Feingold Association eNewsletter - October 2000

Dear Feingold Association Friends & Members,

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[ ] FAUS Conference
[ ] FAUS Calendar
[ ] FAUS Correction
[ ] McDonald's - the good news
[ ] Wendy's - the bad news
[ ] Additives - Yum?
[ ] Dental Care
[ ] Carbon Monoxide & You
[ ] Supplements for ADHD?
[ ] Fish Oil (Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids)
[ ] Advocate for Your Children
[ ] Town Hall Meetings Need You
[ ] Speaking of Politics . . .
[ ] Surviving Halloween
[ ] Recipes:

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FAUS CONFERENCE
The Feingold Association Annual Conference took place on Friday, September 22, 2000. This conference was a collaborative effort with SUNY at Stony Brook, NY. The U.S. Surgeon General's office sent Rita Goodman, the First Nurse of the U.S.A., to participate in the discussion of this public health issue -- diet as it relates to behavior, learning and health.

Tapes will shortly be available, and we will also begin giving details of each presenter's talk through articles in Pure Facts.

FAUS CALENDAR
In August we sent out our school-year calendar, which runs from September 2000 to August 2001. It is full of tidbits of advice, pictures of our wonderful children, and resources for acceptable foods, snacks, cleaning products, etc.

Besides being one of our support services for our subscribing members, the FAUS Calendar is one of our major fund raising efforts. The money raised helps us in our outreach effort, helps pay for subsidized memberships, and sends a message to the food industry that we want natural products.

The companies who advertise in the Calendar are also given an honor as a Company of the Month on the Feingold Home Page for the month in which they bought an ad. By buying from companies you find on our Home Page, you are supporting companies who care enough to use natural ingredients and who support our work.

Don't forget to fill out the donation card that came with your Calendar and return it to FAUS

We also have a limited supply our current Calendars available for purchase at the rate of $10 each. Send your check to:

FAUS Calendar
37 Shell Road, Suite 2
Rocky Point, NY 11778
On your check, please remember to write "Please Send Calendar" so we will know that this is not for a Calendar already received.

FAUS CORRECTION
A "bug" was discovered in our website programming. Some of you who are members and have been trying to hit the "member home" from the Message Board may have noticed that the Menu links did not work after that. This has been fixed.

McDONALD'S - The Good News
Several members have brought it to our attention that the cheese used by McDonald's fast food restaurants lists "artificial color" although it is listed in the Feingold Fast-Food Guide as acceptable. Our Pure Facts editor has checked with McDonald's when compiling the 1999 Fast Food Guide, and again when compiling the 2000 Fast Food Guide, and the coloring is actually made from annatto which is a natural source. It is technically called "artificial" because it is not part of the cheese. FAUS has repeatedly asked the company to change its listing to be more accurate, perhaps saying "colored with annatto" or "natural coloring." So far they have not responded.

You can reach McDonald's at 630-623-FOOD. While you are intended to listen to a recording, you can press "0" at various points in the message and when you are in luck you will be transferred to a real person.

WENDY'S - The Bad News
Wendy's lemonade has been listed for years in the Feingold Fast Food Guide. Unfortunately, Wendy's has recently switched brands of lemonade to one that is not acceptable on the Feingold Program. They have confirmed that the two brands of lemonade they currently use contain the artificial coloring Yellow #5 and the preservative BHA. The "light" lemonade also contains aspartame.

These additives are eliminated on the Feingold diet. Tartrazine (Yellow #5) has been implicated not only in ADHD, but also in asthma, hives (urticaria), and other symptoms. (See next article)

A Product Information Alert about the Wendy lemonade has been issued to our members in the September issue of Pure Facts.

Meanwhile, you can do two things:

  1. When eating in Wendy's, you can ask for ice water and slices of lemon, which most of their stores will give you. Squeeze the lemon into the water and add sugar to taste. This lemonade is not only tasty - it's free!

  2. Send a letter to Wendy's to express your disappointment with their lemonade. Address it to:
    Dave Thomas
    Wendy's International, Inc.
    4288 Dublin-Granville Road
    Dublin, OH   43017
  3. Forget the lemonade and drink something else.

ADDITIVES - Yum?
As mentioned above, Tartrazine (Yellow #5) has been implicated not only in ADHD, but also in asthma, hives (urticaria), and other symptoms. You will find Yellow #5 usually listed on food labels because it has been identified as one of the more troublesome additives in the United States, and it is listed by law.

Two chemicals, Benzidine and p-Cresidine, are both known carcinogens which are used in making azo dyes such as Tartrazine.

p-Cresidine is not currently regulated in food by the FDA, but it is known to be a contaminant in Red #40 and is considered a "cause for concern" even in trace amounts according to this year's report by the US Public Health Service. FDA regulatory action is "pending."

Meanwhile, the 1999 Code of Federal Regulations allows only 1 ng/g of Benzidine to remain in Tartrazine. That is one part per billion, and is even lower than the allowable amount of lead or mercury. An FDA study by Prival (1993) found Benzidine levels from 5 to 83 ng/g in half the samples of Tartrazine tested. See http://www.feingold.org/Research/dye.html#Prival and in 1999, it was found by Lancaster & Lawrence that samples of Tartrazine contained between 5 and 270 ng/g even though the 1999 Code of Federal Regulations allows only 1 ng/g. See http://www.feingold.org/Research/dye.html#Lancaster So much for governmental regulations.

See also http://www.ehponline.org/roc/toc9.html

The petroleum-derived preservatives BHA and BHT are both avoided on the Feingold Program. So is the newer one, TBHQ. Vitamin E and citric acid, also commonly used preservatives, are acceptable.

Drs. Kahl & Kappus (1993) report that "all published findings agree with the fact that BHA and BHT are tumour promoters." BHA is reported to be "developmentally toxic" but less toxic than BHT at equivalent doses (Vorhees 1981). BHA is used as an anti-foaming agent in beet sugar. We do not know if any residue remains, but this makes cane sugar more appetizing even though most children on the Feingold Program do seem to tolerate beet sugar and it has never been officially eliminated. BHT has also been implicated in urticaria (hives) from contact with plastics, in which it is used as an antioxidant. See http://www.feingold.org/Research/bht.html We recommend that if you use plastic containers for food storage, wait until the food is cold before filling the container.

The artificial sweetener aspartame has been linked by various studies to everything from headaches to seizures. See http://www.feingold.org/Research/aspartame.html

Reminder: The Feingold Association maintains a Shopping Guide, Fast Food Guide and lots of other information to help you avoid these additives. You don't have to have ADHD (or any medical diagnosis at all) to benefit from the Feingold Program. See http://www.feingold.org/program.html

DENTAL CARE
An article in 1994 by the Hospital Dental Service of UCLA Medical Center, warns dentists treating children with dyslexia to be aware that special care may be needed because the children may also have ADHD, asthma, thyroiditis, or inflammatory bowel disease.

Besides warning of the possibility of interaction between local anesthetic and medication used to treat ADHD, the article also cautions against using anesthetic with sulfite for asthmatic children. Special cautions about possible hyper- responsiveness to anesthetics for children with thyroid problems, and special care for those with a history of steroid therapy are included.

If your child has any of these problems, read more at http://www.feingold.org/enews1.html and make sure your dentist is familiar with this article.

CARBON MONOXIDE & YOU
You probably already know that carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a leading cause of accidental death. But did you know that low levels of this colorless odorless gas can cause symptoms that appear to be other diseases, from flu to lupus? If your child's asthma acts up, or behavior deteriorates for unknown reasons, consider CO. And now, before winter begins, have your furnace and hot water systems checked by a good mechanic, and read the information at http://www.homesafe.com/coalert

SUPPLEMENTS FOR ADHD
What about those special supplements sold for ADHD?

It makes more sense (and it's cheaper) to remove what may be harmful before adding more "things" to one's body. We therefore recommend beginning the Feingold diet first. Then, if you wish to try supplements, do so with the help of a nutritionally oriented health care professional.

Please give all "supplements" the same respect you would any other medication. Note the amounts of each ingredient in each supplement you are considering, add them up, and get advice as to total safe amounts of each item because large amounts of lipid-soluble vitamins and other things can be toxic.

Note that some supplements seem to have many different ingredients ... what used to be called "shotgun therapy" on the assumption that if you give them enough different things something will work. Some of these so-called "natural" items even contain lithium, the drug of choice for manic depressive or bipolar disorder - certainly not a chemical without side effects.

Lastly, do not be misled by the word "natural." Lead is natural. Mercury is natural. Poison Hemlock is all-natural.

FISH OIL (Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids)
Use of essential fatty acids (EFA) from fish oil, flax seed oil, and other EFA sources, is one of the common non-stimulant treatments for ADHD. In fact, evaluation of EFA levels as part of the diagnosis of a child with ADHD symptoms was one of the suggestions made by Dr. L. Eugene Arnold to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Conference on ADHD in 1998.

EFA's are also reported in the literature to be helpful in a long list of disorders, including heart disease, allergic conditions, "dry eye" conditions, and auto-immune diseases - indeed the list goes from acne to vision. In some countries, EFA is routinely added to baby formula, but not in the U.S., even though it is found in mother's milk. It is reported to increase vision and learning ability of the children.

For more information about what EFA can do for you, see the October 4, 2000 "OneMedicine Alert" at http://www.feingold.org/efa.html

For more research studies on EFA and behavior and illness, see also http://www.feingold.org/Research/beyond.html

ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILDREN
        Through the Election Process
Family leaders and health and disability advocates have combined forces with Congress to create the Family Opportunity Act 2000 (FOA). For more information go to http://www.familyvoices.org or call the Family Voices office toll free, 1 888 835-5669. Your senators and representatives will want your opinion, and you can find their contact numbers or email addresses also listed on this website for your convenience.

TOWN HALL MEETINGS NEED YOU
The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP) had its first Town Hall Meeting in San Francisco on September 8. We were represented by Lynn Murphy of San Jose.

There will be several other Town Hall Meetings where each member of the public who signs up will have 5 minutes to tell the Commission why access to "alternative" treatments (such as the Feingold diet) is important. If you are in Seattle, WA, and have something to say, this is your chance. Sign up now and prepare to tell your story. Have copies of your statement prepared to distribute at the meeting. You can also send your statement to them in writing.

The next Town Hall Meeting will be in Seattle, WA October 30-31, 2000. See the information and register to speak at http://www.whccamp.hhs.gov/finalreport.html

If you have any questions, please contact WHCCAMP at whccamp@od.nih.gov or call 301-435-7592.

SPEAKING OF POLITICS
For the first time in history, a nominee for the second highest office in the U.S. knows what the Feingold diet is. Joe Lieberman - called by all sides the "Conscience of America" upon his nomination as Al Gore's running mate - has a niece who grew up on the Feingold Program. Her story is featured in the October issue of Pure Facts.

The same Pure Facts issue includes excerpts of the testimony of Dan Burton, the Republican Congressman from Indiana's 6th District, concerning the safety of vaccines

If you have let your subscription to Pure Facts lapse, now is a good time to renew it at $38 by calling 1800-321-3287 between 9:30 - 3:00 Eastern Time.

SURVIVING HALLOWEEN
If you are a Feingold member, check out the suggestions for Halloween on page 33 of your Handbook.

There is still time (until October 21) for a last-minute order of Halloween candy from the Squirrel's Nest. Go to http://www.squirrels-nest.com and then click on "Catalogue" at the lower left of the page. Then find "Halloween" 6th from the bottom of the catalogue listing at the left of the page. Nope - it is not alphabetical, but it works.

Between your local health food store and supermarket, you should be able to find enough goodies listed in your FAUS Foodlist to give your Halloween goblin a sugar buzz without being completely off the wall. Note that in your Foodlist, candies are listed under "desserts" not "snacks." I think this happened when the first Foodlist organizer decided that candy should only be eaten after dinner. Smart lady, she was.

But what to do about goodies provided by other less enlightened people? Following are several possible suggestions -- choose whatever seems to fit your situation best.

RECIPES:  (Stage One)
Slow Cooker (Crock Pot) cooking is great for busy people. It means coming home to a meal already hot and ready to eat. The following two were chosen because they were Stage One Feingold (of course) AND they are easy enough to prepare before getting the kids off for school.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
This recipe is adapted from allrecipes.com

This is for you organized people who can cut up everything the night before - or who bought frozen cut up veggies and meat.

If you peel the potatoes in advance, you MUST keep in water or they will turn color. Scrubbed unpeeled potatoes can be used, but cut out any damaged or green parts, "eyes," etc.

This recipe can be varied depending on what vegetables you have on hand - I have added squash chunks, green beans, extra celery, turnips, beets, peas, corn, etc. Tomatoes or green peppers would make it a Stage Two Stew.

If you wish, add a couple of thinly sliced okra just before serving - they look like wagon wheels.

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour OK)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic peeled and cut up or minced
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Feingold-acceptable beef broth or beer (or water)
3 potatoes, diced (1 inch chunks)
4 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped (1 inch pieces)
PLACE meat in slow cooker.
MIX together the flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
POUR mixture over meat.
STIR to coat meat with flour mixture.

ADD the garlic, bay leaf, soy sauce, onion, broth, potatoes, carrots and celery.
STIR well to mix all together with meat.
COVER and cook on "low" heat setting for 10 to 12 hours (or on "high" heat setting for 4 to 6 hours).
STIR thoroughly and serve.

If the stew needs more thickening, at end, add a Tb or so of any flour, corn starch or potato starch to a little cold water, stir to dissolve. Then add a little at a time to the simmering stew and stir until it is as thick as you like it. You can leave out the flour and thicken it only at the end if you prefer.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast
3 to 4 lb roast (I used bottom round roast) [NOT frozen]
1 or 2 Cups water or any available acceptable soup
2 cloves peeled garlic (sliced)
1 can mushrooms or a handful of fresh mushrooms (optional)
Cook 6-8 hours on low. Take roast out of pot and thicken liquid to taste before serving by dissolving a few Tb of corn starch or potato starch in cold water and add to hot liquid while stirring until thick. Or leave roast in pot and pour liquid off into another pot to heat on stove while thickening.

Serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable.

If using water, add a stalk of celery if you have it, and some salt. If the gravy needs more taste, add some soy sauce before serving. By the way, a cup of any acceptable beer instead of water is good too.

If you want, you can put chunks of potato and carrot around the roast.

Slow Cooker Chicken
Put a couple of cups of any acceptable soup or barbecue sauce (Stage Two probably), in the slow cooker. Add a whole chicken [NOT frozen] and cover. Cook on low about 8 hours, or on high until done.

Actually, I forgot to turn mine off after we had dinner, and the leftovers cooked another 7 hours. The barbecue sauce turned from red to brown, and the potatoes were brown. The chicken was very soft, and some of the bones were soft enough to chew the ends off -- but it was still good.

RECIPES: SOAP
Most Feingold members can use plain Ivory soap without any trouble. While there are other natural soaps without preservative or fragrance available, many are expensive. If you want to make your own soap (which may save you as much as the price of the Feingold Program over the period of a year) or if you just want a fun project, you will find some soap recipes at http://www.homeschoolzone.com/pp/crafts/soap.htm

Of course, not every recipe on this page is acceptable on the Feingold Program, but if you are familiar with our guidelines, you should have no trouble. You will not, for example, color your soap with melted crayons, right? Anyway, basic plain soap is white and smells quite nice all by itself.

Here are a few pointers from my personal experience, and one very important correction to the Craft Library page (in case they have not made the correction by the time this reaches you)

[] I used to get beef fat free from my local butcher. I did not "render" the fat like they say .... I just boiled it cut up in water until I got tired of it. I strained it and then let it cool in the fridge. When cool, the fat floats on top, nice and solid. When you take it off, scrape off any gunk from the under-side.

[] In the safety section, Sheri Patterson writes that the water must be added TO the lye -- this is a big error. Don't do this!!! If you do, it will BOIL OVER !!!

[] Read your can of lye, and you will see that you must add the lye TO the water already in the bowl. Keep it at arm's length, and do wear eye protection (any glasses should do OK) and have a window open.

[] When stirring the soap mixture with a wooden spoon, you will know it is done when the spoon stands up in the bowl when you let go. It really does do this. Do not use your very favorite fancy wooden spoon because the lye will eat it a little, and after a few uses it may look pretty ratty. Use a plain (cheap) uncoated wooden spoon.

[] If you don't have soap molds around, any flat plastic or oven-safe glass container with sides will do. Don't forget to grease your mold(s). You can use a glass casserole dish, and cut the bars with a knife when they are "set up" enough to cut but not too hard ... that may not take long. The ones cut from the sides will just have a peculiar shape. Pay attention to the thickness of your soap bars, which will depend on how high you fill your mold, of course.

[] I never covered my new soap with plastic wrap, as recommended here, and it was fine. I suppose you run the risk of having a bug land and die in your soap.

[] When the soap bars are hard enough to take out of the mold(s) (a spatula may help you get it out of a casserole dish) you can let them dry by stacking them loosely like several rows of bricks spaced so the air can circulate around each one.

[] If you touch the soap (you will be unable to resist) it will not hurt you, but don't use it yet or touch it to any skin scratches because it still has some active lye in it.

[] Once lye&fat soap is good and hard and "aged" a few weeks, it is surprisingly nice to use. My mother (82) discovered that she no longer needed any face cream after using it.



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