Drink a whole smoothie or make popsicles for your kids!
My "Brain Helper" Smoothie
4-5 frozen strawberries
4-5 slices of banana
1 Tbsp Udo's DHA 3-6-9 Oil (helps nerves, brain)
1 crushed vit B6 tablet (helps nerves)
2-3 oz orange juice
Add if desired (I use these things too)
1 probiotic capsule or 1 tsp probiotic powder (promotes better digestion, healthy digestive flora)
2-3 drops grapefruit seed extract (intestinal tonic, helps cleanse negative bacteria)
6 drops Vitamin E oil (antioxidant)
1/2 scoop Blueberry greens powder (antioxidant)
1 Tbsp liquid calcium/magnesium supplement (if dairy free)
1/8 tsp stevia sweetener, honey or pure maple syrup (only needed if using grapefruit seed extract, as it is very bitter!)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
2009 discoveries
So to summarize, these are the discoveries I made in 2009 in my health journey.
1. Your BODY needs Omega 3 with DHA. If it is not getting enough, it will signal your brain to keep sending signals to eat, causing you to snack unnecessarily.
2. Your BRAIN needs Omega 3 with DHA. The brain is composed of fatty tissue. It can not function properly without it, causing you to feel anxious and squirrly.
3. You should try to eat a little bit every few hours, especially protein to have a healthy mind.
4. You need vitamin C twice a day. It is depleted very quickly and is needed to detoxify, especially the liver.
5. If you still have anxiety or mental troubles, find out if you have a brain allergy. Dairy products, gluten based foods and corn based foods are common triggers.
That's it! Not tough at all. A couple of supplements, a little protein, and this has been the key to functioning much better at our mental and emotional best!
1. Your BODY needs Omega 3 with DHA. If it is not getting enough, it will signal your brain to keep sending signals to eat, causing you to snack unnecessarily.
2. Your BRAIN needs Omega 3 with DHA. The brain is composed of fatty tissue. It can not function properly without it, causing you to feel anxious and squirrly.
3. You should try to eat a little bit every few hours, especially protein to have a healthy mind.
4. You need vitamin C twice a day. It is depleted very quickly and is needed to detoxify, especially the liver.
5. If you still have anxiety or mental troubles, find out if you have a brain allergy. Dairy products, gluten based foods and corn based foods are common triggers.
That's it! Not tough at all. A couple of supplements, a little protein, and this has been the key to functioning much better at our mental and emotional best!
Finding the missing piece
So the year has been exciting, and yet at the same time draining and frustrating!
Learning to cook milk free and pack milk free lunches has been completely worthwhile and rewarding, but at the same time, my son had fairly regular relapses all year which caused us to think there is something else we needed to find, and there was.
His anxiety was solved, but his tendancy to pace and "space out" was still popping up regularly. His willingness to play was the most noticable indicator of his mental health. When he was feeling well, he would play and have fun for hours and when he was "off", he would want to sit and play computer games all day, and become very irritated with efforts to divert him.
We had some independent "consumer" lab testing done, and found out his prealbumin levels were very low, which indicates poor protein absorption (or malnutrition, which we knew was not the case!). My son is quite underweight although he eats very well, and we have always just chalked it up to genetics. We weren't really sure what to make of the test until last week, the missing piece just fell into place in a conversation with an aquaintance about these test results. This person is also underweight, and when I told him that my son's protein absorption was poor, his response was, "That's interesting, same here. If I don't have just a little protein every few hours I feel 'squirrly'!". That word, "squirrly". It just clicked in my brain. My son needs more protein, more regularly!
In the past week I have begun making sure my son has protein every few hours starting first thing... a little piece of cold meat with a little salt on it, a slice of bacon, an egg, something. He has a couple of domino sized pieces of meat at recess time, and protein at lunch in his sandwich. When he gets home from school, I have some other little protein snack ready along with his smoothie.
You may find it hard to believe... because I do too... he hasn't had a single lapse since. He is PLAYING! He goes outside to work on the snow fort, he plays games, he colours, he doesn't even seem that interested in the computer! We are having FUN together! And the pacing has finally stopped. I am cautious to say it, but hopefully, this time forever.
Learning to cook milk free and pack milk free lunches has been completely worthwhile and rewarding, but at the same time, my son had fairly regular relapses all year which caused us to think there is something else we needed to find, and there was.
His anxiety was solved, but his tendancy to pace and "space out" was still popping up regularly. His willingness to play was the most noticable indicator of his mental health. When he was feeling well, he would play and have fun for hours and when he was "off", he would want to sit and play computer games all day, and become very irritated with efforts to divert him.
We had some independent "consumer" lab testing done, and found out his prealbumin levels were very low, which indicates poor protein absorption (or malnutrition, which we knew was not the case!). My son is quite underweight although he eats very well, and we have always just chalked it up to genetics. We weren't really sure what to make of the test until last week, the missing piece just fell into place in a conversation with an aquaintance about these test results. This person is also underweight, and when I told him that my son's protein absorption was poor, his response was, "That's interesting, same here. If I don't have just a little protein every few hours I feel 'squirrly'!". That word, "squirrly". It just clicked in my brain. My son needs more protein, more regularly!
In the past week I have begun making sure my son has protein every few hours starting first thing... a little piece of cold meat with a little salt on it, a slice of bacon, an egg, something. He has a couple of domino sized pieces of meat at recess time, and protein at lunch in his sandwich. When he gets home from school, I have some other little protein snack ready along with his smoothie.
You may find it hard to believe... because I do too... he hasn't had a single lapse since. He is PLAYING! He goes outside to work on the snow fort, he plays games, he colours, he doesn't even seem that interested in the computer! We are having FUN together! And the pacing has finally stopped. I am cautious to say it, but hopefully, this time forever.
Discovering supplements
Let me start by saying Omega 3 with DHA is a miracle substance and absolutely everyone should be having a regular daily dose of it. It has helped everyone in the household, including me, to be more calm and easy going with each other. Now I will talk about supplements.
The wonderful doctor who suggested the possibility of dairy sensitivity, followed up after our milk experiment by recommending a series of supplements that include B6, B12, C, E and Omega 3. She has been diligently tracking his progress every 3 months.
Starting the vitamins was quite easy because there are tasty chewables available, but Omega 3 was alot more difficult. The only ones that taste good don't have much Omega in them and were loaded with sugar in gummy form, and I was already worried about his teeth.
I finally discovered Udo's DHA Oil toward the fall of 2009, and devised a daily smoothie with the Omega Oil in it, along with his calcium supplement, a liquid vitamin E, and probiotic powder.
I am giving this smoothie to both my children, morning and afternoon when they get home from school, and have noticed that even my older child has a more even temper, is more easy going, and that they both have a better appetite for their water and vegetables now! My 8 year old has even told me she "feels better"!
I honestly believe the supplements have been a key support in the recovery of my son's brain from the toxic effect that dairy was having all those years.
The wonderful doctor who suggested the possibility of dairy sensitivity, followed up after our milk experiment by recommending a series of supplements that include B6, B12, C, E and Omega 3. She has been diligently tracking his progress every 3 months.
Starting the vitamins was quite easy because there are tasty chewables available, but Omega 3 was alot more difficult. The only ones that taste good don't have much Omega in them and were loaded with sugar in gummy form, and I was already worried about his teeth.
I finally discovered Udo's DHA Oil toward the fall of 2009, and devised a daily smoothie with the Omega Oil in it, along with his calcium supplement, a liquid vitamin E, and probiotic powder.
I am giving this smoothie to both my children, morning and afternoon when they get home from school, and have noticed that even my older child has a more even temper, is more easy going, and that they both have a better appetite for their water and vegetables now! My 8 year old has even told me she "feels better"!
I honestly believe the supplements have been a key support in the recovery of my son's brain from the toxic effect that dairy was having all those years.
Learning curve
The past year has been a busy but rewarding one. I spent hours searching and reading on the internet about "brain allergies" and how food sensitivities can affect the brain in some people.
The first challenge was to learn all the places where milk is hidden in food. "Modified milk ingredients" are in many things from chips and crackers to hot dogs. Every little mistake would bring our little "Meltdown Matt" back with a vengence for about 24 hours.
At the same time, once his ability to focus and comprehend was no longer hampered, his development began to catch up in earnest. It has been so exciting to see him make observations about things he didn't notice before, to begin playing creatively and show more willingness to explore on his own.
The first challenge was to learn all the places where milk is hidden in food. "Modified milk ingredients" are in many things from chips and crackers to hot dogs. Every little mistake would bring our little "Meltdown Matt" back with a vengence for about 24 hours.
At the same time, once his ability to focus and comprehend was no longer hampered, his development began to catch up in earnest. It has been so exciting to see him make observations about things he didn't notice before, to begin playing creatively and show more willingness to explore on his own.
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