Food Allergies - Carrollton,TX

You can get a food intolerance test from Immuno Lab; they guarantee their results for hyperactivity behaviors I believe. The test worked for my children (ear infections) and me (GI issues). I would have NEVER guessed the foods we were intolerant to so I am thankful for this test. Blue Cross Blue Shield will cover it.

Here are some referrals:
www.healthypediatrics.com
www.camchiro.com
http://mountainhealthchiropractic.com/

Dr. Bain is at Healthy Kids Pediatrics---she is amazing. She will only see new patients---not just for consults.

The two chiropractors/nutritionists will order the test for you and add supports.

http://chalmerswellness.com
Dr. Chalmers can help but no insurance will cover him.

The previous posted covered all the typical foods to avoid...

I agree with the pp about focusing in what NOT to feed him. Cut out all dyes, corn syrup and nitrates. If that doesn't make a difference i would focus on milk, corn and wheat.

You can get alot of the kid friendly food with much healthier ingrediants at whole foods, or central market, or sprouts.

What things does your son love to eat or eat often? What are you looking to replace in his diet?

I think it's more a matter of what NOT to feed him. Definitely avoid the obvious things like caffeine and high fructose corn syrup. However, I have heard that caffeine can actually help some kids with ADD/ADHD.

Red dye (listed as Red #40 on food ingredient labels) is a culprit for a lot of behavior problems.

Other common food allergies or sensitivities that can affect behavior are dairy and wheat. Of all of those, wheat will be the most difficult to avoid.

I'd make a list of the things to start dropping from his diet, then tackle them one at a time. You'll probably have to change your grocery shopping habits, but it's doable, and doesn't really hit the budget that hard because there are so many choices these days. It might be less convenient sometimes, but with a little planning, that isn't much of a problem either.

When we looked at changing our son's diet (allergies and asthma), we eliminated red 40 first because he had an obvious reaction to that. It wasn't that difficult to cut it out. However, it is in lots of things -- flavored yogurts, gatorade, koolaid, lots of cereals, etc. High fructose corn syrup was next -- it's in most snack foods, bread, most cereals, any sweetened drink, etc. Again, there are a lot of options these days, so once I spent a little time reading labels, that one was tackled.

Just go about it one at a time and you should gradually get to the root of the problem.

Begin by eliminating all the common allergens: milk, wheat, soy, eggs, nuts, shellfish. i would even go so far as to avoid corn if you can because that allergy is on the rise.

When you notice the reactions have subsided, then introduce one of the foods at a time to see if you notice a change. Tackle this week by week to avoid confusion.

Meanwhile, to replace calcium you can try rice milk or oat milk. Rice milk will be much easier to find on the shelf at many groceries. Also calcium/vitamin D OJ. You can get applesauce with it also.

Quaker Oatmeal is good for some of the grains your son needs, stick with any fruits and veggie you know to be safe. Not sure his age... our snacks at home include rice cakes, baby carrots, raisins, plain Lays or Ruffles chips. Dinners are often some combo of rice or potatoes, veggies and a meat. Actually there are lots of ways to vary this. Stew, stir fry, burgers without the bun.

I know the whole process is difficult, to say the least. Sophie Safe Cooking is an excellent book for recipes.

You'll really want to avoid modified food starch, dextrose, soy protein isolate... lots of information online about hidden allergens in processed food, I know some other replies mentioned these.

Good luck! You can always message me if you have questions.