The Feingold diet isn't just beneficial for those with ADHD/ADD it also assists those with ASD/Autism disorders, Tourettes, Retardation, Down's Syndrom, Enureis (bed wetting), Fluid in the ear (re-occuring ear infections), Nystagmus/Strabismus (disorders involving eye muscles)
Two groups of foods to be eliminated:
Group 1) foods that contain artificial colors, flavors, BHT, BHA, and other funky sounding preservative (vit E tocopherol is your friend = good one) Keep this in mind... if it takes a special degree in science to read it and know what the heck it is or where it came from.... leave it on the stores shelf. Vanillin (artificial vanilla flav), Caramel (color or flavor), Malt flavoring need to be eliminated. BHA/BHT even in packaging - eliminate as they leach into the food. Foods fortified/enriched with vitamins such as A,D,E should be avoided as the vits are often preserved with BHT/BHA (hidden ingredients). Same thing with Annatto and beta-carotene... often used in butter and margarin to help with color. Also used in cheese... pretty much ALL Yellow Cheese contains Annatto.
Group 2) A number of Fruits and Veggies that contain Salicylates (naturally occuring in them - salicylate act as a natural insect deterent for them)Almonds, Apples (cider, juice, cider vinegar, etc), Apricots, ALL Berries, Cherries, Cloves, Coffee, Cucumbers/pickles, Currants, Grapes and raisins (wine, grape juice, wine vinegar, etc), Green peppers (also chilies), nectarines, oranges, peaches, plums/prunes, tangerines, all teas, tomatoes, Oil of wintergreen.Watch carefully:
- Watch all supplements and meds for artificial colors and flavors.
- BHT/BHA may be hidden/not disclosed in a fortified cereal as it is contained in the vitamin added to it.
- Most otc meds contain aspirin (which is a salycilate) as well as colors and flavors.
- ALL conventional toothpastes - there are many available at hf stores that are Flouride Free that you can find now - Since Flouride Free is becoming more and more popular.
- All conventional Mouthwashes, cough drops, and lozenges.
- Perfumes, sprays, deoderizers, disinfectants, and insecticides. (we have loads of ideas and lists in our docs for home made cleaners etc that are not only easy to make, but will save you a lot of money!)
- Chewing gum (contain BHT, flavors, colors, etc.)
- Finger Paints, Play Dough, etc
"Eliminating entirely both Group I and Group II from the diet at the very beginning of the program offers the greatest assurance of a successful response.
Keep a precise diet diary of all foods, beverages, and medications, which can be checked in the event of an accidental error. Also note behavioral changes.
A successful response depends upon 100 percent compliance. The slightest infraction may lead to failure; a single bite or a single drink can cause an undesired response that may persist for seventy -two hours or more. An infraction on Sunday and then again on Wednesday can keep a child in a persistent state of disturbed behavior throughout the week.
There are no tests to determine wheather a child will show an unfavorable behavioral response to any item in either group I or group II. Allergy skin tests are not applicable to this problem.
Occasionally a child will show an intolerance to an item not on the list. When this is suspected, the food should be eliminated.
We see the greatest success when teh entire family adheres to the diet. A child cannot be expected to stay strictly on a diet when tempted by forbidden items around the house, in the cupboards, and in the refrigerator. This program should present no special hardship to the other family members, since the elimination of the nonessential additives is frequently beneficial both to children and to adults of all ages. In addition, the all-out effort by all family members serves as an added incentive for the child." The Feingold Cookbook for Hyperactive Children and others with problems associated with food additives adn salicylates, Dr Ben F. Feingold and Helene S. Feingold.
After 4-6 weeks, if a good response has been seen, you may try to add back in salicylate foods. Add them back one at a time to test it to see if there is a reaction. You can do something like this: on Sunday feed an apple. If no reaction add apples throughout the week. Watch for a salicylate build up response. Sometimes one can tolerate a bite here or there, but after a week of eating it they start having symptoms. In babies and small children you may see a response in about 36 hours. Aged 2-5 maybe 3-5 days. Ages 6-12 ~ 10-14 days. And 12 to adults up to 30 days. Doing this type of elimination diet does require patience.Other foods/items not included in the two groups above that can also effect behavior and concentration. For various reasons I highly recommend eliminating them as well.
- MSG
- Sodium nitrite/nitrate
- Calcium propionate
- sodium benzoate
- chocolate
- Pasteurized dairy (milk, cheese, butter, cream cheese, anything that contains whey - commercially most whey containing products were derived from pasteurized milk ~ you may find that your hf store carries a variety of products that you can use... such as raw milk cheese, and kefir or yogurt made from non-pasteurized milk. Seek out someone that has a goat or jersey cow that they milk to get your milk from when you re-introduce dairy. For us, we have found that while we had a terrible time with pasteurized milk, Raw milk not only saw NO adverse behavior changes, it helped HEAL our guts.)
- Pork (is the hardest for us to digest... sits, rots in the gut. I didn't believe we would see a reaction to this so continued to use it for a year after we started on the plan. I was amazed when I finally gave it up completely to see the benefits in ALL of us. We were no longer bogged down, depressed, sluggish, etc and the one we had started the plan for in the first place was no longer constipated. I figure the guy that told me to stop eating pork actually didknow what he was talking about afterall! LOL)
- Wheat, corn, soy... not only are they major sources of food allergies (mostly un-Dx as the "allergy" or sensitivity shows itself as a mood/behavioral issue instead of the hives or other accepted allergy response) but they are also the crops that are highly GMO
- GMO ~ avoid like the plague! Buy heirloom seeds to plant your gardens with. Avoid hybrids too. I have had several friends report to me about people that they know almost dying due to GMO corn, soy, etc... extended hospital stays, auto immune disorders coming about because of eating GMO... this is a serious epidemic. To avoid GMO... buy organic as organic can not use GMO. NO Corn Chips unless they are NON-GMO. Be very mindful of this protocol.
- eggs... avoid factory farmed - get from free range or tractored chicken... you can find these directly from the farmer at farmers markets or even at one of the multitudes of owner/operator healthy foods stores popping up all over the US these days, Health food stores will often buy from local farmers to resell in the store. It is becomming a lot easier to find good eggs.
- bye bye Corn syrup, HFCS, white sugar, artificial sweeteners - ie Splenda and aspertame. If you need to use 'sugar' try to go with alternative forms first. Depending on what it is you have a lot to choose from: Stevia, xylitol (prefer birch derived, but non-gmo corn derived is ok) - also has many other benefits I have listed in another document, honey, maple syrup, molasses, and then if you absolutely have to have it... dehydrated cane juice - this is raw, natural sugar that has not undergone all the processing - it is brown/tan as it has not yet been bleached.
- no more Iodonized salt ~ instead choose Celtic sea salt and Redmond's Real Salt. These have not been bleached and contain vital nutrients and minerals that benefit everyone. Even those that are told to restrict salt intake for various reasons.
- eliminatewhite rice - use lg brown instead
- bye white fluffy bread - find a gluten free bread or make wraps or gf bread on your own. Our fav transitional bread was cornstarch bread made with organic corn starch. I now make mainly wraps, but also make coconut flour bread. Sorguhm flour works great!
- white potatoes - you don't have to eliminate completely, just reduce and watch for a reaction. Alternate between using potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat groats and other organic and non-glutenous grains. This is a list of gf grains/flours ~ http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_grains.php
Now that we've covered the things to be eliminated we can discuss the things that you CAN eat! :Dfruits/juices: passion fruit, kiwi, paw paw, fig, cherries, rhubarb, guava, papaya, cantaloupe, mango, grapefruit, lemon, pineapple, banana, grapefruit, pear... (Dates are on the no-no list, however, we have never seen a reaction with them... I say let them be one of the things you try to add back in... whole madjool dates were one of the great finds when we needed something sweet early on. We continue to buy them today... now getting 10-15 pounds at a time through our food coop. DO NOT buy chopped dates... there is all kinds of stuff on them that you don't want in you.)
veggies: sweet potato, carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower, leek, lentil, lettuces, cabbage (green and red), celery, asparagus, onion, FRESH mushrooms (not canned), pumpkin, olives, beets, heirloom corn on the cob, brussels sprouts, dried beans and peas. Let potatoes in... just keep them limited because they convert over to sugars readily... if you grow your own potatoes this is not so much an issue... as the starches have not had the time to convert to sugars. This happens during storage and shipping. When we have grown our own potatoes we note a HUGE difference in the flavor, starchiness, etc of our home grown just dug potatoes. They are the BEST! Don't have to limit them to avoid the hypoglycemic response. That bell curve can get you every time!
nuts/seeds: cashews, pecans, natural peanut butter, peanuts, poppy seeds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, coconut, brazil nut,
other: Garlic, parsley, chives, vinegar (not cider or wine), fermented soy sauce, saffron, fennel, carob, cocoa, chamomile tea, instant coffee.
Hypoglycemia~ the often misdiagnosed problem
A lot of times we think that a child is hyperactive and we Dx ADHD... what could really be going on is Hypoglycemia. This happens when we eat something that converts to sugars readily such as a starchy potato, white rice, and of course sugar. Our bodies then register this sugar rush and the reaction occures as we are on the uphill of the bell curve. As we come down we may become drowsy or even wish to take a nap... in the case of a child s/he may fall asleep at their desk during school or in the high chair during/after a meal. You may note this type of response after eating pasta and bread, ice cream, even oatmeal and especially breakfast cereals that combine the worst of the worst... pasteurized milk, sugar, and wheat/corn or other grain along with colors, sugars, dyes, flavors, etc.I will continue to add to this document or create others using the principles set forth by Dr. Block... she is amazing! Until then I encourage you to check out a few links and add these books to your home library.
Books: The Feingold Cookbook for Hyperactie Childen by Dr Feingold
No More Ritalin - Treating ADHD without drugs - protect your child against ritalin abuse with the safe alternative therapy that works! by Dr. Mary Ann Block
No More ADHD - 10 steps to help improve your child's attention adn behavior without drugs! by Dr. Block
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
The next topic: Supplements ~ things to get that will help with concentration and normalize behavior.
