Synthetic Food Dyes Raising Health Concerns Among Doctors, Parents

I found this in my newsfeed on FB this morning and knew I had to post it here right away. We took food dyes out of my son's diet half way through his kindergarten year due to behavior concerns and we have never looked back. It made such a difference in a very positive way. I really encourage parents to think twice before buying those colorful fruit snacks, cute crackers and even chocolate and vanilla pudding. Yes, hard to believe but red 40 is in chocolate pudding. Why in the world would chocolate need red 40 to look more chocolate? It is so beyond me! Here is the full article and the link which includes a video.

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LOS ANGELES (CBS) — When it comes to food, there is more than what meets the eye with synthetic dyes added to everything from cereal to fresh fruit and some believe it could affect our health.

Like the colors themselves, the debate is beyond black and white over the ingredient that for decades has been dripping with questions.

When it comes to behavior of Kelly King’s daughter, she is certain of the difference that food dyes make.

Doctors diagnosed her with ADHD last year and put her on powerful drugs.

“It just didn’t feel right to me,” King said.

A few months ago the Kings heard about a possible connection between dyes and hyperactivity. Within weeks of removing them from her daughter’s diet, she no longer needed medication.

“We’ve had amazing results. She’s like a whole new child and she is herself again,” King said.

“What I look at when I talk to the parents is, ‘what kind of food are you giving your kid,’” Dr. Arlen Liberman said.

Taking dyes out of kids diets is a big part of Dr. Liberman’s practice. At the clinic he shares with his daughter, they have seen again and again the change they make.

“They have risk and they have no benefits. The only benefit that they have is the look,” said Krystle Lieberman, a licensed and registered dietitian.

Food manufacturers in the U.S. can use nine dyes – Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 make up 90 percent of the market. They also cause the most concern.

Take a shopping trip and you will see them everywhere, listed on a bright cereal box or even the more covert packaging of a pickle jar. They can be found in all kinds of products, from cough syrup to toothpaste; waffles to crackers.

Synthetic dyes are sometimes even sprayed on fresh fruits to sharpen their shades.

“They are really ubiquitous in this food supply that we have created,” said Dr. David Wallinga of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

He believes that the science is there for customers to be concerned, saying that they dyes mess with metabolism. He added that yellow dyes deplete zinc levels enough in some kids to cause hyperactivity.

An added concern – the dyes include petroleum products, which he says have been shown to increase the risk for cancer.

Countries across Europe have already responded to the controversy. For the most part, you will not find the dyes on their grocery-store shelves.

Rather than scaring customers away, American companies, like Kellogg’s, General Mills and Kraft, did away with the dyes overseas.

So some foods in Europe, like M&M’s, do not look as bright.

“Why should the U.S. be the dumping ground for a worrisome food diet,” Dr. David Wallinga asked?

The FDA did take up the issue last spring. Its scientists found that dyes could affect children, who already have behavioral disorders.

But the agency said that most children will not see a reaction, so they decided against putting labels on foods, saying that more research was needed.

Some grocery chains, like Whole Foods, decided on their own to stop selling products with synthetic dyes.

“I think it’s great. It’s so unnecessary to put that stuff in the body, especially for young kids,” one shopper said.

“I would ban these dyes in a moment,” said Dr. Liberman.

So does Kelly King, who says the difference in her daughter is beyond coincidence. For her there is no grey area when it comes to removing dyes from food.

In a statement the FDA said, “Approved food color additives are considered safe and they have not found a cause and effect relationship between dyes and hyperactivity in children.”

Meanwhile, natural food colorings are becoming more common — you just need to check the labels.

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http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/02/23/synthetic-food-dyes-raising-health-concerns-among-doctors-parents/

Dannon Pure Yogurt

I saw a commercial for this yogurt last week and found it in my grocery store. It was just as the commercial had advertised. Healthy yogurt with pure ingredients, good taste and cheap! What more could a mom ask for?

If you want to see more about this yogurt you can go to www.dannon.com and check out the product.

We've Been On Fall Break

Hello Bloggy World!

I know I have been neglecting you lately, I have a good reason though. We were on fall break all last week. The weather was wonderful and we were enjoying every minute of it. We also tried several new recipes last week which I cannot wait to share with you.

Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

Homemade Bagels

Sausage and Tomato Pasta

Be on the look out this week for this yummy recipes!

I also found a yummy new product and a yummy new place. We have a Brueggers Bagels here and I tried it for the first time. I am in love with their coffees and now their cream cheese. Their strawberry cream cheese is the first one I have ever found with out food dye. Yep, it is colored with beet juice. Love it!

http://www.brueggers.com/

Have you made any new food discoveries lately?

YOUR Friday Product Review #1

Welcome to my first week of YOUR Friday Product Review! This week I will be talking about the new Mott's Medleys Juice. Please link up a product review you have done below. This does not have to be a post you wrote today, it can be a review you have done in the past. Well that's about it, have fun and I hope you enjoy YOUR Friday Product Review.

Mott's Medleys Juice



I started seeing these commercials a few weeks ago, and like any new product geared towards kids it caught my eye. The juices are available in Apple, Grape and Tropical flavors. It also claims to have "2 total servings" of fruit and veggies in an 8oz glass. Each juice is also 100% fruit and veggie juice, no HFCS or food dyes. Good right?

Here are the Nutrition Facts:


Mott's® Medleys Juice Nutrition Facts
Apple and Carrot Juice Blend
Serving Size: 8fl oz (240mL)
Servings per container: About 6

Amount per serving: 110 Calories Contents Amount % Daily Value
Total fat 0 mg 0%
Sodium 80 mg 3%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Total Carb 25 g 8%
Sugars 22 g
Protein 0 g

Vitamin A 0%Vitamin C 100%Calcium 2%Iron 4%Vitamin E 10%Magnesium 10%

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Grape, Apple and Carrot Juice Blend
Serving Size: 8fl oz (240mL)
Servings per container: About 6

Amount per serving: 140 Calories Contents Amount % Daily Value
Total fat 0 mg 0%
Sodium 80 mg 3%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Total Carb 33 g 11%
Sugars 30 g
Protein 0 g

Vitamin A 0%Vitamin C 100%Calcium 2%Iron 2%Vitamin E 10%Magnesium 10%

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Tropical Fruit and Carrot Juice Blend
Serving Size: 8fl oz (240mL)
Servings per container: About 6

Amount per serving: 140 Calories Contents Amount % Daily Value
Total fat 0 mg 0%
Sodium 90 mg 4%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Total Carb 32 g 11%
Sugars 29 g
Protein 0 g

Vitamin A 6%Vitamin C 100%Calcium 2%Iron 2%Vitamin E 10%Magnesium 10%

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Not a significant source of calories from Fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol or dietary fiber. Percent daily values are based on 2,000 calorie diet.

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What I tend to look at as I read the nutrition facts is the amount of sugars in the juices. Each of these juices has 20-30 grams of sugars, the recommended amount of sugar that a child should have in a day is about 12 grams. If a child is mainly drinking this juice instead of milk or water they are consuming a large amount of sugar. A raw apple contains about 15 grams of sugar. Ok, so that is alot of sugar. However consider this; if the child is eating the raw carrot or the raw apple they are getting the fiber from the actual food, if the child is only drinking the juice they are missing that fiber because it was left behind on the juicing machine.

Am I saying that parents should avoid fruit juice all together? No way. My son loves juice. But what I am saying is that while this juice from Mott's is a wonderful product it should by no means be used as a child's total daily servings of fruits and veggies. Get your child eating their fruits and veggies, drinking them is ok, but eating them is better!



Ok, so now its your turn, link up!

Popsicles: The Insiders View

I am constantly on the look out for tasty, healthy and easy treats to enjoy during the summer months. Popsicles would seem like a logical solution but if you've ever cruised the freezer isle and actually read the labels you know that isn't always so. All of these colorful and cold treats 'look' so good for you. They have fruit in them, how could they be bad?

Well, lets take a moment and read some labels. You can decide for yourself which one you would rather buy.



*This comes from Edys.com. The fruit bars come in many different flavors, pineapple, coconut, orange cream, grape and many more.*

Ingredients: water, sugar, pineapple, citric acid, modified corn starch, guar gum, carob bean gum, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), natural and artificial flavor, annatto color, Turmeric Extract Color

Nutritional facts Amount per 1 Bar
Calories
Calories from Fat 80
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Trans Fat (g)
(g)
(g) Cholesterol (mg) Sodium (mg) Total Carbohydrates
Dietary Fiber
Sugars 19 (g)
0 (g)
18 (g)
Protein (mg)
Calcium % Does not Contain Nuts Gluten-Free Kosher



Ingredients: Water, Pear Juice (from concentrate), liquid sugar, sugar water, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, orange juice (from concentrate) watermelon juice (from concentrate), rasberry juice (from concentrate) vegetable juice for color, citric acid, malic acid, guar gum, cherry juice (from concentrate), natural flavor, asorbic acid, locust bean gum, annatto (for color), turmeric (for color)

Calories 30
Sodium 0
Carbs 8gs
Sugars 6gs
Protein 0
Vitamin C 8%



Pasteurized for purity and wholesomeness, Otter Pops are a delicious fast freeze treat. Ingredients: WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, FRUIT JUICE (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: APPLE, GRAPE OR PEAR JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF THE FOLLOWING: CITRIC AND/OR FUMARIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES), RED 40, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, BLUE 1 Protein:0g

Nutritional Facts:
Calories 15
Fat 0
Sodium 0
Carbs 4g
Sugars 4g
Protein 0

There are the facts of 3 popular popsicle products, the decision is yours.

Simply Fruit by Fruit Roll Ups

This is a new favorite product of mine, Simply Fruit by Fruit Roll Ups.



No there are not any cute little cut outs in them or tongue tattoos but they are really yummy. So far the strawberry is my favorite but the wildberry is very tasty too. The best thing about these is that they are made with real fruit and contain NO FOOD DYES. That is a huge plus in my house!

Here is a little comparision between the Simply Fruit Fruit Roll Ups and the regular Fruit Roll Ups I grew up eating.
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*Simply Fruit Nutrition Facts:

Simply Fruit: Apple Juice Concentrate, Dried Apples, Strawberry Puree, Canola Oil. Contains 2% or Less of: Fruit Pectin, Lemon Juice Concentrate and Blueberry Juice Concentrate Added for Color, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Natural Flavor, Sodium Sulfite and Citric Acid Added to Protect Color.

Calories 50 Sodium 20 mg
Total Fat 1 g Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 0 g Total Carbs 12 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 1 g
Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 10 g
Trans 0 g Protein 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Vitamin A 0% Calcium 0%
Vitamin C 10% Iron 0%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
__________________________________________________________

**Regular Fruit Roll Ups Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size 2 rolls (28.0 g)

Amount Per Serving
Calories 104Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1.0g2%
Saturated Fat 0.3g1%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 89mg4%
Total Carbohydrates 23.9g8%
Sugars 10.8g
Protein 0.0g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 56%
Calcium 0% • Iron 0%


Standard: Pears from Concentrate, Corn Syrup, Dried Corn Syrup, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil. Contains 2% or Less of: Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Acetylated Mono and Diglycerides, Fruit Pectin, Malic Acid, Natural Flavor, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Color (red 40, yellows 5 & 6, blue 1).



So there's the information, I'll let you decide which one you prefer. I know already know which one I like.

What Got Me Going

I post often about healthy recipes for kids, articles about getting kids to eat healthier and tips for healthy eating. Reading back through my posts though I realize I've never posted exactly 'why' this is a passion of mine.

I'm mom to a 9 year old little boy. My son has always been a healthy eater, I am so blessed with a little boy who loves his tomatoes and cucumbers. However when he was 5 I decided I need to do more. He was constantly having issues at school with his behavior. He would become frustrated easily, act out for no reason and just basically he was a child that couldn't control himself anymore. I was desperate to help my son become the lovable little boy I was sure he could be. As I had done many times before I went to my message boards and started posting. A good friend on one of my boards actually emailed me about my posts. She suggested that I take food dyes out of my sons diet. She gave me information and a lot of support on this subject. I knew it would be a big undertaking but I was so desperate at that point and I was willing to do anything to help him.

So I became a label reader. I read chips, pudding, yogurt, bread, you name it I read it! You would be amazed where they sneak food dyes in. Slowly but surely I eliminated all food dyes from his diet. Within 3 months he was completely dye free and believe it or not his behavior was changing! He was able to control himself and turned into that lovable little boy I knew he truly was.

Here we are now 4 years later and he is still dye free. Most parents would say 'How cruel! You don't let him have food dyes at all!' No, not cruel I just know what works for him and what doesn't. He also knows what works for him and what doesn't.

There you have it, my story. Since then I have been an advocate for Kids Eating Healthy. I helped to start the Kids Eating Healthy board on iVillage.com which I lead and then started this blog. Helping parents help their kids eat healthy is a passion of mine. I hope you enjoy this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.

Giving your Child Artificial Sweeteners

Do you? What do you think of them?

I read a post today in which a women said that she was encouraging her daughter to not drink 100% orange juice. She told the 9 year old that too much of the orange juice was bad for her because it had sugar in it. Then instead she asked for opinions on giving her child drinks containing artificial sweeteners.

I admit that the word 'artificial' is one that I approach with caution. I myself removed food dyes from my sons diet 6 years ago. The benefits of a dye free diet were apparent to me within a few months. His behavior was calmer and he had much more control over himself.

So my question is, why would you intentionally choose to put artificial sweeteners in your child's diet? Unless your child has a medical issue I do not see the benefit of water sweetened with Splenda over watered down juice or a simple glass of OJ.

If you are interested in reading more on the subject I am inserting an article below which I found on www.health.harvard.edu . This article provides detailed descriptions of artificial sweeteners. :

Are artificial sweeteners safe?

Artificial sweeteners are everywhere, from sodas to breakfast cereals. Although FDA-approved, and widely used, may people wonder about the safety of sugar substitutes. But with rare exceptions, they appear to pose little or no risk when used in moderation.

How do they work?
Artificial sweeteners add sweetness without calories in two ways. First, they are so sweet — 160 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar — that you need only a tiny bit to achieve the equivalent taste. You consume a fraction of a calorie to get the sweetness of many more calories worth of sugar. Second, because the body doesn’t fully absorb them, it also doesn’t fully absorb the few calories they contain.

Low-calorie sweeteners contain only a few calories per gram. Also known as sugar alcohols or polyols, they are 50%–92% sweeter than sugar. These sweeteners are found strictly in packaged goods — look for sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, and D-tagatose on the ingredients list. All sugar alcohols are absorbed slowly and incompletely by the intestine, which is why they have little caloric effect. However, this property can also cause gas and diarrhea if you consume too much. For many people, more than 50 grams per day of sorbitol or 20 grams per day of mannitol can cause these problems.

What about some of the other sweeteners, termed "no-calorie"? Here’s a rundown of the evidence on some of the most popular.

Acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One): Incorporated in hundreds of products, acesulfame K is 200 times sweeter than sugar and can be used in baked goods. According to the FDA, its safety is backed by more than 90 studies.

Saccharin (Sweet ’N Low, Sugar Twin, others): Saccharin was almost banned in 1977 because of studies in rats linking it to bladder cancer. Since then, the National Cancer Institute and the FDA have concluded that its use is not a major risk for bladder cancer in humans. Saccharin is 200–700 times sweeter than sugar.

Aspartame (Nutra-Sweet, Equal, others): Despite anecdotal reports of adverse effects, the American Medical Association and the FDA have both concluded that aspartame is safe at recommended levels. However, people with a disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid it. These people cannot metabolize an amino acid found in aspartame, allowing it to accumulate in the body to dangerous levels. Aspartame is 160–220 times sweeter than sugar.

Sucralose (Splenda): Sucralose, which is 600 times sweeter than sugar, is marketed as being “made from sugar.” Its manufacturers do use sugar as the starting point. However, they convert sugar to the non-caloric sucralose by changing its chemical makeup, so it’s not actually sugar any longer. Granulated Splenda can be substituted for sugar, spoon-for-spoon, in baking and cooking. Although it’s called a “no-calorie” sweetener, sucralose does have a small fraction of a calorie. There is also a new product called Splenda Blend that is half sugar, half Splenda.

Neotame: The most recently approved sweetener, neotame is 7,000–13,000 times sweeter than sugar. It is made by the same company that produces NutraSweet (aspartame). It is derived from aspartame, but with one chemical change. This enables the body to metabolize neotame differently than aspartame, so products containing neotame are not required to carry the PKU warning.

Should you use sweeteners?
The American Dietetic Association has approved the use of all five FDA-approved artificial sweeteners for people with diabetes, pregnant women, and children. Although artificial sweeteners are considered generally safe, some experts remain wary. These experts believe that there’s not enough evidence on the sweetener aspartame to be sure that it’s completely safe and that animal studies linking saccharin to cancer are a reason to ban it.

In moderation, foods containing artificial sweeteners can satisfy a craving for sweets while limiting the number of calories consumed. You'll still want to keep an eye on total calories, because sugar-free does not mean calorie-free. If you're uncomfortable about using artificial sweeteners, despite current scientific evidence, you can get by without them. Try the following:

•Drink flavored seltzer water instead of diet soda.
•Cut back on the sugar you add to foods. With a little time and training, your taste buds can learn to enjoy other ways of sweetening food, like blueberries in your oatmeal instead of maple syrup.
•Compare grams of sugar when buying packaged foods. Some brands may have less sugar than others.
•Read labels and packaging carefully. Many products contain artificial sweeteners when you might not expect them to; likewise, some reduced-sugar products do NOT use artificial sweeteners.