I just wanted to share my experience with diffusing essential oils in our home. In researching what happened to my family, I found little information online about the possible negative effects of the oils, but I found plenty of personal experiences and questions like my own in forums being discounted by representatives of different oil companies.
I've been using various essential oils for several years now, mostly for cleaning purposes or to add fragrance to my homemade lotions and chapsticks. Tea tree oil has been helpful with cloth diapering and I have loved adding some lavender or eucalyptus to things like homemade bath salts for wonderful fragrance.
As a lover of alternative medicine and natural healing, I was very excited when everyone around me started talking about essential oils being used in place of over-the-counter medications for minor health complaints like headaches and runny noses. I'm willing to give just about anything a chance, so when my kids' sitter started selling doTerra, I decided to purchase a few items from her. I never went into it thinking they would cure cancer, but I was hopeful that they could help alleviate the symptoms of things like a cold or sleeplessness.
My first purchase was doTerra's insect repellent blend, TerraShield. After spending a very uncomfortable Memorial Day weekend camping with my family and ending up covered head to toe with bug bites because I wasn't willing to spray us down with traditional bug sprays, I was willing to give this a shot. For our Fourth of July camping trip I applied the bug blend to the kids and they didn't seem to be as eaten up after the trip. I'm not sure if that speaks to the effectiveness of the product or the fact that there were less bugs around on that particular trip.
After that I decided to buy a few other products from my friend - the Balance blend and the Past Tense roller for headaches. Balance smelled good - I bought it because I thought it would be a good thing to have on hand in a house with four small children. I can always use some balance! Past Tense was my favorite product by far. If I felt a small headache coming on, there was something soothing about the tingles I would get on my temples and neck where I rolled on the oils. It's not that the headaches went away; I just think the pleasant smells and tingles distracted me long enough to feel better.
After that I bought OnGuard, hoping it would help our house remain healthy this winter, as well as various oils that smell nice to me - lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, etc.
One day, while babysitting my sick children, our sitter brought over her oil diffuser. She said that diffusing the OnGuard into the air would help to purify it and keep the healthy children from catching the bug that was beginning to sweep through the house. When my oldest son started coughing that night, I didn't connect the diffused oils to it at all and just assumed a cough was part of whatever sickness his body was fighting off. I also began to experience a tightness in my chest, but discounted it as my body beginning to come down with the bug.
It's now been a month since we bought the diffuser and I've tried different oils with the same effect every single time - someone in the house ends up wheezing and coughing. At first I thought it might be that I was just adding too much oil to the water, so I decreased it to only one drop, but that didn't make a difference. Then I stopped diffusing anything with peppermint and eucalyptus in it, as some literature I read said that those oils should not be used around children (they can cause respiratory issues). That meant no more OnGuard in the house.
Soon even things like lavender and lemon, which I was simply diffusing through the house to give it a nice smell, were beginning to bother my husband (who had asthma as a child), me, and my oldest son. I would describe the feeling that I get as the same I have experienced after cleaning with harsh chemicals. It's as if my lungs are irritated and burning.
It is very difficult to find literature about the safety of these essential oils. I've asked several people affiliated with doTerra about the safety of their use, especially around children. All of them have assured me that they are safe to use because they are natural. But just because something is natural, it doesn't mean it is healthy for everyone, right?
In trying to research the safety of the essential oils, I've come across lots of information about side effects in pregnant and nursing women, as well as small children. As a nursing mother with many small children, these are things I didn't even think about before I starting rubbing these oils on myself and my babies. I'm thankful now that we didn't start ingesting them without doing any research.
I feel like in the natural/alternative health community, we are quick to dismiss criticism and we assume that things that come from nature have to be good for us, while anything made in a laboratory is bad. We forget that things like essential oils, which are concentrated far beyond how one would find them in nature, are just as potent and dangerous to some people as pharmaceutical drugs. We wouldn't just give our children dosages of random drugs given to us by friends without researching their safety, so we need to treat the essential oils the same way.
We are no longer diffusing oils in the house. Yesterday was my last attempt and after only ten minutes with the diffuser on, filled with oils that are not supposed to be unsafe for kids or cause respiratory distress, my son was coughing and complaining of shortness of breath, my husband said he was starting to wheeze, and my lungs were starting to burn. Perhaps others can handle the oils, but it sounds like they are an irritant for members of my family. And the response to the inhalation of oils has me questioning the safety of applying the oils topically. Some of these oils are capable of melting plastic, so I'm not sure they should be used without proper training on the sensitive skin of children. We will, however, continue to use the oils for things like cleaning and other home maintenance (bug repellent or adhesive removal - stuff like that).
From now on, if my children are fighting a cold, we'll go back to using herbal teas to help with symptoms - something that used to work for us with great success. A warm cup of peppermint tea is much less potent than the concentrated peppermint oil and can have the same effect. And if I'm looking for a safe alternative to synthetic fragrances to make my home smell better, I'll go back to simmering cinnamon sticks and orange peels on my stove. They smell just as good and I've never had trouble breathing from them.
Since the Internet seemed to be lacking in information about the downsides to essential oil usage, I thought I would share my experience. This is just that - my experience - and I firmly believe we are all created differently, so some bodies may be capable of handling the diffused oils. Perhaps there is something in our home already irritating our lungs and making it hard to tolerate the oils. Or maybe we have allergies or sensitivities most people don't have (as a food and seasonal allergy family, that could be likely). I would just warn anyone reading this to research what oils you are using on your family members before using them and make sure to educate yourself on the proper use of them before doing so. Proceed with caution in the same way you would with any other drug or supplement.
-Jessica
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
SCD/GAPS/Paleo Diet: The First Three Months
On October 1 my six-year-old son and I began our own version of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet/GAPS Diet/Paleo eating plan. We made the decision to do it for a few reasons. First, I have Crohn's Disease and over the course of the last five years have been able to wean myself down to the minimum dosage of my maintenance medication, but have never felt completely comfortable with quitting it cold-turkey because I've been either pregnant or nursing at the time. I'm currently nursing a ten-month-old, but feel like it's a good time to try to go off the medication before another potential pregnancy.
The reason we decided to have my son do it is because he is allergic to peanuts and dairy. He turned six years old last August and while he has outgrown many other food allergies over the last few years (eggs, soy, pineapple, and tomato), these two allergies have actually gotten worse according to test results. My son nursed as a baby and never had a reaction to what I ate and was in my milk. He even received pumped milk up to the age of nearly three without reactions to what was in the milk, but when I tried to give him some of my pumped milk for an added probiotic boost last year he reacted to it. Even after avoiding dairy and peanuts for several weeks and trying again, he still had a reaction. Because of this and the fact that very few children outgrow their allergies if they haven't already by Kindergarten age, we knew that it was going to take something drastic, combined with a lot of prayer, to heal his body. Others have had luck with food allergies on the GAPS diet, so we thought we would give it a shot. At this point we have nothing to lose.
I'd had Breaking the Vicious Cycle, the book about the SCD diet, sitting on my bookshelf for years and had been ignoring it despite having people in my life tell me I should try it. It wasn't until a friend told me about her experience with her autistic son and the GAPS diet and then hearing about another woman at a Weston A. Price meeting who had "cured" her Crohn's Disease with the same diet, that I decided I needed to look into it.
The SCD, GAPS and Paleo diets are all very similar. You avoid all grains (not just gluten), including things like rice, oats, quinoa, potatoes, and other foods that people with gluten intolerances can eat. No sugar, preservatives, or other food additives are allowed. Basically, you can eat pastured meats, pastured eggs, raw dairy, organic fruits/vegetables, properly soaked nuts (and nut flours and butters), lentils, split peas, navy beans, honey, oils (we only eat coconut and olive), and a few other things. All of the diets vary a little in what they will and won't allow, but the point is the same - no grains and sugar, a therapeutic probiotic regimen, and clean eating so that your "leaky gut" can heal.
Preparing for the Diet
We spent the month of September preparing for the diet. Since we are already dealing with food allergies, intolerances, and special diets in our home, going on such an intense diet wasn't nearly as scary as it would be for most people. We haven't been able to eat at restaurants or eat processed foods for years now, so we didn't have to worry about adjusting our lifestyles to eat this way. We also already had sources for many of the foods on the plan, like pastured eggs/meat and raw dairy. We have basically been eating this way for years without completely cutting out sugar and grains, so that was going to be the hard part for us. For others who have to completely change the way they look at food, this process would seem much more overwhelming and difficult.
I also think that this diet would be very difficult for the average child. Most of the foods that children enjoy (and that are convenient for parents to feed them), such as breaded chicken nuggets, breads, cookies, crackers, french fries, candy, macaroni and cheese, etc. are not allowed on the diet. We didn't have to deal with a child that was being forced to give up the foods he liked, because our son has never been able to enjoy many of those foods due to his food allergies. He is used to not being allowed to eat what other people around him are enjoying.
There were some foods that were hard for my son to give up, mainly some of his favorite sugary treats. For me it was sourdough bread, bacon, and homemade pancakes with maple syrup. Eventually, we both weaned off of our grain and sugar addictions and I learned how to cook "legal" options that would replace them using nut flours and honey. We used the month of September to wean ourselves off of those foods and for me to refine my skills in cooking with our new staples.
Starting the Diet
On October 1, 2013 we officially began. We followed the GAPS protocol and for the first week we ate nothing but homemade bone broth to allow our digestive systems to heal. On top of this, my son started a new therapeutic dose of probiotics (I was already on a therapeutic dose). He went from taking 12 strains at 3 billion to 12 strains at 10 billion and I continued at 12 strains at 20 billion.
The first week was terrible. We both experienced very severe-die off reactions as our bodies purged the bad bacteria. By the second night we were both waking through the night and vomiting. This lasted about five days before we finally felt better.
I experienced a slight dip in my milk supply during the first few days, so I began eating homemade raw milk yogurt by day three. Since my son cannot have dairy, he was simply on the bone broths. Our next food we introduced was cooked vegetables in the broth and homemade sauerkraut, followed by egg yolks and cooked meats. By week three we were eating nut flours made from nuts that I had properly soaked and dehydrated, along with cooked fruits. The very last things we added were raw fruit and soaked lentils, split peas, and navy beans after the end of the first month.
Six weeks into the diet we were both feeling great and decided to up our probiotic dosage again. My son began taking 12 strains at 13 billion and I upped it to 12 strains at 23 billion. We did not experience a severe die-off the second time.
At the two month mark I hadn't taken my maintenance medication for my Crohn's Disease and was experiencing zero symptoms. In fact, my body was having the opposite reaction and I became very constipated and was only having a bowel movement once a week. Three months out and I'm still having problems with this issue. For years with my Crohn's Disease I have had to avoid trigger foods that would cause symptoms to flare, such as raw peppers, lentils, onions, or broccoli to name a few. I have learned that cutting out the fiber from all grains and then still avoiding those trigger foods makes digestion very difficult. I've had to change the way I eat and allow myself to consume small amounts of the trigger foods in order to stay "regular". It has been wonderful to enjoy a bowl of split pea soup or some raw peppers after avoiding them for nearly a decade.
The Results at Three Months
After three months I feel amazing. My nursing baby still wakes three times a night to eat and with previous babies I was feeling very run-down and could feel my immune system crashing and the Crohn's symptoms beginning to flare by this point. I feel like the diet has given me a tremendous amount of energy and I feel so healthy that the sleep-deprivation isn't as much of an issue. I imagine that I would feel like a million dollars if I were also getting solid sleep on top of this diet.
The effects of the diet on my son have also been amazing. After that first week of die-off he began having formed stools for the very first time in his life. His digestion is now very regular and solid. Another amazing result has been his weight gain. You would think that by cutting out nearly half of the foods he can eat, he would lose a lot of weight (which has been the case for me simply because I'm eating and craving less - I've lost all of my baby weight and then some, a total of 20 pounds in three months), however, he has had the opposite reaction. My son has always been extremely tiny, under the tenth percentile on the growth chart for weight most of the time. At age six he weighed 38 pounds, which was the same weight he had been for over a year. He lost two pounds during the first six weeks of the diet, but right before Christmas he was weighed again and had gained that two back plus another three pounds. Cutting out half of his diet and eating much more nutrient-dense food has resulted in a five pound weight gain after over a year and a half of no growth. This proves to me that his body is now absorbing more of the food he is eating and his digestion is getting more efficient. Since the goal of the diet is to heal the gaps in the intestinal wall, I have faith that this is a sign that something is happening there!
I plan to write more here about our journey, which will last at least two years, and also share some of our favorite recipes and tips for surviving this diet. If you or a family member are suffering from an autoimmune disease, food allergy/intolerance, or other ailment in which traditional medicine is failing you or giving you few options for full healing, this is something that may be an option for you. I won't lie, this diet is extreme and you have to follow it fanatically in order to see any benefit, but there are countless testimonies from people who have done it and have had great outcomes.
-Jessica
The reason we decided to have my son do it is because he is allergic to peanuts and dairy. He turned six years old last August and while he has outgrown many other food allergies over the last few years (eggs, soy, pineapple, and tomato), these two allergies have actually gotten worse according to test results. My son nursed as a baby and never had a reaction to what I ate and was in my milk. He even received pumped milk up to the age of nearly three without reactions to what was in the milk, but when I tried to give him some of my pumped milk for an added probiotic boost last year he reacted to it. Even after avoiding dairy and peanuts for several weeks and trying again, he still had a reaction. Because of this and the fact that very few children outgrow their allergies if they haven't already by Kindergarten age, we knew that it was going to take something drastic, combined with a lot of prayer, to heal his body. Others have had luck with food allergies on the GAPS diet, so we thought we would give it a shot. At this point we have nothing to lose.
I'd had Breaking the Vicious Cycle, the book about the SCD diet, sitting on my bookshelf for years and had been ignoring it despite having people in my life tell me I should try it. It wasn't until a friend told me about her experience with her autistic son and the GAPS diet and then hearing about another woman at a Weston A. Price meeting who had "cured" her Crohn's Disease with the same diet, that I decided I needed to look into it.
The SCD, GAPS and Paleo diets are all very similar. You avoid all grains (not just gluten), including things like rice, oats, quinoa, potatoes, and other foods that people with gluten intolerances can eat. No sugar, preservatives, or other food additives are allowed. Basically, you can eat pastured meats, pastured eggs, raw dairy, organic fruits/vegetables, properly soaked nuts (and nut flours and butters), lentils, split peas, navy beans, honey, oils (we only eat coconut and olive), and a few other things. All of the diets vary a little in what they will and won't allow, but the point is the same - no grains and sugar, a therapeutic probiotic regimen, and clean eating so that your "leaky gut" can heal.
Preparing for the Diet
We spent the month of September preparing for the diet. Since we are already dealing with food allergies, intolerances, and special diets in our home, going on such an intense diet wasn't nearly as scary as it would be for most people. We haven't been able to eat at restaurants or eat processed foods for years now, so we didn't have to worry about adjusting our lifestyles to eat this way. We also already had sources for many of the foods on the plan, like pastured eggs/meat and raw dairy. We have basically been eating this way for years without completely cutting out sugar and grains, so that was going to be the hard part for us. For others who have to completely change the way they look at food, this process would seem much more overwhelming and difficult.
I also think that this diet would be very difficult for the average child. Most of the foods that children enjoy (and that are convenient for parents to feed them), such as breaded chicken nuggets, breads, cookies, crackers, french fries, candy, macaroni and cheese, etc. are not allowed on the diet. We didn't have to deal with a child that was being forced to give up the foods he liked, because our son has never been able to enjoy many of those foods due to his food allergies. He is used to not being allowed to eat what other people around him are enjoying.
There were some foods that were hard for my son to give up, mainly some of his favorite sugary treats. For me it was sourdough bread, bacon, and homemade pancakes with maple syrup. Eventually, we both weaned off of our grain and sugar addictions and I learned how to cook "legal" options that would replace them using nut flours and honey. We used the month of September to wean ourselves off of those foods and for me to refine my skills in cooking with our new staples.
Starting the Diet
On October 1, 2013 we officially began. We followed the GAPS protocol and for the first week we ate nothing but homemade bone broth to allow our digestive systems to heal. On top of this, my son started a new therapeutic dose of probiotics (I was already on a therapeutic dose). He went from taking 12 strains at 3 billion to 12 strains at 10 billion and I continued at 12 strains at 20 billion.
The first week was terrible. We both experienced very severe-die off reactions as our bodies purged the bad bacteria. By the second night we were both waking through the night and vomiting. This lasted about five days before we finally felt better.
I experienced a slight dip in my milk supply during the first few days, so I began eating homemade raw milk yogurt by day three. Since my son cannot have dairy, he was simply on the bone broths. Our next food we introduced was cooked vegetables in the broth and homemade sauerkraut, followed by egg yolks and cooked meats. By week three we were eating nut flours made from nuts that I had properly soaked and dehydrated, along with cooked fruits. The very last things we added were raw fruit and soaked lentils, split peas, and navy beans after the end of the first month.
Six weeks into the diet we were both feeling great and decided to up our probiotic dosage again. My son began taking 12 strains at 13 billion and I upped it to 12 strains at 23 billion. We did not experience a severe die-off the second time.
At the two month mark I hadn't taken my maintenance medication for my Crohn's Disease and was experiencing zero symptoms. In fact, my body was having the opposite reaction and I became very constipated and was only having a bowel movement once a week. Three months out and I'm still having problems with this issue. For years with my Crohn's Disease I have had to avoid trigger foods that would cause symptoms to flare, such as raw peppers, lentils, onions, or broccoli to name a few. I have learned that cutting out the fiber from all grains and then still avoiding those trigger foods makes digestion very difficult. I've had to change the way I eat and allow myself to consume small amounts of the trigger foods in order to stay "regular". It has been wonderful to enjoy a bowl of split pea soup or some raw peppers after avoiding them for nearly a decade.
The Results at Three Months
After three months I feel amazing. My nursing baby still wakes three times a night to eat and with previous babies I was feeling very run-down and could feel my immune system crashing and the Crohn's symptoms beginning to flare by this point. I feel like the diet has given me a tremendous amount of energy and I feel so healthy that the sleep-deprivation isn't as much of an issue. I imagine that I would feel like a million dollars if I were also getting solid sleep on top of this diet.
The effects of the diet on my son have also been amazing. After that first week of die-off he began having formed stools for the very first time in his life. His digestion is now very regular and solid. Another amazing result has been his weight gain. You would think that by cutting out nearly half of the foods he can eat, he would lose a lot of weight (which has been the case for me simply because I'm eating and craving less - I've lost all of my baby weight and then some, a total of 20 pounds in three months), however, he has had the opposite reaction. My son has always been extremely tiny, under the tenth percentile on the growth chart for weight most of the time. At age six he weighed 38 pounds, which was the same weight he had been for over a year. He lost two pounds during the first six weeks of the diet, but right before Christmas he was weighed again and had gained that two back plus another three pounds. Cutting out half of his diet and eating much more nutrient-dense food has resulted in a five pound weight gain after over a year and a half of no growth. This proves to me that his body is now absorbing more of the food he is eating and his digestion is getting more efficient. Since the goal of the diet is to heal the gaps in the intestinal wall, I have faith that this is a sign that something is happening there!
I plan to write more here about our journey, which will last at least two years, and also share some of our favorite recipes and tips for surviving this diet. If you or a family member are suffering from an autoimmune disease, food allergy/intolerance, or other ailment in which traditional medicine is failing you or giving you few options for full healing, this is something that may be an option for you. I won't lie, this diet is extreme and you have to follow it fanatically in order to see any benefit, but there are countless testimonies from people who have done it and have had great outcomes.
-Jessica
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Whole Soy Story
After a visit to a homeopathic doctor in 2008, I discovered that I am soy intolerant, a diagnosis that has changed my life in many ways.* I used to be a sushi addict and my mouth still waters at the idea of a spicy tuna roll dipped in soy sauce, but then I remember the days following my sushi binges and how the soy sauce would leave me curled in the fetal position on the floor of my bathroom, writhing around in pain.
I also was a vegetarian for nearly ten years prior to this diagnosis. I lived off of tofu burgers and veggies shreds. As soon as I learned that the soy was making me sick, I had to completely change my lifestyle and begin eating meat again.
I also was a vegetarian for nearly ten years prior to this diagnosis. I lived off of tofu burgers and veggies shreds. As soon as I learned that the soy was making me sick, I had to completely change my lifestyle and begin eating meat again.
A few months prior to my diagnosis, it was also discovered that my older son, Gabriel, had a soy allergy. His first bottle of soy-based formula caused a severe allergic reaction.
Because of this our home has been soy-free for nearly two years, except for a couple of foods that my husband enjoys to have around as snacks. Gabriel and I are also unable to eat food that has been prepared at restaurants, because the only items on the majority of menus that do not contain a soy product are plain fruits and veggies that haven't touched the grill (which is usually covered in either margarine or soybean oil).
One day Adam heard a news story that linked soy to hormone imbalances in men, specifically that eating high levels of soy causes men to produce more estrogen, leading to a whole host of health problems. That was the final straw - all of the negative information I had been hearing about soy made me want to learn more about why it is considered a "healthy" food in our culture.
I finished reading The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN and I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the food. The book gives a background on how this crop that historically was used as a cover crop to enrich soil, became part of a health-food craze in America. It also breaks down all of the health concerns about eating soy. I recommend the book for anyone interested in learning why you shouldn't be consuming this food in the amounts that we find in the average American's diet.
I just wanted to highlight some of the interesting things I learned while reading the book:
The study that really made soy a healthy food in America showed that the Japanese (who eat 30 times the soy we eat) have lower rates of breast, uterine and prostate cancer. What the media coverage of this study failed to also tell us is that the Japanese have higher rates of esophageal, stomach, pancreatic and liver cancers. Asians also do not eat soy in the ways we eat it. They leave the soybean intact in fermented products like miso, tempeh and natto.
The FDA approves soy protein as a heart healthy food but it is also found on their "Poisonous Plant Database."
Soybean oil is a mosquito repellant. It actually kills the mosquito, which makes you wonder what it does to your insides.
People who eat ground meat with textured soy protein extenders (this is what is served to our children in school) lose 61% (at a 3:1 ratio) and 53% (at a 2:1 ratio) of their ability to absorb the iron from the meat.
Here are all of the toxins and antinutrients that soy contains:
The scariest information to read was about soy-based formula:
- allergens
- goitrogens - cause thyroid damage
- lectins - cause immune system reactions and play a role in allergic reactions because they destroy intestinal mucosa.
- oligosaccharides - cause bloating and gas
- oxalates - prevent the absorption of calcium and linked to kidney stones
- phytates - leads to poor growth and anemia. Levels are higher in soy than in any other food.
- isoflavones - cause reproductive damage
- protease inhibitors - cause gastric distress, poor protein digestion, cancer, and damage to the pancreas. Many foods contain them (grains, nuts, seeds, some veggies, etc.), but cooking deactivates them. They are at higher levels in soybeans (and even higher in GM beans) and are more resistant to neutralization through cooking.
- The isoflavones in the formula effect hormones and can cause developmental problems in the reproductive system. They also put children at an increased risk of thyroid problems (hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroid disease).
- Infants fed soy formula also produce more gas (CH4 and H2S), which has been linked to intestinal disorders, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease.
- Scientists have suggested expensive techniques that would neutralize the phytates in formula, but the industry prefers to go the cheaper route and enrich the formula with zinc, iron and calcium to compensate. They are required by law to do this.
- Iron absorption from soy formula is 27%. It is 65% in breast milk, 60% in whey formula and 46% in casein formula.
Something I learned from the author's website - "The Israeli Health Ministry has issued a health advisory warning that infants should not use soy formula. So have the British Dietetic Association, the New Zealand Health Ministry, and the Swiss Federal Health Service."
Soy lectin may contribute to Type 1 Juvenile Onset Diabetes because it destroys pancreatic cells that secrete insulin.
Asian monks used to eat high levels of soy because it was known to lower their libido.I have also read before that animals that are fed diets high in soy fail to thrive and show signs of malnutrition. They also have a shorter lifespan and produce less offspring.
When I put all of this information together, it's a no-brainer for me. It's yet another reason to make sure the food I am feeding my family isn't processed and is prepared properly (soaked, cooked properly, etc.). Since cutting out soy from my diet, I have not had a major flare-up of my Crohn's Disease and have been able to stay off of toxic drugs like Prednisone. I think I now know why!
If you are interested in learning more about soybeans, I suggest reading this book!
-Jessica
I was not contacted by anyone to review this book. I just enjoyed it and wanted to share some information with my readers.
*Diagnosis made through IgE fecal test.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Honey
Recent studies have shown that taking at least a tablespoon of local honey each day can help with seasonal allergies. Because bees pollinate local plants, the honey contains small amounts of those allergens. Scientists believe that by taking in these small amounts your body will eventually build up an immunity to them (think of it as a natural allergy injection).
To maximize the health benefits, look for honey that is produced locally and that is raw and unpasteurized (or has not been heated over 117 degrees). High heat kills the enzymes that help with digestion. You can usually find it at your Farmer's Market or a local health food store.
Other benefits and uses for honey:
How it's working for us:
I like to take my honey with my tea. I grew up preferring the taste of table sugar in my tea, so the honey took some getting used to, but now I can't drink it any other way. Gabe gets his honey in his oatmeal every morning. I add about a tablespoon to his bowl after it has been cooked. Neither of us have needed OTC allergy medications since beginning this (which is quite something, considering that I have always had bad allergies and as a child I had to get weekly allergy injections to help with my allergy symptoms). Adam has not had the same luck yet with the honey - and still requires some medications to deal with his allergy flare-ups.
My Favorite Cookie Recipe - Using Honey:
Given to me by my friend and doula
Mix 1.5 t. baking soda and 1 T. milk. Beat 2 eggs; add 1/2 c honey, 1/2 t. vanilla, 1/3 c. butter, and 1 c. natural peanut butter; Mix well. Add 3 c. quick oats. Stir together. Drop onto a cookie sheet and flatten. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until light brown.
-Jessica
Sources:
Fallon, Sally. Nourishing traditions the cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats. Washington, DC: NewTrends Pub., 1999.
Rubin, Jordan. Maker's diet. New York: Berkley Books, 2005.
To maximize the health benefits, look for honey that is produced locally and that is raw and unpasteurized (or has not been heated over 117 degrees). High heat kills the enzymes that help with digestion. You can usually find it at your Farmer's Market or a local health food store.
Other benefits and uses for honey:
- Helps heal a sore throat - Adam's favorite - Hotty Totty: cup of hot tea with honey, lemon and a shot of whiskey
- Can eliminate the bacteria that cause diarrhea, as well as salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, and cholera
- Improves brain function
- Aids in predigestion because of it's high plant amylase - the enzymes break down starchy foods like breads.
How it's working for us:
I like to take my honey with my tea. I grew up preferring the taste of table sugar in my tea, so the honey took some getting used to, but now I can't drink it any other way. Gabe gets his honey in his oatmeal every morning. I add about a tablespoon to his bowl after it has been cooked. Neither of us have needed OTC allergy medications since beginning this (which is quite something, considering that I have always had bad allergies and as a child I had to get weekly allergy injections to help with my allergy symptoms). Adam has not had the same luck yet with the honey - and still requires some medications to deal with his allergy flare-ups.
My Favorite Cookie Recipe - Using Honey:
Given to me by my friend and doula
Mix 1.5 t. baking soda and 1 T. milk. Beat 2 eggs; add 1/2 c honey, 1/2 t. vanilla, 1/3 c. butter, and 1 c. natural peanut butter; Mix well. Add 3 c. quick oats. Stir together. Drop onto a cookie sheet and flatten. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until light brown.
-Jessica
Sources:
Fallon, Sally. Nourishing traditions the cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats. Washington, DC: NewTrends Pub., 1999.
Rubin, Jordan. Maker's diet. New York: Berkley Books, 2005.
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