Monday, March 26, 2012
Getting better...
We are home from our six day vacation! What a great time by all and my little man is continuing to improve. I thought being on the road would be difficult with our new diet, but it wasn't too bad. I packed our huge cooler with all our edible goodies and hit the road. Our breakfasts and lunches came from the cooler. Dinners we ate out or my uncle cooked. When we ate out, I ordered basic foods for little man (grilled chicken, homemade meatballs, pasta with pesto). Though I didn't know exactly what these items contained, the kid had to eat! And I might add, he did great! We are nowhere near "perfect' but after three weeks with the program, I can concretely state that his behavior has improved . More smiles and kind words, less tantrums and outbursts. I'll take it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, March 12, 2012
A week later....
Whew, what a week! I thought the Feingold Program was going to kick my fanny, but in reality, I'm kicking its' fanny! :)
Yes some sacrifices had to be made (no more lunch dates at Chick-Fil-A), but in the end, it's OK! I have spoken to numerous people this past week trying to explain what we were doing and why. Some patted me on the back, some looked at me like I have lost my mind. But that is fine, because in reality, it's not that different than what we ate anyways....Here are some of the meals I have made..
BREAKFAST:
The program states that improved behavior usually occurs 3-6 weeks into the diet. Even though it has only been 7 days, I have seen a slight improvement in my son. He used to wake up like a rip roaring tornado yelling at me to find him a toy, or he wanted some juice, etc. No more hugs and kisses and sweet nuzzles for mommy anymore. Needless to say, I dreaded getting up in the morning knowing the chaos started the minute his feet hit the ground! But the past few mornings, he has been quiet coming into our room and patiently waiting for me to get up. He still isn't back to his cuddly morning snugly guy, but just knowing he gets up, and CALMLY and QUIETLY walks into my room whispering "mommy, I'm up" is HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!
We have had a few stumbling blocks during the week. For instance, we went to a birthday party yesterday and he couldn't eat the cake (insert sad face). I overcame the issue by preparing beforehand and having my friend buy ice cream he could eat! So he was happy about that! I also have been packing his snacks for school. I feel like he is being singled out (in a way he is), but I made a snack bag and he gets to choose his snack each day which he likes.
This upcoming weekend we will be traveling a long distance for a few days stretch. I am a little nervous since eating out with eventually happen. I plan on bringing a cooler full of stuff for us to eat in the car and for breakfasts, etc. Dinners will be the kicker....but I'm working out a plan that I hope will go off without a hitch! Wish us luck!
I am looking forward to the next few weeks. I pray each night that this program is right and will help my son!
Yes some sacrifices had to be made (no more lunch dates at Chick-Fil-A), but in the end, it's OK! I have spoken to numerous people this past week trying to explain what we were doing and why. Some patted me on the back, some looked at me like I have lost my mind. But that is fine, because in reality, it's not that different than what we ate anyways....Here are some of the meals I have made..
BREAKFAST:
- Scrambled eggs with cheese and mushrooms
- Waffles
- Pancakes
- Oatmeal with pure maple syrup
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
- Macaroni and cheese (BOXED!)
- Chicken nuggets
- Fettuccine Alfredo with baked chicken
- Mexican Chicken
- Steak with mashed potatoes, asparagus, garlic bread
- Parmesan crusted Tilapia
- Bananna Smoothie
- Pineapple chunks with ground cinnamon
- Various assortment of kid crackers, cookies
- Pan of brownies
The program states that improved behavior usually occurs 3-6 weeks into the diet. Even though it has only been 7 days, I have seen a slight improvement in my son. He used to wake up like a rip roaring tornado yelling at me to find him a toy, or he wanted some juice, etc. No more hugs and kisses and sweet nuzzles for mommy anymore. Needless to say, I dreaded getting up in the morning knowing the chaos started the minute his feet hit the ground! But the past few mornings, he has been quiet coming into our room and patiently waiting for me to get up. He still isn't back to his cuddly morning snugly guy, but just knowing he gets up, and CALMLY and QUIETLY walks into my room whispering "mommy, I'm up" is HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!
We have had a few stumbling blocks during the week. For instance, we went to a birthday party yesterday and he couldn't eat the cake (insert sad face). I overcame the issue by preparing beforehand and having my friend buy ice cream he could eat! So he was happy about that! I also have been packing his snacks for school. I feel like he is being singled out (in a way he is), but I made a snack bag and he gets to choose his snack each day which he likes.
This upcoming weekend we will be traveling a long distance for a few days stretch. I am a little nervous since eating out with eventually happen. I plan on bringing a cooler full of stuff for us to eat in the car and for breakfasts, etc. Dinners will be the kicker....but I'm working out a plan that I hope will go off without a hitch! Wish us luck!
I am looking forward to the next few weeks. I pray each night that this program is right and will help my son!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Change for the BETTER?!?!?!
Tomorrow starts the official Feingold Program for our family!!! I'm paranoid, scared, hesitant, and excited all at the same time! Paranoid because I have to monitor everything we eat even if I am not around. Scared that this program won't work and help my O.D.D. child. Hesitant to "change" our lifestyle. Excited about the positive outcomes that the Feingold Program has proven time and again that "changed" behaviors all over the world in persons with ailments such as O.D.D./ADHD.
A summary of the program to get a better understanding:
"The Feingold Program is a form of elimination diet. It shows you how to run a short-term test to find out if certain foods and/or food additives are triggering any of the symptoms you are seeing. Major offenders include but are not limited to: food dyes, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, three preservatives (BHA, BHT, or TBHQ), aspirin and natural salicylates."
After 3-6 weeks, you can start gradually reintroducing the natural salicylates and aspirin back into your diet. Easy right????? Well when you think about ALL of the crap manufacturers place into our food, I pretty much felt screwed. He (WE) can't eat ANYTHING! But after looking over the materials the past few weeks, I realized we CAN eat alot of our favorite foods. It is the BRAND that I have to watch. Luckily the Feingold Program sent me a very very detailed list of foods (brand included) to buy and stock my pantry with. Yes a lot of the brands are organic, pricey, and hard to find. It has been a challenge to re-stock my pantry as I have had to visit a few different stores. But I know once we get into this, it will get easier. Kind of like driving a car for the first time. You have the gas, brakes, mirrors, blinkers, etc. Lots of parts, but after a bit it all falls into place and you can do it blindfolded (I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS :) ) You get the point....
The next few weeks will be challenging and different. But change is good and if I can change my son's ailments simply by what he eats, I'm up for the challenge! Wish us luck!
A summary of the program to get a better understanding:
"The Feingold Program is a form of elimination diet. It shows you how to run a short-term test to find out if certain foods and/or food additives are triggering any of the symptoms you are seeing. Major offenders include but are not limited to: food dyes, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, three preservatives (BHA, BHT, or TBHQ), aspirin and natural salicylates."
After 3-6 weeks, you can start gradually reintroducing the natural salicylates and aspirin back into your diet. Easy right????? Well when you think about ALL of the crap manufacturers place into our food, I pretty much felt screwed. He (WE) can't eat ANYTHING! But after looking over the materials the past few weeks, I realized we CAN eat alot of our favorite foods. It is the BRAND that I have to watch. Luckily the Feingold Program sent me a very very detailed list of foods (brand included) to buy and stock my pantry with. Yes a lot of the brands are organic, pricey, and hard to find. It has been a challenge to re-stock my pantry as I have had to visit a few different stores. But I know once we get into this, it will get easier. Kind of like driving a car for the first time. You have the gas, brakes, mirrors, blinkers, etc. Lots of parts, but after a bit it all falls into place and you can do it blindfolded (I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS :) ) You get the point....
The next few weeks will be challenging and different. But change is good and if I can change my son's ailments simply by what he eats, I'm up for the challenge! Wish us luck!
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