Healing the Gut Tribe--January 2007 - Page 5

[caedmyn]

Any suggestions on what I can do for fats if I eliminate CO? I could see if DD can tolerate butter since I've heard many people with dairy allergies are okay with butter, but...would that be another thing where there might be just enough casein in the butter to keep sensitizing her even if she doesn't visibly react?

And what on earth am I going to do with the FOUR AND A HALF GALLONS of CO I have (I just bought a five gallon container)? firefaery--want to buy some CO?

And how concerned should I be about coconut or wheat derivitives in my body care products? They are "natural" products but I know some of them have coconut-derived ingredients...who knows about wheat ingredients.

[Panserbjorne]

You could try palm oil.

I have been makin gmy own bodycare products for a long time now. It is almost impossible to find products that are soy. gluten and dairy free. When you do they are super pricy (california baby is an allergen free company, but I think they use coconut) I am of the belief that anything you put on your body ends up in it. I just don't like taking chances.

[moonshine]

I have been out of SA, but ordered some and it was sent yesterday, so hopefully it will arrive quickly. I actually do have an epipen now -- seems my doc got concerned too.

The allergy testing was a blood test. Initially I thought I had a low level allergy to all things tested (b/c that is how my doc read it), but it shows no reactions actually. I don't really know enough about allergy testing to know what to push for. I have never paid that much attention when you all were discussing it because I never could attribute any of my reactions (rash or otherwise) to anything specific.

Did I mention here that I had an upper endoscopy this week? He found that my stomach lining is all red, and a little white spot which he is getting a biopsy for, as well as other parts of my stomach. But I guess for now I have reflux. I got DH to get me some HCl today, although he could only find one with MSM, not Betaine.

I am seeing my acupuncturist on Sunday. I hope he has a clue about all of this because I cannot live like this!

[formerluddite]

Originally Posted by moonshine

If anyone has any ideas on how to reduce swelling (as in my eyelid is swollen to about 500x its normal size) I would be most appreciative.

cucumber slices are soothing, also teabags. the tannins in teabags help reduce swelling. (presuming you aren't allergic to them!)

are you still nursing? you might try your own milk as a topical.

[formerluddite]

Originally Posted by Pattyla

On Monday we got a air purifier for the bedroom

i was actually just going to ask if anyone uses an air purifier, as i've thought about it as a way to lessen total allergic load, dust mite/pollen-wise.

we tried one last spring, then it broke and i returned it. it was kind of loud to sleep through, too. i'm not a big fan of white noise. it didn't seem to make a huge noticable difference (like any improvement in dd1's eczema), but hard to tell if it might have raised our threshold for tolerance or other allergens, and we didn't know, because who can tell how far one is below threshhold?

anyone use and like one?

on another note, i had a teaspoon of CO this morning (3 days after having dh do NAET on me) without a "noticable" reaction.

[megincl]

quick omega 3/6 question

Hi Folks,

We are TTC #2 and I know that many folks here (from my times hanging around every few months!) say that Omega 3s and 6s are good for both TTC and during pregnancy. How much? Via what sources? And why (DW is a bit of a skeptic)? I can pretty much guarantee DW will NOT take CO straight (like drink it off a spoon), so anything other than that would be great.

Bring on the suggestions!

thanks!
megin

[Punchy Kaby]

Originally Posted by moonshine

I have been out of SA, but ordered some and it was sent yesterday, so hopefully it will arrive quickly. I actually do have an epipen now -- seems my doc got concerned too.

The allergy testing was a blood test. Initially I thought I had a low level allergy to all things tested (b/c that is how my doc read it), but it shows no reactions actually. I don't really know enough about allergy testing to know what to push for. I have never paid that much attention when you all were discussing it because I never could attribute any of my reactions (rash or otherwise) to anything specific.

Did I mention here that I had an upper endoscopy this week? He found that my stomach lining is all red, and a little white spot which he is getting a biopsy for, as well as other parts of my stomach. But I guess for now I have reflux. I got DH to get me some HCl today, although he could only find one with MSM, not Betaine.

I am seeing my acupuncturist on Sunday. I hope he has a clue about all of this because I cannot live like this!

I am sorry you are going through this. If you want to check out foods that contain histamine here is a good list:
http://users.bigpond.net.au/allergyd...fi/amines.html
There are also histamine releasing foods, but I do not understand it enough to give any advice about it. What are you eating, or not eating? Do you suspect something inyour diet?

[moonshine]

Originally Posted by Nolansmum

I am sorry you are going through this. If you want to check out foods that contain histamine here is a good list:
http://users.bigpond.net.au/allergyd...fi/amines.html
There are also histamine releasing foods, but I do not understand it enough to give any advice about it. What are you eating, or not eating? Do you suspect something inyour diet?

I really don't know what to suspect. Yesterday afternoon I felt "hives" starting, which then in the evening I also felt on my eyelids. I juiced a beet, apple and carrot, which I had in the afternoon. I think that I felt something after this. I seem to recall I had something else too, but I can't remember. For dinner I had black-eyed peas (soaked overnight) and broccoli.

I am not really following any particular diet. I am newly trying to cut out dairy, but I have not been hugely successful.

[Punchy Kaby]

Originally Posted by moonshine

I really don't know what to suspect. Yesterday afternoon I felt "hives" starting, which then in the evening I also felt on my eyelids. I juiced a beet, apple and carrot, which I had in the afternoon. I think that I felt something after this. I seem to recall I had something else too, but I can't remember. For dinner I had black-eyed peas (soaked overnight) and broccoli.

I am not really following any particular diet. I am newly trying to cut out dairy, but I have not been hugely successful.

Have you ever done any elimination diets? Or a rotation diet? Maybe something to try and help you pinpoint what is bothering you.

[EBG]

Caedmyn,

You could try pure shea butter or jojoba oil (desert essence) for skincare. I liked shea butter when I used it. Now I use CO. I'm so sorry your babe is reacting to it... My DD2 gets these pimple like bumps on her torso if she gets a substantial amount of CO. She gets the same reaction from culturelle and candidase (this one gives her tons of bumps) so I figured it's die-off. DD1 gets a tummy ache from CO. She gets a tummy ache from a bnunch of things so I think it's a HCL or bile problem??? Even with enzymes. But not all the time.


Moonshine,

chamomile tea is really soothing for swollen eyes. Hopefully you're not allergic to it (cross reactive with ragweed). It works every time for us although we use it for infections. My Mom gets allergic swollen eyes and uses chamomile, too.

Enzymedica has an enzyme product called Allerase. It's a high dose of amyleses and is supposed to help with allergies but I've never tried it.

[moonshine]

Would it be terrible to do a detox diet while DD2 is still nursing? She is over 3 now. She basically only nurses to go to sleep at night and when she wakes in the morning. I have tried to cut her back (shorter sessions), but when I try to cut back too much or talk of weaning, she gets very sad. But I simply must do something for my body. I did the Elson Haas detox diet a number of years ago, with good results and am contemplating do it again.

Here are the particulars. What do you think?

THE DETOX DIET
SPECIAL GUIDELINES for THE DETOX DIET:

1. Chew your food very well and take enough time when you eat.
2. Relax a few minutes before and after your meal.
3. Eat in a comfortable sitting position.
4. Eat primarily steamed fresh vegetables and some fresh greens.
5. Take only herbal teas after dinner.

THE DETOX DIET MENU PLAN
Morning: (upon arising): Two glasses of water (filtered, spring, or reverse osmosis), one glass with half a lemon squeezed into it.

Breakfast: One piece of fresh fruit (at room temp), such as apple, pear, banana, grapes, or citrus. Chew well, mixing each bite with saliva.

15-30 minutes later: One bowl of cooked whole grains -- specifically millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, raw buckwheat, or buckwheat. Flavoring can be two tablespoons of fruit juice for a sweeter breakfast taste, or use the "better butter" mixture mentioned below with a little salt or tamari for a deeper flavor.

Lunch: (Noon-1 P.M.) One-two medium bowls of steamed vegetables; use a variety, including roots, stems, and greens -- e.g. potatoes or yams, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, asparagus, kale, chard, and cabbage. CHEW WELL !

Dinner: (5-6 P.M.) Same as Lunch

Seasoning: Butter/canola oil mixture. Make this "better butter" by mixing a half cup of cold-pressed canola oil (or olive or flaxseed oils) into a soft (room temperature) half-pound of butter; then place in dish and refrigerate. Use about one teaspoon per meal or a maximum of 3 teaspoons daily.

11 A.M. & 3 P.M. One-two cups veggie water, saved from steamed vegetables. Add a little sea salt or kelp and drink slowly, mixing each mouthful with saliva.

Evening: Herbal teas only -- e.g. peppermint, camomile, pau d'arco, or blends.

NOTE: You may feel a little weak or have a few symptoms the first couple of days; this will pass. Clarity and feeling good should appear by day 3 or 4, if not before. If during this diet, you start to feel weak or hungry, assess your water intake and elimination; if needed, you can eat a small portion of protein food (3-4 ounces) in the mid-afternoon. This could be fish; free-range, organic chicken; or some beans, such as lentils, garbanzos, mung, or black beans.

[caedmyn]

moonshine--I don't think it would be a big deal. Really all of us are detoxing with these diets/attempts to heal to one degree or another, and I would think even if you did a lot of detoxing, a three year old could handle it pretty well. You could do some things with the diet to absorb some of the toxins and keep them from getting into BM.

[Pookietooth]

My naturopath does kineseology for testing supplements and food sensitivities. She's helped some, but not much.

[caedmyn]

New thought on allergies: I just read about a study done with children who had anaphylactic allergies to peanuts or another food (forgot which one). In the study, they very carefully (under medical supervision) figured out what dose of the food the child would react to, and then gave them just under that dose for a period of time, and then increased the dose to just under what they would react to, and kept doing that for the length of the study. Basically they built tolerance to the point where a trace of peanuts would no longer cause anaphylactic reactions in these kids. They had to continue to take their "maintenance dose" of peanuts or whatever to make sure they maintained tolerance.

Now I've read a bit about oral tolerance, which as I understand it basically means that your immune system should tolerate foods, it should not react to them, and people with allergies don't have oral tolerance to those foods.

So...I wonder if it would theoretically be possible to build oral tolerance in DD by exposing her to things like butter (assuming she doesn't react to butter), and hopefully she'll eventually be able to tolerate at least small amounts of dairy. If she is reacting to CO this wouldn't work for that, unfortunately, as she seems to have issues with the CO I eat, also...although maybe small amounts would be okay.

Thoughts, anyone?

Oh, and firefaery--if your kids were eating more of their allergens on the SCD than when you went off it, I wonder if this principle/theory would explain why they started reacting to things again? Just a thought.

[Panserbjorne]

That technique (can't remember the name of it now) was used very frequently in the late 70's early 80's. Interesting that it is getting some press now. Caedmyn, do you know where you read this? I think Doris Rapp writes about it as well...

[LovinLiviLou]

Isn't this the same concept that allergy shots (for environmental allergies) are based on?

[caedmyn]

Originally Posted by firefaery

That technique (can't remember the name of it now) was used very frequently in the late 70's early 80's. Interesting that it is getting some press now. Caedmyn, do you know where you read this? I think Doris Rapp writes about it as well...

It was in a newspaper article in the last 10 days or so.

It kind of contradicts the theory that small amounts of allergen proteins will continue to sensitize even if no visible reaction occurs, doesn't it? Did the technique seem to be effective from what you've read?

[joeysmom1729]

Is it normal to feel worse once starting SCD? I'm on day 4 and I'm doing it in hopes to cure my ulcerative colitis. I've lost even more weight too and I just can't afford to lose anymore! I've been eating bananas, apple sauce and diluted grape juice for carbs. I'm trying to stick with the phase 1 foods until the diarrhea stops. I have such a headache and just feel so weak and dizzy, is this normal? Am I not eating enough maybe? I'm nursing my 9 month old son and he's pretty much still 99% BF. Any advice?

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

I started out with healing the gut (candida diet) and eliminating dairy since DD reacted to it with blood in her stools. My gut seems to have healed (although maybe not cuz she reacts to stuff I eat) but hers seems to have gotten worse, so now I am trying to figure out what she is allergic to it. So far she reacts to dairy, wheat, and tree nuts, and I'm avoiding peanuts. The only soy I ever eat is soy sauce every once in a while (or whatever is snuck into processed foods that I occasionally cheat with), so I haven't really focused on that. I don't think healing the gut and eliminating allergens really have the same focus, but I'm starting to wonder if most people don't need to eliminate their allergens, or at least their major ones, in order to heal.

As this was our experience: I healed and DS did not ... it seems like it was allergens for him. With my leaky gut and poor intestinal flora the cause. His poor flora gave him leaky gut when his immune system was maturing and therefore it recognized and developed food allergies. So with kids, allergens must be involved as well.

DS is doing awesome on Rotation Diet without eggs, coconut or nuts. Previous things which sent his poops to custard: raw fruit for ex. he is eating with no problem. This goes to show you that an Elimination Diet might not always be accurate: as he is not allergic to these fruits which showed horrible reactions, but his intestines were so inflamed from the allergens that he simply couldn't digest them. He even ate some sugar (Rapadura) over holidays and no reactions (he had started NT grains but I still kept him to honey for sweetener).

Also is drinking straight non-yogurtized milk! (raw, bien sur) which is the most thrilling thing for me. Only you guys would understand that.

I'm thinking of posting on Pecanbread why the SCD for over a year didn't work for him but not sure it will be welcome.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by megincl

Hi Folks,

We are TTC #2 and I know that many folks here (from my times hanging around every few months!) say that Omega 3s and 6s are good for both TTC and during pregnancy. How much? Via what sources? And why (DW is a bit of a skeptic)? I can pretty much guarantee DW will NOT take CO straight (like drink it off a spoon), so anything other than that would be great.

Bring on the suggestions!

thanks!
megin

Finally mainstream medicine is recognizing the importance of EFA's in our diet but they still have it all wrong. It is much more complex than popping a pill.

We get too many Omega 6's in our diets from vegetable oils and grain fed animal products. Overloading Omega 6's are a true cause of inflammation in body and most all vegetable oils are rancid and toxic, contain free radicals because they are not as stable as saturated fats and very susceptible to heat damage and oxidization.

A 1:1 ratio of omega 3:6 is ideal but very hard to get with the standard food choices available to us. Grass fed animal products have high omega 3's. High fat grass fed dairy is as healthy as fish for this reason.

High vitamin cod liver oil is only supplement that I would use for EFA's as you very much need the vitamin A and D. Read "Vitamin A for Fetal Development" at www.westonaprice.org and you will have your socks knocked off. I think WAPF recommends 2 tsp. high vit CLO for pg or ttc mamas as part of a diet including grass fed dairy, seafoods and organ meats for more fat soluble vits and omega 3's as well. I would take more CLO if you are not eating these foods.