I wanted to answer a couple of questions regarding Nathan’s diet, as well as respond to a couple of posts.
Rich kindly mentioned that kids are kids and that I should not be quite so tough on Nathan. I wholeheartedly agree! I had a tough time deciding to implement this diet because I want Nathan to be able to enjoy and experience everything that life has to offer. However, it was explained to me that the diet is necessay for some time, while the leaky gut and other problems heal. Once the leaky gut is healed and the body becomes stronger, the allergies to these foods will disappear and he will be able to eat things that are now not accessible to him. In the meantime, even though it’s not reflected in this current menu, we DO make him gluten free casein free treats, including brownie, chocolate cake, and banana nut cake. These are sweetened with honey or agave, and are DELICIOUS! We keep those for special occassions like birthdays and other special events. So dont’ worry – he’s not totally deprived!
Also, the problem with food these days is that most everything we eat is grown or fed with steroids, genetic enhancements, pesticides, etc. The people from the Australian Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential told me they spent a few years studying produce around the world. FOr example, they tested the levels of vitamin C in oranges at the store, at organic stores, at farms, from trees. And what they found was that by the time the oranges hit the grocery stores, they had been manipulated so much there was no vitamin C left in them. THis is just an example. Many of you know that cows are given lots of steroids and antibiotics, which are still in them when we eat meat. Farmers use pesticides, sprays and chemicals to prevent pests. Those aren’t always cleanly removed from the produce, and they end up in our bodies. So while our grandparents and even parents could get most of their nutrition out of food, unfortunately it is not the same these days. It is ideal to buy organic produce but as most of you know, it’s SO expensive! Which is why I believe that supplementation is important. I do agree with Rich that it is important to use them wisely and in moderation – ideally, under the supervision of a medical practitioner (preferrably a chiropractor, DAN doctor, acupuncturist, naturopath, or homeopath).
Now, as for the supplements we give Nathan, and why:
Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate (P5P) is the active metabolite of pyridoxine and the predominant form of plasma B6. Pyridoxine HCI is converted to P5P in the liver by a zinc dependent enzyme. P5P is required for proper absorption of B12 and magnesium and for the production of gastric HCI. It is an important coenzyme in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and the elongation of essential fatty acids. It is required for the production of antibodies and RBCâ??s.P5P facilitates the release of glycogen from the liver and muscles to be used in energy production. P5P helps maintain the balance of sodium and potassium, which regulate body fluids and promote the normal functioning of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Pyridoxal-5-phosphate is a nutrient essential in such processes as amino acid metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and glycogen breakdown, and is widespread in nature, but only in small amounts. Dietary intake of B6 is primarily in the form of pyridoxine, especially in vegetables, fruits, and cereals. Animal products, on the other hand, contain mainly pyridoxamine and pyridoxal. Pyridoxal-5-phosphate is also involved in heme synthesis, the deamination and transamination of amino acids, deamination of hydroxyamino acids and cysteine, conversion of tryptophan to niacin, synthesis of picolinic acid, and the metabolism of most fatty acids.
Dr. Kenny explained that Nathan was unable to produce B6 and this is what was causing his immune problems and also slowing down his development. I don’t know if this is the case with many brain injured children, or if it’s just Nathan’s missing link. So I can’t reccommend it to everyone, but I do think it’s worth asking when you see your child’s doctor.
Fig Tree and Briar Rose Oil for Gemmotherapy:
Gemmotherapy is a therapeutic method that uses plant bud extracts and other young vegetable tissue freshly harvested from the live growing plant used to stimulate elimination of toxic compounds from the body.
Modern society generates an unprecedented amount of toxic elements and compounds which get absorbed by and at times trapped within the body. The water and food supplies are contaminated with pesticides, herbicides and manufacturing residue. The air is contaminated by carbon monoxide and other poisonous gases. Many drugs are toxic to the body or breakdown into metabolities that are toxic. All of these toxic compounds accumulate in the body and need to be eliminated.
The body has four elimination routes. The digestive system, the kidneys, the respiratory system and the skin are directly involved in the elimination process. These eliminatory pathways depend on the endocrine glands for optimal cellular function. The heart, blood vessels and the nervous system are also involved indirectly.
Gemmotherapy remedies act to gently stimulate and promote elimination. Gemmotherapy is believed to work because of the presence of gibberelins, plant growth material, which act on the organs to be stimulated.
Thymex contains bovine thymus Cytosol™ extract taken from the thymus gland, often referred to as the master gland of the immune system. Thymus Cytosol™ extracts contain important materials produced by the thymus gland such as acids, enzymes, hormone precursors, etc.†
VSL#3 as a Probiotic
This is one that I can reccommend to EVERYBODY. Because of the factors mentioned above, specifically excessive antibiotic use by doctors and in the meats that we eat, our internal flora is imbalanced. Everyone needs a good probiotic. VSL#3 is a very strong one. It’s also very expensive. If you want to try another probiotic, most health food stores will have quite a variety of them.
It has a ton of health benefits and Nathan LOVES it. If you want to try a different kind of honey, make sure it’s RAW honey!
We spray this over him a few times throughout the day, just to keep his mood light.
Rock Spring Oil:
I LOVE this one! I stumbled upon it and think it’s amazing. Check out the description:
Rock Spring is an essence of hope and miracles! It embodies the constant proof that everything is possible. It is an essence that can help us find our way through seemingly insurmountable obstacles with infinite patience and never ending trust.
The pituitary is often referred to as ‘the master gland’ of the body’s endrocrine system. It is important for maintaining normal tissue growth, proper body fluid levels, normal menstrual cycles as well as a general sense of well being in body and mind. Glandular concentrates have not been scientifically validated, but have been used in natural health care for hundreds of years to provide raw materials protein building blocks for the gland they are used for
Cod Liver Oil:
This is great for brain development. We started using it months ago due to the reccommendation from the Reach Family Center team. We’ve heard many times and from many people that it is a wonderful supplement to use, especially for people with injuries to the central nervous system.
And I’ve already talked about Multi-pollen, HM detox, and Sesame seed oil in the past so I won’t talk about those again.
I left the best for last:
I have to admit this is my favorite. I initially got it thanks to a reccommendation from a lady in my Women of Worth class. I started taking baths at night with these salts and I just fell in love with them! So I started bringing Nathan in with me and we’ve both just fallen in love with the experience. They smell amazing and you just feel soooooo good and relaxed! Nathan just melts while we bathe and he has been sleeping really really well since we’ve been taking our baths. I highly highly reccommend them! Oh, and they DO have medicinal purposes too:
This salt is rich in over 84 vital minerals, organic iodine compounds (reinforced by microscopic algae and phytoplankton) and other trace elements. Our bodies have three “internal oceans” that closely resemble the ionic balance found in ocean water. These oceans (blood plasma, lymphatic fluid and extra cellular fluid) circulate throughout the body. Our Internal Oceans Therapeutic Mineral Baths nourishes these fluids and promote well being.
So if I had to boil all of this down to the 3 most important things that everyone could benefit from, they’d be:
1. A probiotic
2. Flax seeds
3. PlantLife Bath Salts
4. Manuka Honey
Ok sorry I couldn’t limit it to 3, I had to add one more.
Finally, I wanted to explain how Nathan’s menu works and why we created it the way we did.
We added in protein in the afternoon for lunch, so the body has time to digest it before sleep at night. In the evening we have mostly soups, which are then consumed for breakfast as well. There are 2 reasons for this. 1. to save on cooking time. 2. breakfast means “breaking the fast” and it is important to feed the body well. The premise is: Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. A good, hearty breakfast will fuel the body for the rest of the day, so it is best not to eat just cereal or toast etc, but to have a hearty meal with lots of nutrition.
In every meal there are plenty of vegetbales, as the idea is that there should be 80% vegetables, 20% protein on your plate. The more vegetables, the better (especially if they are organic).
All of the recipes that I uploaded came from this book:
The Food of Life
The book is WONDERFUL and contains many of the basic premises mentioned here, and lots lots more. Most importantly, Miranda states in her book that all of the recipes are medicinal.
Finally, the snacks are all very healthy snacks, plus we picked them because they are easy to chew and digest for Nathan, since he can’t really bite or chew too well. The prunes and papayas are for constipation, as mentioned above.
In the next day or two I will share more helpful information about nutrition – I promise! In the meantime, I hope you found this helpful and let me know if you have any more questions or information that I can clarify!
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