Sugars and Candida and eczema...Oh MY!!!

[Aisling]

Oooookey dokey.

I've been doing a ton of research on eczema, probiotics, the effect of sugar, yeast overgrowth, refined foods..and I thought I might come here to help myself sort it all out.

Up until this point, all I've been doing to help control dd's eczema is cutting out all wheat and trying to keep her away from perfumes/pet dander/dyes. We've seen some improvement

I started doing some research on yeast overgrowth and it's connection to diet high in refined/simple sugar, antiboitics and chlorinated water. If I'm understanding correctly, these things can kill off the good bacteria in our intestines and allow for candida to overgrow. Makes since so far.

What I'm trying to get to the bottom to is whether there's actually a connection between eczema and yeast. It makes sense , since much of the wheat dd was consuming were crackers/cereal/pizza crust and what-have-you. These things would turn to sugar quickly.

Dd was clear last week until we went to my parent's for the weekend...she didn't have any wheat, but grandma and grandpa certainly gave her waaaaay more ice cream/popscicles/juice/fruit than she ever gets at home. One day into the trip, her arms and legs were covered in scaly pink rash, and the creases of her arms were really red and inflamed. (She kept crying and clawing at them ) Totally anecdotal, I know, but since I'm trying to figure this out for my child specifically...I have to pay attention.

So I'm thinking...the things I would do to treat it as a bacteria imbalance are good for her anyway. (and we already do several of them) No refined flours, sugars, limit the juice intake, stay high in veggies, stay away from meat with antibiotics, filter our water, keep her away from drug-happy peds, and get her on a good probitic. Can't hurt, right?

I think thats a good idea I think Cindy is doing a gut healing diet on her dd right now.

have you seen this? http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=434071

[Aisling]

oooo, thanks for the link!

Thank you for the link, Irene, I will start reading through it probably tomorrow. I am still figuring everything out, and will take any information I can get.

Another popular diet which may be worth a look is the "Body Ecology Diet": http://bodyecology.com/index.php

I put my daughter on The Maker's Diet to address ADHD symptoms. I followed the phases - though not exactly in the recommended time frame. For supplements I am using the "Primal Defense" HSO powder (1/3 the recommended daily adult dosage) I plan to use the probiotic for 3 months as I have read it takes time to reestablish the colonies. I also sneak flax oil into any food media that will hide it, and we get coconut milk in smoothies and sorbets pretty much daily. I cook with either butter or olive oil. She takes a Rainbow Light kids multivitamin daily which does have a small amount of fructose. I also use Nourishing Traditions as an additional resource for food preparation .

Sarah has been on the diet for a month now and there have been many improvements already. I think getting her off the sugar and refined flour was of greatest benefit. My child was - and still is - addicted to sugar. But now that that has been removed, her taste buds have adapted to the more subtle sweetness of things like fresh vegetables. She is eating and enjoying so many new and healthy foods which she would refuse to eat before. ("Mom, can I have broccoli for my bedtime snack?" ) She also has an apetite like I have never seen from her. My daughter has always been very petite, and I had been very anxious about whether she was eating enough. Now I can barely keep up! Her hyperactivity is gone, her moods are more stable, and she is calmer and more focused, and generally seems more "mature" than she was before. Even her coordination seems to be improving. Lately, she has has had bad breath which concerned me enough to move her on to the next phase a few days early (which meant more whole grain carbohydrates) I do think this is most likely just part of her detoxification.

Where eczema is an issue, you definitely want to give serious consideration to EFA supplementation. Dr. Leo Galland discusses the importance of EFA's in his book Superimmunity For Kids. This is one of those "pick and choose" kind of books. His information on EFA sources and co-factor nutrients is excellent, but his approach to dealing with candida is pretty much limited to giving doses of Nystatin, an antifungal medication. He gives no information on how to address the imbalance of organisms which led to candida overgrowth to begin with.

So that is where we are. I hope it helps some. I am very interested in what approach you choose, and I hope you will share your experience along the way.

wow thats so awesome Cindy... that gave me goosebumps
very inspiring. A lot of those things, like what you said about having more appetite for more things and eating more etc was a lot like my dd when we took out casien and gluten. I have been thinking about the gut thing with ds though lately.. it just sounds so intimidating and Im still in denial about it He had thrush really bad when he was born, and I just cant get it out of my mind that its still affecting him

[Eowyn]

Originally Posted by gentlebirth

What I'm trying to get to the bottom to is whether there's actually a connection between eczema and yeast.

There definitely was for my older son. His eczema completely cleared up within two months of treating for and eliminating yeast.

[Aisling]

Cindy-how awesome! Your experience is so encouraging to me.

I'm gonna show my ignorance here, but...what does EFA stand for?

Originally Posted by gentlebirth

Cindy-how awesome! Your experience is so encouraging to me.

I'm gonna show my ignorance here, but...what does EFA stand for?

EFA's are essential fatty acids. They are fats the body needs but can not make for itself, and the standard American diet is not only deficient in these, but have replaced them with toxic trans fats. EFA's are used in immune function as well as brain development. I think as you

Here is a list of articles by Dr. Leo Galland (I know you wanted more links ) I just discovered these and have not read any yet, but I see they include two about EFA's: http://www.healthy.net/scr/Author.asp?PeoId=5

Here is a quote from one of them:

Some indications that an EFA deficiency or imbalance are present are: dry skin; the need to use moisturizing creams and lotions; "chicken skin", the presence of tiny rough bumps, usually on the back of the arms; dry or unruly hair; dandruff; soft, fraying or brittle nails; menstrual cramps; premenstrual breast tenderness. A person who has these symptoms will often find that they improve by supplementing an otherwise healthy diet with the appropriate oil. Discovering the appropriate oil requires a bit of personal experimentation. Most people in the United States and Europe are short on omega-three EFAs and will benefit from supplementing their meals with flax oil (one tablespoon a day). Flax oil should be stored in the dark and in the refrigerator; it should not be used for cooking.

[Aisling]

Ah! Gotcha. My brain is now kicking into gear Flax seed oil...am I wrong in remembering that eggs, fish, and borage oil are also good? Cod liver oil?

Flax seed oil is going on my list of things I need to budget in

Thanks for the links ...as soon as I get through my afternoon brain-fog, I'm going to dig into them.

Originally Posted by gentlebirth

Ah! Gotcha. My brain is now kicking into gear Flax seed oil...am I wrong in remembering that eggs, fish, and borage oil are also good? Cod liver oil?

Yes all are excellent! Cod liver oil does have a very strong taste, but many parents have been able to get their kids to take flavored oils - others can probably give better advice. I personally do not believe my kids would take it, so I don't bother. The newest discovery in EFA's is coconut oil which is the only saturated fat that comes from a plant source. It is stable enough to cook with, has anti-fungal properties and is so beneficial to the immune system that it is now recommended for HIV patients You can buy extra virgin coconut oil alone, or incorporate unsweetened coconut milk or coconut cream into your diet. I saw coconut oil links in Irene's post.

yeah we use coconut oil all the time, and I also give my kids CLO, and myself I have not been able to get them to take it until our chiro sold us some (very expensive ) CLO with lemon. I have bought flavored stuff before, but they would always taste the fish

we just try to get all the good oils in we can coconut oil is AWESOME, it has such great healing properties, as Cindy mentioned.

Originally Posted by Irene

yeah we use coconut oil all the time, and I also give my kids CLO, and myself I have not been able to get them to take it until our chiro sold us some (very expensive ) CLO with lemon. I have bought flavored stuff before, but they would always taste the fish

Is that the Nordic Naturals? I have heard very good things about that brand, but isn't it about $30 a bottle??

this is called Innate Choice Omega Sufficiency. My kids will take it straight they even ask for it. Its only 1 tsp a day. I wont mention the cost

Originally Posted by Irene

this is called Innate Choice Omega Sufficiency. My kids will take it straight they even ask for it. Its only 1 tsp a day. I wont mention the cost

I looked it up ...

But I understand. I don't think there really is a substitute for cod liver oil (though I would love to be corrected...) I certainly pay my share on healthy food and supplements. How are your children responding to/benefiting from the CLO?

I looked it up ... jaw dropping

I know, but I figured, I can actually get it in them and its got high EPA/DHA per serving, so thats good too. we have had it for about a month, and we have gone through about a third of it, so Im thinking its about 3 months worth for my 2 kids, which is good, because it says not to use it after 90 days of opening (even though I probably would because, well )

They are responding really well we are also getting chiro care for them, which has been awesome so I cant really differenciate between the CLO and the chiro, its all working together