Healing My Son’s Food Allergies
My middle son has had quite the journey and was the catalyst for our healing through food journey.
As a baby, he could eat about 10 foods.
Today, he's healed from several of his anaphylactic food allergies and is a healthy, happy little boy!
It's no secret that I fully believe our food was the biggest foundation. Since eating the way we do (outlined in my cookbooks and meal plans!) we have seen huge bursts of healing!
When you have a sick child, it feels like there's truly nothing you wouldn't do for them. So please know that we have tried countless support measures and I believe they have all added up, but today I want to highlight the pillars that have appeared to be the most helpful!
We are fortunate to have had the bandwidth for all of this and these have been years of baby steps - so don't feel like you can't make small changes even if you're not doing this whole list!
This is not medical advice, just what I believe has changed our lives! It is also a very high-level view for you to start researching what stands out, as opposed to offering the science and research behind everything listed.
1. Nutrient-dense eating with the best possible sourcing
This could probably be 5 bullet points on it's own! Most of you are familiar with my food philosophy - we eat whole foods, organic and local when possible, and use ancestral eating habits over modern day hypes.
Functionally, this looks like plenty of animal proteins - grass fed meats, gelatin and collagen, bone broth - quality carbohydrates like root veggies, soaked and sprouted rice and oats, nourishing heat-stable fats like butter, coconut oil, ghee, etc, and lots of fruit and veggies (although we don't over-consume leafy greens and cruciferous that aren't cooked well, as they have the ability to be hard on the gut).
We don't typically consume highly refined oils like canola, soy, sunflower, margarine, almond oil, etc and we cook mostly at home. We don't do high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, or overly processed foods in general.
We also prioritize blood sugar balance by eating protein and carbs together as a general rule - so if my son is having fruit for snack, we'll pair it with a clean beef stick or some sausage, for example!
If it sounds simple, it honestly is (or if it sounds like a lot, I promise it's doable - baby steps, some is better than none!). This way of eating is how all of my products were created!
2. Organ meats and supplementation (this one's HUGE)
For the last four years, I have made a much bigger effort to include organ meats into our diet. The benefits could be an entire separate email, but historically, people would have used and/or consumed the whole animal. Organs are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet! We buy local organic meats in primal blends to include things like heart, liver, kidney, etc and it has honestly made a massive difference in our health. (Many of my recipes are very easy to sneak organ meats into! The meal plans include a hidden liver meatball recipe that the whole family loves).
We also specifically started my son on thymus and kidney supplements, two organs needing extra support when allergens are present (and “like supports like” in the organ meat world!). Kidney and thymus issues are usually linked to things like high histamine and allergies - either food or environmental!
3. Low-toxin lifestyle
Of course we can't control everything, but we choose to have a completely (synthetic) fragrance free home. We use cleaners, beauty supplies, household products, etc that are supportive to our bodies' natural defenses. We do not use glyphosate-based weed killer in our yards, candles in our home, or harmful synthetics in our products. We drink filtered water and have added filters to our showers and baths as well.
We also prioritize non-toxic swaps in the kitchen - using glass over plastic, unbleached parchment paper over aluminum foil, and quality stainless steel or ceramic over non-stick cookware.
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Again, this could be a novel in itself, but you can check out my Amazon store for some other favorites!
4. Holistic and whole-body therapies
We are fortune to have incredible care teams locally and have consistently used therapies like nervous system focused chiropractic care, fascia massage, and bodywork practitioners (mostly through Our Well House!).
We also see a biological dentist for palatal expansion, which helps with sleep, proper nasal breathing, and jaw alignment, all of which can be a big component of overall healing! We also love that they prioritize microbiome friendly products.
Otherwise, we have wholly transitioned away from allopathic medicine and pharmaceuticals unless absolutely necessary, and that has been huge in healing. Modern-day medicine often suppressed symptoms instead of getting to a root cause. We have certainly had occasional emergency visits that were needed at that time, but pursue natural remedies as a general rule. We have opted to stop the routine doctor shot schedule, we do not do many over the counters, and often turn to things like homeopathy, herbal remedies, and whole food nutrient supplements in times of illness or need.
Even for my son's occasional allergic reactions historically, we have been able to rely heavily on homeopathy (apis mellifica pellets are often great for reactions) and the Genexa brand dye free antihistamine.
5. We focus on nutrients
This does go alongside the food piece, but is an extra step often helpful for allergies in particular. Because my son used to have egg and dairy allergies, we had to work hard to replace those much-needed nutrients. We have chosen to add things like vitamin K2, cod liver oil, dessicated liver, pearl powder, and MegaIgG2000 as needed. We use products like trace mineral drops, shilajit, bee pollen, chlorophyll, and topical magnesium spray for extra nutrient support.
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I also think it's incredibly helpful to approach healing from a targeted supplementation approach as opposed to blindly supplementing. We love the Kale Diagnostics team (code FALONDANAE saves $100!) to help with specific protocols!
6. We spend lots of time outdoors and lower our EMF exposure
Sunshine and fresh air truly is healing. We make a regular habit of grounding (barefoot outside in chemically-untreated lawns), spend lots of hours outside, play in mud and dirt, and open windows on pretty days.
The EMF conversation can certainly be a long one, but some simple things we've done are make sure no WiFi router are in the bedrooms, there's no items plugged in right behind the headboard, and use a smart meter guard over our smart meter outside. Our kids don't rely a lot on handheld screens and we are an “intentional screen time” family as opposed to having none!
We also honor natural light rhythms - if it's dark outside it's dim in our home.
7. We have prayed, and prayed, and prayed
I don't want to overlook this. The Lord has truly responded to our cries for our son. We have had friends and family pray for years, both from a distance, and hands-on.
8. We are very intentional with allergy swaps
I see many people make the mistake of going GF or DF and turning to all the allergy-friendly packaged products and feeling worse. Unfortunately, many dairy-free or gluten-free products are quite processed and not a great alternative for supporting the body, often containing highly refined oils and sugars, and synthetic vitamins. We choose to use full fat organic coconut milk as a dairy alternative (the MALK brand has a good organic oat milk, too) and do not often buy pre-made products with allergy marketing. There are some that are great, for sure, but many are not nutritionally sound. We always read the label and consider sourcing, organic practices, etc!
9. Other helpful tidbits
We had a long season of doing NAET therapy. I'm not sure how much it impacted our long-term, but it is certainly worth noting. I do think muscle testing and acupressure/acupuncture has had some role in our healing!
I have done brain retraining with my son to a small extent. We created a “script” to help him tell him body that he used to react to food but that moving forward he can trust that his body is healing and healthy. It sounds woo-woo, but if you are familiar with neuroscience research at all, our brains and thought patterns are incredibly powerful.
We homeschool. Because my son had extreme chemical sensitivities as well, this was a necessary step for us. I do think having him in an environment that cultivates whole-body wellness has been very beneficial for him, and for helping tune into his needs.
We prioritize great sleep - dark room, appropriate bedtime, quality organic bedding, etc.
We honor my son's cravings in a whole food way. His body is SO intuitive and his largest requests over the past few years are things like citrus, cacao, berries - all of which are loaded with nutrients that are specifically helpful in reducing histamine and inflammation. Our bodies are wise! We also honor hunger and offer balanced meals and snacks every 2-3 hours (young boys move A LOT).
We have always used verbiage with my son that we know his allergies will heal, it's a matter of time. I think it was incredibly important for him to hear and believe that (and for me, too!).
If you're a momma or parent in the trenches, I hope this helps. I fully believe allergy healing is possible!
Head to my products on my site for your own life-changing healing.