Hi @nikolovaart – can I ask which company ur using?

Usually what you see is the tip of the iceberg. It can be cleaned but the problem might come back. Is there high humidity in the bathroom?

Hi  – I really like the H Pylori only test by Diagnostic Solutions because it’s a stool PCR test and provides a quantitative value instead of just a negative or positive value so it’s helpful in determining progress when a person does a re-assessment. It also shows virulence factors.

The H Pylori marker is included in their full GI Map test, but you can also order it separately to save on cost.
• Here’s the sample report for H Pylori only ($173 USD + shipping / 21 days +/- 4 days turnaround time)
• Here’s the GI Map plus Zonulin sample report ($467 + shipping / 21 days +/- 4 days turnaround time)

We can help give you access to this test if you’re interested. Just email support@bbettermembership.com with your full name, email, date of birth, shipping and billing address (if different) with the test you’d like and they’ll give you access to order it through the lab directly.

Hi @Szilvia  – I’m assuming your doctor is recommending that you take it in the luteal phase correct? Some doctors will recommend progesterone from day 5-14 until day 25.

No worries if you miss a dose. It’s usually ok to continue as prescribed by your doctor unless it kickstarted your period. Then you stop taking it and that’s day 1.

It does take time for hormones to adjust, and your sex hormones should have been tested before to determine the correct dose, and they should be retested every 3 months or so to make sure the dosage is correct for you.

If you’re having symptoms, it’s likely that the dose isn’t right  for you and you should tell your doctor about it to adjust accordingly.

A second opinion wouldn’t hurt. Trust your instincts.

@nikolovaart  it may or may not make histamine intolerance symptoms worse. This is a situation where it really depends on the individual and all the factors that lead to histamine overload.

And there’s no way of knowing if a particular collagen product (gel or powder) is high in histamine since collagen makers don’t test their products for histamine or other amines.

The best way forward is to do a trial for 5 days (or less if you experience symptoms), and notice if any of your symptoms worsen within 10 days (keeping in mind that symptoms can vary wildly and be blamed on something else!). Keeping a food journal for 10 days can help with this (scroll down to bottom of page to download the food journal).

Let us know what you decide to do, and whether or not you tolerated it well.

Hope this helps.

@nikolovaart  I want to encourage you to use Fullscript’s filters. It’s a great way to find practitioner-grade supplements with specific criteria.

If you don’t have an account yet, click here in the Resources to setup an account. Once you log in, click on Catalog. From there, type in the supplement you’re looking for in their search bar, and next to it on the right, click on the green “Filters” button. This will open up all the different search criteria on the left to refine your search.

Scroll down to “Allergens” and select gluten free, soy free, animal product free, and any other filters you’d like.

Here’s the search I got back for glutamine (2 choices). The others are combo formulas with lower dosages.

There were no results for NAC that are vegan. There are however soy-free and gluten-free options here.

There were only 2 results for CoQ10 here. The others were combo formulas.

In general, it’s much more difficult to find vegan supplements, and if they are available, they add a lot more excipients in the “other ingredients” so there’s a trade-off to keep in mind as well when searching for supplements/brands.

Hope this helps.

Hi @Szilvia   – have you tried my coconut milk recipe? Maybe the quantity of coconut flakes to water is different to yours? Mine lasts a good 4-5 days in the fridge. I pour it into upcycled tomato glass jars and close the lid.

You might want to try an extra step and “pasteurize” the coconut milk mixture first. So before adding the coconut flakes and water in the blender, place them in a sauce pot on the stove and turn it off as soon as it boils. Allow it to cool, and then proceed to blend and strain. This extra step I’ve found helps bring out the coconut flavor even more too.

In terms of which one is better, I would rate them as follows:

Freshly made with flakes, canned fresh (plant-based can lining if possible), and I think it’s a close tie between powdered and UHT pasteurized coconut milk in a carton (like Plenish brand for example). The reason is because the last 2 options require more processing that includes very high heat, and usually emulsifiers are needed in coconut milk powder to prevent the fats from clumping. In terms of nutritional value, I haven’t looked at the research, but I would assume the high heat process does destroy some nutrients as well. But this is just an educated guess.

Let me know if that helps.

Hi  – Suntegrity is a non-toxic brand that offers SPF 50 for face and body. I haven’t tried it so check reviews about its application.

But I’ll also encourage you to focus on “internal” sunblock protection by consuming lots of antioxidant-rich foods and avoiding vegetable seed oils, fried foods, and sugar/sweeteners.

I personally take astaxanthin (Dr. Mercola brand) on and off every few months. PQQ is another powerful antioxidant. Seeking Health is a good brand.

I hope this helps.

@Naja hmmm.. you’re really making me think. So much has become available in Dubai that my list has definitely shrunk. But I still make it a point to buy:

• pure organic vanilla (they only sell pure vanilla pods or imitation vanilla here).
• I also usually stock up on supplements that require refrigeration like probiotics, glutathione. But I also order my immune support supplements & medicine cabinet must-haves like Active Skin Repair.
• Nail polish. I’ll usually buy a few different colors from Whole Foods (Mineral Fusion brand) – especially the base coat.
• Hemp seeds. We sprinkle it over yogurt, salads, etc.
• Sea Snax (seaweed snacks). I get the plain olive oil one. And with onion.
• If I have space, I’ll also stock up on our personal hygiene products  as well (deodorant, mouth wash, toothpaste, etc).

If you have a Whole Foods nearby, just browse the isles… it might spark more ideas of what we might not have over here.

Hope this helps.

Hi  – what I’ve been learning about dog health is that it is very similar to human health.

I’m so happy to have found Pawdega in Dubai with shipping all around the world. I was in discussion with the founder to discuss ways that we can collaborate – I want more people to know about this great company and  benefit from their holistic pet health products and services.

You can chat with them about your pet’s needs and they will direct you to the right products. For deworming, they offer this product for example (No More Worms). I would pair it with their probiotic for dogs because at the end of the day, it’s our pet’s immune system that should be able to keep things balanced and prevent infections, and it’s our/their microbiome health that helps modulate the immune system.

Enjoy browsing through their site and chatting with them.

@Szilvia that’s great to hear. Did you get a different response from the 2nd opinion?

@Bahareh  if you don’t mind, can you please share your response in the forum so others can benefit from your response as well?

oh amazing! Good to know. Thanks for sharing.

I just noticed that Suntegrity’s SPF 50 has titanium dioxide. This is NOT recommended and should be avoided!!! Ughhh! My apologies. This is why reading ingredients carefully is so important. While their SPF 30 and other creams are clean and non-toxic, their spray bottle version with SPF 50 is not. Your Badger product is still the highest/cleanest one out there as far as I know.

@Naja  I get Klaire Labs Therbiotic Complete as a broad-spectrum and Megaspore from time to time.

I get Seeking Health’s Liposomal Glutathione.

@Naja  ah yes! Forgot to include them as well. I usually like to have stinging nettle leaf (anti-histamine & HPA axis regulation), dandelion root (liver/gallbladder support), red raspberry (helps uterus), oat straw (minerals) on hand. You can also get these calming herbs to help wind down in the evening or if stress is an issue for you.

I love their essential oils too. I always have tea tree oil on hand. But also these other antifungal essential oils if mold is an issue. I made an anti-fungal nasal spray for my husband when he struggled with mold.

I get the Simply Organic brand of Madagascar vanilla.

For deodorant, my kids like the Schmidt’s brand (lime and activated charcoal), and my husband likes the Routine Cream baking soda free.

Anything that doesn’t ship to Dubai directly, I use a mail forwarding service like Boxit4Me or Shop&Ship. They provide a US mailing address, and then forward the packages to Dubai for a fee.