My introduction

[Sara Evans]

I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself!  I don't know if this is the right forum, but hopefully it is fine.

Where to start...there is so much I want to say and need help with.

I am 31 and have two kids 4.5 and 1, both boys.  I guess I should say that ever since puberty I have had off and on depression.  Sometimes mild, sometimes extreme.  I have never taken drugs for it.  I was also recently diagnosed with ADD after having suspected it for 10 years. I am 99% sure my older son has it too.  I gave birth to both boys naturally, neither one has had antibiotics and only my older ds had vaccines up to six months.   When I was pregnant with him, I had 13 amalgam fillings done.  I didn't realize this was bad as the dentists assured me it was fine.  He also had a speech delay and did not speak until he was 2.5.  I never had a filling before that.  I am still nursing my younger son.

I have always tried to eat somewhat healthy, but this last year I started getting into a more traditional foods diet.  Drinking raw milk, making my own kefir and yogurt.  I made sauerkraut once.  I'm trying to soak my grains, sprout my beans, soak my nuts.  I also made sourdough bread on a weekly basis.  Make bone broth and use it occasionally.

My son started complaining of tummy aches and I though maybe food sensitivities could be the cause of some of his behavior so I had a blood test for IgA/IgG allergies.  (i'm not even really sure what that means)  It came back that he was allergic to gluten, dairy, coconut, almonds, peanuts, eggs, pineapple.  I want to cry now.

I just feel so overwhelmed with where to even begin.  I read online constantly and there is so much info out there.  I just can't cope!  Feingold, scd, gaps, digestions, allergies, salicylates...what to do?   I did start him on a probiotic and digestive enzymes and cut the gluten and he hasn't really been complaining of tummy aches anymore.  But as far as the behavior goes, it is the same.  And personally, I don't know whether the behavior has more to do with him or me as a parent.  I have a really tough time with schedules and routine, I want to implement them, but I just can't do it.

I'm thinking of going on medication for depression, but I really hate to take drugs.  I have been taking some vitamin supplements, FCLO and tryptophan when I can remember, but I have a hard time remembering to do that.  Other than the mental and behavior problems, we really don't have any physical issues.  Poop fine, no itching, hives, eczema, nothing.

What do I do?  Where do I start?  Frankly this makes me just want to give up.  I hate thinking about it so much and being so crazy fanatical with food.  But I want to feel healthy and I want to know that my son is healthy.  Help.

[Sara Evans]

Oh, as far as the beets go, whenever I eat them I have pink pee. So apparently that's not good?

[Pat Robinson]

I'd just focus on removing the culprit foods and adding sauerkraut or zinc for stomach acid and a whole food probiotic.

Magnesium and folate help for depression also. The fCLO is fabulous. Don't feel like you have to do it perfectly! Ain't gonna happen. Just take it one day at a time. You are doing it!

Magnesium, folate and zinc, fCLO are key here.

Magnesium citrate, 5-MTHF are easy supplements, for convenience. Adding lemon to water throughout the day helps too. And an iodine source helps with energy. I like organic, heavy metal tested kelp.


Pat

[Pat Robinson]

Basically indicates inadequate stomach acid, which is key to bio-availability of nutrients. Thus the sauerkraut or zinc suggestion.

Pat

Sara Evans said:

Oh, as far as the beets go, whenever I eat them I have pink pee. So apparently that's not good?

[Pat Robinson]

Vit C and selenium help mercury to excrete more safely. I wouldn't do any chelating, detox or fasting. Just focus on nutrients to improve stomach acid and recolonize the gut and alkalize the body. The rest will unfold more easily when you have more energy, ime.

I assume you all don't do any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives? Dairy casein is an issue here too.


Pat

[Whole_Body_Healer]

Betaine HCl is also an option for low stomach acid.

Pat Robinson said:

Basically indicates inadequate stomach acid, which is key to bio-availability of nutrients. Thus the sauerkraut or zinc suggestion.

Pat

Sara Evans said:

Oh, as far as the beets go, whenever I eat them I have pink pee. So apparently that's not good?

[Sara Evans]

Thanks for all the replies Pat. It's been a tough few months, but I am feeling much better now. I started taking my raw liver "pills" again and I feel so much better! I think I needed to stop thinking about this stuff for a little while until I could handle it again. So after doing some more reading, I have come to the conclusion that I really need to heal my son's gut. I believe he has mercury poisoning from when I had the fillings when I was pregnant with him. I wish I had known about this then, I so regret having them, but of course the dentist told me it was fine. ARGH!!!!!

I've been reading "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" and it is a wonderful wealth of knowledge with concrete ideas of what I can do. I am starting small with both of us but I feel really good about being able to heal us. I've been faithfully brewing my water kefir and yesterday I made beet kvass and fermented ginger carrots. I'm going to get a strong probiotic for my son and really start trying to cut out the grains for him. He won't like it, but I think he will understand that it is for the health of his body (he gets tummyaches a lot).

Where does one obtain Betaine Hcl?

As for the colors/preservatives/flavorings...at home I definitely don't do those things (or at least I think we don't!) but out it is difficult. I guess there would be no going out to eat for the foreseeable future? :(

[Sara Evans]

Oh yeah, my son LOVES the water kefir. He calls it Mommy's special lemonade. :)

[Whole_Body_Healer]

Re: Betaine HCl is available at most health food stores, Whole Foods, etc.
Michalene

Sara Evans said:

Thanks for all the replies Pat. It's been a tough few months, but I am feeling much better now. I started taking my raw liver "pills" again and I feel so much better! I think I needed to stop thinking about this stuff for a little while until I could handle it again. So after doing some more reading, I have come to the conclusion that I really need to heal my son's gut. I believe he has mercury poisoning from when I had the fillings when I was pregnant with him. I wish I had known about this then, I so regret having them, but of course the dentist told me it was fine. ARGH!!!!!

I've been reading "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" and it is a wonderful wealth of knowledge with concrete ideas of what I can do. I am starting small with both of us but I feel really good about being able to heal us. I've been faithfully brewing my water kefir and yesterday I made beet kvass and fermented ginger carrots. I'm going to get a strong probiotic for my son and really start trying to cut out the grains for him. He won't like it, but I think he will understand that it is for the health of his body (he gets tummyaches a lot).

Where does one obtain Betaine Hcl?

As for the colors/preservatives/flavorings...at home I definitely don't do those things (or at least I think we don't!) but out it is difficult. I guess there would be no going out to eat for the foreseeable future? :(

[Pat Robinson]

It sounds like you have learned a lot and made progress. Mercury is a long journey of frustration. I know.

Here are my 14 Steps for Healthy Guts.

Did you see Healing Leaky Gut with Food?? Another mama in the same situation.

Let me know if you have specific questions.

Pat