As we are getting ready for school tomorrow, I am finding myself a little nervous...and quite thankful. This time last year, Sis's eczema was flared up. Her ankles were horrible. The first couple of weeks of school were very difficult. I didn't know if she would be able to attend class. I didn't know what was gonna happen. She had a hard time straightening out her legs again. She could only where flip flops. And the summer heat was murder. This child, who used to LOVE the outdoors, was a recluse in the summer. She didn't like going outside. The gnats flipped her out because they wouldn't leave her alone and when she got hot, she itched like crazy. Her skin would break open and the horrible nightmare would repeat. So, she chose to stay inside. When she was able to return to school, she couldn't enjoy outside P.E. - which was ok with her...She stayed cool and had minimal itching. Once the weather cooled, her life was much better and a little more normal. Anyway, this was the time before we discovered Wobenzyme N. You can read more about that by clicking here.
Everything that blooms in the late summer was in full bloom this time last year. She was "going backwards" as we called it at our house. Her skin was flared, broken open, baths were painful and life was so stressful again...Well, that's where we were this time last year. Where are we this year? Clear skin and wearing sneakers! And yes, everything is in full bloom again.
Course, I am a little nervous - I've been able to keep an eye on her all summer - making sure she drinks enough water daily, reminding her to use her Na-PCA spray when she scratches too much, reminding her to "rub", making sure she gets cooled down with minimal itching when she gets hot and sweaty. I know. Typical mom, right? Gotta be in control - or feel like we are anyway! I give all the thanks to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for where we are today with Sis's eczema and food allergies. I am so thankful for the wisdom and discernment He grants me as I look for new recipes and adapting them for her. For being able to figure out what could possibly still be irritating her skin when I thought we removed everything she could possibly be allergic too. I thank Him for the endurance He gives me every day to create meals she enjoys eating!
Oh, by the way! We went last week to our pediatrician for a check up. This was the first time in all Sis's life that her pediatrician has said her skin looks good. I've always heard, from her first baby checkups about how dry her skin is and what I should do to care for it.
Of course, having a child with food allergies, I have to make snacks, lunches, special treats, etc for school. With all that I have learned over the last 2 years, and with being able to nail down her food allergies, her lunch menu has really opened up this year. For instance, I have learned to make bread that holds up really well for a sandwich!! So tomorrow, she gets to take a chicken sandwich for lunch! To say I am excited for her is a huge understatement!
I have been busy getting ready for school to start, so I haven't had a chance to start posting recipes. I hope to start on that real soon.
Feel free to leave a comment - I'd love to hear from you!
Blessings!
CJ
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
What are Food Allergies?
I actually had someone tell me that food allergies weren't real. This more than aggravated me! I know first hand that this is so far from the truth! Food allergies show up in different forms - from skin reactions to anaphylaxis. According to Food Allergy Research and Education, food allergies affect up to 15 million Americans, including 1 in 13 children. That's unreal! When I was growing up, I didn't know anyone with a food allergy. Don't recall hearing about food allergies until I became an adult.
So what exactly is a food allergy? Basically, it's an overactive immune system. Before I explain, let's look at our immune system. Our immune system identifies and destroys germs, like viruses and bacteria, in order to keep us well. It's our first line of defense and a very important function of our body. If it doesn't work properly, or is overloaded with germs, we get sick. The majority (like 80-90%) of our immune system is located in our gut, or intestines. So a healthy gut equals a healthy you. According to an article on cancer.org called "What the Immune System Does,"
parasites are like hostile, foreign armies that are not normally found in your body.
They try to invade your body to use its resources, and they can hurt you in the process.
Your immune system is your body’s defense force. It helps keep invading germs out, or
kills them if they do get into your body.
The immune system keeps track of all of the substances normally found in the body.
Any new substance in the body that the immune system doesn’t recognize raises an
alarm, causing the immune system to attack it. Substances that cause an immune
response are called antigens. The immune response can destroy anything containing the
antigen, such as germs or cancer cells.
Germs have substances on their outer surfaces, such as certain proteins, that are
not normally found in the human body. The immune system sees these foreign substances
as antigens and attacks them."
So, it only makes sense that since the majority of your immune system, or first line of defense, is in your gut, you must keep your gut healthy, right? So, how do we do that? I'll tell in a bit. But first, let's go back to the previous question; what is a food allergy? Food allergies are the result of the immune system mistaking an otherwise harmless food protein as an allergen, or threat, and attacks it. With food allergies, the immune system produces large amounts of antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies fight the intruder, which in this case is food proteins, and releases histamines and other chemicals, which then trigger the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Unlike other types of food disorders, such as intolerances, food allergies are “IgE mediated.” This means that your immune system produces abnormally large amounts of an antibody called immunoglobulin E — IgE for short. IgE antibodies fight the “enemy” food allergens by releasing histamine and other chemicals, which trigger the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Food intolerances are a bit different. When people are tested for food allergies, its the IgE levels that are being tested. With a food intolerance, IgE doesn't go to battle. A great example is a person who is lactose intolerant. If you are lactose intolerant, you don't have the necessary enzymes to digest lactose, or milk sugar. So, if you drink milk, you end up with a very unhappy gut, but not an immune response. Do you swell when stung by a bee or bit by a wasp? This is a great example of an IgE mediated reaction. The antibodies are sent to destroy the foreign substance left by the insect. That area will become enlarged and hot to the touch, and the IgE goes into battle.
Their are 8 foods that account for 90% of all food allergy cases in the U.S. - peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Of course, any food can potentially become a problem. One that is gaining popularity in the food allergy world is corn. I know of at least 3 people in my county with a corn allergy, besides my daughter. I learn of more corn allergies each time I search the web for new recipes. So, if the immune system thinks certain foods are the enemy and attacks it, it must have gained some incorrect information, right? Computers are only as great as the information entered in them. If we input wrong information, we may not get the correct information when we need it. Junk in, junk out. Yet, if the correct information is entered, we get correct information when we ask for it. Well, in reality, our bodies are not that much different. If we continually feed our bodies the wrong information, by consuming the wrong things, we are giving our bodies the wrong information. Junk in, junk out.
The Lord tells us that our bodies are temples and should be treated as such. We are created in His image, and He doesn't make mistakes. He tells us the good things to eat. Take Daniel and his friends for example. Daniel and a few others were brought to the king's house for training before entering the king's army. They were to eat of the king's food and drink the wine. Daniel did not wish to put this "junk" in his body and instead requested he and his friends be allowed to eat vegetables and drink water. This was done for 10 days, and Daniel and his friends were stronger and healthier than the men eating the king's food. I would bet these vegetables were also organic by today's standards. Although I am sure they were much better than what is produced today.
To improve your immune system, your gut flora needs improvement. Our gut is home to good and bad bacteria. In a healthy gut, the good bacteria out numbers the bad and is able to keep the bad in check. However, that balance is often upset by any number of factors; like antibiotics, poor diet, and stress. Yes, antibiotics do kill germs that create bacterial infections, but they also kill the good bacteria along with the bad. And since the bad bacteria don't have anything to keep it in check, they become over populated in our gut, and can potentially create all kinds of chaos in the form of poor health and diseases. So, we need to add good bacteria to give our bodies a fighting chance. We can do that through taking probiotics, consuming raw fruits and vegetables, fermented foods, like sauerkraut, kimchi, or kefir, and drinking good quality water. Read the labels when purchasing store bought yogurt and kefir as these products contain sugar, and you may not be getting everything you think.
There are so many choices when it comes to probiotics. According to Natural News' website, look for one that has 15 billion or more of live bacteria in each capsule, potency at expiration date, and many different, well researched strains. Also, one that is resistant to stomach acid and bile is a plus. Many organisms are killed during this part of digestion and the more organisms in a probiotic, the better chance of them making it to your gut. Look at the other ingredients listed. I prefer a probiotic that doesn't have a lot listed there. I see those as fillers, and in Sis's case, they have been aggravating factors with her eczema.
Like I mentioned earlier, food allergies can present themselves in many different forms.
Anaphylaxis reactions are life threatening. Nuts, fish and shellfish are common food allergens which produce anaphylaxis reactions. There are some people that can't even be in the same room as these foods. Bee stings, animal dander, pollen, plants, and medications are some other common allergens that can cause anaphylaxis reactions. Once a person is exposed to an allergen, their reaction can worsen each time they are exposed. When we were little, my brother was stung by a bee on his foot and it swelled liked crazy. My mom always warned that if he was ever stung near his throat, he had to get to the ER immediately. Thankfully, we didn't experience that, and now he hardly has a reaction. His body actually developed an immunity to the stings. Me on the other hand...I was not allergic as a kid, but as an adult, I am very allergic. Asthma, eczema, psoriasis are also symptoms of food or environmental allergies. Food Allergy Research and Education's website lists several other common reactions associated with food allergies on their website.
Most eczema patients also have asthma. Thankfully, Sis doesn't. Just food and environmental allergies and intolerances. However, we do get a glimpse of something that most asthma patients don't get to see. When eczema patients are flared up, it is very close to what the lungs of an asthma patient look like during an asthma attack. Until my asthmatic, nurse friend pointed that out, I had no idea.
Currently, Sis has not had a flare up since February 2014 (YAY!!!). At the end of May, we began food challenges to determine more specifically what she is allergic to and what is safe for her to eat. We had some trout that was caught in the NC river in Cherokee last year. The rivers are stocked there with farm raised trout. So no telling how long the fish had actually been in the river before they were fished out. At about 24 hours after eating the fish, Sis's whole body began to itch horribly. So trout is out. I honestly don't think I will try farm raised fish any time in the near future either. About 2 weeks later, we did try wild caught salmon and she did great. So for now, we will stick to that. And believe me, she doesn't mind salmon one bit - she has expensive taste!
If you have a family member, church member, friend with allergies, please take the time to learn all you can about the allergies and the ways they react. It will amaze you and may help them in the long run.
Click here if you want to join my email list, so you don't miss an entry. I won't bombard you with emails, and I don't share that information with anyone. I will send you an email when I post a new entry.
Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear from any of you that care for someone with allergies or an autoimmune disease, or have family members or friends with either.
Blessings,
CJ
So what exactly is a food allergy? Basically, it's an overactive immune system. Before I explain, let's look at our immune system. Our immune system identifies and destroys germs, like viruses and bacteria, in order to keep us well. It's our first line of defense and a very important function of our body. If it doesn't work properly, or is overloaded with germs, we get sick. The majority (like 80-90%) of our immune system is located in our gut, or intestines. So a healthy gut equals a healthy you. According to an article on cancer.org called "What the Immune System Does,"
"Your immune system is a collection of
organs, special cells, and substances that
help protect you from
infections and some other diseases. Immune cells and the
substances they
make travel through your body to protect it from germs that cause
infections. They also help protect you from cancer in some ways.
It may help to think of your body as a
castle. Germs like viruses, bacteria, and parasites are like hostile, foreign armies that are not normally found in your body.
They try to invade your body to use its resources, and they can hurt you in the process.
Your immune system is your body’s defense force. It helps keep invading germs out, or
kills them if they do get into your body.
The immune system keeps track of all of the substances normally found in the body.
Any new substance in the body that the immune system doesn’t recognize raises an
alarm, causing the immune system to attack it. Substances that cause an immune
response are called antigens. The immune response can destroy anything containing the
antigen, such as germs or cancer cells.
Germs have substances on their outer surfaces, such as certain proteins, that are
not normally found in the human body. The immune system sees these foreign substances
as antigens and attacks them."
So, it only makes sense that since the majority of your immune system, or first line of defense, is in your gut, you must keep your gut healthy, right? So, how do we do that? I'll tell in a bit. But first, let's go back to the previous question; what is a food allergy? Food allergies are the result of the immune system mistaking an otherwise harmless food protein as an allergen, or threat, and attacks it. With food allergies, the immune system produces large amounts of antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies fight the intruder, which in this case is food proteins, and releases histamines and other chemicals, which then trigger the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Unlike other types of food disorders, such as intolerances, food allergies are “IgE mediated.” This means that your immune system produces abnormally large amounts of an antibody called immunoglobulin E — IgE for short. IgE antibodies fight the “enemy” food allergens by releasing histamine and other chemicals, which trigger the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Food intolerances are a bit different. When people are tested for food allergies, its the IgE levels that are being tested. With a food intolerance, IgE doesn't go to battle. A great example is a person who is lactose intolerant. If you are lactose intolerant, you don't have the necessary enzymes to digest lactose, or milk sugar. So, if you drink milk, you end up with a very unhappy gut, but not an immune response. Do you swell when stung by a bee or bit by a wasp? This is a great example of an IgE mediated reaction. The antibodies are sent to destroy the foreign substance left by the insect. That area will become enlarged and hot to the touch, and the IgE goes into battle.
Their are 8 foods that account for 90% of all food allergy cases in the U.S. - peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Of course, any food can potentially become a problem. One that is gaining popularity in the food allergy world is corn. I know of at least 3 people in my county with a corn allergy, besides my daughter. I learn of more corn allergies each time I search the web for new recipes. So, if the immune system thinks certain foods are the enemy and attacks it, it must have gained some incorrect information, right? Computers are only as great as the information entered in them. If we input wrong information, we may not get the correct information when we need it. Junk in, junk out. Yet, if the correct information is entered, we get correct information when we ask for it. Well, in reality, our bodies are not that much different. If we continually feed our bodies the wrong information, by consuming the wrong things, we are giving our bodies the wrong information. Junk in, junk out.
The Lord tells us that our bodies are temples and should be treated as such. We are created in His image, and He doesn't make mistakes. He tells us the good things to eat. Take Daniel and his friends for example. Daniel and a few others were brought to the king's house for training before entering the king's army. They were to eat of the king's food and drink the wine. Daniel did not wish to put this "junk" in his body and instead requested he and his friends be allowed to eat vegetables and drink water. This was done for 10 days, and Daniel and his friends were stronger and healthier than the men eating the king's food. I would bet these vegetables were also organic by today's standards. Although I am sure they were much better than what is produced today.
To improve your immune system, your gut flora needs improvement. Our gut is home to good and bad bacteria. In a healthy gut, the good bacteria out numbers the bad and is able to keep the bad in check. However, that balance is often upset by any number of factors; like antibiotics, poor diet, and stress. Yes, antibiotics do kill germs that create bacterial infections, but they also kill the good bacteria along with the bad. And since the bad bacteria don't have anything to keep it in check, they become over populated in our gut, and can potentially create all kinds of chaos in the form of poor health and diseases. So, we need to add good bacteria to give our bodies a fighting chance. We can do that through taking probiotics, consuming raw fruits and vegetables, fermented foods, like sauerkraut, kimchi, or kefir, and drinking good quality water. Read the labels when purchasing store bought yogurt and kefir as these products contain sugar, and you may not be getting everything you think.
There are so many choices when it comes to probiotics. According to Natural News' website, look for one that has 15 billion or more of live bacteria in each capsule, potency at expiration date, and many different, well researched strains. Also, one that is resistant to stomach acid and bile is a plus. Many organisms are killed during this part of digestion and the more organisms in a probiotic, the better chance of them making it to your gut. Look at the other ingredients listed. I prefer a probiotic that doesn't have a lot listed there. I see those as fillers, and in Sis's case, they have been aggravating factors with her eczema.
Like I mentioned earlier, food allergies can present themselves in many different forms.
Anaphylaxis reactions are life threatening. Nuts, fish and shellfish are common food allergens which produce anaphylaxis reactions. There are some people that can't even be in the same room as these foods. Bee stings, animal dander, pollen, plants, and medications are some other common allergens that can cause anaphylaxis reactions. Once a person is exposed to an allergen, their reaction can worsen each time they are exposed. When we were little, my brother was stung by a bee on his foot and it swelled liked crazy. My mom always warned that if he was ever stung near his throat, he had to get to the ER immediately. Thankfully, we didn't experience that, and now he hardly has a reaction. His body actually developed an immunity to the stings. Me on the other hand...I was not allergic as a kid, but as an adult, I am very allergic. Asthma, eczema, psoriasis are also symptoms of food or environmental allergies. Food Allergy Research and Education's website lists several other common reactions associated with food allergies on their website.
Most eczema patients also have asthma. Thankfully, Sis doesn't. Just food and environmental allergies and intolerances. However, we do get a glimpse of something that most asthma patients don't get to see. When eczema patients are flared up, it is very close to what the lungs of an asthma patient look like during an asthma attack. Until my asthmatic, nurse friend pointed that out, I had no idea.
Currently, Sis has not had a flare up since February 2014 (YAY!!!). At the end of May, we began food challenges to determine more specifically what she is allergic to and what is safe for her to eat. We had some trout that was caught in the NC river in Cherokee last year. The rivers are stocked there with farm raised trout. So no telling how long the fish had actually been in the river before they were fished out. At about 24 hours after eating the fish, Sis's whole body began to itch horribly. So trout is out. I honestly don't think I will try farm raised fish any time in the near future either. About 2 weeks later, we did try wild caught salmon and she did great. So for now, we will stick to that. And believe me, she doesn't mind salmon one bit - she has expensive taste!
If you have a family member, church member, friend with allergies, please take the time to learn all you can about the allergies and the ways they react. It will amaze you and may help them in the long run.
Click here if you want to join my email list, so you don't miss an entry. I won't bombard you with emails, and I don't share that information with anyone. I will send you an email when I post a new entry.
Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear from any of you that care for someone with allergies or an autoimmune disease, or have family members or friends with either.
Blessings,
CJ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)