Yup, sort of. Never went true fiengold cause couldn't give up the apples, lol.
Feingold is basically no-sugar, artificial dyes or saccylytes. And early diet started on this road way back when for the ADHD set.
There was a great article in the last "Alternative Health" magazine (I think that was the name. May have been alternative medicine. It says "We aren't what we eat. We are what we process".
That is sooooo incredibly true. You can take all the supplements in the world and eat all the enriched foods in the world and if your body doesn't process it correctly it is just gonna come out the other end, lol. I think this is really exhagerated in our ASD kids. There is a reason why diets like feingold and GFCF work for our kids, even if not a cure it certainly is a clue to what is going on when there is improvement and behavior changes.
It had a variety of tips on how our bodies process food and how to process better. Some of the tips that spoke to me were; First, basically cut out the junk, ESPECCIALLY sugar and refined foods. Eat whole foods as close to nature as possible packed with goodness. If the ingredients list is as long as your arm, it isn't natural. Chew your food completely. Our natural digestive enzymes are in our saliva. The more we chew the better. Even supplemental digestive enzymes won't break down a golfball sized chunk. Take a probiotic to help replenish good gut flora or eat things packed with it like yogurt (real yogurt), Be wary of a sneaky celiac disorder. More people than we realize are affected by celiac (ie gluten intollerance) and if you do avoid gluten Buy good quality supplements. Some that are too hard packed just go straight through your system. It also mentioned using digestive enzymes to help if needed.
I think that using all these approaches, cutting the sugar and junk and supplementing to help heal the gut, and help the liver process foods better really is the key.
We are currently doing Feingold. We started Oct. 03 pre dx when Sam was 4, he's now almost 7. We had a bumpy road figuring out what was up with Sam. He was in a very supportive preK at the time with another child who had started it. Apples were actually a big trigger for this kid; like flipping a light switch.
I think actually becoming a member of the foundation is the way to go if you can afford it. You have access to their own message board, which is incredibly helpful. You get a shopping guide for your area that is fully researched and a fast food guide as well with acceptable items from places like McDonald's....etc. They also list other addtives in their shopping guide not eliminated by the program but that some families choose not to eat (like corn syrup and MSG.)
We started with Feingold then took out corn syrup as well, then all corn and we still saw alot of puzzling behavior so we tried the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (a gluten and lactose free diet) in conjuction with Feingold for about a year. We did SCD casein free for a while too. We transitioned out of SCD last Feb. and now Sam eats mainly Feingold with some off diet foods when we eat out and for parties now and then. I limit his intake of corn syrup and nitrates and avoid msg altogether. I watch how much chocolate and lactose he gets since they seem to be problems for him. We try to eat very basically with alot of home cooked foods, balanced, as much fruits and veggies as we can.
Feingold was just a first step for us and it helped us get to a dx since we had none at the time. Food seemed to have a direct connection to his behavior in the beginning but as we went along he'd have very off days with no obvious diet connection. Now I know that diet has very little to do with his behavior because we tried it all. That's not to say that too much sugar or caffeine doesn't make him loopy, that still happens of course. But apples and oranges and grapes are OK for him when in the past we thought they made him hyper. Now with a dx we understand that he was overstimulated or super anxious about something.
I personally think it's worth a 6 month trial. Feingold has all sorts of regular kids foods in there shopping guide that are acceptable, alot of things you can find in your regular grocery store. It's mostly a matter of choosing different brands. It's a good staring off point for dietary interventions.
I just wanted to clear up that Feinogold is not a sugar free diet. Feingold removes artifical sweeteners, colors and flavors and fruits and veggies containing high levels of a naturally occuring pesticide called salicylate (apples, oranges, grapes and berries are high.) The high salicylates are removed for 6 weeks and added back in one at a time to test if your child is sensitive to that specific one.
If you belong to the Feingold organization (www.feingold.org) you receive a shopping list for researched food items that are acceptable on the program. There are cookies, candies, cereals....etc on the list. Also non food items like OTC medicines, soaps, household items, makeups and lotions that are artificial and salicylate free. Some families choose to remove sugar or other ingredients in conjunction with Feingold (like corn syrup, msg, nitrates...) but these are not officially removed by Feingold. Many people find results with just the removal of the artificials, but some do find that they need to remove other food items to see better results.
Just wanted to say that if you're doing Feingold you do remove foods. Anything with dyes, artificial flavors and petroleum based preservatives are removed. This includes anything with preservatives in the packaging (most of the regular brands of cereal have these preservatives in the packaging.) And if you are really doing Feingold you do have a time when all high salicylates are removed. You add these back in one at a time to test them to see if your child can tolerate that specific one. Some kids can tolerate some high salicyaltes but not others.
The shopping guide does list brands...etc that are researched and approved by Feingold if you become a member, which you pay for. It is a non profit. This is helpful because food manufacturers arent'required to list all ingredients on the label. If they purchase an ingredient that already has preservatives...etc in it they aren't required to disclose it on the label because they didn't put it in the food themselves. Also anything less than 2% doesn't have to be listed and "natural" things like msg can be listed as a natural flavoring. Sugar, various spices, corn syrup...anything naturally derived can be listed as a natural flavoring so you have to watch out for that. Feingold lists all these "extras" in the approved foods in their shopping lists.
I just wanted to make sure that you are aware that some foods are removed so you have all the facts before you start. Some families find it's necessary to try Feingold to the T and remove the salicylates but like Renee, if your family can't live without a certain food you can always modify the diet to fit what you need.
Yup, sort of. Never went true fiengold cause couldn't give up the apples, lol.
Feingold is basically no-sugar, artificial dyes or saccylytes. And early diet started on this road way back when for the ADHD set.
There was a great article in the last "Alternative Health" magazine (I think that was the name. May have been alternative medicine. It says "We aren't what we eat. We are what we process".
That is sooooo incredibly true. You can take all the supplements in the world and eat all the enriched foods in the world and if your body doesn't process it correctly it is just gonna come out the other end, lol. I think this is really exhagerated in our ASD kids. There is a reason why diets like feingold and GFCF work for our kids, even if not a cure it certainly is a clue to what is going on when there is improvement and behavior changes.
It had a variety of tips on how our bodies process food and how to process better. Some of the tips that spoke to me were; First, basically cut out the junk, ESPECCIALLY sugar and refined foods. Eat whole foods as close to nature as possible packed with goodness. If the ingredients list is as long as your arm, it isn't natural. Chew your food completely. Our natural digestive enzymes are in our saliva. The more we chew the better. Even supplemental digestive enzymes won't break down a golfball sized chunk. Take a probiotic to help replenish good gut flora or eat things packed with it like yogurt (real yogurt), Be wary of a sneaky celiac disorder. More people than we realize are affected by celiac (ie gluten intollerance) and if you do avoid gluten Buy good quality supplements. Some that are too hard packed just go straight through your system. It also mentioned using digestive enzymes to help if needed.
I think that using all these approaches, cutting the sugar and junk and supplementing to help heal the gut, and help the liver process foods better really is the key.
Renee
We are currently doing Feingold. We started Oct. 03 pre dx when Sam was 4, he's now almost 7. We had a bumpy road figuring out what was up with Sam. He was in a very supportive preK at the time with another child who had started it. Apples were actually a big trigger for this kid; like flipping a light switch.
I think actually becoming a member of the foundation is the way to go if you can afford it. You have access to their own message board, which is incredibly helpful. You get a shopping guide for your area that is fully researched and a fast food guide as well with acceptable items from places like McDonald's....etc. They also list other addtives in their shopping guide not eliminated by the program but that some families choose not to eat (like corn syrup and MSG.)
We started with Feingold then took out corn syrup as well, then all corn and we still saw alot of puzzling behavior so we tried the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (a gluten and lactose free diet) in conjuction with Feingold for about a year. We did SCD casein free for a while too. We transitioned out of SCD last Feb. and now Sam eats mainly Feingold with some off diet foods when we eat out and for parties now and then. I limit his intake of corn syrup and nitrates and avoid msg altogether. I watch how much chocolate and lactose he gets since they seem to be problems for him. We try to eat very basically with alot of home cooked foods, balanced, as much fruits and veggies as we can.
Feingold was just a first step for us and it helped us get to a dx since we had none at the time. Food seemed to have a direct connection to his behavior in the beginning but as we went along he'd have very off days with no obvious diet connection. Now I know that diet has very little to do with his behavior because we tried it all. That's not to say that too much sugar or caffeine doesn't make him loopy, that still happens of course. But apples and oranges and grapes are OK for him when in the past we thought they made him hyper. Now with a dx we understand that he was overstimulated or super anxious about something.
I personally think it's worth a 6 month trial. Feingold has all sorts of regular kids foods in there shopping guide that are acceptable, alot of things you can find in your regular grocery store. It's mostly a matter of choosing different brands. It's a good staring off point for dietary interventions.
good luck!
Chrystee
I just wanted to clear up that Feinogold is not a sugar free diet. Feingold removes artifical sweeteners, colors and flavors and fruits and veggies containing high levels of a naturally occuring pesticide called salicylate (apples, oranges, grapes and berries are high.) The high salicylates are removed for 6 weeks and added back in one at a time to test if your child is sensitive to that specific one.
If you belong to the Feingold organization (www.feingold.org) you receive a shopping list for researched food items that are acceptable on the program. There are cookies, candies, cereals....etc on the list. Also non food items like OTC medicines, soaps, household items, makeups and lotions that are artificial and salicylate free. Some families choose to remove sugar or other ingredients in conjunction with Feingold (like corn syrup, msg, nitrates...) but these are not officially removed by Feingold. Many people find results with just the removal of the artificials, but some do find that they need to remove other food items to see better results.
Just wanted to clear that up!!!
Chrystee
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Just wanted to say that if you're doing Feingold you do remove foods. Anything with dyes, artificial flavors and petroleum based preservatives are removed. This includes anything with preservatives in the packaging (most of the regular brands of cereal have these preservatives in the packaging.) And if you are really doing Feingold you do have a time when all high salicylates are removed. You add these back in one at a time to test them to see if your child can tolerate that specific one. Some kids can tolerate some high salicyaltes but not others.
The shopping guide does list brands...etc that are researched and approved by Feingold if you become a member, which you pay for. It is a non profit. This is helpful because food manufacturers arent'required to list all ingredients on the label. If they purchase an ingredient that already has preservatives...etc in it they aren't required to disclose it on the label because they didn't put it in the food themselves. Also anything less than 2% doesn't have to be listed and "natural" things like msg can be listed as a natural flavoring. Sugar, various spices, corn syrup...anything naturally derived can be listed as a natural flavoring so you have to watch out for that. Feingold lists all these "extras" in the approved foods in their shopping lists.
I just wanted to make sure that you are aware that some foods are removed so you have all the facts before you start. Some families find it's necessary to try Feingold to the T and remove the salicylates but like Renee, if your family can't live without a certain food you can always modify the diet to fit what you need.
Check out their website www.feingold.org
chrystee