Adventures in Anti-inflammatory/hypoallergenic diets!

I realize that it has been well over a year since I last contributed to this blog, and not from a lack of any health or nutrition topics I could discuss.  Life's just been plain crazy!  So what is pulling me to suddenly write a random blog post, you ask?

My daughter's eczema.

It showed up about this time last year and has gotten worse and worse.  No amount of natural or medicated creams or lotions seems to help and though I have considered going to an allergist to figure out her issues, the wait to get an appointment would be months out and I have a hunch that the culprit may be one of the following: wheat, dairy, eggs, or peanuts (all amazing and delicious foods).  So, as much as I don't want to do this to her, why not just eliminate these foods from her diet and see if there is an improvement?

I was considering going on an anti-inflammatory diet anyway to see if I can regain some pep and get rid of some pain.  (An anti-inflammatory diet consists of a lot of beans, rice, fruits, and vegetables and no dairy, sugar, or gluten.  Though these are wonderful, nutritious foods they can feed a state of inflammation in the body if it's already brewing, so staying away from these foods for a time can help decrease inflammation in the body and allow for better healing) 


So to hopefully rid my daughter of her constant itchiness and bleeding/scabbed skin and to improve my health, we are going forward.

This is not easy for me.  I live off of bread and dairy products and I really love homemade cookies and fudge brownies.   However, the hardest part about going forward with this diet is the amount of prep work involved.  This diet is generally a diet of few (if any) processed foods, which means that I need to carefully prepare meals and snacks when PBJ's, pretzels, and cheese sticks have been the norm.  I usually wouldn't mind all the prep work, but I am a full-time working mother of two active little girls and I the thought has continued to circulate in my head: "I just don't have the time for this!"  Needless to say, I've been dragging my feet for the past month or two.......

....but after slowly gathering a meal and grocery plan, I've actually come up with quite a few delicious meals and snacks that will hopefully still be appealing to my daughter and won't leave my taste-buds crying for flavor from a bland diet of rice and beans.  It has involved a lot of research and recipe searching, but I think this will be very doable!

As I was preparing tomorrow's meals this afternoon, the thought came to me:  how many other people out there have thought about going on an anti-inflammatory diet to help improve their health or have thought of putting their child on a restrictive diet for similar reasons or to reduce allergies but have thought that it would be too much work or didn't know where to start or just thought there was no way they could give up good food?

Perhaps I need to revive this little blog and include some tips and recipes that others would find useful?

Just a thought.

And hopefully between my work days, my mommy days, and my quest to find a regular exercise routine, you'll be seeing me back on here soon....... :)

What are you eating???

Ever wonder the exact nutrition value of your food (especially if you prepare it yourself and don't have a nutrition label to go off of)??

Well, a few months ago my husband found an awesome website that will tell you every nutrient found in every food from a cup of raw broccoli to a slice of pumpernickel bread.

nutritiondata.self.com

It also contains information about the glycemic index, effects of processing foods, healthy recipes, great foods for breastfeeding moms to eat, and healthy but yummy menu options for those with diabetes and heart disease.

Check it out!

Gluten-free

To say that wheat is a big part of my life would be no exaggeration.  I eat whole wheat pasta, I regularly make my 100% honey whole wheat bread for my family.  We even eat cooked wheat berry for breakfast.  Per half cup, wheat packs 15 grams of highly quality protein, 12 grams of fiber, is loaded with vitamins and minerals, and provides loads of long-lasting energy.  I will forever support wheat (whole wheat) as one of the most nutritious foods we can put into our bodies.....

....and then there are the increasing number of naturopaths, chiropractors, etc who are adamant that wheat and other gluten products cause more harm than good.  At a nutrition seminar that my husband attended, one practitioner went as far as to say that upwards of 70% of Americans are intolerant to gluten and would be much healthier if they went off all gluten products.  Okay....well, it is true that many people with health (particularly digestive) issues begin to experience relief and feel better when they go off gluten.....but does that mean that all those people are intolerant to gluten and should go off these products for the rest of their lives? 

I was just tested for "celiac sprue", or gluten intolerance.  Results came back negative, which didn't surprise me since symptoms of those who are truly gluten intolerant include horrendous diarrhea (which I thankfully don't have).  Plus, I've been eating wheat my whole life without experiencing the symptoms I currently have until just the last 6 months.  However, I decided to perform a little experiment and go off gluten just to see how I feel.  It's been about a month since I said goodbye to my wheat bread.  My symptoms fluctuate, but overall, I DO feel a lot better!  So shouldn't that be my answer to the gluten debate?  Why would I still defend the nutritional value of my whole wheat bread!?  Well, I have kind of come up with a little theory of my own.....

I believe that gluten is a potential allergen for many people--just like eggs, peanuts, strawberries, dairy, chocolate, etc.  However, I don't think that potentially allergenic foods are synonymous for "bad foods that we should all avoid".  I believe that when the immune system is run down, when a body is not working as well as it should or normally does, then not only is the body susceptible to disease, but that it also reacts with greater sensitivity to potentially irritating food (like gluten!).  At times like these, avoiding these potentially allergenic foods is probably a good idea until the body is whole again. 

I just can't get on board with the idea that all Americans' diets should be void of gluten, potatoes, corn, peanuts, all sugar, eggs, dairy, citrus, and whatever the current "bad food of the month" fad happens to be.  These foods are packed full of nutrition and I believe that God put them on the earth to do exactly that: nourish us.  These may be foods to avoid while going through the healing process (if they do indeed help your respective symptoms), but I don't believe that we need to live off of rice and lentils, either.

I still don't know what's going on with my body and my health; I'm still working on that.  Cutting out gluten has not made me "all better", but it's helped me to feel a whole lot better while I work on healing my body.  So I'll avoid gluten and limit my dairy and refined sugars until I'm feeling 100% again.  However, once I get back to my normal, healthy self, you can bet I'll be making my honey whole wheat bread and eating an occasional chocolate chip cookie, and I highly doubt it will be the ruin of me. 

The Great Pill Debate

I am a nurse at an Alzheimer's home.  While completely different from my previous nursing experience in cancer and ICU, it is quite eye-opening and I am still learning a lot.  I have the greatest little old patients alive: one who calls me by "Unis", another who thinks we are best childhood friends and always asks me about my sister, and another little old man who is the resident "ladies' man" and has several women constantly trying to sit by him during bingo.  These people make my job awesome.  Period.

One big part of my job is, of course, managing medications.  Many medications I hand out are, no doubt, beneficial.  They help ease the anxiety, fear, and confusion that Alzheimer patients so often have.  Other medications are crucial for controlling diabetes.  Some, however, I wish I didn't have to give....


....I was setting up meds. the other day, and noted to my colleague what a bunch of bologna it was that one poor little lady had 15 pills to take that morning, most of them supplements: vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B, iron, potassium, a multivitamin for women, a multivitamin for the elderly, and on and on and on!!  (Just for the record, when I am 92 and--heaven forbid--if I ever have Alzheimer's, please do not shove 15 horse pills down my throat every morning.  I refuse!)  Some of you may be thinking, "But, Holly, vitamins are good!  Essential!  They make us healthier!"  To which I respond, "Yes, you're right.  But is it essential to get vitamins and minerals in pill form every day?"  In my humble opinion, the answer is simply,"yes" and "no".
Contradictory, I know.  But not really.  At all.  Okay, explanation:

While many people are moving away from the tendency to run to their MD for a prescription for every little malady, what they don't realize is that they are then often running straight into the arms of a million supplements that may not always be the best thing for them either.  Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent supplement companies--that my husband has become acquainted with through chiropractic school--that offer very beneficial products, which I will get into later.  But if there is one thing that nutrition classes, seminars, and books have taught me (often via my husband), it is that the best "multivitamin" we can give our bodies is a colorful, diverse diet full of all the nutrition a healthy body needs.  If a non-symptomatic (or generally healthy) person is eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, and meat (I know vegetarians would disagree on this one), then is there really a need to take a daily multivitamin??  I don't believe so.

Besides providing energy, food's greatest purpose is to give us the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients we need in a readily available, and most easy-to-absorb way possible.  It is far better to get your vitamins from a natural, whole food source rather than a lab-made supplement that is structurally identical to that particular vitamin.  It's just more natural.  Yes?  So if you're generally healthy and looking to make sure your body is getting all the good stuff it needs, I'd say shy away from the 15 pills a day.  Try new fruits, new vegetables, new grains, and different herbs to your diet.  The greater the variety of food you eat, the more likely it is that you'll be getting all the nutrition your body needs to stay healthy.  Within the past few months, we have really tried this in our home and it is wonderful to rediscover all different varieties of foods after being stuck in a rut of just cooking enchiladas, stew, and chicken pot pie for years.

So then, what about all the research that shows all the benefits that taking zinc and vitamin c supplements has in boosting the immune system and fighting off disease?  Well, that's where I say, bravo!  Supplements can be a wonderful thing.....most especially to someone in an immune-compromised state, someone who is ill or struggling with pain, or someone who may merely be deficient in certain nutrients.  So if you are not feeling completely healthy and are looking for supplements to boost your health, strength, and physical well-being, then I suggest doing some shopping before you start popping the pills that are on the pharmacy isle in the grocery store.

I'm still sorting out which supplements and providers I think are "the best", but here are a few to look into that are available through naturopathic and chiropractic doctors.  (I would recommend supplements that are available through a practitioner.  They often have the most research and science-based evidence to back their effectiveness.  The reason some of these companies like to supply their products through a practitioner is to ensure that their products are used properly and that their use is monitored since supplements can have a very potent effect on the body just like a drug your MD would prescribe.)


Standard Process:  This company boasts of using whole foods to create all their supplements, which basically means that their multivitamin is made of mashed up plants, animal organs, etc.  It sounds kind of gross, but it follows with the idea that the best source of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients comes from our food.  These supplements often do not provide the high doses that would be most beneficial for those who have more compromised health or chronic conditions.  I do recommend their cod liver oil, which is especially beneficial for women. 

Metagenics:  This company, in conjunction with Nutrition Dynamics, offers a wide variety of products: supplements, "green drinks", antioxidant creams, cleanses, protein powders, fish oil, and essential oils.  Their supplements are excellent, containing the higher doses of vitamins and herbs needed for those suffering from chronic and acute illness.  There is a lot of great research that backs the efficacy of their products and both Garrett and myself have been very impressed with the quality and purity of their products and the lack of "crap" that are so often included in many other supplements (extra sugar, fake sugar, preservatives, food coloring).

Apex:  This is a newer company that also offers a variety of supplements.  I don't know much about them as we are just starting to use some of their products for trial, but so far, so good!  It seems to be a quality company.


So those are just a few supplement companies that may be worth asking your practitioner about.  I would advise anyone to approach the pill-poppin' with caution.  I truly believe that the less pills and powders we can put in our bodies and the more variety of foods that we can eat, the better.  But I also believe that the Lord inspired the men and women who discovered modern medicine as well as those who have tapped into the healing powers of natural supplements and herbs in order to help restore our bodies to physical health.