The Low Down on Children’s Party Food

Why be Selective with Children’s Party Food

Organizing a party of any kind can be stressful enough as it is and if it is a children’s party then there are always decisions to be made about children’s party food. This can be a difficult decision if your child suffers from food intolerance symptoms, has food problems, food allergies or leaky gut syndrome. Additionally, when preparing children’s party food you also need to take into consideration other people’s children and their food problems.

Unfortunately, the food you buy from supermarkets or grocery stores is laden with food colors, food preservatives, food additives or all of the aforementioned. Some manufacturers even go so far as to changing the names of some additives to fool well meaning consumers.

The other difficulty with children’s party food is the choice of venue should you be considering a bowling theme, disco theme, play centre or the like. I tend to ring prior to making a booking to ask if they will substitute the food. The benefit of doing this is that you are requesting healthier options for the children attending the party and also sending the venue owner a message that you are concerned with what they are serving up as children’s party food.

So, why be selective with children’s party food? Because first and foremost, you are looking after their growing bodies and not contributing to reaching the body’s threshold which for some can trigger food intolerance symptoms. Lastly, they will come home from a party calmer and happier than if they were filled with party food laden with food additives. You will also notice less of an impact on their behavior over the coming days and that makes for happier children and parents.

Things to Watch Out for with Children’s Party Food:

• MSG or Mono-Sodium Glutamate which, among other things can cause chronic headaches, is sometimes called HVP or Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein. Cleverly renamed but still a flavor enhancer!
• Be aware of natural food colors in food as these can still have an impact on children’s behavior. For example, annatto 160b food color is added to many foods and thought to be safe but still some children have  a problem with it.
• Manufacturers will happily tell you about the ingredients they do not put in your grocery lines but not highlight those that they do. For example, a food manufacturer will state that a food has no artificial food colors or flavors but they will fail to mention that they have added the preservative called sulphites which many people react to and can be extremely detrimental for asthma sufferers.
• Be on the look out for food colors in children’s party food; especially tartrazine or food color 102. This and other food colors can cause hyperactivity in children.
• Aside from food colors, additives and preservatives, it is also worth mentioning the use of such products as gelatine, nature identical flavors and carrageenan. As you may be aware, gelatin is made from animal hooves and as much as people will tell you it is a protein and good for the body it is actually an empty protein. According to the wholefood healer I follow, the body drains itself of calcium in order to protect itself when gelatin is consumed. Not the result you would want and especially so with growing children.

How do I know some of this stuff you ask? Well, I have learned about many of these additives and their impact due to a great resource I use called Additive Alert.

Children’s Party Food – what to offer

Ultimately, the more raw food you offer the better the quality of food you will be giving children. While I appreciate that not all of you will be at that point of being able to do that or even understand exactly what that means, it is worth starting that journey with food at some point. I’ve provided a link to some Raw Food recipe Ebooks here if you are interested. Starting slowly is better than not starting at all. Make the decision to change what you do and the results will be different.

What you offer as children’s party food will depend on whether you intend to cater for the occasion yourself or mainly purchase from the grocery shelves. Some of the recommendations below will not be suitable for those suffering from food intolerance symptoms, food problems or food allergies.

Remember that you do not need to go overboard with children’s party food as they will be more interested in playing than eating. I know this from experience that just a few small items on a plate and they will be off to the next activity.

If you are going to cater or cook for the party yourself then I recommend:

• you plan well in advance and bake ahead where you can
• You can bake the birthday cake the day before and put it in the freezer. This also helps keeping the crumbs away when you want to ice it the next d ay. Decorate the cake with toys or a theme and not colored icing. Or scrape the icing off when serving up.
• Make some oat biscuits a couple of days prior to the party
• Prepare a fruit platter on the day. You will be surprised how many children will eat fruit if on offer instead of junk party food
• Take a look at one of my recipe books that I have reviewed as this will come in useful for planning children’s party food
• Use plain white icing on cup cakes
• Shortbread or rice cookies are a great easy recipe
• Make your own little quiches and hot chips
• Make some hommus dip and use carrot, cucumber, zucchini and plain sakata for dipping. You can also make this enticing by putting the dip in little cups for each child so they do not have to share or double dip.

If you are going to buy children’s party food then here are some recommendations:

• Buy plain potato crisps that use sunflower oil, not vegetable oils. Safer brands are Red Rock Deli or sometimes Smith’s. Kettle chips are also ok but always check the pack
• Visit your local organic food shop and see what they have. You will be surprised at what they stock
• Put some dehydrated food, such as fruit in snack bowls but make sure it is sulphite free (preservative 220 – 223)
• There is also a brand in Australia called veggie chips and they are in a crisp pack like potato chips
• Buy some hommus dip and plain sakata and plain corn chips
• Buy some Cobbs or similar brand Popcorn as they do not use additives at the time of publishing this article
• Buy some Aribar rice snack bars and cut them up into bite sized pieces and put them on a lovely plate
• Orgran brand cookies would add variety to the table but I do not personally believe that all Orgran products are healthy

The last consideration when it comes to children’s party food is the party bag that each child takes home. I recommend you fill each bag with a balloon, a novelty item they will enjoy (like a bookmark), a home made vanilla cookie and some stickers. They do not care about quantity.

The result of these changes in your planning will mean less hyperactive children and happier parents. Parents will be happy to bring their children to your next party knowing that the children’s party food has had no impact on their behavior. Please post your own recommendations in the comments section, so others may learn ways of creating healthier alternatives for children’s party food.

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience with the aim of furthering your education on health. It is your responsibility as to how you use this information and I cannot be held liable for any misinterpretation or misuse of the information provided.

This is part two in an article series on A Food Reaction to Amines. Before you read the information below, I suggest you visit this link: Food Reaction to Amines – Part One and read part one.

Why Did I Have a Food Reaction to Amines?

We all have a threshold when it comes to naturally occurring chemicals in food and the closer you get to your own natural threshold, the higher the likelihood you will experience food intolerance symptoms if your body is not functioning the way it should.

A food reaction to amines or salicylates ( Salicylate Intolerance and the Healthier I Ate the Sicker I Got ) becomes more evident for those suffering from food intolerance symptoms. We may not be aware of a food reaction to amines if we consume amine rich foods over an extended period, until there is a build up in the body and you are tipped over that threshold. Then, it can be hard to identify where the food problems are if you do have a the delayed reaction.

For more information on this you can consult the book Friendly Food and I have provided a link at the end of this paragraph so you can purchase this book . We used Friendly Food in our house when looking to conduct a food elimination diet and find out if there was a food reaction to amines and/or salicylates. An excellent resource that also has charts on the range of naturally occurring chemicals in various food. Friendly Food: The Essential Guide to Avoiding Allergies, Additives and Problem Chemicals

People who suffer from food intolerance symptoms, food problems or leaky gut syndrome will most likely find they have a food reaction to amines.  In addition to this, people who do have a food reaction to amines; being tyramine, phenylethylamine and/or tryptamine are also most likely to have a problem with salicylates and possibly mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) too. Food colors and additives, including preservatives should also be avoided by consumers in general, but especially by those people suffering from food intolerance symptoms.

Symptoms of a Food Reaction to Amines

One of my children suffered badly from food intolerance symptoms. When we conducted a food elimination diet we found out that he was highly sensitive to amines and only moderately sensitive to salicylates. His symptoms, which are not uncommon in children, were aggression, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), emotionally sensitive and unable to sit still (low level hyperactivity). These are just some of the food intolerance symptoms, or more specifically his symptoms as a food reaction to amines. There can be varying degrees of these food intolerance symptoms and again, it may depend on how far you have been tipped over your natural threshold.

What to do about your Food Reaction to Amines

The first step to get yourself well is to conduct a food elimination diet.  This will assist you to determine if you do have a food reaction to amines or if there is something else that is causing food intolerance symptoms  and to what extent. Then, once you know what your threshold is to amines and salicylates, you need to restrict your diet and get your body well. Start by going through your pantry or food cupboards and removing foods that contain colors, preservatives or any form of additives. Keep in mind that some natural additives such as MSG, HVP or annatto can cause problems for some people.

Then, increase your raw food. I also chose to remove meat from my diet and that of my children and I do believe this had a positive impact on my bowel and my son’s leaky gut syndrome.

I’d like to hear what your symptoms have been or if you have had a food reaction to amines. Please leave a comment below and if you like what you read here, I’d love for you to submit my article to Digg.

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience with the aim of furthering your education on health. It is your responsibility as to how you use this information and I cannot be held liable for any misinterpretation or misuse of the information provided.

Biogenic Amines – what are they?

Naturally occurring chemicals are a food’s natural defense system and preservative. They assist in protecting the food while it grows and ripens. Biogenic amines, like salicylates, are naturally occurring in food and the degree to which these natural chemicals are contained in each food can vary greatly.

MSG (Mono-sodium Glutamate) is also naturally present in many foods such as tomatoes,  mushrooms and silverbeet for example,  although it is also used as a flavor enhancer in food production. MSG is a nasty food additive you should definitely avoid as a flavor enhancer. For those suffering from food intolerance symptoms, MSG should be avoided in all cases until you can sort out your food problems.

Amines are formed from as a result of a chemical reaction with amino acids.  To put it another way, Amines are formed as a result of a breakdown of proteins or fermentation. You can learn more from a chemical reaction perspective by clicking on this link or looking at a book such as: Biogenic Amines in Food.  Or, if you would like some general information on a possible food reaction to amines and food intolerance symptoms then you can follow this link to a book by well known author Sue Dengate.

Understanding Biogenic Amines in Food

Unlike salicylates; where the natural chemical content decreases as fruit ripens, the natural chemical content of amines increases as a food matures. So for example, as a banana ripens, the amine content increases. As meat ages, the amine content also increases, making it more likely that you will have a food reaction to amines if you suffer from food intolerance symptoms linked to amines. Where salicylates are present, in cantaloupe for example, the naturally occurring chemical content decreases with ripening.

How Many Types of Amines Are There?

Amines serve different purposes however we are only really concerned with a food reaction to amines in this article. For this purpose, the following information is based on biogenic amines.

There is more than one type of biogenic amine and in most cases, if you suffer from a food reaction to amines, you will be tested  against biogenic amines as a whole group, rather than individually. Biogenic amines are contained in both animal and plant foods so it is possible that you can have a food reaction to amines in either of these groups. Thus, if you have a food reaction to amines, it is no good just avoiding fruits and vegetables that contain biogenic amines and still eating aged meat.

The triggers for those who may have a food reaction to amines are Tyramine from the amino acid tyrosine, phenylethylamine from the amino acid phenylalanine and tryptamine from the amino acid tryptophan.

Foods That Contain Biogenic Amines

There are certain foods you will need to consider when looking to see if you have a food reaction to amines. A book that is internationally known and that we used in our house called Friendly Food, shows a chart indicating amine levels in certain foods. For example, it will list cocoa in a column for foods that are very high in amines. On the same chart, you can look at the “moderate” column for amines and see that foods such as banana, malt vinegar and pawpaw are listed, to name a few. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking to conduct a food elimination diet and find out if you have a food reaction to amines.

Common foods that can cause a food reaction to amines are red wine, aged cheese and chocolate however, do not discount other foods if you do have a food reaction to amines. As mentioned earlier, cocoa is very high in amines and thus, the food reaction to amines.

Food Reaction to Amines – Where to Next?

In this article we have shared an overview of amines. I recommend you look at purchasing the following books to guide you in finding out if you have a food reaction to amines or any other naturally occurring chemicals in food. Food intolerance symptoms can be just as debilitating as food allergies but you can overcome your food problems. This is possible once you have identified where your food problems are then using the correct foods to heal your body.

1. Friendly Food Cookbook

2. The Failsafe Cookbook

3. Fed Up

Stay tuned for Part Two of this article Food Reaction To Amines.

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience with the aim of furthering your education on health. It is your responsibility as to how you use this information and I cannot be held liable for any misinterpretation or misuse of the information provided.

Oppositional Defiance and Children

Oppositional Defiance Disorder or ODD Symptoms

Children who suffer through oppositional defiance do actually possess angel wings but it can seem like they disappear all too quickly when it comes to you making a request of them. It could be something as simple as asking them to put on their shoes, get dressed, or sit up for breakfast. Simple requests that end up with massive overreactions; and not the responses a parent or care giver would hope for. Keep in mind that adults can also suffer from oppositional defiance although this would often just be labeled as grouchy or moody.

Oppositional Defiance Disorder or, as it is often called, ODD can be extremely stressful for a family. The poor people that suffer from oppositional defiance are not exactly  very happy either. I know what it is like to go through living with oppositional defiance because one of my children suffered through oppositional defiance for a few young years of his life due to his food problems.

As much as it might seem that the child suffering from oppositional defiance is doing it on purpose, this is not the case. This is not attention seeking behavior and most times, oppositional defiance is a condition that rules them so they feel out of control of their emotions.

To put this into perspective, imagine that you have just had a fight with someone and you are feeling angry. You feel like that emotion is ruling you at that moment; and emotions can be linked to the flight or fright response within all of us. As adults we have the ability to calm ourselves using certain techniques. Children do not have the life experience that we have to apply calming techniques and even so, many adults have not mastered this skill. So, keep this in mind when dealing especially with children suffering from oppositional defiance. For them, it is like flicking a switch and they can feel out of control for as long as 1 hour at a time. Oppositional defiance can roll into one like a snowball. It can start with a negative  response and then continue for each and every request you make after that.

According to Sue Dengate’s book Fed Up: Understanding How Food Affects Your Child and What You Can Do About it some of the symptoms of oppositional defiance are:

• Uncooperative
• Argumentative
• Grouchy or easily annoyed
• Overreactions
• Temper tantrums
• Constantly saying “no” to everything or anything
• Emotional outbursts
• Breaks rules
• Blames others
• Deliberately annoys others
• Angry
• Spiteful
• Resentful
• Defiant

Suffering through oppositional defiance could mean experiencing one or all of the above symptoms. As you can see, it is extremely unpleasant for all involved.

Oppositional Defiance Disorder – a solution

My personal opinion is that you can help children that are suffering through oppositional defiance disorder and adults can take this same approach. To remove those feelings that accompany oppositional defiance would be a huge relief for any person and especially a child. I know from experience that it was awful to watch my son in a state of almost constant oppositional defiance amongst other things. I used to worry that he would not have enough memories of being happy as a toddler and that was enough to prompt me to do something about his oppositional defiance.

The steps I took meant firstly, identifying that my son suffered from food intolerance symptoms and then conducting a food elimination diet. What this did was help me find out to what extent salicylates and amines where the cause of his food intolerance symptoms and thereby causing oppositional defiance and other behavior.

The result of the food elimination diet was that my son was very sensitive to amines. One good dose of amines and we had a world household war on our hands. Salicylates did cause a different reaction and when you conduct a food elimination diet you will be testing for both amines and salicylates.

Many people think that it is only food colors, food preservatives and food additives that set off a child so when they remove these from their diet and see very little change, they then start to wonder if their child is just ‘like that’. Understanding the impact of naturally occurring chemicals in foods can bring about massive change for anyone that suffers from food intolerance symptoms.

Once you have worked out which naturally occurring chemicals and food colors or additives are a problem, you can then restrict the diet until you can help heal the body. For those suffering from food intolerance symptoms, you might want to have a read of one of my earlier posts here as this will assist you with understanding problems surrounding food intolerance symptoms and how to deal with them.

Keep in mind that it is also a good idea to have some handy positive parenting tips to handle children’s behavior during this difficult time. How you handle this can impact their self-esteem and their later years. It can be difficult to focus on a positive outcome for a child that suffers from oppositional defiance because the reaction seems non-stop. So, while you are in the investigative and healing phase it is a good idea to have some techniques up your sleeve to manage this time. Check out this fantastic book (if in Australia) or  Children are People Too: A Parent’s Guide to Young Children’s Behaviour (for other locations), as it will greatly assist you during this time.

If you have found something that has worked for you or your child then feel free to share it in the comments section below. I’d love to hear from you!

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience. Please consult an appropriate professional about your situation.

Cradle Cap Treatment

Cradle Cap explained

Cradle cap is quite common in babies and can appear within three months of birth. Sometimes cradle cap is referred to as seborrheic dermatitis. There are varying degrees of cradle cap and it can vary from a rash on the head to a crusty skin condition that can sometimes spread to the ears and eyebrows.

I have had my own varying experience with my children and cradle cap. My first born had a mild case, my second born had quite a severe case that required cradle cap treatment because it spread to his eyebrows and ears, and my third born also had a mild case. I used to get a few comments from people and also opinions on what they thought was the best cradle cap treatment.

There are many theories out there as to what causes cradle cap. Treatment advice also varies and it seems there is a lot of speculation as to the cause of cradle cap without any one united opinion. Many will tell you that it is overactive sebaceous glands that cause the problem. If this is the case then I believe you need to take a good look at what baby is being fed to cause this symptom.

Food intolerance symptoms or food problems can, in my opinion, be linked to cradle cap. What your baby is getting through breast milk or formula can be causing cradle cap. For this reason, it is important that a breast feeding mother be aware of what she is eating because food colors, food preservatives and food additives can be passed to the baby. For more information on food additives, we use this book at home. Formula might also be causing problems for baby. It could also be that your baby is already suffering food intolerance symptoms and cradle cap the body’s way of indicating a reaction.

I can share with you that my second child who had severe cradle cap also suffered badly from food intolerance symptoms as a toddler so I personally believe there is a link between the two. This was less evident with my other two children. This is obviously just  my opinion but it may assist you to know this when looking at a cradle cap treatment.

Cradle cap treatment

It is true that you do not need to treat cradle cap but it can become quite unsightly and smelly. It has also been said that it does not annoy the baby. Some babies do scratch it however and I know my second child did scratch at his scalp regularly.

There are many lotions and potions on offer as a cradle cap treatment. If you search the internet you will find that there are also many opinions on cradle cap treatment. If you are going to look at a lotion to put on your baby’s head as a cradle cap treatment then I recommend you take a good look at the ingredients. I tried a Jurlique product as a cradle cap treatment and found it made my baby’s head very red and irritated and we needed to discontinue use. The good thing was that they did take the product back with a smile.

What I found worked as a cradle cap treatment was a combination of cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil and bi-carbonate of soda. I used about 2 tablespoons of the oil and 2 teaspoons of the bicarb. Mix it together, put it on your baby’s head. Leave it there for 15 minutes and remove promptly. You will need to remove it gently using circular motions with your fingers, otherwise the bi-carb will cause a rubbing rash. If this cradle cap treatment is applied daily, you should see an improvement over time. Don’t force the crusts off; just let them come away gently as you remove the oil and bi-carb mix.

If you are not keen to use the bicarbonate with the Bragg’s Olive Oil Og Extra Virgin 16oz as a cradle cap treatment then you can just use the Bragg’s Olive Oil Og Extra Virgin 16oz on its own. Put some on the scalp of your baby, not too much so that it seeps off the scalp as it might get in baby’s eyes, and leave it on overnight.  Then gently rub with your fingertips and remove some of the cradle cap; without force or picking it off. This will probably require more than one treatment but it should work wonders as it loosens the crust. Keep in mind that not all oils are created equally and that is why I have recommended a good quality olive oil for your cradle cap treatment.

I did find that the cradle cap subsided over time. If left untreated, it may still remain on the scalp for some years. I found that my daughter had remnants of her mild case of cradle cap up to the age of five. This was less of an issue with my youngest child and signs of cradle cap had disappeared by the age of two. My other child who suffered from food intolerance symptoms did require cradle cap treatment and even so, the condition had disappeared by the age of about four.

My recommendation for cradle cap treatment, aside from the oil is to look at what baby is getting through the milk or formula. This may require a breast feeding mother to conduct a food elimination diet or just remove certain things from her diet to see what impact that has.

From my experience with cradle cap treatment I can honestly say that the olive oil is the best and safest way for baby. Try it and see!

Disclaimer:

I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written through my own experience. Please consult an appropriate professional about your situation.