Aritificial Food Coloring: Is it safe for our kids?

I’ve been a long time believer that artificial anything in our foods is not ok. Why would I want to feed my kids preservatives and additives and chemicals? Why would I want to eat anything like that?!

Of course the FDA says that everything in our food is fine, no worries. Everything…in certain amounts…is ok.  But that’s just the thing.  If you have a little bit of preservatives from this food and a little bit from that one and then a little bit more from your hair products (which seeps into your body) and a little bit from your favorite fast food joint, by the end of the day it’s quite possible that your body has been overloaded on some nasty chemically altered…stuff.  Add in the high fructose corn syrup, the additives, the genetically modified meat and milk, a dash of nutri-sweet and a good ol’ fashioned truck load of food dyes and you are sure to end up with an unhealthy body.

There is a lot of back and forth about if anything I even said above is true. They say no, we say yes…I’m not sure if we’ll ever agree. I often wonder, if these things are so bad for us, why are they allowed in our food and personal care products?!  It doesn’t make any sense!

That’s where we have to step in and make a decision for our families. We have to do what makes the most sense to us. My golden rule of food is “If you can’t read it, don’t eat it.  And, though I’m not perfect in it (I love me some nasty junk food) I do try to stick to it with the foods and drinks we consume most often.

There seems to be a shift in the thinking about food dyes right now.  The FDA has started looking into the issue rather than just saying it’s 100% not a problem, it sounds like they are starting to consider otherwise.  Which is a small but important step. Here is an article in the NY Times online that discusses the latest issues with food dyes and the idea that it causes negative behaviors in kids.

I agree all the way that food dyes are affecting our kids’ behaviors. I’ve seen it in action in other kids and my own.  I would encourage you all to try omitting foods with dyes in them for a week and see if you notice a difference in your kids.  There are plenty of products out there that use all natural dyes. If you notice a change, make the switch and then consider weeding out products that use other unhealthy options like high fructose corn syrup. Even if you don’t see a drastic change in behavior, look closer…are your kids sleeping better? less whiny? less likely to melt down? having fewer emotional out burts? It’s not just about hyperactivity when it comes to what stuff in your food is affecting your kids.

Think about it, make a change. Just knowing that you are making healthier choices for your kids’ health is going to feel great.

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