When researching the role of diet and behaviour some of the problems that parents report as improving include being easily distracted, acts without thinking, excitable, restless, fidgety, can’t sit still, tantrums, difficult to control, “irritable, touchy and cranky”, “off with the fairies or on another planet” demanding and argumentative, problems settling to sleep, and sleep problems. Many of these problems occur in ASD children as well as in ADHD children, and many children had features of … [Read more...]
Diet and IBS – what can you do?
There is no one diet that is just what you do for IBS. It is a whole process of investigation to find the diet that is just the right one for you. Diet Detective Work is not just a gimmick. It is a scientific and practical way to find what symptoms change and how much, so the effort is worthwhile. It would be great if it was a clear diet and you could get diet sheets and solve it quickly. Here I will summarise the steps. The easy to read detail is in Are You Food Sensitive? Write down what … [Read more...]
Is the diet right yet?
Is the diet right yet? examines the unfolding knowledge as different early researchers investigated diet and ADHD, including detail from different diet orientations. Later work is provided in Are You Food Sensitive? … [Read more...]
What’s become of the Feingold diet?
Transcript from Ockham's Razor broadcast Sunday 11 November 2001 with Robyn Williams Summary: Dietitian Joan Breakey talks about developments since Dr. Ben Feingold, in 1973, first linked diet and hyperactivity. Transcript: Robyn Williams: One of the biggest controversies of the 1970s was about hyperactivity in children, their diet and the advice of American scientist Dr Ben Feingold. So whatever happened to the Feingold diet? In Brisbane, Joan Breakey tells the tale. Joan … [Read more...]
Pain as a symptom of food intolerance
We have often seen symptoms such as infant eczema, chronic daily headaches, related to diet, or heard that diet can be one of the migraine treatments, or natural remedies for ADHD and some other food intolerance symptoms. Now it is time to think of pain itself as another important symptom that changes with diet. In May 2010 I listened to a well presented talk on reflux in babies and children by a senior paediatric Gastroenterologist at RCH Brisbane. He reported that the amount of distress in … [Read more...]
History of Joan’s work with diet and ADHD
Joan Breakey M AppSc BSc DNFS Cert Diet TTTC. APD [Accredited Practicing Dietitian] My experience of work in the area of Diet and ADHD now spans 35 years. Work began in 1975 in Queensland, after Feingold’s Hypothesis in the US First group closely followed - 75 families – reported in Australian Family Physician 1978. I also followed up diet use in self help groups, attending meetings and discussion groups for over 20 years, meeting or hearing from many families allowing … [Read more...]
Introducing foods to a food sensitive baby
Question: Can you give me some advice on introducing solids to my baby. She is 20 weeks old, breastfed, and has silent reflux. I commenced an elimination diet as I was convinced he also had an allergy/intolerance to something in my diet. I reduced my diet to lamb, turkey, zucchini, squash, potato, sweet potato, brown rice and rice products (rice milk, rice cakes, etc). I would really appreciate if could get some advice from you regarding introducing foods back into my diet. I have … [Read more...]