Eliminating preservatives etc for better sleep

[~Raven~]

Meals without additives don't have to be bland and boring. If you use herbs and spices etc things can be quite tasty I think we've been conditioned to be overpowered with favors so when we break from eating that kind of stuff it can be a bit of a shock, but it won't take long before you realize how bad they are if you break the diet.

I have become very bad with the diet these holidays due to moving house and we are noticing the kids are more irritable and I'm waking up very thirsty during the night due to too much MSG and 220 in stuff.

[Teeki]

I think you're right Raven, we get so used to the overloaded flavours in processed food, that when we go back to 'real' food and natural ingredients it can taste a little boring. However, when I do cook (just a matter of finding/making time) I'm only using natural foods with no additives, and we have a good spice rack

Thanks for the info EJ & Babyluv - that app sounds great, but it looks like it may be Apple only, I didn't find it on Android. I did get one called What Additives, but I'm a little suss about it's accuracy - for 202 & 282 it says safe for kids, no known adverse effects (although it does say 282 may cause migraines). For 621 (MSG) it says glutamates are not permitted for children under 12 weeks, no known adverse effects but some concerns. I thought this was one of the big nasties? The app makes it seem alright. And the Sue Dengate website looks great - a lot of info to sort through, but some of the stories on there are amazing!

I think we'll do it kind of slowly. Start off by avoiding junk food - that should be easy enough and I think should make a big enough difference on it's own! From there when I go shopping on Friday I'll start buying better versions/alternatives to some of our foods, and stock up more on fruit & veg. Then I might research the E numbers I find on the food we do have, and see what I'd like to avoid.

Hopefully this leads to a healthier family!