I shared a bit, mainly on instagram, that our youngest son, Ridge, had some health issues this summer. It started flaring up when the weather turned warm in May, and then became much more exacerbated as the summer continued. He had a terrible red “rash” on his face, and honestly his mood was rough. I know he’s a toddler, but these mood swings seemed excessive. I began investigating it, and we found some answers! His skin is much better, his mood has improved, and I wanted to share our findings so far with you all. Long story short, he was eventually diagnosed with leaky gut, and I am going to tell you how we are healing that!
Also! If you are local, and are wondering about a similar issue with your child, or if your child is on an eating plan similar to Ridge, I would love for you to come join me this Thursday. I will be leading a discussion about how to feed your family healthy, healing meals! It is at Integrative Health Carolinas at 10 am. Here is the link to register.
Before Pictures
July 4th, before seeing the functional medicine doctor
earlier in the summer
The day of his bloodwork, at the beginning of him seeing Dr. Temple
Two weeks after our first appointment with the functional medicine doctor, and a gluten- and dairy-free diet.
Picture from Today
I’m sitting in Panera writing this and holding back tears.
We began with an appointment at our family doctor. Well first Todd and I used good old Google. Then we made an appointment. We have loved our family doctor, so no offense to them at all! But they diagnosed him with a form of eczema. We tried creams to help – natural remedies, hydrocortisone, etc. – and none of them worked. His skin was red and bumpy and would change each day. Also it was only on his face. It just didn’t seem exactly like eczema. Finally we went to see a functional medicine pediatrician, whose practice is more in line with what I believe in with health.
If you are in Charlotte or the surrounding area, I highly recommend Integrative Health Carolinas. (I am not being paid to say any of this, by the way). Dr. Temple spent years making her way up in the pediatrics world in Charlotte, then later changed her way of practicing medicine to the functional medicine method. If your child has something going on that you can’t seem to find answers to, I would recommend getting an appointment with her. She blocks off ONE HOUR with each patient!
First things first, what is leaky gut? I’m going to give a brief description, but I would recommend you doing your own research. I will list a few helpful articles at the bottom of the post as well. Leaky gut is extensive intestinal permeability, and is a stepping stone to inflammation, autoimmune disease, and many other health issues. It is still somewhat controversial in the medical world, but is becoming more well-known. Gut health controls everything: immunity, likelihood of disease, brain function, mood, skin, etc. When the lining of your intestines is damaged, certain cells (especially those used in your immune system) are allowed out of your gut and into your bloodstream that are never supposed to be there. This can cause chronic inflammation, which is the root of many diseases and a whole host of symptoms that bring patients to their doctors.
Leaky gut can be caused by several factors. Some people are genetically predisposed to an autoimmune disease, but most people develop leaky gut through a poor diet, chronic stress, toxin overload (such as antibiotics and pesticides!), or a bacterial imbalance. Antibiotics were most likely the main reason for damage to Ridge’s gut. I was on a strong one while I was in labor with him, and I was on one for a sinus infection during pregnancy. Then he was on a couple for ear infections as a baby.
One of the ways that it can show up is through skin issues. This was our first clue to figuring out what was going on with Ridge.
To simplify it – his gut became permeable, so things that were not supposed to get out, were getting out and causing inflammation. Then, any foods that he is slightly bothered by, bothered him that much more because his body is not able to properly digest them. The inflammation was showing up on his face and through his temperament. As we heal his gut and get things back into balance, he may eventually be able to eat those foods again! He also has yeast overgrowth, which contributes to poor gut health. Fixing that is a part of his treatment plan.
Guys, I am NOT a doctor. These methods were specifically chosen for him after lengthy discussions and tests with Dr. Temple. Though there are certain things that are generally healthy for your gut, such as a cleaner diet, please do not take this as protocol for your child. I wanted to share this as a help and as possible eye-opening information, but each child is different.
Here is what we are working on with the help of Dr. Temple to heal his gut:
- Look for a doctor who will seek the root cause of an illness, rather than treating just the symptoms.
- Special Diet. Before doing any tests, we agreed to put him on a gluten-free, dairy-free, low-sugar diet. All of those foods can be inflammatory, and poor for gut health, even if there isn’t an allergy to them. His skin began to clear up before we even reached the 2 week mark!
- Dr. Temple ordered blood work to check certain antibodies. This test checks to see if someone’s immune system is reacting to any foods. It is more accurate than a typical skin-prick allergy test. It was specific, and now we have a list of foods that he can have once a day (so as to keep his inflammation in check), foods he can have any time, and foods he should avoid. For instance, high-histamine foods (such as strawberries) bother him. We keep those to a minimum, but he can have them occasionally. Todd made a chart that we keep in our pantry. Husband points!
- The other test that gave us helpful insight was a stool test. This process was certainly not my most glamorous, but the information it gave was worth it. We learned which medicines and supplements his body could digest properly, the flora present in his gut and the amounts, the amount of yeast in his gut, and which foods he was having problems absorbing and digesting. We learned through this that some of the high-FODMAP foods bother him, and can lead to an inflammatory response.
- This is tough. Healing from the inside out is a lot different than treating just what you see on the surface. Even though I am experienced in cooking according to food intolerances, it has still been difficult for me. You almost have to “keep your eye on the prize.” This process will be beneficial later on as well, because a healthy gut will most likely mean better immunity towards all of those germs at school and daycare. Ridge is now so much happier, and his skin is so clear!
- If skin is the problem… Take a before picture. If you start on a new eating plan, and his or her skin flares up one day, take a picture and take note of what was eaten that day. Take a picture at the two week mark, the month mark, and so on. It can be so encouraging!
- Make sure you explain to your other children, your family and friends what you are doing, and why.
- Use supplements to help with gut health. These were picked out by Dr. Temple specifically for Ridge’s case. He is on a couple probiotics, zinc, vitamin D, and one made to combat yeast in his gut.
- Mustela cream. We do use this to keep his skin moisturized. It may not work for everyone, but his sensitive skin does not have a negative reaction to this cream.
- Find something fun to keep in the freezer if there’s an occasion with a special treat. Sugar (and gluten-free alternatives) are not ideal for overall gut health. But, taking a child with allergies/intolerances to a birthday party or play date can be such a bummer! I have been keeping homemade dough for gluten-free, dairy-free cookies in my freezer. He had a birthday party at school the other day and his sweet teachers let me know a few days ahead of time. I got out enough dough for one cookie (and a bite for myself ;)), and sent him to school with a treat he could have while the other children ate cupcakes. Though the cookies aren’t healthy, he is still a kid and I don’t want him to feel completely “deprived.” I will share that recipe soon!
As long as this blog post is, there is still so much more information that can be shared about this subject. This is our personal experience, and we are learning as we go. If you’d like to learn more, please leave anything specific in the comments. And if you are in Charlotte, I would love to see you at the class on Thursday! If there is enough interest, I’d be open to hosting a follow-up class or group discussion.
Thank you all for sticking with this long blog post!
Here are the articles with more info on leaky gut:
7 Signs and Symptoms You Have Leaky Gut
Leaky Gut: What Is It and What Does It Mean For You
You are amazing and Ridge is so lucky to have you both as parents! It is amazing what diet can do. He is so stinkin’ cute! 🙂