Mom Says No To This Green Shake

ohh, it's green shake time.  McDonalds, How I wish you would improve in your ingredients.  You may have noticed the addition of this leprechaun seasonal green dyed item on the menu.   Please don't consider yourself lucky by having access to this chemical fest.  

If you’ve ever wondered what gives the shake its famous green color, the secret is in the syrup. The Shamrock Shake syrup contains yellow 5 and blue 1, both of which have been linked to behavioral problems and hyperactivity in children. Blue 1 is also poorly absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, and yellow 5 can be linked to cancer. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to ban the additives since 2008, and they have already been phased out in the United Kingdom. The syrup also contains — surprise — high fructose corn syrup.
And take a closer look, there is no mention of mint in the emerald colored drinks.  But there is Carrageenan which is widely added to ice creams and yogurts.  Carrageenan is linked to inflammatory illnesses.  Chronic inflammation is the root of many diseases including Parkinsons, heart disease, Alzheimers, and cancers.

Just take a look at the lengthy ingredient list.

VANILLA REDUCED FAT ICE CREAM

Ingredients: Milk, Sugar, Cream, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Mono and Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate.

Contains: MILK.

SHAMROCK SHAKE SYRUP

Ingredients: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Sugar, Natural Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Yellow 5, Blue 1. May contain small amounts of other shake flavors served at the restaurant, including egg ingredients when Egg Nog Shakes are available.

WHIPPED TOPPING

Ingredients: Cream, Nonfat Milk, Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Contains 1% or Less: Mono-And Diglycerides, Carrageenan, Polysorbate 80, Beta Carotene (Color), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) to Protect Flavor. Whipping Propellant (Nitrous Oxide).

Contains: MILK.

MARASCHINO CHERRY

Ingredients: Cherries, Water, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Malic Acid, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (Preservatives), Red 40, Sulfur Dioxide as Preservative (Contains Sulfites).

GREEN SUGAR CRYSTALS

Ingredients: Sugar, Yellow 5 Lake, Confectioners Glaze, Blue 1 Lake, Carnauba Wax.

That's A LOT of ingredients!!

When this post was originally written in 2014 the serving count looked like this: Notice the changes in the medium in March of 2017.

Original - Medium - A 16 ounce serving is 550 calories. 13 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, no fiber, 82 grams of sugar and 13 grams of protein.

Update March 2017 - from McDonalds website -  This is a small

This is a medium

Instead, try this easy recipe which has pineapple, banana and kale.  
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups stemmed and chopped kale or spinach
1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple (about 1/4 medium pineapple)
1 ripe banana, chopped
Directions
Combine the coconut milk, ½ cup water, the kale, pineapple, and banana in a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute, adding more water to reach the desired consistency.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving
Calories 253
Fat 13g
Sat Fat 11g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 38mg
Protein 5g
Carbohydrate 36g
Sugar 18g
Fiber 5g
Iron 3mg
Calcium 119mg

Do you have a recipe for a healthy "green" shake?  How about a "mint" shake?


Sources:
https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/shamrock-mccafe-shake-small.html
http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/product_nutrition.mccafe.3779.shamrock-mccafe-shake-small.html
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/kale-smoothie-recipe-00100000095097/index.html
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401181/Is-Carrageenan-Safe.html
http://www.sofreshandsogreen.com/2012/03/12/mcdonalds-shamrock-shake-goes-nationwide-but-do-you-really-want-one/

Dye Free Easter Eggs - Yes!

With Easter just a couple weeks away it's time to start thinking about dye free egg decorating.  Did you know that the typical Easter egg dye kits you buy in the store are chock full of red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1?  You usually add some vinegar to the concoction for more vivid coloring.  The problem?  Well, the dye leaches into the egg.  You definitely don't want to eat these eggs.  But there is more, you really don't want this dye to be absorbed through your skin.  These kinds of dyes have shown to have effects on children with adhd tendencies.  Artificial food dye is made from petroleum, a crude oil product.  This is the stuff that is also used to make gasoline, diesel, tar, and asphalt.  Yuck.  

Click here to read my post about the ADD/adhd and artificial food coloring connection.

Look at the eggs we color with natural dyes.  They may not have that artificial vivid color look, but to me, they are even more beautiful.

Here are some simple recipes to color your Easter eggs naturally.  Do you color your eggs with natural ingredients?  What do you use?

PINK~ Mix 1 cup strained juice from canned beets, 1/2 teaspoon vinegar and 3 cups water.  Soak cooled eggs for about 1/2 hr, less or more to your desired color.

ORANGE~ In a pot, mix 1 cup yellow onion skin (about 2 onions' worth), packed loosely, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 3 cups water. Boil mixture for 1/2 hour, cool to room temperature, strain out the onion skins, then add cooled eggs and soak them in the dye for 1/2 hour.

PURPLE~Mix 1 cup purple grape juice, 1/2 teaspoon vinegar, and 3 cups water. Soak cooled eggs in the dye for 1/2  hour.

YELLOW~In a pot, mix 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 3 cups water. Boil mixture for 1/2 hour, cool to room temperature, strain out stray turmeric grains, then add cooled eggs and soak them in
the dye for 1/2 hour.

LIGHT BLUE~In a pot, mix 1 cup red cabbage leaves, torn and loosely packed, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 3 cups water. Boil mixture for 1/2 hour, cool to room temperature, strain out the cabbage leaves, then add cooled eggs and soak them in the dye for 1/2 hour.


http://www.feingoldmemberinfo.com/aprilpartyplus2014.html

Artificial Food Dyes

This is such a great visual article about red 40, yellow 5 and 6, blue 1, etc.  Click artificial colors to learn how they may be effecting you or your kids?
Did you know that Kellogg's and Kraft don't use artificial colors in their products in Great Britain?... that yellow 6 is banned in Norway and Sweden?.. that Red 40 can cause hyperactivity?

We have been a dye free family for several years now.  I don't buy or offer anything to my kids without first reading the ingredient label.  It's easier than it used to be but I can't assume anything is safe because companies can change manufacturers who may in turn use cheaper ingredients.

Arm yourself with information.  Know what you and your kids are eating.  You might be surprised by what's really in that breakfast cereal.  You might wonder why your son or daughter has sleep problems, focus issues, keeps chewing on his collar...any of which could be due to a food color sensitivity.

Try an easy experiment.  Remove artificial colors from your diet for a couple days and see if you notice a difference. 

Food Dyes like Red 40, ADHD and More

Could it be possible?  If you are wondering if your child's anger outbursts, temper tantrums, impulsiveness or aggression could be linked to what he eats, keep reading.  If you child has been diagnosed with ADHD or has tendencies you may want to look at what they are eating both at home and school lunch.


If you live in America and eat or serve your kids "snacks" it is most likely you are being subjected to artificial food dyes.  If you are drinking enhanced or flavored water, it is likely you are being subjected to artificial food dyes.   If you are eating soft serve ice cream or going to fast food restaurants...well dyes are in many of those foods too.

What are artificial food dyes?  Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 1 are the top 4 in the US.  These are additives the FDA does not restrict from our nations food supply.  Those pretty colors that make the "fruit punch" red, the gelatin green and the oatmeal blue are made from petroleum (crude oil) which is also the source for gasoline.

You will find them on the ingredient labels, listed as "Yellow No. 5," "Red 40," "Blue #1," etc. The label may say "FD&C" before the number. That means "Food, Drug & Cosmetics." When you see a number listed as "D&C" in a product, such as "D&C Red #33" it means that this coloring is considered safe for medicine (drugs) and cosmetics, but not for food.

Kids today eat differently than their parents and grandparents.  30 years ago a lollipop was a special treat for sitting during a haircut.  A trip to a fast food restaurant was an occasion.  Today, kids are bombarded by food with artificial colors.  Take a look in your pantry and fridge this week.  I bet you'll find some red 40, blue 1, yellow 5 and 6 lurking in there.

If your child has ADHD or tendencies like hyperactivity, aggression, rage, self esteem issues, impulsiveness, take a look at what they are eating.  Try an experiment and remove these artificial dyes for a week or 2.  You may be re-introduced to a brand new kid!

Cereal Bar Comparison

The news that the Food and Drug Administration, in response to CSPI’s 2008 petition will convene an advisory committee meeting to discuss the link between food dyes and children’s behavior is welcome and overdue. Yellow 5, Red 40, and other commonly used food dyes have long been shown in numerous clinical studies to impair children’s behavior. But for years, FDA—which actually commissioned one of the first controlled studies—dismissed the mounting evidence against the dyes.  Fast forward ahead to 2011 and the FDA finally held their hearing.  In a close vote of 4 to 3, warning labels were shot down but there is agreement that more research needs to be done.

I love visuals.  This is one of the first visuals I saw when I started to research artificial colors like Red 40 and how they can effect you. 
You see two packages for Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain cereal bars. One is made here for us. The other is made in the UK for Europeans. Both use food coloring.  In the UK, the coloring is achieved using beet root. But in the US, the coloring is Red No. 40, a dye that has been associated with hyperactivity, and some types of cancer.
Why not use the beet root? The answer is that Kellogg’s probably saves half a penny on each bar using an artificial dye rather than using a natural one.
So why does Kellogg’s use the beets in Europe? Because in Europe the regulator has required WARNING LABELS on products with Red 40. Just like cigarettes. Kellogg’s did the bottom line calculation and decided the loss in sales would cause much more damage than the savings on the food dye.

C'mon US.  Why are we so behind on this issue?

Here is the U.S. ingredient list:

Filling (High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Strawberry Puree Concentrate, Glycerin, Sugar, Water, Sodium Alginate, Modified Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Sodium Citrate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Methylcellulose, Caramel Color, Malic Acid, Red No. 40), Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Whole Wheat Flour, Sunflower and/or Soybean Oil with TBHQ for Freshness, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Contains Two Percent or Less of Honey, Dextrose, Calcium Carbonate, Soluble Corn Fiber, Nonfat Dry Milk, Wheat Bran, Salt, Cellulose, Potassium Bicarbonate (Leavening), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Mono- and Diglycerides, Propylene Glycol Esters of Fatty Acids, Soy Lecithin, Wheat Gluten, Niacinamide, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Carrageenan, Zinc Oxide, Reduced Iron, Guar Gum, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid.

Food dye and hyperactivity

Chicago Tribune health reporter Julie Deardorff and panelists Michael Jacobson and Dr. Keith-Thomas Ayoob had an hour long live chat today on food dyes and hyperactivity.  I wish I could have joined in but the transcript is available.  Click Food dye and hyperactivity to read what they talked about.



.

Please Help Get Food Dyes Out of School Food Programs

This is a message from
Dr. Michael Jacobson of the Center for
Science in the Public Interest:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed common-sense standards to improve school lunches and breakfasts: more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; fat-free and low-fat milk; less salt; fewer unhealthy saturated and trans fats; and moderate calories.

BUT, USDA did nothing to get rid of food dyes, which the Food and Drug Administration acknowledges cause hyperactivity in some children. I hope that you, as a parent concerned about the effect of dyes on children, will send a comment to USDA! Tell USDA that dyes have no place in school breakfasts and lunches.

The deadline for comments is Wednesday, April 13th.

To submit a comment, GO HERE. Copy and edit the sample comment included below, if you wish. Or submit your own comment or your own story. (The form gives you only 20 minutes, so you may want to prepare it first, and then paste it in the form.) Whatever you do, please submit a comment. This is our golden opportunity to get dyes out of school foods in the U.S.


Sample comment to use or edit

We need your help to
get food dyes out of schools!

I thank USDA for its efforts to improve the nutrition quality of school lunches and breakfasts. However, USDA's proposal says nothing about food dyes. As a parent of a child whose behavior is impaired by dyes, I strongly urge USDA to bar the inclusion of any foods containing synthetic dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, and others) in the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. These neurotoxic chemicals have no place in school cafeterias.

The evidence for an adverse effect of dyes on the behavior of some children is widely recognized. In fact, the British government, on the basis of two major studies that it commissioned, has urged (largely successfully) food manufacturers to switch to safer natural colorings. Subsequently, the European Union required that most dyed foods bear a label warning. And recently the FDA acknowledged at its March 30-31, 2011, advisory committee meeting that dyes (and other food constituents) impair the behavior of some children.

Because dyes harm some children, because dyes serve no health function whatsoever, because synthetic dyes can be replaced by safe natural colorings, and because school meals are consumed exclusively by children, the only responsible action is to bar the inclusion of dyes in school meals.

Respectfully,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]