Diatomacious Earth ( DE ) thread :)

[Serafine]

Originally Posted by Cynaminbear

Ooh, how does that work in the cat litter? I assume you mix it in, but does it cause a problem for the clumping litter? And what does it do there?

According to what I have read - it shouldn't impede the clumping.

Supposedly, it absorbs odors and prevents pest growth.

I will report back when i have started using it.

[sweetpeasmommy]

I bought a 50 lb bag at the feed store today. The guy loaded in the back of the van while I paid. I got home and it says animal food grade. Is there a difference?

[cobluegirl]

I don't think there is a difference... but not sure. I think Food Grade is Food Grade

[homesteadmama]

Rachel is right. You're technically an "animal". That's exactly what you want. (in case you're still a teeny, tiny bit unsure, we've been consuming animal food grade for a couple months now. We're still alive.).

[Serafine]

Even the big ol bag from Earthworks has a cow on it. Because THAT is the primary use for food-grade DE...as a supplement for livestock.

Me and the cows - both dairy machines taking the DE.

[curlymopmom]

Originally Posted by firefighterwife

Me and the cows - both dairy machines taking the DE.

[DancingWithElves]

Amy, what brand is yours?

[sweetpeasmommy]

Shur-gard or something. I found a link last night that said it was safe. Given that and the fact that Sarah's still alive, I think I'm okay with it.

[Soliloquy]

Way back in this thread someone asked if you can take it while nursing. YES. Safe while pregnant, too. Even little babies can take small doses if you suspect a parasite.

Can a fetus get parasites from their mom in the womb? I'm wondering if I should give some to Justice as well as everybody else.

AFA absorption, from what I've read, the majority of de will stay in the GI tract and "scrub" your colon clean, cleaning off layers of mold and other nasty stuff that lines your colon and can contribute to cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and all kinds of awful inflammatory illness. A small amount of silica will go into your blood stream. Silica is a natural element and is vital for health--your hair is mostly silica, probably why most people notice thicker, shinier hair after being on de for awhile.

I had the question about probioitics, too. I think we'll take ours at bedtime. We mainly rely on homemade probiotics (kefir & kombucha) and we drink those throughout the day. DH also takes Primal Defense Ultra which is kinda spendy. I'm wondering if he should stop taking that during the 90 day cleanse? As in, will it go to waste and just get "scrubbed" away?

Also, we are planning to do a 90-day cleanse w/ de. Do most of you take it every day, year-round, or do an annual cleanse? Also, if I think we've been exposed to parasites (i.e. lake swimming) should I give it to the kids for a week to sweep them out or a full 90 days? Or should I just try to give them a small amount every day? THoughts?

I ordered some online and it should be here in a few days. I'm so excited!!!

[cobluegirl]

I haven't given it to the kids yet. I take it daily in my morning shake. Dh did for like a week then quit.

[homesteadmama]

I think I remember "Me" (the resident DE expert) saying a while back that everyone should do an initial 90 day cleanse, then a 30 day cleanse each year thereafter. And anytime you've likely been exposes to paparistes, to do a week or two cleanse after that.

I'm curious about the probiotics too. . We've often taken the DE in our morning keifer shakes, but maybe that was a bad idea.

[me]

Hello all. Just popping my head in the gcm room,lol...Everyone in the household should do the 90 day. Everyone! Even down to a baby (i gave it to my then 4month old along with everyone else the first time and i did see parasites). After that, keep track (or a journal if you cant keep everything straight) of exactly what symptoms you see go away or improve. Like if someone grinds their teeth at night. That way you can gauge what to do after the 90 days. If you arent specifically cleansing for parasites you have them. No if ands or buts. They might pass on through they might hide they might cause problems, but everyone comes in contact with them, its just part of life. So with that said, everyone wants to do the whole 90 day to make sure no one has any hiding. Cause they travel throughout the body and stick in different areas, not just in the digestive tract. And if there is more than one type of parasite (which is gonna be the case if you have one already), then you want to be sure that no matter what it is you get to it. Cause if you dont get them all. the one can weaken your body and you will keep getting the others you got rid of.
SOmething very important, is to make sure you dont skip a day because you dont know if that was the day eggs were laid. This way you also dont have to do a cleaning rampage and daily hot water wash of the sheets. If you are taking the de and there are eggs, no biggie, you will have the advantage of what some people have. They will just pass through and eventually die off.
In the case that you should see any parasites after taking de (normally its hard to tell, the only way you know its working is you start feeling more energetic) it helps to rub your feet and ankles at night with oregano oil and olive oil mixed. Your spine as well if you feel achy in the back or pelvis. The high quality kind of oregano oil though. This can be done with the entire family even babies, just make sure the dilution is made for kids. Kids will tell you right away at night if they are having growing pains or if they are having a hard time settling at night. Just rub the oil on give them some de for the night and you will notice a huge difference after a week.
Everyones body is different, some notice right away and others dont. For us, the kids noticed right away and then those according to weight.
I use to take the same probiotics that have been mentioned. After the de. i no longer take probiotics. Nor do the kids. Just dont need them. I eat yogurt as needed or when i just feel like having some. I dont see why one couldnt take them at the same time though. Its not like its charcoal where it would absorb it. Its dirt,lol...not sure if the probiotics are negatively or positively charged.....and if i remember right, that particular kind of probiotic they actually try to artificially replicate the organisms found naturally in dirt, cept they do it in the laboratory. Id have to go back to an old thread where i called a probiotic company to check. but i got the little needing me.

---------- Post added at 11:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 AM ----------

oh, forgot. de works because we are putting back in to our diet what we can no longer get because of the condition of our soil. so i never have a problem taking the de with anything i eat. normally we would be getting tiny amounts daily from drinking water from a stream or picking food and just brushing it off and eating it. kwim?

[Soliloquy]

Thanks for the info!

Originally Posted by me

SOmething very important, is to make sure you dont skip a day because you dont know if that was the day eggs were laid.

So, Fiona missed yesterday because she fell asleep before I gave it to her. We were only on day 2 anyway but she should start over w/ the 90 days, right? From now on, we won't miss a day--I was actually thinking it would be bad to miss a day but it was only day 2 anyway . . .

Originally Posted by me

In the case that you should see any parasites after taking de (normally its hard to tell, the only way you know its working is you start feeling more energetic) it helps to rub your feet and ankles at night with oregano oil and olive oil mixed. Your spine as well if you feel achy in the back or pelvis. The high quality kind of oregano oil though. This can be done with the entire family even babies, just make sure the dilution is made for kids. Kids will tell you right away at night if they are having growing pains or if they are having a hard time settling at night. Just rub the oil on give them some de for the night and you will notice a huge difference after a week.

Do you mean that if we see a parasite AFTER the 90 day cleanse is over or during? And are the growing pains a sign of parasite die-off or just a symptom of parasites that the de didn't kill? Both Gracie and Simon have had growing pains at night off and on, mostly Simon lately.

Another Q: Some sites say that some people take de every day, 365. Do you think this is a bad idea or just not necessary?

And I did read that it kills the good and bad bacteria alike, which is why I thought it might be a waste of money to take the probiotic during the 90 day cleanse. I don't take store-bought probiotics unless I'm sick, I just drink kefir but I doubt I will convince my dh to stop taking Primal Defense Ultra (yes, it's the one w/ HSOs) because it was one of the things that helped heal him.

---------- Post added at 06:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:30 PM ----------

(i gave it to my then 4month old along with everyone else the first time and i did see parasites

wait, you mean you saw parasites come out in your baby's diaper???? Wow, I'm glad you warned me, that might've really upset me if I hadn't been prepared.

I had to use a dropper to give it to Fiona. I couldn't get much in her, does it matter if it's not that much? She did swallow what I gave her. The other 2 like it, kinda. Justice didn't like having it in his mouth but he swallowed it.

Also, I sprinkled it on our cats' food and they won't touch it. Dh said they'll eat when they get hungry enough. I don't want to buy canned food for 90 days just to get them to take the de! BUt we may have to.

[me]

Ill bb when I have more time. I'm not of the camp that thinks de removes good bacteria. And the parasites I saw in dd's diaper weren't like the pics that are on line or what you would imagine one to look like. That's what makes it so hard for most to believe they have them. I've only once seen a parasite that actually looked like a parasite. Since my dd was so young and exclusively nursed it was easy to tell what it was despite its ambiguity. They look sort of like mucous, small string, that was transluscent like. Like a piece of angel hair pasta. And once there was just a black piece of something.couldn't have been anything else because she wasn't eating anything else other than milk and to young to accidently eat anything.

[Soliloquy]

Yeah, I kinda figured there'd be two sides to that question, I had the same thought, that if we eating naturally fermented foods on an almost daily basis there's really no worry about them all getting scrubbed out. The people who take it 365 would get sick very quickly if they did. I know my dh will keep taking the PDU so .

Thanks for all of your help. I'd love more info on the growing pains when you have the time. That's interesting.

I'm thinking I'll give it to Fiona several times a day since I can only get half a dropperful into her at a time.