Feingold E-Mail Newsletter
June/July 2000Dear Feingold Association Members & Friends,
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[ ] The Oprah Poll on ADHD
[ ] Parent Training & Information Centers
[ ] Additions to Our Web Site
[ ] Gardening Products
[ ] Toothpaste Allergy?
[ ] Asthma and Synthetic Pillows
[ ] Asthma and Wine
[ ] Salicylates - for chemistry buffs
[ ] Headache? PMS? Adults benefit too
[ ] Little House on the Prairie Recipes
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[ ] THE OPRAH POLL ON ADHD
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On June 15, Oprah Winfrey had a program about
ADD / ADHD. Although diet as a possible treatment
was not mentioned on the show, she placed it as a
choice in a poll on what you would do if your child was
diagnosed with ADHD.
You can see the poll and vote on page
http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_past_20000615.html
[or see below for detailed directions]
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the link for the
poll. When you vote, you will see the results of all the votes
until now. Today's (July 5percentages are:
Change their diet 26.30% Counseling 19.01% Medication 17.52% Get a second opinion 16.95% Nothing 10.19% Other 10.04%
We hope that Oprah's producers use such
polls to determine the content of future shows.
If you are unable to link directly to the Internet, follow these directions:
GO TO www.oprah.com
GO TO "The Show" -- the link at top left
GO TO "Past Shows" -- the link at top right, under "Inside"
GO TO "June 2000"
GO TO "6/15/00 Why Can't My Child Learn?"
GO TO "Take the Poll" -- bottom of page
VOTE and see the results of all choices.
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[ ] PARENT TRAINING & INFORMATION CENTERS
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Parents whose children need special educational
accommodations frequently do not know where to
get help and advice - or even that it is available. If you
are not happy with the services your child receives, or
if you wonder whether something better may be
possible for your child's coming school year, speak to
a parent advocate now. This is a free service. See
them listed at http://www.npnd.org/PTIs.htm
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[ ] ADDITIONS TO THE WEB SITE
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- Two new books recently added to the bookstore
can be seen at http://feingold.org/newbooks.html
- Articles on pesticides, toxins, etc. from the
Environmental Research Foundation have been added
to our research page at http://www.feingold.org/Research/pollution.html
- Some more studies have been added to the research
page on ear infections at http://www.feingold.org/Research/ear.html
- More websites about fluoride, pro and con, have been
linked to our listing on the research page on fluroide, at
http://www.feingold.org/Research/fluoride.html#links
- The following articles have been added to our
Pure Facts Newsletter archives:
Autism & the Feingold Program (tips on
implementing a gluten/casein free diet)
http://www.feingold.org/PF/pf_autismtips.html
French Fries - they might be more than just
potatoes
http://www.feingold.org/PF/pf_fries.html
The Dramatic Effects of Salicylates:
Hannah's story
http://www.feingold.org/PF/pf_salicylates.html
See other archived articles at
http://www.feingold.org/pf-home.html
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[ ] GARDENING PRODUCTS
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One of our members reports she uses and
highly recommends products made by Gardens
Alive for her organic garden. The products can be
purchased on line at http://www.gardensalive.com
Other helpful books for this time of year may be found
in our Bookstore at http://feingold.org/bookstore.html
at the "Environment-Housekeeping" link.
Another member from Fort Worth reports that a gentleman
named Howard Garrett is known as the Dirt Doctor in the
Texas community. His radio program called "The Natural
Way," about organic lawns, farms, pest and weed control,
is broadcast in Texas on WBAP Saturday and Sunday
mornings. It is broadcast worldwide on the web at
http://www.wbap.com
See his web site at http://www.dirtdoctor.com where you
can find a huge amount of free information, and also you
can buy the books he has written. His methods are
reported to be field tested and far safer than any artificial
products, and they even end up being more economical
as well.
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[ ] TOOTHPASTE ALLERGY?
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If you or your child suffer from recurrent rash around the
mouth, it could be allergy to ingredients in toothpaste,
says a recent report in MedScape. The diagnosis is
often missed because of the tendency to treat symptoms
rather than look for a cause. A short trial of brushing with
plain or filtered water, or using plain baking soda as a tooth
powder, may help you discover or rule out such a problem.
See the citation linked to the full article in MedScape at
http://www.feingold.org/Research/skin.html#Reilly
NOTE -- from personal experience, it is also possible that
such a rash can be caused by an ingredient in products
used for chapped lips. Even if it appears to be an all-
natural product, if you or your child suffer from such a
rash, try going without the chapstick for a week, and/or
test it by applying some to the inside of your elbow
overnight.
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[ ] ASTHMA & SYNTHETIC PILLOWS
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From the Doctors Guide comes the new information that
synthetic pillows may not be best for allergies after all.
It seems that the pillow cover material is more important
than what is inside, and feather pillows often use a denser
covering. See http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/150296.htm
Some of our members are quite sensitive to the finishing
chemicals, including formaldehyde, used on new clothes
or bedding. For many people, all that is required is to
wash the material before using or wearing it. For others,
untreated products are needed or preferred. Some
resources for such products are:
The Safe Shopper's Bible, available at our bookstore
at the "Environment-Housekeeping" link at
http://www.feingold.org/bookstore.html
The Health House (UK) - on line shopping
at http://www.healthy-house.co.uk
The Safe Shopper's Directory - a directory of resources
at http://www.herc.org/shopsafe
As always, if using the Feingold Program, watch for
salicylates (SA-LIS-A-LATES) and additives when
choosing products, even from these resources. Be aware
that even "natural" fragrances may contain salicylates and
should be avoided if you are just beginning the Program.
For more information on salicylates, see
http://www.feingold.org/faq.html#salic and
http://www.feingold.org/Research/pst.html as well as
some more technical information below.
The Feingold Association does not promote or have
an opinion on treatments you may find promoted on
other web sites. There is, nevertheless, a collection of
research at http://www.feingold.org/Research/beyond.html
which you may use to help you make sensible decisions.
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[ ] ASTHMA AND WINE
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A study published in March, 2000, in the Journal of
Allergy and Clinical Immunology says that wine seems
to be a problem for many people with asthma. They
suspect the sulfites and salicylates contained in the
wine. As you know, the Feingold Program Stage One
avoids salicylates, and all foods known to contain
sulfites are marked. See the study citation & abstract
at http://www.feingold.org/Research/allergy.html#Vally
The abstract is also printed below this newsletter.
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[ ] SALICYLATES - FOR CHEMISTRY BUFFS
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This article from Toxalert and the Maryland Poison
Center has some detailed information about how
salicylate works in the body, and what it does.
Some of the treatments they are discussing have to do
with acute overdose situations, but it is all a matter of
degree and amount of sensitivity. See
Aspirin information
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[ ] HEADACHE? PMS?
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HEADACHES? PMS? One of our members, Mary from
St. Louis, reports that sticking to the diet herself has
greatly improved her debilitating mood swings. Harry
from Alexandria, VA also reports that artificial coloring
gives him a migraine. We frequently hear stories of
improvement in adults for a "short fuse", PMS, rashes,
asthma, or hives, as well as ADHD, of course. See a
letter from one of our adult members by clicking on "W.M."
at http://www.feingold.org/success/parents.html
If you are a member, meet other adults on the Feingold
Program on our bulletin board in the Members Section.
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[ ] LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE RECIPES
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Having recently re-read the Little House books by
Laura Ingalls, about her American pioneer family, I am
in the mood for corn bread and beans .... If your
children have read these stories or seen the movies,
they may also appreciate this old fashioned fare, so
here is an easy corn bread recipe and some ideas
about beans ...
You can also buy the Little House Books & Films
right here at http://www.feingold.org/littlehouse.html
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CORN BREAD (Regular or gluten/casein free)
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This recipe is based on one found on a cornmeal box,
actually, which I cut out and have been using for years.
It makes 8-10 servings
1/4 Cup acceptable vegetable shortening or oil 1 Cup Yellow Corn Meal 1 Cup All Purpose Flour * 1 to 2 Tb Sugar (optional) 1 Tb Baking Powder 1/2 Tsp. Salt (optional) 1 Cup Milk, Milk Substitute, or Water 1 Egg, beaten * Gluten-Free Variation:
For the cup of flour, substitute
1/2 Cup Corn Meal
1/2 Cup Corn Starch or Potato Starch
It is possible to simply use 2 cups of corn meal,
but it makes a heavier corn bread.
HEAT oven to 425 degrees F COMBINE dry ingredients in a bowl HEAT shortening or oil in a 10-inch oven proof skillet
(cast iron frying pan works well)TILT skillet to coat bottom evenly ADD liquid and egg to dry ingredients MIX with spoon until blended ADD hot oil or shortening MIX well POUR right into hot skillet BAKE 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick stuckM
in center comes out clean (it will be firm to touch)SERVE hot Perhaps because it is slightly fried in the hot skillet,
this corn bread is not nearly as crumbly as some
recipes, and actually holds together to be buttered.
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BEANS .... BEANS ... BEANS
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Without getting fancy, any dry beans can be cooked
about the same way. Brown beans will be darker
than white beans, obviously, and small beans will
take less time than large ones.
Don't forget to sort beans to take out little rocks or
any other undesirable things that got in there. A
fast easy way to do this is to spill a single layer of
beans at a time onto a small plate, take out the bad
stuff, if any, and then pour the beans straight into the
collander or strainer you will use for rinsing them.
About 2 cups of dried beans makes about 6 servings,
but less if it is the main course.
If you plan ahead, you can wash and soak the
dry beans the night before. I hardly ever can plan
ahead, so I sort and wash the dry beans, then boil for
a minute and turn off the heat to let stand for an hour,
covered. Or you forget about soaking and just keep
cooking them. Cooking them in a crock pot all day
works very well too. Use at least 3 times as much water
as beans.
If you soak the beans, and throw out the soaking
water, the beans are supposed to cause less gas,
although you lose some vitamins. Your plants will
love being watered with the (cooled) soaking water.
If you have thrown out the soaking water, add more
water for cooking, covering beans with several inches
to spare, and cook gently, covered, for several
hours until they are soft. If not covering the pot,
check the water every now and then and add more
if needed.
After the beans are cooked, pour off the extra
water or drain them. Don't throw out the cooking
water. This is the bean broth that was eaten by the
Ingalls Family in the Little House Books as a soup.
Add some salt for flavor. Leave some beans
in this broth, or not, as you prefer.
Then you can pour the cooked beans into a
casserole dish, add some molasses or real (100%)
maple syrup, some salt and some lumps of butter
or margarine from our list of acceptable brands.
It has been suggested that you can use 1/4 cup
syrup (above), 2 tsp. salt, and 2 Tb. butter or
margarine. Use more or less depending on how
sweet and/or buttery you like your beans.
Ketchup (Stage Two) is good but not used in
the Little House books.
If you have no real syrup or molasses, you can make
some out of brown sugar and water (heat to dissolve
2 cups of brown sugar in 1 cup of water).
Then bake in the oven at any heat until you are ready
to eat them or until the corn bread is done. If the
beans look too dry, add some of the broth, some
water, or some more syrup, or both.
To round off the meal, add a salad and a good dose
of nostalgia. Corn bread and beans can be eaten with
acceptable brands of hot dogs, of course, and the
Ingalls family did make their own sausages at hog
butchering time. So take a nice hog and ..... well,
maybe not.
Enjoy,
Shula Edelkind, webmaster
The Feingold® Association of the United States
http://feingold.org
http://ADHDdiet.com
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FOR THOSE WITHOUT INTERNET ACCESS,
BELOW IS THE ABSTRACT OF THE STUDY
ON ALCOHOL AND ASTHMA
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ABSTRACT OF STUDY
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Note -- when you see something like
this: (P = .021) this is just a measure of how
likely it is that they are not making any mistake.
The smaller the number, the better.
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ALCOHOLIC DRINKS: IMPORTANT TRIGGERS FOR ASTHMA.
Vally H, de Klerk N, Thompson PJ
Department of Medicine, University of Western Australia
and the Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, Western
Australia.
BACKGROUND:
Although anecdotally alcoholic drinks seem to be common
triggers for asthma, little is known of the prevalence, the
characteristics, or the mechanisms underlying these reactions.
OBJECTIVES:
The primary aim of this study was to determine the frequency
and characteristics of asthmatic reactions triggered by alcoholic
drinks in a community-based cohort of asthmatic subjects.
Investigations of other food sensitivities were also completed
to explore some of the possible components of alcoholic drinks
that may be responsible for these asthmatic responses.
METHODS:
A validated food allergy questionnaire was used to assess the
characteristics of alcoholic drink-induced asthma in 366 adult
patients recruited from the Asthma Foundation of Western
Australia. The food allergy questionnaire was sent out by mail
and self-administered by recipients.
RESULTS:
Thirty-three percent of respondents indicated that alcoholic
drinks had been associated with the triggering of asthma on
at least 2 occasions. Wines were the most frequent triggers,
with responses being rapid in onset (<1 hour) and of mild to
moderate severity. Logistic regression analysis indicated
that wine-induced asthmatic reactions were reported more
often by women (P = .032), by those taking oral steroids
(P = .021), by individuals who had reported their first asthma
attack at a younger age (P < .001), and by those who had
previously visited an alternative health practitioner for asthma
(P = .041). A significant association between wine-induced
asthma and asthma triggered by sulfite-containing foods
(P < .001) and by aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
medicines (P = .01) was also observed.
CONCLUSION:
Alcoholic drinks, and particularly wines, appear to be important
triggers for asthmatic responses. Sensitivity to the sulfite additives
in wines seems likely to play an important role in many of these
reactions. Sensitivities of individuals to salicylates present in wines
may also play a role.