An E-book: Sheri’s Guide to the Feingold Diet

So I’m
working on an e-book about the Feingold Diet. 
When I started my blog 3 years ago, I started it because I wanted to
share with other moms what I had learned about the Feingold Diet because I was
so excited that I had finally figured out my child!  I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm.  We later moved beyond Feingold to the GFCF
diet and biomed to treat autism and I thought I was going to leave the Feingold
Diet behind. 

But, I’m continually
brought back to the basics of Feingold and I’m continually hearing from other
moms who are desperately seeking answers for their child, and looking into the
Feingold Diet.  So, I decided to return
to focusing on the Feingold Diet this year to help other moms and be an
encouragement to them.  I know how hard
it was when I was in that same position, not knowing which way to go, and feeling
very overwhelmed and alone.

We’ve been
doing the diet for about 8 years now and we have a lot of stories we can share
to help other families who are just starting out or who are looking for more
information about the diet.  I’ve touched
on a lot of things already in my blog, but I wanted to put together something
that flowed a little better, was all-inclusive, and answers the main questions
that newbies would have about the diet. 

I also
wanted something that could be passed along to friends and relatives to spread
the word about the Feingold Diet and food additives.  The more awareness we bring to artificial
ingredients and the harmful effects it has on our kids the better.  When moms start demanding better ingredients,
the food manufacturers will have to listen because it will start to affect
their bottom line.

When my son
was little, I had no idea that red dyes were harmful or could cause him to
become hyperactive.  Had I known, I would
have pulled them much sooner.  It’s
gotten much better since then, but I think more still needs to be done to
convince people to get these out of our kids’ foods.  In the meantime, we can all make better
choices with the foods that are available, and we can spread the word to other
moms, one at a time. 

So, I’ve
started working on an e-book that describes how the Feingold Diet works, and how
our family has dealt with different aspects of the diet.  I’ve tried to answer some of the main
questions that newbies might have, but I’d love to get some more feedback on
that.  Below is a copy of my table of
contents so far.  I’d love to hear any
comments on what you would love to see included in this book or what you feel
could be left out.  My goal was to make
this book an easy read, that is informative but not too overwhelming. I want it
to read like a conversation between two moms.  

I remember
when I first got my Feingold materials, I was completely overwhelmed.  I didn’t know where to start first.  There were so many reading materials.   I just
wanted to know where the Quick Start Guide was. 

I also want
to give people an idea of what the diet is all about before they make the
decision to purchase the program.   This diet may not be the answer for everyone
but I hope it is relevant for anyone who just wants to make better food
choices, which should be all of us. 
Knowledge is power.

At first I
was going to include just about everything Feingold I could think of.  But, then I decided maybe I should break it
up so that it’s not too much information all at once.  So, below are the Table of Contents for the
first main book, and then below that are ideas for other possible e-books.  But, I did want to include the main ideas and
themes in the first book, so please let me know your thoughts on what you’d like
to see in the first one, which might include chapters from subsequent
books. 

And if you
have any ideas on a better title, I’m all ears! 
  

Thanks so
much!  Hope to have this out on Kindle in August, 2014. See link below.   

This is a
rough draft and may get changed quite a bit still.  I’m half way through writing the 4th
chapter now. 
All Natural Mom’s Guide
to the Feingold
Diet
A Natural
Approach to ADHD and Other Related Disorders
by Sheri Davis

Table
of Contents

Introduction:  What is the Feingold Diet?

Chapter 1: 
Help! Why We Started the Feingold Diet

·       A Star Is Born

·       Off to Preschool

·       Trying to Cope

·       Frustration Sets In

·       Searching for Answers

Chapter 2: 
How We Started the Diet & Changes We Saw

·       Changes I Noticed

·       Did We Start Out Doing the Diet 100%?

·       Hyper Sensitivity to Light Disappeared

·       What About Detox?

·       Watch Out for Corn Syrup

·       Improvements in School

·       A Science Project

Chapter 3: 
How We Implemented the Diet In Our Home

·       Daddy’s
Food

·       What
I Told My Son

·       An
Infraction

·       Did
I Put All My Kids on the Diet?

·       The
Once a Year Candy

·       Do
I Do the Diet?

·       Does
My Husband Do the Diet?

·       How
to Deal with Older Kids on the Diet

Chapter 4: 
What’s the Deal With Salycilates?

·       What in the World Are Salicylates?

·       How My Kids React to Salicylates

·       Tourette’s Syndrome

·       Understanding
Stage 1 and Stage 2

Chapter 5: 
How Do I Read Labels?

·       Truth
In Labeling?

·       Contacting
a Food Manufacturer

·       Corn
Syrup Is Evil and Other Names For It

·       MSG,
Nitrates, and Benzoates

·       Where
Do I Get All This Food?

·       Is
a Feingold Membership Worth the $83?

Chapter 6:  Is
It Hard?

·       Ways
to Save Time in the Kitchen

Chapter 7: 
Letters to Teachers & Class Parties

Chapter 8: 
Recipes To Help You Get Started

Other
Possible E-Books:

Sheri’s Guide
to Partying, Feingold Style!

Creative Tips and
Recipes to Celebrate Each Holiday and Occasion, Without All the Dyes!

Chapter 1: Birthday
Parties

Chapter 2: Christmas
Fun

Chapter 3:
Valentine’s Day Treats

Chapter 4:
Easter Egg Hunts and the Easter Bunny

Chapter 5:
Summer Fun

Chapter
6:  A Day at the Zoo and Amusement
Parks 

Chapter 7:  Back to School – Ideas for Filling Lunchboxes

Chapter 8:  Halloween: 
The Great Pumpkin

Chapter 9:  Thanksgiving: 
A Feast to Enjoy

Chapter 10:  Here Comes the Bride:  A Wedding to Remember

Chapter
11:  How to Deal With Unsupportive
Relatives

Another
Possible E-Book
:

Beyond The Feingold
Diet:  Sheri’s Guide to
Alternative Options for ADHD and Other Behavioral Issues

Chapter
1:  Supplements for ADHD

Chapter
2:  The Yeast Beast (How to Tackle Yeast
Overgrowth)

Chapter 3:  Allergy Testing

Chapter 4:  The GFCF Diet

Chapter 5:  Enzymes

Chapter 6:  Biomed

Chapter 7:  Other Diets

Chapter 8:  Other Options – Homeopathy, NAET, etc.

Another
Possible E-Book
:  (would come up with a better title)

A Feingold Vacation:
Sheri’s Guide to Vacationing, Feingold Style

Chapter
1:  Your Traveling Essentials

Chapter
2:  A Road Trip for the Day

Chapter 3: A
One Night Stay

Chapter 4:  A Weekend Away

Chapter 5:  A Week’s Stay

Chapter 6: A
Trip to Disney World

Chapter 7:  A Disney Cruise
Would love to hear any thoughts!  This book is for all you stressed out mamas.
Let me know how I can help and encourage you as you seek out what is best for
your children. 

God bless! 

Sheri Davis

Matthew 6:25-26  “Therefore
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about
your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body
more important than clothes?  Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet your
heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not
much more valuable than they?”





Related Posts:




For a list of our favorite food products with pictures, visit my new

blog:


For Feingold recipes, visit my recipe blog, All Natural Recipes.


Also, be sure to Like “All Natural Mom” on Facebook. Posting tips 

and recipes almost daily (link is on home page on the left).



 out in August, 2014 on Kindle!




Buy Book Now!
















Written by Sheri Fortes - Visit Website

Author of "All Natural Mom's Guide to the Feingold Diet"

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The Treating ADHD Naturally Conference is coming back to Chicago May 23, 2018! More details coming soon at www.mothersdetermined.com.

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27 Comments

  1. You are an amazing woman. You have provided more help than you will ever know. The book will be wonderful! Really looking forward to it! Thank you!

  2. Thank you so much for doing this! I'm still pretty new to FG but I've shared it with everyone I know so this will be a great resource to share!!!

    • Awesome! That's what I'm hoping for – something that can easily be shared! So hard to explain Feingold thoroughly to other moms in 2 minutes with kids tugging at you all the while.

  3. As a newbie to all of this I am very interested in your ebook! I need to read it ASAP! It certainly would answer all he questions I currently have. Really need to know if I need to purchase the plan. Good luck to you and thanks for your blog!

    Mrs Shawn

  4. I have a 16 yr old son who was diagnosed with adhd several yrs ago. We stumbled upon FG last november… he was tested at Drs office this monday – no longer ADHD – surely they don't grow out of it…? I said to Dr next time we come up I will give him coke, chocolate ice cream and gummies to eat and you can test him again! People just don't understand what a difference FG can make to a family! Please continue with this book it looks amazing, so much information. I know I was completely overwhelmed at first 🙂

    • Hi Annie. I would love to include your testimonial in my e-book under success stories. If you see this post, send me an e-mail. I would need your permission first. Thanks!

  5. Awesome! I know of people who have done just that! They stopped at Dunkin Donuts on their way to testing b/c they needed the diagnosis to get continued services for their kids and for insurance coverage(I think it was for autism). LOL. In my experience, no they don't grow out of it, but their symptoms change as they get older. When my 12 yr old has dyes now, he gets mouthy, angry, way overly emotional, easily flustered, and can't remember a thing. When he was younger he was mostly hyper. Glad that FG worked for your family. I should add a section for success stories. 🙂

  6. Hi Sheri,
    I sat down and googled Feingold Diet 2 days ago for the first time. As my curiosity has peaked and my google searched continued, I found your blog. I am glued to it and for the first time, feeling encouraged that perhaps I can give this diet a try! The E-book is exactly what I need to get started! I will be honest, I felt kind of lost in the FD site and am hesitant to invest that much money it to the membership, and am wondering if I need to. Chapters 4 and 6 are probably where my eyes would go first 🙂 I was looking at your other E-book's and would be highly interested in Beyond The Feingold Diet: Sheri's Guide to Alternative Options for ADHD and Other Behavioral Issues. We have been doing a GF diet here for about 2 years and have been on and off dairy during that time too. I think I need to look more closely at salicylates now and preservatives/additives in our food. Anyway, all this to say I am so glad I found your blog! Thank you for the time you have put in to it and the E-Book to help others.

    Kristi

  7. I just wanted to say I am so looking forward to your e-Book. I purchased the Feingold Diet materials about a month or two ago and it is overwhelming to say the least. I'm slowly starting to get the hang of it. After purchasing the material I then started googling everything Feingold….and that is when I came across your blog, and also your FB page. I am a fan of your FB page and check your blog OFTEN. Thank you for all the information that you have listed on both, it has been very helpful to me so far. So with that all being said, I cannot wait to read the e-book that you are working on, and think that the other titles you have come up with are great as well.!!

    Thanks – Amanda

  8. For the newbies, be sure to use the Feingold Association message boards for all of your questions. Your question will be sure to be one that has been asked before. The HelpLine is also something to take advantage of Help@Feingold.org Your question will be answered by the appropriate Feingold staff. FAUS also has a Facebook page and there is a great Yahoo group for members and non members. It is called Feingold Program 4 Us.

  9. As a full-time working (outside the home) mom of 2, I am overwhelmed by the thought of getting dinner ready now. Still hoping that any effort (AND MONEY) I put forth is making a huge difference in my daughter's ability to focus and learn. Thank you for all the help and your lists.

  10. Hi Sheri,

    I've found your blog googling around trying to find information on the Fiengold diet. We are a vegan family and before purchasing the Feingold materials, I'd like to know if I'll actually find food I can eat on there.

    I was heartened to see things like Daiya and Earth Balance on your shopping list. We eliminated food dyes a few years ago but it no longer seems to be enough, so I'm back to wondering if Feingold would help us.

    Also, we're in Canada and don't have access to all the same brands (not that we purchase much in the way of processed food to start with).

    Do you know if Feingold is worth it given we're vegans and in Canada?

  11. Hi Chloe. Canada shouldn't be a problem. Feingold has a shopping guide for Canada. We are GFCF. I just watched the movie, Vegucated last night about the vegan diet. Very interesting! I would love to go vegan. We eat too much meat. I did see on the video, they were showing how Oreos and some other FG no-no's were vegan. Yes, vegan. Loaded with artificials and preservatives? Yes.

    Depends if you are eating a lot of processed foods or not. You are probably eating a lot of stage 2 fruits I'm guessing. I've found it's hard to do multiple diets but we manage. Are you dealing with any ADHD issues? I think FG is a good diet for everyone, no matter what diet they are doing. It's kind of the base/foundation to any get well plan. You need to avoid preservatives and artificials to really be eating healthy.

    What kinds of processed foods do you eat? Maybe we could start there. Even if you make a lot of your own foods, you are probably still eating out some and using ingredients that may not be FG approved and definitely eating some stage 2 foods I'm sure. Tomatoes are in a lot of my recipes, which is stage 2. We do limited stage 2 but I know from doing the first 6 week elmination of stage 2 foods which fruits/stage 2 foods my kids really react to badly so some of those we avoid completely like apple juice, grapes, strawberries, etc.

  12. I like to say: it's not because it's vegan that it's healthy! French fries, Oreos and Twizzler candies are vegan. There are definitely junk food vegans out there.

    We became vegan after I read the China Study three years ago. Although we started for our health, we're staying vegans for compassionate reasons.

    We had already given up dairy and food colouring. My middle child was having really strong reactions to both. His behaviour would change instantly after eating coloured food and his body just didn't seem to be able to digest dairy.

    He's not diagnosed as anything, mostly because we've never done well child visits. He is an angel at school so they never brought it up. But at home, it's a different matter…

    We eat mostly a whole food unprocessed diet, making stuff from scratch with lots of legumes, veg, fruit and nuts. We don't normally eat fake meat and eat quite a bit of bread, pasta and rice.

    Thanks for your help!

    • I have the China Study book. It's on my to read list. So, to answer your ?, I'm not really sure. Sounds like you have a pretty good diet. Your child may be reacting to the stage 2 fruits though. Almonds are also stage 2, as are raisins and some of the things they use in vegan desserts. I'm sure there are some things in your diet that are not Feingold acceptable, especially fast foods or restaurant food. Even if you're eating 90% unprocessed foods from scratch, that other 10% will throw your son off. Especially if you've already noticed he has an issue with dyes. The salycilates are similar in nature to dyes. So if he reacts to dyes, he likely reacts to sals too. Preservatives might be the biggest thing that you might not notice in your foods b/c it's in a lot of things like juice, cereal, etc. but they don't have to list it in the ingredients b/c they are using it on the packaging. So, yes, I think FG probably would be a good thing to try but not knowing your entire diet, I couldn't say for sure. If you do try it, please let me know if it was helpful for you or not. I'd love to know. Most typical American families today are eating loads of processed foods so I know FG is going to be really helpful.

  13. Chloe – Sherri is right, there is a foodlist for Canada and some living near the border also use that region's foodlist. There is also a section in the message boards for those in Canada. But being on Feingold is more than a foodlist. There is a lot education that that goes along with that that is so important and the 100 oage Handbook is such a great resource.

    Inside the Feingold website http://www.feingold.org, under the Resources link, you can sign up for the monthly free eNewsletter. You'll also receive the Family Fun Pages that is informative too.

  14. Sheri,

    I stumbbled upon your blog in searching for natural treatments for ADD. My 8 year old daughter has not been officially diagnosed but her teacher is worried and wants to work with her until Feburary before making any final decisions to follow up with our doctor. She is not by any means hyperactive, although my 5 and 2 year old are, but I thought why not get a jump start on research and see what is out there. I am completely opposed to medicating my children unless all else has failed. I for the past few days have been at a loss as what to do. I have heard of the Feingold diet but the cost is holding me back right now so finding your blog has been a light at the end of a tunnel right now. I am really excited to read your e-book. I think this is just what I have been looking for. God bless you for all you are doing to ease the anxiety in all these moms.

  15. Thanks Krista! You're doing the right thing by educating yourself. Hope to have my e-book out by the end of the year. Search through some of my Feingold posts and that may help answer some of your questions in the meantime. Good luck!

  16. Sheri,
    WOW! I just came across your website when browsing for info on the effect of food additives. I have a 5 year old son with high functioning autism and many symptoms of ADD. I am also a pediatric occupational therapist who works with special needs preschoolers. I see theses issues daily! I have heard of the Feingold diet before but have been hesitant to try it and, like many others, have difficulty paying for the membership without really knowing the basics. I look forward to following your blog and reading your e-books to learn more about the foods and restrictions. Any recommendations and information is most welcomed! Thank you for your commitment!!!

  17. I am anxious to share your E-book with many families who need to hear this message! Your writings- blog and book- have led many to discover Feingold. It wasn't until I found this blog that I became a member, and even still, I turn to your blog all the time for support and points of reference. Keep doing what you are doing! We appreciate you 🙂

  18. thanks so much for bloggin about Feingold… we have been followin it for 3 years now…except I joke that we are ate stage 0 because my daughter reacts to so many of the stage 1 foods…

    I have dug into the chemistry and biochemistry of salicylates (the chemical that Feingold program eliminates) and here is what I have found…
    http://babyfoodsteps.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/s-is-for-salicylate/

    do you all have mitochondrial diseases that run in your family, by chance?

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