Healing the Gut Tribe: October - Page 2

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mama

Well ladies I found out the most interesting information last night. I was talking to mom, who is fabulous by the way, about Luke and his food issues. I always knew that I had been sick as a child. Mom told me last night that I wouldn't take solids when I was a babe. She said they ended up putting me in the hospital because I was so small and wouldn't eat, she said they acted like she wasn't trying to feed me. However, when they put me in they realized that I wouldn't eat for them either. They advised mom to keep me on the bottle as long as possible, for fear that I would starve. Oh, she also said it started with me just becoming pale and limp. She said they did all kinds of tests but never found anything. I was sick and very small until they removed my tonsils and adenoids. They diagnosed it as developmental growth delay, she said my father was very small until his teenage years- he is now 6 3.

So, I guess this is another piece of the puzzle. After reading Dr. Rapp's book I am wondering if the problems had to do with the fact that we lived in a trailer. Actually, this is reasuring though because at least 1 person irl understands that no, I just cannot wean him, he won't eat. Also, it makes me worry that there is some terrible inherited disease that has gone undiagnosed. Perhaps, we have all just had undiagnosed food allergies. I do hope to figure this all out and get lil' man well.

That IS very interesting about your history. You really went through a lot. But then again, formula is not easy for any baby to digest.

I often think if the fact that I was raised on the horrid homemade formula recipe of Carnation evaporated milk and Karo syrup doomed me to horrible digestion. Although I was a peaceful happy baby. And I never really had a lot of major stomach problems as a kid, I ate everything. But enough to call my stomach sensitive maybe. The really bad symptoms started when I got massive dental work done 10 years ago, and then again with several months of 3 different antibiotics right before I got pg.

And I wonder how many food allergic kids had moms with thrush problems, it seems to be a common theme lately.

I don't know about genetic food allergies but there's some evidence of it. The Weston Price/Nourishing Traditions theories are that you are best suited to a diet of your ancestors b/c that is what your body is going to be programmed to digest. I'm Irish/Portuguese, so I guess dairy, grains and fish.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by mezzaluna

another first timer...

my DS and I are pretty healthy - DH has eczema, hayfever, and chronic athlete's foot/jock itch. i keep urging him to see a natural health practicioner about it all, but it's low priority for him. any other starter tips i can give him?

a lot of babies in my mom's group are starting to get allergies, though... makes me sad, and i'm always on the lookout for what they can do to beat the allergies!

we just picked up some raw honey last weekend... i've heard honey is not safe for babies because of botulin spores... but this is local, raw honey.... i would love to give DS a little with apples for rosh hashana, but he's only almost 10 mo. any thoughts on babies and raw honey? ooo, and what about raw milk? i have a source for that too...

Rosemary!

The best thing your husband could do for himself is eat homemade yogurt or kefir everyday. I really like kefir made w/ raw milk b/c you don't have to heat it at all, and all the benefits of raw stay intact. It's easier to make than yogurt too. I use this powder:
http://www.mercola.com/forms/kefir.htm
(It says it makes up to 42 qts. but really you can make 42 gallons or even more by dividing your first batch into other batches and then going seven times from each one. There are 6 envelopes that start a batch.)

But you can get live grains too. http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

Did you know raw honey is good for hay fever? Did I mention this in this thread or another one...

Not sure of the practices for Rosh Hashana, whether it's important to be raw, but you could cook the honey for your babe if you are worried.

Raw milk is excellent and very safe... it's like breastmilk in that it contains immune factors and enzymes and probiotics that destroy harmful bacteria. If the dairy farm is clean and well managed, I think raw milk is one of the best health foods there is.
www.realmilk.org

[JaneS]

Sara

Just saying Hi! I've been wondering how you and Jasmine were doing...

[PGTlatte]

Originally Posted by mezzaluna

we just picked up some raw honey last weekend... i've heard honey is not safe for babies because of botulin spores... but this is local, raw honey....

Neither pasteurized or raw honey is safe for babies under 1 yr old. Pasteurization does not kill the botulism spores anyway, so it doesn't matter whether it's raw or not. A baby's digestive tract is not acidic enough to contain a botulism spore that tries to go active, so they can get botulism from it. Older kids and adults should be acidic enough to handle it. There are health conditions and drugs though - anything that reduces stomach acidity - that make botulism from honey or corn syrup a risk for older kids and adults too.

[PGTlatte]

Originally Posted by JaneS

Not sure of the practices for Rosh Hashana, whether it's important to be raw, but you could cook the honey for your babe if you are worried.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mo...ods.html#honey

Honey has to be cooked at 240 F (in a pressure cooker) for at least 15 minutes to kill botulism spores. They are very heat-resistant.

[mezzaluna]

ah well, better safe than sorry on the honey... i was hoping people would say that botulism was only found in factory farmed bee honey, or that raw honey has some protective factors against it... but we can wait to next year...

i have yogurt several days per week, and kefir once in a while... perhaps i need to start fixing my dh yogurt snacks more often until he gets addicted one of my favorite snacks is a bowl of plain yogurt with nuts, frozen berries and honey or maple syrup or molasses.

i've known about the honey/hayfever thing for a while, but DH just learned it from me last weekend

i like the idea of making kefir from raw milk! thank you for the links!

[loon13]

Originally Posted by JaneS

What's a pulpotomy? a root canal? There's lots of warnings about root canals, it's impossible to clean all the hundreds of roots, and infection and cavitations results in most cases. http://www.mercola.com//article/dent...anal/index.htm

Also, I think crowns and the fillings under them can contain amalgam (mercury), it's important to check that everything will be metal free. Are they teeth that really need to be saved?

Jane,

The crowns are stainless steel, and the fillings are all composites. This dentist does not use amalgams.

The teeth do need to be saved. They are her molars, as those will be the last to come out. Two others are her canines, which have deep grooves near the gumline.

Yes, a pulpotomy is a "baby" root canal. Only a portion of the tooth is removed. An "adult" root canal would be removing the root.
At least one is definitely necessary because the cavity has gone down to the gum. The other is most likely, but we will check the dental xrays; those will be done under anesthesia, too.

In pulpotomy, all of the coronal pulp tissue is removed from the crown (visible portion of the tooth above the gums) but the pulp tissue in the root canals remain. This is different than pulpectomy in which all of the pulp is removed from both the root canals and crown.

http://www.dentalfind.com/glossary/pulpotomy.html

Thanks for the info you provided. I appreciate all that I can get!

Loon

[Panserbjorne]

Welcome, new mamas! We are doing remarkably well on the SCD and I have actually convinced two other families to start as they have seen our progress. I met with two other moms this morning that sound like they are going to take the leap as well. It's so exciting to facilitate positive change! I re-introduced carrots and avacados and we are going strong. I am seeing great progress. I also made yogurt for the first time and MAN was that easy! I have no idea why I waited so long. I am liking the diet alot myself, I feel like I'm much more adventurous in the kitchen and I'm making some really yummy things. Last night I made an SCD pecan pie and it was quite good. Totally satisfies my residual sweet cravings! How many mamas have converted their families? Are you doing the diet yourselves or just changing for the kiddos? Dh is starting *officially* today. He has major issues and it was a huge step to get him to start. I won him over finally by telling him it would be cheaper if we were all eating the same thing. Simplifies everything and it's only one meal to have to prepare. Plus, you save alot by eliminating refined stuff. I'm hoping to see lots of progress with him. Then we can be a poster-family for gut health

[sarahariz]

Originally Posted by JaneS

Just saying Hi! I've been wondering how you and Jasmine were doing...

Hi Jane,

Jasmine has had some kind of cold/crud that seems to be going around here. Her fever got up to 104 and dh said to take her to MD so we did, and one of her ears was infected. They prescribed antibiotics, but luckily she didn't want to take it so dh went along w/ my decision not to give them. So I tried the garlic/mullein ear oil and Hyland's earache tablets, plus took her to a chiro who adjusted her "axis" which was out which can supposedly cause ear infections. She was doing better but today has been pulling on her ears again.. of course, she is teething too... I'm just hoping the mucous clears up soon!

Thanks for asking.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by llp34

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mo...ods.html#honey

Honey has to be cooked at 240 F (in a pressure cooker) for at least 15 minutes to kill botulism spores. They are very heat-resistant.

Yikes, that's very concerning since the test is that a mature gut has the acid to neutralize it... and we are dealing with damaged guts here.

[PGTlatte]

Originally Posted by loon13

Jane,

The crowns are stainless steel, and the fillings are all composites. This dentist does not use amalgams.

The teeth do need to be saved. They are her molars, as those will be the last to come out. Two others are her canines, which have deep grooves near the gumline.


Loon

Loon, I can sympathize

We just found out today - took Evan to the dentist for another cavity we can see - that he has weak enamel, that his top baby teeth didn't form right, and we are going to be fighting cavities until he gets his adult teeth She said this has nothing to do with diet or brushing - she can see that the enamel on the top teeth is just weak. His bottom teeth are fine and his gums are fine.

He has already had two fillings in top molars, and tomorrow he has to get a crown on a molar. When she showed me the inside of the tooth with her mirror, I felt so bad - it is all crumbling away .

It is all non-mercury - this is a pediatric dentist who does not use any mercury in his practice. Still I feel so bad that a 2.5 yr old has to go through so much dental work.

Linda

[JaneS]

: Pecan pie!!?? I wish I lived near you. You'd share wouldn't you? Where'd you get the recipe?

I never make stuff like that just for myself. DH wouldn't do the diet in a million bazillion years even though he has digestive issues too.

Tonight I had a yummy dinner... roasted butternut squash cubes with sage, olive oil and butter. Fresh rosemary chicken sausage patties. And spaghetti squash with parmesan cheese. I'm loving spaghetti squash lately.

[JaneS]

Re: teeth and cavities

I was just reading at Mercola.com about Vitamin D and how vital it is in order to absorb any minerals at all. Then of course, thinking about Weston Price's rec for cod liver oil and high vitamin butter, makes sense.

How's everyone's D level?

We have high vitamin butter from our raw co-op, it's so yellow it's practically orange. But I've not given it to DS b/c of the dairy issue. That is until this week. Yup, I couldn't take it any longer, I'm just going for it. Butter only for now. He seems to be fine. Of course he is finally up to 3 Peptzyde enzyme caps a day too.

He's probably not even allergic to dairy and I'm just being a dolt. I just couldn't figure it out together with all his other reactions.

[PGTlatte]

Originally Posted by JaneS

Yikes, that's very concerning since the test is that a mature gut has the acid to neutralize it... and we are dealing with damaged guts here.

I think it's actually the stomach acidity that matters for honey. I thought most of the issues here are more lower intestinal issues ?

Linda

[JaneS]

Sarah,
I hope your little bunny recovers quickly... how long can you use garlic/mullein? We've never had to deal with an EI yet, been very lucky on that front.

[JaneS]

Vitamin D links:

http://www.mercola.com/2002/feb/23/vitamin_d.htm
http://www.mercola.com/2005/oct/4/te..._vitamin_d.htm
http://www.mercola.com/2004/mar/13/vitamin_d.htm

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by llp34

I think it's actually the stomach acidity that matters for honey. I thought most of the issues here are more lower intestinal issues ?

Linda

Yes, but low acidity is pretty common too. Wonder how you can check a kid for that?

Good luck to you and Evan tomorrow!!!

[loon13]

Originally Posted by llp34

Loon, I can sympathize

Thanks, Linda. And hugs to you for Evan.

Our dentist said she wasn't going to tell me to stop weaning nor was she going to tell me something like not to give dd candy. She believes all we can do is maintain good brushing habits and, when possible, rinse the mouth with water after eating. Her own children have had work done.

<sigh> I believe genetics play some factor. But I also believe nutrition can only help.

elisabeth, what great progress!!! I can't wait to get home and get started again. I was planning to do only for myself and dd, but he saw our progress when we were doing it at home, and he is willing to join in when we get back.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by loon13

<sigh> I believe genetics play some factor. But I also believe nutrition can only help.

A must read book:

"Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by Weston Price, DDS

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditio...ry_wisdom.html

[crunchy_mama]

ok, giving an update real quick; we went to the ND today. She seemed to be fairly knowledgeable about leaky gut and all that. She however wasn't aware of the SCD, or raw dairy.

her suggestions were to;

1) stop solids for Luke for a month - 3 month and see how his gut is, at this point he only eats 1-3 T a day and it always comes out exactly how it comes in
2) continue for me to give up the dairy, and also cut out chocolate and carbs; breads and pasta- stick to whole grains
3) she gave me some supplements; Biogest, All-Flora, Formula SF722, and PermaClear
4) try to make sure my food is as close to the natural state as possible
5) continue with cod liver oil and up the dosage

So, we are trying to heal my gut and the yeast and giving lil' man's gut a break from solids. I think I am fairly happy with this plan. Although, I think I am definitlely going to look into the SCD more. She wants me to make sure I get plenty of protein and fat, not to skimp on anything.