as
you'd hoped?
One tiny mistake can make a
huge difference. For fine-tuning, see the recently updated list on the
website Checklist of common mistakes. Readers tell us this list is very
useful.
|
In brief |
* Report your adverse
drug reactions to
the new Australian AME (Adverse Medicines Event) hotline, 1300 134 237 from
* The FDA has asked the
makers of 10 common antidepressants to add or strengthen suicide-related
warnings on their labels following an emotional meeting last month with
anguished families who blamed the pills for their loved ones' suicides. Days
later, a 19-year-old taking part in a study of Eli Lilly and Co's experimental
new antidepressant duloxetine hanged herself in a company-run facility. The
drugs of concern are SSRIs or SSRI-like drugs. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4579108/
* Aspirin induced asthma.
Many more adult asthmatics are sensitive to salicylates than are aware of their
sensitivity, say researchers. While only 3% report aspirin sensitivity, 21% of
adult asthmatics reacted to oral challenges. Most also react to ibuprofen,
naproxen and diclofenic NSAIDs. Jenkins C and others, Systematic review of
prevalence of aspirin induced asthma, BMJ 2004;328(7437):434-8, free full text
at www.pubmed.com.
* Autism reaching
'epidemic levels'. Autism was first identified in 1943. The incidence of
autism has increased from about 1 in 2,500 to 5,000 children in the 1970s to 1
in 150 to 500 children. A big new study in
|
Lobbying |
Preservative complaint rewarded
When Judy from
|
Readers' stories |
[327] One-liners (April
2004)
* If it wasn't for your
books, one of us would be dead by now - reader, Qld.
* Going failsafe is the
best thing that our family ever did! - reader NT.
* Congratulations on your
new book! Another wonderful read (full of tears for me!) - reader NSW.
* For the first time since
my son was diagnosed with ADHD I was able to relate to someone about what it is
like to live with this condition on a daily basis.- email.
* When I was diagnosed with
a salicylate intolerance I found your book incredibly helpful and it stopped
the usual 3 or 4 hours of runny nose every day! - reader
* Your book with its
striking cover jumped off the shelf at me - I couldn't put it down and we have
been on the failsafe diet ever since. -email.
* The more I see the effect
of this diet, the more I find it incredible to believe that the medical
profession and food authorities/manufacturers can deny that additives have any
effect. - reader Qld.
[326] Amines in
supermarket meats (April 2004)
Even though my asthmatic
daughter Kate improved out of sight on the failsafe diet, she never got the
fabulous results that other failsafers report, and I always wondered why.
Up until November last
year, Kate's peak flow was around 280-300 and although she never needed
Ventolin, we couldn't get her off inhaled steroids. Suddenly in November her
peak flow shot up to 380-395 consistently and we were about to take her off her
Pulmicort. Then after two months she slumped back to a peak flow of 250 and
needing Ventolin. Nothing had changed in her diet.
A light bulb moment
occurred when I realised that I had been buying our meat from Coles or
Woolworths for years but last November I started buying local butcher's meat. I
hadn't realised the connection that the butcher's meat was what brought Kate's
peak flow up to the 380 range and when I returned to buying Coles meat even
though fresh, it slumped down to 250. Why?
It turns out that what I
thought was fresh meat from my local supermarket hasn't been fresh at all. Meat
is sent to the Bathurst Woolworths and Coles stores not as carcasses, but in
vacuum packs. When the vacuum pack is opened, the meat is repacked in trays and
sold as fresh meat to the consumer with a use by date 3-5 days from the opening
of the cryovac pack. This lasts the supermarket up to 8 weeks so the meat can
be up to 60 days old in the vacuum pack before it is opened and sold as fresh
meat. By comparison, my local butcher reassures me that his meat is killed on
Thursday/Friday and he gets it Monday. I purchase on that Monday for the week
and freeze.
I found on the internet
that vacuum packaging of meat is not an effective means of retarding the
production of amines, and we know that Kate is a sensitive amine responder.
Kate has now been off Coles
meat for five days. Her peak flow has risen from 250 to 330 already and she no
longer requires Ventolin - so this was obviously the cause of her asthma. This
was the hardest food item ever to figure out. I am usually pretty good at
finding it but this one had me baffled until I realised the meat connection. It
was only because there was a pattern to the asthma. Kate woke up every Monday
morning needing Ventolin and the only thing different about Sunday was the
roast lamb for dinner!
Coles Customer relations
say that this is a fairly new procedure, but some stores have been doing it
longer than others. Some Woolworths stores vacuum pack only beef not lamb, but
Coles supermarkets vacuum pack both lamb and beef. This may change from
supermarket to supermarket. I know that this is my problem and will be a
problem for a lot of amine responders. Chicken is not affected, as it is
usually 48 hour from slaughter to sale. After my sleepless nights and
desperation to track down this offending amine, I hope now to get the word out
to other amine responders which I know you will do on your website. - Susan
Bragg, NSW.
[325] Autism - on or
off-diet during assessment? Readers' opinions, please (April 2004)
My autistic son has been on
the diet strictly now for nearly 2 years. He looks terrific and is very healthy
with only a very mild sniffle since going failsafe.
He starts pre-primary
school this year. It is the school where he went to kindy last year so they are
very aware of his requirements such as: no hairspray, aerosol deodorants,
perfume etc and are using enjo gloves in the classroom to avoid any chemical
being used during the day. Big relief.
We have a five-month wait
for the formal disability services assessment to obtain aids for school. I
don't know whether to take him off the diet for the period of the assessment.
On the diet, although excellent, autistic signs are still evident, for example:
no eye contact, no imaginary play, everything is black or white, no flexibility
etc. If we take him off the diet we get a severe reduction in speech, tantrums,
aggression, argumentative, rashes, red ears, hypersensitivity to noise, dislike
of being touched and the list continues.
I am an avid failsafer and
can't now imagine life without failsafe (my son has failed all challenges on a
number of occasions and is also intolerant to airborne salicylates). Could I
have input from other failsafe mothers on what they think would be best during
the assessment? - reader, WA.
[324] Autism and diet at
school (2) (April 2004)
About 18 months ago you
helped us put our son Ryan (now nearly 5 years old) on the elimination diet,
after we had been to RPA for Ryan's hyperactivity, ADHD and autism. Three
months later you helped us find a problem with wholegrain wheat and
antioxidants that had pulled us undone. Salicylates turned out to be our main
problem although antioxidants are a close second, with amines and other
additives a problem too.
Our son is now in his
second year at special school, where he has made great leaps and bounds. When
Ryan started school he was already on the diet. Months later when we'd allowed
bananas to become more frequent than one half every second day, his teachers
actually came to me and asked was Ryan eating something he shouldn't be. It
took us three weeks to figure it out, and cut back on the bananas. Through this
incident, they really came to see what we were talking about. Interestingly the
school has strongly supported us, always keeping us up to date with what's
coming up for 'tasting' in cooking classes, and seeking alternatives for Ryan.
I'm very grateful for this! - reader, NSW.
[323] Dodgy doctors and
salicylates (April 2004)
I've kept my 12 year old's
asthma at bay for most of his life with dust mite control, no additives etc.
Since the Christmas holidays started he's had a virus and then constant asthma.
I visited a doctor two weeks ago and he put my son on a wheat free, dairy free,
additive free diet (all of which I've done before) as well as salicylate free
diet for which he gave me a list of good and bad foods. He also recommended
steaming eucalyptus twice a day for mucus control as well as some supplements.
After 10 days there had
been no improvement so I sat down and reread your book as well as Friendly Food
from RPAH. I found his list had been quite misleading - no talk about cold
pressed oils, different rices, raw and roasted cashews, hazelnuts, tamari,
additives in margarines etc. Probably the worst thing has been the twice daily
sucking in of eucalyptus oil!!
There must be a lot of
doctors out there like this who send people off with half-baked lists and
advice and consequently end up with very spurious results. Most of the
population treat doctors as gods and never question them but, as I have proven
on many occasions, they are not infallible and people need to be a lot more
aware and questioning. It is has been hard yakka trying to get my son to give
up so many different foods and all for nought as now we will need to find
somebody who really knows what they are doing and start again.
Had I not had your book, we
could have come to the conclusion that the problem is not salicylates, whereas
there is a possibility that it is. - by email.
[322] 635: Rash was
caused by 2 minute noodles (April 2004)
Well it hasn't even been a
week yet and I'm feeling better, my rash has cured 80% best ever, the main
problem was Maggi 2 minute noodles as I have been eating them at least once a
week since I left home (I guess mother's cooking says a lot there) just because
they were quick and easy.- from the failsafe groups.
[321] 635:
Life-threatening reaction to flavoured chips (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. - reader, SA.
[320] Learned to read
'overnight' (April 2004)
My 5 1/2-year-old daughter
Claire has been on the elimination diet for 2 months with amazing results. The
main reason for doing the elimination was her bed wetting, and after about 5
weeks we saw a marked improvement (but not yet cure), also, she had stopped her
ceaseless empty chatter, her cradle cap (she has had it since starting solids!)
has pretty much gone, the dermatitis on her back has gone, her drawing has
changed from a dark blue or black scribble to colourful age appropriate
drawings of recognisable objects, and she has overnight (it seems) learnt to
read! - from the failsafe groups.
See illustrations, the blue
one was done a few days after the 'normal' one, while she was reacting to too
many flavours in too many 'treats'
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[319] 'Most improved
mathematician' (April 2004)
I tried the failsafe diet
several years ago unsuccessfully. I realise now that I was not strict enough
with the salicylates and additives. So, once again I've turned to the book,
this time with new vigour. After three days, my child who has learning difficulties
and is repeating year 1 has been praised by three different teachers and is
receiving an honour certificate at school (a positive reinforcement program).
My older son (9) received an award on the same day for the 'most improved
Mathematician - Years 4-7'. They do a fortnightly maths test (same test each
time -they have a copy at home to practice) - he doubled the number of
questions answered in the allotted time and got nearly all of them right with
only one short trial at home. I am determined to continue this time. Thanks so
much - we may have finally found the answers. - email.
[318] Chronic eczema
(April 2004)
My 3-year-old daughter developed
eczema at the age of six months when I introduced solids and by 8 months she
needed frequent cortisone cream. The doctor said she would grow out of it, but
every time I stopped using the cortisone cream the eczema would start again
within 4 days. Now her eczema is so close to being gone that we are just
waiting for some healed areas to disappear. Her legs are smooth and so are her
arms except for a couple of tiny spots. She would still be covered in eczema if
it wasn't for your books and all the heaps of help and reassurance you have
given me. I've been close to tears and felt like giving up several times, but I
couldn't let her suffer, I had to keep persevering. How do you say thank you
for giving a child the opportunity to live a 'normal' life. - reader, NSW.
[317] 'Absolutely foul'
to 'wonderful' 13 year old in three weeks (April 2004)
We are trying the failsafe
diet for my 13-year-old nephew,
Two weeks later… I think
that
Three days later … We had a
wonderful day with
[316] Disastrous
Christmas (April 2004)
A couple of years ago I
discovered through the elimination diet that my son (now 8) can't tolerate
gluten. I also suspected that he had a problem with artificial flavours, colours
and preservatives, but due to the fact that we pretty much avoid these anyway,
I didn't challenge him with them. Well, at Christmas we went for a month's
holiday to
The worst thing is that we
didn't really think about what was causing his deteriorating behaviour, but
just battled through our holiday trying to cope with it. When we returned home
I started buying a different brand of gluten free bread but it wasn't until he
returned to school and went from an average maths student at the end of 2003 to
bottom of the class in a remedial group at the start of 2004, and looking back
at the horrendous hour-long tantrums we were experiencing at home, that I seriously
started questioning what was going on. Living with him was like treading on
eggshells. At the end of one particularly distressing tantrum he said he hated
himself and hated the way he felt. His teachers said he has NO concentration. I
had noticed this myself at home during the holidays but STILL didn't think of
diet! He had also totally lost interest in playing the piano which he was mad
keen on before we went on holidays. He said it was too hard.
I phoned Woolworths to
double check on the ingredients in their gluten free Kerry Formula bread. They
told me they don't put preservatives in their bread. Then when I asked
specifically about E320 she said, oh yes, it has that. Anyway, apart from 320
being in the bread he was eating 2-3 times a day, I'm not sure of what other
preservatives he's had, but for nearly 2 weeks now he's been off them all and
his behaviour has become quite reasonable. He has again become excited about
playing the piano, and I have my lovely little boy back. Even my husband who is
a bit of a 'disbeliever' until he is thoroughly convinced has noticed a big
difference.
I can't believe I let all
of this happen. And when it was happening I can't believe I didn't see it
earlier. It's scary that chemicals permitted in our foods can have such an
extreme effect. My son avoids gluten because he hates being sick. There is no
problem there. But preservatives are more difficult. I can keep him off them
now, but when he's a teenager will he have to become antisocial and drop to the
bottom of the class again and reach rock bottom before he is determined to
avoid them, because at the moment he can't, or doesn't want to, understand the
connection. It's very hard, but when I feel sorry for myself or him I just
remind myself that at least we know what the problem is. Wouldn't it be awful
having that sort of behaviour and not knowing why? - reader, NSW.
[315] Preservative
causes symptoms of motor neurone disease (April 2004)
Last year we moved into our
new house and within a month I began getting generally weak with extremely weak
arms. I had a few episodes of feeling drunk and not even being able to chew.
I'm a cyclist and couldn't cycle for most of the year. They tested for
everything from MS to motor neurone disease but put it down to a virus. Then I
used a nasal spray. My nasal passages swelled up, I became itchy all over and
my lips swelled. The same happened with eardrops. The preservative in them is
benzalkonium chloride which is in a concentrated form in nearly every household
cleaner (from Pine O Clean to spray and wipe type cleaners). I had started
using these cleaners when we moved into our new house because the baths etc are
plastic these days and they tell us to use spray and wipe instead of Jif. That
was when it all started. In retrospect I believe my 'virus' was in fact this
chemical. I have now almost completely recovered except for some weakness in my
arms.- by email, NSW.
[314] 13 years of
intolerance to soy (April 2004)
I am soy intolerant. More
specifically I suffer from a legume intolerance which is only now apparent
after 13 years of suffering and frustration. My intolerance manifests itself in
the form of chronic idiopathic urticaria, meaning never-ending hives of unknown
origin. 'These hives are large unbelievably itchy red welts that, in a severe
attack can cover almost all of the body. My symptoms got worst and extended to
lethargy, aching and swelled joints, sleepless nights and eventually an
emotional feeling of hopelessness of ever being able to stop the relentless
onslaught.
My story began when I was 30
years old and developed a few welts for no apparent reason since I was
otherwise healthy. I went to well-known allergy experts and my GP. It was
obvious to them that I was suffering a food sensitivity. After I failed a skin
test for allergic reactions, they focused on a food intolerance type problem.
Years went by of chopping
and changing, trying different things and variations to elimination diets. One
thing did stick out - soy sauce caused me an immediate affect. Clearly I
shouldn't have soy, but what else was causing the reactions? After all I only
had soy sauce with a very occasional Chinese meal or rice.
The most important aspect
of identifying my problem was keeping a record of what I ate every day for
years. Eventually, when the breakthrough came, it was due to improved food
labelling on Australian packaging combined with information on food ingredients
in Professor Brostoff's book on food intolerance.
One afternoon, one of my
kids left an empty Cheezels packet on the bench in the kitchen. I picked it up
to dispose of it and, as I'd been doing habitually for years, read the food
ingredients label. To my utter surprise and confusion, it said 'contains milk,
dairy and soy products'. I always liked twisties and cheezels, but never read
anything in the past that alerted me to soy products within the ingredients. I
closely read the ingredients list. No mention of soy. That's odd, I thought.
I then went straight to the
book mentioned above and referred to soya in the Appendices. Amongst other
things it said '... a frequent offender in food intolerance.' I then recalled
being tested for soy with the 'overdose' of soy milk routine. It didn't make
sense. I keep reading down to 'Food Labelling' and there it was, 'May be
described as lecithin, vegetable gum, vegetable protein, textured vegetable
protein or vegetable starch'.
I referred back to the
Cheezel labelling and there it was: 'vegetable gum'. I then went to the West
Australian Health Department's 'Food Additives Guide'. I looked through and
found all the numbers relative to these titles, particularly lecithin (322)
used as an antioxidant in many foods and checked out my pantry and fridge. More
than half the food I had contained at least one of these soy based ingredients,
but not one made mention or reference to them being a derivative of soy.
I stopped eating anything
that contained ANY soy based ingredients and within 24 hours there was a major
change! [this complete interesting story is available on the website]
-
[313] Big improvement in
reading and maths (April 2004)
We were having troubles
with our son at school not concentrating and mucking up, but since reading your
book and taking things out of his diet he went from reading level 3 to 16 in
one school year and came first out of all the boys in his class in a maths
test, so I would just like to thank you for giving us the information we
needed. - Sherree, NSW.
[312] Naturopathic way
makes us sicker (April 2004)
I have been using your book
like a bible for my four-year-old and have had wonderful success. Without it I
don't think our family would have survived. Our little boy has salicylate
sensitivity and is also affected by a lot of preservatives and colours. He
previously suffered from severe bloating, diarrhoea and stomach cramps which are
controlled with this diet. His severe rages and tantrums also went away almost
instantly when we started failsafe eating. My son is very grateful because he
doesn't like having stomach cramps. He said to me one day when he was only
three, 'Mummy what are we going to do about my tummy, it really hurts' and that
was when I found your book.
I am a nutritionist and
have studied through natural health colleges. I have found that trying to help
my son and myself the naturopathic way only makes us much sicker, as you stated
in your book. Damien cannot take vitamins or eat lots of fruit and vegetables. -
Karen England, NSW.
MORE READERS' STORIES on the
website
|
Product updates |
***WARNINGS***
* Amines in
meat. An increasing
number of Coles and Woolworths supermarkets are buying all their beef (and in
some cases lamb) in vacuum packs, repackaging and selling up to 60-day old meat
as fresh meat. This meat is far too high in amines to be failsafe. Check with
your local supermarket, and see the story of Susan Bragg's fine detective work
in Readers Stories.
* McCains
Healthy Choice not so healthy: their Healthy Choice Fries and Wedges now contain unlisted
antioxidant BHA(320). McCains tell us that the beef tallow in their hash browns
is usually free of BHA, except over Christmas. Many manufacturers have
complained to us that they are unable to source vegetable oil without BHA, even
though ascorbates and tocopherols (306-309) are safe alternatives. Thanks to
Andra Somerville and many other readers.
*
* Bakers
Delight finger buns are not failsafe because the flavour (listed on the website) is called
'spice wash' and definitely affects failsafers. Stick to the plain bread or get
your finger buns from Brumbys. Thanks to the failsafe groups.
* Mighty Soft
bread not so mighty anymore: Sunicrust Might Soft bread in
* BiLo bread
caution - the
supermarket in Chadstone (maybe all BiLo stores) used to supply beautiful fresh
bread rolls, preservative free, baked in-house. Now the breads are not baked
in-house but brought in and contain preservative 282. Thanks to Jenny Ravlic
* Regarding
mercury in fish,
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) now advise pregnant women, women
planning pregnancy and young children to limit their intake of shark (flake),
broadbill, marlin and swordfish to no more than one serve per fortnight with no
other fish to be consumed during that fortnight. For orange roughy (also sold
as sea perch) and catfish, the advice is to consume no more than one serve per
week, with no other fish being consumed during that week. If amines are OK for
you: canned tuna generally has lower levels of mercury than other tuna because
the tuna used for canning are smaller species that are generally caught when
less than 1 year old. It is considered safe for all population groups to
consume a snack can of tuna (95 grams) everyday, assuming no other fish is
eaten. More at www.foodstandards.gov.au
* Honey blends - for non-salicylate responders:
Australian honey blended with Argentine honey is considered a serious health
risk due to presence of nitrofurans- stick to 100% pure Australian honey. http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2004/20040312bqae.shtml
***GOOD NEWS ***
* Sunfield
safflower oil in
* Cheap canned
pears, tinned halves or quarters in syrup, are available from the SPC Ardmona Factory Sales in
Mooroopna, near
* Fantastic
Long Life Noodles
made from just wheat flour and salt are failsafe. Check ingredients lists on
other noodles, as they often contain non-failsafe ingredients. Thanks to Tania
Cannons.
* Sunbeam home
Fairy Floss (cotton candy) makers have been strongly recommended. One tablespoon of sugar and
ten minutes entertainment provides the kids with a failsafe treat. Great value
for $59.00. Thanks to Andra Somerville and Sheryl Sibley.
* Fluff is a
failsafe marshmallow spread, ingredients: glucose syrup, sugar, dried egg white and artificial
flavour (vanillin) in the spreads section of Coles supermarkets, in a glass jar
with a red lid. The website for recipes is: http://www.marshmallowfluff.com/ This product is limited for people who react
to sulphites (glucose syrup) and salicylates (vanillin). Thanks to Ingrid Boyle
|
Your questions: |
Q. We usually have a
huge Easter egg hunt and my son keeps asking will he be able to have any eggs.
Can he have a chocolate challenge over Easter?
A. You can't use regular Easter eggs
for the amine challenge because they contain too much flavour (salicylates).
Dark chocolate is recommended so Nestle dark choc bits (unflavoured) are ideal.
You can make your own chocolate eggs out of that, by melting it down (in a
double boiler) and using commercial chocolate egg moulds or you can use two
spoons.
For non-amine responders,
one failsafer has recommended the Lindt chocolate carrots available this year
in Coles supermarkets because they are unflavoured.
Otherwise, you can buy
carob Easter eggs. One failsafer wrote 'I have one 80gm carob egg, ingredients:
milk solids, vegetable oil (palm kernel), carob powder (3%) and emulsifier
(soya lecithin). I also have a small plastic rabbit container to put Pascall
white marshmallows in.'
Or you can regard Easter as
a treat, buy a packet of the very little chocolate Easter eggs as a way of
minimising the harm, and use them for a big Easter egg hunt, so the hunt is
more fun than eating the eggs.
I am usually inundated by emails
from parents telling me how horrible their kids are in the week after Easter
because the amine reaction is generally delayed and can last up to a week or
more.
Q. Do you know anything
about BeCALM'd?
A. Two families have reported that this
product really works. Ingredients include natural amino acids 5HTP (L-5-
hydroxytryptophan) and phenylalanine. In 1989 L-tryptophan supplements were
associated with eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (
Q. A lady in a bakery
told me this week that she was waiting on a delivery of new bread bags, as they
had to list all ingredients now! (yay) Do you have the particulars of the new
legislation?
A. The 'new' legislation is the new
Food Standards Code, which was introduced in December 2002. Manufacturers were
given until December 2003 to use up old packaging. The new code requires
nutrition information and reduces the labelling loophole from 10% to 5%, but
still doesn't require all ingredients to be listed. For example, it still means
BHA (320) or TBHQ (319) can be hidden in products such as chips and biscuits in
amounts which can affect our kids, especially if eaten every day (see
disastrous Christmas story [316] ).
Q. Can you tell me how
badly this preservative in 7UP lemonade would affect my child, and an
alternative drink I could give her?
A. The preservative is sodium benzoate
(211). It has been implicated in everything from asthma to itchy skin rashes to
behaviour. Behavioural reactions are likely to be next day irritability,
lasting all day, with outbursts if things go wrong. One woman who hadn't
noticed the new preservative wrote 'My son had temper tantrums 20-24 hours
after having the 7UP. We have stopped buying it now'. As an alternative,
Schweppes bottled lemonade is preservative-free but limited to 150 ml per week
because of salicylates and amines in the natural lemon flavour. You could try
the Magic Cordial recipe in all my books and on the website brochures.
Q. Last summer I took a
vitamin supplement and about 5 minutes later my heart started beating so fast
and I couldn't breathe, and felt weak and cold-sweaty. I honestly and truly
thought I was going to die. My mom sped me to the hospital emergency where they
performed some tests, but according to them I could not be in better health.
After about an hour of being tested all the symptoms went away just as suddenly
as they came. I never had that before then or since, and I am 100% sure it was
brought on by the supplement, although at the hospital they did not believe me.
A. Heart palpitations are a
well-documented reaction to some of the B group Vitamins B1( thiamine), B2
(riboflavin), B3 (niacin, niacinamide, nicotinamide, nicotinic acid) and B6
(pyridoxine, pyryridoxol, pyridoxamine). Another failsafer described a sudden
rash, dizziness, shortness of breath and 'my whole head became hot, flushed and
red, so much that a colleague came over concerned' five hours after taking a
multivitamin tablet which was free of additives and herbs. Niacin is known to
cause flushing. There could also be hidden colours or herbs that affect some
people.
Check out the Questions and Answers section in the website for many more details.
|
Around the groups: getting in touch |
A failsafer would like to
hear from others in
Anyone know where to buy
fresh goat's milk in the Mt Colah -Hornsby (NSW) area?
Bounced emails: 2 from bigpond (topics
failsafe/glycerine) and one from ncweb (triad asthma). Please try again.
Preferably send alternate email addresses if your emails are not getting
answered.
Dutch and Spanish
translators - A big
thank you to the five Dutch-speaking failsafers - more than I expected - who
responded to my request for a Dutch translator! Are there any Spanish speakers
out there who would like to translate bits of 'Presencia de sulfitos en carne
picada y preparados de carne elaborados en industrias de la comunidad
Valenciana'?
Restaurant review: The Peasants Feast in Sydney
A popular restaurant in the
eating strip of
Although at first glance
the menu is loaded with nonfailsafe items such as eggplant caponata torte,
diners can order any food, cooked any way and avoid the high-salicylate sauces
which are normally served. I chose grilled Oak Farm organic chicken, served on
cous cous and yoghurt while Howard ate the kangaroo loin fillet with grilled
sweet potato and we shared a side dish of green beans. Everything was
beautifully cooked, presented and delicious. For dessert, we enjoyed the
steamed banana pudding with a homemade, failsafe and truly exceptional caramel
icecream. Entrees range from $10.50-$14.00, mains $19.50-$25.50 and desserts
$9.00.
We ordered on the night
which limited our choice and we were prepared to eat moderate salicylates and
amines. If you want a special meal, the chef would prefer several days notice
since many of the foods are marinated beforehand, phone 02 9516 5998. (Reviewers
paid for their own meals.)
Email
discussion groups
Email support groups are
immensely popular and have over 700 members in total. There are now three big
general groups and an increasing number of special interest or regional groups.
Failsafebaby (to subscribe, email 'subscribe' in the subject-line to failsafebaby-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) is off to a strong start and has
been expanded to include toddlers and children of any age who still need
Neocate. New regional groups include finAd (
A new general group for
beginners has also just started, because Failsafebasic and Failsafe2 are over
150 members each. Email failsafe3-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Support
contacts
There are now 70 support
contacts in 47 locations in
Talks and
television
APRIL
MELBOURNE Sunbury: Thursday 22nd April, 1-3 pm: Food Intolerance and Allergy Seminar
with Jenny Saal, leader of the Melbourne Food Intolerance Network, Sunbury
Community Health Centre, 12-28 Macedon St. Sunbury, Cost $10, Contact: Helen
Hill for bookings, Phone: 03 9744 4555. Any enquiries re food intolerance
phone: Jenny 03 9740 5645 or email davidjennysaal@bigpond.com
MAY
SYDNEY Epping
AUGUST
ALBURY & GIPPSLAND (tbc)
Requested but no date set: Adelaide Hills SA, Tamworth NSW, Lismore NSW,
Central Coast NSW
Brochures
Printable trifold brochures on
food intolerance and oppositional defiance are available. We'll post one of
each for free that you can copy, or you can buy bulk copies at cost. See
instructions on the website for accessing pdf versions. Email confoodnet@ozemail.com.au with enquiries.
We loved this comment from
one satisfied failsafer:
"Ah, the answer to my
prayers. I had no idea the brochure even existed, but thanks so much for
directing me to it. I am not very Internet savvy, however I found it easy
enough. Regarding possible opposition to failsafing within the child care
setting ... now all I have to do is hand over a copy of this and let them ask
questions! Thanks again. I highly recommend everyone print this out if you
don't already have a copy, it sure cuts out the "but WHY can't your kid
have (insert food here)?" questions. Great for grandparents too."
|
Cooks' corner |
Fluff
marshmallow spread
(see product updates)
Chicken noodle
snack
1 packet Fantastic Long
Life Noodles
homemade chicken stock
chopped cooked chicken
Bring stock to the boil,
add noodles and chopped chicken and simmer until noodles are cooked. This is a
good substitute for 2-minute noodles. - Tania Cannons
Moroccan Chicken
500 gm chicken thigh
fillets
2 large potatoes, peeled
and chopped
half a carrot, sliced
thinly (optional)
1 shallot and half a leek,
finely sliced and fried in failsafe oil
Put all ingredients in pot,
bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for one to one and a half hours.
Serve in a bowl or with cous-cous. - Grace Lyons
Butterscotch
Pudding
'When I make it I always
make two and the kids get so excited!!' - Dawn Lockwood
1 cup SR flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teas salt
60g butter
1/2 cup milk
Sauce: 2 tbspn golden syrup
1 1/2 cup hot water
30g butter
Pudding: Sift flour, sugar
an salt into bowl. Add melted butter and milk. combine thoroughly. Pour into
greased dish. Sauce: Combine ingredients in saucepan, stir over low heat until
butter melts. Pour mixture on top. Bake in a moderate oven (180-200'C) for
30-40 minutes.
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)