186 Diet Wise
avoidance of chemicals alone. Could it not be due to the absence of other
factors in junk food, such as sugar, corn syrup or glutamates, which were
being omitted at the same time?
Experience suggests it is.
Secondly, Feingold’s work did not go far enough. Chemicals are a
problem to allergic patients - especially to children; but other foods cause
much more trouble more often – milk, for instance. Corn is also a serious
allergen, and yet it is a widespread ingredient of manufactured food. Why
did he not question these too?
So although Feingold pointed the way, his dietary modifications
are too limited. Many hyperactive children simply do not improve on
the Feingold diet but will do so on the caveman diet, and that is the final
condemnation.
Pregnancy
Needless to say, a discussion on children and their allergies ought logically
to include a consideration of how the diet applies to pregnant women.
There is no reason to avoid the plan because of pregnancy: in fact, quite the
opposite is true. It is a depressing fact that these days a great many babies
are being born with allergies. The mother’s eating habits are, unfortunately,
often to blame: if she eats badly, and her diet includes many stress foods,
the child may be exposed to sufficient quantities to develop reactions to
these substances. By eliminating high-risk foods the mother is in effect
treating two patients at the same time: herself and the foetus.
As you were told in Chapter 2, studies show that if one parent is an
allergy sufferer there is a strong possibility that the child will be one also, and
that if both parents are so affected the risk is dramatically increased. Thus
if the mother herself has known allergies, and especially if her husband has
too, she would be wise to anticipate difficulties for the child and to plan
accordingly. This means taking precautions at the outset to minimize the
foetus’ exposure to allergens.
The way to do that is to follow the diet wise plan; it is a low-allergy
diet and so makes sense for pregnant women. If it is carried out properly
she will not be undernourished, and for many women it actually represents
a great improvement in nutrition. Going without bread, pastries and sweets
may seem a little harsh at first, but be quite clear: These are not healthy
foods. They provide no vitamins and minerals but may actually interfere
with the absorption of these vital substances. If you eat well from the