Halloween and the Red Monster

Tonight was trick or treat. My boys were dressed as Miles from Tomorrowland and Captain America...our little lion didn't quite make it out into the cold night for his candy ;)

My sweet little Miles ran excitedly to the first house and said, "Trick or Treat. I can't have red dye!"

:)

His sweet little heart. I'm not sure if it's because we're so strict with food dye in our house or if he doesn't like the way it affects him...or perhaps it's both. But as I sit and look through his candy, picking out the few pieces he can actually eat, I feel frustrated with the fact that my 3 year old has to be so cautious because our country still allows these awful dyes in our food.

If you don't have a child who is affected by these dyes, this rant seems ludicrous, but I was reminded of the reality of this sensitivity tonight. We allowed him to have a drink with food dye in it because it's Halloween and we thought, "it's green, it shouldn't be that big of a deal". I watched my sweet, joyful Miles seem overtaken by something bigger than himself - in a moment (awhile after the drink) he was lying in the floor, screaming, tears running down his face, flinging his body around, so angry that he could hardly talk to tell us what was wrong. (He was upset about the lights being turned off in our dining room where we were eating.)

If you've never witnessed this, it's hard to understand. But, it's as if something takes over his little body and he has no control over his emotions. He seems to lose the ability to verbalize his emotions. If you know my guy, you know this is completely opposite from his normal sweet, joyful, innocent personality.

I've noticed sensitivities in our second child lately. It's definitely a real issue. I feel crazy when I ask
about every food my guys are given, but it has such a profound effect that I have to watch every bite.
Our guys struggle with more than just Red dye - we've had to take major steps to cut out Red, Yellow, Blue, and Caramel coloring from our foods. It's in everything - from white icing and white cake mix to boullion cubes, toothpaste, medicine, and even breakfast breads. 

Awhile back, I read a blog by a mom who had noticed the same effects on her child. I cannot find it again. But I did find this clip from Fox News. I wanted to share with you. I'm hoping to spread awareness of Food Dye sensitivities in hopes to help a struggling parent or to help others understand us crazy mommas who hover over their food. ;)