So what's going on with my little B's tummy?

Well my little B has had issues with constipation since about 2 years old.  I figured it was hereditary and our old pediatrician said he should just take miralax.  Wow laxatives indefinitely for a toddler... That's the great medical wisdom I was foolishly paying for.  Once I found this new pediatrician, along with the extensive reading I have done, I realized that I needed to find the root of the problem and work on solving what was causing this, in order to help him become healthier. 

We had 2 tests done to see what was going on in his gastrointestinal system.  The Allergy Antibody Assessment and CDSA  (The Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis).  Both are done through our new pediatric office using Genova Diagnostics.  His allergy test came back to show that not only does he have IgG allergies to milk, but all dairy along with wheat and gluten.  So the doctor has him on a GFCF diet for 6 months... what is that people say?  Means NO food that has dairy or casein in it and NO food with wheat or gluten in it.  That has really limited our choices and forced us into even healthier eating.  Many products have these products in them that people don't even realize.  We are only safe with raw fruits, veggies and meat that isn't processed unless I read the food labels to see what is in everything.  Fast food is out!  Anyhow, his other test results showed that in his intestines, he has severe inflammation, tissue damage, and maldigestion.  He also has zero good belly bacteria so he is on a extremely high amount of probiotics now.  I had no idea all this was going on b/c I can't see in his tummy.   According to Genova Diagnostics, a food that causes an IgG response is referred to as a delayed allergy.  IgG allergies usually result from eating too much of a particular food too frequently over a period of time. 

The good news for us is that after 6 months I can try giving him these foods again and there is a great chance his system will no longer have the sensitivity to these items.  Many people think it is stupid that my child is on such a strict diet but if I didn't do my part to help heal his tummy then I could be taking the risk of continuing to let more tissue within him become damaged and this could also set him up for a future of possible health problems and put him at higher risk for serious diseases.  I have realized that what we eat truly can play a part in all our health issues, good and bad.  I am making a greater effort to feed my children and my family a variety of healthier foods and including a lot more fruits and veggies. We still let them enjoy treats, we just search for ones that are both yummy and not full of chemicals. If I would have known the things I know now, I could have saved my son from ever having tummy pain that would bring him to tears and save myself the headache of our strict new diet.
 

Where I buy our foods and supplements

This was the most challenging task at first...GROCERY SHOPPING! Oh my goodness, I spent about 6 hours shopping one time.  Going to different stores of course.  Well, I have mastered it and I'm back to my regular amount of grocery shopping time.  I have specific stores that I go to for certain items.  Once the whole food store opens in fairview, I will probably do most of my shopping there as they offer everything from organics to gluten free food, grass fed meats, range free eggs, etc.  As for now I go to Market Street, Signature Kroger stores, Sprouts, Natural grocers, Whole Foods and I still find some stuff at Walmart.  I get supplements through our doctors or at Mike's Health Collection. I also buy grass fed meats from a local farmer (Rehoboth Ranch) that goes to local farmers markets. However I do not go to all of these in one day but I switch up where I go depending on my schedule.


Our grocery bill has gone up a little but but not substantially b/c I no longer buy frozen food dinners and all the little junk foods that so many of us like to fill our freezers and pantries with.  Now we fill our shelves and fridge with fruits and veggies (organic if on the dirty dozen list), meats that are minimally processed, free of antibiotics, growth stimulants, hormones and nitrates, gluten free pasta, range free eggs that again have no antibiotics or hormones, crackers, cereal, and chips that have no preservatives, artificial color or artificial flavor, and no high fructose corn syrup.  Now the meats and fruits are a little more expensive but the other stuff is in the same price ranges as the less healthier options.  It just takes time in the beginning to read the labels of what I am buying to feed my family.  Now I know our basic choices and new items I just take the time to read what is in the food ingredients.  For myself, I want to know what I am putting in my children's bodies.  I have spent many hours over the past 6 months reading books and articles that help explain what and why it makes a difference to eat healthier food choices.  Some of my favorites are listed at the bottom of my blog page.  

Holistic/Integrative Medical Approach

A year ago when I heard the term holistic, the first thought that came to mind was "hippies".  I had no idea what the term meant.  I knew people took herbs in place of medicine at times but that is all I knew.  And I was to stubborn to think anything outside the modern day medical approach had any true wisdom in it.  Now my opinion is that there is a great deal of wisdom and knowledge in both. 

A simple definition I found for holistic health was from wikipedia:  a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole. Holistic health focuses on all facets of human functioning, which involves our taking responsibility for maintaining all aspect of our well-being.

Integrative healing is based on a practitioner-client partnerships in which both conventional and alternative modalities are used to stimulate the body's natural healing potential.

In the book, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics, Dr. Kenneth Bock states, "My approach is based upon the medical principle of holism, which calls for addressing the human body as an integrated, interdependent, interrelated entity. Because every aspect of the brain interacts with every other aspect..."  He then continues to discuss how he uses this approach to help children with Autistic brains.  

In my own family I have seen through my kids, myself and my husband how eating healthier, taking supplements, and including exercise in your life is all part of becoming healthier by taking care of your whole body. Now we still have further to go but I am now opening my mind to look at our health differently.  We still use medication when needed and the doctors that I see use medication when needed to cure certain sicknesses.  But they look at what the root of the problem is instead of medicating the symptoms.  They want to help their patients to get their bodies working the way God designed them to work, by healing themselves and being able to detox themselves from certain environmental toxins.  We cannot avoid all the toxins, pollution, pesticides, and parasites in the world but we can have a healthy immune system to flush them out .  Like I said before this is all new to me and I am learning as I go.  I have so much more to learn about how our bodies work as a whole entity.