how not to have an allergic child - Page 8

[crunchymama2two]

Originally Posted by Dragonfly

Originally Posted by JaneS
I could not disagree more with the belief that this is inherited or luck of the draw.

It's all about nutrition and your gut flora. And whether the natural immune system is suppressed with drugs and vaccinations.

My short answer is excellent diet (Nourishing Traditions), lots of homemade yogurt/kefir/fermented veggies for probiotics, healthy traditional fats, high vitamin cod liver oil, and digestive enzymes.

Hm. I just don't know. A good friend of mine does all of this (really! She's basically a nutrition guru at this point) and her little boy still has the worst eczema I've ever seen and reacts horribly to certain foods.

I did all of that too and my second child still has eczema and allergies. We don't vaccinate or medicate. Had a natural homebirth and everything.

[newcastlemama]

I am trying to synthesize all this info. :

If I have a food sensitivty I may be able to eliminate it by healing the gut with a proper diet that has lots of probiotics in it?



Jennifer

[Mrs.PhD]

Originally Posted by newcastlemama

I am trying to synthesize all this info. :

If I have a food sensitivty I may be able to eliminate it by healing the gut with a proper diet that has lots of probiotics in it?



Jennifer

I have been trying to figure this all out too.

I have been reading a lot here, but there is a LOT to read. Many Many Many pages on some of these threads. We really need a probotics and gut flora for dummies around here. The easy to digest version.

[Wolfmeis]

no pun intended, I am sure!

[Mrs.PhD]

Originally Posted by Wolfmeis

no pun intended, I am sure!

Pun intended, glad you got it!

[Wolfmeis]

Snort. I never miss a chance for food humor.

I think there is a probiotics for dummies post somewhere but I can't find it.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by newcastlemama

If I have a food sensitivty I may be able to eliminate it by healing the gut with a proper diet that has lots of probiotics in it?

Coming over here from posting in Chelating thread... you might have many other factors to deal with given what you are facing. I say yes b/c I certainly have done so. Many food sensitivities have concrete reasons behind why the gut is not digesting food properly, it doesn't come out of nowhere. It just might take some time to figure out your particular issues that need special attention, but in any event, proper diet (and I would call that nutrient dense NT) and probiotics would be the foundation anyway.

Also it could be that most food we eat is not properly prepared (eliminating phytates, raw milk, etc) to allow easy digestion. Hard to digest and processed foods drain enzyme reserve and stresses the gut over time. I imagine no one who eats the SAD can possibly have good gut flora.

And thank you for reminding me about the fats, I forgot about that! (sometimes I forget more than I remember).

Probiotics for Dummies?

Hows this: Your gut is the foundation of your immune system. Your intestinal flora produces vitamins, digestive enzymes, immunoglobulins, neurotransmitters. The number of bacteria in your gut is 10x more than the number of cells that make up your body. In an adult, it weighs 3 lbs. Without it you would die.

Just take probiotics everyday, preferably at every meal if facing a health challenge. Homemade yogurt, dairy and water kefir, kombucha and fermented foods have way more beneficial bacteria than any pills or yogurt you can buy in a store. More about making them in Traditional Foods forum. More on science behind probiotics in Power of Probiotics thread.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by crunchymama2two

I did all of that too and my second child still has eczema and allergies. We don't vaccinate or medicate. Had a natural homebirth and everything.

Why do you think that is? Did your first have problems?

[Mrs.PhD]

Is store bought Yogurt any good at all? I am not ready to make my own yet, but would like to start getting it into our diet. I even almost had DH agreeing to eat it (he hates yogurt.)

I bought some Lifeway probugs organic whole milk Kefir probiotic for my dd who isn't allergic to milk yesterday. I though great she is going to love this. She hates it. She will eat trix yogurt though. Still I think the pills or powder its he best way to get it in milk allergic DD and myself. (for now.)

[JaneS]

I really can't say for sure whether it will make a difference. It depends on what critters are in your gut already. What other foods you eat. What immune system issues you are facing.

For me personally, I wouldn't rely on it:

1. It's pasteurized milk with all problems inherent in that.
2. The plastic containers are heated to make the yogurt/kefir so leeching toxins.
3. Processed sugar added probably cancels out any benefit of small amount of probiotics.

You could try kefir. It cultures at room temp, very easy. And you can get water kefir grains to culture really yummy tasting beverages with juice, fruit and whole food sugars.

[newcastlemama]

Thanks Jane S.
I have been doing NT since about April...My body is just so wacked out at this point that I needed even more intensive help than that.

Right now I have some Kefir Lemonade in the cupboard. I am onto coconut milk kefir next The clinic I am working with said that my body should be ready to have babies again in about 1 year. I am on this super excellerated program though-tons of testing all done this month/supplements/nutritional consults/food logs/--it's full immersion healing!!! (And a part-time job) But the more I read threads and information like this, the more I am assured I made the right choice.

I seemed to have a minor reaction during my dairy challenge yesterday. (I have Lyme disease right now and had arthritis yesterday--not sure if related). I really feel like once my body is back in balance I will drink my raw milk liberally again. Just cutting out processed foods and sugar a couple years ago at 23 I "outgrew" seasonal and animal allergies! I was even on Sudafed and Claritin. A cat in the house would have me rubbing my eyes all day and now the cat sleeps near my head!!! It's amazing, for sure.

Keep spreading the news!
Jennifer

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by crunchymama2two

I did all of that too and my second child still has eczema and allergies. We don't vaccinate or medicate. Had a natural homebirth and everything.

I'm sorry but I'm so thankful you wrote that b/c that's us, too. It's just tearing me up wondering what I did wrong for him to cause this. He had delayed vax but 100% natural in every other way.

[BusyMommy]

Alright, I'm going to try probiotics with ds. He takes them as a preventive if his friends (or parents) are sick but I hadn't thought about daily maintenance. So...

I've always just given adult capsules per our ND and just a general probiotic. Now, as a Probiotic Dummy, what would you recommend; ie. is there a specific brand or blend better than others? I"m placing a Frontier order this week and there are dozens of choices. ANd, is there any advantage to buying a child's version?

When he's sick, he gets 2-3/day. For allergies/eczema, how many would you suggest?

Ack, sorry for the questions!
Thanks :

[JaneS]

RE: What's the best probiotic, and how much should you take?

Honestly, that's the $64,000 question. It will take some experimentation so see what works for you. I'm sure everyone has a favorite kind. We are using Nature's Way Reuteri now and that still gets cultured in 24 hr. yogurt in addition to our regular starter. I've heard of amazing results IRL with Primal Defense powder from my WAPF group. Culturelle has a lot of studies backing its effectiveness.

But personally I've spent zillions on products from the store that didn't shift our gut flora. We needed the high counts from culturing it ourselves. If you have 3 lbs of gut flora, it's easy to see why capsules might not be effective for certain people. I'm back on a kefir kick right now, water and dairy both. It has both beneficial yeasts as well as lactobacillus. I was just reading on Dom's Kefir In-site that you can dehydate the grains and sprinkle them on your food. Sounds like a cool way to make your own probiotics.

[BusyMommy]

sigh

It is SUCH a long journey, isn't it. I heard on the news that the avg person has 22# of undigested fecal matter in their body. ugh

Thanks

[Gale Force]

Originally Posted by JaneS

I was just reading on Dom's Kefir In-site that you can dehydate the grains and sprinkle them on your food. Sounds like a cool way to make your own probiotics.

Or just eat the grains. :

[JaneS]

Yes totally, but what kid will do that?

[JaneS]

Forgot my 2 cents re: kids versions of probiotic supps

Kids versions have a lot of bifidus as opposed to lactobacillus. In fact that is something that is very murky to me: when the gut flora changes over to an adult version. I know with infants they should be on bifidus only. I've been reading some books on probiotics by Tannock and others recently which seem to say 5-6 years old is when the flora is similar to an adult’s based on a gradual shift from weaning to eating solids. But how that translates to supplements and each individual child is not clear to me.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by BusyMommy

I heard on the news that the avg person has 22# of undigested fecal matter in their body.

I always thought this was a myth purpetuated by colon cleanser type scams. I'd love to know where exactly this is stored?! b/c if you see pics from colonoscopies, the large intestinal wall is clean. Also if one is suspected of having celiac disease, the small intestine is scoped for the characteristic villi, and that is clear as well. :

[newcastlemama]

: Can you link me to the Reuteri 24 hours yogurt instructions :

Thannks, Jennifer