A Warning to Moms!!!

I'm not sure if this topic has been posted on Gather yet but I thought I would share it with all the moms out there, particularly those with children that have hyperactivity issues and/or ADHD.

I have 2 children, ages 7 and 3. My son and daughter seem to be in constant motion which can be typical of kids their ages. The thing is, it almost seems to be too much. Neither child has been diagnosed by a Physician as being hyper but I really feel they are. My daughter who is 7 has trouble focusing and keeping thoughts at times and  this really concerns me because I don't want her to suffer in school since last year she did so well.

I don't feed my kids a ton of sugar or let them have Coke of course. I always try to pick out what I feel are healthy snacks and keeping them exercising but nothing seems to curb this constant motion, even a little bit. My kids also never seem to get tired, they could probably stay up all night if someone let them.

I was recently talking to a relative who was having the same problems with her 5 year old. She did some research online and through her doctor and she came up with some interesting findings.

There is some debate but the American Academy of Pediatrics has recognized that food colorings in American products have a tendancy to cause hyperactivity and focus problems in children. It also has been shown to make symptoms of ADHD worse in children.
So this relative decided to pull all the colored foods and juices out of her daughters diet and Voila, she was like a new kid. She still had the spunk and energy of a beautiful 5 year old but she was much more mellow. She even told her mom that her brain can slow down now. In my opinion, that's a very powerful statement for a 5 year old to make.
So I thought about doing the same for my children. All you have to do is eliminate artificial food colorings which was an easy at home remedy for me. In the grocery store, I would just check labels on everything and was shocked at how many products have artificial colorings. Of course, it's just about everything a kid would eat.
But I managed and so did my kids and they are better now and have slowed down a bit without any medical intervention. I was thinking for sure that my daughter would be diagnosed with ADHD at her next appointment but she wasn't. Her focus is much better and so is the hyperactivity.

So here is what to watch for:
Sodium Benzoate which is a perservative
Red #40
Blue #2
Yellow #5- (Tartrazine)- They say this one is the worst.
Yellow #6- Sunset Yellow

These colors are in everything from cereal to Mac and Cheese, toothpaste and just about anything with color, even cake mixes. (The cake mixes killed me!!!)

So here is what I did about my kids favorites that were loaded with color:
Popsicles, I switched to fruit bars.
I always use 100% juice
Cheerios, Raisin Bran, and Kix are good cereal options.
For Mac and Cheese, I use Annie's white cheddar Mac and Cheese.
I use Organic Vitamins and toothpaste. Any medicine, such as Tylenol or Motion, I just use the dye free options.

You don't have to go to an Organic store, though it is easier to get these products there. There are plenty of options at your regular grocery store.

This has worked for my kids and those close to me but as with anything it may not work for everyone. It can't hurt to try especially if your kid has ADHD or has been diagnosed with hyperactivity. As a mom, we know when our kids aren't right and I think that if we can use this instead of powerful medications, our kids will be happier and healthier in the long run.

As a sidenote, the UK has been working on banning these artificial colors for a long time. I think maybe the US should consider as well. There is much more research to be done with this but it can hurt to try it.

Sorry this was so longwinded but I just wanted to get the information out there.

But I'm curious to ask:
Has anyone else tried this "diet" and have seen a difference???
Would you consider putting your child on this diet if they have hyperactivity or focus problems?

Thanks for stopping by and reading. Please pass this infomation on to other moms out there especially ones dealing with kids such as mine.