[Daniel]

Hey ,

On top of Bernadette’s questions, I would specifically like to know:
• Would you describe him as athletic? Or does he have a more sedentary lifestyle? 
• And if he works out: what kind of exercises does he do? Does he do for example exercises like deadlifts and bend-over rows?
• Was he ever involved in an accident?
• Does his job involve repetitive neck motions? Does he need to make awkward neck positions? Or does he have to do a lot of overhead work putting extra stress on the neck?
• And how old is he?

[Daniel]

,

I hope he will get better soon. Do you know if his vitamin D levels were measured as well? Most people are on the low end, especially older people since they aren’t able to make vitamin D as efficient on the skin.

A simple supplement can help a lot.

I know other nutrients (like zinc, B vitamins and vitamin A) are helpful to create white blood cells as well. If your dad is open to this type of advice, we could give you more tips.

Vitamin D is easy and cheap and it can make an impact if his levels are low.

I know Bernadette shared the link to this handout earlier, but I will share it again.  This handout: “Preparing for Surgery – Pre & Post Op Recommendations” has quite a few tips you could use to help him recover.

If you like more tips, let us know how his condition develops!

[Daniel]

Hey ,

Sauerkraut is slightly acidic. With H. Pylori this isn’t a problem. But what can happen is that H. Pylori can damage the lining of the gut or small intestine. This can create ulcers. Only when ulcers are present people might react to sour foods. 

Since your numbers might not be optimal but aren’t high either, the chances of ulcers are low. I just mentioned it because I like you to keep it in the back of your mind. IF you react to sour foods, this could be a reason why.

If you didn’t notice anything happening while eating sour foods, it is not much of a problem and you can just enjoy sauerkraut and other acidic foods

[Daniel]

Hey ,

I think the discussion on macros isn’t really difficult. My advice would be to focus on the quality of food. This matters most.

I’m not saying macros aren’t important. They still are, but it’s less difficult than you would think. When it comes to quantity, I think protein is the most important to get right when it comes to quantity. A lot of people don’t get enough.

Especially when your kids start growing, proteins are important. The optimal amount isn’t the same as the recommendations you often see on the internet, unfortunately. This article on examine.com is a better recommendation: 1.5 grams of protein per kg bodyweight for children between 4 and 13 years.

Increased protein intake can also cause more saturation leaving your kids with less desire for sweets.

I always told my clients that the ‘second macro’ to get right, isn’t fat or carbs.

It’s fibre.

Fibre isn’t a macro of course. It is a carb that can’t be digested by the body. It is however important for the microbiome. Bacteria in the gut can break some fibre down and change it into short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. Although fibre is a carbohydrate and doesn’t really contribute a lot to caloric intake, it should be counted as fat.

How many would kids need?
• Boys 9 to 13 years: ~31 grams of fiber/day.
• Girls 9 to 13 years: ~26 grams of fiber/day.

If your children are healthy, the rest of the calories can come from fats and carbohydrates. The ratio doesn’t matter much. Just don’t try to avoid one group or the other. So don’t try to avoid fats or carbohydrates. It’s more about the quality of the foods you choose.

I would use the VPF principle (just watch this video) as much as a base.

If you feel your kids are sick often, it might help to give your kids some exposure to sunlight. A lot of people are deficient in vitamin D and vitamin D is an important nutrient for the immune system.

Zinc is another nutrient that is important for the immune system. 8 mg of zinc is recommended for children between 9 and 13 years old. Examples of good sources of zinc are meat, fish, pumpkin seeds, lentils and oats.

Vitamin A is also needed for the production of white blood cells. you can find precursors of vitamin A in orange plant foods. Examples are sweet potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin, but spinach and peppers also have a good amount of vitamin A.

The king food source of vitamin A is still liver. In the library, you can find some recipes to make liver more tasty (right here). The vitamin A in animal sources is different from the vitamin A in plant sources. It doesn’t need conversion in contrary to for example betacarotene (this is the carotenoid that gives carrots and sweet potatoes their orange color)

Another tip is finding stuff your children see as treats, but are healthier variations. You know your kids the best and it might be a little bit of a search in the beginning. Fruits can be a healthy solution. A little tip: If you let your kids prepare a tasty healthy recipe, they are more likely to eat it as well!

I hope these are helpful tips. Let me know if you need some more!

[Daniel]

Hey ,

If your skin produces more oil, this can be part of you being more susceptible to acne. The oil is produced by the sebaceous glands in your skin. Men generally have larger sebaceous glands than women, making them more susceptible to oily skin.

The sebaceous glands produce oil under the influence of androgens. Higher levels of a form of testosterone called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can cause the sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

I would read this previous tip I wrote a while ago. It will explain how acne is caused. It also provides you with some tips on what you could use to reduce acne.

Some other tips I could provide you with:
• If your pores are clogged, which happens when you have acne, it is a mistake to remove oil thoroughly.

Why?

When the skin senses the oil is gone, the sebaceous glands start to produce more oil. Since the pores are clogged with acne, this can make the acne worse.

You can clean your skin, just don’t overdo it! For this reason, hot showers and warm baths (although they don’t cause acne) can make acne worse.
• Physical and emotional stress can make acne worse (Here is an article on the topic you might find interesting).
• Foods that could cause inflammation in the body can also contribute to acne formation. I think you’re already an expert on this topic, but if you like to have more information about it, let me know!
• According to some studies (like this one), aloe vera cream can help fight the bacteria formation on the skin that contributes to acne formation.
• When skin becomes dehydrated, the pores collapse and are not well lubricated. This results in the passage of oil being slowed down getting and easily becoming caught up by dead skin cells that have not yet been flushed out. This creates a hard plug leading to blackheads and acne.

The B Better library has also a handout right here with tips on what can cause acne!

[Daniel]

Hey ,

I could provide you with plenty of tips. But perhaps you could tell me:
1.  What topics do you find most confusing?
2. How old are your kids?
3. How would you describe your kid’s eating preferences? Are they good eaters? Do they like healthy stuff or do they have a sweet tooth?
4. Are there any health conditions your kids have?
5. Are they using any medications? (Birth control also falls into this category!)
6. Are they using supplements?

The more we know, the more targeted our response will be!

[Daniel]

Hey ,

They aren’t a problem for H. Pylori. This study for example mentions that probiotics can compete with H. Pylori. Some strains can even help manage symptoms and help the stomach lining.

The next quote comes from this study:
“Lactobacilli and other such probiotics including Bifidobacterium, Bacillus licheniformis, and saccharomyces are currently in use and are proven to be effective in managing the gastrointestinal symptoms related to H. pylori. ”

In some cases, it has been reported that therapy with only  S. boulardii and L. johnsonni helped eradicate H. Pylori.

So in conclusion, it is not problematic. It can even be beneficial. I wouldn’t recommend using only probiotics to eradicate H. Pylori though.

But in functional medicine, it is important to ask the question, ‘Why?’. Why is the overgrowth there in the first place?

To answer your question earlier (I’m sorry I missed it for some reason!), having low stomach acid can cause an environment for H. Pylori to overgrow.

Low stomach acid can be caused by a variety of reasons. Stress, a slow thyroid, excess sugar or alcohol. Taking a lot of mineral supplements can also cause low acidity in the stomach because minerals can neutralize the acid produced in the stomach.

These studies aren’t focused on finding and treating the root cause of an overgrowth of H. Pylori. This is probably why different studies have different outcomes. Some people react to natural treatments, while others respond less.

It would be good when you’re reducing your H. Pylori, to think about what might be at play and address these reasons as well!

[Daniel]

Hey @nikolovaart ,

I hope you have been able to contact someone who could help you! How is your current situation? If you need some help, please let us know!

[Daniel]

Hey ,

I hope your already found some relieve. I was wondering: how are things developing over there? Did you consult someone? And if so, what did they found?

[Daniel]

Hey ,

I’m curious… What course are you currently feeling attracted to? Or is it still hard to make a choice?

[Daniel]

Hey @,

I know we are just a few days further, but I was wondering how things are with your father! How is he doing?

[Daniel]

Hey !

Congratulations!!! What fantastic news!

To help develop strong bones vitamin D for babies is often recommended even by government websites like this one. The recommendation is to supplement with 400IU (or 10 mcg) for the first year. Vitamin K2 is important for getting calcium into the right places and is just as important.

This table from the Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine will provide you with information about the recommended intakes of vitamins per day per age group. In that table, you can find the intake for vitamin K as well:
• 0-6 months: 2.0 micrograms/day
• 7-12 months: 2.5 micrograms/day
• 1-3 years: 30 micrograms/day
• 4-8 years: 55 micrograms/day
• Boys & Girls, 9-13 years: 60 micrograms/day
• Boys & Girls, 14-18 years: 75 micrograms/day

You will see there is no real distinction made between vitamin K1 and K2. This is partly because the body can convert these vitamins and partly because vitamin K2 can do what vitamin K1 can do, but it does more.

In this table, you can find a great summary.

In this table, you can see that the half-life of vitamin K2-mk7 is high (70 hours compared to 1.5 hours for its brother vitamin K2-mk4). Vitamin K2-mk7 is also more potent.

I have no current supplement I could share with you. I would know if you are ordering from the Dutch market, but perhaps these recommendations can help you to make an educated choice.

Tylenol replacement
What to replace Tylenol with, depends a bit on what symptoms you are trying to relieve.

For example, honey can bring relief when you’re dealing with coughs and respiratory issues (just click here). But honey is not recommended when your child is younger than 1 year. You can try Bernadette’s homemade flaxseed cough remedy. Just replace the honey with maple syrup for example.

Peppermint oil can bring relief for colds, coughs, sinusitis, asthma, and bronchitis. Just dilute the oil with a neutral oil such as coconut and rub it on the neck and bottoms of the feet.

For young kids, I usually prefer food-based options. Research is often limited at younger ages, but I hope this can help you in the right direction.

Gassy
Because babies and infants have still immature digestive systems, it is normal for babies to experience gas. Sometimes babies can have gas because they swallow air as well. This is normal. Helping them burb can reduce gas.

When you breastfeeding you might need to think of your diet as well. Think of food sources containing dairy products, onions, caffeine, garlic, spicy foods and cabbage. These foods can in some babies cause gass as well.

Some food sources can help reduce gas. Think of foods containing probiotics.

Final thought
During the first years of a child’s life, the immune system is also continuously exposed to the new world it has brought into. Providing the nutrients the immune system needs is great! But keep in mind that the immune system is continuously learning how to adjust to the new environment. Even though this can be sometimes a bit of an uncomfortable experience for parents and children, that learning curve of the immune system is an important experience for the child’s future health!

[Daniel]

Hey ,

I hope you enjoyed your summer! Good to have you back 🙂

Peptides are a short string of amino acids. For example, glutathione is a peptide made of 3 amino acids and is therefore called a tripeptide. Creatine is also a peptide. Secretly you already know a few peptides.

There is no real good answer to your question since there are many peptides with different kinds of roles in the body. Consider amino acids as Lego building blocks. Depending on how you connect the blocks, the function can differ.

GABA is for example a “neuropeptide” which is made of glutamate and a glutamate variation attached under the influence of vitamin B6. GABA is an example of a neurotransmitter. But even hormones can be peptides. Examples of peptide hormones are for example insulin,  glucagon and prolactin.

Collagen peptides are often used for skin, hair and nail health. The function can therefore vary considerably.

Here are some peptides sold as supplements that are lesser known

BPC-157 is a peptide that is often used for joint recovery. NMN is a peptide which is an intermediaire of NAD+.

Maybe you could specify what supplements you are curious to? 

[Daniel]

,

A while ago I wrote a tip about non-toxic pots and pans. I will link it right here. Maybe this helps to guide you!

[Daniel]

Hey ,

A leaky gut can indeed make you react to foods or break down products of gram-negative bacteria called LPS (Lipopolysaccharides). It is easier for undigested foods and LPS to get into your body which means the immune system needs to get busy. As a result, the immune system gets more busy.

This is why you have more LPS antibodies for example.

I don’t think all results are bad and it’s also important to put these values into the context of your healing journey.

For example:

If you have changed your diet by consuming foods/supplements that kill gram-negative bacteria while your gut is still leaky, you will expose your body to higher levels of LPS. If this causes reactions, you might want to use a milder approach and dial down a notch with these foods/supplements. In this case some gut healing nutrients like quercetin and zinc L-carnosine. Aloe vera can help as well.

On the other hand: if you have mold colonized in the gut (which damages the gut lining) and you are feeding the mold, your gut lining might have taken the hit. You might want to check to do the next few things:
• Reduce simple carbohydrates like sugar
• Check if you’re eating moldy foods (dried fruits, coffee, tea, grains, dairy products, etc)
• Check if you’re still exposed to mold from your environment. 

It also helps to eat gluten-free. Gluten will give rise to zonulin production. Zonulin opens the doors(tight junctions) between the cells in the lining of the gut. It makes the gut more leaky and will give your body more exposure to LPS and other stuff that happens inside the gut.

Are there things you are currently doing from the list above that you feel you could improve on?