Tag Archives: Molly Green Magazine

Should the Color Cops Shut Up?

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On colorings“Mom, they ran out of water, so Dad let us have grape soda pop!”

I didn’t blink an eye, hugged them all, and said WHAT a wonderful treat that was. . .

Within an hour, my husband was at the end of his parenting rope, looking at me, frustrated, as one of my daughters pummeled him and threw a verbal tirade. Before he said anything rash that he’d regret, I pulled the miniature Incredible Hulk off of him and simply said, “Red dye plus blue dye equals purple soda pop. . .”

[And wouldn’t that be a great post for another day! Knowing that your child is acting out because of the food they were fed—yet still requiring discipline—how do you balance that?]

. . .I’d like to say I walk this whole, real alternative food path out of sheer integrity, but in all honesty, I walk it because certain foods make my family uncomfortable or sick. I seek to understand why, and share what I learn with others along the way. Red 40 food dye gives my family problems. So let’s look at life after 40. . .

(I’ve written another Molly Green Magazine article! Click this link to be taken to the page, and then click on “open article” on the upper left of the “magazine” to get it big enough to read! It looks lovely with the awesome graphics. The article covers a little personal experience with food dye, historical aspects of food dyes, what research shows on food dyes, bad food dye reactions, and why some people react to food dyes and others don’t–which could involve gut bacteria for you microbiome lovers. I’ve continued with snippets below for you to get an idea of the content.)

What About Copper Pickles?

. . . Believe it or not, you’ve about always needed a science degree to meal-plan for your family. Food colorings used throughout ancient and modern history have been sketchy and often downright lethal. The food colorings we use today look mild in comparison.

First of all, why use color at all? Food coloring is 100 percent unnecessary, but the color of food is intrinsic to human attraction. Ever bite into some anticipated tangy lemon pudding, only to realize it was banana? Ever eat a green blueberry? Remember clear cola? Color speaks, and we know the ancient Egyptians and Romans relied on saffron, carrots, henna, and alum (a form of aluminum) to color their feasts.

In the Middle Ages, things darkened a bit—or, maybe I should say, lightened. . .

(Read on for more about mercury candy and lethal copper pickles . . .)

Kid with candy

Washout after a Weekend at Granny’s House

. . . Do your kids get a little grace period and washout time after a weekend with the grandparents? Mine do. Whether it’s the lack of sleep, extra sugar, or artificial food dyes, I don’t know. . .

(Read on for more about research on colorings . . .)

Blue Deaths

. . . Blue 1 caused big concerns in hospitals about twelve years ago when tube-fed patients received Blue 1-tinted liquid food formulations. Serious outcomes of death, dramatic pH changes, refractory low blood pressure, and tinted organs were noted in critically ill patients. . .

(Read on if you’d like to read more about the risks from the different colors.)

Nutrition Counts When It Comes to Colors

. . .Bacteria in our digestive tracts are exceptionally important to us. . .

(Read on to learn how gut bacteria and genes could play a role in how a person’s body deals with food dyes)

The Color Cops

. . .The good news is that the artificial color cops have put so much pressure on manufacturers that many corporations either have or will be eliminating food dyes from their food formulations. . .

So let’s keep pushing forward for our kids and families and finish what King Edward’s generation started. . .

Closing

I couldn’t sell a red Ferrari for a dollar, so you’ll notice I have no ads on my site. I’ll never invite you to a Norwex, Pampered Chef, or essential oil party (I’ll come to yours if I can, though!), but I do want to tell you that I write “for free” for Molly Green Magazine and encourage you to check out their other articles. (The photos for this blog post came from their design for my article in their magazine.) I appreciate having another platform there to share my message that we need to get back to eating and feeding our kids real food. The research is BEYOND clear. In order to get back to health, processed foods HAVE to GO.

If you haven’t cut artificial colors out of your diet, START today! It’s a great step! It’ll get rid of lots of junk right up front!

Terri

Molly Green Magazine Published Twenty Tips I Wrote Up To Help Families With Diet Change

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“Is this Your New Year’s Resolution?  Tips to Transition to a Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Lifestyle,” an excerpt from Molly Green Magazine

(an article by Terri Fites)

“. . . Expect resistance and outside cheating. There may be fits, pouting, defiance, and outside cheating. Failure, both intentional and unintentional, will occur. Be prepared to regroup, identify chinks in the plan, and get back on track. Remember how manyMG 1 times you had (have) to tell your kids to say “please” before they actually did (do) it!

Recognize the difference between an allergy and intolerance/sensitivity.

Tell kids what symptoms you’re watching for so they can recognize when they disappear or worsen in response to diet. Kids with uncomfortable symptoms like stuffy noses, sneezing, coughing, constipation, upset stomachs, headaches, eczema, reflux, and trouble focusing often will self-regulate their diets once they get to feeling better . . .”

Click HERE for the FULL ARTICLE.

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Molly Green MagazineIf you’re interested, I wrote an article for Molly Green Magazine, a magazine all about the home:  homeschooling, homemaking, home industry, and homesteading.  Titled “Tips to Transition to a Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Diet,” my article highlights what I learned as I transitioned my food-sensitive family to a whole foods, gluten-free, and dairy-free diet.  I do not get paid to write; it is a hobby I enjoy.  I just thought if you were struggling to pull your family along to better, whole foods eating, and working through some food elimination, you might enjoy the article.  (And I don’t think it’s fair to blog readers or magazine readers to replicate material verbatim.)  My kids and I did not really come willingly to this lifestyle, but even they can now admit that they feel better.  You can get this magazine edition for free.  There are some other great articles in there, too, which actually tie right in with the theme of this blog (nutrition, homeschooling, families, etc):

  • Cilantro/Coriander: One Plant with Many Applications
  • Why My Husband and I Still Hold Hands
  • Cultivating Talent and Passion in Children
  • Could You Grow Your Own Food in a Crisis?
  • Basic Hive Protection (about bees)
  • The Emotions of Butchering
  • Meal Planning 101: How to Get It Done
  • Fighting the Winter Blues

Molly Green Magazine 2I believe the editor told me they were going to make my article from Molly Green Magazine into a one-page lay out that may be hung on the refrigerator, in case that’s something that would interest you.  Although its title suggests that I’m simply interested in gluten-free and dairy-free changes, you’ll know from reading my blog that that is not the case.  So many of the health ailments of our society are directly linked to poor nutrition.  I focus on getting people to eat whole foods, lots of vegetables and fruits, and then watching out for side effects of foods, adjusting things as needed.

It is two weeks into January.  If you have failed, IT IS OKAY.  Do not use that chip as an excuse to throw away a perfectly good mug.  Get back to work.  One day at a time.  And weave that into strings of days at a time.  And eventually, create a masterpiece diet just for you to last a whole lifetime.  DON’T GIVE UP.  If you do, CPAP machines, multiple prescriptions, and a more and more sedentary life await you.

~~Terri