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Healing the Gut Tribe.......April

25K views 521 replies 44 participants last post by  nicolena 
#1 ·
First--check out this link to JaneS's superawesome incredible fabulous HEALING THE GUT CHEAT SHEET!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...3&postcount=51

Hi guys! Happy extra daylight!

I need some help developing fanatical adherance! We were making progress, but I was still giving the girls sippies with 24 hr yogurt and banana. Now I have all the stuff for the diet (except dccc--gah--my hfs can't get it yet! anybody know a boston or providence source?). Tomorrow it begins for all three of us with no cheating. (I thought I could skip the gelatin and juice. Now I'm looking forward to juice!) I already lost two pounds from the first version, tho, and it really makes me crazy being on the diet....

Who else is doing this with 15 month olds? And themselves at the same time? Perhaps a roll call of sorts is in order? I'm 33, didn't think I had anything too bad going on, but now I think there's majot healing to be done. I;ve added glutamine for myself (can I give 1/4 to the girls?); I take clo; nutrient 950 pure encapsulation multis; a calc/mag/zinc supplement; and Bs (all sugar/starch/yeast free). I need a good C to replace my emergin'c. I'm breastfeeding twins 15.5 m.o. girls, one whose diarrhea is worse than the other's (she's had more trouble gaining weight). They've been better since we switched to NT, but eventhe carrots are showing up in their bms (of course they were mashed rather than pureed--everything thinks I'm such a fanatic, but i need help with the adherance, people!) So tomorrow I'm having my sister come by to help me manage our moods. Wish us luck. We're going to NY Thurdsday and staying with a sympathetic friend...who thinks I'm being a bit fanatical ("all babies' poops are weird").

Question: It says the only specific thing to introduce at a certain time is the yogurt. I feel like a bad reader because I can not for the life of me figure out WHEN to intro it. Please enlighten me!

[Here's more info than you want to know about us:
i guess i should add to my intro. i've had minor yeast issues, not enough to ever go to a doctor. but i was on antideprressants and antianxiety meds for years, then i added too much red wine, eventually had a seizure, got off all meds (and stopped wanting the wine!), and three months later got pregnant with in vitro after 5 years of various other fertility treatments. sigh. then i tried to lose weight while nursing--never going more than the "allowable" .5 to 1 lb a week, but using splenda and eating dead food. when i started the girls on solids (it's solids or formula, said the extinct pedi), i realized that i was giving them everything organic except my milk. so first i got pretty close to organic myself. then i read about NT, and i've been steadily getting healthier the past few months thru NT.

the girls came out tiny, and i had them vaxxed the first year before i knew better
. they had formula and bm the first 9,5 weeks, but once i got them all on the boob, they stopped gaining. and they were colciky. i was eating horrible packaged stuff because ihad no time to cook. they never slept without lying on me--still barely do. i gave them zantac for about a month for the colic--maybe less time; it did nothing. i gave them tylenol for imaginary teething. i had three fillings done while breastfeeding--gah! we started solids at 6 months and they gained weight, but i don't think they've ever had a solid poop until just recently. i was told this was normal because i was breastfeeding. i am currently desperately in search of a book with pictures of normal poop. is there a doctor of scatology here?
Thanks guys!
 
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#177 ·
I'm introducing one new food a week to dd's diet. (my 12 month old who's on SCD and allergic to gluten and intolerant to lots of other things.)

Here's what we've got:
bananas
pears
avocados
egg yolk
butternut squash
carrots

What should I give her next? I want to be sure she's getting a variety and even though she's still mostly b'fed, I want to be sure she's getting proper nutrition through foods too yk?

I've asked all you mamas this question before but needed to get your input again!
 
#178 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneS
I wasn't sure if today's dose didn't make him worse too (of course I missed a day too don't know what that did). Going down for naptime was a freaking nightmare. He was so fidgety and hitting me, we were both in tears.


Time for the ND to listen to you and make a change.
 
#179 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneS
12 million is absolutely nothing for acidophilus supplementation to repair antibiotic use. Maybe 12 billion would start to help... what product was recommended? That is why I recommend homemade 24 hr yogurt b/c it has 15 billion per teaspoon (and it helped me when capsules didn't).
Whoops. I meant 12 billion. He also mentioned that I could go much higher but that was what he thinks I should start with. He also mentioned because I am vegetarian I may be able to absorb the acidophilus better than some people. Not sure how accurate or true that is. Eating homemade yogurt (which incidently, I made for the first time this weekend) wouldn't work because I am also supposed to eliminate dairy.

Thanks for the input.
 
#180 ·
Jane-just wanted to check in and see how ds is doing...sorry it's so rough right now! You are increasing his dosage, so if you see things getting worse it may simply mean that you're seeing results. I always have about three to five days of hell that tell me my remedy is working-and I'm a grown up!

IF you choose to research the acid/alkaline foods let me know. There is so much info that isn't "out there." Small things that might make all the difference to you. Things like how different foods change qualities depending on where they are in the body (milk is alkaline in the stomach, but acidic to the tissues) Many minerals are alkaline forming to the tissues: calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium. Phosphorous, sulfur and chlorine are acidifying (interesting given his remedy.) Protein levels and amino acids also affect the alkalinity/acidity, but there are many other factors...like acids and sugars. Many foods are acid forming even if they are classified as alkaline. Like you need another headache! Sorry if this just throws another wrench in the works.
 
#181 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneS
Sarahariz,
Didn't you do NAET? any tips? I need to read up on it.

I did go to an NAET practitioner, but dd was being exclusively breastfed at the time and her protocol was not going to work for us (having to treat me first so I could be a clean surrogate in order to treat dd through me). So I went to an NMT (neuromodulation technique) practitioner instead. It is supposed to be "better" than NAET. It seemed to help some, hard to know for sure.
 
#183 ·
Mama to One--I just wanted to add that I'm taking the l-glutamine 500 3x/day. i read in _what your dr may not tell you about premenopause_ that it was good for the gut.

i'm totally making up my own supplement program here. i haven't had enough time to look into enzymes and i think dh will kill me if i buy anymore supplements (tho he likes what's going on with all of us).

so, caedmyn, what i did was just to jump in and start on the darn diet with as fanatical an adherance as i could muster. i'm not often starving, but i am sometimes hungry. i feel i can't really be getting all the antioxidants and vitamins i need in this intro part. and i waver back and forth between thinking this is the best thing ever and that i'm really overreacting and just driving myself crazy because like jane said a few pages back, when you're (trying to be) paying attention to everything, you can go insane. like was the redness and slightly less formed stool a result of a yogurt banana smoothie (haven't had much yogurt since starting the diet) OR is it because we just took a long trip that had to be stressful for them and i left her diaper on a little too long. i guess what i'm saying is i'm having a lot of the same questions you seem to be having, but i really seem to be learning by doing.

That said, I am starting to be worried we're not getting enough nutrition right now. We're trying apples tomorrow (I had them tonight; no reaction except a deep desire for something crunchy!). Then I guess I'll wait a day and add zucchini (which I had over the weekend, but Lena had and had a brief rash which may have been coincidental).

Annikate--a very silly question (and no help, except that at 12 months I think that diet sounds very good--how about zucchini?)--the avacado--it's raw of course? I think i'll add that after the zucchini here. (Oh, blueberries were one of the first fruits i gave my girls bc they're so high in antioxidants; I think canteloupe is next--I guess you just bake these things?)

sorry to ramble; writing in fits and starts. please hope with me that we have no diaper issues tomorrow! i feel like i'm staying in the intro phase too long.
 
#184 ·
Nicolena I hear you on driving yourself crazy looking at the details
It's so hard when everything can be the same symptoms. Like I have gas and bloating-- is that die off or low acidity or reaction to foods or enzymes. I am not sure how to figure it all out. I guess if we are not having undigested food in our stools I should just say we are doing ok.

I had chicken and carrots (baked though not boiled if that would do it) for dinner with the enzymes and I still have horrible bloating and gas. Now just wondering if this is die off or I can't seem to digest any meats lately.

I am wary of teh Betaine HCL. ANyone have any good links for information? Or have you used it with success?

SO far I am doing the diet, enzymes, CLO and BO when I can remember. Anyone have any advice on what I should add next. If I am having malabsorbtion problems then should I bother with mineral supplements?
 
#185 ·
nicolena ~ I forgot to add zucchini to dd's list. That was one of her firsts - though she dislikes it now!

artisticat ~ IMO mineral supplementation is important right away even if you are having malabsorption problems. It is hard figuring this all out for yourself. I read Montezuma Tuatara's thread in H&H and tried to work out my own plan. I added CLO, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and selenium to start with.

For me, gas and bloating means I've eaten something I'm not ready for, OR if I'm sure the foods I've eaten were well tolerated, then it's a result of die-off.

Geez! YOu guys adding acid/alkaline foods to this mix is too much! I'm not going there right now. I have enough to worry about w/enzymes, supplements, and *fanatical adherence*.
I'll learn about this very slowly. . .

And for my dd: I was thinking of adding something green. Asparagus? Broccoli? (I'm a bit reluctant to add broccoli though. Just gut feeling.)
 
#186 ·
I'm going to start the SCD tomorrow...I'm planning on doing one day on the intro diet and then about a week with only the foods on Stage 1 at pecanbread.com, and then adding all the foods on Stage 2 and see how I do/how long I can go like that. I'm really afraid of losing any more weight, though--I know I won't eat as much because there's not as many food choices. DD has been nursing a lot more than usual the past couple of days, and I really hope it is just a growth spurt and not because my milk is having problems. Hopefully I'll still see some results doing it this way--has anyone done it like this or does everyone just add the foods in one at a time?

How important is it to make sure there's no illegals in supplements? Like am I going to totally derail myself by taking the Garden of Life probiotics?
 
#187 ·
Oh, and does anyone know how quickly I could expect gas to go away? That's my only digestive sign and I don't know how I could even tell if I'm reacting to food if it doesn't go away...I'm not sure if I'll get any signs from DD, either...it kind of seems like since our problems are pretty minor (except for the bloody poop) it's going to be harder to tell if we're having problems with a food.
 
#188 ·
i have no idea about the gas. i'm thinking perhaps it will just be here awhile? it's not severe for us, but it certainly still exists. i can't pinpoint it to one food.

the apples were a failure and the girls seem really tired of this food. i'm trying to act like that's just all there is.

QUESTION: i have blisters on one of my nipples like i haven't had since the frst few months nursing. they are the kind that turn into bloody scabs. i couldn't figure out what they were when i first got them (looking on kellymom and a twins bfing site). reading so much about thrush, i'm a little worried that somehow this is it,. but it really doesn't seem like it. has anybody had nipple blisters? (sorry if i should post this is bfing--just thought i'd see if it happened to anyone here first!) it is killing me!
 
#189 ·
Wow, this thread moves quickly!!!! I have a couple of questions...sorry if it was covered in the last months thread but I got really lost. Anyways, the SCD is okay while nursing right? DS is having reactions to many foods...and I am having digestive issues as well (canker sores, bad gas, stomach ache after I eat, weird BM's). I am hoping that if I go on the SCD, it will cure DS's problems as well. I have had a blood test to check for Celiac disease, but never heard anything back, so I assume I am in the clear. I have an ultrasound on Thursday to check my liver, kidneys, gall bladder and then next Friday I have an appointment with a dermatologist to check about my canker sores. Anyways, if someone can answer my question that would be great. Even if you could email me instead of posting it here....this thread moves really quick.

Angela
angelahadaustinoct1@yahoo.ca
 
#190 ·
Angela,
The SCD while b'feeding will only help your little nursling. I started SCD for my nursing babe. It has helped her TREMENDOUSLY. I can't say enough good things about it. PM me and I'll tell you the story. (When I get a chance that is!) DD was reactive to everything. Now she's doing so well - - she's like a different babe.

This diet will help all of the symptoms you listed. Don't know about canker sores though. Please post and lmk what the dermatologist says about them. I'd like to know.
 
#192 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by firefaery
The dark circles are a sign of allergy-but more specifically (from what I've read) a sign of mineral deficiencies due to lack of absorption. So they tend to go hand in hand. The blue across the bridge of the nose according to chinese medicine is a kindey thing.

Wow. Dd has had the blue across the nose as long as I can remember. What do you do to support the kidneys?
 
#193 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by nicolena
QUESTION: i have blisters on one of my nipples like i haven't had since the frst few months nursing. they are the kind that turn into bloody scabs. i couldn't figure out what they were when i first got them (looking on kellymom and a twins bfing site). reading so much about thrush, i'm a little worried that somehow this is it,. but it really doesn't seem like it. has anybody had nipple blisters? (sorry if i should post this is bfing--just thought i'd see if it happened to anyone here first!) it is killing me!
Are you having latch issues?
They could just be blebs. I've read about them some. They are basically like clogged pores. Here's a link to kellymom's advice. bleb

good luck.
 
#194 ·
Actually, ds and I still get gas, but I think we advanced too fast and need to backtrack, because he and I also get diarrhea, and this is after 6 months with only SCD legal foods (except for an occasional purchase of salted peanuts before I knew they weren't legal shelled, and only allowed unshelled six months after symptoms disappear!). I think we also have to do more enzymes, but zyme prime plus no phenol didn't seem to work but the Kirkman version of Peptizyde is too strong for us.
Jane, the link in the sticky about candida said it would take the same number of months to heal as years of symptoms -- for me that would be like 40, since I think it's been lifelong for me!
 
#195 ·
Starting a new supplement...Mindlinx by Pharmax. Anyone heard of it? It's a probiotic that specifically degrades gluten and casein proteins. Not that you can consume them-but in the event that you have accidental exposure it would really help. Different than enzymes, though. It is being used with great success for autism, ADD and celiac disease. I'm really looking forward to it! It also contains L Glutamine, but has FOS's and I'm not too sure about them. Gonna give it a try though.
 
#196 ·
Well I was hoping to hold off on introducing nut butter for at least a week, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do that. I'm barely functional today, just from lack of calories I think, and I don't think adding some applesauce and ripe bananas or zucchini is going to change that. So...which would be the best choice to try first nut-wise (this is what I have on hand and I don't go to the store until Thursday). Homemade peanut butter made from organic dry roasted peanuts, almond butter made from UNblanched almonds, or walnut or pecan butter...if it's even possible to make walnut or pecan butter.
 
#197 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by caedmyn
Well I was hoping to hold off on introducing nut butter for at least a week, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do that. I'm barely functional today, just from lack of calories I think, and I don't think adding some applesauce and ripe bananas or zucchini is going to change that. So...which would be the best choice to try first nut-wise (this is what I have on hand and I don't go to the store until Thursday). Homemade peanut butter made from organic dry roasted peanuts, almond butter made from UNblanched almonds, or walnut or pecan butter...if it's even possible to make walnut or pecan butter.
Almond and pecans are supposed to be the easiest to digest I think, though pecans are not at all easy for me to digest. I do best with peanut butter but maybe you should try the almond butter first.

Angela, look at my blog. I just updated with our whole story (dd's that is!)
 
#198 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by firefaery
Jane-just wanted to check in and see how ds is doing...sorry it's so rough right now! You are increasing his dosage, so if you see things getting worse it may simply mean that you're seeing results. I always have about three to five days of hell that tell me my remedy is working-and I'm a grown up!

IF you choose to research the acid/alkaline foods let me know. There is so much info that isn't "out there." Small things that might make all the difference to you. Things like how different foods change qualities depending on where they are in the body (milk is alkaline in the stomach, but acidic to the tissues) Many minerals are alkaline forming to the tissues: calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium. Phosphorous, sulfur and chlorine are acidifying (interesting given his remedy.) Protein levels and amino acids also affect the alkalinity/acidity, but there are many other factors...like acids and sugars. Many foods are acid forming even if they are classified as alkaline. Like you need another headache! Sorry if this just throws another wrench in the works.
Thanks I'm going to do easy things first on the a/a issue then wait for mineral blood test and stool test for DS next. He tested high in sulfur on his hair test from last year too. Sulfur and mercury have big affinity for each other. Then depending on what holistic Ped says on all the tests do more a/a research (whew!)

DS is much better today but not great. I'm also trying to get more magnesium into him (thought it wasn't absorbing before and just making stools loose, so trying again...but that "should" calm him down shouldn't it? This kid is tough nut to crack.) Maybe it could have been too much fruit? The full moon?


I though remedies working meant everything was suddenly sweetness and light?
 
#199 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by artisticat
JaneS Re: Betaine HCL-- I am unsure of using this. I can't find alot of info on it.
http://www.worldchiropracticalliance...1996loomis.htm This suggests that it really doesn't work. And your link on the cheat sheet says using it wrong can hurt the stomach lining.
I haven't seen that info before and I'm not sure what to think. I think the about.com site has a CYA statement but it was so good at explaining the deficiencies that is why I used that one.

If you don't swallow one of those horse pills immediately, and it dissolves a bit in your mouth, it is extremely acidic, so I'm not sure of the general premise of his argument that the formula is neutralized? And when I was using it, I used the recommendations by Michael Murray ND in his Encyclopedia of Natural Healing and started slow and stopped at the number of tablets that gave me heartburn for an average meal.

Maybe it's just the protein digesting enzymes in it that work?

I will say though that using digestive enzymes make HCI less important as the plant enzymes do start working whether the stomach is sufficiently acid or not. They work in a high or low ph. It's the animal enzymes or your own pancreatic enzymes that really need the stomach ph to be high for proteins. So maybe just start with enzymes?

I do wish I understood more why people do have low stomach acidity, the cause of it if you feel like poking around more please post...
 
#200 ·
Caedmyn,

Gas went away for me within days to a week... like it was WOW something is really different here!

Garden of Life probiotics give me gas even when I tried them again not long ago and can't even remember the last time I had gas. (Still have a durned huge bottle of those in the fridge, maybe I should try returning to Whole Foods?
so perhaps the "fermented molasses" and whatever other weird stuff in there is not very friendly.)

So yes I do think they could derail you if you are reacting to those.

Yes, almonds and pecans are supposed to be easiest to digest. They have least amount of starches (cashews have a lot). Almond butter is easy to make in food processor by just whizzing til it's smooth, but you might have to add oil at the end to assist the process b/c they are very dry nuts.

Walnuts have a lot of (omega 3) oil and the "butter" is very thin but yummy tasting. That makes good pancakes too, tastes like buckwheat. Pecan butter is SO yummy, it satisfies a chocolate craving for me. I just made pecan butter fudge with honey and coconut oil


I think it's very important to vary your nuts as a general rule by the way so sensitivities don't develop, but newbies don't let your head explode by my saying this. Just file it and the acid/alkaline thing away til you can deal with it, okay?
 
#201 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Pookietooth
Actually, ds and I still get gas, but I think we advanced too fast and need to backtrack, because he and I also get diarrhea, and this is after 6 months with only SCD legal foods (except for an occasional purchase of salted peanuts before I knew they weren't legal shelled, and only allowed unshelled six months after symptoms disappear!). I think we also have to do more enzymes, but zyme prime plus no phenol didn't seem to work but the Kirkman version of Peptizyde is too strong for us.
Jane, the link in the sticky about candida said it would take the same number of months to heal as years of symptoms -- for me that would be like 40, since I think it's been lifelong for me!
You both and my DS too.


I futzed around with coconut milk in the very beginning when we were sorta on again off again with it, but he's been 100% fanatical since Sept. (although when did DH give him that pretzel too.. ?
)

And he can't even tolerate raw fruit very much nevermind dried! Believe me when I get to the bottom of *his* issues, you will be the first to know.

It took me a while to be able to digest whole nuts. Also I totally notice a difference with unsoaked whole nuts... the enzyme inhibitors still get to me.

40 months, ugh! I had tummy issues when I was a kid...not very bad but bouts of constipation. I also used to complain of a "hot tummy" and constantly pulled my shirt up to cool it off.
:

It took me a while to get used to Peptizyde too. Maybe 3 weeks. Started with sprinkles. Now I pop them no problem, even before bedtime.
 
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