The TOP 3 food additives that trigger my son's ADHD ... (EVERY TIME)

I’ll be the first to say I've had my fair share of eye rolls and doubters when it comes to my sons intolerance to additives, however to every doubter I have asked this question; "Would you like me to drop him off for the day after an additive-fuelled-event so you can see"?

Not surprisingly, the answer has always been, “Ahhhh... No”.

In a nutshell, the wrong food can quite literally send him into another stratosphere, and not just for a few hours, I’m talking at LEAST, 24 of them (and that was on a good day).

We used to joke that after a gut full of party food he was so wired he could see ‘air move’. Jokes quickly turned to tears though as we found ourselves on a marathon to endure 24 hours of pure insanity.

To this day I still reflect on how one small human had the wherewithal to bring two capable adults to their knees. The picture that describes those days the most is that cheeky Tassie Devil cartoon character, who whipped around like a hurricane destroying everything in his path, including anyone on it.

I first became highly suspicious of the effect certain foods had on my son very early on. When I was nursing him, he would become extra grizzly and fussy if I ate certain foods, then later as a toddler, his demeanour and behaviour would change dramatically if he ate any processed stuff (and I'm not specifically talking junk food, but anything in packages - even foods deemed ‘healthy’).

I had doctors dismiss my concerns and tell me I was simply 'just over-anxious', to which I would frustratingly reply YES, absolutely I was. I was exhausted, worried, and had a baby who was perpetually unsettled and trying to claw my eyes out.

Those doctors were so damaging to an already damaged woman, and to this day I wish GPs wouldn't be so quick to dismiss a mother’s intuition.

At wits end with a bucketful of post natal depression & anxiety, I was finally delivered to the door of an angel in the form of a paediatrician.

Not any paediatrician, but a woman whose daughter had once walked in the same shoes as my son. Although this was before our official diagnosis of ADHD and ASD (that came at 5 years old), she believed in what I was telling her, saw the telltale signs of intolerance and immediately referred me to a dietician who specialised in the area of behaviour and food.

Finally - someone who didn’t think I was crazy, and as it turned out, I WASN’T!

Together, we discovered what he was most sensitive to, how to manage fallouts from accidental ‘overdoses’ as we called them, and what the future looked like with a highly sensitive child.

Fast forward to today, with my big boy close to 11 and I can tell you the following, with utmost conviction.

The changes we made to his diet back then, along with vigilance in studying food ingredients and educating family members about his sensitivities not only improved our life as a family , but most importantly, quite literally gave us a happier, less impulsive, affectionate boy back.

To this day, parties and celebrations have a way of igniting a decent spark of anxiety to my nervous system. I almost cant help but peek at the spread available, causally trying not to sound like a complete control freak, 'sooooo, what’s on the menu today?".

Yes, I am THAT mum, and I'm not ashamed anymore.

Fortunately, with time and maturity, his tolerance to the “bad” stuff has definitely improved so we can let him indulge with his mates a little and be part of the fun - life is meant to be enjoyed, and I totally understand how much it sucks to be excluded from your peers. Finding a healthy balance is everything.

There is however, still always a pay off if that 'little' becomes a 'lot'. The difference is, he’s aware of it now and hates the out of control, rumbling, impulsive feelings certain foods give him.

SO....

Here are the TOP 3 additives we AVOID, knowing that they are sure fire triggers for our little man;

1. MSG. This is probably the worst of the lot and triggers more health problems/ailments in humans than you can actually imagine. Much to m disgust they are really clever at hiding it in food, so you have to be vigilant! I’ve been quite the sleuth over the years now though, and have pretty much memorised every number.... Your welcome!

Flavour Enhancers 620 , 621, 622, 623, 624, 625, 627, 631, 635.

2. PRESERVATIVES. These can be really nasty for impulsive, 'lashing out' behaviour however they are in SO many packaged foods its a really tricky one to avoid completely. All I can say is the less the better, and don’t forget if your child is consuming preservatives daily, it all has a cumulative effect - so just be wary!

200, 201, 202, 203, Benzoates, 210, 211, 212, 213, 216, 218, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 228, 249, 250, 251, 252, 280, 281, 282 and 283.

3. ARTIFICIAL COLOURS. Consumer awareness about the science based effects of artificial colours is becoming greater and greater, with many more natural options now available. These are 100% the ones we avoid like the plague - to this very day!

102, 104, 110, 122, 123, 124, 127, 129, 132, 133, 142, 143, 151, 155, 160b

I believe that educating yourself about these additives, whether you have a child with ADHD or not, is one of the most powerful tools you can have in the shed. I don’t regret one moment of tedious research, or being teased about my infatuation (aka. obsession) about learning more about ‘numbers’.

In my eyes, I have not only helped my son improve his quality of life, but have given my whole family a chance to learn about healthier alternatives (because there are many!), and bring awareness to an area that so many have no idea about, but whose lives could change dramatically if they did.

Susanna x

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