Meanwhile, that same time Spring, I was digging into how to manage some major health issues of DS2's. He'd always had skin problems; had been seeing a dermatologist since he was nine months old (he was just over 4 years old when we started down the path of trying to see if DS1 really had ADD/ADHD). The day after DS2's 4th birthday, he'd woken up in his first ever asthma attack and ended up in the hospital for 3 days. Two month after that, another severe asthma attack netted him another two days in the hospital. Now it was the following Spring, his allergies were kicking back into high gear with all the pollen around, his asthma was flaring again, and I was seeking all the info I could get on how to keep his allergies & asthma under control enough to prevent any more hospital stays.
Enter a book, the title of which I have long since forgotten, containing a chapter about nutrition. A chapter that brought to the forefront of my mind a sheet of food additives that his dermatologist had long ago given me, telling me that often things like dyes (artificial colors), artificial flavorings, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives (particularly TBHQ, BHA and BHT) increased the likelihood of an eczema flare up. Then, I had an A-HA! moment. Eczema, hay fever (allergies) and asthma all have a genetic link. So, if those things would cause DS2's eczema to flare, would exposure to them also increase the severity of his asthma?
Since he was all ready exposed to a number of allergens I couldn't control (pollen, outdoor molds during the warm wet weather), could I lessen the chance of an asthma flare up if I cut those suspicious substances--all the artificials and preservatives--from DS2's diet? It certainly seemed worth the effort to give it a try.
And it was an effort. Unless you are a organic vegan grow and cook everything yourself person, go to your cupboard and fridge, and read the ingredients on every single item of food and condiments and seasonings that you have. How many of them contain at least one colorant, flavoring, sweetener other than sugar/honey/molasses/maple syrup, or a preservative? (note, I attempted this on Monday and couldn't find a single item with TBHQ, BHA, or BHT, so not sure if they are rarely used these days or if I've gotten so good at eradicating those items that there isn't any in my house even though the kids are grown up and don't eat here anymore).
BUT, DS2's asthma stayed under control. Not only that, since everyone in the house was eating and drinking the same things as DS2, everyone got healthier. Skin was better not just on DS2, but also on myself and DD2 (we have eczema also). DD1, who has been on the run since she learned to push herself around in a baby walker, didn't bounce off the walls so much and her mouth which seemed to never shut ran at a lower speed (later experiments with her enlightened us to how sensitive she is to red dyes).
This new way of eating became our normal over the summer of 1998 (which, not coincidentally, is the summer I started gardening, and have grown an increasing portion of our food ever since). When school started back up again, with DS1 in 4th grade, DS2 in Kindergarten, and DD1 in preschool, I learned how to pack lunches and snacks that avoided the 'bad things'. The complaints about DS1 being noisy and not sitting still didn't resurface at all that year (although he still zoned out sometimes, and he struggled with boredom and organizational skills). DS2 stayed relatively asthma free (no hospitalization, not even one missed day of school). DD1 was a favorite (and well behaved) student of her preschool teacher.
That year, and the next six or seven, no matter how many kids I had in school (be it two or three or four), not a single one had a single sick day. Ever. Many years, it was noted that the S____ (our last name) kids all had perfect attendance. More than one year, ours was the only family in the school where not one child had missed school. (Then came the year of the recurring head lice epidemic and that went to h@*%.)
Coincidence that my kids' health and behavior issues improved? I really don't think so. And, apparently neither does DS1, who has been the main person lately drilling me about what I fed him growing up. K2 has recently been diagnosed with ADHD and has been put on meds for it (which seem to be causing her some unpleasant side effects). K3 sometimes shows signs that she might possibly have an attention or learning problem. DS1 remembered vaguely the time when it had been thought that he had ADHD, and so he sought me out for advice. Which has led to a conscious effort on my part to remember all the things in 'regular' food that I have avoided for so long that I don't even have to think about them anymore.
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