I thought I'd update you today on where we are in our personal journey.
BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER UPDATE
I recently posted about how we had begun a new supplement with our son that crosses the blood brain barrier. After the initial "what have we done" detox where he got WORSE before he got better, I am happy to report that we are seeing some great things. His behavior has improved even more. His decision making skills have improved. The brain fog has lifted and he is thinking clearly and rationally. (Well, as clearly and rationally as an eight year old boy can think!)
FOOD ALLERGY UPDATE
We recently had Craig retested just to see if we're getting anywhere with all of our hard work. (We know we're getting somewhere with his behavior, but he continues to ask us how long we'll have to eat like this.) In case you're new to the blog or to our journey, we are currently egg free, artificial sweetener free, gluten free, sulfite free, dye free, and salicylate low. (We used to be salicylate free, but we figured out that Craig can tolerate about four days of salicylates before they build up in his system. Therefore, we currently try and limit salicylates. But, if I recognize that he has had four or five days and is building up and reacting, I pull all salicylates just to give his body time to absorb and process.)
Before I tell you where we stand, it is important for you to know that we won't EVER put another artificial sweetener (aspartame, acesulfame, etc...) into our bodies or Craig's. Dyes are in the same boat. Regardless of how he tests for these, he won't ever be getting them. There are too many dangers with artificial sweeteners and dyes. (Dyes are even banned in almost every country but ours because of their danger.) They are linked to too many diseases, behavior problems and health issues. Go here to read more about artificial sweeteners and here to read up on dyes if you'd like.
However, that being said - here are the updates for each item:
DYES - Craig's initial test showed that he was HIGHLY intolerant of red dye and mildly intolerant of blue and yellow with yellow being slightly more irritating to him than blue. His most recent test showed that he could tolerate blue and yellow currently and that red was still irritating to him, but not near to the extent that it once was.
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS - Again, we won't ever be ingesting these again so we don't even have him tested on these anymore. For those of you out there enjoying the occasional diet soda, let me encourage you to read up on what you're ingesting.
GLUTEN - Craig's initial test showed that he was HIGHLY intolerant of gluten. He was not classified as having Celiac disease - just simply not able to tolerate gluten. However, instead of having severe stomach problems, his reaction was manifest in his behavior. (((Sitting here almost seven months later I can tell you that he actually was experiencing some stomach/bowel problems. We just didn't know it. We just assumed those were his normal bathroom habits given that we'd never known anything different.))) His most recent test showed that he is barely intolerant of gluten anymore. He could probably tolerate it in small doses. After all the research we've done into gluten and how it affects behavior and health, we have all become gluten free. (I wrote about it here.) So, we might let him enjoy a cookie or treat with gluten in it occasionally, but for the most part he will (and we will) remain gluten free.
SULFITE - These aren't really good for anyone given that they are a preservative. We try to remain completely preservative free. However, in some cases you just can't avoid them. Craig tends to react to sulfites strongly and while we never officially had him tested for them, when we removed them from his diet we saw an immediate change in behavior. (What's odd is that we saw an immediate change in our daughter's health as well. I'll write about that below.) You can go here to see a list of foods containing high sulfites as well as low sulfites. Our introduction to sulfites was through shrimp which (as you will see in the list) is supposedly very low in sulfites. Regardless, we are sulfite free and do our best to stay that way.
SALICYLATES - Initially, Craig could not tolerate ANY salicylates. (Salicylates are the defense hormone that a plant produces to ward off insects or bacteria. Some fruits/vegetables are higher in salicylates that others. Research Fiengold Diet for more info or go here.) That meant relatively no fruit except bananas and a pear without the skin occasionally. However, slowly we began adding back in an orange or an apple at a time. As his body healed, he could tolerate a few more salicylates. Currently we are up to about four or five days worth of salicylates before we see a buildup reaction. To be honest, I don't really watch his salicylate intake as closely anymore simply because he is doing so much better with this one. Also - this one is an easy fix. Since it builds up in the system, the fix is simply to cut salicylates and give the body a few days to illiminate. Craig is currently the only one in our family that is on a salicylate modified diet. However, Julie will be joining him. (I'll write about that below.)
EGG - This one is the most surprising to me. Every other food allergy that we have tested has improved in some way ... except this one. It's a little puzzling to me. Initially, Craig was HIGHLY intolerant of the entire egg (white and yolk). So, we avoided all eggs and all products containing egg. However, after about two months of detoxing, he was able to tolerate some egg white. Our most recent tests revealed that he is currently very intolerant of the entire egg. (This would explain a few recent episodes of bad behavior as I fed him some very yummy gluten free blueberry muffins recently that contained eggs.) So, why isn't this one improving and all the others are? To be honest, I don't know. One thought goes back to his immunizations and how they contain egg and how we believe that is what started this entire thing. Another thought correlating with that one is that we recently began detoxing his brain and that would be where he is storing many of his egg toxins right now because we've been detoxing all the other areas for nine months. I could speculate for hours; however, it doesn't do any good. The child cannot have eggs right now and that's that.
A NEW JOURNEY
This whole process has been very interesting. For Craig we have seen obvious changes and improvements and our friends and family have seen them as well. They don't have to ask what changes we've seen in him because if they knew him before, it is obvious that we're making improvements. However, many have emailed or asked via Facebook what kind of changes the rest of the family has experienced.
For Rick, he has lost over twenty pounds and his stomach "issues" have gone away. (You can read about that in our Success Stories.) However, the most incredible change is his gluten fog. He will roll his eyes and tell you I'm crazy and that he wasn't living in a gluten fog. However, I will die on this hill. The man is very different since going gluten free. He is engaged and present instead of checking out. He still has energy after coming home from work. He gets up in the mornings and immediately starts his day where as before he would need to sit and "wake up" for awhile before going. I could write page after page about this, but it would only embarrass him or make him angry. Just suffice it to say that I am still standing back in awe at the amount of change in him since going gluten free and eating organic.
For me, I've lost a little over fifteen pounds and I just generally feel better. I have a couple of break throughs that I'm waiting on in certain areas, but I'll wait and share about those when I figure them out a little more.
Our most surprising (and newest) adventure is Julie. Obviously if you know us, you know that Julie's food allergies are definitely not manifested in her behavior. I'm not saying the girl is perfect or never has a temper tantrum, but her behavior does not fluctuate like Craig's does. However, Julie has had her share of health issues. When she was born, she had terrible, TERRIBLE allergies. Her nose ran constantly and she kept having eczema problems on her face and tummy. She spent her first Thanksgiving in the hospital with RSV. It was such a bad case and so scary that they called an ambulance to the doctor's office where I'd brought her. When we moved from Houston, things seemed to improve drastically for her.
Once she was able to talk (and talk she did!), she was able to tell us things that were bothering her and it has always been the same: #1) my tummy hurts and #2) I can't breathe.
I would hear "my tummy hurts" at least once a day. You could bank on it! At first, I thought maybe she was just hungry. However, then I'd hear it twenty minutes after she ate. Or, I'd hear it after she drank a glass of water.
Then, when she was four she began telling me she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her breath sounds weren't diminished and she wasn't struggling, she just felt like something wasn't right.
Then, we began to notice something really odd at about the age of 4 1/2. We began to see that she had a storage tank of energy and when it was gone - it was G-O-N-E. She had no reserve. She could go 90 to nothing and then all of a sudden, it was as if she'd completely run out. She'd get these dark circles under her eyes and she would need to go to bed. We saw the best example ever at Disney this past Christmas. I had over done it and came back to the hotel by myself on the last night leaving Rick and the kids riding some last rides at Hollywood. One hour later, Rick burst through the hotel room carrying a crying Julie with Craig following closely behind. She had broken down about thirty minutes after I left when she had tried to ride Rockin Roller Coaster again and realized she had nothing left. She'd over done it as well. She cried and cried because she wanted to keep riding, but she recognized the feeling (exhaustion, weakness) and knew she was done.
Well, since going gluten free, I no longer hear "my tummy hurts" very often. Occasionally she will complain, but definitely not once a day as it was before. Since we removed sulfites, she no longer complains about her breathing. As it turns out, sulfites are terrible for people with asthma or lung issues. After having RSV, I imagine sulfites irritated her little lungs.
The most amazing find has been her energy breakthrough. I recently began taking her to see our chiropractor as well. This has always been part of my plan, I just didn't feel like I could handle having BOTH of them on restricted diets and supplements at the same time. So, now that I feel like I can handle Craig's, I started Julie's journey.
As it turns out, Julie is slightly intolerant of milk (which happens to be ALL she drank as a one and two year old). Her body was not appreciate of dyes - especially red. She reacted STRONGLY to the gluten. But, the most surprising find was her adrenal glands. As it turns out - they are not functioning properly. This is the direct connection with her energy levels. What is ASTONISHING about that though is this: When I was pregnant with her I began to notice that without warning I would all of a sudden be completely out of energy. The only thing that would fix it would be to go to bed and start new in the morning. I could be going strong and then suddenly be completely done. I had never experienced that before in my life and was astonished at what her pregnancy was doing to my body. Most people can feel their energy start to fade and that is what I had known all my life. However, during pregnancy with her my energy could go from full to completely depleted within ten minutes. After she was born, I noticed the problem didn't go away and I have dealt with it since. Little did I know I had passed it on to her and I had no idea it was connected to our adrenal glands. Even more astonishing is that my mother shared with me that she has the same problem (just never knew it was her adrenal glands) and that my great grandmother had the same thing. (It is highly likely my grandmother had it as well, she just never shared it with us.) Therefore, this has been an issue for five generations and we are just now figuring out what is causing it. We are currently working through some supplements and testing the waters to see what will work best to combat adrenal fatigue.
The last astonishing thing we recently discovered with Julie is that her body is not appreciative (doesn't tolerate well) citrus (and possibly fruit in general). This should come as no surprise to me. I loathe fruit - hate it. I never crave it and would prefer to never eat it. However, when I was pregnant with her, I could NOT get enough. I ate fruit with every meal like it was going out of style. Having hated fruit my entire life, this was peculiar to me and somewhat humorous. We don't know right now why her body doesn't want to metabolize fruit, so we're currently looking into that as well.
In conclusion (finally, right?!) - I don't want you to think we have a bunch of sick kiddo's on our hands. Nor do I want you to think that that is what WE think. Instead, I want it to come as an encouragement to you: that food affects EVERYTHING. It effects our behavior, our breathing, our bowels, our stomachs, and our adrenal glands. Instead of heading to your primary care physician and getting an inhaler or some stomach acid medicine, consider heading over to your local chiropractor and taking a more natural approach to what ails you or your child. I think you'd be surprised at the amount of things you could "fix" simply with food! Happy Thursday!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Brilliant Marketing Campaigns
It was about ten years ago that I remembering seeing the first one. I remember thinking how odd it was at the time and I still feel the same way about it. Commercials for prescription drugs are all over the t.v. now and they range in nature from blood pressure "fixers" to pills that can help you "in the bedroom".
What they really are is completely ludicrous. Think about it. Now people see a commercial on t.v. for restless legs and think to themselves "I might have Restless Leg Syndrome". No, dear one. What you have is either too much caffeine in your system when you try to rest, a vitamin deficiency, or possibly some stress overload. You do not need a prescription medication for your leg movements. However, they proceed to schedule an appointment with their primary physician and ask them about prescribing something to treat this "syndrome" that they heard about on t.v. Their doctor proceeds to treat the symptoms instead of the real problem and prescribes one of the usuals. The patient goes home happy. The doctor goes home richer. However, the pharmaceutical company goes home the winner.
Everyday they advertise more and more prescription drugs on t.v. and everyday our nation takes a few more morning, noon and night. Did you know that from 1992-2002 the number of prescribed medications rose by 61%? Do you think that had anything to do with the beginning of television advertisements regarding prescriptions that can "fix" whatever ails you?
It is a brilliant marketing campaign. But, it's not the only one. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade should win the award for "Most Brilliant Marketing Campaign EVER"!
Forty years ago, coaches used to make their players go entire practices without water breaks. They believed it made them stronger. Well, a few tragic instances and a little bit of wisdom later and we now hydrate fully at each sporting event.
You probably already know that Gatorade came from the mind of an assistant coach at the University of Florida who was correct in his thought process regarding electrolytes fueling our bodies and how we lose them (electrolytes) during exercise. However, what happened in the fifty years following the Gators first Orange Bowl, no one could have predicted.
Last night at Craig's baseball game (which I am lovingly referring to as our home away from home), every single one of his teammates had a Gatorade bottle in hand.
They were replacing electrolytes. (And given that it was 102 degrees (literally) when his game started, this was a wise decision.)
They were hydrating. (Very wise decision.)
However, let's take a closer look at what they were putting in their systems. Take a Gatorade (Rain Berry flavor) for example. (What is a "rain berry" anyway?) The ingredients listed on the back are water, sucrose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, natural flavors, citric acid, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, phosphoric acid, red 40, and blue 1. Now, let's break those down one by one.
WATER - Listed first, this means that it is what Gatorade is mostly made of. (The first ingredient listed always tells you what the majority of the content is.) Nothing wrong with water; let's move on.
SUCROSE SYRUP - Sucrose is simply sugar, so this is a sweetener - a sugar syrup. Sugar (in moderation) is much better than any artificial sweetener out there.
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP - This is where things start to get a little scary and it is especially disturbing that this is the third ingredient listed. The biggest problem with HFCS is that it is made from corn and corn is a mess right now. It is nearly impossible to find corn that hasn't been genetically modified in some way. Health guru's all over the world recommend eating a corn-free diet because of the dangers of corn crops. (For optimum health, they say stay away from corn, gluten and soy.) Anything that you consume that has corn in it (corn chips, corn syrup, cornbread, etc...) contain synthetic ingredients because the corn was genetically modified. (Obviously the exception to this would be organic corn, but let me assure you that HFCS is not made from organic corn.) Super dangerous friends. The second biggest problem with HFCS is that despite the UNBELIEVABLE MARKETING CAMPAIGN on the t.v. right now saying that it is just like sugar, it is NOT. I cannot stress this enough. HFCS is not just like sugar. Sugar is sucrose. When you consume it, it travels to your liver where your liver decides whether to metabolize it, store it or get rid of it. However, fructose doesn't get to go to your liver. It is immediately turned into fat. It's like sneaking in without paying admission. If you want an ingredient to watch out for that is bad 100% of the time - HFCS fits the bill.
NATURAL FLAVORS - I won't spend long on this one because it's a joke. Manufacturers are allowed to use the words "natural flavors" on their ingredient lists as a cover all. Natural flavors could cover anything from MSG to food colorings, preservatives to additives. It is a scam - a cover up. Any product that uses the words "natural flavors" cannot be trusted.
CITRIC ACID - This is a natural preservative from citrus fruits. Obviously - consuming the citrus fruits themselves would be more beneficial and healthy, but citric acid hasn't been linked with any health fallout yet.
SALT - The funniest part about salt being in Gatorade is that it's the only thing it really needs other than water. Putting just a pinch of salt into a glass of water (not even enough to taste it) will provide enough sodium chloride to replace lost electrolytes. Add a banana in (for potassium) and you've just replaced all lost electrolytes. Hmmmm... kind of makes you wonder what the other ingredients are doing in there, huh?
SODIUM CITRATE - Not completely bad, this is simply citric acid mixed with baking powder. It hasn't been linked with any fallout yet.
MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE - A food additive I would recommend staying away from, it is technically a salt of sorts - but it is used in fertilizer and fungicides. It is a source of potassium which is probably why it is in the drink in the first place; however, it would be easier (and more beneficial) to just eat a banana. Maybe a banana wouldn't fit in the bottle.
PHOSPHORIC ACID - A mass produced man-made chemical (your first clue that it's not good for you) that is used to get a tangy flavor into the drink. It is primarily used for rust removal if that is any indicator as to why you might not want to ingest it. (That's why a soda on your car battery will remove the "gunk".)
RED 40 & BLUE 1 - I would label these two as the worst pieces to this disastrous puzzle. Food colors are made from coal tar. They are so dangerous that most of the other nations in our world have outlawed them. I know what you're thinking. The last time you went to England or China, you probably enjoyed a soda or maybe your favorite cookie or chips because they looked familiar. However - you didn't enjoy them with the same ingredients they are made with in the U.S. In order for companies like Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, and Keebler to ship to other countries, they have to figure out how to make their products with ingredients that are completely legal in those countries and food dyes are among the many that the America allows in it's products that other countries do not.
So, the next time you think about pushing a sports drink down your child to rehydrate them - think twice! All they really need is a tall glass of water with a pinch of salt and maybe a side of banana.
What they really are is completely ludicrous. Think about it. Now people see a commercial on t.v. for restless legs and think to themselves "I might have Restless Leg Syndrome". No, dear one. What you have is either too much caffeine in your system when you try to rest, a vitamin deficiency, or possibly some stress overload. You do not need a prescription medication for your leg movements. However, they proceed to schedule an appointment with their primary physician and ask them about prescribing something to treat this "syndrome" that they heard about on t.v. Their doctor proceeds to treat the symptoms instead of the real problem and prescribes one of the usuals. The patient goes home happy. The doctor goes home richer. However, the pharmaceutical company goes home the winner.
Everyday they advertise more and more prescription drugs on t.v. and everyday our nation takes a few more morning, noon and night. Did you know that from 1992-2002 the number of prescribed medications rose by 61%? Do you think that had anything to do with the beginning of television advertisements regarding prescriptions that can "fix" whatever ails you?
It is a brilliant marketing campaign. But, it's not the only one. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade should win the award for "Most Brilliant Marketing Campaign EVER"!
Forty years ago, coaches used to make their players go entire practices without water breaks. They believed it made them stronger. Well, a few tragic instances and a little bit of wisdom later and we now hydrate fully at each sporting event.
You probably already know that Gatorade came from the mind of an assistant coach at the University of Florida who was correct in his thought process regarding electrolytes fueling our bodies and how we lose them (electrolytes) during exercise. However, what happened in the fifty years following the Gators first Orange Bowl, no one could have predicted.
Last night at Craig's baseball game (which I am lovingly referring to as our home away from home), every single one of his teammates had a Gatorade bottle in hand.
They were replacing electrolytes. (And given that it was 102 degrees (literally) when his game started, this was a wise decision.)
They were hydrating. (Very wise decision.)
However, let's take a closer look at what they were putting in their systems. Take a Gatorade (Rain Berry flavor) for example. (What is a "rain berry" anyway?) The ingredients listed on the back are water, sucrose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, natural flavors, citric acid, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, phosphoric acid, red 40, and blue 1. Now, let's break those down one by one.
WATER - Listed first, this means that it is what Gatorade is mostly made of. (The first ingredient listed always tells you what the majority of the content is.) Nothing wrong with water; let's move on.
SUCROSE SYRUP - Sucrose is simply sugar, so this is a sweetener - a sugar syrup. Sugar (in moderation) is much better than any artificial sweetener out there.
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP - This is where things start to get a little scary and it is especially disturbing that this is the third ingredient listed. The biggest problem with HFCS is that it is made from corn and corn is a mess right now. It is nearly impossible to find corn that hasn't been genetically modified in some way. Health guru's all over the world recommend eating a corn-free diet because of the dangers of corn crops. (For optimum health, they say stay away from corn, gluten and soy.) Anything that you consume that has corn in it (corn chips, corn syrup, cornbread, etc...) contain synthetic ingredients because the corn was genetically modified. (Obviously the exception to this would be organic corn, but let me assure you that HFCS is not made from organic corn.) Super dangerous friends. The second biggest problem with HFCS is that despite the UNBELIEVABLE MARKETING CAMPAIGN on the t.v. right now saying that it is just like sugar, it is NOT. I cannot stress this enough. HFCS is not just like sugar. Sugar is sucrose. When you consume it, it travels to your liver where your liver decides whether to metabolize it, store it or get rid of it. However, fructose doesn't get to go to your liver. It is immediately turned into fat. It's like sneaking in without paying admission. If you want an ingredient to watch out for that is bad 100% of the time - HFCS fits the bill.
NATURAL FLAVORS - I won't spend long on this one because it's a joke. Manufacturers are allowed to use the words "natural flavors" on their ingredient lists as a cover all. Natural flavors could cover anything from MSG to food colorings, preservatives to additives. It is a scam - a cover up. Any product that uses the words "natural flavors" cannot be trusted.
CITRIC ACID - This is a natural preservative from citrus fruits. Obviously - consuming the citrus fruits themselves would be more beneficial and healthy, but citric acid hasn't been linked with any health fallout yet.
SALT - The funniest part about salt being in Gatorade is that it's the only thing it really needs other than water. Putting just a pinch of salt into a glass of water (not even enough to taste it) will provide enough sodium chloride to replace lost electrolytes. Add a banana in (for potassium) and you've just replaced all lost electrolytes. Hmmmm... kind of makes you wonder what the other ingredients are doing in there, huh?
SODIUM CITRATE - Not completely bad, this is simply citric acid mixed with baking powder. It hasn't been linked with any fallout yet.
MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE - A food additive I would recommend staying away from, it is technically a salt of sorts - but it is used in fertilizer and fungicides. It is a source of potassium which is probably why it is in the drink in the first place; however, it would be easier (and more beneficial) to just eat a banana. Maybe a banana wouldn't fit in the bottle.
PHOSPHORIC ACID - A mass produced man-made chemical (your first clue that it's not good for you) that is used to get a tangy flavor into the drink. It is primarily used for rust removal if that is any indicator as to why you might not want to ingest it. (That's why a soda on your car battery will remove the "gunk".)
RED 40 & BLUE 1 - I would label these two as the worst pieces to this disastrous puzzle. Food colors are made from coal tar. They are so dangerous that most of the other nations in our world have outlawed them. I know what you're thinking. The last time you went to England or China, you probably enjoyed a soda or maybe your favorite cookie or chips because they looked familiar. However - you didn't enjoy them with the same ingredients they are made with in the U.S. In order for companies like Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, and Keebler to ship to other countries, they have to figure out how to make their products with ingredients that are completely legal in those countries and food dyes are among the many that the America allows in it's products that other countries do not.
So, the next time you think about pushing a sports drink down your child to rehydrate them - think twice! All they really need is a tall glass of water with a pinch of salt and maybe a side of banana.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Insane in the Membrane
I'm so sorry for my absence! Life has been insane in the Ivy Household recently. I.N.S.A.N.E.
The children finished up school with a million parties and awards ceremonies. Craig began playing All-Star baseball which requires either a daily practice or game (which are out of town). I went back to work (answering phones) temporarily which means I am exhausted and grumpy. (ha) All that to say, I just haven't been able to keep up with our two blogs and our family and everything else. I apologize for my absence.
I thought today I would simply catch you up on our latest adventure...
CROSSING THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER
Craig began a new supplement that has been proven to cross the blood brain barrier. What's that? Wikipedia gives the official definition as "a separation of circulating blood and the brain extracellular fluid (BECF) in the central nervous system (CNS)." Or - in layman terms - it's the barrier that prevents materials in the blood from entering the brain. However, the biggest issue at hand is that the blood brain barrier (BBB) is semi-permeable. It allows some materials to cross while preventing others.
Why would that matter?
Because there are some materials we don't want in our brains!!
It's silly to speculate exactly what caused our son to be allergic to ... well .... to life. (That's a much shorter way than listing all of the foods he cannot have.) We will probably never know for sure what flipped the switch in our son. However, we do have some possible culprits that we know could be responsible. And those culprits cross the BBB.
I will not enter into a debate with you regarding immunizations. However, given everything we have learned in the research we have done to help our son we know this: There is a very real possibility that our sons eighteen month immunizations were what flipped the switch. I could take the time to post the videos that we have of him before and after. I could tell you the long drawn out story of how much he changed at that point. But, I have never been the type to feel the need to convince others that what I'm doing is right. I'm not a salesman - never have been. All I can tell you is that our research has led us to conclude that this is a very real possibility and that our children (and any future children) will never receive another immunization again if we can help it.
The metals contained in the immunizations (aluminum, cadmium, chromium, etc...) can sometimes cause metal toxicity. (So can the metals they use in the fillings of your teeth, but that is a different post for a different day.) We had Craig tested when we first began this journey and he tested high for cadmium. However, given everything else we were dealing with (the eggs, the artificial sweeteners, the gluten, etc...) we just ignored the cadmium and went after the others. We recently got to the point where we felt we were stable enough to start the next leg of our journey: to try and rid Craig's body of poisonous metals.
It has not been a fun ride.
He began the new supplement and within twenty four hours we had bed-wetting, severe behavior problems, no appetite and extreme lethargy. He was rocking, he couldn't sleep and kept wanting to brush his teeth. It was like I was back in the hotel in San Antonio by myself with him with furniture piled in front of the door trying to keep him safe and in the room. (That will always stand out in my mind as the "worst he ever was". He had just had emergency dental work done, he was on a pink antibiotic (red food dye), and I was feeding him everything he was allergic to. Good times.)
I got that panicked feeling ... you know ... when the phrase - "What have I done?" - enters your mind.
And then - just as quick as it came on, it began to clear up. The fog began to lift and out walked our son - the one we've gotten used to having around. The one that is funny and smart. The one that always goes after the underdog. The born leader with a soft heart. We're still detoxing which means we're getting the occasional flare up. However, the roughest part is over (I think).
(((Note: I want to include this part for those of you that really need this information. However, I'll warn you that it is too much information. So, for the queasy in the bunch - quit reading and skip on down. When I use the word "detox" - it means the same as it does anywhere else. When he detoxes, we see alot of time in the bathroom and we see large amounts in the bathroom. I realize that's gross beyond gross - but it's the PROOF that detox is actually taking place. And it's absolutely necessary to rid the body of toxins. This time, we began to see his behavior improve as well as some of the other symptoms disappear immediately following a happy time in the potty.)))
So, why does the BBB matter so much? What's the point? What's the big deal?
Well, the blood brain barrier has three important jobs:
1. To protect the brain from foreign substances
2. To protect the brain from hormones and neurotransmitters
3. To maintain a constant environment for the brain
However, certain things can open the BBB which can cause it to not do it's job efficiently. For example, high blood pressure opens the BBB allowing foreign substances and hormones to enter the brain. Microwaves and other forms of radiation open the BBB. Infection or brain injury (head trauma) can open the BBB. And then - most important for our discussion today - the BBB is not fully formed at birth. Therefore, when Craig was born and we allowed him to receive immunizations a few days after birth and then continuing at all the normal vaccination times - we essentially played with fire. And, in a rare moment of complete and total honesty I'll tell you that we're probably getting everything we deserve for not educating ourselves and being completely informed regarding our decisions, our health, and our son's future.
Now, lest you think that we have completely settled on immunizations as being the one and only culprit, let me set the record straight by telling you that we are studying various other things that might have played a role.
For example, baby formula. We were amazed to find out just how toxic baby formula really is and yet both of our children were formula fed solely from 6-12 months. (Kick me now, please.)
Bt is another toxin we're researching (as well as others). It is used to make crops toxic to pests so that they won't eat/destroy them. While deemed safe for human consumption originally, they have since found it showing up in human blood which means that it's possible it's crossing the blood brain barrier.
I'm looking into things that I ate, took (antibiotics and other meds) and participated in (multiple sonograms, epidural, etc...) while pregnant that might have led to Craig having a tendency toward food allergies.
Why would I study all of this and research? I mean, the damage is already done for our son, right? We can't go back.
My reasoning is two-fold:
My biggest desire right now is to educate other parents out there about the potential dangers lurking in our food and our drugs. If other parents learn what we have learned, it will change their family trees forever. And if enough parents learn what we have had to learn, it will bring change in our world because the market will be screaming for less toxic, processed foods and more organically grown, safe food.
The second reason is to provide hope. So many parents out there are struggling with their kids behaviors. Their school officials are telling them to go see a psychiatrist. Their friends and family members are recommending medications. They're just drowning in despair and disappointment. They feel like they've tried everything. If we can just get word to them regarding the enormous effect food plays in our lives, they can find the same hope we did. They can get their child back.
Tonight we have yet another baseball game and as tired as I am of baseball, all I have to do to find the energy to go is think about how one year ago our son could not participate in organized sports. One year ago our son couldn't focus long enough, follow instructions well enough, or obey consistently enough to participate in America's favorite past time. If getting him back means we're baseball-ing every night for the rest of my life, I think I can live with that. [insert big grin here]
The children finished up school with a million parties and awards ceremonies. Craig began playing All-Star baseball which requires either a daily practice or game (which are out of town). I went back to work (answering phones) temporarily which means I am exhausted and grumpy. (ha) All that to say, I just haven't been able to keep up with our two blogs and our family and everything else. I apologize for my absence.
I thought today I would simply catch you up on our latest adventure...
CROSSING THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER
Craig began a new supplement that has been proven to cross the blood brain barrier. What's that? Wikipedia gives the official definition as "a separation of circulating blood and the brain extracellular fluid (BECF) in the central nervous system (CNS)." Or - in layman terms - it's the barrier that prevents materials in the blood from entering the brain. However, the biggest issue at hand is that the blood brain barrier (BBB) is semi-permeable. It allows some materials to cross while preventing others.
Why would that matter?
Because there are some materials we don't want in our brains!!
It's silly to speculate exactly what caused our son to be allergic to ... well .... to life. (That's a much shorter way than listing all of the foods he cannot have.) We will probably never know for sure what flipped the switch in our son. However, we do have some possible culprits that we know could be responsible. And those culprits cross the BBB.
I will not enter into a debate with you regarding immunizations. However, given everything we have learned in the research we have done to help our son we know this: There is a very real possibility that our sons eighteen month immunizations were what flipped the switch. I could take the time to post the videos that we have of him before and after. I could tell you the long drawn out story of how much he changed at that point. But, I have never been the type to feel the need to convince others that what I'm doing is right. I'm not a salesman - never have been. All I can tell you is that our research has led us to conclude that this is a very real possibility and that our children (and any future children) will never receive another immunization again if we can help it.
The metals contained in the immunizations (aluminum, cadmium, chromium, etc...) can sometimes cause metal toxicity. (So can the metals they use in the fillings of your teeth, but that is a different post for a different day.) We had Craig tested when we first began this journey and he tested high for cadmium. However, given everything else we were dealing with (the eggs, the artificial sweeteners, the gluten, etc...) we just ignored the cadmium and went after the others. We recently got to the point where we felt we were stable enough to start the next leg of our journey: to try and rid Craig's body of poisonous metals.
It has not been a fun ride.
He began the new supplement and within twenty four hours we had bed-wetting, severe behavior problems, no appetite and extreme lethargy. He was rocking, he couldn't sleep and kept wanting to brush his teeth. It was like I was back in the hotel in San Antonio by myself with him with furniture piled in front of the door trying to keep him safe and in the room. (That will always stand out in my mind as the "worst he ever was". He had just had emergency dental work done, he was on a pink antibiotic (red food dye), and I was feeding him everything he was allergic to. Good times.)
I got that panicked feeling ... you know ... when the phrase - "What have I done?" - enters your mind.
And then - just as quick as it came on, it began to clear up. The fog began to lift and out walked our son - the one we've gotten used to having around. The one that is funny and smart. The one that always goes after the underdog. The born leader with a soft heart. We're still detoxing which means we're getting the occasional flare up. However, the roughest part is over (I think).
(((Note: I want to include this part for those of you that really need this information. However, I'll warn you that it is too much information. So, for the queasy in the bunch - quit reading and skip on down. When I use the word "detox" - it means the same as it does anywhere else. When he detoxes, we see alot of time in the bathroom and we see large amounts in the bathroom. I realize that's gross beyond gross - but it's the PROOF that detox is actually taking place. And it's absolutely necessary to rid the body of toxins. This time, we began to see his behavior improve as well as some of the other symptoms disappear immediately following a happy time in the potty.)))
So, why does the BBB matter so much? What's the point? What's the big deal?
Well, the blood brain barrier has three important jobs:
1. To protect the brain from foreign substances
2. To protect the brain from hormones and neurotransmitters
3. To maintain a constant environment for the brain
However, certain things can open the BBB which can cause it to not do it's job efficiently. For example, high blood pressure opens the BBB allowing foreign substances and hormones to enter the brain. Microwaves and other forms of radiation open the BBB. Infection or brain injury (head trauma) can open the BBB. And then - most important for our discussion today - the BBB is not fully formed at birth. Therefore, when Craig was born and we allowed him to receive immunizations a few days after birth and then continuing at all the normal vaccination times - we essentially played with fire. And, in a rare moment of complete and total honesty I'll tell you that we're probably getting everything we deserve for not educating ourselves and being completely informed regarding our decisions, our health, and our son's future.
Now, lest you think that we have completely settled on immunizations as being the one and only culprit, let me set the record straight by telling you that we are studying various other things that might have played a role.
For example, baby formula. We were amazed to find out just how toxic baby formula really is and yet both of our children were formula fed solely from 6-12 months. (Kick me now, please.)
Bt is another toxin we're researching (as well as others). It is used to make crops toxic to pests so that they won't eat/destroy them. While deemed safe for human consumption originally, they have since found it showing up in human blood which means that it's possible it's crossing the blood brain barrier.
I'm looking into things that I ate, took (antibiotics and other meds) and participated in (multiple sonograms, epidural, etc...) while pregnant that might have led to Craig having a tendency toward food allergies.
Why would I study all of this and research? I mean, the damage is already done for our son, right? We can't go back.
My reasoning is two-fold:
My biggest desire right now is to educate other parents out there about the potential dangers lurking in our food and our drugs. If other parents learn what we have learned, it will change their family trees forever. And if enough parents learn what we have had to learn, it will bring change in our world because the market will be screaming for less toxic, processed foods and more organically grown, safe food.
The second reason is to provide hope. So many parents out there are struggling with their kids behaviors. Their school officials are telling them to go see a psychiatrist. Their friends and family members are recommending medications. They're just drowning in despair and disappointment. They feel like they've tried everything. If we can just get word to them regarding the enormous effect food plays in our lives, they can find the same hope we did. They can get their child back.
Tonight we have yet another baseball game and as tired as I am of baseball, all I have to do to find the energy to go is think about how one year ago our son could not participate in organized sports. One year ago our son couldn't focus long enough, follow instructions well enough, or obey consistently enough to participate in America's favorite past time. If getting him back means we're baseball-ing every night for the rest of my life, I think I can live with that. [insert big grin here]
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