Lunchbox Food Additives and ADD/ADHD

For those of you local, you'll know that we had an awesome snow storm this week and our kiddos didn't have school yesterday. Therefore, I skipped yesterday's Lunchbox post, because we had no lunchbox. 

I hope all you local followers were able to get out and enjoy the beautiful snow. The girls and I had a great time attempting to sled in the backyard (it was way to thick). Our old dog got stuck in a deep section of the yard and we spent the morning digging a system of paths through the yard for her. It ended up become of system of paths and open spots that the girls decided were houses. Hours of fun!
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Let's talk additives. So many of the foods we buy have added chemicals to keep them fresher longer, preserve them, add color, and change the flavor. Some are not really bad (Ascorbic Acid), but other are linked with cancer, ADD/ADHD, sensitivities, and more. Lets take a look today at those that are specifically associated with behavioral problems in children.

Food Additives Linked with ADD/ADHD and other Behavioral Problems in Children.

It makes me so sad to see children as young as 2 diagnoses with behavioral disorder and medicated. In many of these cases, their diet is never even considered. I am not saying there are not legitimate cases, but not to the rate that we are diagnosing and medicating children. 

I watched a documentary years back that was specifically talking about the increased rate of Bi-Polar diagnosis in elementary children. One boy that was highlighted was on serious medication. Is breakfast (which they didn't comment on, but I noticed right off the bat), was a bowl of fruity pebbles cereal and a gatorade. Hmmmm…. And this was not considered? Not only was this super high in sugars, but full of colorings and preservatives associated with unstable moods.

• Food Dyes are specifically linked with ADHD symptoms. Little research separates and tests individual dyes, but in general they are all associated with issues. Red #40, Blue #2, Yellow #5, Yellow #6. Some are also associated with an increased risk of cancer.  In Europe, there are warning labels on foods containing dyes, but not here in the US.
• Sodium Benzoate is used a mold inhibitor. It is linked with ADHD symptoms as well as Asthma. Again, most of the research on this and food dyes is done on a mixture of them together. So, knowing for sure which is associated with these symptoms, or if it is a combination, is still up in the air. Sodium Benzoate in acidic drinks was linked with Leukemia. So much so there was a lawsuit in 2006 against soda companies using Sodium Benzoate in their acidic drinks.
• Perfluorinated Compounds are used to line Teflon pans, and is in Scotchguard. No really a food additive per say, but if you are using Teflon pans, it can be in your food. There is some research linking high levels of these compounds with more extreme severity of ADHD. This is done via blood test.
• Organophosphate Pesticides are also linked with ADHD symptoms. These are phosphorous based pesticides. These are not technically additives added to food, but used to grow our food. This becomes a good reason to grow your own, or buy organic produce. Urine tests for levels of pesticides found a link. The more pesticide found in the urine, the more likely the child was to have symptoms. 
• BPA exposure in fetal development and in early childhood is associated with not only ADHD but also for higher risks for depression and anxiety issues.  BPA is a plastic, that has been removed from most baby care products because of this link and other, but is also used to line the inside of cans, like canned tomatoes and canned beans.
•  Phthalates  are associated with increased severity of symptoms in a similar method as some of the other chemicals above. With urine tests. The increased levels found in urine, the worse symptoms were. Phthalates are a type of plastic, used similar to BPA.

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Main Lunch:

• BBQ Venison Sandwich on Sourdough: This was leftover from last  night. I have some friends that make their own BBQ sauce, but that is something I have not tried. I buy bottled… I am a fan of Annie's. It's easy to find, and tastes good. 
• Homemade Apple Sauce: A friend of mine gave us a couple pounds of apples from her tree last summer. What do you do with a bucks of apples…you make applesauce.
• Corn on the Cob: What a special treat, corn in the middle of winter. This is out of the first bag of frozen corn we did last year. We had an awesome corn harvest from our tiny garden last year. Enough to eat fresh, and to freeze several bags for winter. It's time to start pulling them out. There is nothing better than pulling out homegrown veggies in the middle of winter.
• Yogurt Drink: Yummy probiotics

Snack Time:

• Hummus and Veggies: Yes, it is green. It is edamame hummus and not M1's favorite. She normally loves hummus. I sprinkled it with pine nuts and roasted garlic…maybe that will entice her a bit.
• Grapefruit