Anti-Stress Nutrition Programme to Improve Mood,
Health, Behaviour and Learning
By Brenda Sampson
CHEMICALLY SENSITIVE CHILDREN
Many young children are sensitive to synthetic chemicals in modern food, and react to them with disturbed behaviour, and many other problems; such as sleeplessness and nightmares, over-activity, crying, temper tantrums, bed wetting, excessive thirst, eye trouble, poor coordination, inability to pay attention, learning problems, compulsive behaviour (including compulsive fire lighting) and many other problems.
There is a programme that helps these children by excluding chemicals; it is called the Feingold programme. It is described in a book called "Why Your Child is Hyperactive" by Dr. Benjamin Feingold (Random House USA, 1975). This is available from public libraries, and many people have used the programme successfully, merely by reading the book.
The Feingold programme excludes two groups of foods: 1) Those containing artificial colours, flavours and anti-oxidant preservatives. These are excluded permanently. 2) Fruits and vegetables containing a natural preservative called salicylate. These are excluded for six weeks as a trial, and then tested to see if the child can tolerate any of the salicylate fruits or vegetables. In the trial period, all fruits except pear, pawpaw, banana, lemon juice are excluded. Only four vegetables are excluded: tomatoes, cucumber, green and red peppers and mint. After the trial period, a fruit is tested by giving a piece. Only one fruit or vegetable is tested in a week. If there is no reaction, this probably means that the child can tolerate that fruit in small quantities, if it is not eaten too frequently.
People often ask, "How do you know if a child is hyperactive?" A psychologist said, "I count the number of minutes it takes me to tidy up my office afterwards." Personally I think it is important not to label a child. Many of these chemically sensitive children, particularly girls, are not hyperactive, but the opposite; withdrawn, lethargic and weepy; but they have the same irritability, temper tantrums, poor concentration and learning problems. If a child is difficult to manage, he/she may be one of these chemically sensitive children; and if so, eliminating chemicals may help the child; it is worthwhile giving the diet a careful trial. If it works, that is in itself a diagnosis.
The diet does not cure every hyperactive child, but it helps very many, and it helps many normal children to be brighter also. An American school teacher of 22 grade 2 children, persuaded their parents to put all the children on the Feingold programme for two weeks. She said that by the end of these two weeks, the whole atmosphere of the class had changed. The children were more friendly and less quarrelsome, the rowdy ones were quieter, and the very withdrawn ones came out of their shell, and all were easier to teach, and more diligent in their work. And a little boy in Wellington said after a week on the programme, "Gee Mum, I do feel nice inside now".
The Feingold programme is a healthy diet; when it is used in a family, other health problems improve in both the hyperactive child and in other children. It is an excellent first step in treating any disturbed child, but it is only a first step. If it is unsuccessful, or only partially successful in improving behaviour, one should look further to try to identify other substances that the child may be reacting to. Probably the most likely culprits are sugar and milk products.
American research showed that very young children benefit from the Feingold programme more quickly and more completely than older children do. After a week on the programme, a Wellington mother said, "We had this terrible screaming three year old, and now suddenly we have the most beautiful little girl living in our house !"
