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     October 2011         
  
In This Issue:
  -Avoiding Halloween Hangover
  -There is still time (for candy)
  -Dr. Oz goes after apple juice
  -Marshmallows ... mom's blog
  -NuVal: Nutrition made strange
  -Oppositional Defiant Disorder
  -Cognitive behavior after
    anesthesia
  -No treats from Monsanto!
  -Treats from Feingold!!
  -The daily squeeze
  -A mom's suggestion (Intuniv)
  -Have cell app, will travel
  -Coming events
  -From the mailbox


Avoiding Halloween Hangover
Little super heroes can have fun without becoming monsters the next day!
More . . ..

There is still time!
Want some scary lollipops? The Squirrel's Nest has a variety of Halloween treats - both Stage 1 and Stage 2 - which you can order through October 20.

The daily squeeze
After the oranges are commercially squeezed, the juice is stored in giant holding tanks for up to a year. The oxygen is removed, so it doesn't spoil. This also removes the flavor, so the industry uses “flavor packs” to re-flavor the juice before selling it.

These flavorings are not listed on the ingredient label; they are made from orange essence, so they are natural, but Dr. Mercola claims they are like nothing found in nature. More . . .

Funny, when I lived in Israel 40 years ago, I was looking for orange juice. The storekeeper was flabbergasted at my question. He said, "If you want orange juice, take an orange and squeeze it!!" He thought Americans were nuts. Looks like maybe he was right.

Solution:

Squeezing a whole glass of juice can be a pain, and may taste too strong for your little ones anyhow. So here is an easy recipe for an Israeli drink called Eshkolit which my great-aunt Zahava used to make back then. Take a grapefruit. Cut it in half and squeeze the half into a nice big glass. It only fills the glass a few inches, but that is okay. Fill up the glass with cold water and some sugar to taste (or a packet or little scoop of Stevia if you prefer). Ice cubes if you like. That's it - yum.

You can do the same with a whole orange, lemon, or even a lime if you prefer. You'll never go back to the bottle!

A mom's suggestion
One of our moms sent me this email after our article on Intuniv last August.

"Thank you so much for the article and information regarding Intuniv. My son has been on it for almost a year now with good results. Feingold diet users may be interested in the option of using the generic version of Tenex, called Guanfacine 1mg, instead of Intuniv. Although it is not extended release, the tablets are white and appear to be dye free. As an added bonus they are considerably less expensive than the repackaged Intuniv version of the same medication."

Note: Generics are usually made by several companies. The pills do appear white, and the ingredient list on the website looks okay. But check with your pharmacist and remember that suppliers change. If you open your bottle right there in the store to check every refill - for all medications - you can question the pharmacist if they look different than expected. If necessary, shop around until you find a pharmacy that sells the white one.

Have cell app,
will travel
Melissa writes:

I saw the article in the newsletter about the E-numbers. We recently went to Europe on vacation with my son, who has been on Feingold for about 6 1/2 years now. I purchased an app for my cell phone before we left from the Amazon AppStore called "What Additives" which allows you to enter an E-Code and tells you what it is. It is also color coded for whether it's safe for kids (it's very conservative, so it pays to read the name). It also tells you what kind of additive it is (color, anti-caking, etc.), what it's made from, and whether it's vegan. It was an absolutely invaluable resource when reading labels in the EU.

Note: Such an app is not a substitute for the Foodlist in the US, however, since it can only identify additives actually appearing on the label.

Time to
Renew?

If you have not been receiving Pure Facts, you may have let your subscription lapse.


If your family has benefited from the Feingold Program, please remember us when it's time to give
to charity.


Dr. Oz goes after apple juice
When Dr. Oz heard reports about arsenic in apple juice, he launched an extensive investigation. Using an independent lab for sophisticated, state-of-the-art testing, they uncovered that some of the best-known brands of apple juice contain arsenic. The article was published on Dr. Oz' website September 12, 2011 and can still be seen here with a list of each of the brands of apple juice and their lab results. Under the article are links to statements by some of the juice companies.

In another article posted a few days later, Dr. Oz answers questions. The first is: Why worry about arsenic in apple juice at all? His Answer:

"The US Geological Survey says China is the world’s largest producer of arsenic. We outlawed arsenic in pesticides in the US, but we don’t know what happens in other countries’ apple orchards. Those apples can be sprayed with pesticides that contain inorganic arsenic. Our show found that one box of American apple juice can come from apple concentrate from China and six other countries. That’s how arsenic can get into the US juice supply. We have the right to know how safe that concentrate is." Read the rest of the article here.

Meanwhile, right after the apple article, the subject of food dyes was submitted to Dr. Oz' Facebook page. The title is Artificial Food Dyes in kids' foods are dangerous. See the discussion and add your opinion if you like.



Even marshmallows have blue dye: Adventures with the Feingold Diet
Here is a new blog by a Feingold mom, writing about her experiences with her children, Feingold, ADHD, and the public school system.

She invites you to visit at www.marshmallowshavebluedye.blogspot.com



Nutrition made strange
Pure Facts ran a good article this month about the NuVal program, which supermarkets are using to try and fight back against the health food stores and markets like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. If you haven't received your Pure Facts, better check whether your membership has expired -- or if you aren't a member, this would be a good month to join.

One of our members wrote us about her NuVal shopping experience, and I would like to share some of it with you. She writes:
"I have seen frozen chocolate ice pops with maltitol and sucralose receive a score of #100, the same as broccoli. Some organic foods receive lower scores than processed foods. Yogurt with aspartame and 2 different food dyes and preservatives got an 88, while a Chobani Greek yogurt with blueberry [and real sugar] received a score in the 20's. . . I cringe at the thought of unsuspecting people relying on this system. Children will be drinking juice cocktail drinks with artificial ingredients, eating fake yogurt with dyes and being served egg beaters for breakfast. Oh, don't forget an ice pop with Maltitol and propylene glycol for a 'healthy snack' - with a score of 100! Who needs fruit and veggies? . . .

I would encourage consumers to go onto the NuVal Facebook page, and address all of these issues so their response will be public knowledge. I think an overwhelming response in a negative way will force supermarkets to see this is not acceptable to many of us."
If you agree, their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/NuVal and they have announced their first Twitter Party to be October 17 at 12 noon (EST) at #nuvalparty. Personally, I have no idea what a Twitter Party actually is, but if any of you want to make yourself heard, it sounds like an opportunity.


Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Another member raised the concern that ODD is not listed specifically as a symptom or disorder we can help through diet. She is right -- the diagnosis is not mentioned specifically, and I will add it to the "drop down" list of symptoms on the home page. While there have not been any actual double-blind studies published to my knowledge on diet for kids with ODD, the symptoms below are included in the symptoms Dr. Feingold originally identified as diet-related:
  • Disruptive behavior
  • Unresponsive to discipline
  • Destructive behavior
  • Abusive behavior
  • Aggression
  • Demands immediate attention
  • Low frustration tolerance
  • Irritability
If your child has some of the symptoms above to the extent that it interferes with his life and the life of those around him, he may well get the diagnosis of ODD - such a diagnosis should be made only by an appropriate specialist, not by you or me, or even his teacher. However, it is perfectly reasonable to see if food additives or salicylates could be turning him into Mr. Hyde, and that is something you can do at home with our Program materials.

As for studies, back in 1997, Schmidt did a study on children with Conduct Disorder (CD), which is a more serious sort of ODD in which the child (by then often a young adult) becomes extremely destructive. Schmidt found that those who responded to a Feingold-type diet improved just as much as those who responded to Ritalin. See the story of Joshua. In fact, if you search our website, there are 37 references to "oppositional defiant" and I will work on introducing more information about it.

One problem is that diagnostic names are evolving; it seems that every year there is a new diagnosis, or a new diagnostic protocol. For example, today a child must have 6 listed symptoms before the age of 7 in order to be diagnosed with ADHD. There is a proposed change to allow a diagnosis of ADHD if they have 4 symptoms before the age of 12. For sure, this would include many more people and open whole new markets for stimulant drugs, of course.


Cognitive behavior after anesthesia
A new study published last week looks at the effect of anesthesia on children under two years old. It has long been known that surgical anesthesia involves using drugs known to cause neurological degeneration in young animals - but few studies have ever been done to see if it does the same to children (aren't children young animals?), and the authors feel those earlier studies were inadequate. In this study, they used more advanced methods, starting with a large group of 8,548 children born between 1976 and 1982 in Rochester, MN. 350 of them were exposed to anesthesia before age 2, and they were compared to 700 controls (children not undergoing surgery at that age).

The authors concluded that repeated surgeries (but not just one) before the age of two was a significant risk factor for the later development of learning disabilities. Almost three times the expected number of the children exposed to multiple anesthesias later needed an IEP for speech or language difficulty, but the number needing intervention for behavioral problems was not more than expected. In a test of cognitive skills, those with multiple exposures to anesthesia also had significantly lower cognitive (IQ) and memory scores. This and other articles on the subject all indicate that more research is needed.

Will the Feingold diet help a child whose brain has been affected by early anesthesia? We don't know, but neither does anybody else. We suggest it is worth trying; we suggest that since food dyes and other additives have already been shown to be toxic to neurons (Lau 2006), these children certainly don't need to be adding insult to injury. We hope to receive feedback from parents who do (or don't) have observable success using the diet for such children.

The new study:
Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes After Early Exposure to Anesthesia and Surgery, Randall PF, et al, Pediatrics, Volume 128, Number 5, November 2011.
MedLine || See full text Username = myfile / Password = 4Studies

Review of previous studies on anesthesia and babies:
Neurotoxicity of Anesthetic Drugs in the Developing Brain., Stratmann G., Anesthesia and Analgesia. 2011 Sep 30. MedLine



No treats from Monsanto!
It still looks like a corn, and tastes like a corn, so what's the big deal? What's wrong with a couple of modified genes in your corn, anyway? GMO plants are not eliminated on the Feingold diet, although many members try to avoid them for health reasons, and the available research is a little scary. One problem with avoiding them is that they are not labeled, so you don't always know when they creep into a food that you considered "safe," even in stores like Whole Foods.

We're already exposed to GMO ingredients in our corn syrup and various processed foods, but this is the first time it is going to appear on our grocery shelves as an actual food item -- an ear of corn. This is something new.

The email from Food & Water Watch came to me and I signed the petition; they set it up very well and it was easy to sign. We now know that GMO products increase allergies in our children and promote health problems to the point that some of the very creators of GMO have turned against it. But what was the connection to the Feingold diet?

A very small amount of digging revealed a real connection -- when they make plants pesticide-resistant through GMO, one of the major ways to do it is to force the plant to make increased amounts of salicylate. Yes -- salicylate. This can potentially pose serious problems for salicylate-sensitive people.

Therefore, for your convenience, I am giving you the link -- Go to Food & Water Watch and sign the petition, and they will take it from there.



Treats from Feingold!!
(The 2010 basket is pictured. Products will vary.)
This is the first year we will have a Stage One Goodie Basket for you!!   Products are still arriving, and we will start sending them out beginning the second week of November, in time to arrive for the date of your choice - but if you want to order NOW, click on the links below:

Coming Events:

Murfreesboro, TN:

If you live near Murfreesboro, TN, you are invited to a Free Workshop on the Feingold Diet. Bring your friends and relatives.

When: Friday, November 4, from 12:30 to 2:00 pm

Where: Middle Tennessee State University, College of Education Building, Room 251
1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132

There is no need to register, but call 615-898-2874 if you have questions.

See the flyer - and print it to distribute wherever you feel it will find people who need to come. See a campus map.


Atlanta, GA:

If you live in Georgia, come to the "My Body, My Life, My Design Symposium" at Colony Square, November 22-23, where I will be one of the speakers - speaking about Feingold, of course.
See more
From the Mailbox

  • Brand new member - "Thank you for sending me the information. I have not read through everything yet, but have gone through some. It is amazing to me the stuff that is put in our food in the stores. I have enjoyed reading the e-newsletters."

  • Renewing in Canada - "Thank you for the fantastic information that you provide....it has been extremely helpful as I have one son with ADHD and another with Autism. Thank you again!!!"

  • Lady ordering some Brochures in OK - "My two five year old grandsons are on the Feingold diet, and it has helped their school behavior, as well as their medical issues."

  • Email from CA - "Thank You so much for providing these brochures free of charge. I will make sure they are used in the most profitable way. MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU."

    Note: If you find one of our brochures anywhere, it is not because we hire teams of distributors but because a volunteer like these above asked for them and put them where he or she hoped someone who needed to know will find them.
Coming in NOVEMBER 2011 PURE FACTS:

  • Fast Food - why the debut of this little restaurant could change everything.
  • Burger Wars - the little guys are gaining ground. Make mine an organic, grass-fed burger!
  • New information on fluoride that may shock your dentist.
  • Dry Erase Markers - Is the effort to save paper resulting in more ADHD? Some headache-free solutions.
  • New study and new supplement that can make a big difference in autism.
  • Gluten-free foods that taste like the Real Thing. One mom is on a mission to provide Better Batter at affordable prices.
  • The seven-year-old who creates healthy school lunches.
  • Californians gear up to do battle with GMOs.
Notes

Planning to change your address? Don't forget to let us know - use the force ... I mean the form ... so you will not be out of touch.