FAILSAFE #63
Newsletter
of the Food Intolerance Network
January – March 2010
|
The Food Intolerance Network supports people worldwide using a low-chemical elimination diet free of additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavour enhancers (FAILSAFE) for health, behaviour and learning problems. |
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Also available as a downloadable PDF file http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/newsletters/FAILsaf63.pdf
The FAILSAFE Newsletter is available free by email. Just send your email
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THIS MONTH
Supermarkets follow
up on ‘No artificial colours’ promise
Australian of the Year Awards
Free glutamate and
the MSG labelling loophole
Research: Risk to brain of blue and yellow, An allergy to Goldfish
In brief:
Artificial red 127, ADHD guidelines blocked, Diet could be the ADHD key,
not drugs; Review of food labelling in Australia and New Zealand, FDA reversal
on gender bending/obesity chemicals in food containers, Man 'nearly killed' by
spray-on deodorant
Readers' stories: [886]-[902]
Product updates: detailed help and information.
Questions: detailed help and information.
Cooks Corner: Vegemite Substitute, Easy chicken
stock, Crunchy chunky cashew biscuits with dairy-free gluten-free option
Hello everyone
Welcome to our first issue for 2010,
especially to the many new failsafers who decided over the festive season that
enough was enough, it’s time to take diet seriously.
There’s some great news to start the year
including the removal of artificial colours and even annatto 160b from many
products.
Also in this issue, new research about
artificial colours, great new products, handy recipes and some inspiring reader
stories - from the Courage Award story about an aspiring Olympic athlete, to
Kylie of NSW who says: ‘I just take my lunch when we go out now, and if the pub
or restaurant bucks up about me taking my own food, my 18 colleagues stand up
as if to leave and say "fine, we'll take our business elsewhere, she has
dietary issues"’. We could all use that kind of support!
Howard and I will be trekking in
Happy
failsafeing - Sue Dengate
Supermarkets follow
up on ‘No artificial colours’ promise
After the official announcement in June last
year, ALDI supermarket chain has been working to remove all artificial colours
and flavours from own brand products. Products without artificial colours now
include jelly crystals, Neapolitan ice cream, drinks, sweets and Freeze Pops.
These products may be suitable for those are avoiding additives but families
will still have to check for additives such as natural colour annatto 160b and
preservatives such as benzoates 210-212 and sorbates 200-203. Warning: children
who appear to react to ‘all natural’ products with strong fruit flavours or
colours - including the Natural Confectionery Co brand – are probably sensitive
to salicylates and/or amines. For such children, vanilla flavoured products are
safer. http://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/product_range/offers_core_20100114.htm?WT.z_src=main
Australian of the
Year Awards
Thanks to everyone who helped Sue Dengate reach the
finalists in these Awards. While not winning, the nomination helped raise the
profile of food intolerance everywhere. Photos of Sue receiving her finalists
award from the Deputy Premier of NSW, and her support at the ceremony: Jenny
Ravlic and Kathleen Daalmeyer of Additive Education in Melbourne, husband Dr
Howard Dengate, and long-term failsafe contact Sheryl Sibley from
Free glutamate and
the MSG labelling loophole
If MSG is added to a food, it must appear in the
ingredients list as MSG or flavour enhancer 621. However, there is a loophole.
Most consumers don’t realise that ingredients such as hydrolysed vegetable
protein, soy sauce or yeast extracts contain free glutamates that are
essentially the same as MSG. Due to consumer requests, in 1996 the USFDA
published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking with several options such as
a requirement that all foods with 0.2g or more of free glutamate per serving
must state the amount of free glutamate on the label. This regulation would be
very helpful for people who are sensitive to MSG! Predictably, the proposal was
opposed by the food industry - such as the International Hydrolyzed Protein
Council (IHPC) - and 14 years later, nothing has happened. Consequently,
consumers must learn for themselves the deceptive and changing ways that MSG
can be described on labels. Further reading:
Food Labeling for the 21st Century: A Report by the Center for Science
in the Public Interest p26 http://www.cspinet.org/reports/labelrept.pdf;
and see the ways MSG can be described in our MSG Factsheet http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/FactMSG.htm.
Books and
You can buy Sue’s books and
Risk
to brain of blue and yellow:
Artificial colours are tested individually before approval, but then
used in combination in foods, which is not tested. A Korean research team has
tested various widely used combinations and concluded that the tartrazine (102)
and brilliant blue (133) combination in particular showed synergistic effects
and may adversely affect the growth of new brain cells in both children and
adults. Park M and others, Risk assessment for the combinational effects of
food color additives: neural progenitor cells and hippocampal neurogenesis. J
Toxicol Environ Health A. 2009;72(21-22):1412-23 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20077213?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1.
An
allergy to Goldfish: When doctors were baffled by her 8
month old daughter’s full body hives and potentially life-threatening swelling
of the lips, a mother in the
Full story: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805955/?tool=pubmed.
Diet
not working as well as you'd hoped?
One tiny mistake can make a huge difference. For
fine-tuning, see the Checklist
of common mistakes. Readers tell us this list is very useful.
Artificial
red 127: FIN made a submission in December 2009
opposing extension of use of artificial red colour Erythrosine 127 (Application
A603) http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/support/A603FIN01.pdf.
ADHD
guidelines blocked: the release of controversial
guidelines on ADHD have been stopped by the Australian Federal Government
following the revelation that seven of the 10 people in charge of setting the
guidelines had financial links to firms who make ADHD drugs and one
psychiatrist, whose research into anti-psychotic drugs helped form the
guidelines, is under investigation in the US for allegedly failing to declare
$1.6 million in payments from drug companies. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/adhd-guidelines-pulled-after-payment-scandal/story-e6freuzr-1225801902002.
Diet
could be the ADHD key, not drugs: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,,26386783-421,00.html
– the experience of the majority of Network members is that food intolerance is
frequently misdiagnosed as ADHD, although some children appear to need
medication. FIN’s July 2008 submission on these ADHD guidelines, meticulously
researched and referenced, has never even had the courtesy of an
acknowledgement from RACP: http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/support/ADHD07.pdf
Review
of food labelling in
FDA
reversal on gender bending/obesity chemicals in food containers: Two years after announcing that Bisphenol-A (BPA) in plastic packaging
‘posed no risk to human health’, the U.S. FDA now has ‘some concerns’. BPA is
currently permitted in polycarbonate bottles and epoxy resin liners in some
cans. According to CHOICE, you can avoid BPA and phthalates by steering clear
of plastics with the identification codes 3 and 7, and avoiding fresh meat and
vegetables wrapped in cling film. Good news for Australians, in 2002 an
industry survey found no BPA in products from SPC Ardmona, one of Australia’s
leading manufacturers of canned foods
http://www.choice.com.au/Reviews-and-Tests/Food-and-Health/Food-and-drink/Safety/Plastic-food-containers/page/Bisphenol%20A.aspx.
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/content/view/print/274053.
Man
'nearly killed' by spray-on deodorant:
A British man almost died on Christmas Day after suffering a severe allergic
reaction to spray-on deodorant Lynx Fever that caused his throat to close. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/989672/man-nearly-killed-by-spray-on-deodorant.
The previous reports from Food Intolerance Network
members published since February 1999 have been collected into a single PDF
file (~2Mb) so that it is easier to download and search using Control/F or the
PDF search function: http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/stories/failsafestories.pdf.
Names have been changed to protect privacy.
You can see all current stories at www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/stories/story10.htm.
[902] One-liners
(February 2010)
I've just found your Fed Up website and want to say
how amazing I think it is. I was put on the Friendly Food diet from the Royal
Prince Alfred and it has helped ...
thanks for all your hard work. I feel like I've discovered a gold mine.
It’s like finding friends who actually understand what you're talking about -
Aviva, NSW
Failsafe gave me the freedom to live and enjoy what
weren't hard kids to enjoy, just challenging at times. My best moment would be
when our 4 yo trouble child sat with a recently broken arm, very tired waiting
for panadol and dinner, quietly no whingeing and playing a game of junior
scrabble with his brother.- Karen, Qld
Thanks a million for all your work - our family would
not function without you! – Lisa, by email
Our dietitian only recommended Friendly Food as a cook
book and although it is a lovely cook book for adults, it is next to useless
for young families. Her comment on the Failsafe Cookbook was that she didn't
really know it (ie knew of it, but hadn't looked at it). I wonder how many families go through her
doors and come out feeling hopeless regarding ideas for practical cooking - by
email
My 2 yo daughter and I are still on the diet (12
months now) and are doing really well. As time goes on I am increasingly coming
to terms with accepting that this diet works wonders for me and it is simply
what I have to stick to - by email, Vic
[901] Has his
sights on the Olympic games (February 2010) COURAGE AWARD
We began our Failsafe journey 3 years ago. My now 9
year old was 18 months when the doctors first made the suggestion that he
should be medicated. I flat out refused to medicate a little baby, and advised
the doctors that food was triggering his extreme behaviour. On almost every
occasion I was either laughed at or made to feel a fool and told that 'food
doesn't alter behaviour' - this was despite the fact that he already been
diagnosed with anaphylaxis to eggs and a severe dairy allergy and suffered
chronic reflux as a baby, and I myself had suffered food intolerance for many
years - this went on for nearly 6 years ...
As I wasn't particularly well versed in the ways of
the internet and had no idea where to turn, I took things on myself, taking a
common sense approach to removing things from my son’s diet - if he went 'crazy',
the food was removed and replaced with something else that didn't make him
'crazy'... We discovered that wheat was a major player in triggering offensive,
violent and extremely hyperactive behaviour and insomnia ... so that was
removed, and my son has been wheat free for nearly 9 years now. Whilst the
wheat free diet took the edge off his severe behaviors, he was still an
unpleasant, uncontrollable child and we tried many disciplinary techniques,
play techniques, putting him in sports, we had his eyes and hearing checked and
still had no answers.
His severe reflux started again at 6 years old, and
once again doctors wanted to treat the symptoms and not determine the cause ...
I went along with what the doctors wanted, but the reflux medication appeared
to exacerbate the behavioural symptoms. We dealt with the behaviours as they
reared their ugly heads, but in addition to the reflux, my son then continued
to get more and more physiological symptoms, such as rashes, vomiting, and
severe hayfever - I knew this certainly wasn't normal - and he was beginning to
have random and bizarre allergic reactions and I had absolutely no idea what he
was reacting to. The culmination of these allergic reactions ended up with an
anaphylactic reaction, to what has since been determined as an allergy to red
meat.
Unfortunately it took an anaphylactic reaction to have
to doctors send me in the right direction. We saw a paed who prescribed
adrenalin and promptly sent us on to an immunologist ... who explained to us
that allergies and food intolerance often go hand in hand. Following all the
usual tests and discussing at length my son’s behavioural issues we were sent
to an accredited dietitian for help and to be placed on an elimination diet.
We found the most amazing dietitian, who was very
supportive and was very eager to help. Once I knew what the problem might be, I
began my research as well ... and that is where I discovered the fed up
website. On the elimination diet and the subequent food challenges, we have
since discovered that my son is completely intolerant to wheat, completely
intolerant to amines, completely intolerant to glutamates, colours and
preservatives and we have discovered that certain brands of shampoos,
toothpaste and hair products trigger negative behaviour, he also has a milder
intolerance to salicylates, but we are very strict with what he does have.
Luckily, he has grown out of his dairy and egg allergies, which makes the
preparation of food that little bit easier.
My son went from a child who slept no more than 3-4
hours a night, couldn't sit still, was compulsive, aggressive, insolent,
destructive, hyperactive, would make constant noises, had severe reflux, had
eczema, has issues at school with book work and reading, etc, to a child who is
pleasant, well mannered, focused and actually sleeps. And it was with the
advent of the new diet/lifestyle that we also discovered that my son has quite
a talent for sport.
Before the diet, my son didn't have the attention span
to stay between the white lines on a running track or didn't think he had to
wait for the starter’s gun in a running or swimming race. Within the first 6
months of the lifestyle change he went on to represent his school in swimming
and athletics, in the next year he went onto represent at regional level and
last year competed at state level in swimming, cross country and athletics, for
both the school and at club level. And this year, as a 9 year old, my son has
already broken records on the athletics track and is on is way to breaking more
records in the pool ... he has his sights firmly on the Olympic games in 2020,
he just isn't sure which sport he wants to compete in!!
I find that his discipline in his chosen sport helps to
keep him disciplined in his diet, and I am very honest and blunt in explaining
to him what is in the foods that he wants to eat and why he can’t eat other
stuff. We are about to begin meeting with our dietitian again to ensure that he
is receiving adequate nutrition to sustain the endurance that he requires for
his sports and to ensure that he is receiving adequate protein for proper
muscle development.
People are often perplexed as to how a child who
'misses out' on so much food can be quite so athletic ... I explain to them
that the food he doesn't eat actually enables his sporting and academic
ability, but sadly, most people can't understand that concept. They can't
understand why my son simply drinks water and eats an apple and some rice cakes
or a chicken sandwich after a race when every other kid at a swim meet is
eating a chocolate bar or drinking a powerade or the newest fad - pouring honey
all over a banana to 'restore their energy'.
We still have bad days, and find peer pressure a
constant issue, but as a family we are positive towards all facets of my son's
limited diet and I am constantly inventing new and interesting things to eat! -
Belinda, NSW
[900] Asthma:
from one hospital admission a week to one every 8-12 months (February 2010)
First, I have to thank you for the work you have done.
It is just over 3 years since I first picked up a copy of Fed Up with Asthma
after my then 16 month old son was diagnosed. The medication did not seem to be
working as it should, and I knew there was something else going on. He has
major difficulties with sulphites, MSG and flavour enhancers (and natural glutamates)
and benzoates (although we still avoid all preservatives and artificial colours
because we are used to it now!), and after seeing an allergist and finding a
nut allergy as well, all the pieces fit together. He is now a happy and healthy
little boy about to start pre-school, whose nut allergies have been decreasing
over the last two years - in fact his peanut allergy is totally gone - and has
gone from one hospital admission a week to one every 8-12 months. We truly
thank you, because it was your book that put us on the right track. - Clare,
Qld
[899] Really bad
eczema in baby (February 2010)
I have been meaning to write for ages to thank you for
the Fed Up work and for the wonderful contacts. I am seeing your recommended
dietitian. Previous to changing to a low chemical diet our baby has suffered
from really bad eczema since 3 months of age, has been to hospital twice and
wet wrapping once. Now he has a small patch under his chin only when I eat a
suspect food (shallots, golden syrup etc) and that is all! I am a complete
convert and find the Fed Up and RPA books wonderful. It is so hard not to run
up to strangers with eczema kids to tell them to at least trial modifying diet
to low chemical.
The dietitian is wonderful and very encouraging. I am
still able to breast feed our baby, and we are alternating challenging him
through my diet and adding a new food for him. He now eats rice and choko, and
I am challenging soy first. The limitations are tough, especially around this
time of year, but so worth it for happy healthy children! Thank you, thank you,
thank you.... - Natalie, Sydney.
[898] Wow!!!!
sums up effects of diet on tics (February 2010)
(At the start) We have an appointment with your recommended
dietitian in 2 weeks, which can't come quick enough. Our 9-year-old son has had
(with hindsight) intermittent tics for the last couple of years. Last weekend
he was so agitated and had particularly bad tics which seemed to follow him
having an ice cone with some terrible colouring/flavouring over it which
someone bought him with the best intentions! Traditionally, we have always had
plenty of fruit and veg and I think has contributed also. A trip to the GP
resulted in being told they were habits which we should ignore and if they
hadn't gone in 2 months to go back.
So, we started failsafe last weekend and are now on
day 7 having had him off school with a cough, cold and generally irritable.
Things improved loads today until a friend of his gave him a starburst earlier
this evening at the village movies and within an hour at the most he was
incredibly twitchy...is it possible for him to have such an immediate reaction
to something?..then improve within a couple of hours?
We have gone through thoughts of Tourette's syndrome,
some of the symptoms he seems to have - sniffing, twitching, vocal tics, though
the GP said this was unlikely ... he was definitely agitated tonight though we
don't know if it was due to the noise / busyness of the place or could have
been the starburst. His favourite foods are orange juice, olives, mushrooms,
salami all of which have been eliminated, and we are thinking salicylates maybe
the culprit ...
(12 days later) Just a quick update on things, it's been an interesting week! Our son's
tics had been improving, but he had a terrible cough and kept spiking temps so
he is now on antibiotics for a chest infection, and is improving cough/temp
wise but his tics seem to have really worsened again. Looking at the
ingredients on his meds, it's reassuring to think we are on the right track. We
have managed to stick to the elimination diet and he has been really good at
chomping his sprouts etc ... not enthusiastically ... but eating them!
(After 5 weeks) Thought it time I put an email together to update you on our son's
progress !... wow!!!! sums it up nicely! We have been to see the dietitian
twice now and are fine tuning our failsafe eating. I would say he is 80%
improved, hardly any physical tics, occasional vocals and bed wetting is still
a problem but we are hoping with the fine tuning we may be able to help that.
He is more focused on homework, even doing extra to catch up!! It has been a
revelation and continues to be so, my husband has lost weight (it needed to
go!)and his BP has dropped to normal limits so everyone is better all round.
(After 6 months) Another update! Things all went a bit off track a few months ago and I
think the pressure of everything all got a bit too much, especially for our
son. However, with the relapse in diet the tics returned and so we have gone
failsafe again but without the pressure and fuss this time. Meals out and
parties are relaxed and he can have whatever is on offer! Most of the time we
are failsafe at home without anyone really realising it ... it has become a way
of life! Plus the tics have disappeared which is reassuring to know that we are
doing the right thing. Another trigger we are almost 100% sure of is scented
candles, we had one of these in the lounge around the time of the return of the
tics!
I cannot thank you enough for all the info you and Sue
have put together, your books and Friendly Food have to be the most well
thumbed books in our house! – Amanda, by email.
[897] 9 year
update: From typical ‘naughty’ 4yo boy to different kid (February 2010)
When my son was in 4yo kinder, 9 years ago (he is now
13) we thought he was a typical “naughty” 4yo boy - hyperactive, restless, all
the common symptoms of additive overload. I did my homework and came across
“Fed Up”. It was like you wrote the book about him. We followed the detox diet
and within a week he was a different kid. To this day we still eat following
your guidelines. I wish other parents and schools would see the light. –
Kirstin, Vic
[896] 635: Rash
due to 635 in seasoning and skin of BBQ chicken
(February 2010)
My son recently reacted very badly with intense
itching and a pimply pustule-like rash to the food additive flavour enhancer
635 - which I did not even know we'd been exposed to until after the event - by
eating a store-bought seasoned BBQ chicken. I phoned the store, and they said
they use the 635 in the seasoning and in a powder they sprinkle over the skin
for flavouring. - Deb, Brisbane
[895] 621:
Lifelong severe migraines due to MSG and other flavour enhancers (February
2010)
I have suffered from bad migraines nearly all of my
life. My mother said I was only about 4 when they started (or when I could tell
them my head hurt).
I used to have about 4-5 per month, usually lasting
1-3 days. They always start with my vision going first. If it goes in the right
eye, the pain will be on the left and vice versa, after that comes I get
extreme pain and vomiting. I cannot stand to be touched or be around any noise
or light, even dull light, the vision usually rights itself in about 3 hours, I
have to lie still in a quiet and dark room with a washer on my head. I've been
on various medications over the years and had my GP sent me for an MRI last
year when my vision in my left eye didn't restore itself for 5 days.
When we put the kids on failsafe eating, I followed it
in front of the kids but not at work etc. I decided to go failsafe and
challenge myself when I realised there was something to the foods we are eating
these days, after what I'd seen with the kiddies. I didn't get any symptoms
when challenging with amines, salicylates etc, but found it's only when I eat
things like flavoured chips, noodles, those bouillon stock cubes, ham and
processed meats and foods like that. HVP is certainly one of the things that
set my migraines off.
I have eaten several things while I was challenging
and I'd always end up without fail with a migraine, so it is most definitely
the food or what is in the foods.
Just before Christmas I ate some noodles from our
local noodle bar that opened up, I phoned them and asked if they use MSG, they
said no, I should have asked if they used any flavour enhancers and/or MSG, I
ended up off work for 2 days and had to get a colleague to take the kids to
before school care and my husband to pick them up. When I phoned them back and asked if they use
flavour enhancers, they after some prodding, said yes they did, "but it
was legal". I assured them I knew it was legal, but they should disclose
that to their customers.
I'm sure these people don't realise that people who
suffer from migraines suffer from disturbed vision, extreme headaches, vomiting
or nausea, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity and it impacts on all who are
around them, you can't move, you can't do anything with the kids, you can't
work, you can't drive, you can't cook, you effectively are incapacitated by the
migraine until it subsides.
I've decided to eat exactly what the kids eat, I've
explained to my colleagues at work and they are totally fine with it, I just
take my lunch when we go out now, and if the restaurant or pub bucks up, like a
certain one did just last week, about me taking my own food, the other 18 of
them stand up as if to leave and say "fine, we'll take our business
elsewhere, she has dietary issues". It's great support. They backed down
last week, it was great!!! - Kylie, NSW
[894] 621: MSG
headaches in an 8 year old (February 2010)
My 8 yo granddaughter was getting headaches three
times a week or more. Sometimes they were so bad she had to take time off
school and lie down. After we watched your DVD we looked at what she was eating
and realised the headaches came after she ate pies, party pies, flavoured
noodles - anything with flavour enhancers. So we stopped eating them. Now we
know - if she doesn't eat flavour enhancers, she doesn't get headaches. -
Terry, NSW
[893] Middle hear
hearing loss and food intolerance (February 2010)
I’m wondering about the link between food intolerance
and middle ear hearing loss in children. Our children have been on the diet for
about 6 weeks (Friendly Food with modifications under allergist's advice), and
there have been many positive improvements in their health. We were already
largely artificial additives free.
My five year old had tested with mild hearing loss
(middle ear) in both ears prior to starting the diet. We went to the ENT for
the first time after 4 weeks on the diet, he cleaned her ears and re-tested
her, and she showed up as having perfect hearing. There had been no other
health issue at her previous two tests (eg. no cold or infection).
The ENT said all the improvement was due to the
removal of wax. The audiometrist had
previously said the wax was not a problem.
I'm willing to admit the cleaning of her ears had
something to do with it, but the improvement in her behaviour and speech prior
to this happening tells me there could be a diet effect as well. Whatever, we are thrilled that our little
girl can hear properly now, although she did say that sounds are "too
loud" now.
We are now fully convinced that the diet is the best
way for us to eat, and our children love the changes to their health. But it does tend to become a major part of
life!! Thanks for your great work and
the site. – Melody, by email
[892] Wild and
extremely violent behaviour due to undiagnosed coeliac disease (February 2010)
Three years ago I stood in the bookshop with 'Fed Up'
in my hand debating whether to part with $20. Your book has repaid itself a
thousandfold. I send my heartfelt thanks.
My youngest son's problems are a long saga, suffice to
say that eliminating additives and low amines as suggested by your book
provided the answer for some time. Then at nearly nine, out of the blue, he had
some sort of breakdown. The teacher suggested Asperger's but he soon became
worse - quite autistic, wild and extremely violent. He was off school for three
months. The doctors I approached turned their backs on me. I couldn't believe
it. I can only think they thought that as he already had a disability (Central
Auditory Processing Disorder) it was part and parcel of the condition and
didn't realise how extreme his behaviour was. I insisted that he be screened
for a variety of degenerative diseases, but they came back negative.
Finally realising that no one else "gave a
stuff", I turned back to your book. If it was diet before, then maybe,
it's diet again, I thought. I tried eliminating salicylates, he got worse; I
tried wheat, no change; I tried dairy no change. Eventually I tried eliminating
both dairy and wheat and he improved.
He spent two years on a wheat free, dairy free, no
additive, careful about amine diet and he could manage if he had a small dose of
Ritalin 5mg breakfast, 5mg at lunch as well. Our lives were back on track, he
was progressing at school, having a go at different sports, and excelling in
his favourite sport. But it was all because of the ritalin - and diet.
Without the medication it was still like living with a
drunk - he could be fun sometimes, but more often silly and tiresome, and
aggressive too often. I always felt that the child that he had been was still
there deep down, intact and undamaged, although why I believed it, I don't know.
In November when he turned 11, I contemplated the thought that maybe he did
have irreversible minor brain damage, but I couldn't accept the notion.
Then, by chance ("Mum, I don't want Rye bread
this morning, I want Rice cereal") we realised it was the GLUTEN. I never
suspected it, because I'd known a baby who nearly died of coeliac disease and
the symptoms were quite different from my son's. I followed up your footnote in
Fed Up and read Professor Duggan's article in the Aust. Med.Journal. My son was
diagnosed with Coeliac disease a month ago and I am absolutely delighted by his
response to the gluten free diet.
As you can see I am much indebted to you. It was only
fine reading of your book that has helped me tease out my son's difficulties. I
shudder to think where he'd be now (at a special school, I'm sure) if it hadn't
been for your persistence in acquiring all this knowledge and for passing it on
- Anne, Qld
[891] Excessive
sweating (hyperhidrosis) due to food (February 2010)
I had previously been to the doctors on a few
occasions regarding a problem I had with excessive sweating. I would hop out of
the shower and dry only to be literally dripping with sweat. It didn't matter
what I did I couldn't find any relief from the sweating. The doctor advised me
to use a very strong anti-perspirant, but I have enough problems with
supermarket products!
When I went onto black coffees I noticed a gradual
decline in the amount of excessive sweating. I went back to white coffees and
lo and behold: excessive sweating again!! I have noticed that since switching
to rice milk, my cravings for cheese, etc, have reduced. –Nicole, SA
[890] 160b: Head
banging and annatto (February 2010)
I have removed the additive 160b from my 2 year olds
diet and had the most amazing result. A friend attended one of your talks, came
to work the next day and told me about the additive 160b because of my
daughter’s head banging - mainly on all fours and banging the forehead on the
ground, sometimes against a wall, but not often, mainly the floor. I then
proceeded to check the foods I gave her and eliminated anything with this
additive in it. Within 1 week the head banging stopped. She would get in the
position when have a tantrum, but there was no head banging. After four months
with not having this in her diet, by accident, she had 3 teaspoons of custard
(at Grandma’s) and was head banging within 1/2hr. I think this is proof enough
for me that this additive is the cause. – by email, NSW (described by the
friend in story #583)
[889] 160b: Sooky
(complaining, whingeing, sad) behaviour after annatto (February 2010)
When I first started eliminating additives I noticed
the change in behaviour of my two year old daughter and her five year old
brother after eating 160b. They would both be very 'sooky' for want of a better
word. The slightest thing would have them cry and get all emotional. I noticed
it would happen within an hour or two of eating something and could last for a
full 24 hours, very frustrating. Before that I had no idea what 160b was and thought
that yoghurt, processed cheese slice and plain vanilla icecream were healthy
food. My daughter is now six and we just avoid stuff like that, we always get
the same old things that we know are safe - Emma, by email
[888] 160b:
Defiant, teary, mega tantrums after annatto (February 2010)
I have had great results with my daughter now 4 with a
generally additive free, low chemical diet with improvements in behaviour,
going to sleep etc (used to have many major tantrums, defiance, took 2 hours to
go to sleep). 160b is a big culprit. It makes my daughter extremely defiant,
teary and she throws mega tantrums. (It’s so hard to educate my mum - as 160b
is in so many "healthy foods" yoghurt, icecreams, etc). Our friends’
son is a headbanger when he eats annatto. – Tamsin, Vic
[887] 160b:
Behavioural reaction to vitamins with annatto (February 2010)
I first noticed the annatto connection with my son
specifically with processed cheese singles, so I try to keep him away from
those and generally don't have a problem, or if so, it is only small. Recently,
we were away for almost a week, and when we came back, he started taking these
"gummy vites" children's vitamins ("all natural" and sure enough
colored with all natural annatto) he hadn't had for some time, and it was like
a switch went off and the symptoms were back full force.- Anna, USA
[886] 160b:
Totally hyperactive due to annatto in cereal (February 2010)
I’m pretty certain my 9yo son reacts to 160B -after a
week spent at my mother’s where I’d stupidly, and innocently bought Cheerios
when I was in a hurry. I didn’t notice the word annatto, looking just for
numbers. He had it every day for breakfast and was TOTALLY hyperactive every
night – it took me a week to work out the link! – Karen, by email
Don’t forget, you can see all these current stories at www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/stories/story10.htm
The full list of product updates is available at www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/information/updates.htm.
Here are recent updates from that list:
A2 yoghurt from Freedom
Food and Jalna should be available in March or April (UHT A2 milk is also
available) – thanks to Donna - note that yoghurt is listed as moderate in
amines in the new RPA Handbook 2009, so not suitable for your strict
elimination diet.
Absolute Fruitz Freeze
Dried Pear Slices are peeled sliced freeze dried Williams pears, available from
health food stores, other outlets and the website. Good for lunchboxes. http://absolutefruitz.com/# - thanks to
Melissa
Update: sadly, Mrs Mays Pear Fruit Chips have been discontinued
Mountain bread is way cheaper ordered
online http://www.mountainbread.com.au/cgi-bin/index.pl?menu_id=245 – thanks to Val
Butcher in East Ringwood,
Vic Deans
Butcher Shop 78 Railway avenue East
Ringwood in Vic will make sausages to your own recipe - normally only makes
then on a Wednesday - can be ordered over the phone: 9870 6003, and are OK to
be picked up on the Thursday. Will also make preservative free sausage meat for
sausage rolls. – thanks to Donna
Butcher in Raymond
Terrace, NSW Stevo's Riverside Meats, 9 William Street, Raymond Terrace NSW,
phone 4987 2740 will make failsafe sausages specifically for you or you can get
them out of his freezer ready made. You don’t have to buy them in 10kg lots. –
thanks to Kylie
Sundaes without Topping Both McDonalds and
Hungry Jacks soft serve Sundaes without topping are now free of annatto (160b)
and therefore appear to be suitable for failsafers who can tolerate dairy foods
(except for Hungry Jacks in WA which still contain annatto). Use a plastic cup
instead of the cone which contains artificial colour Sunset Yellow (110). Our
campaign The Great Macca's Experiment concerning the effects of annatto in
Macca’s soft serve is now abandoned although you can still try Vaalia French
vanilla yoghurt as an annatto challenge. http://mcdonalds.com.au/sites/mcdonalds.com.au/files/images/Ingredient-Listing-17-November-2009.pdf AND http://www.hungryjacks.com.au/menu_soft_serve_cone
Supernatural Rock Candy: Tasmanian company
Sweet-AS has released a Supernatural rock candy (it has no baddies and was made
just for failsafers). See contact information on www.sweet-as.com.au They will send them where ever you like
(check ingredients are suitable for you before ordering). – thanks to Jackie
‘Pure’ non-dairy soya
spread (in the UK) is failsafe. Ingredients: Soya Oil (45%), Water, Vegetable Oils,
Salt (0.75%), Emulsifier (Mono and Diglycerides of Vegetable Fatty Acids),
Vitamin E, Natural Flavouring, Vitamin A, Colour (Natural Carotenes), Vitamin D
as D2, Vitamin B12. We checked and the colour is failsafe (betacarotene E160a)
and there are no added antioxidants in the vegetable oils.
CORRECTION: the following item in
the last newsletter refers only to the snackpack
***Product
Warning***You'll Love Coles Pears in Syrup (snackpack) are NOT failsafe due to
concentrated pear juice. According to Coles they need to refer to it as syrup
because they have added sugar to thicken the juice. – thanks to Robin and Anne
For nappy rash, chapped
lips
(1)
Lansinoh 100% ultra pure lanoline no preservatives or other additives is available
in pharmacies in the baby section (it’s actually called nipple cream);
recommended by members of the failsafe eczema group for nappy rash, sore dry
lips, dry red skin behind knees http://www1.au.shopping.com/-hemroids+creams+lanolin
2)
Duncan's Ointment (preservative free zinc oxide, http://www.scorkle.com.au/duncoint.html)
Darifree calcium fortified
potato drink is suitable for people who have to avoid dairy products.
Available as a tin of powder, see http://www.biomedcafe.com.au/index.php?process=shop/productView.php&itemId=20013
Products for lactose
intolerance
Lactose
intolerance or lactase deficiency is an inability to digest lactose – milk
sugar – due to low levels of an enzyme called lactase. Lactase levels vary and
can be temporarily reduced by gastroenteritis. Symptoms can range from mild
abdominal discomfort, bloating and flatulence to abdominal cramps and diarrhoea
and usually occur soon after ingesting certain dairy products especially milk
and yoghurt. Long term lactose intolerance is rare in Caucasians though common
in others and NOT to be confused with dairy intolerance. Further reading: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Lactose_intolerance
Products:
- low lactose milk (e.g. Lactaid,
Balance) from supermarkets, in the Longlife milk section.
- Lact-easy Drops by Pharmotech
03 9531 6667 or ordered through pharmacies
- Lacteeze Drops (NOT Lacteeze
Tablets which have mint flavouring) http://www.alternativehealth.com.au/Product/lacteeze.htm - thanks to Brenda and Rosemaree
All questions from Food Intolerance Network members
that have been published since September 2002 have been collected into a single
54 page PDF file (330Kb) so that it is easier to download and search using
Control/F or the PDF search function: http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/information/failsafequestions.pdf.
Some of the information, particularly that about specific foods and what they
contain, may be out of date – always check the Product Updates section on www.fedup.com.au for the latest information.
Q. My husband and I have been
happily married for 35 years. Although he hasn’t done the elimination diet, I
know he’s better on lower salicylates.
Now the doctor has put him on daily aspirin his personality has changed
– it’s turned him into a grumpy old man and I don’t want to live with him any
more. Is there an alternative?
A.
If aspirin has been prescribed as a blood thinning medication, you can discuss
switching to Clopidogrel with your doctor. (See page 115, RPA Elimination Diet
Handbook 2009).
Q. I have suffering from
hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) for at least 15 years and it seems to be
getting worse. Typically this would affect the hands and feet, but mine is
mostly the back, thighs, chest etc. Recently I’ve spent over $1000 on Chinese
Medicine and acupuncture and it did nothing. I’ve tried all the obvious things
like deodorant, wearing cotton clothes, not eating hot or spicy food to no
avail. Do you know of anyone that has been cured of this through food/additive
elimination?
A.
As with any food intolerance symptom, everyone is different. One reader
reported ‘I have eliminated most things that contain salicylates - which is
basically everything I eat – and I have stopped sweating ...’ and another
failsafer found her excessive sweating was due to dairy foods. A three week
trial of the elimination diet would show whether it would work for you.
Q. I have had to give my 4yo
Maxamox antibiotics for a chest infection. I don't know if I'm imagining or not
but she seems to have become oppositional, loud, disobedient and waking 4/5am
(usually she wakes at 6.30) also she is doing some socially unacceptable
behaviours (spitting, throwing cushions at her siblings’ friends, talking too
much etc). Can you spot anything in the
attached ingredients that she might be reacting to? She is intolerant to salicylates and
additives.
A.
I would expect sodium benzoate (preservative 211) and orange, lemon, peach,
apricot flavouring (salicylates) in the Maxamox suspension to cause the kinds
of behaviours you have described, most likely as a slow build up of symptoms.
The Maxamox tablets not suspension would be suitable for failsafers – you can
crush up plain white tablets and serve them in a spoonful of failsafe icecream
but you would have to check with your pharmacist about dosage for a child.
Q. Do you know what colour is
in Strepsils Honey/Lemon? Based on my
son’s reaction to one lozenge, there has to be an artificial yellow colour
additive. Also, can you tell me why no ingredient listing is required for medications?
A.
When I asked a few years ago they contained Quinoline Yellow (artificial colour
104), now subject to a voluntary ban in the UK due to its effect on children’s
behaviour. Why not list colours on medication labels? - in my experience the
TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration which regulates medication labelling) is
extremely hostile to consumers and protective of Big Pharma. It is best to
avoid all medications unless essential. For coughs and colds, Demazin Cough
& Cold Syrup (2 years to adult) with butterscotch/vanilla flavour, no added
colours, no preservatives, is suitable for failsafers (but beware of other
Demazin syrups with additives).
Q. I have recently started
reading your website as my 11 month old son still doesn’t sleep through the
night. I started to think that it was something that he was eating. I was
pretty lucky that the first 2 things I took out of his diet, Vegemite and
margarine, have helped dramatically. My son really enjoys his Vegemite so I
read all the labels of other alternative products. On the Marmite label it says
it contains caramel 111, I have not been able to find any information on this.
What is it and is it safe to eat????
A.
Caramel iii is another way of saying caramel 150c, also called ammonia caramel
because of how it is made. 150c has been found to decrease white cell counts in
rats but only when the rats are deficient in a certain B vitamin. Caramel
colour is not likely to cause your son’s sleeping problems. The culprit is most
likely yeast extract (essentially MSG) - in Vegemite, Marmite and other similar
products. See Cooks Corner in Failsafe Newsletter #63 for a substitute.
Q. What’s in the popcorn they
sell in cinemas? I’m sure it affects my 4 yo.
A.
At Hoyts the popcorn contains tartrazine (102), one of the artificial colours
now subject to a voluntary ban in the UK because it can cause irritability,
restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance in children. http://www.hoyts.com.au/Meta_Data/Footer/FAQ.aspx#sec5Aq1
Q. Are smoked cold meats
generally preservative-free, or would sulfites still be used?
A.
Smoked meats are listed as very high in salicylates, amines and glutamates so
are never failsafe. I would expect ham to contain one of the nitrate/nitrite
preservatives (249-252) although some manufactured meat contains sulphites. The
Virginia Leg Ham below is described as quality boneless lean leg ham, Naturally
Wood Smoked, No Artificial Colours, No Artificial Flavours. It contains
preservative 250 and traces of sulphites. You can see the full ingredient
listing at http://foodservice.hans.com.au/Products/Ham/HansVirginiaLegHam.aspx
Q. I currently use Campbell's
Real Stock in Beef and Chicken (Ingredients: Beef Stock (water, beef, salt),
vinegar, salt, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, yeast extract, natural food colour
(Caramel1), natural flavours, spices and wheat gluten). What is in this that is not failsafe and what
could I use as an alternative?
A.
That stock is not failsafe due to vinegar (sals and amines); soy sauce, yeast
extract, natural flavours (all with sals, amines, glutamates); and spices
(sals). You can make your own stock, see recipe below.
Q. Is grain fed beef OK?
A.
Grain fed means feedlot beef where animals are crowded together and low levels
of antibiotics may be mixed into the feed over a long period of time. It is
failsafe but if you can, it’s best to buy non-feedlot that can be described as
free range, grass fed, pasture fed, organic or have no label at all. See more
about feedlots at http://www.animalliberation.org.au/cattlefeed.php
Q. I’m failsafe, gluten free and
dairy free – when I get stuck without food, what can I buy as a quick healthy
snack in a supermarket?
A.
A popper of So Good Soymilk Lite contains about 100 calories, similar to 10 raw
cashews, 1 container Heinz babyfoods Pureed Fruity Pear, 15 Red Rock Deli Sea
Salt potato chips, 1 medium Golden Delicious apple (moderate in sals), or 1
medium firm banana (moderate in amines).
Around
the groups
The failsafe groups are still buzzing with
the implications of the many salicylate and amine updates in the new RPAH Elimination
Diet Handbook 2009. These changes are based on clinical experience, not new
analyses. For newbies, there are few changes to the strict elimination diet.
People who have been living with the diet satisfactorily for years do not have
to alter what they eat. However, for people who have been experiencing
difficulties, fine-tuning may be easier knowing what you are most likely to
tolerate. I’ve been enjoying a few slices of peeled cucumber now that it has
been downgraded to the moderate category. If you are still using the charts in
Friendly Food, you can ask for our updated Salicylate and Amine Mistakes
information sheets 2010. Order forms for the new handbook are available from
the RPA website http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/
New
factsheets Factsheets are becoming our major
way of making information available, now in printable format as well as online.
Can
you help?
Monique
in Qatar would like to hear from anyone doing failsafe in the Middle East. You
can contact her via Kathleen (kathleen@additiveeducation.com.au)
Here’s
a Smarties bus in Sydney but we missed getting a photo of the Smarties
advertisement that says “No artificial colours or flavours” – can anyone take a
snap and email it to confoodnet@ozemail.com.au?
Support
We now have
a failsafe contact in China! Beijing, China, Eleanor, eleanorflowers@rocketmail.com
Farewell and
thanks to our contact in Singapore, Jackie, who is moving to the UK.
Over 1.8
million people have now visited www.fedup.com.au
– about 1,000 per day.
Over 7,000
families now receive this quarterly newsletter.
See http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/support/support.htm
for local contacts who can generally answer some questions about failsafe
eating - many have brochures and a copy of the
Email support groups: we currently recommend failsafe3 for
beginners. It is the smallest of the big general groups. You can join by
sending an email to failsafe3-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
with ‘subscribe’ in the subject line.
Talks
Coming talks
by Sue Dengate - full detail at http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/support/talks.htm
Over 70
people have requested talks on the next Fed Up Roadshow, from 9 August to 10
September 2010, taking in NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA, and southern QLD, but only 20
talks can be squeezed in. Please contact confoodnet@ozemail.com.au during
May if you want to be considered to host a talk.
Coming talks
in Melbourne by Kathleen and Jenny of Additive Education http://www.additiveeducation.com.au/talks.htm
Brochures
Printable trifold brochures on food intolerance and
oppositional defiance are available. We'll post two free that you can copy, or
you can buy bulk copies at cost $A0.33 each plus postage. See instructions on
the website for accessing pdf versions. Email confoodnet@ozemail.com.au with
enquiries.
Newsletters
All Failsafe Newsletters from
1998-2008 inclusive have been gathered into a single 716 page
(3Mb) file which you can download and search. There is a wealth of research,
issue discussion, recipes, personal reports and recipes now available in one
place. But some of the links are out of date and you must always check current
products rather than relying on historical information – download
all past Failsafe Newsletters
Question:
has anybody made Dr Dengate’s UGF loaf
using quinoa flour (from Failsafe Newsletter #62) – any problems or comment?
Vegemite
Substitute
A mother wrote "I have recently
started reading your website as my 11 month old son still doesn't sleep through
the night. I started to think that it
was something that he was eating. I was pretty lucky that the first 2 things I
took out of his diet, Vegemite and margarine, have helped dramatically."
Vegemite and similar spreads are very high
in salicylates, amines and glutamates. This nutritious and tasty recipe for was
developed by a mother of 5 who says: ‘the kids love it and eat it all up the
day it is made’.
500g minced beef
500g assorted failsafe vegetables
water as needed
salt to taste
Put meat and vegetables in a pot just
covered with water, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked. Add salt to
taste and blend until smooth. Eat on the day of cooking or freeze in small
containers or icecube trays) and use the day it is thawed. Can also be used
with pasta or as a pizza topping – thanks to
Easy
chicken stock
Bones can be rich in minerals such as
calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and to a lesser extent potassium, silicon and
other trace minerals. Stock made from bones (bone broth) is now considered to
be a high quality multi-mineral and protein supplement. See http://www.townsendletter.com/FebMarch2005/broth0205.htm.
Preferably use organic or free-range chicken which will have stronger better
quality bones.
fresh or frozen chicken necks and/or wings
(or left over chicken carcass from roast)
cold water
pinch of citric acid (now listed as
moderate ... so optional or only use a little)
1 cup chopped celery and shallots
optional: small piece of carrot if not on
strict diet
Put chicken necks and/or wings in a small
saucepan with other ingredients. Add enough cold water to cover bones. Put
saucepan on stove on low heat and slowly bring to the boil, reduce heat and
simmer until it smells good - e.g.1-2 hours or more (longer if starting with
raw meat but be aware that long cooking may develop too many amines). Optional,
you can cook the raw chicken necks in the microwave first. If using raw meat
you may need to skim off the scum after the first hour. When cooked, strain
into another container and discard the bones. Cool in fridge and skim off fat
when it hardens. Store stock in refrigerator (5 days) or freezer (months). You
can use this stock in vegetable soups, with noodles (e.g. Fantastic rice
noodles), over pot roasts and in other recipes calling for stock.
Crunchy
chunky cashew biscuits with dairy-free
gluten-free option
125g butter (dairy-free option: Nuttelex)
at room temp
1 cup caster sugar (or less to taste )
1 egg
1¼ cups SR flour (gf option: gluten-free
SR flour)
2 tsp carob power (option: cocoa for
people who tolerate amines)
250g raw cashews , roughly chopped (or
not!)
Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer
until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until combined. Carefully stir in
sifted flour and cocoa, then add cashews. Roll into balls and place on baking
paper lined trays (used 2 full ones). Cook in slow oven 160’C (or 150”C
fan-forced ) for approx 18-20 mins. Trust me, you will wish you’d made double
quantity - thanks to Lyndel.
The FAILSAFE
Newsletter: You can have this Newsletter emailed to you for
free about every three months, and also see it in colour with graphics on www.fedup.com.au. Subscribe: failsafe_newsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Frontpage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/failsafe_newsletter
Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to failsafe_newsletter-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
© Sue Dengate (text) PO Box 718
WOOLGOOLGA NSW 2456, Australia but material can be reproduced with acknowledgement. Thanks
to Sheryl, Monica, Linda, Kylie, Donna, Anne, Denise,
Karen, Robin, Jenny, Bron, Melissa and of course to Kathleen Daalmeyer and the many
others who have written, phoned and contributed to this newsletter. Further
reading: The Simplified Elimination Diet
from dietitians, Fed Up and The Failsafe Cookbook by Sue Dengate
(Random House Australia), Fed Up with
Children’s Behaviour (