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Healing the Gut Tribe ~ February

19K views 442 replies 35 participants last post by  Panserbjorne 
#1 ·
Not ready to go to sleep yet, so I thought I'd start Feb.'s thread.

Jan thread

I have decided I definitely need to change dd's diet. She has a rash on her leg that was spreading with what the dr prescribed, and it didn't look like her regular eczema, either. It is responding quite nicely to a natural antifungal cream.
I've been watching the show, http://www.knowthecause.com/ , by Doug Kaufmann. What he says really makes sense. I think I'm going to try his diet for a while with her. And make coconut milk yogurt. (I experimented enough with my crockpot and I think it's going to work.) His diet is basically give up grains, sugars, fruits (except for green apples, berries, avocados, coconuts, and citrus), dairy (except for yogurt, butter and sour cream), beans, legumes, corn, potatoes, peanuts, pistachios, and things made with vinegar. We already avoid most of those things anyway. The hardest thing to avoid for her will be grains as she is used to eating brown rice waffles.

I wanted to do the scd diet, but it just seems like it would be too hard to do the scd with her. I recently found out she is severely allergic to eggs. She's also anaphylactic to dairy. And she's allergic to almonds, spinach, most beans, peas, corn, and wheat. She loves green beans, but they give her diarrhea and diaper rash. She doesn't digest carrots or raisins, either. And Since she's allergic to two nuts, we're avoiding the other nuts until she's at least three. (And avoiding seafood til then, too.)

I may try to make some of the scd baked good recipes with pumpkin seed flour and flaxseed/water as an egg substitute. Michaela loves meats, so I don't think protein will be an issue. I just need to get her to eat more veggies. She really doesn't eat much fruit, either except she loves frozen blueberries.

Anyone have any kid friendly ideas for veggies?

I was looking into the enzymes recommended on enzymestuff, but it bothers me that they contain fungal derived enzymes. Does anyone have any info on this?

btw, I did the master cleanse for 10 days. I felt great. I did get really bored with drinking the drink, though. I just wanted to chew on something. Since I stopped, I've been eating crap--pizza, pb & j, etc. I can definitely tell a difference. No more garbage food for me.
 
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#53 ·
I'm NOT the one to ask on the safety and healthfulness of a vegan diet
since I believe it was one of the central issues that led me down this horrible path.

Cholesterol is essential to the immune system, as well as heavy metal detox which a number of us seem to have a problem with.

As are vitamins A & D found only in animal products.

I think Faery's post hits on the head though... a damaged gut cannot handle breaking down these advanced foods, and indeed does not even absorb what it should.
 
#54 ·
That's exactly it, Jane. I feel so much better without animal foods, but with a damaged gut I definitely wasn't getting what I needed. I like Jordan Rubin's take on veganism...that it is great three or for months every year as a sort of cleanse. I think that once I'm back to health
I will employ that. I would never give up CLO though, especially while nursing or pregnant. I'm not sure about the A and D thing yet...I do believe that unless you have a healthy gut you absolutely need the more available forms in animal products, and I do think kids need animal products as well. Still learning...still reading...
 
#55 ·
The Long Hollow Tube: A Primer on the Digestive System
By Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

This is a huge and very interesting article, I'm only quoting some of my favorite points. At bottom of it, a description of all the stuff that can go wrong and an interesting discussion of possible causes of constipation (mineral deficiency).

Quote:
There are actually more nerve cells in the overall digestive system than in the peripheral nervous system. Furthermore, major neurotransmitters found in the brain-including serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine and nitric oxide-occur plentifully in the gut as well. Enkephalins-described as the body's natural opiates-also occur in the intestinal tract, as do benzodiazepines, psychoactive chemicals similar to mood-controlling drugs like Valium and Xanax...

___________________________

Many modern foods, such as processed milk products, breads and soy foods, are extremely difficult to digest; but traditional preparation methods made food easy to digest and facilitated assimilation of nutrients. They include:

Preparation of grains by soaking and sour leavening to neutralize difficult-to-digest components and nutrient blockers.

Long soaking and cooking, or even fermentation, of legumes.

Fermentation of many types of tubers, such as casava.

Lacto-fermention of condiments and beverages to provide beneficial bacteria for the digestive tract.

Consumption of protein foods (meat, eggs, fish and milk products) with plenty of fat.

Use of gelatin-rich bone broths. Gelatin acts not only to bring food into contact with digestive juices, it also soothes the intestinal wall.

Cooking of most vegetables (and even some fruits) to neutralize toxins and break down cell walls.

Proper aging of meat to initiate the breakdown of protein. With proper aging and/or fermentation, meat is quite digestible either raw or carefully cooked at low temperature.

Soaking and/or roasting of nuts to remove irritants and toxins.

___________________________

Nutrients for the Digestive Tract

Vitamin A, our favorite vitamin, is absolutely critical to the health of the intestinal mucosa. Without sufficient vitamin A, the mucous membranes become hardened and, paradoxically, more easily penetrated, leading to "leaky gut, " ulceration and irritable bowel syndrome. Vitamin A is also necessary for the assimilation of minerals and protein and plays an important role in the repair process. It has been used successfully to treat gastritis. Best sources are cod liver oil followed by liver and other organ meats, and butterfat and egg yolks from grassfed animals.

Vitamin B Complex is important for fat metabolism and liver health; B vitamins play a role in the production of bile. They are necessary to maintain muscle tone, stimulate digestive secretions, support the nervous system and ensure normal carbohydrate metabolism. We recommend Frontier brand nutritional yeast as a supplement along with a diet of whole foods to ensure adequate B vitamins.

Vitamin C complex contributes to the health of all the epithelial cells as well as the integrity of the blood vessels that nourish the intestinal tract. Vitamin C is necessary for biochemical repair. Lacto-fermented fruits and vegetables are especially good sources.

Vitamin D plays a role in fighting inflammation and strengthening the immune system, as well as in the assimilation of calcium and other important minerals. Crohn's disease is associated with vitamin D deficiency. Best sources are cod liver oil, lard from pastured pigs, oily fish, fish eggs, shellfish, and butterfat and egg yolks from grassfed animals.

Vitamin E is needed for muscle tone and a healthy nervous system. Deficiency has been linked to digestive problems such as peptic ulcers, colitis, constipation and cancer of the colon. Best sources are small amounts cold-pressed oils (too much polyunsaturated oil can deplete vitamin E), whole grains, butter and other animal fats and a supplement of wheat germ oil.

Protein is necessary for the maintenance of the mucous membrane in the stomach, particularly the amino acids cystine, lysine and arginine. Deficiency leads to muscular weakness and many other problems. Bone broths are an excellent source of arginine, and cystine and lysine occur in meat, milk and eggs.

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) has been studied by German researchers who found that PC is highly beneficial to the mucosal lining of the digestive tract, preventing or healing lesions and reducing the incidence of stomach ache. They found that PC was more effective than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) in reducing gastric mucosal lesions. The researchers used PC derived from soy, but the best dietary sources are egg yolks and butter.

CoEnzyme Q10 is critical for healthy muscles. The importance of good muscle tone is often overlooked in discussions about digestion. The best source is meat, especially heart.

Cholesterol
plays a role in intestinal health. The cells lining the digestive tract are particularly rich in cholesterol. Cholesterol is also the precursor to bile. It is provided only by animal foods.

Salt is key to digestion. Salt provides chloride for hydrochloride, necessary for the digestion of protein; and salt activates an enzyme needed for the digestion of carbohydrates. [Jane note: get good sea salt, there is NO issue with high blood pressure as it contains all natural minerals and mixes properly with the blood, unlike processed salt which does cause edema. My current favorite is Redmond.]

Calcium prevents cramps and spasms, protects against inflammation and supports both the muscles and the nervous system. Best sources are raw dairy products and bone broths.

Potassium supports the nervous system and connective tissue, as well as the production of hydrochloric acid. Best sources are meats, whole grains and vegetables.

Zinc deficiencies have been associated with problems of fat metabolism, inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease. Best sources are red meat and oysters.

Beneficial Bacteria
help maintain a healthy ecosystem in the gut. Best dietary sources are natural yoghurt and lacto-fermented condiments and beverages. Supplements such as Primal Defense from Garden of Life can help repopulate the digestive tract very quickly in cases of digestive disorders.

___________________________

Coconut Oil for Digestion

Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain fatty acids that provide unique benefits for the digestive process. They have anti-microbial properties; that is, they fight against pathogenic viruses, yeasts, bacteria and parasites in the gut. These special fats are also the preferred food for beneficial bacteria in the colon.

For those who have gall bladder problems and difficulty in digesting fats, coconut oil can be very useful because the medium-chain fatty acids do not need to be acted on by the bile salts. And for those who have trouble digesting milk and cream, coconut milk and coconut cream can serve as substitutes.

Best of all, the body uses the medium-chain fatty acids for energy and rarely stores them as fat. Coconut oil aids digestion and boosts metabolism-wonderful benefits that come in a delicious package.
 
#57 ·
Amy, a couple more questions about your cocnut milk yogurt.
Do you add honey to the milk? Someone on the thread, (sorry, I don't remmeber who), suggested that honey may be needed so the bacteria would grow.
Also, how runny does it turn out? I think mine was along the lines of buttermilk.
tia
 
#59 ·
Been posting this link in other threads but may as well post it here too:

Natural Vitamin A is NOT toxic. The studies showing toxicity were done on retinol, the chemical version of Vitamin A.

Quote:
A key player in this fascinating story is Weston A. Price, who discovered that the diets of healthy traditional peoples contained at least ten times as much vitamin A as the American diet of his day. His work revealed that vitamin A is one of several fat-soluble activators present only in animal fats and necessary for the assimilation of minerals in the diet. He noted that the foods held sacred by the peoples he studied, such as spring butter, fish eggs and shark liver, were exceptionally rich in vitamin A...

While the ongoing process of research into vitamin A and its effects is a boon to children and adults throughout the world, modern agriculture and food processing conglomerates gain nothing from this knowledge. Confinement farming practices effectively prevent vitamin A from incorporation into animal foods and the processing industry would rather use vegetable oils than animal fats. Some vegetable oils contain carotenes but they do not contain true vitamin A. Only animal fats contain vitamin A and vitamin A is present in large amounts only when the animals have a source of carotenes or vitamin A in the diet, such as green pasture, insects and fish meal.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of popular books on nutrition insist that humans can obtain vitamin A from fruits and vegetables. Even worse, FDA regulations allow food processors to label carotenes as vitamin A. The label for a can of tomatoes says that tomatoes contain vitamin A, even though the only source of true vitamin A in the tomatoes is the microscopic insect parts. The food industry, and the lowfat school of nutrition that the industry has spawned, benefit greatly from the fact that the public has only vague notions about vitamin A. In fact, most of the foods that provide large amounts of vitamin A-butter, egg yolks, liver, organ meats and shellfish-have been subject to intense demonization.

Under optimal conditions, humans can indeed convert carotenes to vitamin A. This occurs in the upper intestinal tract by the action of bile salts and fat-splitting enzymes. Of the entire family of carotenes, beta-carotene is most easily converted to vitamin A. Early studies indicated an equivalency of 4:1 of beta-carotene to retinol. In other words, four units of beta-carotene were needed to produce one unit of vitamin A. This ratio was later revised to 6:1 and recent research suggests an even higher ratio.5 This means that you have to eat an awful lot of vegetables and fruits to obtain even the daily minimal requirements of vitamin A, assuming optimal conversion...

Carotenes are converted by the action of bile salts, and very little bile reaches the intestine when a meal is low in fat. The epicure who puts butter on his vegetables and adds cream to his vegetable soup is wiser than he knows. Butterfat stimulates the secretion of bile needed to convert carotenes from vegetables into vitamin A, and at the same time supplies very easily absorbed true vitamin A. Polyunsaturated oils also stimulate the secretion of bile salts but can cause rapid destruction of carotene unless antioxidants are present.

It is very unwise, therefore, to depend on plant sources for vitamin A. This vital nutrient is needed for the growth and repair of body tissues; it helps protect mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, throat and lungs; it prompts the secretion of gastric juices necessary for proper digestion of protein; it helps to build strong bones and teeth and rich blood; it is essential for good eyesight; it aids in the production of RNA; and contributes to the health of the immune system. Vitamin-A deficiency in pregnant mothers results in offspring with eye defects, displaced kidneys, harelip, cleft palate and abnormalities of the heart and larger blood vessels. Vitamin A stores are rapidly depleted during exercise, fever and periods of stress. Even people who can efficiently convert carotenes to vitamin A cannot quickly and adequately replenish vitamin A stores from plant foods.
http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnut...aminasaga.html
 
#60 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by mlleoiseau
Amy, a couple more questions about your cocnut milk yogurt.
Do you add honey to the milk? Someone on the thread, (sorry, I don't remmeber who), suggested that honey may be needed so the bacteria would grow.
Also, how runny does it turn out? I think mine was along the lines of buttermilk.
tia
That was me... just like adding honey is needed for making nut milk yogurt.

Very runny is normal... yogurt only gels when the protein matrixes are formed by the action of the lactic acid bacteria. Coconut milk contains little protein, so won't gel like dairy.
 
#62 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneS
That was me... just like adding honey is needed for making nut milk yogurt.

Very runny is normal... yogurt only gels when the protein matrixes are formed by the action of the lactic acid bacteria. Coconut milk contains little protein, so won't gel like dairy.

WHAT?? No, I do not add honey to it while it is slow cooking, I never thought I needed to. I do add it when it is ready for consumption as it is quite tart and that is how my son will eat it.

Oh Jane, I can't stop laughing at....."and so early in 2006 too"
The baby has a nice healthy case of pox.........come visit, I have google and you can bring your books
 
#63 ·
Have I already mentioned to you all that I am CONSUMED by this now?


I'm reading about SCD (although I've never had any yeast trouble that I'm aware of, nor has dd). I wonder too . . . dd tested positive for many of the foods allowed on this diet by our ND. So . . . I really can't do this.

It is so frustrating and hard to know what's right. I have to believe the muscle testing worked for us because it made such a significant improvement (and quickly too) but it changes and there are very little foods left that do not test positive.

I wish I could just have a list yk? That'd make things soooo much easier. Thanks for letting me whine.
 
#64 ·
Okay, I may actually have an answer here that I didn't have when I started. Sooooo, for what it's worth, here goes. We were also allergic to alot of the foods allowed on the diet, so I wasn't really sure how we'd do it. We couldn't do eggs, dairy, bananas, avacado, carrots, and on and on and on
But I talked it through with some of the mamas here (thanks jane and moneca!) and decided to try it. The purpose of the diet is to heal the gut and even if you are ingesting some allergens it will heal because those foods aren't damaging the gut...just leaking through the perforations. In the meantime though, you still have reactions. For us it was hyperactivity, bowel issues and rashes (amongst others, I'm sure) As you continue to heal it will get better. There are supplements though, that will mediate reactions. Quercetin will block histamine responses, halting the activation of the opiate receptors in the brain. So, taking the quercetin will block the response. It is very effective and we have used it for acute IgE reactions with success, so I'm very confident about this. I wish I had known about it in the beginning stages of the diet. Do some reading, or talk to an ND and see. It may be very possible to do the diet employing things like this. We had success without it-but it would have been an easier road had I known about it back then. I hope that helps. I don't know. Maybe I'm just babbling.
 
#65 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by firefaery
There are supplements though, that will mediate reactions. Quercetin will block histamine responses, halting the activation of the opiate receptors in the brain. So, taking the quercetin will block the response. It is very effective and we have used it for acute IgE reactions with success, so I'm very confident about this.
What brand of Quercetin are you using? I am dying to get some for both of my kiddos, but the 4yr old and the 1yr old don't swallow pills. What are you doing w/it?
 
#67 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by firefaery
Okay, I may actually have an answer here that I didn't have when I started. Sooooo, for what it's worth, here goes. We were also allergic to alot of the foods allowed on the diet, so I wasn't really sure how we'd do it. We couldn't do eggs, dairy, bananas, avacado, carrots, and on and on and on But I talked it through with some of the mamas here (thanks jane and moneca!) and decided to try it. The purpose of the diet is to heal the gut and even if you are ingesting some allergens it will heal because those foods aren't damaging the gut...just leaking through the perforations.
Thank you! I've been reading through all the old threads and read some of your story. All I've seen so far about the SCD diet made me think it wasn't for us but this trial and error is soooo frustrating because one week it seems we're making progress, the next week it's back to red bumps under the eyes, no sleep, gas, etc.

I must've deleted the link to the SCD - can anyone post it for me? Oh, and I just don't see myself going through weeks of trying to get the yogurt making down either (I barely have time to pee!). Can I *buy* some somewhere that'll work just as well?

Thanks!
 
#68 ·
I use Designs for Health. It's a powder, and I just stick it in our morning smoothies. They're none the wiser
I did give it to my mother for withdrawal along with pascalite clay for die off. She didn't have nearly as difficult a time as I did. I'm also making sure I take it during this pregnancy so the babe doesn't get sensitized. I was just talking to the LC and nutritionist I work with about starting to recommend it to women with low supply who need to bridge the gap with formula. So far, so good. That way little babes who get a bit of formula when their bellies aren't ready don't suffer (as much) damage.
 
#71 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by AmyD
WHAT?? No, I do not add honey to it while it is slow cooking, I never thought I needed to. I do add it when it is ready for consumption as it is quite tart and that is how my son will eat it.

Oh Jane, I can't stop laughing at....."and so early in 2006 too"
The baby has a nice healthy case of pox.........come visit, I have google and you can bring your books
Well if it's tart I guess the critters are growing!

Well maybe I'll come visit you when the POX have left the building!
 
#72 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Annikate
DD has only just started solids. Would you all think it'd still be beneficial for me to do the SCD diet, even if dd can't yet?
Absolutely... and why can't she do it too? Fruits, non starchy veggies, egg yolk, meat later. Sounds like a perfect start to eating to me! Grains are not supposed to be well digested until all the teeth are in (that's when the saliva amylase enzyme is working well). It's stupid that grains are the current first goods.
 
#73 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Annikate
Thank you! I've been reading through all the old threads and read some of your story. All I've seen so far about the SCD diet made me think it wasn't for us but this trial and error is soooo frustrating because one week it seems we're making progress, the next week it's back to red bumps under the eyes, no sleep, gas, etc.

I must've deleted the link to the SCD - can anyone post it for me? Oh, and I just don't see myself going through weeks of trying to get the yogurt making down either (I barely have time to pee!). Can I *buy* some somewhere that'll work just as well?

Thanks!

Yes, cut out all but SCD foods for your babe and see how that goes, along the lines of the list I just posted. Cook/peel/seed all her fruits and veggies. NO raw until she is well healed and watch that carefully.

Here are the 2 links. Pecanbread is geared to ASD kids but has good recipes and great advice in the Food Prep section for kids in general. See the chart there for easy to digest foods to start with.

www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info start with Beginner section
www.pecanbread.com

Store bought yogurt doesn't contain enough probiotics, plus it contains lactose b/c it's not been fermented for the full 24 hours. Lactose feeds the bad bacteria in gut if it's not broken down by a working digestive system.

Homemade 24 hour yogurt contains 15 billion good bacterial count per teaspoon, which is higher than any capsule on the market.

It's not hard to make yogurt, I promise!
 
#74 ·
Thanks! I see that dd really can do this too! I thought this diet was MUCH more restrictive than it is.

Okay ladies, I'm going to embark on this journey with you! I'll give the yogurt a shot this weekend.


And one more question, just to clarify (even though I'm quite sure what the answer is ...) I DON'T have to have diarrhea or yeast issues for this diet to help right?

BTW, Jane - I ordered the hair test for both myself and dd. I got so worried after realizing that having my amalgams removed may have had something to do with this (or at least made it WORSE). I'll be *trying* to get enough hair from my baldie girl tomorrow to send off. I'm a bit nervous about seeing the results.
 
#76 ·
Thank you! I'm printing the legal/illegal list now and making a preliminary shopping list.


I have the book ordered but probably won't get it 'til next week.

Oh, and I live in a state where raw milk is illegal for human consumption.
Soooo . . . gotta try to track that down somehow.

I'm really excited about how MUCH you can actually have on this diet! What do you use for sweeteners (beside honey)?
 
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