Your body is speaking, listen up.

21.5.19

Mamas, I can’t stay quiet. Given Ashton's food sensitivities I am in a number of groups to support parents working through their children’s allergies and the lack of understanding here saddens me. I have to speak up because I can see what is going to happen in our future now and as a global population it is shocking.

Allergies and intolerances are not normal. However this isn’t just an issue today, it has been an issue for decades. It just went by unnoticed. Can you think of a baby who’s had reflux? Colic? Eczema? Dermatitis? IBS like symptoms with either constipation or diarrhoea? These are all signs of allergies and intolerances, but for many, they see their GP who lives in 1980s land and just prescribes a pill or worse, tells you to sleep train and do Cry it out because nothing is wrong. Not the answer my friends. Because these things don’t just go away and when ignored can manifest into something else down the track - behavioural issues, learning difficulties, ADHD, autism, even fussy eating, plus every lifestyle and autoimmune disease you can think of.

But if you do pay attention these allergies and intolerances play a crucial role in telling you, HOLD UP something here is wrong. And there is a lot wrong.

• Our food system is completely different to even 50 years ago. Packaged and convenience foods are extremely common to every meal. Additives, preservatives and low nutritional value are just 3 problems with this. But so too is the fact that we no longer eat microbes which we would get if we grew and ate our own food. And fermented it too. 

• The dairy and gluten we buy off the shelves isn’t anything like an actual food product. It’s processed, sprayed with known poisons (yes, true story) and bastardised to the point of being empty calories. Not to mention the conditions animals are raised in, the food they eat, their living conditions, the drugs they’re given, they are nothing like the natural environment that these animals thrive in and of course this all impacts us as consumers down the line too.

• We spend less time outside in nature. Less time to build up our microbiome. Less sunlight.

• Even if you do go to your local park I’m betting it’s sprayed with known carcinogen RoundUp meaning this is now on your skin and in your body.

• We coat our bodies in disgusting petrochemicals and synthetic ingredients. These are linked with all kinds of health issues not to mention the deleterious effect they have on our gut and thereby its ability to handle different food molecules. Ashton is nearly 2 and the only product I use on his skin is jojoba oil and age appropriate essential oils. Children’s skin is perfect as it is.

• Our water is chlorinated to kill pathogens. And importantly so. But most don’t filter out the chlorine before drinking it meaning you are literally drinking a chemical designed to kill life. It does its job in our gut and kills our microbiome. And then we chuck in mass population supplementation of fluoride. If anywhere this belongs on your teeth (debatable even here) but certainly not in your digestive system.

• We are almost completely divorced of living the way that humans have survived for millennia. We live in crowded cities, breathe in constant pollution, and then we pollute our skin, gut and every other system by the things we do to our bodies every day.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. An allergy or intolerance is a warning system. It’s a chance to help your child heal so that they can then thrive. As an adult who was finally diagnosed with gluten and dairy intolerance at 28 - after 28 years of living with consequential health issues - I can tell you right now I wish this is stuff my Mum had known when I was a kid.

1. Heal the gut. It is paramount. #gapsdiet and #autoimmunepaleo are just 2 examples of healing diets I have personally tried and succeeded with to heal myself and now I’m doing it with Ashton. My goal is to rid his food sensitivities for good and I know this is absolutely possible.
2. Get back into nature. Every single day. And I don’t mean your closest chemically sprayed park or oval. Get to the beach, find a national park near you. Do what you have to. I’ve read it takes 2hr outdoors daily to build our microbiome up to where it should be but even if you start with just 15min a day it is better than nothing.
3. Get a water filter. Even better if you can get one for your shower too.
4. Ditch every mainstream branded skin product you own and find natural alternatives. I have a tonne of suggestions if you need them.
5. Consider an air filter if you live in a busy city with a lot of air pollution.
6. Turn off all devices and wifi at sunset and keep them off until well after sunrise.

And most importantly recognise ill-health and sickness no matter how big or small for what it is - a sign from your body that something is wrong; and remember, things only change if you are willing to change something.