INSIDE OUT

Oh, the list just keeps getting shorter and shorter in some ways. Yet for me, who LOVES cooking, the list also lengthens with new, adventurous foods. I now have all of my children off of citrus foods. I have had my 3 year old off of citrus foods for some time. After complaints of stomach aches from my 4 year old and red bum rashes from all three, I have made the decision to once and for all take all of my children off of citrus.

On top of these symptoms already mentioned, you will often find my two boys with bright red cheeks. This mostly only happens in the colder months, but, is not dependent upon outdoor play. The home is drier, but, this does not account for the redness of their cheeks. My daughter doesn't have the red cheeks I see so prominent in my boys. So, it can't exclusively be due to drier, colder months, even though this might be a contributing factor.

I've suspected soy for the red cheeks. We already don't have dairy in our diet (except the odd time outside of our home) and the red cheeks do not always present with the intake of dairy. Gluten also comes to mind. Another thought I've come across is a magnesium deficiency. How on Earth I check that without a blood sample (which I'm not willing to do at this point) I have no idea. I'd much rather check via an elimination diet than an intrusive blood sample. At least yet.

Well, another elimination diet is in the works. Let's see what happens. Do you have children with red cheeks?