My second born has been dealing with eczema f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Up until this summer it followed a predictable pattern: Bad in the winter, healed in the summer, bad again in the winter, healed again in the summer.
This summer we couldn't seem to clear it up.
His doctor suggested trying some diet modifications...thinking a possible allergen trigger. We can always go the route of allergy testing. However, if simply tweaking his diet could save him a few hundred needle sticks, we were all for it.
First we removed all nuts from his diet. Peanuts and tree nuts. This helped a little.
But not enough.
Next to go? Gluten.
Followed by an elimination of High Fructose Corn Syrup.
His skin started to look better. Much better.
I began to think that nuts weren't part of the equation, until I gave him a cookie containing pecans. INSTANT flare up. So nuts are still out.
Then I wondered about the gluten. We started slowly plugging wheat back in...but only 100% whole wheat. No problems. Whew. Maybe gluten wasn't an issue? Gave him a burger on a processed bun. INSTANT flare up. So crappy bread products and all purpose flour are out.
We haven't even bothered to reintroduce HFCS, because really...who needs that garbage? Unless you like a good hit of mercury every now and again.
While this isn't the easiest diet for a little boy to follow, it's not complicated. And it's worth it. SO WORTH IT.
For breakfast, he'll eat two plain eggs (which is the way he likes them best anyhow.) Or toast with jelly. (100% whole wheat, and a preserve with actual berries and sugar.) Some mornings I'll make scones, or banana bread...I've just gotten into the habit of using only whole wheat, oat, rice, or tapioca flours - sometimes a blend of all when I bake.
For lunch at school, I send a jelly sandwich, orange slices, string cheese, a homemade cookie, and a few potato chips. (the chips ingredient list is potato, oil, salt.)
Suppertime is surprisingly easy. I've just tweaked what we normally have to fit this new diet. My meatloaf and meatballs now contain brown rice in place of bread crumbs. In place of noodles, I use corn tortillas for lasagna. Any bready stuff is just whole wheat in place of what I used to use. I make sure he's getting plenty of protein at night to make up for any absence earlier in the day.
I wish I would have started this earlier. It's been so good for him and really, it's been good for the rest of us, too.
7 comments:
You are such a great mom. Glad it is helping :)
hey..your sil kara passed on your blog to me knowing how much I'd enjoy it. she was right! I know I don't know you...but I enjoyed visitng your blog and will be back!I kinda feel like a stalker but you can come stalk mine if you want!
You are a great mom.
My kiddos have eczema too (hallelujah diet-style) and we follow a raw diet. 50% raw food throughout the day with only dinner cooked and oatmeal for breakfast. it's helped tremendously.
I found this website helpful too
http://www.eczema-natural-healing.com/eczema-food-allergies.html
Hey there girl. Dealing with eczema is so heartbreaking, isn't it? My first baby had terrible eczema and thankfully grew out of it when he turned 2. He does have some dry spots which I try and have him oiled up at all times in Aquafor but for the most part he's great. My husband also had eczema for all his life and suggested I keep Pauly away from anything super acidic so that would be oranges, pineapple, strawberries, and tomatoes... Not sure if you've gone that route when he has a flare-up. Also, Pauly gets no soap (unless he is SUPER stinky) I used just warm water for the majority of his life. and soap on just his hair and at the end of his tub-time so he didn't sit in the soap water... Same goes for both my boys the summer their eczema is better and worse in the winter... Which attributes to the dry winters, I believe - so I try and keep the cool humidifier going all through the winter. Just a few ideas that work for us. It broke my heart to have my boy scratching his little face till he bled all over his bedding and onsies... I think I swaddled him till he was a year or so... eeek! So glad you've found something that is working and hang in there, I know it's frustrating to see your babies like that.
This is so timely, my niece is dealing with the worst flare-up ever and my sis can't get rid of it. Thanks for sharing what you've tried, what worked and what didn't. You rock!
I hope it keeps working!
Micah, I will definately have to stalk you back. (Isn't Kara awesome?)
Diva and TLOTH, thank you for sharing what works for you!
And Tember, I really hope your sister is able to find something that helps. It is so frustrating to watch little ones in discomfort---feeling like there is little one can do to help!
so glad you figured it out!!
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