paediatric Archives - Optimal Family Wellness

Natural support for kids with Allergies/Intolerances

AllisonR — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 23:19:05 +0000

So many of our children today suffer from either allergies or intolerance’s, and it can really dampen their quality of life. Recent data in Australia indicates that 10% of children under the age of 1 have a detected food allergy, and this number is only set to grow in the coming years. Today’s article aims to provide you with a basic understanding of allergy vs intolerance and some natural treatment options that can reduce the severity, duration and occurrence of reactions in your little people.

What is an allergy?

An allergy is a severe reaction, called an IgE reaction. It causes anaphylaxis, with very rapid onset. Only a very tiny amount of the allergen needs to be present for your child to react to this, and if anaphylaxis occurs you need an emergency EpiPen.

This kind of response is an immune system reaction, with large amounts of histamine released. This is what causes the common allergy reactions of:

Swelling
Difficulty breathing, wheezing
Hives or red itchy skins
Itchy, red, watery eyes
Vomiting and diarrhoea

What is an intolerance?

A food intolerance is an IgG response and takes up to 48 hours to occur.

So, a child could eat a food, and not experience symptoms for 2 days, which makes this type of reaction hard to pinpoint. Intolerances are not life threatening like allergies, and usually more than a tiny amount of the food needs to be eaten for a reaction to occur.

An intolerance can be immune system related, but is most often digestive system related, and occurs in the gut as a response to foods/substances.

Common intolerance’s symptoms include:
Headaches
Tummy aches
Diarrhea/constipation
Eczema
Mood swings/irrational behaviour
Bloating, tummy pains

How can you support your child through intolerance and allergy?

Firstly, if your child has an IgE allergy, you will need a medical plan from your doctor who can guide you on how to best manage this.

If, however, the allergy in question is something like hay fever, we will discuss ways to manage that below.

Food intolerance testing

If you suspect your child is reaction to foods, with symptoms like diarrhea, cramps, headaches, mood swings, skin rashes etc, then getting a food intolerance test is highly recommended. It will give you a list of foods and substances your child reacts to, which you can then eliminate from their diet.

You can contact me to learn more about this option.

Gut Health

Gut health plays a major role in whether your child will experience food intolerance’s, and in fact poor gut health can cause them to occur. The gut is also intimately linked to the immune system, so if there is a problem in one, chances are a problem will occur in the other.

There are several main area’s that we look at in order to improve your child’s gut health.

These are:

Making sure they have enough enzymes to properly break down food.
Gut bacteria, making sure they have the right balance of bacteria inside their gut, and correct this if not. We also look at making sure your child is having the right foods to feed healthy bacteria in their gut.
Gut lining. We look at making sure your child has optimal gut lining, which will help ensure food particles and proteins cannot get through into the blood stream and cause reactions.
Lastly we look at improving your child’s immune system through improving their gut health, and also through making sure they have the right nutrients present for strong immunity.

Working on your child’s gut health is best done with your Naturopath, and I’m happy to discuss this with you if you feel it’s relevant to you.

Foods rich in Quercetin

Quercetin is an antioxidant flavonoid, which has been shown to reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies by reducing histamine and inflammation. It is also a great immune system support in general.

Eating foods rich in quercetin can easily be achieved by adding any of the following foods into your child’s diet regularly:

Apples
Berries
Broccoli
Grapes
Red onions
Cherries
Kale
Capsicums
The bonus is that many of these foods are also high in Vitamin C.

Add Local honey

Local honey can be a wonderful food for hay fever suffers, as long as it is tolerated. Local honey has a small amount of pollen from the local environment and can help you tolerate it much better, thus reducing symptoms.

Add fermented foods

This is a natural way to increase your child’s internal probiotic count, or good bacteria. Including a small amount daily gives them a natural gut and immune system boost.

The following foods are great fermented foods to try.

Natural yogurt
Kombucha
Kefir
Sauerkraut
Other fermented veggies & fruits

I hope you found this article helpful, and as always, please contact me if you would like to discuss your child’s health needs. I offer free discovery calls, or if you’re ready to book an appointment you can do so here.

The post Natural support for kids with Allergies/Intolerances appeared first on Optimal Family Wellness.

Post Natal Fatigue

AllisonR — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 00:56:07 +0000

What is Post Natal Fatigue?

Fatigue is a word that new mums know well. Fresh new baby snuggles, deepened love, sleep deprivation and nutritional needs a plenty, we experience these things and so many more when we become parents.

During this transitional period, we truly need support around us, but these support structures are often lacking in our modern society. This can result in all too familiar fatigue, mood swings and depletion that many new mums face.

Today we are taking a deep dive into what this depletion is, the main symptoms to look out for, and some ways in which you can support yourself or another new mum in your life.

The term ‘Post Natal depletion’ was coined by Dr.Oscar Serrallach, and he states that it encompasses four key factors, which when combined together create post-natal depletion.

The four key factors are:
1. Stress
2. Social expectations
3. Inflammation and pre-existing health conditions
4. Environmental toxins

Before becoming mums, many modern women are already experiencing high stress loads. When you add on the role of creating a new human, birthing them, and feeding and caring for them, this level of physiological stress can tip a new mum over the edge. When you add in sleep deprivation, a lack of social support to help with household chores and no breaks from mothering, fatigue is very often the result. A lack of energy and enthusiasm often follows, and life can feel tough during this time.

Inflammation is a key hallmark of post-natal depletion and is also a consequence of it. This can cause any pre-existing medical conditions to worsen during this time, adding even more stress to the load.

Lastly, toxins are a big part of health. During the post-partum period we are especially sensitive to environmental toxins, those that come from our food and drinks, our skin and body care products, and the products we use to clean our environments.

The key symptoms of post-natal depletion.

When all the above factors are combined, they produce the following key symptoms:

Baby brain – or the classic brain fog
Poor memory and concentration
Severe fatigue/ exhaustion
Low sex drive, or very often none at all
Anxiety or depression
A sense of overwhelm
Inability to cope with daily life
Weight gain and inability to lose any weight
Physical signs of ageing progress, wrinkles, hair loss etc

Can post-natal depletion be treated?

Thankfully the answer is a resounding yes! With the correct supports in place, symptoms of post-natal depletion can be resolved, and women can experience great wellbeing and joy again! The factors that need addressing to treat post-natal depletion include nutritional health, energy, sleep and emotional wellness.

Let’s start with getting the right nutrients in.

Nutrition

Nutrition is huge for new mums. When your body receives the correct foods and supplements it can create energy, balance hormones, handle stress easier, achieve a balanced body weight and a whole lot more.

Some super nourishing foods that you can include regularly in your diet include:

Whole–grains. Particularly quinoa, buckwheat, millet and oats. Porridges are really good for new mums
Eggs, however you like to have them. Baked, fried, scrambled etc.
Smoothies with things like spinach, banana, seeds (chia, pumpkin, sunflower etc), frozen berries, avocado etc.
Salmon
Lots of slow cooked meals. Meats and veggies are very digestible when slow cooked.
Soups and stews with homemade bone broth
Beans and legumes
Fresh fruit and veggies, as much as you like of these.

Sleep

Sleep is really important for new parents, and I know some of you might feel like that is a joke due to babies not sleeping. It’s a big area to tackle, but luckily there are some simple things you can try that can give great results.

Start with limiting things like blue light and screens in the hour before bed, and making sure your bedroom is cool. Practicing relaxing activities like reading or meditation before bed instead of looking at screens can really help your body adjust to sleep time. You can work on sleep hygiene practices for your specific situation with your Naturopath. If the reason you’re not sleeping is because your baby isn’t sleeping, seek some assistance so that you can both get better rest.

Energy

Movement is one of the best ways to start building up more energy in your body. Gentle daily exercise after your first 6 weeks post-partum is a beautiful starting point.

Yoga, tai chi, walks in nature are all nourishing ways to begin moving. If you are severely fatigued and depleted, steer clear of all types of strenuous exercise and gym. Gentle nurturing movement will help both your body and soul.

Emotional support

The way a mum feels in herself is a huge factor in post-natal depletion and fatigue. Some mothers come to motherhood straight from high powered corporate roles or full-time employment, and this can cause them to feel that parenting their small babe is not adding any value to society in the way they are used to.

Self-worth can plummet during this time, and if you find yourself here, please seek some support. Counsellors, psychologist, life coaches or even a best friend who is good at listening can really help you. Reassessing your values and realigning to them can help you get back to a place of finding joy in the day to day of life.

If after reading this blog you feel you could be experiencing post-natal depletion, please head HERE to book an appointment with me today.

I look forward to supporting you to vibrant health.

Allison

The post Post Natal Fatigue appeared first on Optimal Family Wellness.

Tummy troubles: Five ways to support your child’s gut health, naturally

AllisonR — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 07:17:25 +0000

By Allison Riehs | Naturopath

As a parent, it’s always hard to see our little ones suffering with tummy troubles and belly aches.

Even if they can’t tell us they’re hurting, we usually know.

But upset tummies and digestive difficulties can present in a variety of ways, and it’s not always obvious.

These issues can have an impact on other aspects of a child’s health, including moods, behaviour, concentration, skin conditions, allergies, immune health, and more.

You might have heard the saying, good health starts with gut health.

And it’s true.

The gut or gastrointestinal system plays host to a dynamic microbiome, which is made up of bacteria, viruses and microbes.

The balance of this bacteria can have either a positive or negative influence on health, and there are steps we can take to encourage more healthy gut flora.

Reduce processed foods

Since the introduction of ‘TV dinners’ in the 1950’s, Australians have clung tightly to the convenience of processed foods.

Increasingly, family households are made up of busy working parents, and children who spend a lot of time in daycare, school and after-school activities. So it’s understandable that we reach for quick and easy options come meal time.

But at what cost to our health?

A recent study found that more than half of what Australians eat is processed, or ‘ultra processed’, meaning it contains several artificial ingredients made using methods that can’t be replicated at home. These foods not only offer limited nutritional benefits, but can be very difficult for the digestive system. Processed food products also increase bad bacteria in the gut. By enjoying natural wholefoods more often than processed foods, we can feed the good gut bacteria, and help restore balance to the microbiome.

The toilet test

If your child is no longer in nappies, it might have been a while since you’ve seen what they’re passing. Both faeces and urine can hide some clues about your child’s health. Very yellow urine can be a sign of dehydration (or can occur with some supplements), dark sticky urine can be an indicator of diabetes, and stools can occur in a wide range of variations. For more clues about number twos, see my article What is your child’s poop trying to tell you.

Fibre, fluid and ferments

You’ve probably heard about eating fibre to keep regular, but there’s more to it than that. Research has found dietary fibre can positively change the gut microbiota and alter metabolic regulation in humans. Fluids are essential for supporting the transition of food through the digestive system, and keeping enzymes and bacteria in balance. While fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented vegetables, kefir, and yoghurt can feed and replenish good gut bacteria.

Prioritise probiotics

There are many different strains of probiotics, and they all work on different areas of health and wellness. Saccharomyces boulardii is effective for the treatment of gastro while Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG has been used successfully for respiratory tract infections. Certain probiotics can also be beneficial for restoring good gut bacteria after antibiotics. So it’s important to seek support for choosing the right probiotics for your children.

Get their hands dirty

“A little dirt never hurt anybody”. They’re the wise words of every grandparent reassuring worried new mums and dads after children take their first taste of a mud pie. It’s inevitable that children are going to get dirty, and it turns out it can be beneficial for their health. The book “Dirt is Good: Why kids need exposure to germs” explores the science behind childhood exposure to bacteria and how it can actually support and strengthen the immune system. This is especially relevant in the post-pandemic era after children have been isolated at home, using hand sanitisers and spending less time outdoors.

For more support with children’s gut health, book an appointment with Allison.

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