Hello,

1)We are in the first week of the food reintroduction for our son Kyle. In your book, in several places, it cautions against raw vegetables and raw foods. In phase one of the food reintro, cucumbers, pears, apples, and cantalope are permitted. Should they be cooked or can they be eaten raw? Never heard of cooked cantalope!!

2)Several of the oils in the Udo oil are listed as foods to be tested for three days. Is this necessary since he has been taking the Udo oil for the seven week diet? Same applies to the oregano since he is using oregano oil.

3)For fish reintro is talapia acceptable?

We would really appreciate answers to these questions. We realize you are quite busy now with young Hugo, but would appreciate your help.

Sorry it took me so long to reply to this - I've only recently come back on the forum.

I realize this probably doesn't apply to you anymore, but I'll answer your questions in case they help someone else.

1) Yes, you can eat those foods raw, just chew them really well. Although cooking the pears and apples can still be done and is certainly tasty.

2) The Udo's is fine. And yes, oregano should be fine too.

3) Yes, talapia should also be a well-tolerated fish.

Jini

I am glad you're back! Kyle started IBD Remission diet the latter part of June and stayed on it for eight weeks. He went from 69 to 90 pounds! He is thirteen years old and his labs are almost normal. He appears symptom free. His weight has not increased in two months however.
It's November and he is still taking 4 or 5 Absorb Plus shakes daily.
The food reintroduction phase has been very slow (partly because we are strict vegetarians). He is now in phase 3. Although Kyle ate fish on several occasions, he disliked it intensely, and after many arguments, we decided to remove it from his meals. He eats two eggs daily.
1) Do you have any brand name suggestions for hemp or whey powder that we can use to supplement his diet?
2) Our insurance does not cover the Absorb Plus and we have spent a few thousand dollars on the supplement. Do you have any suggestions for other 'weight gain' supplements, foods, appetite stimulants (if appropriate)? We are still concerned about Kyle's small weight and stature.

Thanks,
Richard and Jeannie

Glad to hear he's much improved!

If he'll eat eggs, then give him as many eggs, worked into as many foods as you can.

My six year old son (who is completely healthy) eats 4 poached eggs for supper most days. And I also make him cookies, muffins and pancakes with lots of eggs and almond flour.

So baking with almond flour instead of regular flour is another way to get lots more protein into him in a delicious way. Elaine Gottschall's book, "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" has lots of recipes using almond flour, or you can do an Internet search on "almond flour recipes". I'll also post my favorite recipes here, that I use for my kids (who are pickier than adults!)

Also, if he loves mac n' cheese (like most kids), make it the normal way, but use butter and half&half cereal cream, and then stir in 3 egg yolks per packet. I do this for my kids too and they love it. The egg yolks make it even creamier and tastier - just don't let them see you do it!

An excellent whey protein powder is Proteins+ by ehn company. Can't advise on the hemp as haven't tried any recently.

How about prawns and scallops, see if he'll eat those.

My little brother decided at age 7 to become a vegetarian. However, he didn't like the beans, legumes etc that you have to combine to get bioavailable protein from a vegetarian diet - and he didn't even like vegetables that much! By the time he was 9, he was the smallest, skinniest kid in his class.

My parents went away on holidays and I was left in charge of him for a few weeks (I was 18). So I bought a big, full- color vegetarian cookbook and I said, "Ok, let's go through this and anything you choose, I'll cook for you. Because you've got to start eating better or you're never going to grow properly." Well, we went through the whole thing and he didn't like the look of anything! So then I talked to him about the importance of protein, especially for a growing child. I think he had also by this point intuitively realized that his eating habits were not helping his health, but was too entrenched in his philosophy to give it up. Well, the short of it is, he decided to give up vegetarianism that day and his first non-veg meal was a McDonald's cheeseburger! Again, that was his choice. But from that day on, he began eating meat again and he shot up, gained weight and soon caught up with the other boys in his class size-wise.

So, regardless of your reasons for vegetarianism (and I could write a whole essay on my personal opinion), you have to put aside philosophies and go with what works for the body. So I suggest you spend some time talking with your son, and exploring what would be the healthiest option for him.

For myself, I'm most closely aligned with the eating principles put forth by the Weston A. Price Foundation:

http://www.westonaprice.org

I also see a lot of wisdom in these articles:

http://chetday.com/vegetarianarticles.htm

Anyway, if you can just help him to follow his own gut - regardless of your feeling/philosophies, that's the best way to get him to connect with his body and provide it with what it needs.

all the best,
Jini

Hello Jini,
Thanks for the information above; Kyle is still trying to decide about the meat. Meanwhile, he had labs done last week which showed serum iron increased from 14 to 42 in 7 months(yeah!!!); but, his inflammation markers(sed rate/c reative protein) are on the rise. C reactive protein was 5.6(high) and sed rate 20(upper end of normal); these had been normal since June. We are kind of upset about this. From your experience and research do you have some suggestions as to what else we can do to keep these from rising?
1) Kyle rarely drinks the George's alow vera juice. Would this help if
drank this daily?
2) Last week he was taken off the Oil of Oregano since phase 3 of your
protocol was completed and now he is getting Natren's probiotics 1
tsp of each twice daily. Will this help?
3) Do you think we could have missed a reaction to a newly introduced
food product? Or getting too much carbohydrate(rice bread, rice
cereal, fruit)? He is getting almond flour products, almond milk and
butter and eggs for protein.
Anyway we thought you might have some insight to this. We are a bit
neurotic about this since kyle is 13 yrs old, growing, and we don't want
him falling into malnutrition again.

Thanks for you help. It is truly appreciated.
Jeannie and Richard and Kyle

Manitoba Harvest makes excellent hemp seed protein and also hemp seed oil and hemp seed butter, all of which are delicious and very nutritious!

Chris

Hi Jeannie,

Yes, the probiotics should help. Also, he can drink the George's 3x/day to help with inflammation (up to 1/4 cup, 3x/day) on an empty stomach. You may also want to try him on MucosaHeal - you can mix these in with the George's (or swallow the caps if he prefers and bowel movements are less than 3 per day) - since they also need to be taken on an empty stomach and that will also speed the healing re. the inflammation.

Regarding the foods - I cannot possibly say, you have to follow his gut and trial test to see what works. Read through some of Nicole's postings in the main forum as she gives plenty of info on this.

The other thing you need to look at is: What are you doing to address the emotional factors of his dis-ease? See chapter six of LTYG and ask Kyle which therapy appeals to him. Also, if you go to the EFT website, they have lots of articles dealing with children (do a search)

And you also have to adddress the family dynamic surrounding his illness. Remember that children are mirrors - so whatever's wrong with him, always has something to do with you and/or your husband. Your job is to ferret out what that is and resolve it.

This is very important, because his current problems could be solely caused by emotional factors. So they need to be given equal priority.

all the best,
Jini

Hello!!
Thanks for the suggestions above. I really think you are right about the
family dynamics causing havoc with his IBD. I am constantly being over protective of him and pushing him to eat. It seems "war" is waged every day in one form or the other. I am stressed out and worried we will never get a better handle on his health(although he's done great for 5 months). And of course the food preparation is tough.
My question is about appetite because I am noticing Kyle's isn't so good and I really have to push him to eat. Following the 6 to 8 weeks on the IBD remission diet and the 3 to 4 months of food reintroduction, shouldn't he have a really good appetite at this point?? Are we expecting too much too soon?

Thanks Jeannie

Hi Jeannie,

Just a few random thoughts... I certainly second Jini's comment about doing what you can to reduce stress and creating a healing environment for Kyle at home. I imagine it's very difficult for you as a parent to watch your child go through such a terrible illness, and I'm sure Kyle picks up on how it affects you. Ironically, I'd be willing to guess that one of the best things you could do for Kyle is to find more ways to support yourself, reduce stress and soften around your fears. Whether that means finding a good therapist, asking friends for help or joining some kind of illness support group, I think this is probably vital for you and for Kyle.

If you are interested in finding a way of connecting and communicating with Kyle in such a way that both of you would be more likely to meet your needs, I'd recommend a book or audio CD on Nonviolent Communication (NVC).

As far as appetite goes, I'm not sure how ill Kyle is right now, but is he active? Exercise is a very important part of the healing process. It stimulates endorphins, increases appetite and with adequate protein intake, builds body cell mass. Building body cell mass gives the body more energy for vital functions and creates a sense of overall well being. Even if it's light walking or a yoga class... something to get the metabolism going.

I'm also a big believer in boosting protein intake in cases of chronic illness. Protein is the second biggest mass in our body after water. Enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, antibodies, albumin, and haemoglobin are all proteins! Proteins are building blocks for our immune system, and it is very likely that those of us who are ill need even more protein than the normal person.

Unfortunately, much of the protein even a healthy person consumes is not absorbed by the body and is instead degraded by the intestinal bacteria. It is estimated that as much as 40-60% of the protein we ingest is lost in this process - and this percentage may be even higher for people whose digestive system is compromised. Thus it becomes important for people with IBD to find a highly bioavailable, complete and easily digested source of protein.

If Kyle has decided upon being a vegetarian, it's crucial that you supplement with a high quality whey powder such as Jini recommended. Hemp and rice are decent proteins but they have a much lover Biological Value than whey, casein or egg (which means they're less available to the body). They also do not have as complete or balanced an amino acid as the dairy proteins do. If Kyle has trouble tolerating whey or casein, PM me and I will recommend alternatives. I would recommend something like 1.2 - 1.5 grams per kg of bodyweight, but would not exceed 2 grams per kg. This should also boost his energy, make him more active, and in turn stimulate his appetite.

Hope this helps,
Chris

Hello Chris,
This forum is great and your input and advice are very helpful. I did get the NVC books and BOY is that a big help(although I have a long way to go). I am sure a big part of Kyle's gut problem is from the poor family dynamics.
My questions are twofold: 1) Kyle just started back to public school after being homeschooled for first semester of eigth grade. Now he has a cold which usually will result in bronchitis. He just got finished with Jini's protocol for Oil of Oregano on Nov 26,2006; I was planning to give him a 3 months break and then start it over again as a precaution since in Jini's book she noted the yeast and bacteria are hard to get rid of(I think she said she was on it for about 2 years off and on). I wanted to start Kyle back on Oil of Oregano(capsule this time) for about a week to help prevent bronchitis and then stop. At the end of February I will get him back on the protocol. Are there any adverse effects for him if we do this?
2) I wanted to add nutritional yeast to his diet for more flavor but thought this might not be wise since we are fighting yeast in his gut. What do you think?

I thank you so much for being there and your time spent sharing your knowledge.

Jeannie, Richard and Kyle

Hi Jeannie,

I'm glad the NVC has been helpful for you.

I don't think using oregano oil to help fight Kyle's cold would hurt. You could also try Olive Leaf Extract (get the Seagate Products brand). I've had a lot of success with it for colds and other viruses, it has a similar effect to wild oregano oil, but I tolerate it better.

I would advise not using nutritional yeast if you're concerned about Candida. You might try Herbamare or Trocomare, which are spices made from sea salt, herbs and vegetables you sprinkle on food. They have a great savory and salty taste. You can find them in the health food store. Gomasio is also a wonderful condiment, if Kyle can tolerate sesame seeds. Gomasio is sea salt combined with ground, toasted sesame seeds.

Best,
Chris

Hello Chris,
Your experience with all these issues is much appreciated. And, I hope you won't mind a few more questions.
We felt a lot safer and felt much more at ease when Kyle was on the IBD Remission diet. I thought you or someone on the forum may have some advice on these wt gain/high protein formulas. Jini had mentioned Proteins + by Ehn but I am unable to find this locally. I started looking at the whey products at the health food stores but quickly got overwhelmed by the list of ingredients. Questions: 1) what ingredients should we be looking for?(whey isolates??); 2) what ingredients should be avoided? 3) and wonder if anybody is familiar with GNC(General Nutrition Centers) whey products that might measure up to the maintenance diet standards? I wanted to try to buy something locally so the cost wouldn't be so much.
Thanks again
Jeannie, Richard and Kyle

Hi Jeannie,

You're right, choosing a good whey protein can be very confusing! There's a lot of marketing speak involved in the product promotions, and it can be difficult to sort it all out.

First, if Kyle can tolerate dairy products (lactose, specifically), the best whey protein powder by far on the market in my opinion is ImmunoPro Rx. It is the only organic whey available, made from grass-fed cows that graze on pesticide free pastures and aren't fed any growth hormones or antibiotics. It's also the only whey on the market that isn't a by-product of the cheese manufacturing process, which involves heating, chemical modification and pH regulation - all of which "denatures" (damages) the whey proteins. ImmunoPro is a primary, non-denatured product with the highest percentage of lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, active peptides and growth factors.

HOWEVER, since this is such a potent product, and since it does contain lactose (albeit a small amount), I don't recommend it for the elemental diet. It would be suitable as a supplement a couple times a day once Kyle gets off the diet.

For the elemental diet, you want a cold-filtered, whey isolate, preferably utilizing cross-flow microfiltration (CFM) technology. Some people suggest ion-exchange, but I don't advise it. CFM has more calcium than ion-exchange, and it also possesses certain protein components that are beneficial to the immune system that ion-exchange does not possess.

The best whey isolate I know of can be found at proteinfactory.com. This doesn't solve your problem of wanting to buy locally, but unfortunately I haven't been able to locate any truly high quality whey supplements in my local stores (and I live in an area where there are A LOT of choices for such things). If you buy a large amount, you can minimize your orders and shipping costs. Here's the link: http://proteinfactory.com/store/product ... ucts_id=43. You may choose to add Aminogen in the drop down list - it's an enzyme blend that assists with protein digestion and absorption. I don't recommend adding any flavors when you order, but you can do that afterwards by picking up some organic natural flavor poweders at naturesflavors.com.

GNC products, in my experience, are fairly low quality. They cater to the bodybuilding mass market, and often include a lot of ingredients that aren't appropriate for immuno-compromised individuals.

Best,
Chris

Hello Chris,
Thanks for the information on the whey protein powder. I checked on the ImmunoPro Rx and it sounds good but I have a few hesitations as follows:
1) Does it taste good or is this something else he will have to "belt " down quickly? and do you burp it or have after taste? Sorry, but we've bought so many products Kyle just refuses to take now; 2) I noticed it can only be mixed with water and taken on an empty stomach(it is almost impossible to get enough food in this youngster for wt gain/growth since the probiotics and aloe vera/mucosaheal have to be on an empty stomach(give 2 times a day) too; 3) and it has to be stored in a cool place(which it makes another item to store in the cooler when traveling; 4) and, it has 4 gms of protein per serving which isn't much but I guess it is absorbed better than the other whey products
Anyway I was hoping to get a product that mixed with beverages( so Kyle doesn't know it is in there if it has poor taste), had at least 10 gms protein per serving, and was a good traveling food for Kyle(didn't have to be stored in cooler). He is not on an elemental diet anymore just taking 2 of the absorb plus shakes till we can find a suitable whey product.
Again, it is so nice to chat about different products to help figure out if this will work before putting the cash down.
Thanks for any comments to above
Jeannie

Jeannie,

Considering your needs I would go with the CFM Whey Isolate at www.proteinfactory.com. It is the easiest whey protein to digest I've come across yet, it tastes good, mixes well with other foods and doesn't require any special storage or handling. 1/3 cup has 27 grams of protein, so you can reduce that until you get the desired 10 grams.

When you order it, I would also add Aminogen to it. It's an enzyme complex that helps protein digestion. Any little bit of help helps!

Here's the link: http://proteinfactory.com/store/product ... ucts_id=43

Best,
Chris