Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: cathy79 on October 09, 2009, 06:53:17 am
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My eldest is 4.5 and (although I'm biased) is a great little girl. She started sleeping through at 6 weeks and has done so ever since. Many (okay most) parents are jealous of this.
But on two occasions, we've had terrible nights. And I believe that both are linked to food. The first was when she was about 2 and we went to a BBQ. She ate about 3 Twisties, the first time she'd ever had anything like that before. That night she woke up every hour screaming. We'd settle her down in about 10 minutes, and the same thing continued all night.
Last week we went to a coffee shop and bought her a chocolate fudge cookie. You know the ones in the glass jars that have been mass produced but somehow have a homemade price tag. I had a little piece, and although edible, it tasted fake. Well the same thing happened. Up every hour screaming etc.
It's fascinating that an innocent biscuit could do this. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions, but if this has only happened twice in 4.5 years, what do you think? What sends your kids (or yourself) crazy? After all, this is why I (and probably most parents on this forum) are taking back control over what our family eats!
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I tend to agree with you. NOt all children seem to be affected by food but I have taught children who have been uncontrollable after lunch. When you ask what they have eaten it always has had specific food additives. One particluar little boy was affected so badly we would often have to send him home.
The friends I had round for lunch yesterday remarked how fresh the food from the TMX tasted compared to other food. They all commented on the naturalness (??) of the food I'd made.
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My GD went ballistic when given some fairy floss at the Royal Show when she was 3 - started belting her mother and throwing things at her. Never again has she been allowed to touch the stuff.
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Oh, this does not look good - how's that brat going JD? ;D ;D ;D ;D Best cover my eyes when it gets to this thread ;)
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He's so full on Thermomixer but we are coping. Plenty of walks - is quiet in the pusher ;) ;) Woke us at 6am and when DD phoned from Sydney she said I could have let him cry for a while as he would have gone back to sleep when he realised no-one was coming to get him up. May try that tomorrow morning. Noisy little fella, not quiet like we are :) :) How young mums manage to find time to do anything amazes me although I must have done when I was a mum to my two a hundred years ago. Thank goodness for a full freezer of cooked food or we wouldn't be eating much ourselves. As it is, we have lunch when he goes down for his afternoon nap and tea after he goes to bed at 7pm - couldn't enjoy a meal with him around ;D ;D ;D My back is the only thing that is suffering at this stage and he seems quite happy here. Thanks for asking about the little 'brat' ;) ;) ;)
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TMXer you have all this to look forward to.
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MollyG - is there still room in Qld? ;) ;D ;D
Hang in there JD - you've done it once - it'll all come flooding back. :-*
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JD -Just when you are the tiredest you have ever felt and not sure how you will continue to cope he will give you the biggest hug and your strength miraculously return. :) :)
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Keep that bottle in the bedside table Judy and have a nanna nap :-* :-* :-*
Gretchen
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You are doing a great job JD. It is hard on your back. I know my Mum really feels it when she looks after our boys for us. Twisting to put them into carseats is the worst.
Cathy - A friend who is a dietician told me that the yellow food colouring is far worse than the red. Things like twisties and cheezles can seriously affect children's behaviour. There may be a link in the food additives and your daughters unsettled nights or it could also be other unsettling things. Night terrors are reasonably common in young children and are often followed by upset/crying at the end of each sleep cycle that follows for the remainder of the night. These can happen often, once or twice during childhood, or not at all. Things like overheating (with bedding etc), stress or a slight rise in body temperature (with a mild virus) can also make for an extremely unsettled night.
P.S - I am so jealous. My youngest son had a sleep disorder and we had months where he was not able to sleep beyond one sleep cycle day or night. He would be fully awake after 37 minutes sleep. People wonder why we aren't having any more . . . . :)
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Thanks for the encouraging words everyone - at least he goes down without any problems at all. Peace, perfect peace :) :)
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Thermomixer - always plenty of room ;)
JD - I can sympathise. My son was the worst sleeper. He used to cry on & off (but lots) from 5pm to 10pm. He woke usually at least every hour through the first night for many months & didn't start sleeping through consistently until after his 2nd birthday. If he woke at 3am I could usually get him back to sleep. If he woke at 4am we were in for exactly 1hour & 10 minutes of screaming & if he woke at 5 or later that meant he was up for the day. (sometimes he would do all three).
We found blue food colouring was the worst (lots of white lollies - particularly minties - have blue colouring to make them look more white - go figure). Sunset Yellow was really bad too & red was not much better. Green was OK, but only if it was made up of green food colouring & not a mixture of blue & yellow (because that was REALLY bad).
When he was quite little, he developed this bad cough. I got a cough mixture from the pharmacy (might have been prescription) especially for little babies. I think it was called Paedamin or something like that. Anyway, his cough became chronic and at the advice of either the doctor or pharmacist (can't remember which) I kept him on the cough mixture. Once he turned 6 months old, I swapped him over to colour free demazin. Almost overnight his cough disappeared. I read the label on the other stuff & it had pretty much every nasty colour known to man in it & it was this horrible disgusting greeny brown colour so why they bothered I don't know. Also the taste was absolutely revolting.
From experience, I know that minties and twisties are two particularly bad foods for colour sensitive children.
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Sue dengate says that recations to colours, flavours, salycilates, msg etc can take a couple of days to appear so it may be something that was eaten earlier than that day
I found that my kids react the worst to MSG, which we discovered via the elimination diet. Which is actually harder to eliminate than most of the colours and flavours.
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This is all very interesting, and it amazes me how many people still don't consider food as a possible problem. I also know a couple of people who pass all the allergy tests no problems, but still react badly to things. Sometimes we're our own best doctors because we know our "normal" better than any one else.
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i know for sure that food affect my oldest, and myself, and ai suspect it also affects the youngest. not sure about middle dd, she is much less susceptible to anything and everything than the rest of us ;)
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Additive Alert - Website:
"It`s a sad fact, but food is not just food anymore. Over the past 50 years the use of food additives has skyrocketed to the point where very few of us have any real idea exactly what`s in the food we eat. Alarmingly, the rates of diseases such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, autism, depression, asthma and ADHD have also increased dramatically over this time. Every year, Australians consume over 5kg of food additives each, yet how many of us really know what these chemicals do, which ones are safe and which ones are known to be harmful?"
Add your name to the petition to get the Food Standards Aust to remove the 6 harmful artificial colours allowed in our food in Aust. Europe has already got rid of them from all foods sold in EU. (102,104,110,122,124,129) 102 is yellow colouring (Tartrazine) linked with hyperactivity, skin rashes, migraines, behavioural problems, thyroid problems! In Aust it is added to custard powder, cakes, pastries, biscuits, softdrinks, cheezels, twisties - all the foods that kids love. Thermomix sells this book.
http://www.additivealert.com.au/
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i'm so glad that Aldi has made a stand to ban a heap of the colours that are banned in europe. still a long way to go but it's a great start and good on them for doing it...
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Allergy tests won't pick up many intolerances. Highly suggest you visit Sue Dengates website www.fedup.com.au (http://www.fedup.com.au) Sue is an intolerances specialist. And if you can borrow her DVD from the library or a local School it would be well worth the watch.
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Thought I'd bump this topic - in my experience, as parents we often "just know" that something is wrong, but unless traditional western medicine can explain it with a blood test, it's not real.
It's through networking with other parents that I've found things that have helped my children, and I think that this forum is a fantastic medium for such help. So I would encourage anyone to share what they've discovered that may help others.
In my children (and friends children) I've seen amazing changes in skin problems, concentration, communication, stomach problems, recurrent ear infections, behaviour....that's what I can think of at the moment.
So I help this encourages someone who is considering trying diet changes as a possible solution to give it a go, inspite of what your doctor might say.
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good idea :D I only need to look at DS number 4 and his skin to see the amazing changes from a leathery red itchy watery eczema covered skin that I was worried about him going to school with, to a few spots brought on by the chlorine in the pool from swimming lessons or the weather changing is enough to bring me joy and to tell everyone to just try it as the only thing that has changed is his diet (I would like to say no preservatives and additives but I am not quite that good!) but certainly to restricted where 99% of his food is free from them :)
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We have had the exact same thing happen with our eldest son Kathryn. He skin has healed except for a few spots after swimming. I have also noticed that his nails are not as brittle and his beautiful afro hair is looking extra strong and shiny. We too have converted to about 99% preservative free. :)
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i am trying to have preservative free as much as we can.
i found for colds and flu, peel a clove of garlic, and put that on the sole of the foot with elastoplast for the night, it works great, or use vicks vapour rub, and wear socks.
i do this, and colds disappear alot faster.
i also make our own ice cream now to, to cut down preservatives.
Robyn :)
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Yes the vicks on the feet is a life saver in this house - my sanity preserver!! People look at you very strangely when you tell them it stops you coughing in the night and to try it. Takes a lot of encouragement to get some people to do it and yet when they do they can't stop raving about it ;D ;D ;D
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It's great to see these encouraging stories coming through.
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We're trying less gluten and dairy in DD's diet and see if that helps her immunity and asthma.
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Oh, when I read this subject title......I didn't even consider food as the issue.
When my kids go crazy......I always blame the moon! ;)
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We're trying less gluten and dairy in DD's diet and see if that helps her immunity and asthma.
Definitely worth a try ILB - especially since you have all the resources available at your finger tips. Sometimes I think I'm in training for discovering that we need to lessen gluten and dairy. Not as daunting as it would have been pre-TMX days thanks to all the great recipes around.
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Your so right Cathy79. With the thermie, the forum and links to so many amazing blogs of those that have gone before us :-* :-* it's not half as daunting as it could have been. Its actually strange to watch XH contemplate the DF/GF diet for DD and it's alot more for him to deal with - he's nearly denying it as that's the easier option :-))
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Oh, when I read this subject title......I didn't even consider food as the issue.
When my kids go crazy......I always blame the moon! ;)
:D I thought the same!
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My only experience so far (touch wood) was with a fire engine (pink lemonade) my one and only DD drank when she was about 2.5. She had a shocking night and it was almost like she was possessed of some evil spirit - writhing in her bed, calling out etc.
The TMX is such a great tool to get the kids into the kitchen at a young age and engaged in making their own food. Together with growing your own I think it at least gives them a fighting chance - although I think to deny them completely of some of the processed stuff on offer may end up drawing them towards it when they are a little older. But it's hard to strike balance when there is so much obvious marketing (I'm thinking even just the product placement in all shops) almost shoving stuff down their tiny throats!
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versaceyoyo, pink lemonade does it to ryan too. we thought ryan was ok with the preservative 282 these days, but pretty sure that's why he's feral after mcdonalds :o not sure why donuts set him off though...
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Brazen, DD's version of pink lemonade is the home made raspberry cordial out of the EDC mixed with mineral water. She LOVES it! ;D ;D
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We are yet to darken the door of a McDonalds but it is only a matter of time before DD asks what it is!
I have been reading 'The End of Food' by Paul Roberts about modern food manufacturing. Very interesting, very scary. I had no idea that a lot of processed food is so processed that it ends up having no natural flavour left and that's why they have to add in fake flavours - so it has some taste! Bizarre.
As for the donuts - the high fat (deep fried), high fructose combination is a nutritional disaster (apparently), but not sure what would cause a bad reaction? (lots of sugar??)
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I know refined sugar sends our son completely off the show. It takes him 4-5 hours to calm down after having even a tiny amount. He had refined sugar at his birthday party recently (his grandmother brought along some extra treats ;)) and aside from his ridiculously hyperactive behaviour he also had major stomach pains all through the night and the next day too. Our bodies really aren't made to process it and some people react really badly when they have it. I have no doubt that our son would have had an ADHD diagnosis in the future if we hadn't cut sugar out of his diet 99.9% of the time.
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That's really interesting Chelsea as DD lately has been complaining of stomach pains. She's off dairy and is now on reduced gluten. I wonder if it is related to the refined sugars.... ???
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DS1 has been off preservatives and additives for as long as I can remember but it was only when I took him off refined sugar 8 years ago that it made a huge difference to his attitude. 8)
On it, he is aggressive and unreasonable, his ADHD is out of control. >:(
Off it he is easier to placate and can follow logic. :)
At 15, I notice instantly if he's snuck something with refined sugar whilst at school.. the most I can do is keep it out of the house and trust that he will one day realise the effects it has on him. :-))
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Wow, the refined sugars is interesting. I use Rapadura in everything now, absolutely everything. Yes it's expensive, but some of the health consequences are pretty scary.
I take my big tubs to my local health food shop and they fill them up straight from the bag. So I spent $100 on sugar the other day :-[ but per kilo it's much cheaper.
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That's good to know Cathy. Think I might start doing the same too. :)
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Sometimes its a shame that not all children show more reaction (that sounds odd sorry) but we avoid colours here as DD1 shows an obvious reaction, by association we are also avoiding other additives and preservatives ect.
I'm sick of the funny looks i get, and just plain ignoring me over food for my child. The rubbish that is given to some children i know because they don't react.. or their parents are to busy labeling them a naughty, and I'm the odd one apparantly.
Sorry :-)) sore subject.
Thank heavens for like minded friends.
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Well Sinead if you ever need to be made feel "normal" and also one of the "best parents" around because you care about your children and family, just pop in here and be among the rest of us "weirdo's" :D :D
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Your in good company here! I also start to feel like I'm labelled as a bit over the top with what DD eats. But at the end of the day I just want her to be healthy & get the best start in life.
Just remember that those judging you probably don't even realize how bad all that other rubbish really is for us!
:-*
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Wow, the refined sugars is interesting. I use Rapadura in everything now, absolutely everything. Yes it's expensive, but some of the health consequences are pretty scary.
I take my big tubs to my local health food shop and they fill them up straight from the bag. So I spent $100 on sugar the other day :-[ but per kilo it's much cheaper.
Cathy - which shop is it? I have bought it from both campbell st and herries st but didn't now i could get it in bulk. i love the flavour, actually - the strawb jam i made with it has a beautiful subtle caramel flavour.
As for people judging, I guess we all do some of that to an extent, but it is irksome when people question whether you are doing what's best for your own child (or even have the gaul to suggest it!)...personally i don't think there is anything weird in being aware of what goes into our food these days. i call it being responsible.
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Just remember that those judging you probably don't even realize how bad all that other rubbish really is for us!
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Very true ILB!!!
For all of you considering the change to rapadura, I really would recommend it. It still isn't particularly good for you (and it doesn't mean that you can go overboard eating baked goods) but as far as powdered sweeteners go it has a lot of nutrients. Quirky Jo and I recently did a little research into rapadura and panela in Australia and I know Jo has updated her blog with our findings. I don't think she has updated the rapadura thread here though so I will do that ASAP. I have found a local supplier here who sells rapadura for just over $5 a kilo which is quite good.
Actually yesterday I had to have a giggle as I modified a Cyndi O'Meara recipe to make it more healthy - yes really!!!! Why on earth she would use brown sugar in the syrup of her pineapple upside down cake when rapadura works so beautifully is beyond me!
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Actually yesterday I had to have a giggle as I modified a Cyndi O'Meara recipe to make it more healthy - yes really!!!! Why on earth she would use brown sugar in the syrup of her pineapple upside down cake when rapadura works so beautifully is beyond me!
LOL we all have room to improve don't we... ;)
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Wow, the refined sugars is interesting. I use Rapadura in everything now, absolutely everything. Yes it's expensive, but some of the health consequences are pretty scary.
I take my big tubs to my local health food shop and they fill them up straight from the bag. So I spent $100 on sugar the other day :-[ but per kilo it's much cheaper.
Cathy - which shop is it? I have bought it from both campbell st and herries st but didn't now i could get it in bulk. i love the flavour, actually - the strawb jam i made with it has a beautiful subtle caramel flavour.
I prefer the Campbell St shop - it's locally owned and staffed by people who are passionate about healthy food, not just a weekend sales job to pay the bills.
Talk to Thomas - he's been taking good care of me with the sugar, and also getting in other things I've requested eg bulk cacao powder.
Chelsea - $5 /kilo - that's an amazing price - somehow I think the shipping to Qld would be prohibitive. Our local shop gets their organic f&v from Tasmania, so you must live in the right state.
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I get very weird looks when I beg people to not open the Twisties in front of my girls, but I've got thick skin.
I just threaten them that they'll have to do the babysitting if they insist on feeding them junk!!
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We are very much into natural health here and this really struck a chord with me when I read it.
Rachael is a well known homeopath and highly recommended. :)
http://www.infinitewellness.com.au/node/10 (http://www.infinitewellness.com.au/node/10)
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Chelsea - $5 /kilo - that's an amazing price - somehow I think the shipping to Qld would be prohibitive. Our local shop gets their organic f&v from Tasmania, so you must live in the right state.
I think I must Cathy. I orginally thought that there wasn't much around to cater for organic living but I have since changed my mind. About 5 minutes from our house we have an organic farm shop. It sells produce grown on it's farm (including veg, organic beef and lamb) and sources fruit and veg from around the state. It also has a small amount of grocery lines.
I have also found a wonderful local organic bulk distributor (grains, rapadura, dried fruit, salt, flours, cacao etc) who charges me $5 for delivery to my door. I love this company and I do a big order with them once a month. A large (very large) percent of their yearly profits is donated directly to various charities also! I LOVE this company!!! I will check if they post interstate and will post the company details if they do. Some things like organic cacoa, drinking chocolate and coconut are quite light and postage may work out ok. :)
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I get aggro when I have parmesan cheese. It's a delayed reaction but I'm horrible to live with for 24 hours.
My kids get really bad eczema from the preservatives in ham, bacon and dried fruit.
K3
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Weird Karen3. I have a simple recipe to use up the rind of the parmesan, ut don't think that I'll send it to you. Keep away.
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I get aggro when I have parmesan cheese. It's a delayed reaction but I'm horrible to live with for 24 hours.
My kids get really bad eczema from the preservatives in ham, bacon and dried fruit.
K3
Wow, I wonder what's in parmesan cheese that can set you off? Very interesting.
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I get aggro when I have parmesan cheese. It's a delayed reaction but I'm horrible to live with for 24 hours.
My kids get really bad eczema from the preservatives in ham, bacon and dried fruit.
K3
Wow, I wonder what's in parmesan cheese that can set you off? Very interesting.
In some cheeses 160b (annatto), a colouring is a major issue (yes, my kids and I react to this one... :-X) but I'm not sure about parmesan... :-[
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Apparently it's a natural chemical called amines. I can have a small amount of parmesan once a week but any more and the chemical builds up and we have cranky K3.
For more info about amines - http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factamines.htm
K3
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ohhhh Karen you have just given me something to ponder...will monitor this household for a little bit I think - the things you learn!! I love it :D :D
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Karen2 - have you seen Quirky Jo's parmesan alternative (http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com/2010/03/dairy-free-parmesan.html) ?
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How did I miss this great thread??? I love you guys ;D - I feel like I'm not so weird :o when I hear about you all having the same experiences... I get so tired of people hassling me about the way I feed my kids, and what I won't let them have - sometimes I give in just because I'm so tired of being hassled! Then I regret it... My 6 yr old went to a party the other day and came home sick as, just laid on the bed for ages, poor thing.
My oldest was a model baby (sleeping through the night by 6 wks too), but had awful night terrors at around 2 yrs of age... We think it may have been from using Phenergen when she was younger. We found out you aren't supposed to give it to them as babies, or they'll often end up with night terrors! Who knows what's in it - needless to say I don't use all that junk these days. Live and learn.
I find if I have the tiniest bit of dairy (even butter) I get awful hayfever for days, and if I have too much, I get bad headaches and flu-like symptoms. It took me years to get to where I am now, mostly free from hayfever - I've had it all my life. But yesterday I ate something with butter & cheese on it (the kids cooked for the parents at our homeschool group, and I felt I'd better eat what they made) and now I've got the headache and flu thing. So it's better to be thought a 'food snob' and eat what you know keeps you feeling good. :)
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It is very hard when other people make comments. When my son was sick with tummy pains after a party, a family member suggested that I should be giving him foods containing refined sugar more often to get his system "used to it". What rubbish! The result of that advice would be my son having chronic stomach pain and him being unable to manage his own behaviour. When it comes to your babies you just have to do what you know is right (and adopt a very thick skin). :)
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When I was at a cocktail reception for a wedding recently I was chatting with a friend who is allergic to wheat. The poor girl was unable to eat anything that was on the menu.
She sat through seven hours of ceremony and reception with nothing but water and a glass of wine. :o
I was appalled. When preparing food, I always have foods with no wheat, or no dairy or, no sugar. How hard is it?
I must also mention that I've been doing a bit of relief teaching. I have a small class of young children, but mostly underachieving boys. These children were fine up until after lunch, then the change in them was palpable! Loud, restless, overactive and little self control.
It's interesting that many children have a special treat in their lunchbox - usually an LCM or Muesli Bar of some sort.
It doesn't happen after the morning break because our school is a 'Crunch and Sip' school, where children are only allowed fruit and water in the morning.
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Hi Everyone,
It does get tiresome dealing with people who don't get food allergies/intolerances. Nice to see support here :) TMer - QC's df parmesan looks awesome. I haven't challenged anchovies (which are high in amines too) so I'll give that a try. Often with food intolerances you love what is bad for you. It's already been mentioned but again, Sue Dengate's book "Fed Up" is a really informative read for anyone who is interested in finding out more.
K3
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Karen3 - I really feel for you. I don't appear to have any allergies or reactions and couldn't imagine life for people with such restrictions. i just adore eating chunks of parmesan and fishing anchovies from the jar/tin to eat while preparing dishes such as salsa verde.
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I'm pretty lucky too Thermomixer and so are the rest of the family when it comes to allergies. I do get hayfever if I pig out on chocolate but I really have to pig out. eg Easter time. We're not fond of preservatives but really have no nasty problems like so many people. We've just had pizzas with lots of anchovies and some parmesan with the gooey mozzarella.
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Thanks TMer. I just love, love anchovies and parmesan. I'm one of the lucky ones though, I don't have anyphalactic (spelling? it's not in spellcheck ;) )reactions to anything so far and can eat most things in moderation.
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It's anaphylactic Karen3.
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Thanks JD :)
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A new book release on Cindy O's site written by Melanie Avery may be of intrest on here.
;)
"Crazy kids at your party from drinking red cordial? Here's how to have a calm, quiet additive free party while still having fun in line with Cyndi's philosophy of completely natural foods."
http://changinghabits.com.au/_webapp_457414/Resource_of_the_Month
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That looks great Nay-Nay. Thanks for posting it.
I have just put my two crazed children to bed for naps. Easter bunny came to playgroup and bought little eggs for all the kids. Even though they were both very hyped from having a couple of little eggs, it was great fun (and only once a year). :)
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Have you guys seen the video clip of Jamie Oliver talking about how important it is to teach your kids good eating habits? (It's mostly about obesity, but of course relates to all food-related health issues)... I put it on my blog with a post about ideas for teaching kids to cook: Teach Your Kids to Cook! Why & How... (http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com/2010/03/teach-your-kids-to-cook-why-how.html)
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Yes Jo... I saw it on FB and had to share it. ;D
There is a lot to be said for his passion and drive.... wonder if Jamie O has used a TMX? :D
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Yes Jo... I saw it on FB and had to share it. ;D
There is a lot to be said for his passion and drive.... wonder if Jamie O has used a TMX? :D
Bet he hasn't seen it. I think Nigella would love it too!
Great video Jo, thanks!
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I empathise with anyone who has to moniter food colouring additives etc, my family and I are quite fortunate not to have the hassle with food. I still prefer my kids to eat healthy and only ever allow my kids a very small amount of soft drink for special occasions, but get angry when GP (G/parents) decide to give my kids a can of soft drink, which sent my (at the time 7 yr DD) throwing up. My kids very rarely have cordial, they prefer juice, water and milk drinks.The only thing I am really aware of is that I personally have to make sure I don't have much sugar as I will get not very nice symptoms.
I have not intentional been naive to food, just sounding a bit like a cop out, busy.
I might have to do some experiments within my family, to really see what side effects my DD &DS show.
Thanks everyone for shedding some light :)