Monday, June 22, 2009

Change to diet: Day 1

Starting today I am eliminating all artificial colours, flavours and preservatives from my diet. I was looking at going completely Failsafe (see here)but thought that I'll start with this as a baby step and see if it makes a difference.

The reason I am doing this is that I am never really 'healthy'. I suffer from excema, dermatitis, tinnitis, mood swings, migraines, constant rhinitis and sinus problems (to the degree where I have had surgery which helped a bit but not enough!) and gyno problems as well. I am hoping that by changing what I eat I might be able to feeling good not just okay.

I am going to trial this for 3 weeks, if there is no difference then I'll move onto the very strict elimination diet outlined on that website and through Sue Dengate's book "Fed Up" and I will record my journey on here. :)

So what am I cutting out?? A LOT!!

Colours:
102 tartrazine
104 quinoline yellow
107 yellow 2g
110 sunset yellow
122 azorubine, carmoisine
123 amaranth
124 ponceau, brilliant scarlett
127 erythrozine
128 red 2g
129 allure red
132 indigotine, indigo carmine
133 brilliant blue
142 green s, food green, acid brilliant green
151 brilliant black
155 brown, chocolate brown
160b annato, bixin, norbixin (a natural colour that causes reactions in some people_

Preservatives:
200-203 Sorbic Acid, all sorbates
210-219 benzoic acid, all benzoates
220-228 sulphur dioxide, all sulphites, bi sulphites, metabisulphates
249-283 all nitrates and nitrites
280-283 propionic acid, all propionates

Synthetic Antioxidants:
310-312 all gallates
319-321 TBHQ, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)

Flavour Enhancers:
620-625 glutamic acid and all glutamates, MSG (monosodium glutamate)
627 disodium guanylate
631 disodium inosinate
635 ribonuleotides
Yeast Extract, HVP, HPP

Flavours:
Anything listed as just "flavour" because who knows what they are!!

also, 951 aspartame, not included in the list in the book but something I personally won't consume.

All those things put in foods to make it look better, taste better or last longer . . . what about eating just good quality, fresh ingredients?? I tell you what, since reading labels carefully I know that there is a lot snuck into everyday products - I must be consuming a LOT of this junk! YUK!

And what does any person about to embark on a major diet change do the night before?? Eat EVERYTHING they aren't meant to . . . STUPID!! So I have started today feeling rather worse for wear!

I think drinks will be my big downfall. I have been building up my home cooking but I normally drink far too much coke and some fanta, which are now both out . . . you never know I might lose some weight out of this too!!

Wish me luck!!

1 comment:

Dianne said...

good luck.