STORIES & OPINIONS 5
Readers are invited to
contribute to this section. Please send your stories and opinions to suedengate@ozemail.com.au. State
whether you would like your name or email address used, or to remain anonymous.
Some names have been changed to protect privacy. My mailing address is PO Box
718 WOOLGOOLGA NSW 2456
[344] Depression:
Chocolate was my drug of choice (Sept 2004)
The first time that I can
remember having significant depression was my third year of varsity. At that
stage I didn't do much about it, but I do know that good diets tend to go out
the window at varsity – I was having a lot of fast foods and fizzy drinks.
Whenever I was under stress my 'drug of choice’ was chocolate. I was sure
chocolate could get me through anything and could eat up to a block a day.
Somehow I finished my third
and fourth years of varsity with good enough grades to get into a job that I
thought that I should have.
I started my job about six
months after finishing varsity into an environment that was full on learning
and living. Through the first year of
steep learning curves I found it more and more difficult to cope, I was crabby,
had no self esteem and 'lost myself'. I
couldn't concentrate, and therefore got more down on myself because I felt I
wasn't doing well enough so started eating more and more chocolate and fast
foods, which caused the cycle to continue, chocolate, stress, depression, lack
of self worth …
About a year into this I
went to a doctor who said I would be fine, that I was just stressed out with
preparing for our wedding, new job, change of city etc, basically to get on
with it.
Three years later, I went
to another doctor with the same symptoms, this time though I was put onto a
'minor' antidepressant. This did help to
stabilise me, and I was able to make some decisions about where I was and where
I wanted to go. I then changed jobs and felt much better, though saying that
the much better as a comparative wasn't really still 'good'.
A year and a half ago my
sister suggested that I try the failsafe diet for symptoms that my doctors were
calling irritable bowel. I had gone off antidepressants for about six months
before testing for IBS, but the first thing the doctors did when looking into
my bowel problems was to put me back on antidepressants. During this time I had still been eating my
old diet of chocolate, plus other foods that are high in amines.
So for my bowel reasons I
went onto failsafe, cutting out everything including wheat and dairy.
This was very hard, and the
withdrawal symptoms were awful, my husband put up with me yelling at him for no
except that he wouldn't go and get me chocolate! At any time I transgressed, the withdrawal
symptoms would come back.
Being on the diet showed
many symptoms that we would have never had associated with food, for example,
black rings under the eyes disappearing, lack of concentration leaving and a
levelling of the depression that I had been experiencing. Before failsafe I
never suspected that depression could even be related to food. I had decided that it ran in the family so I
was just prone to it. After the diet, I
suspected that amines were going to be the big one as whenever I ate cocoa
based products I had always had either a major craving or it made everything
seem worse.
During the amine testing, I
think my husband just about divorced me. I felt awful, didn't want to get out
of bed, couldn't be bothered with anything and was sure everyone hated me.
Anything anyone said was taken the wrong way and I nearly chucked in the job
that I sometimes really enjoy. I spent hours telling my husband about how
terrible my life was and analysing everything in detail trying to work out why
everyone hated me. I had an increasing intensity in suicidal thoughts, thinking
through what was in the house to help me, though, thank goodness, never got to
the stage of actually doing anything about it. It was scary!!!
Dairy had also shown an
affect on my moods, making me grumpy when I consumed too much, though grumpy, I
wasn't as bad as on amines to live with.
I am still on the
antidepressants, but know that I don't really need them. When I am doing diet
wrong, the antidepressants don't help, but they are effectively a crutch that I
haven't been game enough to get off.
When I am staying strictly
on failsafe, I feel happier, am nicer to be around, enjoy life and have lots of
energy instead of lying on the couch like a half comatose couch potato.-
Reader, NZ
[343] Depression: Female
hormones and depression (Sept 2004)
I always had horrible
periods. I was a chronic bitch for two weeks out of every month and also
suffered severe cramping with heavy bleeding and frequent clots.
Straight after my son’s
birth I knew something was wrong. When I got home I just sat in bed staring
into space. I couldn’t get out of bed, couldn’t do anything, couldn’t sleep. I
would start panicking when I heard the baby cry. My mother had to come and look
after us, doing all the work and bringing my son to me for feeds. It was awful.
I didn’t want to take antidepressants but it was something I had to do to make
myself better.
After my second child was
born the same thing happened but I went on the diet for her eczema when she was
4 months old and it really helped me, I felt better than I had for months. Then
when I weaned her I went back on my normal diet and started feeling anxious and
overwhelmed and I couldn’t sleep even though I was on antidepressants. I know I
should have realised I needed to go on the diet again but I was in denial. It
all seemed too hard. For me giving up chocolate was a really big thing. I had
to decide that feeling good was more important than being able to eat chocolate
when I was stressed.
After my daughter was born,
I took antidepressants for 12 months, then I spent 18 months weaning myself off
them very slowly, because if I went any faster I had withdrawal symptoms.
During this time I went on the elimination diet for myself. My PMS, other
menstrual problems and depression all disappeared. Challenges showed that I am
sensitive to nearly everything. If someone had told me when I first got
postnatal depression that my problems were due to food intolerance, I would
have gone on the diet straight away. I’ve been on this diet for months and now
I can’t really remember what it’s like to be depressed.’ - reader, ACT
[342] Depression:
Helpless, hopeless depression due to salicylates (Sept 2004)
I have suffered depression
since at least age 15 and am 38 now. I
self medicated on huge amounts of alcohol over the years, and was always very
emotional and explosive. Either very 'up' or totally down and in a complete
mess.
When I fell pregnant at age
29, I sank into a deep depression that only worsened with a long labour and
breastfeeding difficulties. I was prescribed Prozac and stayed on this
medication for seven years during which time I tried to come off twice with
very bad results.
I did a lot of counseling
and support group work regarding childhood abuse issues, relationship and
communication counseling work with my husband, and received the assistance of a
social worker with trying to manage mothering my child. My daughter was three
before I received this assistance and also started to work through my own
emotional issues. It took until she was
six before I came across Sue's information about diet. My daughter always had Oppositional Defiant
Disorder behaviours and was not interested in learning at school or at home,
but it had been presumed that it was I who was not coping. Which I wasn't anyway, to top it off! ODD people can appear so normal to others
making me seem quite neurotic.
I came off antidepressants
again at the beginning of last year after having felt very level for quite a
few months in a row. It was a very rocky 12 months. At times I was OK and at
others I thought I would not survive unless I went back on the drugs. At least my husband was far more
understanding at this point, but I wouldn't have called it a life.
I know now that we (my
daughter and I ) had been bouncing off each other for years. Her behaviour and concentration improved
enormously on the diet. It has changed our lives. We laugh, play, cuddle and
talk together instead of constant aggression and fighting. I cannot remember ever being so level and
calm and capable. I cried with joy (or
over the loss?) one night when she was just so caring towards me. Of course we still have bad times. Everyone
does after all. Now we have good times too.
When we tested salicylates,
as soon as I woke the next day I could feel the return of my helpless,
hopeless, awful black depression. I wanted to strike out at others in my pain.
Once again I couldn't think straight to make even the simplest of decisions. I
hated myself and anyone that I loved. It took about five days before I started
to come up again. I don't ever want to feel like that again and I know what
causes it now. To be able to say that feels so good. I have some form of
control over a life that was totally out of control. I find the diet very hard
in some ways, but I know which I prefer. To maintain my life in any reasonably
happy form, I need to be failsafe. - reader, Vic
[341] Depression: A
young child with a ‘highly anxious temperament’ (Sept 2004)
Pre-failsafe, my eight year
old daughter was mildly depressed, as well as lethargic, pale, anxious, dizzy
and "spacy". Her amine challenge resulted in severe depression
including bouts of suicidal thoughts and almost psychotic agitation. Based on
pre-diet behaviours, she was classified as having a highly anxious temperament.
A number of health professionals have told us they expect to see her back
during her teenage years, meaning so they can give her antidepressants. However
after two years failsafe she shows no signs of mental illness in any form and
no longer seems a candidate for anxiety and depression.
I am only mildly food
intolerant but an overdose of amines can give me the blues. My husband is
moderately food intolerant and can get dark moods and negative thinking from
amines. However neither of us have ever had full blown depression. - reader, Tas
[340] Depression: Return
of energy after diet (Sept 2004)
After the birth of my first
son I was diagnosed with post natal depression (PND) and had a few months on an
antidepressant (Seroxat).
I was soon pregnant with my
second son and while pregnant avoided alcohol (this later turned out to be
important). During both pregnancies I ate well, although not failsafe, and felt
great.
After my second son was
born I was again diagnosed with PND and went back on Seroxat and I was on
varying doses of that or similar medication altogether for 6 years. I needed
them and they helped me. I could not have coped the first three years with all
the stress going on in our lives. My
second son had been a very sick baby, I was stressed with him and an overactive
toddler, and when things did balance out for the boys – when we went failsafe –
we had a big move and I had a huge amount of stress again with that life
change.
In addition, I visited
psychologists on a regular basis, had light therapy, and tried other sorts of
complementary therapies such as vitamins and herbal therapies but nothing that
"replaced" the medication. All helped in various ways at different
stages, particularly the first two.
Then eighteen months ago I
went totally FAILSAFE and regained my life! I felt like the "old me",
pre-children me was back. I had energy, wasn't continually tired, didn't have
continual body aches, headaches and wasn't depressed. I didn't "need"
red wine and cheese comforts (amines overloads, not to mention other
preservatives). After about 5 years of lacking normal energy, and being down,
this was and is cause for celebration.
So I celebrated with red
wine and realised that this was a primary cause along with the amine overloads
that had been causing MANY of my problems.
I'm not a big drinker, but had fallen in the habit of sharing a bottle
of wine once or twice a week with my husband.
I still find it hard to
believe the difference I have gained in myself from mainly the diet change. I
respond to high salicylates and medium amines, but the things that affect me
worst have combinations of both, such as wine, cheese, and local hot dog
sausages.
At its worst, with the
depression I could and would burst into tears over nothing and worst of all
lost all my energy. I needed afternoon sleeps as I couldn’t survive a day
without them and just achieving half an ordinary persons daily tasks was a huge
achievement for me. I don’t know what
others thought of me, but I had a big battle coping over my body’s responses
and why I couldn’t do more than make the beds and vacuum half the house in a day.
If I did manage to do more on a good day then I wrote myself off for a couple
of days afterwards.
The biggest difference and
what constantly surprises me is the return of energy. I had just thought I was
overweight and unfit, which was partly true. But now since being failsafe, I
can ride the three km into town and home again without a huge effort, and
without training! It is just an example of the things that over five years I
just took for granted that I couldn’t do – I had huge problems trying to keep
to regular exercise, even mild walking programs as when I became depressed I
lost all my energy. I notice it now when I challenge the amines.
I have now weaned myself
off the tablets totally after taking them for six years. The medication really
just masked the problem, it evened out my emotional highs and lows and made it
possible to survive by avoiding the deep lows that threatened my life’s
worthiness.
Over 5 months I weaned
myself successfully from two daily capsules to one capsule every other day.
Fist I tried "cold turkey" - which I don't recommend to anyone - but
gave up by the fourth day due to dizziness and inability to focus, as well as nausea and more. Over winter I
maintained one every second day (every day date divisible by two) and when
spring came, extended the medication free days in-between until I was up to one
tablet every 7 days. I missed one and then found I didn’t notice and haven’t
taken one since. Despite another stressful period I have entered recently, I am
managing well so long as I keep failsafe. - Reader,
[339] 635: Meals on
wheels disease (Sept 2004)
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Six months
ago, I was rushed off to hospital after waking in the middle of the night
feeling edgy and hot with swelling of my face, heart palpitations and welts of
hives all over my body. Afterwards, I questioned was it something I ate - the
wine, the peanuts?
These awful
experiences went on for a period of about four months until my brother saw a
segment on A Current Affair about reactions to flavour enhancer 635 (also 627
and 631, ribonucleotides). I had missed the show but immediately got onto the
website and as soon as I started reading I knew that was exactly what I had.
This information is provided by Sue Dengate at http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/
on the factsheet called "Ribo Rash".
I read
everything I purchase, I do not eat anything if I do not know exactly what is
in it, and before I go to a function I speak with the chef or caterers. When
dining I choose a meal and then request that the chef can assure me that there
is no 635 added. I went through my pantry and discarded any foods with 635 in
the ingredients and have not had a reaction of any kind for about two months
which is a wonderful breakthrough for me, after experiencing reactions 3-4
times a week.
I request
that you please take the time to read the attached information, as my parents
are both experiencing similar reactions. My stepfather has a chronic rash and
my mother gets hives at least one night a week. They receive "Meals on
Wheels" and my stepfather says it is usually after rissoles, stew or soup.
Therefore I request that you read the ingredients that you are adding for
flavour to these meals. Purchased chickens from Woolworths have the additive in
the stuffing, Coles marinated fresh chickens contain 635, Red Rooster have in
on the outside, some chicken salt has it as well as some stocks, tinned and
packet sauces and soups and it is even in some butter blends. Potato chips,
CC's and other flavour enhanced foods are all to be avoided but there are
plenty of substitutes, it just means being more vigilant as to what is served.
The elderly
in aged care facilities and even patients in hospitals are experiencing these
reactions due to flavour enhancer 635. There are plenty of natural herbs and
spices that can be added to food for flavour instead of an additive which is
causing a lot of suffering and possibly even death.
- letter
from
[338] ONE LINERS (July
2004)
* Your book saved my son
but it was too late for my marriage, which really suffered from having a child
like this.
* We gave up 282 preservatives
in bread after reading your book ‘Fed up’ about two years ago – within a week
my wife was free of urinary incontinence and over a period of about three
months I was able to give up all asthma medications. – readers aged 60 and
56
* We have been weaning
ourselves off non-failsafe stuff for over a week and my autistic son and I are
already seeing and feeling the benefits.
* It just hit me like a
brick that my sons have gone to sleep well since we started the failsafe diet a
month ago, instead of getting up every 5 mins for 2 hours every night. A
miracle!
* We have bought your book
and are noticing FANTASTIC changes in our children (even their teachers are
noticing).
* My son is just turning
the corner with his severe eczema thanks to a new allergist and your food!
* Our school principal has
borrowed my copy of ‘Fed Up’ based solely on seeing the results I am achieving.
* My husband suffers from
severe hayfever/rhinitis but not when he eliminates dairy from his diet - quite
an incredible change for him -he is very good at avoiding dairy now.
* My failsafe son has gone
from distracting others to being named student of the week for great work
habits!
* I have just stumbled
across your site and I wish to thank you for it and applaud and recognise
the effort you have devoted to help so many.
* I have been asthmatic for
34 years and in the first 20 pages of your asthma book I learnt so much.
* we have pretty much cut
out preservatives, colours and flavours and cut back on the amount of fruit
they were eating - WOW!!! what a difference - my girls still argue but the
‘volcanic activity’ is gone.
* my son has dyslexia but
it is increased by stress and food – thanks for the guidance and help that you
are giving us all.
* I realise now that it is
better to do the hard yards in the first place with the diet than to suffer the
tantrums and bad behaviour.
* The website is so useful
with all the recipes and stories - people just so resourceful and clever -I
really admire the way they adapt and come up with strategies.
* The issue of unlabelled
antioxidants in oil ticks me right off - I know the labelling laws have
improved things a lot but to have to call the company before you eat a product
is crazy.
* Our amine challenge was
‘contaminated’ on the last day of school by well-meaning people feeding all
sorts of marvellous stuff (without notice!!!) to the kiddies like fizzy drinks,
pizza and chips - I felt like a scientist whose petri dishes had been upset all
over the floor by the lab cleaner - it's so frustrating and it's like, bang!
all that work down the drain.
* I never knew mince could
contain sulphites until I read your asthma book and then I realized why my
asthma got bad the week we lived on our butcher’s cut-price mince.
* I tell everyone I meet
about our diet because there are so many kids who could be helped.
* What you have achieved
for all of us suffering families is nothing less than amazing, you will
certainly be welcomed with open arms at the pearly gates - for the first time I
actually feel as if there is some hope for my son to be happy and understood.
[337] Jessie’s tantrums
(July 2004)
My daughter Jessie is three
and a half now and from the moment she was born we have had nothing but
problems.
In the first three months
she was always crying, not able to sleep, she was given medicine for reflux and
colic and her formula was changed on a weekly basis. At 6 months she threw her
first tantrum, I remember it well as it was over a set of car keys. She was
chewing on them and then decided to ram them into the back of her mouth, so I
took the keys from her. She turned around and grabbed at my face, screaming and
trying to bite. That was the start.
As she grew older she
stopped her daytime sleeps well before she was one and moved into bed with me.
I didn’t mind because she slept so much better. She was never able to amuse
herself and would rather sit and scream than do something for herself. She
often had ear infections and colds. Before she was two her sister was born,
much to her annoyance.
My second daughter was and
still is breastfed so both girls were in my bed. Jessie’s night terrors were
getting worse, and even though she loved her sister she didn't like her one
little bit. Once again, I believed the nurses and doctors putting it down to
terrible two's and a new sister.
Her behaviour got worse as
she got older and it was nothing for her to headbutt the cement from one end of
town to the other end till her head was blue, for no reason but a toy put in a
plastic bag so that she could carry it. When she was three she hit the peak
period.
A typical day would start
off with her wanting the light on in the morning, so I would turn it on.
"Get it off", she would say, so I would turn it off, trying so stop
the tantrum. "No, turn it back on", so I would turn it on, and then
she would start, "Get her away from me, I don’t want her any more"
(that’s her sister), then the screaming would start and the kicking and the
biting and this was from the moment she opened her eyes! She would scream and
yell until she wet herself and then just lie in it and scream some more.
When she was finished in
the bedroom she would go and destroy the next room. She was so loud that in the
middle of summer with the aircon on and all the doors and windows shut the
neighbours three doors up could still hear her. After an hour of morning
tantrums then it was time for the next one usually over something stupid. The
tantrums could last up two hours with her hitting, screaming and biting herself
and me. When she was so angry there was nothing I could do to help her, timeout
didn’t work, smacking made it worse and holding her was pointless. She would be
screaming out for me "mummy mummy I need you" but if I dared go near
her "get away from me, I don’t want you" and she would hurt me with
what ever was closest. Not a day would go by that she was not like that all
day, in fact out of a whole 12 hour day I would say that she would be calm for
about 3 hours.
I turned to the doctors and
nurses for help but all they could say was go to parenting classes. I knew that
there was something else wrong. When a friend recommended Fed Up with ADHD, I almost
cried.
We started the diet in a
month ago and within 3 days her behaviour had changed, no more kicking, hitting
and biting and the look of pure hatred that she would give you before she
started the tantrum had gone. We removed colourings and preservatives first and
then went on the elimination diet. She got better and better. Everyone noticed!
When we made a mistake, like kindy giving her chocolate, she would wake the
next morning complaining of sore eyes, and then the LOOK would start and I knew
we were in trouble!
Suddenly I had my little
girl back, the one that I spent three years looking for. She is nice to her
sister and even nicer to me! I can not thank you enough. You helped when no one
else could. -reader, Qld
[336] 635: from school
tuckshop (July 2004)
Last year one of my
children had a cottage pie from the school tuckshop and when she arrived home
she complained of a headache, stomach cramps and had a skin rash. The next day
I read the ingredients of the cottage pies in the tuckshop. They contained
preservative, MSG and flavour enhancer 635. When I read about 635 on your web
site I was stunned that a tuckshop would give this stuff to children, and I
realized what had caused a rash on my other daughter. After eating some cooked
chicken from a supermarket, she had developed an itchy red rash which covered
her whole body and I had to give her an antihistamine tablet. At the time I
couldn’t work out what had caused the rash. Another time she got a rash after
eating some cooked chicken from the local small food store. I went to the shop
to read the ingredients and sure enough the seasoning contained 635. I printed
out the information from your website and gave it to the owner of the shop.
They have not changed the seasoning and we have never again bought a cooked
chicken from any store. - reader, Qld
[335] I thought my child
was not a "foodie" (July 2004)
When my 8-year-old daughter
was diagnosed with ADHD late last year the doctor suggested I read Dr Green’s
book, which I did, and she also suggested that I cut out some artificial
colours, flavours and salicylates. She told me that salicylates are in cheese.
I did this for about a week. Most of the food I had in my home was "no
artificial colours" etc and avoiding cheese made no difference. The doctor
didn’t tell me that salicylates are mainly in fruit, she didn’t tell me about
282, and she didn’t give me any reference to your work or that of the RPAH
diet. Therefore, I thought my child was not a "foodie" (as I call
her!) and gave it no further thought. My husband is dead against ADHD
medication and basically my daughter got worse over the next six months until I
was at breaking point with her behaviour at home, socially, and at school.
About 3 months ago, I went
into a bookstore in desperation one day just looking for anything that would
help me. I had been in tears for a week not knowing what else to do with her. I
bought a copy of "Fed Up With ADHD" and I admit I didn’t place much
hope in it because of my previous experience. I read your book in a day and a
half. The third page got my attention when you mentioned all the things food
intolerance can be responsible for - handwriting, co-ordination, bowel control
etc which are all things my daughter has been struggling with for years. She
has never finished a task at school and she is in year 3. She is currently
having occupational therapy for her co-ordination and she has always had bowel
problems which are ongoing.
That week I took all my
children off commercial bread and bought Bakers Delight which is the only bread
I have bought since. I thought about two days later that my home was slightly
calmer, but told myself that I was just looking for something. After three days
I started my children on the diet, much to their total disgust! Within another
three days I could see a difference in my daughter.
Since then, I have been
having daily communication with her teachers and frequently the Principal, and
although she is still quite slow and disorganised, her attitude is much better
and she is not anywhere near as emotional as she was. She has gone from crying
hysterically ten times a day to only having hysterics if she has eaten
something wrong. I’ve established, unfortunately, that she is severely sensitive
to salicylates, and even pears seem to make her a bit vague. While I am still
struggling with this (I mean after all, how can a child not eat any fruit!!), I
am learning what I can give her and when.
Basically, it is very hard
work (which I realise you of all people know!), and a very big learning curve,
but we’re getting there. Everywhere I go now and mention it someone says
something along the lines of "Oh yes, my friend has a sister who’s done
that and apparently the kid is like a different person". Sue, the word is
spreading! I just wanted to say thank you for all the work and time and effort
you have put in to this. Without your advice I would probably be on
antidepressants by now. - Tracy, NSW
[334] I made so many
errors (July 2004)
I tried the diet with my
son after seeing a dietitian and using the RPA booklets but it didn’t work. It
wasn’t until I found your cookbook that I realized I had made so many errors.
Your book is chock full of little bits of info I didn’t get from the booklets
or dietitian – and the recipes are invaluable. As soon as I read the checklist
of mistakes I made some changes and the results were amazing. - reader, NSW
[333] ‘Nil by mouth’
(July 2004)
At the back of the food
section in "Fed up" it has the story about the family who went to the
Kimberleys with failsafe, and I read that and thought wow, how dedicated and
marvellous etc. After doing this for 5-6 weeks now, I reckon the easiest way
would have been to pack up the family and head for the Kimberleys with NO
birthday parties, kid's clubs, school, end of term things, playing at someone
else's house, grandparents, church suppers, well-meaning people bearing treats,
etc. My friend and I are going to make big signs saying "NIL BY
MOUTH" and string them around the children's necks!! (Only joking - but it
is totally devastating to have your vital research wrecked by a nice person.) -
reader, NSW
[332] I realize how
depressed I was about the constant battles (July 2004)
I just want to give you my
personal thanks for everything you have done, with the website and the books. I
have only come across this 8 wks ago and we have had some significant changes
already.
We've always been a
"really healthy" family with me doing heaps of home cooking (baking
biscuits, all wholefood type ingredients, homemade casseroles and everything).
Everyone commented on it. But they also noticed my two boys who have become
increasingly unbearable to live with. Thank heavens that I have two other
children who are near-perfect, otherwise I think I would have sunk into a deep
depression over my "obviously inadequate" parenting skills!! As it
was, I've gotten pretty depressed about living with these dreadful boys and
their seemingly illogical, self-destructive behaviour and foolish choices. They
are both so different with their problems but the results are so similar - my
stress levels have just climbed over the past couple of years.
Anyway we started the
failsafe diet 5 weeks ago. I am really organised and exact when I am strongly
motivated and I can swear I did it perfectly from day one. Your book was my
constant companion and the website was invaluable for product updates etc.
Results so far? What a
change in one child (8yrs). From a monster that we (almost) hated to a lovely
pleasant human. And without having to be horrible disciplinarian parents! The
other child (10yrs) is a lot more canny about what we were looking for, and
incredibly stubborn. He has worked out that a positive result could spell
disaster for some of his favourite foodstuffs so he has been playing dead,
claiming headaches, stomach aches etc and being totally miserable, despite
rewards etc.
Then we did the salicylate
challenge. The child I did not suspect for salicylates reacted so strongly, I
couldn't believe it ... so did the other one, but I suspected him. Then the
amines - again, reactions but different ones - I can actually link specific
mood types to these substances. I am a normally suspicious and sceptical person
but this is incredible. I feel so stupid that I didn't think of this before ...
but it seems everyone says that, so I don't feel alone.
We still have more
challenges to do, but I didn't want to wait any longer before saying
"thank you" so very much for your work. I cannot say how much this
means to me - I was expecting the 8 year old to be in remand school by the time
he is 12, and now I know I can change his whole outlook on life! I'm not
depressed about my family situation anymore but feeling really positive and
hopeful even though it means a lot of hard work. Only looking back do I realise
how depressed I was about the constant battles with the boys. - Sue, NSW
[331] Excessive sweating
due to food intolerance (July 2004)
I usually drink Long Life
Skim Milk but when I was trying to lose a bit of weight, I switched to black
coffee instead of white. I had previously been to the doctor 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
coffee I noticed a gradual decline in the amount of excessive sweating. I went
back to white coffee and lo and behold: excessive sweating again! I have also
noticed that since going to rice milk, my cravings for cheese, etc, have
reduced. - reader, SA
[330] Effects of carpet
cleaner (July 2004)
I made a bad choice on
Monday by having our carpet cleaned. I had never used the company before so I
quizzed the man about his detergent and how well he would rinse and remove the
detergent. However, when I got home the detergent smell was really strong!
Yesterday my son’s teacher asked me if my son was still doing the diet. She
said his concentration and handwriting had been really good but it had all
fallen apart the last two days. - reader, NSW
[329] 282: Two years of
underachieving with 282 (calcium propionate) (July 2004)
When our 8-year-old
daughter was a toddler she was on a gluten free diet for some months after
reacting to antibiotics. She had biopsies to rule out coeliac disease and at
that time I bought a bread maker which I used almost exclusively until about 2
years ago.
During the time she was eating
almost 100% home made bread, she had a great attention span. Due to other
Issues, our kindy recommended testing with the WPPSI – R, which we agreed to. I
do not wish to go into the results here, only to say that this assessment now
gives us a good indication that her later performance while on preserved bread
was really poor.
We started using purchased
bread over two years ago when I was having a very difficult pregnancy and
needed to reduce my workload. Now I wish I had given up totally on the housework
instead! The introduction of preservative 282 in purchased bread coincided with
a decline in our daughter’s abilities. Her bread intake increased until she was
eating about 8 or more slices/day and her performance decreased until we were
able to get very little work out of her as she was unable to concentrate for
more than about one minute at a time.
In desperation I called her
teacher who mentioned the television report on 282. I did further investigation
on the net, and read your site. The result was that we returned to using our
bread maker after not having used it for nearly two years. After about ten
days, we had a different child. She started concentrating! She finished in 10
minutes what she previously couldn’t finish in 4 hours. Her spelling started to
improve as did her handwriting. She also finally learned to ride a two-wheeled
bike!
As you can imagine, we were
thrilled. After two years of under achieving and barely being grade level, our
daughter is finally starting to accelerate and achieve some of that potential.
I am grateful we had the assessment as it shows how much she was behind.
We have become very angry
that this preservative is allowed. Even if it is just anecdotal evidence, I
believe it validates the need for further research and a ban on 282. Our recent
experience with [a particular supermarket] bread has shown how little we can
trust labels. I also believe this could partly explain the increased rate of
ADHD among lower income families. When Bilo bread is 1/3rd the price of Bakers
Delight, what are most families going to use?
We are grateful for the
work that you have done in researching this. I only wish we had known earlier.
It makes us rather angry and frustrated at the lost potential and the damage it
has done to our daughter. - reader, SA
[328] Multiple sclerosis
and the failsafe diet (July 2004)
The MS symptoms I experience
day to day are mostly sensory symptoms plus fatigue. The sensory changes mostly
relate to feelings of cold particularly in my legs (not cold to touch but I
perceive them to feel like ice blocks). This sensation changes from being
really noticeable (both my legs feel cold – 8 on a scale of 1-10) to not much
at all (limited to the smallest spot on one leg but hardly noticeable - 2 out
of 10). Early last year I went 100% failsafe after a period of not being so
strict and after 4 weeks my cold sensations had reduced dramatically to about
1- 2 out of 10.
See the rest of this fascinating story on our new Multiple Sclerosis factsheet.
[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.
As many people discover
when suffering from a health condition, not a lot of other people know much
about it and the medical profession (as good as they are) can only help to a
point.
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.
I undertook a series of
elimination diets starting with a GP 'allergy expert' in order to eliminate the
obvious and common culprits. Soy was one such test whereby I had to stop
consuming dairy products and 'overdose' on soy milk. No change! And so was the
result for every other test. Each common food type was evaluated and the end
result was no change.
After a year or two, I was
referred to a local leading immunologist (a very nice and knowledgeable man) as
no clear cause was becoming evident and the symptoms were worsening. I saw a
dietician and with both their help proceeded on the RPA chemical sensitivity
elimination diet in order to determine if salicylates or glutamates etc were a
problem for me. After months of that there was no change.
Years went by of chopping
and changing, trying different things and variations to elimination diets, even
getting down to decaf coffee, toast and margarine for breakfast, salad for
lunch and fish and steamed vegies or salads with dressings for tea with a
packet of twisties or chocolate treat.
I still had no significant
change over 5 to 6 weeks. My wife was at her wits end also having to shop for
special food and cook different meals. I worked shift work. 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.
In the end there was
nothing the immunologist could do but maintain my antihistamine intake, and put
me on cyclosporine, used in transplant patents, a drug which I could not take
for long with bad side effects. Its purpose was to suppress the immunological
system and 'shock' it into performing normally. This did not work. I had
ultrasounds and blood tests - with no clear result. Everything seemed normal,
yet the symptoms persisted.
I utterly refused to accept
that I could not stop this thing from happening to me. After eliminating so
many food types, the cause of my intolerance had to come from something I was
in contact with every day. I even started considering the possibility of
'environmental sensitivity'.
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 Complete Guide to Food Allergy and 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!
I awoke the next morning to
find only 3 small welts on my body and after 13 years, no need for any
medication. I could not believe it. I thought I'd made a mistake or it was just
luck that I didn't have the welts. I was almost in a state of denial that it
was really happening.
I persisted with the
elimination of these ingredients and over the following few weeks, lost almost
all symptoms. No more lethargy, swollen joints or rashes caused from excessive
histamine flowing through my body and virtually no welts.
The more I read labelling,
the more products I found containing soy derivatives not called 'soy'.
Ingredients that I had read before but never realised were actually soy. For
example, regular manufactured bread and margarine with nothing else was filling
me with soy and I didn't know it. The bread contained 'soy flour' which in
previous years was labelled simply 'contains flour' (which I assumed was wheat
flour) and the margarine contained lecithin 322.
I love chocolate. ALL
chocolate contains lecithin 322 made from soy.
So there you have it. What
doctors thought was a dairy problem was a soy problem. What they thought was a
'chemical' problem was a soy problem and so it went on. All because soy is not
called soy on the food labelling of most products.
That situation is improving
and I intend to help make that happen. Even when I speak to doctors and
dieticians, not to mention workmates, friends and family, no one ever knows
that soy is in so much of their diet.
There was a period where
'experts' would tell me I needed to exercise more, or stop stressing or don't
work in an office. That advice made a bad situation worse. I did find some
relief in researching alternative medicine options and have continued to adhere
to some of those findings. At one stage they helped me to focus on the task at
hand, providing relief from the worry of 'unending sufferance' and helping to
clear my mind. To this day I use a particular liquid soap, aluminium free
deodorant and do not apply sprays or scents to my body.
I am aware of the extension
of my intolerance to other legumes. I still suffer every 5 days roughly from a
few welts or itch, but nothing compared to what I used to get.
It is now easier to
identify a 'bean' (legume) type reaction. I've stopped eating beans
(obviously), peas, anything with vanilla in it and coffee. Not because of the
caffeine, but because it's a bean! Snack foods (all types), all biscuits except
pure shortbread (Walker's Glengarry plain), all chocolates and confectionery
(except for barley sugar lollies - most brands) are off limits because they
contain a soy based additive in them.
As well as 322 (antioxidant)
I also avoid additives 476,471,492 (emulsifiers), vegetable gums
410,412,415,416,461 (not all soy but derivatives of various beans), vegetable
gums & vegetable protein, TVP (textured vegetable protein) and vegetable
starch (even if they do not specifically state soy, I don't take the chance).
Soya beans, soya meal, soy flour (very common in breads and cakes), soya sauce,
miso, tofu and chickpeas. In fact quite a lot of 'health foods' are grossly
unhealthy for me. Packaged health foods early always contain a soy additive.
These other legumes give me
a small reaction but soy brings out the worst reaction of all. It may be
immediate, it may take 4 hours or it may take 24 hours, depends on what type of
soy product it was or how much of it I consumed. I can go up to 10 days easy
now without any medication and if I do get a slight reaction after that time,
one antihistamine will fix it - and fast.
No, I'm not 100% cured but
around 90% cured. I am managing a good 'normal' quality of life, not taking
medications and continually improving through self-control and discipline of my
dietary intake.
I am happy to provide
alternatives that I have found that allow me a 'normal' eating habit and has no
affect on the rest of the family. I strongly suggest to anyone who, like me is
at a complete loss to identify the cause of their intolerance and suffers from
long term 'idiopathic urticaria' to simply look for these ingredients in their
shopping and STOP consuming them. Like me it could be the hidden soy components
in the various food types that are causing you grief. You'll know within a very
short period of time (48 hours I would suggest) if soy is a major culprit
that's causing you your poor health.
I recommend alternatives
like soyfree bread mixes (some pita and Lebanese breads have only wheat flour),
use butter instead of margarine etc. Fresh meats, veges, fruit, salads and
cheeses are OK. Check the labels. Jams and some spreads are OK. 'Cafe 26' salad
dressing made in Perth is the only dressing I have found without soy additive.
Soon I aim to research spices that may be of a legume origin. On goes the
quest. I hope this recollection of events may help someone else find relief. -
Wayne, WA (Wayne welcomes feedback on his story - send emails through sdengate@ozemail.com.au).
[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.
[311] Sleep and
behaviour problems due to asthma medication (December 2003)
I was lucky enough to see
you speak in Launceston in September. My husband and I have been at a loss
regarding our three-year-old son's frequent nosebleeds, lack of sleep, temper
outbursts and all of the other problems associated with a 'normal' toddler's
wellbeing. When reading in depth Fed Up With Asthma we now realise this was
probably caused by Singulair Tablets. When our new doctor took him off these he
sleeps!!!! and a lot of the other symptoms have subsided. We have an
appointment with a failsafe dietitian next month and have been failsafing the
pantry over the last 6 weeks. The temper tantrums have been halved with the
severity at least a quarter of what they used to be. Thank you for being the
one person to listen to a mother in need. - Toni, Tas
[310] Asthma due to
salicylates (December 2003)
Since we discovered
salicylates, my daughter doesn't need preventative medication anymore although
I have made a few slip ups with her diet. Every time she has a reaction I look
at what she has eaten and it is always salicylates. For example, she had a
reaction to rissoles in the early stages of the diet before I had your books to
help me. My dietitian said, 'Did you put pepper in the rissoles?" I hadn't
realised pepper was high in salicylates and used it automatically. Last year I
bought some "Kids Bananas" from Coles because my daughter never ate
more than half of the usual big Cavendish bananas. Two days later her eczema
had flared up and then she got asthma. By this time she had eaten three of
these bananas. They must have been sugar bananas which are high in salicylates
but I didn't know that at the time. During that attack she had to go back on
her preventer medication as well as Ventolin but she hasn't needed it since. -
failsafer, Qld
[309] Adult with asthma
(December 2003)
I am an adult with asthma.
I went off milk and sulphite preservatives about 6 months ago, I have not had
asthma since (unless I am 'naughty' and have some sulphite). - Elizabeth
Grimley, ACT
[308] Asthma bouts
improving (December 2003)
Just reporting in on our
3-year-old - we seem to have got through an attack of asthma without
prednisolone. What a break-through! We had another good night's sleep - so rare
during asthma bouts in the past, and there is a definite improvement on
yesterday. Normally his escalating asthma never turns around without
corticosteroids. I guess it is early days yet but I am really getting faith in
the possibility of sulphite preservatives aggravating the sensitive airways and
adding to the other irritations (virus, allergens, irritating particles) to
create asthma. It is great to think that we can have some control over one of
the components and lessen the health aggravation. - member of the failsafe3
email group
[307] Asthma in elite
athletes (2) (December 2003)
I read the story on your
website about the soccer player who was eating lots of muesli bars and
developed exercise asthma. The same thing happened to my daughter. We thought
she had outgrown her asthma but it came back when she started eating muesli
bars recommended by her swimming coach. Her asthma got so bad she had to give
up swimming with the squad. - Reader, by email
[306] Instant answer to
my boys' asthma and eczema (December 2003)
I just want to thank you
for doing what you do. When a friend of mine heard you speak in Launceston and
brought me back info, I felt that, at last, someone was speaking my language.
Where none of the health
professionals had been of much help, I instantly found answers to my boys'
asthma and eczema. I got the cookbook and your asthma book a few weeks ago and
am so pleased to have found solid, real, useful guidelines to help our family.
We haven't done the full elimination diet yet but with the knowledge I gained
from your books I was able to retrace which foods did what. The cause of my 3
year old's asthma became obvious (sulphites) when he would eat something out of
the ordinary such as 2 apricot fruit bars (which he had not eaten in ages),
come home, run around outside and have an asthma attack, which he has not had
in ages. My 9-month-old son obviously reacts to salicylates. He's had eczema
from birth and when I introduced solids, pumpkin, carrots and prunes gave him
asthma soon after he ate them.
I only wish every hospital,
health care clinic and GP had your books! -
[305] Asthma - a
dietitian's progress (December 2003)
Just updating you on my
progress - before starting the elimination diet for my asthma, I was on 500mg
of Seretide accuhaler morning and night, I dropped to 250 and was fine so I
tried to go off it completely. After a day and a half I was wheezy and tight in
my chest so I tried the 100mg dose and have maintained that - which means that
I have dropped my asthma medication by 80% on the elimination diet. So far I
have passed both the milk and salicylate challenges.
By the way, this has been a
great professional development activity that I think will really benefit my
future clients. - Dietitian, SA
[304] 'I assaulted my
wife' (December 2003)
Last weekend I assaulted my
wife and did horrific damage to her face. I have deep regret, humiliation,
shame and remorse for my actions. I had been drinking most of the afternoon,
then consumed two strawberry sundae tubs of icecream. I did not check the brand
so I cannot be certain that the food colours contributed to the way I acted.
Although the alcohol is obviously a large contributor, in the past I have never
reacted violently after drinking alcohol. However, from the ages 18-25 I
experienced panic and violent moods, then I started to look at my diet.
Cordials with artificial colours especially red had been a part of my diet and
I noticed a link. Since then I have avoided food colours where ever possible,
however I simply overlooked the strawberry sundae as I love desserts and was
having a good time. I think I have stumbled on to the cause for my actions, but
I am not sure. - Graeme, by email
[303]
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[302] Toddler diarrhoea
and unmanageable behaviour (December 2003)
My 2yr old has had chronic
diarrhoea for 5 months. Before that, his stools have always fluctuated. Along with
the diarrhoea, he gets a spotty rash on his face, throws things, hits, kicks,
screams and is generally unmanageable. When he eats certain things like
commercial bread and wheat products, the next day he poos water. I had him back
and forth to doctors who treated me like I was an idiot. Finally we were sent
to a pediatrician who ordered blood tests and stool analyses. When the results
came back, he told me there was nothing wrong with him, he just had toddler
diarrhoea and told me to put him on half an immodium tablet a day to fix his
diarrhoea. Because I was getting no joy from doctors and my son was getting
sicker daily, I took him off wheat, dairy and most sugars. He slowly started to
improve, but it wasn't good enough. I now have him on a full elimination diet,
no wheat, gluten or lactose, salicylates, amines and glutamates. He started
improving straightaway (only one water poo in the first five days which was a
miracle).
We're still waiting to see a
gastrointestinal pediatrician, but other doctors have told me he wouldn't have
an intolerance to things. I know he does because the change is dramatic, and
even his behaviour has improved. He seems to react to salicylates, it's amazing
to read these things when you've noticed something but didn't understand it. My
five-year-old son has improved too and when he breaks the diet he says he feels
"like his brain wants to puke". I hope more health professionals will
become aware of the damage additives and other food chemicals can cause. -
[301] Oppositional
defiance (December 2003)
After months of struggling
with my 4½ y.o. son's behaviour, I stumbled upon the
fedupwithfoodadditives.info website. I have refused to believe suggestions
(from carers etc) that he has ADD. My son is very bright and intelligent, and I
simply did not want him medicated unnecessarily. Now that I have found this
website and the information on oppositional defiance (which describes my son to
a T!) I have a place to start. I have started to cut foods high in additives
from his diet and have already noticed a change in his behaviour after only a
couple of weeks. The really good thing is that after I explained to him that
his bad behaviour could be caused by these things in food, he has been quite
happy to not eat them, and even asks me first to check if there is anything bad
in his food. I am so grateful for the website. - Reader, NSW
[300] Dramatic
improvement in speech delay (December 2003)
Our nearly two year old
twin girls are awaiting a psychology assessment to determine whether they have
autism. They both have a few symptoms especially lack of language - only use
the words Mum, Dad, Nan, Bub, no and hello. Their understanding is slow
although we feel this is improving. Although both show a few signs they also
have signs that keep us hopeful that the girls do not have autism. They have
fairly good eye contact and are very affectionate little girls. After researching
for hours on the internet, I started the girls on a gluten free and dairy free
diet last week. By the end of the day, one of the twins (who would normally use
maybe one word a month) had not stopped using her basic words and was making
new sounds. Within days they had both improved very noticeably. At first I
thought it couldn't work that fast but whilst reading your books I have a
different view and realise it might be lack of the bread preservative. - Reader,
Tas
[299] Pioneer Week
(September 2003)
During the holidays we had
been watching American settler re-enactments on TV and my eldest daughter said
'we could do that easily'. So we decided to do our own pioneer re-enactment in
the week before school went back.
As we live on a family
farm, we still had a lot of pioneer stuff about so perhaps we were able to go
about it in greater detail than most.
A day's program was: get up
at 6.30 am, collect wood and start a fire outside to cook on. Cart water from
the rainwater tap to a basin in the bathroom for washing hands and self (with
Velvet soap only). Another bucket of water for tea and cooking was carried into
the house. While the kids fed the chooks and geese, I cooked scones in a camp
oven and boiled the billy. Once the scones were cooked, I dropped eggs in the
camp oven to cook in the remaining heat. We used homemade butter and golden
syrup on the scones and salt on eggs, because pioneers didn't use flavourings
such as pepper, herbs or tomato sauce. After breakfast we washed up with Velvet
soap (rinsing well), first dishes, then face and hands. Teeth were brushed with
an index finger dipped in seasalt.
During the day we
hand-sewed bread flour bags with cotton from the tops of rolled oat sacks into
place mats and embroidered them. We spent one whole day washing clothes and
sheets with Velvet soap and Lux flakes in a copper heated by a fire outside,
hand wrung and hung on a rope line between trees.
We also baked biscuits in
the camp oven from a family recipe given to my Grandmother. She would be 110
now if she was still alive.
Mrs. Cattle Biscuits: 8oz
SR flour, 1 egg, 4oz sugar, 3oz butter. Mix all ingredients and shape into
small balls, put onto tray and bake in a moderate oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
For variations, mix in coconut or put an almond or a drop of jam on top or add
cocoa to the mixture. This mix was also pressed in trays and covered with golden
syrup and crumble mix on top and cut into slices before cool.
For lunch and tea we ate
fresh chops or chicken (dressed that day) with Laucke bread baked in the camp
oven and vegetables which were growing in the garden at that time (silver beet,
parsley, carrots, potatoes, shallots) or poached eggs on toast. I cooked the
chicken in golden syrup and water then after the cooked chicken had been
removed from the pot, we cooked golden syrup dumplings in the water. They had a
fantastic flavour.
We removed all plastics
from the kids' rooms (such as Barbie and bits), leaving them with only a chair,
desk, beds, four books, paints (not acrylic dry blocks), pencils and a skipping
rope. Their clothes were two sets of simple dresses and jumpers made from
cotton or wool, leading to a complaint that they were 'dumb things to wear
carting water on cold mornings, Mum, give me jeans.'
We ate at night by
candlelight and played old board games. We played my daughter's Suzuki violin
CD over and over as the pioneers only had one record. We gave the kids a torch
for going to bed as they had not lived with candles and we felt it was not
safe.
The result was amazing. The
kids became more agreeable and instructions didn't have to be repeated until
shouted to get a response, which had happened frustratingly too often before
our Pioneer Week.
My youngest became less
grumpy and the eldest less fragile and teary. Both stopped being picky eaters
and ate with relish. The eldest's singing which was usually flat became tuneful
because her hearing improved. They anticipated and showed more thought about
what they were doing instead of being 'Tigger with Rabbit worries'. Life became
gentler at home. The background frustration and noise decreased a lot and they
took on new things faster. This change persisted for a while after school
started then reverted as we reverted to our original diet.
I was diagnosed with
salicylate/amine/additive intolerance 20 years ago, so I have never had a diet
full of additives or the rest. But as the kids were getting older, I was bowing
down to peer and social pressures, arguing in my head that their bodies were
bigger so could handle additives better. I was wrong. We are now doing the
elimination diet after two weeks of a take-away, additive binge, to make sure of
all our symptoms. The kids are loving it and it is easier than the pioneer week
because we use modern conveniences such as electricity and running water. A
modified Pioneer Week would be a fun introduction to the elimination diet which
sounds ominous and is not the current retro trend. -
[298] Dettol dilemma
(September 2003)
Our son was bouncing off
the walls for days after two doses of Dettol within 3 days (one from preschool,
one from Nanny). Of course when I told nanny and the teacher, they both did
well to humour me and to contain their disbelief. My sister - a pharmacist -
sent me the chemical breakdown and the pharmacists' notes, it read like this:
Ingredients: Active:
CHLOROXYLENOL (chlorinated antiseptic) Inactive: ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL (antiseptic)
ETHANOL (handwash contains tartrazine). Contra-indications: not recommended to
bath infants up to nine months because of the inability of the infant to
detoxify chloroxylenol and benzalkonium chloride. Precautions: Can cause skin
irritations.
In the individual breakdown
of each of the ingredients, there were also references to medical journal cases
of poisoning (i.e 'severe Dettol poisoning'); this warning about Isopropyl
alcohol 'the lethal dose by mouth is reported to be 250ml, however toxic
symptoms may be produced by as little as 20ml'; this one ' Inhalation of
isopropyl alcohol vapour has been known to induce coma' and this is my
favourite 'Application of Isopropyl alcohol to the skin may cause dryness and
irritation; suitable precautions should be taken to prevent absorption through
the skin'.
My sister also gave me a
word of advice in dealing with those doubting Thomases who think that
absorption through the skin is a load of rubbish. Nicotine and hormone
replacement patches work! - Kelli from the discussion group
[297] Mouth ulcers from
face cream (September 2003)
I have an aspirin
intolerance and it took me ages to work out that my chronic mouth ulcers were being
caused by beta hydroxy acid in my face cream because it is easily absorbed
through the skin.- by email
[296] Rough, dry skin
responds to failsafe (September 2003)
My teenage daughter has
slapped cheek syndrome, which leaves her with rough, dry skin on her cheeks,
upper arms and inner thighs. After trying a variety of conventional and
alternative treatments over many years, she has been religiously following your
failsafe diet for about three weeks now. She chose to also eliminate all dairy
foods. We have already noticed a huge improvement in her skin. So far she is
very keen to stick with the diet and doesn't want to attempt any challenges
yet! She must be feeling great! - email, ACT
[295] Acne rosacea
responds to failsafe (September 2003)
We started the failsafe
diet in May 2002 after advice from a friend and it has had many interesting
'side effects', all of them good. We have had the usual wonderful behavioural
changes in all members of the family and I don't know if any one else has
reported this but if I stay 100% failsafe my acne rosacea goes (the scars don't
but makeup covers them). I have taken many drugs for over the last 15 years for
this condition and now I find that all forms of dairy give me pimples and cysts
while flavour enhancers start up the vein ridden, red and sore rosacea. I am 34
now and don't want to look hideous in public any longer.- Viv, ACT
[294] Bi-carb really
works (September 2003)
I have successfully used
bi-carb to curb reactions in my 2-year-old. I just add about 1/2 cup of bi-carb
to the bath water. I have also given her 1/4 teaspoon of it in water, and that
worked really well. - Renee, failsafebaby group
[293] 282:Screaming and
constant diarrhoea in a baby due to bread preservative (September 2003)
Right from the minute she
was born my daughter Laura was a nightmare. She screamed and screamed and
screamed some more. I went around the twist. I had two children under two and
it was hard to be up all night with this child and then carry her around all
day. The minute I sat her down she would start screaming. I spoke to clinic
sisters, doctors, friends and all gave me various degrees of advice. I kept
saying that Laura is reacting to my breastmilk but was laughed at and told that
that wasn't possible. I now know that I was right and the bread that I was
consuming was giving this poor child a huge bellyache.
Life for the first 13
months was, and I won't lie, pure hell. People started treating me like I had
PND but it was just this difficult behaviour in the baby. It had not eased with
introducing solids and I by now had changed a million pooey nappies. Still
everybody told me this was OK
At 13 months, I weaned Laura
and she became a little better at sleeping but we still got a poo every nappy
and her temperament was a little better. I continued with trying to cope and
did the best I could all the while feeling that something was wrong. By 16
months I was getting worried about the nappies as they were causing her
terrible pain in nappy rash. As we had moved towns I consulted a new group of
clinic sisters and doctors. I had one clinic sister take notice and suggested
that I get an appointment with a stomach and bowel doctor. I went to the local
GP and was laughed at that this was so extreme and that it was fast transient
time of food. This same doctor was consulted again at 18 months and he said
that it was toddler diarrhoea. OK. When Laura's new sister was christened when
Laura was 20 months we finally discovered what we think is wrong. We went to my
husband's family farm and stayed for two and a half weeks. In that time all
meals were cooked. No toast, no bread, no sandwiches, no diarrhoea, no nappy
rash, sleeping through the night. I went from a child who had 10 runny burning
nappies a day to 1 flushable nappy in a matter of days. Laura was cured.
I have since seen the GP
who suggested I stay away from bread but gave me no help in finding out why
bread was a problem. I went to the clinic sister and asked but to no avail.
Then my sister heard about RPA's allergy unit and I was on the phone to them.
Wow!!! Within minutes I had my answers. They explained the link between 282 and
stomach upsets and runny nappies. They sent me the suggested shopping list and
then made me an appointment. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my
shoulders and now Laura is going great guns. My little girl is happy and
sleeping through the night and has yet to react on her diet (day 25). I am
lucky because I only did 10 days on no wheat no diary and no soy and have
already challenged milk and wheat flour. So far so good.
This is Laura's story and I
am so lucky but it is infuriating that nobody listened to me. Doctors were
quick to dismiss this problem but our food was affecting her and I was giving
it to her thinking I was doing well by feeding her healthy bread. Thank
goodness for people like you. My son's preschool teacher recently went to
Canberra for your talk and made me aware of your books and website. Thank you
thank you thank you. We are now having an afternoon tea information session on
food at the preschool and will include all we know about food and the nasties
that can be in it. Now we can educate other parents and try and help our
community. - Rose, ACT
[292] Not strict enough
(September 2003)
We've been trying the diet
for four months without a lot of clarity probably because we were not strict
enough. With your book and information we hope to get further. - reader,
[291] Life is easier
(September 2003)
It seems that everywhere I
go I hear of people who have attended one of your talks on food intolerance. It
really helps people to understand what I am contending with. Just thought that
you would appreciate knowing how your work is making life a little easier in my
world! Thank you! - failsafer, by email
[290] At last I have a
name for my son's behaviour (September 2003)
After reading your book Fed
Up, at last I can put a name to my 10 year old ADHD son's bad behaviour:
oppositional defiance. I know that he reacts to preservatives and have tried to
avoid obvious food colours but this is not enough to make a difference so I am
going to try the failsafe diet.- by email
[289] The Clayton's diet
… the speech therapist was so amazed (September 2003)
A friend of a friend with
two young children visited a dietitian who put them on what I can only describe
as a Clayton's failsafe diet ... not quite fully failsafe. For example, the
dietitian told her that it was perfectly ok for her children to eat
McDonalds/Red Rooster chips...
She was introduced to my wife and got into a conversation about real failsafe diets. After 4 days on the real diet, she rang my wife crying with happiness. Her son had settled down to what she considered a 'normal child' to be. His aggression was gone, his tendencies to distraction had disappeared and his sleep had increased by two hours a night. In his first speech therapy session since starting on the real diet, he suddenly managed to recognise 40 words (from picture cards) as well as all primary and secondary colours, where his previous best attempt at word recognition was 8 words. The speech therapist was so amazed that she has already started researching failsafe dieting. The dietitian who put her on the Clayton's diet has now started looking seriously at the failsafe diet instead. It's been two weeks now and our friend is seeing the pediatrician who put her son on Ritalin this week to see about ge