Early on in Sakuras’ first foods I gave her a whole strawberry. Wonderful!! Strawberries take no preparation and she can hold it by the green bit (theoretically, it took a couple of attempts for her to understand the green bit was yucky).
She’s always been fairly vocal and well, temperamental. But I noticed something – did she get more agitated, more frantically busy? I knew about salicylates from a friend’s young cousin who was a low salicylate diet due to behavioural problems. I also knew an adult friend who eliminated them from her diet to get rid of debilitating migraines.
Salicylates are a naturally occurring chemical that act like a natural pesticide for plants. They are highest in unripe fruit and lowest when the fruit is about to fall of the tree. When you think about our current mass agricultural practices, I know that the fruit I buy in the supermarket wasn’t just about to fall! Research shows that about salicylate sensitivity can contribute to asthma in adults, food-induced itchy rashes, headaches or migraines, irritable bowel symptoms and behavioural problems in children. Many people with salicylate intolerance have no idea what could be affecting them.
It’s hard to believe that something natural and otherwise healthy for you can cause problems. Salicylates are as natural as gluten or lactose – other compounds of foods that cause allergic reactions in people.
So I looked into it and found that a lot of the foods I gave her were high salicylate. And they were her absolute favourites. So what to do – eliminate, reduce or not care. I tried the eliminate route... it was hard, but not bland. I had to think a lot more about yummy ways to rehash peeled red apples! It was early in her experience with solids, so I could really give her anything as she was SOOO excited to finally get to experience all these amazing new sensations.
Once I understood them and had spent a few weeks eliminating them, I gave up a little bit. Partly for the sake of variety, partly for convenience. So I started choosing low salicylate foods. If it was extra special but high in salicylates, like MANGO she had it, knowing that generally her diet was low in them. Like everything, it’s great to be aware and conscious of your decisions. It doesn’t have to be every time you put food into your mouth, but at least you are aware of the repercussions and don’t do it every time you eat. This goes for all aspects of food – nutrition, energy content, side effects or additives.
A great source of information is anything by Sue Dengate, of Failsafe fame. Her foods are free of additives, and low in salicylates and amines.
If you would like any information in PDF:
SALICYLATES
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/56983815?access_key=key-1ac6e539h8yglvz8wpgr
FAILSAFE BOOKLET
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/56984991?access_key=key-140vrxud9d0f6yt1ybr7
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