This story is a story about my "first world" problem.
A problem that isn't a problem to most.
Hell, most people have probably never had one thought about it.
But here I am, airing my grievances about the Ice Pop world on my "first world" blog.
My son, Max, has been going to the same summer camp for years. He loves it. I love it. What's not to love?
Outside air, swimming, nature hikes, basic summer fun.
But to my dismay, they give out lots and lots of ice pops. 200 a day to be exact.
Upon pick up, Max would hug me with blue lips or an orange tongue.
Some days beaming with pride that he earned extra ice pops for cleaning up the playground.
I like to think of myself as a "chill" mom. We eat sugar and hot dogs. We drop food on the floor, pick it up and dust it off. I really try to relax my judgement. Especially after gaining knowledge through my nutrition schooling.
But when I did the math, I realized my son got 40 ice pops within 8 weeks. That is 40 extra doses of artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and food dye. I was a bit uneasy.
I thought...
Hey, let me make a change for Max and get natural pops for him during the summer.
Then I thought...
Hey, why don't I try to make a difference in more children's lives. Ice Pops for EVERYONE!
Isn't that why I am going to school?
Taking a small step forward. I chose to tackle one toxin at a time...FOOD DYE!
Food dyes are synthetics made from petroleum. In 1985, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) confessed to the knowledge that dyes were dangerous. They still did not remove these said dyes from food items. They added labeling without any warnings.
Some negative effects of food dyes:
Bronchoconstriction (asthma attack)
Chromosomal damage (cancer)
Sperm damage
Blood pressure issues
Genotoxic damage to DNA
Thyroid tumors
Immune system inhibition
Eczema
Behavioral, mood & sleep changes (ie. ADD, ADHD, compulsive disorders, depression, etc.)
& Many, many, many, many more
Now, I knew this summer camp was quite progressive. I asked if they would mind me searching for an alternating ice pop. I got the go ahead.
Some people work on big agendas- climbing Mount Everest, ending world hunger, cures for cancer... my work right now is finding a dye-free ice pop. I got this!
Or so I thought. I searched high and low. I found most ice pop companies do not even attempt an alternative. Even the 100% juice pops are filled with food dye.
Power of Fruit Company supposedly had a dye-free pop. They seem to have gone out of business.
I finally found that Otter Pop makes a colorless pop.
I called the company directly. They sent me to Costco and two other separate companies that did not carry the dye-free pop. The companies sent me back to Otter Pop.
After 5 separate attempts, Otter Pop hooked me up with a private broker.
I have left messages with no call back.
I get it. If we don't ask for better, we don't get better.
And if you haven't figured it out by now, this is'n't all together about ice pops.
Our children are bombarded with toxins!
Pesticides
Artificial flavors, dyes and preservatives in food
Refined sugars & flour that works on opiate receptors in the brain
54 doses of vaccines
Chemicals and carcinogens that are in skincare products and clothes
Heavy metals and fluoride
Children today struggle with issues our grandparents never heard of-
Auditory, Visual or Sensory processing disorders. Autism. Hyperactivity.
It is neurological mayhem. We are in Generation Disorder.
We will never protect our children fully. They can not live in a bubble. But we can try little by little to keep them from overloading.
Make a vow to our future to make small changes. I will.
I vow to help parents decode this mystery of food and give hope where needed.
I vow to read labels
I vow to cook most nights instead of open a meal
I vow to teach my child about real vs. fake
I vow to start with one small step and never stop moving forward
I vow to find these stupid, godforsaken dye-free ice pops,
even if it kills me!
If you are interested in more information regarding food dyes, preservatives and artificial flavors visit
www.feingold.org
