Healing the Gut Tribe-December - Page 3

[Chinese Pistache]

Originally Posted by my3peanuts

Is it possible to jump in here as a newbie or should I start a different thread with my questions???

I'm new and really have no idea what "healing the gut" is about. I've read through the cheat sheet but I still feel lost. I guess I have a few questions.

Ds is 3 months and has recently been sick for two weeks with diarrhea/ frequent spitting/throwing up & fever. He's losing weight. He's now over the fever & diarrhea but is still spitting up much more frequently. He has also been battling thrush off and on continuously for the last 3 months & it's been mentioned to me that possibly the yeast overgrowth in my system & his are causing reflux and that in turn is causing him to lose weight.

I had been taking acidophilus but I've been on a dairy/egg elimination diet for two weeks so I stopped taking that.

So basically I'm looking for any advice you can give! thanks so much!!

You are right where a lot of us have been. My dd has a yeast overgrowth from antibiotics she got at birth, which I believe was the start of our leaky gut and food sensitivity problems.

If you are on a dairy elimination diet, you'll want to make sure that your probiotics are dairy free. They're hard to find, unfortunately. Right now, we're using UAS acidophilus and bifidus (we're free of dairy, corn, and soy) I take it and I give it to my baby. Since yours is so young, you can give it to him with your finger. And you should take it, too. The guts of infants and toddlers are predominantly colonized (or should be) with bifidus, so this is the strain you want to give your ds.

Others will have better advice about enzymes, but you should be taking them to aid in digestion. As I understand it, undigested proteins can leak into your blood stream where your body can begin to attack them as foreign invaders, leading to an allergy. They also get into your breastmilk where, if your baby's gut is leaky due to yeast, too, he can respond in the same way and develop an allergy/sensitivity. I don't think I'd give enzymes to a baby as young as yours.

We also take cod liver oil and coconut oil, vitamin C and zinc. I'm sure the others can chime in about what they are using.

One thing to know is that this problem usually doesn't go away quickly. It can take a long time. Ask any questions you want and usually someone can shed some light.

[caedmyn]

Happy Birthday, Nolan!

I made my coconut milk yogurt with 1 can of coconut milk and 1 Tbsp of agave nectar. I heated it to about 110 degree, poured it into a pint size canning jar, and added about 1/2 tsp of whatever probiotics I wanted to use. I added flavoring after it was done...sometimes it was runny and sometimes it thickened up pretty well, especially after sitting in the fridge for a day or two. The Salton yogurt maker worked okay with a pint size jar--after a few runs of too cool or too warm yogurt, I figured out that putting a kitchen towel half over the top of the yogurt maker kept it at the right temperature.

[my3peanuts]

Thanks Chinese pistache,

I've been doing lots of research basically trying to "diagnose" him myself because it seems the doctors are not very knowledgable/willing to tackle yeast issues. They continue to throw GV in our faces which is obviously not helping. Just recently have they mentioned testing his blood sugar, which I suppose is a possibility but I'd like to look at other possibilites as well.

I think my biggest problem is needing to cut sugar out of my diet. I admitingly do not have healthy eating habits and sugar is a big part of my diet. I'm finding it hard to cut dairy/eggs out as well because cheese & dairy have been large parts of my diet. I feel like I'm making my way to eating nothing!!

In the meantime I'm afraid if our problem is a leaky gut he will continue to lose weight until this problem is resolved. Being so young I worry about him losing weight.

[Pookietooth]

Yes, I've tried that water buffalo yogurt, and it was kinda yucky. Too thick, and there was something off in the flavor, too. I prefer goat.

Nicole, once you cut sugar out, completely, you will stop craving it, especially if you get enough chromium, vanadium, and other trace minerals.

[MommyofPunkiePie]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

The Salton yogurt maker worked okay with a pint size jar--after a few runs of too cool or too warm yogurt, I figured out that putting a kitchen towel half over the top of the yogurt maker kept it at the right temperature.

Okay, I called Salton today to see what temperature the maker retains throughout the course of incubation, and the woman said, "I don't know, but it works real good.":

I have been testing the temp with water for two days now (I can't afford to have to trash a batch because it got too hot). Yesterday, with coolish tap water, the temp got up to 96* sfter 2-3 hours. Today, with room temperature tap water, the temp got up to 96* after two hours, and 105* after about eight hours. These tests were done with the plastic container and both of the lids on. Apparently, this is something I'm going to have to check every hour!

Is this temp too low to incubate?

Samantha

[Pattyla]

Originally Posted by MommyofPunkiePie

Okay, I called Salton today to see what temperature the maker retains throughout the course of incubation, and the woman said, "I don't know, but it works real good.":

I have been testing the temp with water for two days now (I can't afford to have to trash a batch because it got too hot). Yesterday, with coolish tap water, the temp got up to 96* sfter 2-3 hours. Today, with room temperature tap water, the temp got up to 96* after two hours, and 105* after about eight hours. These tests were done with the plastic container and both of the lids on. Apparently, this is something I'm going to have to check every hour!

Is this temp too low to incubate?

Samantha

I think it matters how warm your kitchen is. My parents kitchen is below grade and always cool/cold. They have found that they need a bowl over the top of the canning jar to keep it the perfect temp. I found that anything over the top of the canning jar was too hot and ruined the yogurt, in the summer, but my kitchen is usually quite warm. A glass canning jar isn't a good conductor of heat so that will make a difference too. I like using the glass jar because it is glass touching the yogurt and I can easily just put it in the fridge for storage w/o worrying about having the insert back for another run of yogurt.

[caedmyn]

Originally Posted by MommyofPunkiePie

Okay, I called Salton today to see what temperature the maker retains throughout the course of incubation, and the woman said, "I don't know, but it works real good.":

I have been testing the temp with water for two days now (I can't afford to have to trash a batch because it got too hot). Yesterday, with coolish tap water, the temp got up to 96* sfter 2-3 hours. Today, with room temperature tap water, the temp got up to 96* after two hours, and 105* after about eight hours. These tests were done with the plastic container and both of the lids on. Apparently, this is something I'm going to have to check every hour!

Is this temp too low to incubate?

Samantha

105 would probably be okay. You need to start with water that's between 105 and 115, though, because that's the temperature your milk will be when you put it in the yogurt maker. When I used a glass quart jar, I just put the lid on the jar and no lid on the yogurt maker and that kept it at the right temperature...I think that is what most of the people who use the Salton do (glass canning jar, no lid on yogurt maker).

[moonshine]

I have tried water buffalo yogurt and quite like it. I can't stand any sort of goat milk. I would use wb yogurt and mix it with my own coconut milk yogurt.

[LovinLiviLou]

I have lots of questions for you all today, so here goes --

DD is definately showing signs of being ready for solids. It's been going on a few weeks, so I don't think its a stage. She is nursing all the time, grabbing food from us (or trying!), and last night at dinner basically "shouted" at us the whole time in this really peeved sort of way. One time she got hold of some food off my plate and she had it to her mouth before I knew it (had to do the great fishing expedition to get it out!). So, I think I'm going to have to figure out something to give her. I've poured over the allergy scale lists and several things posted in the allergy boards about introducing solids to an allergic infant. I'm trying to decide between squash, green peas, and carrots - any advice on the choice? How big a deal is the nitrate thing for carrots? Some stuff I read makes it sound dire and other thing dismiss it completely. Also, what age is right for introducing bone broths?

Next set of questions - I'd like to try to up my supply to help with this issue, too. What can I do that is SCD legal? I'm not very astute in tealand, but all the ones I've seen premixed have things that aren't SCD legal. Obviously oatmeal is out -- any other foods known for helping out?

For those of you battling eczema - what age did it start with your kiddos?

As always, many, many thanks!

[sparkletruck]

Originally Posted by Pattyla

I think I agree with the idea that candida overgrowth is a symptom of your system being messed up and not necessarily the issue to fight head on. Not that getting your symptoms under control is a bad goal but ultimately killing off the bad guys won't do you any good if you don't have an army of good guys ready and willing to take over. And a system that will support their growth. I'm not really clear on how to get from here to there but I'm feeling like it is possible.

I have been leaning this way myself. From what Ive read, lgs causes candida overgrowth, but/and vice versa. If you have yeast, you have leaky gut, but you had it before the yeast too, just not as bad. You have to address both (as you are all doing). Its the terrain vs. microbe debate, and the answer is, it's both. Yeast makes the terrain worse (alkalinizes the bowel, due to not enough good bugs making lactic acid ... but good bugs cannot do their job in an alkaline environment, so *just* adding these wil not restore balance in and of itself, because it doesnt address the terrain), but it was not healthy to begin with, to open the door to yeast overgrowth. And when you are doing everything *right* (diet, antifungals, enzymes, probiotics, direct intestinal healing - l-glutamine, aloe, zinc, vit. A, whatever - stress relief, detox) it still takes at least 9 mos, but I think more, to get balanced. I have been fighting the yeast without thinking about the whole picture. One source Ive read attributes a lot to stress, and not just the obvious kind. Dealing with what we all are causes a lot of obvious stress. There have been many studies showing how detrimental stress is to the intestines. It occurs to me that healing the gut could eliminate yeast, although thats not looking at the whole picture either : Hope Im not being redundant here

[Chinese Pistache]

Originally Posted by LovinLiviLou

For those of you battling eczema - what age did it start with your kiddos?

At 8ish months, just after we introduced solids (which were not goods ones; we were in the middle of a move and gave lots of cereal bits and crackers). Her yeast rash emerged at the same time.

[Pattyla]

Coconut yogurt

I made the coconut yogurt last night.

I'm not sure it worked. It was very yummy and firm (I made the recipe with the geletan) but not sour at all. I put it in the yogurt maker for 10hours. I also used culturelle, megadopholus and another probiotic I had in the fridge for a starter. I have used the megadopholis in the past for cow yogurt and it came out tasting like sour cream. This did not taste like sour cream but it did have 2T of agave nectar (avoiding honey since it makes dd : ) and 1T of vanilla.

Thoughts???

[Chinese Pistache]

Originally Posted by saskiasmom

I have been leaning this way myself. From what Ive read, lgs causes candida overgrowth, but/and vice versa. If you have yeast, you have leaky gut, but you had it before the yeast too, just not as bad. You have to address both (as you are all doing). Its the terrain vs. microbe debate, and the answer is, it's both. Yeast makes the terrain worse (alkalinizes the bowel, due to not enough good bugs making lactic acid ... but good bugs cannot do their job in an alkaline environment, so *just* adding these wil not restore balance in and of itself, because it doesnt address the terrain), but it was not healthy to begin with, to open the door to yeast overgrowth. And when you are doing everything *right* (diet, antifungals, enzymes, probiotics, direct intestinal healing - l-glutamine, aloe, zinc, vit. A, whatever - stress relief, detox) it still takes at least 9 mos, but I think more, to get balanced. I have been fighting the yeast without thinking about the whole picture. One source Ive read attributes a lot to stress, and not just the obvious kind. Dealing with what we all are causes a lot of obvious stress. There have been many studies showing how detrimental stress is to the intestines. It occurs to me that healing the gut could eliminate yeast, although thats not looking at the whole picture either : Hope Im not being redundant here

I think this is so true. That's why it stresses me out so much that I can't seem to get my dd to take all the supplements that I need her to take, either because she refuses or because they contain our allergens.

[LovinLiviLou]

one more question - why am I now craving jelly beans??? I don't even normally like jelly beans, but the last 2 weeks, they are all I can think about. I've been SCD for about 4 months, and have hardly cheated at all. But now I've got this jelly bean on the brain thing going on, and I can't figure out why. I'm eating a good sea salt with lots of minerals and I'm eating lots of romaine, which has chromium. I can't think of anything else I've changed that might be triggering this unless I'm going through a second time of die-off and this is the bad bugs taking over my brain? Jelly beans - who would have ever thought???

[Annikate]

Originally Posted by LovinLiviLou

I have lots of questions for you all today, so here goes --

DD is definately showing signs of being ready for solids. It's been going on a few weeks, so I don't think its a stage. She is nursing all the time, grabbing food from us (or trying!), and last night at dinner basically "shouted" at us the whole time in this really peeved sort of way. One time she got hold of some food off my plate and she had it to her mouth before I knew it (had to do the great fishing expedition to get it out!). So, I think I'm going to have to figure out something to give her. I've poured over the allergy scale lists and several things posted in the allergy boards about introducing solids to an allergic infant. I'm trying to decide between squash, green peas, and carrots - any advice on the choice? How big a deal is the nitrate thing for carrots? Some stuff I read makes it sound dire and other thing dismiss it completely. Also, what age is right for introducing bone broths?

Next set of questions - I'd like to try to up my supply to help with this issue, too. What can I do that is SCD legal? I'm not very astute in tealand, but all the ones I've seen premixed have things that aren't SCD legal. Obviously oatmeal is out -- any other foods known for helping out?

For those of you battling eczema - what age did it start with your kiddos?

As always, many, many thanks!

We started dd on squash (butternut), zucchini, pears, and avocado. It seemed like these were the only foods she ate for the longest time. (She didn't really like the zucchini but we threw it in there for variety.)

Just go slowly and introduce one thing at a time. We waited a week between introductions of new things.

[bluets]

Originally Posted by Chinese Pistache

At 8ish months, just after we introduced solids (which were not goods ones; we were in the middle of a move and gave lots of cereal bits and crackers). Her yeast rash emerged at the same time.

ds's mild case emerged at 9 or 10 months - after we introduced some meat (he was low in iron and i figured meat was better than iron drops) and a few other things (can't remember what they were) - my milk production also decreased then (well, at least the amount i could pump decreased by about 4oz per day).

we're all off for some body work (CST) next week - for a tuneup before we go galavanting off to my parents' for the holidays.

so at what age do toddlers move out of the bifido-dominant gut microbe phase to the next stage (non-bifido-dominant) ?

[Chinese Pistache]

Originally Posted by bluets

so at what age do toddlers move out of the bifido-dominant gut microbe phase to the next stage (non-bifido-dominant) ?

I thought I read that it can last up to 5 years old. Not sure where I heard that? From Jane, maybe? I dunno.

[sparkletruck]

Originally Posted by bluets

so at what age do toddlers move out of the bifido-dominant gut microbe phase to the next stage (non-bifido-dominant) ?

I think I read 2 yrs...

[caedmyn]

Originally Posted by Pattyla

I made the coconut yogurt last night.

I'm not sure it worked. It was very yummy and firm (I made the recipe with the geletan) but not sour at all. I put it in the yogurt maker for 10hours. I also used culturelle, megadopholus and another probiotic I had in the fridge for a starter. I have used the megadopholis in the past for cow yogurt and it came out tasting like sour cream. This did not taste like sour cream but it did have 2T of agave nectar (avoiding honey since it makes dd : ) and 1T of vanilla.

Thoughts???

My coconut milk yogurt never got sour, either, but I could tell it worked by the smell. Different probiotics definitely have different tastes and make different tasting yogurt, so the mixture of probiotics you used may have made it taste totally different that when you just used megadopholis as a yogurt. Does it smell like yogurt? I had one batch that didn't work and it just smelled yucky.

[caedmyn]

Originally Posted by bluets

so at what age do toddlers move out of the bifido-dominant gut microbe phase to the next stage (non-bifido-dominant) ?

I read that at 5 years children's gut flora resembles that of an adult, so I guess it is a gradual process of changing up until then. I'd like to know a definite answer to this, too, if it exists.