HEALING ECZEMA WITH THE GAPS DIET

My sons have had eczema their whole lives.  It has ranged from cradle cap (did you know that was a form of eczema?) to itchy bumps in the creases of the knees and elbows to full-blown bloody red rashes on the arms and legs.

Pediatricians, as usual (sorry!), were useless in treating eczema.  Their standard advice was to “put a little cortisone cream on it”.  I did try that a few times at first with my older son, but I quickly grew worried about the effects of it on his already-poor immune system.  [Read more…]

HOW DO BAD BACTERIA TAKE OVER YOUR GUT?

stomach acheA recent study found that inflammation (there’s that word again) is responsible for bad bacteria gaining a strong foothold in the gut.

Intestinal inflammation produces nitrate, which then feeds these bad bacteria and thus worsens intestinal damage while crowding out probiotic bacteria.

When bad bacteria multiply and take over, a condition known as gut dysbiosis, they can cause a multitude of symptoms such as cramping, bloating, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

These symptoms are common in disorders like colic, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn’s disease.

Thus, learning to control inflammation is a key component of getting these conditions under control.