NT mamas February thread - Page 2

[gardenmommy]

I have noticed an incredible difference in my moods and energy level since I began eating meat again. I hate that it is true, because I would like to still be vegetarian, on a philosophical level. However, I can't argue with my body. I do have more energy (and I'm sure it's my diet, because nothing else in my life has changed!), I don't tire as easily, and I've lost almost 10 lbs. since changing my diet.

My moods are more stable, too. Dh asked me recently how I've been feeling emotionally, and I replied that I'd been feeling rather short-tempered with the children. His response was surprise, because he thought I'd actually been more patient! He was not picking up on my emotional swings as much, where before, he would politely point out how impatient I was being with the Dc. So, I think that perhaps it's been easier for me to regulate my moods.

I also haven't been feeling like I'm in the depths of despair recently, either. I had been feeling like I was stuck at the bottom of a long, muddy hill with a burden the size of Mt. Everest on my back. I haven't felt that way for several weeks. I am so thankful to feel more like my old self, that it is worth it to be eating meat again.

I think, too, that if I had listened to my body during my last pregnancy, I would have had it much easier in every way, physically, emotionally, labor/birth, etc. I'm just glad that I've started to listen to it again!

[cjr]

I also haven't been feeling like I'm in the depths of despair recently, either. I had been feeling like I was stuck at the bottom of a long, muddy hill with a burden the size of Mt. Everest on my back.

I have been feeling this way since ds was born almost a year ago. I'm just getting into NT, but most of the ideas I have been implimenting for the past 4 months. I am on some good vitamins and clearing up some other minor health issues. This week I have felt great. Full of energy and not so short tempered at the kids. I think if you can find a good resource for you meat and really know the ranching practices, then your good on principle. You can eat meat and be humain about it.

Mountain Mom where are you getting your bison bones from? I bought some bison at the market from the ventor who's around Edmonton. After I drilled her on the history of the ranch and their ranching practices . We had bison burgers for dinner and WOW they were so good. I added an egg and a handful of oatmeal to bind it together, salt and pepper and that's it. The flavor was so intense and delicious. We had them on sprouted burger buns. That was a couple of weeks ago and we're having them again tonight. So, I would love to make stock out of bison and kind of phase out the beef. I like the beef guy at the market, but the flavor is so much better in the bison. I have heard it's healthier too.

Also, where do you get your almonds from? I noticed them cooking in your oven when the girls and I were over. All I seem to find are conventional almonds and I keep thinking back to what you said about fats and organic.

I think I'm going to go out and buy the book at Chapter's. My new card didn't come today and I'm not a patient person. I am interested in so many recipies.

I made a fabulous batch of yogurt yesturday. Totally by mistake I have discovered that boiling the milk yields a very thick yogurt. I love it thick and it's going to be great for tatziki, I am craving tatziki.

they listed Thai Kitchen as an acceptable brand of coconut milk, in spite of having some additives;

I noticed that Thai has no water added to it. It's the only brand I can find so far that has coconut milk listed as the main ingredient. How about using the coconut creme from Tropical Tradiditions? I ordered some hoping that I can make my own coconut milk from it by adding some water. It's only dehydrated coconut with all the fats left in it. It says you can use it as a spread or in cooking. I also ordered the coconut flakes and oil.

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm

[mountain mom]

CJR...I got my bones from Velta Bison. They didn't have them on the price list at the booth but I asked and they had a sac in the freezer. I think I paid three bucks for a whole bunch. I got three batches of stock from! We still haven't had any cow yet...only bison.

[Hibou]

[QUOTE=gardenmommy]I'm finding that my baby, who cannot tolerate dairy (thus forcing me into dairy-free-ness, is that a word?), can tolerate small amounts of kefir. I've been using my kefir to make the occasional smoothie, to soak my grains, and as part of the liquid in my baked goods. As long as I don't overdo it, she seems to do all right with it. I have noticed a difference with yogurt, though, which I assume is because the yogurt is made with pasteurized milk. I make my kefir with raw milk.

QUOTE]

Just wondering, how old is your baby? Is she just getting it from you via breastmilk, or is she drinking the kefir herself as well? What kind of symptoms does she get when she has dairy?

btw, Thai Kitchen also makes organic coconut milk. Grocery stores here don't carry the organic version, but stores in larger centers might. Their regular coconut milk is supposed to be "naturally produced and additive free" (whatever that means). I find it really tastes good.

[Queen Gwen]

The Thai Kitchen coconut milk here has guar gum. I think it's there to sort of homogenize it, but it tends to separate anyway.

I bought some of the Tropical Traditions coconut cream too, but haven't tried it yet.

[myjo]

Well, the baby's problem with eczema doesn't seem to be allergy related. He has impetigo, and it's getting worse by the minute. I don't know what in the world could have started it. Anyway, I'm treating him homeopathically, but he just keeps getting worse. So if he hasn't turned the corner by Monday when I go to the ND, I'm going to try a constutional dose of Sulphar. And if that doesn't work, I guess we'll have to use the dreaded antibiotics, unless ND says she has a better alternative.

So hopefully I won't have to give up my beloved eggs and goat milk! But I would do anything to make this go away, you should see him. He's sooo miserable!

We're finally eating all organic meats! Yeahh! I got my order from Azure Standard, and I'm very pleased. Their prices are great, and my freezer is stocked to the hilt with org. tortillas, Ezekial bread, and org. chicken and beef. If anyone else if having trouble sources org. meat, here's the link to AS: www.azurestandard.com

Who has experiance using kefir starter instead of kefir grains? Is it as good? Or should I find some grains?

[toraji]

Originally Posted by Queen Gwen

Of course, coconut milk still makes me gag, and starts my nose running. I keep working on the self-NAET.

Could you explain more about the self-NAET? I would love to be able to do dairy without getting congested. I've heard of NAET before, but didn't bother finding a practitioner due to financial constraints.

It's so funny, I used to eat tons of dairy with no problem before I went vegan. Maybe all those years of anti-dairy thoughts made me become allergic. :LOL

Gardenmommy, that is so great to hear! I'm glad that your diet change has made such an impact.

Myjo, when my DD had impetigo, we knocked it out with a topical sulfur cream. It was called Sulfa Derm, and we found it at a HFS. There may be some other ointment with sulfur out there too, but the main thing is to get something on there topically to kill the bacteria. Hope it gets better soon!

[myjo]

We're allergic to sulfa drugs, I wonder if natural sulphur could cause a problem too? If not, I would love to try it.

[hrheka]

Myjo, when you order meat for Azure Standard how did they ship it? I order all my grains from them but since I'm on the opposite coast it takes awhile. I'm not sure where you are located but was the meat still frozen when you got it?

I've been ordering beef from a few different places but I really like the idea of ordering from one place each month.

[Queen Gwen]

Toraji, I had had some NAET treatments at the doctor's office, so saw it in action. As a matter of fact, the doctor offered to teach a friend of mine how to give the treatments to her kids so she didn't have to keep dragging them in (their corn treatments didn't really "hold" for too long).

Anyway, then I found a book at the library entitled The Food Allergy Cure by Ellen Cutler. Cutler calls it BioSET (she's tweaked it quite a bit); chapter 8 deals with home treatment. I don't bother with the testing stuff, since I know I'm working on coconut oil. I put the coconut oil in a little vial (actually a tiny glass from Pat O'Brian's in New Orleans) and put it in my waistband so I have skin contact with it the entire time I'm treating (you're supposed to hold it). I go ahead and do the back points, since I'm flexible enough to reach along my entire spine. Then I do the 19 points (NAET just uses 4 points, so I spend more time on those 4 points). NAET says to rest with the vial in contact with your skin for 20 minutes, then avoid the substance for 24 hours. Cutler doesn't mention the 24 hour period. You're supposed to retest at the end of the treatment...again, I skip this part. I just try eating the coconut oil and notice how I react.

As I recall, Cutler said the whole treatment was so easy her young daughter could do it.

[myjo]

hrheka, they ship the meat frozen, and mine was frozen solid. But I actually live relatively close, we're in S. WA and azure is in Oregon. But wouldn't the delivery trucks have to have refrigeration? Do they have delivery routes over there, or do you have to pay UPS? I'm on one of their truck routes, and there's a drop off point about 20 minutes from here.

Queen Gwen, that book sounds very interesting! My NAET treatments never hold for very long, so it would be great to be able to do it myself.

[Queen Gwen]

I think someone here suggested looking for venison that hunters didn't want.

Well, dh is getting a bunch from a guy he works with -- the guy says he has more in the freezer than they'll use, so dh can have it.

Thanks for the tip! I never would've thought of it!

[mountain mom]

Anyone made the chicken liver pate from the book. My NT friend here made me a batch and it is lovely! Yum Yum Yummy! I highly recommend it. We ate ours with cripsy buttermilk spelt pancakes that we made loonie sized. Yum.!

[toraji]

myjo, I would probably skip the topical sulfur if you have sulfa allergies. But a call to the doc would be the best resource on this. I'm thinking that there needs to be something antibacterial to help knock out the impetigo, I'm just trying to figure out what would work without burning the poor babe's skin. Maybe a rosemary infusion? Mountain Mom, help!

Queen Gwen, I'll check out that book!

[myjo]

Thanks toraji! I ignored my gut and put some MSM powder mixed with coconut and neem oils on him last night. It burned the heck out of him and he was more inflammed than ever. I gave him a tea tree bath this morning and it helped a lot.

Homeopathic sulphur did not work. Today we'll put him on mercurius, it seems to be the closest possible match for his kind of impetigo. If that doesn't work, we'll see what the ND says tommorow.

Oh, and he really is allergic to eggs. After avoiding them for about 3 days, I had some yesterday, and he hardly slept at all last night. His rash was so much worse! I don't know what was worse for him, the MSM powder or the eggs. I think I'm reacting to the eggs now too. So, back to the NAET I guess.

[mountain mom]

A wonderful topical healing infusion/decoction that works for things such as impetigo, chicken pox, thrush, poison oak and ivy etc is
Part One flowers:
equal parts of
calendula flower
comfrey leaf
lavender flower
chammomile flower

make an infusion of the above and allow to cool

Part two: Roots
equal parts of
Burdock root
Comfrey root
Marshmallow root

Bring a pot of purified water to a boil and add the herbs. Allow to siimmer boil for 20 minutes, remove from heat and strain. Allow to cool.

Combine the infusion with the decoction and apply as a compress to effected skin.

Hope this helps!!

[xenabyte]

Originally Posted by toraji

myjo, I would probably skip the topical sulfur if you have sulfa allergies. But a call to the doc would be the best resource on this. I'm thinking that there needs to be something antibacterial to help knock out the impetigo, I'm just trying to figure out what would work without burning the poor babe's skin. Maybe a rosemary infusion? Mountain Mom, help!

Queen Gwen, I'll check out that book!

Myjo,

I'd use some virgin coconut oil until you can have it looked at. It's soothing and won't hurt. My youngest ate something that gave him a terrible blistery rash about a week ago (think it was too many strawberries). I used coconut oil on it, and it went away in a matter of hours. Now I use it after every 'icky' diaper change for the anti bacterial, viral, and yeast properties.

Also, I keep a small bottle of 'colloidal silver' for cuts, scrapes and anything infected looking. It's amazing stuff, and no burning. They usually sell it at health food stores if you are looking for it. It will kill bacteria, viruses, and fungals on contact as well. Google it to read more about colloidal silver.

Just some alternative suggestions to sulfur creams.

[mountain mom]

Okay, I reread your posts Myjo, and I hope you don't mind if I post some questions for you here.

1) Are you giving your babe a probiotic powder first hand?

2) Are you giving your babe codliver or another quality essential fatty acid such as hemp oil, first hand?

3) Contraversial but I have to ask...Did you vaccinate?

At this point I see the impetigo as a red flag, saying please support my immune system. The eczema was the first sign, now the body is offering you a more significant sign.

We all have staph on our skin (the virus that caused impetigo) but when our immunity is suppressed enough the staph can take the upper hand and cause an active breakout.

You can treat the acute problem, the active staph infection, but it is essential to find out why the immune system is suppressed. That, IMO, is the root of your situation.

I really hope that has helped!!!

[mountain mom]

Another thought.

Do everything you possibly can do to stay off the antibiotics, which will further suppress the immunity. They are a last resort, one that will definately be used if the infection doesn't clear soon and fast.

Are you taking immune boosters? Such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Zinc, Co-Enyzme Q10, Cod liver oil, Probiotics, and immune boosting herbs such as Astragulus, Garlic, Cat's Claw, Echinacea, Usnea, Elderberry, Red Clover, and Wild Intigo.

Make sure you and your babe are recieving daily twenty minutes of sun at its highest peak during the day. Wash it over your open skin, preferably the arms, neck and face. Have the beam directily hit your thyroid gland.

Dry skin brush and have a hot shower followed by a blast of cold.

Your milk should contain the healers above for your babe too.

[gardenmommy]

Hibou, My baby is nearly 9 months now. I started suspecting a dairy intolerance when she was about 2 weeks old, and experimented with my diet/dairy for another 2 or 3 weeks to confirm my suspicions.

When I eat dairy, even small amounts hidden in chocolate, baked goods, etc., she gets cranky, doesn't sleep well, and spits up. At 9 months, her valve should be developed enough to keep stuff in her stomach pretty well. However, she will soak me with the amount she spits up, if I eat dairy.

She mostly gets her kefir secondhand, as she she isn't eating too many solids (maybe 1 TB applesauce, banana, ripe pear, avocado, etc.). When I make smoothies, however, she always wants a taste. As long as it's not too much more than a *taste*, she does all right with it, even with the kefir in it.

Our homeopathic dr. also thought that kefir made with raw milk would be much easier on her than even organic pasteurized anything dairy. He recommends that we limit dairy in our diets, except raw dairy.