We all remember this classic viral video clip from last fall. Jimmy Kimmel challenged parents to videotape themselves telling their kids that they ate all their Halloween candy and send in the responses to the show.  The results were hilarious and terrifying way, and not because any of the kids still had on their scary costumes.


                  


Sugar has long been the villain. And this compelling CBS 60 Minutes report on how sugar effects kids that was released last month showed even more evidence of why sugar needs to be avoided, especially by our children.


But now new reports suggest that keeping our kid's health in cheek is more complicated than simply banning sweets. Processed foods that contain lots of food additives, specifically food dyes, may be a contributor to behavioral problems with children.


Daily Mail reported:

"Additives used in hundreds of children's foods and drinks can cause temper tantrums and disruptive behaviour, researchers have found. Their Government-funded study confirms what many parents have long suspected about the effect of chemicals put into sweets, biscuits and foods. Colourings in products such as Jammie Dodgers, Smarties, Jelly Tots and fizzy drinks could spark behaviour changes in up to a quarter of toddlers. Research into a group of threeyear- olds found they were more likely to lack concentration, lose their temper, interrupt others and struggle to get to sleep when they drank fruit juice dosed with colourings and preservatives."

Food Matters followed up with a list of food colorings and preservatives that should be avoided if possible, in order to minimize negative behavioral outcomes. The list was put together by Sue Dentae, author of the book "Fed Up: Understanding How Food Affects Your Child And What You Can Do About It". We have repurposed it here:

Which Additives Do We Need To Look Out For?

Artificial Colors

(in sweets, drinks, takeaways, cereals and many processed foods) 

• 102 tartrazine,
• 104 quinoline yellow,
• 107 yellow 2G,
• 110 sunset yellow,
• 122 azorubine,
• 123 amaranth,
• 124 ponceau red,
• 127 erythrosine,
• 128 red 2G,
• 129 allura red,
• 132 indigotine,
• 133 brilliant blue,
• 142 green S,
• 151 brilliant black,
• 155 chocolate brown Natural colour,
• 160b annatto (in yoghurts, icecreams, popcorn etc, 160a is a safe alternative)

Preservatives

• Preservatives200-203 sorbates (in margarine, dips, cakes, fruit products)
• 210-213 benzoates (in juices, soft drinks, cordials, syrups, medications)
• 220-228 sulphites (in dried fruit, fruit drinks, sausages, and many others)
• 280-283 propionates (in bread, crumpets, bakery products)
• 249-252 nitrates, nitrites (in processed meats like ham)
• Synthetic antioxidants - in margarines, vegetable oils, fried foods, snacks, biscuits etc
• 310-312 Gallates 319-320 TBHQ, BHA, BHT (306-309 are safe alternatives)
• Flavour enhancers - in flavoured crackers, snacks, takeaways, instant noodles, soups 621 MSG 627, 631, 635 disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, ribonucleotides

Some great questions to ask yourself when purchasing products for your family: Do you know who made it? Do you have an understanding of the process of how it is made?  Is the company transparent about their intentions and care for food quality and nutrition?  Its best to stick to local, simple, real foods as often as possible. And of course, stay informed!  

Labels: food additives, food quality, preservatives, sugar, whole foods

Greetings Everyone!

Lots of fun New Hampshire happenings to report!

Spring has finally fully sprung in the granite state. Its beautiful here and our staff has been enjoying hiking in the white mountains in their free time. Our offices are located in a small New Hampshire town, on a pleasant side street with walking trails. Its not uncommon for people to get together at lunch for a leisurely stroll in order to get the blood flowing, get out in the sunshine and make a little Vitamin D! We feel very blessed to be surrounded by all the natural beauty found right out the back door.

A big step was taken in the naturopathic world this week as it applies to New Hampshire residents. NHPR reports that the NH senate approved health insurance reimbursements for Naturopaths in a new bill, which passed with a 16-8 vote. This is wonderful news, which will make it much easier for local N.D.s to practice and thrive.

Innate Response also hosted a tour group today at our manufacturing facility. Richard Lafond, our Vice President of Operations, gave a detailed overview of our raw materials process. We test incoming raw materials for allergens, herbicides and pesticides, as well as comprehensive organoleptic testing in our state of the art laboratory. Here, Richard discusses our testing practices and showcases our lab equipment, explaining the technical side of ensuring the proper nutrition is in each tablet.


After answering practitioner questions at the lab, the tour stopped into our manufacturing facility. Today, calcium was on the low-temp dryer! Innate tours allow you to observe our production process from soup to nuts and to answer any and all questions you may have. We feel transparency is important in this day and age and we are proud of the products that we make.



Angie, our Sales Coordinator, recently started a great twitter feed that gives updates on Innate workshops, dinners, tours and events. Follow her to stay up to date. And if you're ever in the great state of New Hampshire, or the Boston are in general, make sure to get in contact with her so you can experience the tour yourself!

Speaking of events, we are planning our most exciting event to date in Boston this summer. Innate Response Formulas has partnered with Dr Andrew Weil to bring you our Seasonal Therapeutics Seminar Series. Click here for more information on the seminar and click here to register. Please keep in mind that space is very limited!

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming new product releases. Lots of exciting things are on the horizon!

Labels: andrew weil, naturopaths, ND, new hampshire, seasonal therapeutics, tour

Labels: farming, food, joel salatin, local, permaculture, sustainability, the future