I think my child has a dairy intolerance, what can I do about it?

If you have concerns about a dairy intolerance in your child, this article explains the symptoms and what to do next.

You notice your child does not seem right after having their morning cereal, they become really irritable and complain of a really sore tummy?

You suspect that their love of milk and cheese could be the culprit, but you don’t know what to do about it?

Dairy intolerance is becoming more and more common today with little of the population being able to tolerate it without side effects. Not only that, most babies, toddlers are children are struggling to cope with dairy.

Common dairy intolerance symptoms in children include:

• Liquid green frothy stools

• Irritable

• Stomach aches

• Bloating passing a lot of gas

• Not putting on weight

• Nappy rash

• hives

These symptoms present themselves within 30 min to 2 hours of consuming milk or a milk-based product.

The problem is not the beloved milk or cheese, but that the child is lacking a vital enzyme called lactase to digest the sugar within the milk.

Just to be clear, a dairy intolerance is different to a dairy allergy. With a dairy intolerance the person does not produce the needed enzyme to digest the naturally occurring sugar within the milk, whereas with an allergy, the person cannot break down the protein casein.

Dairy Intolerance Treatment

Just because they are not tolerating a milk based product, doesn’t mean that it is ALWAYS going to be that. With a little bit of work, time and patience, it can be resolved.

Here is a basic treatment protocol to deal with dairy intolerance symptoms in children.

• Remove ALL forms of dairy for a period of 2 weeks and assess the difference. If symptoms greatly improve, then you have your answer whether dairy is the culprit or not.

• A symptom management approach would be to give them an over the counter digestive aid with the lactase in it to assist with the digestion. Provide the digestive aid before a main meal or snack to prevent any symptoms.

• Resolve the intolerance once and for all by resolving the root cause of the dairy intolerance, i.e. the gut.

More than likely the gut bacteria is unbalanced and leaky which is not allowing the body to produce the needed enzyme naturally. Once you correct the microbiome imbalance and seal a leaky gut, the body once again can produce the needed enzyme to digest the sugar in the milk and your dairy intolerance problem is resolved.

In Summary

To sum it all up, you need to decide whether you just want to manage symptoms or actually resolve the dairy intolerance through a proper treatment plan. Even removing all dairy and switching to non dairy substitutes are still symptom management approaches and will become harder to manager in the longer term.

My recommendation would always be to resolve the root cause of the symptom, in this case an intolerance to dairy. The approach I prefer is quite common in functional medicine, however I also have on own my spin it, it is the 4R Approach. Using this approach, we work at the root cause level which are:

• Nutrition & Gut

• Toxicity

• Mindset, stress management and emotional wellbeing

• Specialist support to fast track results

 Chantal is a Certified and Accredited Nutrition & Wellness Coach with a very special interest in helping overwhelmed mums create thriving health & wellness for their family using nutrition and transformational wellness practices.

The Role of the gut in ECZEMA

That itch, that flare up, not another round of cortisone, sleep……what is that you ask????

 As someone who has navigated eczema with her baby quite successfully a number of years ago, I understand your angst when it comes to dealing with this skin condition. You just want it to go away, but how???

 I remember searching for hours on end for the MAGICAL solution or cream.

The truth is that eczema is a complex condition to navigate and what works for one, might not work for the next child or person. My road to success will look very different to your road to success, because each and everyone of us are so uniquely different.

However, at the heart of the issue for everyone, the same foundational pillars need to be “FIXED” in order to heal and it takes TIME, WORK & PERSEVERANCE.

The skin is influenced by other organs in the body and this is especially true of the gut and brain, so much so that scientist coined the term “gut-brain-skin axis”

In this article I am going to focus on the role of the gut in healing eczema.

The triggers of a flair are different for most people, but the most common include:

• Food intolerances and/or allergies

• Environmental

• Emotional wellbeing

 None of these “triggers” are the real problem for eczema, but rather an indication that the gut microbiome is out of balance and that the mucosal lining needs to some repair, otherwise known as a leaky gut.

So rather than messing around with lengthy food eliminations protocols for an unsaid period of time, you want to put your efforts straight at the ‘ROOT CAUSE,’ and that is healing the gut.

The gut and eczema:

Eczema is a highly inflammatory skin condition which is a signal that the immune system is unbalanced. The unbalanced immune system is as a direct result of an unbalanced gut flora and leaky gut.

The approach to healing, is that if you correct the gut microbiome balance and seal a leaky gut, this improves the immune function, which decreases inflammation, the body is better able to handle the “triggers” and therefore heal eczema.

How to heal the gut?

When healing the gut, it is best to adopt the very common 4 R approach used in functional medicine:

1. REMOVE – all packaged and processed food in addition to any known trigger foods

2. REPLACE – with whole & real food

3. RESTORE – balance with healing nutrition such as bone broth and fermented foods

4. REPLENISH – the whole person with lifestyle choices that enhance emotional wellbeing

 In a nutshell, eczema is just a symptom of a number of organs that are not functioning at optimal levels, one of which is the gut. Start wherever you at and make smaller consistent changes over a period of time and be observant with YOUR reaction to the eczema.

Chantal is an Accredited and Certified Nutrition & Wellness Coach with a very special interest in helping mum’s create thriving wellness for them and their family through the use of healing and transformational wellness practices.

The Top 3 Foods that could be triggering the next Eczema Flare

This really is a topic that is close and dear to my heart. My little man suffered terribly with this debilitating skin condition. I was literally pulling my hair out and would do ANYTHING to give some relief and not watch him scratch himself to sleep. These are memories that still haunt me today. There was a silver lining in the cloud and we did heal his eczema naturally with lots of concerted effort.

Eczema is very much an inflammatory skin condition that is linked to the health of 2 organs in particular, the gut and the brain, i.e. root causes. Will go into that another day.

There are 3 main triggers that can set off a flare up, food being one of them. Most people suffering from eczema will quite often have a very strong sensitivity or allergy towards the common inflammation causing foods. This was definitely the case for my son, even though none of the practitioners would listen to my concerns at the time to get him tested. In true stubborn "Chantal" style, I took myself privately to get him tested, and what do you know? A positive testing to at least 3 of the 7 common foods, anaphylactic to 2 of them.

The top 3 trigger foods for Eczema:

• Dairy - A sensitivity or allergy to cow milk dairy is more than likely due to the A1 protein found in the milk. This is not to be confused with a lactose intolerance to dairy, which is an issue processing the natural sugar found in the milk.

• Eggs - Once again due to the protein found in the egg and more than likely the white of the egg than the yolk, however both can present an issue as it did for my son.

• Gluten - The culprit here, you guessed it, is the protein found in the gluten. Unlike the other 2 foods above, symptoms can be presented within minutes of consuming gluten, whilst the others can have a delayed reaction.

Other likely and common culprits are:

• Nuts

• Soy

• Fish

• Shellfish

My little man tested positive to Nuts, Eggs, Dairy, Peanut & Sesame with anaphylaxis to Nuts, Peanut and Sesame.

How do you know whether these foods can be a trigger for yourself or a loved one?

The short answer is to remove them from the diet for a minimum of 30 days. Couple this strategy with a healing protocol and you will give the body an innate window of healing at which point you can challenge the trigger food.

Just removing the 'culprit food' is counter productive if no healing strategy follows.

For clarity purposes, I want to re-iterate that allergies or sensitivities to the above mentioned food is not the main cause of the eczema, they are just a symptom of a much deeper issue, however can trigger a flare up in most people, not everyone.

If you are feeling completely frustrated and overwhelmed dealing with a skin condition, then why not grab my 90 minute Nutrition & Wellness Audit, where I can help you, uncover the the potential triggers & root causes. Together we will lay out an achievable plan how you can overcome the root causes and start healing without relying on topical & band aid solutions.

Chantal is a Certified and Accredited Nutrition & Wellness Coach with a special interest helping families implement healing wholefood protocols and wellness practices to transform the health of the family.

Winter Wellness - Medicinal foods in your garden, pantry and fridge

Winter is here. That means the season for coughs, cold, snot, ear infections, tonsillitis, upper respiratory sickness, croup, you name it! How well prepared are you??

The germ, bacteria, bug, virus, whatever you want to call it is not the problem, it is the host in which it is living. The germ can only thrive in the right environment, that is our immune system. When the immune system is not as strong and resilient as it should be, it will really struggle to fight off these bugs and more often than not will succumb to them.

There is so much goodness in our garden and pantry that is truly medicinal in nature and  have stood the test of time. Wouldn't it better to use these than feel helpless and use over the counter medication which do have a damaging effect on our eco system, the MAIN hub of the immune system?

With a little education and a little preparation, you can be fully prepared for whatever is thrown your way.

Harnessing the medicinal properties of readily available herbs:

• Rosemary – It’s aromatic smell has been known to help improve memory tasks. Great for upper respiratory tract infections and is anti-microbial

• Oregano – This herb is highly antimicrobial and is very effective at treating chronic & acute infections. Add it to food regularly or have as a medicinal tea with a little raw honey

• Lavender – who is not a fan of the smell of lavender, me actually, but that is a story for another day. Not only is the fragrant soothing and helps you fall asleep, it also contains anti-oxidants called polyphenols that fight belly bloating

• Thyme – This has to my favourite herb for medicinal purposes and is my go to when the dreaded cough kicks in. This is a great herb to use for respiratory problems and is also very antiseptic. I will share an easy cough tea recipe in the download below. My daughter loves it when I make this tea.

• Basil – This little beauty is great at calming the nerves and also has a detoxing effect on the liver

• Parsley – This common garnish is packed full of nutrients. It contains Vit A & C and just teaspoon offers nearly half your daily intake of vit k

• Chives – A member of the onion family that can help boost the immune system. Admittedly I don't use this herb as often I could do.

• Coriander – This is my go to herb for stirfries and salads. It provides iron and fibre and is also known as a great chelator of heavy metals to help draw them out of your tissues

• Mint – A rich source of Vit A and useful for the breath, digestion, nausea and headaches.

In short, add a variety of herbs daily where ever you can in your diet and reap the benefits, a little really goes a long way.

Suggestions – Garnish, salads, add to stirfries, casserole, soups and make your own brew of tea

Medicine in your pantry:

• Apple Cider Vinegar – Rich in it’s own probiotics, it has been known to be great for detoxification, supporting digestion, anti-microbial and supports the immune system. It is also known to have benefits of topical applications for dry skin, as an anti-fungal agent, whiten teeth and relieve rashes. One little product and so many uses.

• Honey – no pantry should be without a good quality local if possible, raw honey. It is definitely my go to for the first sign of sore throat or cough, taken straight off the spoon. It is very useful as part of a gut healing journey harnessing the prebiotic benefits, however still to be used in small amounts. Also fabulous a moisturiser for dry skin, acne and wound healing.

• Olive oil – Firstly make sure it is a good quality. Not only it is wonderful as a moisturiser for hair and skin, it is a great source of good fats which are essential for the immune & gut cells, not to mention the brain.

• Good Quality ORGANIC tea bags – These are fabulous to have on hand during sickness and a good selection will be found in any good health food store. My favourites are:

  • Rosehip & hibiscus

  • Ginger & lemon

  • Chamomile

  • Peppermint or mint

  • Immune tea

  • Digestive tea

What's hiding in your fridge that can serve as medicine?

• GINGER – This little innocent unassuming vegetable is so potent. Really get creative how you can incorporate it into your diet as much as possible. It is known to be useful for treating:

  • Inflammation

  • Remedies motion sickness or an upset tummy

  • Cold & flu prevention

  • Assists digestion

  • Assists common respiratory conditions that helps break down and remove phelm and mucous

  • Strengthens the immune system

• TUMERIC (fresh) or spice from the pantry - It’s the compound curcumin in this food that makes it so magical and gives it the amazing anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties. I love adding to broth to pimp it up and a few shakes of the spice where ever I can.

• LEMON – This wonderful citrus fruit so readily available and has many health benefits such as:

  • The juice of a lemon is useful in assisting indigestion and constipation

  • It is one of go to treatments for fever and works a charm breaking a fever by increasing perspiration.

  • Soothes respiratiory disorders

  • Helps to flush out bacteria and toxins from the body

  • With it’s antibacterial properties, it’s a fabulous choice for sore throats

Here you can download a few DIY recipes using the ingredients above to get yourself all ready for winter:

Included in the EBOOK are recipes for the following, however they all have multiple uses:

• Immune System

• Cough

• Resiliency Tonic

• Digestive

• Tummy Upsets

Chantal Khoury is a Certified and Accredited Nutrition & Wellness Coach with a special interest helping mum's implement Healing Wholefood & transformational wellness practices to improve the health of their family one personalised step at a time.