You said you were interested to hear how our challenges went. Well, what can I say - they weren't fun times.
We challenged nitrates and amines and yes, my daughter does become irritable a day or two after eating foods containing these chemicals. Her mood only lasts around 24 - 48 hours and so this isn't too bad. I can tolerate this but as for the 282 bread challenge, I never want to see another slice of bread or crumpet or anything else that contains this preservative.
I felt cruel doing this challenge but as you say, we do need to know if she reacts to this preservative. I could see her mood slowly changing by the fifth day on the challenge and from then on it only got worse.
My food diary reads:
day 5 - cries easily
day 6 - cries easily, slightly cranky
day 7 - cries easily, sour faced (stopped challenge)
day 8 - angry, irritable, fighting with us and sibling
day 9 - foul mood
day 10 - terrible mood, irritable, cranky, easily angered
day 11 - mood still bad but improving
day 12 - bad mood, irritable, angry, stirring siblings
day 13 - irritability improving; still fires up but not as frequently
day 14 - mood much more pleasant
day 15 - pleasant child
The one good thing to come from this challenge was that it opened my husband's eyes up and he has now started reading labels and watches carefully what our children eat. - mother of two
