ranting and raving....

Ok folks... prepare yourself because this blog is going to have me ranting, raving, venting and hopefully at no stage whilst writing this will my head be spinning in circles!

Last night I attended a "Healthy Habits" event at Singleton run by Danya and Peter Mullen and the wonderful Natalie from Mullen Health Hamilton (www.mullenhealth.com.au). It was an "event" in itself just for me to get there and oh my gosh I am thrilled that I did. I had the big girls being picked up from the bus stop after school, I drove the hour to my parents in the Hunter Valley with enough time to get there, put the port-a-cots up, have a cuppa and shower and get myself ready. Mum and Dad were looking after the twins for the night. I had to be at Singleton at 5pm and knew I wouldn't get away until 10ish so the plan was for the twins and myself to stay the night at my parents so I wasn't doing the almost 2 hour drive home late at night. Within 15 minutes of us turning up I had just set up the port-a-cots my Mum came in looking a shade of green and was horribly sick suddenly! Oh no! (good news here is it seems to have only been a tummy bug which is going around everywhere at the moment) I have never moved so fast, I packed everything up, threw the twins back in the car and drove away freaking out, unsure what I was going to do, not wanting to have to go home and miss the night that was ahead (and for all you mums out there you would know what a huge thing it is to pack for yourself and 2 toddlers on an overnight trip!)....after some tears and then deep breathing I finally got in touch with one of my best friends near Cessnock and literally dumped the twins on her, threw on decent clothes, makeup and good ol' hairspray some trusty heels and off I went....and phew I was only 20 minutes late! (I was there to sell books and meet some lovely people also!) 

I drove away from the event around 10pm and my mind was going non stop......

....but first let me take a step back around 6 weeks.....

As most of you would know, I am the only person in our family with food allergies (mind you I think I have enough to cover everyone!) we eat brilliantly and this is something I am extremely proud of as a mum and wife. However, 6 weeks ago I made the CHOICE to change my household to be completely additive free....basically what I was needing to change was the kids packaged snacks eg muesli bars.....everything I was cooking was great but there was just that one shelf in the pantry that 'had to go' ..... so with the help of 2 books, The Chemical Maze and Additive Free Shopping Guide I cleaned it out, restocked and haven't looked back.....the reason for my decision on going completely Additive Free was my Miss 8 who was cranky, emotional and unbearable 90% of the day. I love her like any mother loves their child however I need to be honest and say I didn't enjoy being around her. She would argue with EVERYTHING and scream at me for the smallest thing and most mornings by 7.30am she was in tears screaming and crying over something which could be as little as her hair was knotty or I didn't do her shoe lace in a double knot.

Fact: In the last 6 weeks she has had 2 "meltdowns"....

Fact: In the last 6 weeks she has had 2 things with additives in them....

FACT: they have gone hand in hand..... 

Miss 8 IS a different child....she is happy, tantrum free, others have noticed the difference, SHE has noticed the difference and she is a pleasure to be around.....this is all the proof I need that CUTTING OUT THE CRAP completely from our diet is one of the best decisions I could ever make as a parent..... 

Miss 8 happy she can still have Additive Free treats!

I love this photo :-)

So back to last night.....last nights "talk" was inspirational in many ways. Naturopath Peter Mullen spoke on the importance of "healthy habits" as adults and we all got up close and personal with Iridology (which fascinates me). He asked us all to walk away with something which we were going to change for the better in regards to our health.....for me it was the decision to 'try' and get more sleep or at least STOP every now and then and rest up....before my body is screaming STOP at me!

From Left Peter Mullen, Mel (another Additive Free Mum), me, Tanya (Additive Free Pantry) and
Vanessa and Jenny from Thermomix

The second presenter on the night was Tanya from Additive Free Pantry (www.additivefreepantry.com) and she did what she does best and had me SHOCKED and HORRIFIED and let's not forget DISGUSTED with what goes into our food! If there was ever even the slightest doubt of my choices with additive free living there certainly isn't now! I wish this is something that every parent and carer and let's not forget schools could hear.....and not just listen to.....but TRULY hear!

Tanya was lovely enough to allow me to contact her today to get some of this information to share with you.....this is only the slightest touch on what she presents in her talks and if you ever have the opportunity of hearing her talk, you need to go!

 

•       Over 30% of Australian school aged children currently have asthma.

 

•       700 - 800 Australians currently die from asthma each year.

 

•       Australia has about 50,000 children taking stimulants for ADHD, which makes it (per capita) the third highest consumer in the world after the United States and Canada.

 

•       In 2009 an estimated 64,600 Australians had autism. This is an increase of 34,200 in 2003.

 

WTF....

•       “Healthy Canteens NSW” allow artificial sweetener aspartame in our children's school canteens, though honey is not permitted as it has a high sugar content...go figure! 

•       Additives such as 621, 211 & 220 that are not recommended for children's consumption are found in abundance throughout school canteens Australia wide.

.....and now this....(also shared from Tanya) had me disgusted.....furious and wanting answers.....this is just one example of food being eaten daily by our kids and also being served in our canteens....

Chicken Crackles- 150d, 270, 319,508, 627, 631, 900, HVP, yeast extract & hydrogenated soy oil

•       150d may cause hypersensitivity and is linked to gastro intestinal problems. 

•       270 is considered safe in foods as long as the are not consumed by infants as they may be unable to metabolise.

•       319 is toxic by ingestion, carcinogen, birth defects, nausea, vomiting, delirium, collapse & a dose of 5 grams is fatal.

•       508 is associated with gastric ulcers, nausea, circulatory collapse & liver toxicity. Not recommended for children. 

•       627 is not safe for asthmatics & aspirin sensitive people also linked to hyperactivity & gout. Prohibited in foods for infants or young children.

•       631 should be avoided by people with asthma, gout or kidney disease. Not recommended for children or infants. 

•       900 is linked to acute or delayed hypersensitivity reactions, ingestion of large amounts may cause nausea. 

•       HVP & yeast extract are MSG.

•       Hydrogenated soy oil is manipulated by man, is likely to be genetically modified and can inhibit insulin receptors contributing to type 2 diabetes. Recent research indicates that hydrogenated fats are more likely to cause weight gain than any other fat.

How are you feeling after reading that??????

I have so many questions I just dont know where to start......How on earth does our Country get away with this? How do we allow and somehow find acceptable the fact that so much CRAP and poison is used in our food....Why are there harmful ingredients not allowed in other countries yet we are allowed them here? Why is there a 5% loophole on the ingredients list of packaged foods which manufacturers don't have to mention....it could be hidden preservatives that could make you horribly sick if your allergic to them and then you would never know what is causing it....Why is it acceptable that we feed these things to our children (and not to mention to ourselves) WHY are these things being sold in school canteens? How on earth are children meant to sit and behave and listen when their poor little innocent bodies are fighting on the inside with this poison that they are consuming.....are parents not aware of these harmful additives? How do we make parents more aware? Do parents want healthier options in their canteen? Do people not care? Is it all 'too daunting' or 'too hard' and WHY OH WHY is the excuse that we are 'too busy' used constantly...... Let me see......Hi, my name is ????, I love my children more than anything yet I also love money and socializing and therefore I dont have half an hour spare to cook my family a healthy meal for dinner so I will feed them POISON instead......

Ok, my head is starting to spin so I will calm down!

And last but not least WHY do Drs and other "health" professionals not look at these FACTS out there and suggest diet changes before drugs? DO NOT TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY I am NOT in anyway saying that these behavioural issues in children are not real, however, my Miss 8s story is nothing compared to some I have heard lately...and their life has changed for the better after making 1 choice.....

choosing to CUT OUT THE CRAP....... 

 

Tell me....ARE YOU CUTTING IT OUT? 

I would LOVE to hear from you....sign up here on my blog or email me at info@cutoutthecrap.com.au and don't forget Facebook (www.facebook.com/cutoutthecrap)

Take Care of You, 

Collette x

Fun at the Park with some Additive Free Chocolates!

My little man....cuteness.....

He couldn't get enough of the Watermelon....I think
he has taken bites out of all these bits!

My Miss 10 and her little brother......

My baby girl :-)

He is always making her smile.....I love it.....

Big ORANGE grins from my big girls :-)

WOOP WOOP! A "Crap" free Birthday cake that
everyone can enjoy!