Confused and overwhelmed

[shell024]

Okay, I'm not feeling too good right now, I will try to keep this from turning into a novel. I am reaching out for help here because the research I have been doing has left me even more overwhelmed and confused than when I started.

I've got two boys, one 3yo and one 5yo. They've been in preschool for about a year and a half, full time. Both were breastfed for about 2 years give or take. The little one was given some formula when I was working part time. During both pregnancies and while breastfeeding, I was under a lot of stress and not eating too well. I went through ppd with both pg/births. I had thrush too at some point. Both boys eat a lot of bread products, and I know they eat a bunch of crap at the preschool (other than what I give them in their lunches, which is usually a sandwich and some fruit or something).

We don't vax.

Some time after their dad and I separated is when I started working full time and the boys started preschool full time. Our nutrition went to hell because I was so drained.

The boys were getting sick almost every month after starting preschool (well not every month, but almost) and it would generally just be green mucus overload. Especially the little one.

For over a month now, the little one has had a mild cough, and green mucus that comes and goes. My grandma who lives with us (has asthma and allergies) caught the cough and ended up in the hospital. Both boys complain of tummy aches sometimes. The little one became infected with pinworms two weeks ago as well, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I've suspected candida issues in myself for a couple years now, but never committed to a full-on diet change because I've been overwhelmed with everyday life stuff (dishes, laundry, work, school, etc). I've been dealing with recurring headaches, rage, irritability, fatigue, depression & anxiety, etc. After the pinworm episode, I basically cleaned the whole house, even the air conditioner, and did about 12 loads of laundry. It was exhausting and overwhelming, and I had to do it all by myself. I decided to cut out sugar, dairy (we'd already been cutting this out), wheat, etc..and for me specifically, I've been trying to follow the Body Ecology Diet, about 80% so far. I've been trying to have my boys follow it as best I can, but we still have a lot of stuff in the house that I just can't bring myself to throw out. But they have been eating more veggies than ever, which is good, and less sugar/wheat than ever, which is good.

But right now, I feel kind of at a loss. I'm battling with guilt and feeling like no matter what, I'm not doing enough (issues with their dad as well) and that its gonna be impossible to have them follow this diet while in preschool.

I'm overwhelmed with all the food prep and cooking I've been doing (and all the extra dishes that go with it!). I haven't been able to get a hold of anyone at public health to make an appointment to test for allergies (plus they both need physicals for preschool)...we only have medicaid and no clinic on this island (guam) accepts it but public health, and that place is a joke!

I don't know if we need to test for allergies?

Just continue with the diet changes?

My 5yo has been getting mouth ulcers.

All of this is like chronic infection right? Everything I've been reading says they'll need antibiotics, which is the last thing I want them to have!

Help!

Thanks for reading if you got through all that.

[kjbrown92]

Are you keeping a food journal? I know it's extra work, and you already sound overwhelmed, but it may help you figure out the tummy aches and some of the other issues (for your kids and yourself).

Magnesium supplements can help anxiety.

Do you provide the food or does the preschool? My DD2 just finished 2 years of preschool, and she's on a restricted diet. I supplied all her food.

They still might have environmental allergies (and they could have food allergies, but they also could be food intolerances, which won't show up on allergy tests), and at some point you probably want to test for that. With a family history of asthma, are they showing any signs of wheezing during colds and such? Though chronic cough can also be a symptom of asthma. You probably should get them checked when they're getting their physicals.

I don't know that it's necessarily chronic infection.
Healthy food and more veggies is a great start. Some healing things like fermented foods, bone broth, and probiotics might be good too, if you can swing it.

You sound like you're on the right track!!

[Violet2]

I can only speak to parts of your post.

First

1. Daycare germs are lethal. If this is your first experience with them, sounds horridly normal to me. Just a heads up, the puking is going to come for you and it will hit everyone all at once and will be awful. PLEASE stock up for stomach flu survival. Do not get caught with your pants down on that one.

Try a good multivitamin with good amounts of zinc, c, and d3. Consider a separate D3 supplement (although this time of year, if they are getting a lot of sun they may not need it right now). Lots of children's vitamins are low in zinc or don't have it at all which is sad b/c it is a huge immune booster. There's also a lot of info on probiotics and immune system function.

Plus you could start giving the kids elderberry juice which fights viruses.

Also, I have asthma and I caught a bug from DD in March that put me in the hospital. There are some bad bugs going around this year. An adult version of RSV that is pretty virulent.

Some years are worse than others. I think this was a bad one.

2. In terms of cutting sugar, you need to be more efficient at cooking. Multitask. Otherwise the food prep is overwhelming. Sugar and flour = convenience. Cutting them out is a whole different way of cooking.

I am not familiar with the diet you mentioned but I do know no sugar. Here are some ideas.

--Take some veggies (zucchini, onion, spinach, peppers etc..) and saute them in oil with a bit of butter, cumin and chili powder. Make a big batch and use them to make veggie quesadillas in the oven for several meals over the course of the week. Serve with fresh salsa, guacamole, and sour cream (if you can eat it). This is super healthy. You basically do the big cook once and assemble and reheat to serve.

(Oh look at corn tortillas or use the multi-grain flax ones which are low carb, although not gluten free. Or serve over a salad for meatless taco salad.)

--Make spaghetti meatballs in the crockpot. Use parmesan cheese instead of bread crumbs for the meatballs. Make them, dump them in the crockpot with a jar or two of organic spaghetti sauce and cook on low for 6-7 hours. You can also make the meatballs and freeze them instead of cooking for future meals. Meaning you can yank a bag from the freezer, dump it in with the sauce and press 'cook' in the morning and you're done. We serve it as soup with some shredded mozarella instead of over pasta.

--Batch cook. If you're cooking, try two meals at once so the next night's dinner just has to be reheated. And then the third night is leftovers, right? So you don't cook potentially for 2 days.

--Cook up a storm on the weekend. Two overnight crockpot meals that can be frozen for later. And a big pot of chili or batch of taco meat etc...

HTH
V

[Panserbjorne]

I love you sister and although I already answered you I just wanted to hug you here!