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Evangelia

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Posts posted by Evangelia

  1. Hi Everyone,

     

    Thank you for your insights and experiences. It is so easy to feel hopeless (I was in tears) but with you all by my side, I feel like I now have an action plan again and that gives me strength. Thank you.

     

    I picked up my son from school yesterdary (remember I gave him Clariton the day before) and you are not going to believe this - not 1 head turning tic! He somehow looked more peaceful than I have seen him in a while. He still has his shrugging tics when he walks (like he wants to get his jacket on right) but the head-turning tic was most problematic for him. No headaches either! It is only the 1st day, I am crossing my fingers.

     

    As far as other things that I have been giving him:

    I juiced some carrot juice in the morning, made him take his primrose oil vitamin (he hates the taste of them since he can't swallow- he chews). Multi-vit, vit-C, Bio-K (friendly bacteria), Zinc. I had already been avoiding gluten, milk, eggs, corn for a few days. But Clariton is the only real change since the days prior.

     

    If an anti-histamine is the answer, I would definitely like to go on something natural because I do believe that his other tics are affected by artificial ingredients. I will look into the links you have all offered.

     

    After reading other posts, I have arranged to get my son a comprehensive blood test done on Monday and I will also be checking for Pandas and Pyroluria. (I hate to do this) but I think that I will stop Clariton until the blood test is done on Monday so that it won't affect the results. If my son has no head-turning tics when I pick him up from school today, then I will be convinced that an anti-histamine will play a big role for us.

     

    Thank you again for all your insights. I am going to try the epsom salts. Chemar, I am definitely going to talk to my mother-in-law - I know she meant well, but that is quite a burden to put on a child.

     

    I will let you all know if today shows the same results as yesterday.

    Evangelia

  2. Hello,

     

    I haven't written in a long time..... it was actually 1 year ago that I started to write because my son's ticks were so crazy. His ticks eventually got better; all summer he had very mild tics almost tic free. He gained good weight, was healthy and happy - then suddenly as school starts the tics came back with a vengeance!

     

    I am so discouraged.... so discouraged..... and I don't know where to begin again..... all over again. I noticed several parents mentioned that Fall was a bad time due to stress starting school, and possibly allergies. He doesn't appear to be stressed with school. He is enjoying himself. He was mentioning how his eyes bothered him a couple of weeks ago - no so much now - I gave my son his first teaspoon of Clariton ..... the only problem I have with this is that it contains artificial flavouring. Won't that make the tics worse? How long should I keep giving this if I don't see any improvement?

     

    He is shaking his head from left to right so often and quickly that it is giving him head-aches. To make things worse, my mother-in-law just told him tonight that "God doesn't want him move his head that way and that he should pray for God to help him stop"! Can you imagine! As if he wasn't already under enough pressure at school with this terrible head shaking and now head aches.

     

    If it isn't an allergy, why else would his tics spike so dramatically in the fall?

     

    Here we go all over again. :huh:

    Evangelia

  3. Hi Claire,

     

    Great news with your son!

    I just came back from my naturopath's office with a truck load of amino acids. My son has done an organix urine analysis from Metametrix.

     

    It looks like yeast is not a problem for him and his bacteria levels are good, however, it looks like he is not breaking down his proteins very well and is not de-toxifying very well.

     

    So far we have had good results with the supplements and elimination diet. I am now in the process of re-introducing all the foods back :( So far so good. I am just so excited to bring back a varied diet of fruits and vegetables! Also I have noticed that my son is able to watch TV like anyone else in the family and have no change in behavior or tics. His tics are still here but mild and occassional - enough that the average person would not really notice.

     

    As per the test, here is what my naturopath has recommended:

    Glycine

    Arginine

    N.A.C (N-Acetyl-L-Cystene)

    SON Formula (contains a host of amino acids)

    Glutathione

     

    What is everyone's experience with amino acids?

     

    We will do a hair analysis test for metals soon. I am very curious about mercury.

    Thanks,

    Evangelia

  4. Amanda,

    If you can afford it, I would still go with allergy tests (IgE and IgG) to help determine other possible allergies. You might be surprised to see that eggs might be a big one too.

     

     

    Claire,

    Thank you :-) I learned from the best! I am forever grateful for the help that you and many other parents on this newsgroup gave me in a time of great need! Helping others is soo gratifying and the least I could do.

     

    Isn't there a way that you can LOCK your post for newcomers so that it always stays on top of all the subjects. Similar to Sheila Rogers' post. It is such a great summary and starting point.

     

    Evangelia

  5. Hi Heather,

     

    I had very bad tingling in both of my hands when I was working on the computer too much ( about a year ago). It felt like someone was throwing sparks of flame on my hands - I don't remember if it affected my pinky or not. A co-worker told me that if I put both my palms flat on a table and lean forward towards them, I would be able to tell if it was Carpal Tunnel Sydrome. Sure enough, it was extremely painful to do this which meant that I had Carpal.

     

    I didn't have the operation. I slowed down my computer usage and that did it. I haven't had pain since because I don't overdo it. Perhaps you can try the same and see if that makes a difference.

     

    Regarding lowering blood sugar levels, I read this great book called "Reversing Diabetes" by Dr. Julian Whitaker. It had great advice on how to do this naturally. Amongst some of the suggestions was to increase fiber intake, essential fatty acids. I will try to dig up the book and give you more of the advise.

    Take care,

    Evangelia

  6. Hi Helen,

     

    You are very welcome. I am, myself, learning so much from this newsgroup, it is my pleasure to help in any way I can.

     

    My son started the supplements in late September this year. I first saw a neurologist who was no help to us at all - he said that I would be back within the year asking for the drugs. I then had to argue with his pediatrician (for over an hour) to try to convince her to sign for even the smallest blood test - so I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with her either, and besides, both didn't believe in naturally curing/reducing my sons tics.

     

    I decided to see a naturopath and I have been with him since. He costs money and the blood tests are expensive and not covered by my insurance. We are a middle class family but it is worth every penny to help my son.

     

    I totally didn't feel comfortable giving my son any supplements without testing first. I had no idea how much to give him and what he uniquely needed. The naturopath has helped me with this, and has also been there to answer alot of my questions along with analysing the test results. I would also recommend you get guidance by these professionals but try to get the tests paid by your insurance. Being with the naturopath has given me ease of mind. I am sure your husband will have ease of mind also because you will both know exactly what each supplement is for and why you are giving it.

     

    Yes, to answer your question, the supplements were all recommended by my naturopath especially after the IgG test. My son had ALOT of sensitivities and the naturopath said that we are probably dealing with a leaky gut situation. Most of the supplements are given in one drink in the morning and one in the afternoon - and it is kind of sweet in taste. My naturopath said that we would have to eliminate certain foods for about 3-4 months before re-introducing, and other foods that showed up even more sensitive (like eggs) would be at least 6 months before re-introducing them. All the supplements would be given for a few months also and then be reduced. I already stopped the zinc because he has enough of it in his system. The goal is to rebuild/heal his system (at the beginning) and then it is a matter of maintaining his system with less supplements and more with food.

     

    Your daughter may need less supplements, she may have less sensitivities. In Claire's case, she only had to eliminate the TV and the tics were gone. In other cases, only by removing the artificial additives has worked, in other cases, it was the salicylates.

     

    Regarding the flinstone's vitamins. I believe they have added artificial colouring and flavouring. I would recommend you don't give them to her. You really should try to avoid artificial colouring and flavourings and preservatives. That in itself can make a big difference. You already saw a big change with TV and that is encouraging!

     

    Good luck with your journey.

    Evangelia

    ps. Dara, I live in Quebec, Canada.

  7. Hi Helen,

     

    Glad to hear that you are already finding triggers to your daughter's tics. Here is some feedback to your questions, based on my experience.

     

    Re: TV and tics

    Don't worry, eliminating the TV is not forever. As my son's health is improving, ie. eliminating food sensitivities and building up his immune system, he is able to watch more TV without ticcing. I have heard the same from other parents.

    Substitute other activities in place of the TV; games, music from children's tapes, painting, puzzles, etc. When I turned off the TV, no one in the whole family watched TV (I also have a 3 1/2 year old boy). It is easier for them when the rule applies to everyone so it doesn't appear as a punishment. It looks more like a new way of being together. My husband and I only watched when they fell asleep at night.

     

    re: Children's feelings

    My son has also been a VERY sensitive child since birth.

    You did good to advise the teachers about her tics, so the teachers are aware and know how to handle her ticcing. I told my son's teachers that if he was ticcing too much, the teacher can perhaps recommed that he "helps" her run an errand so that he can leave the classroom to get it out of his system. But I can tell you that his tics (although were very severe at the beginning) improved very quickly with the change in diet, no TV and supplements - where the teachers have not really noticed any big distraction.

    At the beginning of kindergarten, my son had a hard time because he was jumping and some boys told him that they would stop playing with him unless he stopped jumping! He explained to them that he could not control the jumps, just like when you hiccup, and if they didn't want to play with him, he would play with someone else. Although my heart broke, I was very proud of him.

     

    I told my son that his tics are just a way the his body is trying to cummunicate with us that it is not happy with something that we are doing, or feeding it. We are now the "Scooby-Doo" mystery gang that will solve this new mystery. We had to gather clues and figure out what it was that his body didn't like. You can tell her that she will be like "Dora the explorer". This analogy really helped him get into a solution oriented mode as opposed to a victim role right from the beginning.

    As his tics got better, I made sure he knew that he was a great detective because we are solving the mystery and doing what his body wanted/needed. This analogy also made it alot easier for him to accept the vitamins, TV changes, and diet changes.

     

    re:Headaches

    My son also had headaches when his tics were at their worse. I think that it is related to the diet. Also note that when you start the supplements, she will get headaches at the beginning. The way my naturopath explained it was that there are 2 stages in the detox. First, the vitamins will help release the toxins from the fat cells - headaches occur because they are released back into circulation. The 2nd phase is when the toxins are then eliminated through urine and stools - headaches will subside. My son doesn't get any headaches anymore - they lasted for about 2 weeks I would say.

     

     

    re: Tics reducing with age

    When I went to see a neurologist (who wanted me to use drugs), he said that tics in general climax at 10-13 years old.

     

    re: IgG testing

    Claire wrote: "Please keep in mind re the allergy testing, it is the IgG (delayed reaction) that seems to impact tics most, not the IgE (immediate reaction). Both are blood tests. www.elisaact.com does the IgG test. Easier to me than trial and error elimination--IF you have the insurance/finances to do it. $300, covered by insurance, max $90-$150 out of pocket, and they test for 150 foods. However, I would make sure it included gluten (wheat) and casein (milk), those are very common. "

     

     

    ---------

    Be encouraged that her condition WILL improve before that. It is a matter of figuring out the triggers, sensitivities/allergies and making changes. When her immune system is built up you can re-introduce everything intermittently.

     

    Take care and feel free to ask about anything else that you may be concerned about.

    Evangelia

  8. Hi Amanda,

     

    I am glad with your decision. Please don't feel like a bad mother, we try to make the best decisions with the information that we have and we trust the doctor's that we see.... unfortunately, I don't trust the conventional doctors anymore. The parents on this newsgroup have been my guiding light through all of this. We are all here for eachother. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like - we are all talking from experience and we are all learning more with eachother's input.

     

    There definitely is a wealth of information. Take it one step at a time, and try to not get overwhelmed with all of this. Start with the easiest things, like removing the artifical additives and salicylates (apples, tomatoes, grapes etc.), and if you can, the television. You will be surprised at what the effects are for just doing that.

    www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info is a good reference for the salicylates and additives.

     

    Take care and happy reading!

    Evangelia

  9. Hi Amanda,

     

    Welcome to this board. Sounds like you are having a very difficult time, I am very sorry to hear of what your son is experiencing at this time. You have come to the right place to get alot of answers and help.

     

    First, I would strongly recommend that you stop the drugs, as it looks like your son is having major side effects and you can definitely see that there is an underlying issue (allergies/sensitivites) that has to be dealt with - the drugs don't do that. Chemar can definitely add to this based on her experience with drugs. You might have to wane him off the drugs slowly.

    Most neurologists/doctors frown upon people who try to deal with the tics naturally.

     

    Regarding the sores, my mother-in-law gets huge sores whenever she eats something that her body is allergic or sensitive to. Milk also does cause this to her. I would definitely eliminate the milk, and subsitute it with soy milk or rice milk.

     

    Please refer to Claire's summary of recommendations that she has compiled. It is a great starting point of what to do. It also guides you as to where to find suitable doctors that believe in healing our children properly.

     

    Here is the link:

    http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=689

     

    Please read through it, these recommendations really helped me.

    I eliminated wheat/milk/eggs/corn right away since these are the most common ones. I also followed many of the other recommendations and I saw improvements.

     

    I would also like to point you to Jeff, he recently wrote:

    "The other has gone from a problem bed-wetter, even gone to "therapy" for it... to only one accident in the last month. In both cases, it was due to eliminating the colors and flavors from their diet."

    http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...topic=923&st=15

     

    Hang in there, you can take steps right away - and you should see a difference in a matter of days. Please write back to let us know how you both are doing.

     

    Take care,

    Evangelia

  10. Hi Dara and Helen,

     

    Helen, your daughter's history of tics are almost identical to my son's. The vitamins that I give my son are all in a shake so they don't appear to be that many to him.

     

    The tests I did were:

    - IgG blood test - revealed over 30 sensitivites (not even including the salicylates)

    - Gliaden/Gluten Antibody Assay (IgG ELISA test, IgA ELISA test) - showed that he was very gluten sensitive

    - tTG-IGA Tissue Transglutaminase Assay - to check if my son had celiac. Thank God - did not.

    - Fatty Acids - Erythrocytes blood test - to see exactly what the fatty acids situation was.

    - a urine test (don't remember the name) checked for vitamin C, stress hormone, malabsorption, zinc, glucose, etc).

     

    All this was done with 1 blood taking and they filled 2 little bottles. Plus a urine sample. It wasn't too traumatic for my son, since I gave him a reward for being a good patient.

     

    Dara, how did your tests go?

     

    Dara, you also asked what exactly I put in my "vitamin shake". Here are the details (note that my son will be 6 years old at the end of December.)

     

    I give him a shake in the morning and in the afternoon around 4:00 PM.

     

    Multivitamins/Minerals

    -------------------------

    To help deal with the food sensitivities:

    Ultracare for kids (Metagenics - multivitamin/minerals/protein/DHA- powder) - 1/2 scoop in AM and PM

    (smells like cherry/banana - I haven't tasted it ;-)

     

    To help rebuild the lining of the intestines:

    Ultraclear G.I. (multi-vitamin/Mineral - powder) - 1/2 scoop in AM and PM

    (smells like vanilla )

     

    Essential fatty acids

    -----------------------

    (these 2 items are the only ones that don't go in the shake)

     

    - Children's DHA - Nordic Naturals - 1 gel capsule in AM and PM

    (tastes like strawberry) My son just gagged when I had earlier tried cod liver oil - this is the only thing that he will accept. He chews the capsule and swallows it.

     

    - META EPO (Metagentics) - Pure Evening Primrose Oil - 1 gel capsule in the AM

    (my son squeezed the oil in his mouth and then spits out the gel capsule.

     

    Extra vitamin C

    ------------------

    Rose Hips (Scientific Botanicals Co., Inc) - liquid - 1/4 tsp in AM and PM

    (looks like molasses)

     

    Friendly Bacteria

    ---------------------

    - Saccharomyces Boulardii (Jarrow Formulas) - 1 capsule opened in shake in AM

    - Ultra Bifidus DF / Bifidobacterium lactis (Metagenics) - 1/4 tsp in AM and PM

    - Ultra Flora Plus DF (Metagenics) (contains Bifidobacteria & NCFM Acidophilus with Probio-Saccharide factor) 1/4 tsp in AM and PM

    (all powdered form - stored in the refrigerator) disolved in the shake.

     

    Extra Magnesium

    --------------------

    Magnesium Plus (Ecotrend)

    I disolve 1 envelope in 2 litres of water and store in the fridge. I use 1/4 of litre in his shake. AM and PM.

     

    Extra Zinc

    -----------

    Zinc Tally (Metagenics) -liquid - 1 tsp in AM and PM

    (It is easy to figure out if your child is deficient in zinc by having them taste a teaspoon in the morning of liquid zinc. If it tastes like metal, then they have enough zinc, if it tastes like water, then they are defficient.

    I don't give zinc to my son anymore because it now tastes like metal to him - it tasted like water before.

     

     

    My son has been taking the shake for a couple of months now. He likes the taste... I have to admit that he is getting tired of it though. It won't be forever I am told, the goal is to eliminate the foods so that the body can stop reacting and also provide the proper vitamins/minerals/friendly bacteria/etc to restore the intestines and the body to good health again. Once the leaky gut is healed, it should function well enough to absorb the nutrients from the food he eats....with less supplements.

     

    Like Jeff mentioned, I make almost all his snacks,cookies,muffins. But I did buy icecream that had no additives. I also bought sheberts. I joined Feingold. There is not shortage of treats. I also allow him to have regular birthday cake at a party (95%/5% rule)

     

    I try to prepare fish (mostly salmon, sardines, mackerel) about 2 to 3 times a week. Along with 1 lentil soup per week - it is good for restoring the intestines.

     

    I would say the biggest benefits were seen when I eliminated the salicylates, and when we introduced the zinc and magnesium. Otherwise the improvements have been gradual and now I would say he is about 90 % better. Calmer, friendlier and less tics.

     

    Read Claire's thread for newcomers. That is an excellent summary that really helped me get a handle on this.

    http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=689

     

    Hope this helps. It is hard for us parents to see our children tic - we love our children so much. I still feel sad inside and hope and pray that, in time, it will not be an issue for us. You are both on the right track, keep chugging along, there are difficult times and then there are very rewarding times when you see things improving. Don't get discouraged during the valleys. In the valleys, you just have to think that you are discovering something important that is triggering the tics and needs to be figured out. Give them lots of hugs and love, and stay focused on the mystery to solve at hand. You will find your answers.

     

    Take care and give them an extra kiss and hug from me.

    Evangelia

    ps. I am curious as to what other vitamin combos other parents are giving their children.

  11. Hi Dara,

     

    This is a strange suggestion, but can you move in with someone for a week or so? Looking back, my son's tics really started surfacing last December when we had our house painted and we actually had moved in with my in-laws for 8 days while we painted. His tics started shortly after we moved back in - because the fumes didn't go away for a while. I never made the association between the paints and the new twitches that were suddenly occuring with my son until my naturalpath asked me to fill in a questionaire 2 months ago!

     

    I am just thinking that if you remove yourself completely from the environment, then you will see if things get better and you will at least be dealing with the a major trigger to be sure. As Claire mentioned, I would also stop the screens at the same time.

     

    What you need is to see some improvement to encourage you that you can have an influence over this and it will get better. I really feel for you, I cried for 3 days and nights non-stop when my son's tics were at their worse - I didn't think that I had any tears left in me! Things WILL get better - we are all a testament to that.

     

    I also want to mention, that your son may not always know that he is ticing. It is probably harder for you to watch him than it is for him doing the tic. Remember, when he tics, he is satisfying an urge that is bothering him and then he feels better. It is like when you have an itch - the itch bothers you so you scratch it and then you feel better. Think of the tic as the scratching part of it.

     

    As Jeff mentioned, we also eliminated all additives and preservatives.

     

    Regarding symptoms getting worse, the first week or two when I eliminated "everything" my son's tics got worse, and thanks to the parents here, they mentioned that generally this happens because the body may be detoxing. Tics got worse before they got better.

     

    Hang in there, don't loose hope.

    Take care,

    Evangelia

  12. Hi Dara,

     

    I can totally relate to how overwhelming everything can get. I just have to tell you, it WILL get better! It is just a matter of time before you find the proper combination of things that work for your son.

     

    I started with all the eliminations and supplements almost 2 months ago. My son is almost 6 years old and his tics were very hard to watch. He would jump up and wave both arms in the air every few SECONDS! I was also devastated. His tics are now alot better; less in frequency and intensity... he does not jump or wave his arms in the air - some shrugs. I look forward to the day that I can say that they are "not an issue any more". On some days, I have to make it a point to observe if he is ticing. I know that I am getting there and that it takes time to repair the intestines so that they can accept food and absorb the nutrients that the body needs to function properly.

     

    I can't believe that I am in a position to help someone else with this. I am very humbled..... as I am still learning everyday.

     

    1. Supplements

    My son gets all his supplements in a form of a shake. We call it the "vitamin shake". You mentioned that your son is a big fruit and vegetable eater, have you considered buying a juicer? You can juice carrots (hopefully you are allowed them) and then add all the vitamins to it. Grind them if they are tablets, if gel capsules - pour them in, if powder capsules - open them and pour them in. I put all vitamins in the shake - it's quite a cocktail!. My son doesn't like to swallow vitamins either - but this was worked for us.

    Try a reward system to help him along - stickers, toys etc.

     

    2. Regarding Vanilla soy milk, I found that my son's tics increased with it. It is very likely due to the other ingredients added to it - For example vitamin A Palmitate (spelling?) is an artificial vitamin A - Feingold says that this has salisylates in it. I use "So Nice" organic soy milk (ingredients:Water, Whole soybeans). I added pure vanilla extract and stevia. I haven't seen an increase with this soy milk.

     

    3. Flaxseed

    I grind a whole bunch of flax seed and keep it in the freezer so that it is handy. I put it in almost everything that he eats - in his pancakes, in his muffins, in his cream of rice, sprinkle it on his rice pasta, etc. I also disolve 1 tbsp ground flax seed in 3 tbsp hot water and use it to replace eggs in recipes.

     

    4. No Screens

    My TV "broke". This way, I didn't have to stress my son about it nor battle over the TV watching. It was just accepted and we did other things. I only recently re-introduced TV after more than 5 weeks of no TV.

    Claire, as an FYI, I did notice that at first when he got re-introduced to the TV he suddenly started ticcing alot more during TV. My husband bought a Sponge Bob video (!!!! didn't need that) and my son watched for a long time (approx 2 hours per day for 2 days), and boy let me tell you, it wasn't the tics that were the problem, it was the very agitated and angry rude boy that suddenly lived at our house! Last week I removed the TV for 4 days, he was back to normal very quickly. Now I let him watch about 1/2 to 1 hour per day - often we don't bother turning it on because we get involved in other activities.

     

    5. Menu

    What I have found to help my sanity, is to create a menu. My son showed sensitive to over 30 foods, plus I removed all salicylates. To add to that, of the remaining foods, I was instructed to not repeat the same food on 2 consecutive days. To use a 4-day rotation plan so that he doesn't create more sensitivities.

    By sitting down and creating a menu, I remove alot of my anxiety of "what to make". The planning took care of all the "thinking" and for the rest of the week, I just do as I planned.

     

     

    6. Cleared all my countertops

    I was surrounded with all kinds of new ingrediants and vitamins every where I looked in the kitchen. I was driving myself crazy. I finally decided to clear 2 cupboards in the kitchen and place the items inside where I would not have to look at them all the time.

     

    7. Got a hold of recipes

    ideas ideas ideas. The link http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/#recipes was given to us by another wonderful mom here (I can't find the post, sorry).

     

    8. 95% following the rules, 5% allowed to not follow the rules.

    Ronnas, your words of wisdom are so true.... and only somehow penetrated my brain this weekend. After being very strict about staying on the diet - I finally made the decision that if I am following very well for 95% of the time, then it should be OKAY if I let my son have a piece of birthday cake at a birthday party, or a cookie at a friend's house 5% of the time. The social impact of being an outcast in an already difficult time is probably more damaging to my son.... so I decided to let up a bit.

     

     

    8. Sugar

    Are you allowed honey? Syrup? Date sugar? Fruit puree?

     

     

    9. Be patient.

    With everything that you are doing, some results show quicker, but really, it may take months before a real improvement is shown. Just know that results will show up sooner or later. Sometimes, they are very subtle.

     

     

    I hope this helps in some little way. We are all in this together and the help that I have received here has been so important and instrumental in the improvement of my son's tics - I can't begin to express my deepest gratitude to everyone.

     

    Evangelia

  13. Hi Connor, Dylan and Will, :D ,

     

    My name is Steven. i am olmost six yers old desembr 30. I do the tiks olso. I lev in Canada olso. Its geting cold here and you hav to get warmd ap.

     

    I am happy to se other boys that hav tiks. Do your tiks fel betr?

    My tiks fel betr sinc the vatamins and the good food r helping me. I dont lik havng the tiks. Sinc wen did you start your tiks?

     

    I hop to her frm you. Wat kind of vitamns do you hav to tak to stop your tiks? I hop you fel good soon and I hop you hav fan at skool and I hop you hav fun in ostralia and the unitd stats and Canada.

     

    I haftogo to scool By now. :DB)<_<:lol:

    from Steven

  14. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Clare! I am very angry about this - we have rights !!

     

    I agree with Claire, it is again the multi-national companies behind this.

     

    I am reading the links you all posted and am definitely going to find out what actions I can take here in Canada.

     

    Evangelia

  15. Here is another link that is very informative regarding substitutes and gluten-free recipes:

    ---- http://www.gfrecipes.com

     

    Thousands (and I mean thousands!) of vegetarian recipes here - I was able to pick up alot of recipes that suited my needs:

    ----http://home.teleport.com/~noelvn/vegan/recipie_links.html

     

     

    Regarding Xanthan Gum, here is brief info from another site:

    Xanthan gum is a binder that improves the quality of a gluten-free product. It prevents the cookies from spreading, helps with the crumbling problem, and improves elasticity.

     

    Suggested Ratios

    No xanthan gum is needed for pancakes or waffles, or when dusting meats.

    Use ¾ teaspoon per cup of flour for muffins, biscuits, or scones.

    Use 1 teaspoon per cup of flour for cookies, cakes, pie crust, and pizza dough.

     

    Evangelia

  16. Thanks for the tips, everyone.

     

    Claire, I didn't know that xanthum gum was fermented in corn.... and your son is still able to tolerate this being allergic to corn?

    I appreciate the baking powder substitute as I have been feeling pretty guilty using real baking powder these days (due to corn sensitivity).

     

    For egg substitution, I have found that 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed, in 2 Tablespoons hot water works very well in keeping cookies and pancakes together and you also get the added benefit of the flax. Let it sit for 10 minutes so that is gets gooey.

     

    I will definitely try the cookies! thanks. I will also post some of my own recipes that I am creating along the way. I am at work now, so I will do this when I get home.

     

    Evangelia

  17. Hi Everyone,

     

    I need recipes that work. Many of you have alot of sensitivities (maybe not as many as my son, but quite similar).

     

    Following the IgG test, my son is sensitive to (are you ready!):

    - amaranth - asparagus - banana - brocolli - brussel sprouts - buckwheat - cabbage - cantalope - cauliflower - celery - chili pepper - coconut - corn - egg (severe sensitivity) - grapefruit - lemon - lettuce - lime - milk (cow's and goat's) - onion - orange - sweet potato - white potato - quinoa - radish - tangerine - wheat - yam - zuchini.

     

    I did a seperate gliadin/gluten anitbody test and his IgG ELISA test showed a very high positive score of 91! (A strong positive is anything over 30). His IgA ELISA test showed 11 (negative value). I am therefore eliminating all gluten also.

    For the record, I also tested for celiac disease and thank God it was low - 4 units.

     

    I am also eliminating all salicylates - and trying the amines. :wub:

     

    I have always enjoyed challenges but this is incredible!

     

    Claire, I tried your pancake recipe this morning, it was the best one that I have tried so far. Unfortunately, I had to use baking powder (but it has corn starch). You mentioned that you have a great concoction of arrowroot, baking soda, and cream of tarter. Can you tell me the ratios of each ingrediant and how much is used to substitue 1 tsp of baking powder? I decided to add ground flax seed to your recipe inorder to make it even more beneficial.

     

    If any of you have any great cookie/muffin/snack recipes that don't fall apart and taste good, please add the recipe. Any recipe for breakfast or lunches would be great! Suppers are easier.

     

    If you have any great recipe links on the web that you like, please add them.

     

    I think this will be a great resource for many of us.

     

    Thanks for your help!

     

    Evangelia

  18. hi Caz,

     

    You brought up an interesting topic that has been lingering in my mind. Stress and drugs during pregnancy. I also was extremely stressed during my pregnancy to the point where my contractions started when I was only 5 months pregnant. I was put on bed-rest for the remaining period, I eventually gave birth to a full-term baby. Unfortunately, 2 drugs were administered to me during my bed-rest. 1. betamethasone (sp?) to help speedup the development of the baby's lungs incase I gave birth very early. 2. Ventalin - to reduce the contractions

     

    They are both a form of steroids - and more research is coming out on the affects that this has on the developing nervous system - not good. At that time I had to do a cost/benefit - either give birth to a 5/6 month developed baby or take the drugs and pray for a full-term baby with no problems. Pray, I did every minute.

     

    All to say, I know the practise of giving these drugs to pregnant women is still very actively being done. I just wonder how many women, years later, have children with neurological problems.... if so, perhaps the cost is too high and the practise should be changed/stopped.

     

    You are right about stress also. It is so terrible on the body. I am sure there is a link to the baby's development.

     

    In my case, my son's situation is compounded further by the fact that allergies are very prominant in my husband's family. My husband alone is allergic to practically everything - I just was hoping that my son would get my side of the genes on that one. Oh well.

     

    He also had a bad gastro flu when he was around 2/3 years old where he vomited bile at one point - I wonder how his intestine's chemicals and makeup were imbalanced with that.

     

    Evangelia

  19. Hello,

     

    Just visited the Naturalpath and got the results of the IgG blood test. My son has reacted to 31 of the 115 foods tested. What is even more incredible is that, like you Susanna, he reacted to lemons, limes and oranges but not to grapes and apples and not to many other salicylates. I know first hand from my record keeping (28 days so far) that my son has had tics right after eating apples and grapes/grape juice.

     

    This leads me to agree with Ausclare. That is a scary thought because alot of the leftovers that I was "allowed" are salicytes or amines. I will just have to feed this child water for the next few months....

     

    I will highlight a few key interesting points of my exchange with the naturalpath:

     

    1. After mentioning to him the point about the salicylates not showing up, he said that the IGg tests the "humoral (sp?) mediated immune system response" not the "cell mediated immune system response". He generally does not ask for the latter for children because it requires one ounce of blood.

     

    2. Similar to the salicylate debate, what I found odd is that the IGg only showed that my son was sensitive to wheat, buckwheat, but the gluten test showed that he is extremely sensitive to gluten. I would have thought that rye and barley would have showed up. I am going to keep all glutens away at this point. Thankfully he does not have Celiac.

     

    3. More contradictions: the test shows that he is sensitive to cow's and goat's milk, however, cow's cheese is ok. ???

     

    4. He believes my son has a severe "leaky gut" because so many food items showed up and especially because he is sensitive to lettuce! Lettuce is not a protein and is not a very complex structure.

     

    5. Of the remaining foods that he is allowed, I should not give the same food 2 days in a row. I have to be careful because giving too much of the remaining food items will create new sensitivities.

     

    6. After asking the Naturalpath about a potential yeast problem, he said that most people with yeast problems will show a sensitivity to yeast (Baker's/Brewer's). My son didn't so I will look at this one probably months from now.

     

    7. There is hope. This is all reversable.

    (1) Eliminate the foods

    (2) Eat only organic food - including meats.

    (3) To help with the sensitivities, he recommeneds "Ultra Care for kids" from Metagenics

    (4) To rebuild the lining of the intestines he recommends "Ultra-Clear". He said that L-glutamine would have been good but he doesn't recommend it because it affects the "mind"

    (5) The friendly bacteria will also be built up with capsules (I didn't get the name- I will let you know).

     

    8. Beans/Lentils are very good because of the fiber. Fiber rebuilds the intestinal lining -> short chain fatty acids.

     

    9. I asked if I should consider "oil of oregano" or garlic supplements, and he said that he doesn't recommend it. They are strong herbs and can be very disruptive - won't recommend it unless there is a real need.

     

    That's it for now, I better get some sleep.

    It's going to be a whole lot harder now, considering the IGg and Feingold/Failsafe. I am just thankful to you all for the proper guidance that I have received to put me on the proper track right away (almost a month ago).

     

    Evangelia

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