[AlwaysLearning] Allergies ~was Horrible Tantrums~
Nanci Kuykendall
Sandra Wrote:
I do think there are more allergies now then there
used to be, and I think it has a lot to do with all
the chemicals we are exposing ourselves to in our
environment and in our food. We know, it's been
documented, that we are changing our chemical makeup,
affecting our own and other species with chemicals, so
it should be no great surprise, nor very mysterious
that kids are more chemically sensative and their
nervous systems are more defensive.
That being said, I agree with Sandra. There is a
current cultural fad to drug healthy, normal children
into little drones, which is just more chemicals which
are affecting their later physical and mental health
in scary ways that we are only beginning to
understand. People also seem to be reacting to this
increase in physically defensive reactions by getting
hysterical about allergies. As the mother of a child
who is extremely chemically sensative and whose child
has nearly died from anaphylactic shock after rushing
him into the ER, not once, not twice, but three times,
for three different foods, I think I can say I have a
little experience with allergies. Everyone in our
family has them to some degree.
Obviously we hear all about all the different
deprivation style diets and their magical results.
Yes my son has a number of foods that affect him
chemically/emotionally too. Some of them cause rages
or just downright snarly nasty behaviors, or extreme
manic hyperactivity, sometimes for days. We obviously
have to keep foods that are physically dangerous to
him out of his diet, but those which cause mood
swings, hyperactivity, hives, headaches, stomach aches
etc, are not physically dangerous, just uncomfortable
and/or annoying.
It's no challenge to keep him from eating things which
cause overt reactions like vomiting or worse. He's
not stupid. But we choose not to be what we call "the
food nazis" if you'll forgive the expression, when it
comes to the less dangerous reactions. We will remind
him when he is about to eat a food which we know will
likely cause some reactions, but we don't stop him.
We just want him to be prepared for the consequences
of eating it. We try to help him through the
aftermath, and be patient with him while not allowing
him to abuse us just because he chose to eat something
which affects his judgement or self control. We feel
that he will never be able to learn to manage his diet
and allergies or make good food choices without being
able to experiment, make mistakes and learn why a
certain food is not fun for him to eat, even if it
tastes good. We tell our kids to listen to their
bodies, but how could they do that if we told them how
to feel all the time and strictly controlled what they
ate?
We also know that his body is not a static thing. He
may be able to handle a food allergen if he has not
had it in a while, or he doesn't have a lot of other
potential problem foods in his system at the same
time, or he is not processing environmental allergies
(like his severe dog allergy) at the same time, or
he's not overtired, sick, on a growth spurt or in some
other way overly taxed physically. It's hard to say
at any given time whether he will be ok, or have a
reaction to the milder allergies. We also do things
to help him process allergens, supplements to help his
liver and kidneys work more efficiently, and replacing
minerals and other things used up in processing toxins
(for him) so that his body is better able to handle
them. If he's eating more things that can cause him
problems, we encourage him to step up the preventive
measure that help him to process them, so he can avoid
the problems and still live how he wants to.
In this way we don't have to live on a restricting
diet, he can still have cake and ice cream at a
birthday party or dinner at grandma's without having
to have all his own special food, and most
importantly, he doesn't feel forced or coerced into
giving up the foods he loves at home, if he is willing
to pay the price for eating them. He tends to avoid
things that cause him to rage and lose control of
himself and act monstrous, because he doesn't like
feeling out of control or burning up with anger or
having everyone upset with him. But he had to learn
that by having the choice and living the aftermath,
many times. He doesn't learn very readily from cause
and effect, so it took a while for it to sink in for
him, but it did.
Nanci K.
>There seems to be a fad lately of magicallymore.
>controlling kids with drugs or deprivations or
>dietary restrictions, when in many cases talking to
>them and helping them figure out how to make
>decisions and express themselves would help MUCH
I do think there are more allergies now then there
used to be, and I think it has a lot to do with all
the chemicals we are exposing ourselves to in our
environment and in our food. We know, it's been
documented, that we are changing our chemical makeup,
affecting our own and other species with chemicals, so
it should be no great surprise, nor very mysterious
that kids are more chemically sensative and their
nervous systems are more defensive.
That being said, I agree with Sandra. There is a
current cultural fad to drug healthy, normal children
into little drones, which is just more chemicals which
are affecting their later physical and mental health
in scary ways that we are only beginning to
understand. People also seem to be reacting to this
increase in physically defensive reactions by getting
hysterical about allergies. As the mother of a child
who is extremely chemically sensative and whose child
has nearly died from anaphylactic shock after rushing
him into the ER, not once, not twice, but three times,
for three different foods, I think I can say I have a
little experience with allergies. Everyone in our
family has them to some degree.
Obviously we hear all about all the different
deprivation style diets and their magical results.
Yes my son has a number of foods that affect him
chemically/emotionally too. Some of them cause rages
or just downright snarly nasty behaviors, or extreme
manic hyperactivity, sometimes for days. We obviously
have to keep foods that are physically dangerous to
him out of his diet, but those which cause mood
swings, hyperactivity, hives, headaches, stomach aches
etc, are not physically dangerous, just uncomfortable
and/or annoying.
It's no challenge to keep him from eating things which
cause overt reactions like vomiting or worse. He's
not stupid. But we choose not to be what we call "the
food nazis" if you'll forgive the expression, when it
comes to the less dangerous reactions. We will remind
him when he is about to eat a food which we know will
likely cause some reactions, but we don't stop him.
We just want him to be prepared for the consequences
of eating it. We try to help him through the
aftermath, and be patient with him while not allowing
him to abuse us just because he chose to eat something
which affects his judgement or self control. We feel
that he will never be able to learn to manage his diet
and allergies or make good food choices without being
able to experiment, make mistakes and learn why a
certain food is not fun for him to eat, even if it
tastes good. We tell our kids to listen to their
bodies, but how could they do that if we told them how
to feel all the time and strictly controlled what they
ate?
We also know that his body is not a static thing. He
may be able to handle a food allergen if he has not
had it in a while, or he doesn't have a lot of other
potential problem foods in his system at the same
time, or he is not processing environmental allergies
(like his severe dog allergy) at the same time, or
he's not overtired, sick, on a growth spurt or in some
other way overly taxed physically. It's hard to say
at any given time whether he will be ok, or have a
reaction to the milder allergies. We also do things
to help him process allergens, supplements to help his
liver and kidneys work more efficiently, and replacing
minerals and other things used up in processing toxins
(for him) so that his body is better able to handle
them. If he's eating more things that can cause him
problems, we encourage him to step up the preventive
measure that help him to process them, so he can avoid
the problems and still live how he wants to.
In this way we don't have to live on a restricting
diet, he can still have cake and ice cream at a
birthday party or dinner at grandma's without having
to have all his own special food, and most
importantly, he doesn't feel forced or coerced into
giving up the foods he loves at home, if he is willing
to pay the price for eating them. He tends to avoid
things that cause him to rage and lose control of
himself and act monstrous, because he doesn't like
feeling out of control or burning up with anger or
having everyone upset with him. But he had to learn
that by having the choice and living the aftermath,
many times. He doesn't learn very readily from cause
and effect, so it took a while for it to sink in for
him, but it did.
Nanci K.
Paula Sjogerman
Nancy - that was a great post. It takes that kind of detail to really help
people understand how we live our lives ( that's why I'm so bad at posting -
I just can't write for that long).
Paula
people understand how we live our lives ( that's why I'm so bad at posting -
I just can't write for that long).
Paula
J. Stauffer
From the research I have read, there does seem to be a big increase in
diagnosed allergic reactions and the researchers seem to feel that the cause
was at least 4-fold.
1) In the not so far past, people with severe allergic reactions simply died
so the genetic predisposition wasn't as strong (these folks didn't reproduce
as much as others because they didn't live as long)
2) Increased awareness leading more people to be tested and diagnosed when
in the past, particularly with behavioral reactions, it simply would have
been written off as personality quirks.
3) Our antiseptic lifestyles don't challenge our immune systems. They are
often weak, not well organized and attack the wrong things.
4) Environmental chemicals
Julie S.
diagnosed allergic reactions and the researchers seem to feel that the cause
was at least 4-fold.
1) In the not so far past, people with severe allergic reactions simply died
so the genetic predisposition wasn't as strong (these folks didn't reproduce
as much as others because they didn't live as long)
2) Increased awareness leading more people to be tested and diagnosed when
in the past, particularly with behavioral reactions, it simply would have
been written off as personality quirks.
3) Our antiseptic lifestyles don't challenge our immune systems. They are
often weak, not well organized and attack the wrong things.
4) Environmental chemicals
Julie S.
>
Teresa Jones
Some more thoughts on the allergy/tantrum discussion!
"But we choose not to be what we call "the
food nazis" if you'll forgive the expression, when it comes to the less dangerous reactions. We will remind him when he is about to eat a food which we know will likely cause some reactions, but we don't stop him."
I agree that this might be a good plan of action when the child is older and can understand, but I find for my sanity and that of our family's that it pays to be careful as possible to avoid the problem food when the child is very young. I will now and then try to re-introduce a little of the food and observe reactions. If still the same, I once again try to avoid giving it to them while so little. They also feel a heap better when I do this.
Of course, sometimes, they may mistakenly take some of the problem food and we just have to deal with that the best we can!
"Obviously we hear all about all the different
deprivation style diets and their magical results."
There is no need for deprivation style diets at all! Just a change. Eg., change from wheat grains to other grains.
"We also know that his body is not a static thing. He may be able to handle a food allergen if he has not had it in a while..."
I have found that when my children are older they can tolerate a little of the problem food but, if they eat it regularly, they are having the same trouble. I guess this one depends on whether it is a food intolerance or a food allergy. Food intolerances can be overcome, sometimes with just a break from the food in question for 3 months. Whereas food allergies can be a lifelong problem. I would be interested though to check out products that are reputed to help the body overcome allergies!
Teresa
Mumto5kidz :D
living in New Zealand
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
"But we choose not to be what we call "the
food nazis" if you'll forgive the expression, when it comes to the less dangerous reactions. We will remind him when he is about to eat a food which we know will likely cause some reactions, but we don't stop him."
I agree that this might be a good plan of action when the child is older and can understand, but I find for my sanity and that of our family's that it pays to be careful as possible to avoid the problem food when the child is very young. I will now and then try to re-introduce a little of the food and observe reactions. If still the same, I once again try to avoid giving it to them while so little. They also feel a heap better when I do this.
Of course, sometimes, they may mistakenly take some of the problem food and we just have to deal with that the best we can!
"Obviously we hear all about all the different
deprivation style diets and their magical results."
There is no need for deprivation style diets at all! Just a change. Eg., change from wheat grains to other grains.
"We also know that his body is not a static thing. He may be able to handle a food allergen if he has not had it in a while..."
I have found that when my children are older they can tolerate a little of the problem food but, if they eat it regularly, they are having the same trouble. I guess this one depends on whether it is a food intolerance or a food allergy. Food intolerances can be overcome, sometimes with just a break from the food in question for 3 months. Whereas food allergies can be a lifelong problem. I would be interested though to check out products that are reputed to help the body overcome allergies!
Teresa
Mumto5kidz :D
living in New Zealand
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]