72 All the preservatives and colorants placed in food can impede concentration and hinder learning

    Kids learn by example, so eat healthy. Of course, you can have a couple days where you eat a small bag of potato chips or drink that Energy drink. Yes, when given money to buy lunch, many of my students  picked up a Gatorade or an Energy drink and some garbage food on the way to school if a store is close by. Most adults, let alone kids don’t realize what’s in those drinks or snacks that might be causing that asthma, psoriasis (itchy patches on the skin) or hyperactivity, aggressive behavior or the inability to focus.  Maybe monitoring what you or your child eats could help with ADD, ADHD, Autism or Tourettes.

    I used to react to chocolate. It made me very hyper. As for my son, it made him aggressive. Once when I picked Kyle up from the Montessori, the teacher told me he wasn’t allowed to wear his cowboy boots to school anymore because he kept kicking kids. I asked if there was a birthday party that day and with a look of surprise, she said, “Yes.”  I asked her to read the health form, so she walked into the office and returned with the card in hand.  She was very embarrassed. Under ALLERGIES, I had written clearly, ‘chocolate.’ As for my daughter, she went through a  period where she would get a stomach ache after she drank milk. We took her off it for a little while and then she grew out of it.

    As a parent, we have some control over what our children eat, at least when they're home. However, as a teacher, we have zero.  I would become so frustrated with the number of students who ate and drank so much garbage before class began. No wonder they had difficulty focusing. There is a Circle K across the street from Canoga High School, so they’d walk into my classroom with a Gatorade, or Monster drink and a bag of hot Cheetos.  I finally decided to show them a technique which would show them that what they does affect them. If I had a minute, I’d ask, “Can I muscle test you?” Most of the time the answer was yes.

     I asked the student to lay the poison down then I’d place my hand on one of their shoulders and asked him to hold the other straight out in front. I'd tell him that I’m going to push down on his arm and he's going to resist.  This is done to show the student how strong he is when not holding the item.

    Next, I returned the Monster can, and he holds it down beside his leg and holds out his other arm. I  push down. (Not like I’m trying to win the Olympics, just a steady push.) If the arm easily drops, the individual is extremely sensitive to one of the ingredients in the Monster drink. I remind the students that we are what we eat. If they can’t concentrate after they have drank or eaten something that means they need to stay away from that product. Usually, the student walked to the trash can and threw their drink away, but sometimes I did have a few shrugs, and "I don’t care" as they gulped the Monster down before the bell rang.

   I remind them that if they want, they can go home and write all the ingredients on different pieces of paper and test for each ingredient separately. This way they can find out exactly what they're sensitive to. A student taught me the paper technique; he learned it from his allergist. (I used to bring bags of sugar, salt, flour, etc. to class to test them after they had state testing and their brains were too tired to think.)  You might have to switch arms if you’re testing for a lot of allergens. If you don't have anyone to push that arm down, you can sit and place the item on your lap and hook your pointing fingers and thumbs together and pull (looks like a link of chin). If they break apart easily, you are sensitive to that item. Of course, if anyone has significant issues caused by allergies, they should get professionally tested.
   Most common drinks students walked into my room drinking were Rock Star, Monsters, and soda. Consuming two energy drinks per day is ingesting the same amount of caffeine in 12 cans of regular soft drinks like Coke or Pepsi.   

  The biggest culprit many of my students found that they were allergic to was sugar. Did you know that one teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams of sugar, so that means 34g divided into 4... Go ahead, make a quick guess. Yup! That means 8.2 teaspoons of sugar is in one 20 oz container of Gatorade.  That’s a lot of sugar.  And Dextrose which is modified sugar often times is also added.  That word modified should warn you.

   Here are some more ingredients in Gatorade:  Sodium (One teaspoon of table salt converted to milligram equals to 5,687.50 mg.) Sucralose is used as an alternative to sugar, also called Splenda.  (My body cannot handle this type of sugar, it makes me hyper.) Sodium Citrate is used as a food additive to enhance flavors. Sucrose syrup is made from liquefied table sugar or sweeteners. Because it’s high in empty calories, it’s low in nutrition.  The Mayo Clinic cautions that when drank often it is likely to cause obesity which contributes to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and coronary artery diseases.

   Made up of two to three carbohydrates, high fructose corn syrup is the source of glucose, sucrose, and fructose found in sports drinks. Our body doesn’t know how to process this sugar, so it turns to fat.

   Food dye is not healthy for many because our bodies are sensitive to it, so we find it difficult to focus. Artificial colors come in different shades labeled with numbers. These are used as an ingredient in soft drinks. Some researchers have found that there is a link between food dyes and hyperactivity.

    FD&C Blue No. 1 and No. 2                               Orange B

    FD&C Yellow No. 5  and No. 6                           Red No. 2 (may cause cancer)

    FD&C Green No. 3                                              FD&C Red No. 3 and No.40 

   I’m sure there are other dyes, just be cautious with anything you put in your mouth like fruit snacks, fruit-flavored cereals, candy, canned fruit, dessert mixes, toothpaste, sauces, sports drink, vitamins, etc.;

  Be aware of preservatives. The typical one is monosodium glutamate or MSG. However, be careful because there are other products which contain MSG except they hide under different names: hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast,  sodium glutamate, Accent, Zest, Ajinomoto, and Vetsin.
   A study combined synthetic food dyes with the preservative sodium benzoate and found increased hyperactivity in children. Sodium Benzoate is a common food preservative used in a plethora of processed foods and drinks. Also, it is used as an antifungal preservative in pharmaceutical products. Sodium benzoate is sometimes added to: jellies and jams, sauerkraut, hot sauces, carbonated drinks, salad dressings, and condiments. Some foods naturally contain it, like cranberries, cinnamon, prunes, and apples. (Studies are presently going on testing the reaction on hyperactive children.) Alternative names: benzoic acid, potassium benzoate, benzoate.

Other chemical preservatives to look for are:

    butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)           sodium nitrate

    butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)          tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)

   Sodium nitrite is usually found in preserved meat products like sausages, cured and canned meats. Concerns about this preservative are that too much may cause pancreatic cancer and other health problems.

   Sodium Sulfite (E221) is a preservative used to make wine and other processed foods. About one in 100 people are sensitive to sulfites in food. Those who are sensitive may experience headaches, breathing problems, and rashes. In some cases, sulfites have caused death.

  Sulfur additives are still used widely in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration have prohibited their use on raw fruit and vegetables. Reactions include bronchial problems, especially if prone to asthma, low blood pressure, flushing, tingling sensations or anaphylactic shock. This additive also destroys vitamins B1 and E in our bodies. Avoid E220 if you suffer from conjunctivitis, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, or have a cardiovascular disease. It’s found in beer, soft drinks, dried fruit, juices, cordials, wine, vinegar, and potato products. (I sometimes have difficulty with certain wines and beer.)

   Propyl Paraben often used as a preservative in foods including tortillas, bread products, and food dyes. It also has been showing up in beverages, dairy products, meat, and vegetables.  Many cosmetics, such as creams, lotions, shampoos and bath products have propyl paraben in them.

   Studies indicate that subjects had decreased sperm counts and testosterone levels. It has also been known to accelerate the growth of cancer cells in breasts and cause fertility problems in women.
Alternative names: 4-Hydroxybenzoesäurepropylester; propyl paraben; propyl p-hydroxybenzoate; propyl parahydroxybenzoate; nipasol; E216

   Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (E320)  are preservatives found in chewing gum, vegetable oils, cereals and potato chips. This preservative keeps foods from changing color, changing flavor or spoiling. It affects the neurological system of the brain, modifies behavior and has a potential to cause cancer.  Found in Jello, cereal, frozen sausages, gum, lard, enriched rice, shortening, and candy.

   Be wary of trans fat. Trans fats are created when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil. Watch your consumption of fried doughnuts, cakes, pie crusts, biscuits, frozen pizza, cookies, crackers, and margarine.

   Trans fats are  believed to increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.  Trans fat somehow raises the bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lowers the good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Alternative names: partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, partially hydrogenated pal

    I have never heard of someone being allergic to a red apple. (I thought an apple a day kept the doctor away.)   But evidently some people are allergic to salicylate which is not only found in red apples but almonds, grapes, tomatoes, and cranberries. Salicylate is also used in aspirin and other pain medication. Dr. Benjamin Feingold eliminated artificial dyes, flavors and salicylates from the food in hyperactive patients in the 1970s and found that 30 to 50 percent of them improved.

  Every one of us has a unique body, and so if we notice that we or a loved one has become hyperactive, inattentive or starts shaking or feeling sick, you might keep a food journal and write down what you eat and how you feel afterwards. You might find it helpful to stop eating, one at a time, the top eight food allergens:  wheat, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, fish, and shellfish. Or  Muscle Test yourself.  A doctor or dietitian can help you with this process.          

  My rule is if you can’t pronounce the words or if there are more than 4 syllables in the ingredients, maybe you shouldn’t be eating or drinking the product.  You can experiment by avoiding these additives one at a time to see if it impacts your behavior or your child’s.  I used to write down the four syllable words, but over the years, the manufacturers keep changing the names so we, the consumer won’t recognize the unhealthy ingredient.
     Good luck and stay healthy! But remember, don't beat yourself up or your kids, if someone slips.
Moderation.

HELPFUL SITES:

https://www.livestrong.com/article/1006054-whats-really-inside-those-mcdonalds-chicken-mcnuggets/

https://www.foodmatters.com/article/22-additives-and-preservatives-to-avoid