but thought it worth bringing up in case it hasn't. I'm not sure if I am allowed to post a link so there is a website (if you google food intolerence network) which is run by a lady called Sue Dengate who created the Failsafe Diet.

My sister has her boy on this diet and swears by it. It delves into children's behaviours and how food additives and colourings can exacerbate a child's condition.

Her son used to be an out of control child who did all sorts of horrid things. Now, he is much better, though still has the occasional outburst.

They claim the diet helps kids with ADD, ADHD, Asperger's, ODD, and all sorts of health complaints, including rashes, asthma etc.

Apologies is this has been brought up before, it does take alot of work and effort to be true to the diet but, as I said, my sister is adamant that her son's behaviour is due to the additives and colourings in food.

Might be worth checking out............

I believe it is something worth checking out. When I was younger, before ADD was known about I had all the signs. My doctor told my mother to take away red dye #40 from my diet.

That specific dye is in A LOT of things, things you wouldnt imagine it is in so it was very hard. But, it worked. I still don't eat or drink anything with the dye in it to this day. I guess it was just instilled in me that I couldnt handle it.

FallenAsh, there is a lot of work going on with the diet factor, clearing and healing the guts, and children with behavioural issues, autism being one of them. I was just talking with my sister-in-law recently about it, and she knows a young autistic boy who is nearly mainstream with the only work he has been doing is OT and working with the diet, mostly elimination of gluten and dairy, for one year now. She has seen him in progress. This stuff CAN work! :-)

There was a news article recently about one chemical in pop or junk food -- that seems to cause problems with some ADD symptom (can't recall if it was affecting attention or impulsivity or memory/alertness or hyperactivity).

I think this diet stuff has some credit. My nephew had something recently that he shouldn't have eaten, a mistake by his mother, it contained fruit juice which is high in the content of things that he can't have and he was off like a rocket.

The next day, he got an iceblock because he lied to the school about losing his money (he never had any to start with), so the office gave him money and he went to the canteen and bought an iceblock.

Non-stop talking, screaming at his father when told to wash his hands, running away from his parents, it was like an absolute nightmare.

He has told his mother that he gets out of control and angry and he can't stop it and asks her to help him (in tears) - this is when he has been put in time out to calm down.

Shortly after these reactions, he becomes very depressed and he is only 7 (which frightens me that he can be depressed so young).

One of my friends also mentioned the size of kids nowdays is huge - in height as well as weight. She seems to be of the opinion that growth hormones are put into the animals we consume to make them grow faster to meet demand and because the kids eat it and are still in their growing phase, that it makes them grow taller than average as well.

I don't know much about that side of it, but I believe in Aust. it is illegal for producers to use growth hormones in animal feed. But it is interesting and as the saying goes, "you are what you eat" - (in that case I am a huge bar of chocolate LOL)

Fallenash,
All so very interesting! I think it is fantastic that it is illegal in Aus. for farmers to shoot up their livestock with growth hormones. Here is the US, you have to go to specific grocery stores to get hormone free meat or buy from a hormone free farmer directly.

Amy - that is a scary feeling to me, do they advertise that they use it or how do you find out?? Is it like eggs, where they have to state whether cage or free range or barn laid eggs?

Do you really think growth hormones have something to do with our children being taller and bigger than we were? I used to think it was because when I was a kid there was lots of poverty, so we weren't receiving the right kind of food or enough of it and that it stunted our growth.

I am not sure what to believe anymore - but you are right, I find it all fascinating.

No, they don't have to advertise it. So if they DON'T put it in them, they advertise that. I always buy my meat and eggs from a store that sells hormone and antibiotic free. But you also pay a lot more for it to come that way.