This is officially my first post so bear with me because I haven't blogged in years!
***This blog is dedicated solely to the subject of food and artificial coloring and my experiences with a "White Diet". I am creating this blog in hopes that it helps anyone who cares about the dangers of artificial dyes. If you would like to post any comments, feel free to do so just as long as it is in a positive fashion and does not demean me or any readers.***
Who am I and Why A Blog About Food Dye?
My name is Dawn Marie and I am a mom to an amazing 3 year old little boy, Lennox, who just happens to be very active. Just a few months shy of his third birthday, Lennox began having behavioral issues. I shrugged it off as I figured it was a result of the "terrible 2's" as well as him transferring to a new daycare center.
Over a period of a few weeks to a month my sons behavioral issues began to increase. He had a hard time focusing at school and at home. He jumped from activity to activity with what I called a "3 minute attention span" and had a hard time even looking me in the eyes. He became moody and violent. He was hitting, kicking and even biting (not hard, but still...), becoming more aggressive by the day as well as becoming increasingly moody at the same time. Because of his extremely unusual hyper activity and inability to focus I began to suspect he had A.D.H.D. After all, his daddy had been diagnosed with it as a child and it tends to be hereditary. Soon he was completely uncontrollable. As a parent and a teacher I know the difference between discipline and punishment and tried redirecting him, time out and talking to him. On the weekends I was praying that a new work week would start, just to get a break because nothing we did was working. I felt like a failure of a parent.
One day something clicked in my brain. Lennox was going through an aggression spell and after multiple times of putting him in time out, and trying to talk to him (with no eye contact), I started to just sit back and watch him. I let him go. What I noticed was both frightening and saddening. Lennox' face was telling me "Help, I can't stop my body". He looked upset and almost scared. He couldn't tell me with words but his facial expression was screaming it.
The next day I had another talk with his teacher about his behavior and brought up the fact that I thought he could be A.D.H.D. and started doing research on the behavior. At 2 years old a child is too young to be tested for A.D.H.D. which was disheartening. I went to my boss about the issue because I wanted her to be aware of his behaviors. She opened my eyes to a whole new world.
My boss told me to try the "All White" diet, which is a diet that eliminates all artificial food coloring. This diet is said to lower the symptoms that A.D.H.D. causes because food dyes cause chemical changes in the brain. At first I was thinking, is she crazy? Food dye is food dye. But... I was desperate. I was desperate to have that sweet little boy I had grown to love back with me, instead of that aggeressive and mean spirited little boy he was becoming.
That night I went home and went through every cabinet, pantry, and the refrigerator. There were a few things in the refrigerator that had food dye but because we were already eating pretty healthy there wasn't much. When I raided the food pantry I found food coloring in his breakfast bars, his cereal, and his juice snacks. I took everything containing food dye out and threw it away immediately, even the just opened boxes. I was forced to leave the macaroni and cheese that my husband eats but refused to feed it to my son.
The next day when I took my son to school I told his teacher that it was Day 1 of a no food dye diet and to watch him over the next few days and to let me know if they see any behavior changes. Because I am a dedicated mom, I also vowed to try the diet.
What happened with Lennox?
Did it change who I am?
What are some other food dye facts?
Keep reading this blog to find out. More coming soon.
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