So I have recently discovered that my son is sensitive to artificial dyes. Those include Red 40, Yellow 5&6 and Blue 1. They make him literally crazy. Red makes him angry and mean. Yellow makes him crazy and out of control. Not sure yet what Blue does to him. All three interfere with his sleep at night and give him nighmares. After ingesting any dyes, it takes about 3-4 days for it to get out of his system. During those days everyone in the family is miserable. My son knows he can't have dye and is very good about asking people if anything they try to give him ( like at preschool or friends' houses) has dye in it. He's also made comments that his head is buzzing after eating food with red dye in it so I know that he can feel the change in himself when he eats it. However, sometimes he just gets plain angry. For example, tonight we went to a birthday party. Birthday parties have cake and he loves cake. As soon as I told him we were going, he started asking about the cake. Well, some birthday cakes have dye in them. Believe it or not but chocolate sometimes has Red 40 and vanilla has Yellow 5 or 6. Last time he had a vanilla cupcake from which I scraped off the icing, he started acting wild. After some investigation, it turned out it had yellow dye in it. Anyway, I chose to leave the party early today (it was a neighbor's house) and he got really upset. It breaks my heart that he can't enjoy a piece of occasional cake because everything has dye in it.
Does anyone have to deal with this? Do you just let them have the cake and deal with the consequences? Sometimes I'm so tempted and a few times I've just said "what the heck" but then regret it for the next 3 days. Sometimes I feel like the only solution is moving to Norway where artificial dyes are not allowed in food :()
Now don't get upset with this but is it possible he is just a wild n crazy normal boy and you are looking for a reason. You say you scared icing off cupcake and he still got crazy. It usually takes some time for this to get into system to cause the reaction you describe. Could it be he hears you talking about this and the power of suggestion is playing into this. Just a thought.
Is it possible to bring a cupcake yourself to give him when the other kids have cake? That way he can have some cake and not feel left out? I know even as an adult I'd be sad if I missed out on cake at a birthday party.
If you are going to a party with a child that has an allergy to foods that will be at the party then as a nice mother you bake or buy a similar item (like cupcakes) and take them with you so your child can have a treat too.
I have a friend who has several children with severe (life threatening allergies) and she bakes ahead and takes a cake with her. She also keeps her purse loaded with "safe" candy for those occasions when people offer a treat she can allow some of her children to indulge what is offered and some of her kids indulge out of the selection in her purse.
So you have to treat it as an allergy and think two steps ahead...
I would make sure you bring cake that he can enjoy; instead you kind of rubbed it in his face then made him leave.
We do have the same issue. My son is dye free, chocolate free and now gluten free. We bring a dessert with us when we go to a party. Or make sure that they have ice cream.
I know your frustration! I wish the US would ban the Dyes so we can all breath easier.
I think that Most products at trader joes have no dyes and they have some wonderful deserts.
Other things we have, are the frozen fruit bars, or Italian Icees usually don;t have the dyes in them. There is a company called Yum Earth
Yummyearth.com that has no dyes, gluten , HFCS .. they are sold at target.
We used their stuff for Easter and other special occasions.
Good luck.
EDIT: yes, My son has told me the same thing that he can feel the dyes in his system making him feel off. And yes it takes 3 days to completely clear their system, if not longer
http://www.naturalcandystore.com/ just found this..
As a child, I was also sensitive to certain dyes. I loved Fruit Loop cereal but my mom said every time I had it, I became a sobbing mess. She also wouldn't allow me to have any sort of Kool-Aid or punch- it was the '70s. I did eventually grow out of it, sort of. I get headaches and feel jittery so I avoid deep red foods.
With your son, I would make a batch of homemade cupcakes and freeze them unfrosted. Cake freezes surprisingly well. Thaw one and frost it before each party and give it to your son so he can enjoy cake too. My girlfriend does this for her daughter who has Celiac Disease.
No one likes to feel singled out, especially if there is a sweet treat involved.
It's sad how artificial the the boxed cakes can be.
My friend, Cee, has a daughter w/ such sensitivies. She lets the party Mom know ahead of time that she will be bringing dye free cupcakes/cake.
Cee has 3 other kids under the age of 12 w/ a husband that has 2 jobs. Cee cannot deal w/ the consequences nor would she.
I wouldn't serve processed cakes. I do not think it's healthy or necessary.
A cake from scratch is so worth it.
my daughter is allergic to wheat so she is on a gluten free diet. It has been really hard when we go to birthday parties or even just to family dinners at grandma's house (grandma has never had to worry about allergies in the past and so does not know how to cook gluten free). I usually for birthday's, will let her have ice cream at home with a gluten free cone and she is happy with that. At grandma's (MIL's house, not my mom), I have to pack her a whole seperate dinner and snacks for her. I think for my MIL it's more of a cultural thing. She is Filipino and only cooks Filipino food. She doesn't understand about how things can have hidden gluten in it like chicken broth (which she uses a lot) or soy sauce. She once thought that since she can have ice cream that she can have any ice cream and bought some thin mint ice cream. My daughter can't have it because of the cookies in it. My daughter's allergy is a new one. We recently found out about it in March of this year. We are still adjusting and at home, we are doing great, but eating out and going to other people's houses is a bit harder.
I try to make it easy and just pack her stuff that she can have
Not EVERYTHING has dye in it. I think it depends on your circle of friends/acquaintances, but more and more people are becoming aware of different allergies/sensitivities. I'm planning a rainbow party for my daughter's 4th birthday, and I'm making the cake from scratch and use vegetable/fruit juices for the "dye" on her rainbow cake.
If I were you, I'd just bake up a batch of dye free mini cakes or cupcakes to have on hand for special occasions. Let your host know of your son's sensitivities and ask if it's ok to bring a separate cupcake for him. It's such a common issue that I'm sure the host wouldn't mind, and then he gets to have cake/sweets too.
We also make our own desserts and bring them to parties. Make a batch of cupcakes and freeze them. That way you can just grab a couple instead of making a new batch every time you go to a party. They actually freeze pretty well and defrost very quickly. We make our own frosting and freeze it too in individual size snack size ziploc baggies. If you are really up for it, find out what dessert they're having at the party and make something similar. I know this is extra work, but it definitely sounds worth it for you, and I bet your little guy will really appreciate it... and not go crazy :)
It Is Not Elitist Or Rude To Protect Your Child. Your.Child.Changes Because Of An INtolerance Of Petroleum Based Dyes Could Cause Permanent Issues That Never Would Have Been An Issue Like Cancer, Psych Disorders, Or Immune Issues To Come To A Head Sooner Rather Than Later. Anyone Insulted By You Protecting Your Child.Should Be Ashamed. Those Who Go To A Gathering Expecting To Be Served Their Dietary Needs Are Rude so bring your own safe food similar to what we would be served. your child won't miss out and he will be safe do not give and for convenience or to satisfy other people. your priority is your child.
I think it's sad that no one makes their own cakes anymore. I know my cupcakes don't have dye in them.
Does any little amount effect your son? I ask because my daughter has a sensitivity --she gets sick--but she has to consume a cup of whatever it is with the dye. Maybe your son could have half a cupcake? I'd play around with amounts, this way he can participate at a certain level.
Retta's advice is sane and healthy.
I have these sensitivities, too, and life would be sad indeed if I could never eat festive foods. As it is, I usually just snack off the veggie plate, but that would be a huge sacrifice for most kids. Help your son discover all the better alternatives in his life. Less convenient, for sure, but much healthier, for all of you.
Yes, I completely understand what you are going through. My 3.5 year old daughter is also sensitive to dyes, same thing - aggression, anger, meltdowns and major sleep problems. With my daughter though, she also has this same type of sensitivity to many other foods as well such as salycilates (naturally occurring chemicals in plants, fruits and vegetables), corn (which is in like 98% of the food supply), dairy and refined sugar. So life is pretty rough for me. One tiny infraction of her 'safe' foods renders us days of misery. Unfortunately we live in a world where either no one cares, or just thinks I am insane!! I am pretty much at a loss of what to do as these things are offered up to her daily, and I hate to continually deny her - so I find myself constantly allowing this and cringing as I do so because only I truly know what's coming! The lack of understanding enrages me, but I digress!!
Best of luck to you, and I'm with you on the Norway thing, Australia is the same way!!
