Bernadette
Forum Replies Created
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Hello Ivona, if you consume fermented foods and beverages, then there’s no need. I always look at supplements, including probiotics, as something “in addition” to a supportive, nutrient-dense diet.
If you haven’t seen them yet, I share several fermented food & beverage recipes inside Discounts & Resources in your library. Hope that helps.
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it’s always best to make sure selenium levels are sufficient before adding in iodine. So I would actually recommend selenium intake before iodine (at least a month).
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please email support@bernadetteabraham.com with the client/patient’s name, email address, phone number, shipping/billing address (if different) and we’ll send you a requisition so you can order the H Pylori or full GI Map (let us know your preference). The kit will get shipped and collected from you.
As for testing the full thyroid panel, you can make an appointment with Dr. Liliana Skorski at HealthBay Polyclinic (Al Wasl road). If insurance won’t cover or if you prefer to pay out of pocket and not bother with a doctor’s visit, we can also arrange for a lab to come to your house. Let us know in the email what you prefer.
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Hi Lina, lots of changes coming your way. A move is incredibly stressful on the whole family, so please be gentle with yourself and your family and give yourself the time you need to make these changes.
If you haven’t yet watched the Gut Health Masterclass, I explain how healing can only happen when we’re in a parasympathetic state. So I wouldn’t attempt making dietary changes until you’re all settled since your bodies will be in a flight or fight sympathetic dominant state for a while.
Once you feel like you’re in a routine, then I would focus on gut healing therapies (I discuss this in detail in the course). When there are more than 10 high food sensitivities (let alone 100!), this usually indicates the likelihood of “leaky gut”, so I would focus on removing the big 5 offenders as to not overwhelm yourself and your daughter; gluten/oats, dairy, corn, yeast, nuts, and grains. And with kids, removing 1 at a time while finding a substitute for it, is usually an easier and more sustainable approach then making all of these changes at once (but of course, each child is different and you know what’s best for your child).
Although dairy was not listed as one of their sensitivities, I have found that dairy is most often implicated in enlarged adenoids. So this would actually be the first elimination challenge I would do with my children, and it’s also the easiest for most since there are many plant-based options available.
In essence, this is an AIP type of diet (autoimmune protocol) which is very restrictive but can be helpful while applying gut healing therapies for a few months to help calm the immune system and bring down inflammation. It’s basically my VPF principle that I share in the Beginner’s Health Roadmap, which includes vegetables, proteins & healthy fats. For carbs, focus on non-grain sources like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and starchy root vegetables (I have a handout in the resources).
My go-to gut healing product is called GI Revive powder. It’s sweet, peach flavored and well tolerated by most when mixed in a smoothie. For non-dairy sensitive children, colostrum is another option.
If you google “easy AIP recipes”, you’ll get a ton of blogs with sample recipes you can download to help give you ideas of meals that you can make that will cater to their dietary restrictions. If you need more help with dietary support, let me know and I’ll share more resources. I have plenty but don’t want to overwhelm you.
In the meantime, I would recommend watching my Beginner’s Health Roadmap and Gut Health Masterclass (if you haven’t already) and prepare yourself for the changes you’re about to make so you can feel more in control and less overwhelmed.
And I’m here to guide you through it and answer any questions you may have.
Hope this helps give you a clearer direction.
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haha – I forgot I added this question as an example for my tutorial video. Ok, glad to answer.
Digestive enzymes offer pancreatic support by supplying the body with additional enzymes to help break down our food. These can be plant based or animal based supplements. I discuss digestive enzymes in more detail in Gut Health Masterclass as well; it’s really like the cereal isle in terms of choices of digestive enzymes available. Some support better digestion of fats, others better digestion of legumes and starchy carbs, others for dairy and gluten. It really all depends on the individual’s needs.
Digestive bitters on the other hand help support overall digestive secretions by signaling to the brain that food is on the way. It helps stimulate stomach acid production, digestive enzyme secretion and bile flow, so it’s more broad in terms of its digestive support.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you still have additional questions.
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sounds good – I’m here to support when you need it.
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Bingo – glad to see you’re on the right track. Let me know if you need help getting access to a functional stool test or H Pylori only stool test. I was hoping to have the web shop setup by now, but the lab is still working on things. I want you all to be able to access and order your own functional tests. It’s in the works… for now, let me know if I can assist.
And when you order the thyroid panel, make sure it’s complete:
TSH, Total T4, Total T3, Free T4, Free T3, reverse T3, anti-TPO, anti-TG -
Hi Jenna – irregular periods are normal in the first year or two once a young woman starts her cycle as it can take some time for the communication between the ovaries and the brain to mature.
These are the signs of hormonal imbalances to watch out for if her period doesn’t regulate in a year or two:
• Periods that last longer than a week
• Cycles longer than 45 days or shorter than 21 days (however, irregular periods are expected during the first few years once a young woman starts her cycle)
• Bleeding that is so heavy, it requires a pad or tampon change every couple of hours
• Severe cramping
• Unexplained weight gain
• Hair growth on the chin or abdomen
• Hair loss (on the head)
• Extreme fatigue
• Acne
• Extreme mood swingsThese symptoms can be signs of estrogen excess, endometriosis, thyroid dysfunction, cortisol imbalance, and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).
In the meantime, you can support her the same way we support ourselves as adults; seed cycling, a nutrient-dense diet with cruciferous veggies to help with hormone detox, 1-3 daily bowel movements (type 3-4), and sleep hygiene (critical for hormone balance!).
Hope this helps!
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Hi Lana – I’m not sure if you’ve had time to watch the Gut Health Masterclass yet, but I teach a North to South approach when addressing digestive health & dysfunctions. So before jumping into probiotics, start North with the brain first.
So first make sure she’s actually seated, eating slowing, mindfully (not in front of TV or iPad, etc) and chewing her food well. Very important and very powerful. Also, no liquids with meals (or minimum 1 cup of water).
If eating hygiene is proper, then consider supporting her with digestive bitters (I like Quicksilver’s Dr. Shade’s Bitters No. 9) or bitter greens with meals, which can signal the brain to release digestive juices.
I would also do a food elimination challenge followed by a reintroduction, as food sensitivities can also contribute to gas. Dairy and gluten are often the culprits so I would start there.
In terms of probiotics, I always recommend a food-first approach unless there’s histamine intolerance (allergies, itchy skin, watery eyes/nose, etc). Start slow and increase the amount over time. For kids, kefir is the easiest to introduce as it can be added in smoothies instead of regular milk. Coconut milk can be used instead if she’s dairy sensitive. I also share many other fermented food recipes in the resources section of your library.
If you still prefer a supplement, then I would go with a broad-spectrum probiotic like Klaire Labs Therbiotic Complete in the evenings for example.
If none of the above suggestions help, then it might be worth investing in a comprehensive stool test like the GI Map (I also discuss this in the Gut Health Masterclass) to get a better picture of what specific support she might need.
Gas can also be a sign of gut dysbiosis or overgrowths, so a cleanse might be warranted, but I always like to address all of the above first, as the body/immune system can “auto-correct” when given the right support from a North to South approach.
Hope this helps.
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don’t feel shy to ask your questions. Happy to help!
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Hi – as mentioned in the Gut Health Masterclass, iron is absorbed thanks to having good strong stomach acid in the stomach, which allows it to be better absorbed in the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). Given that your daughter has IBD, this will further compromise absorption (iron is already difficult to absorb), therefore your focus should be on supporting absorption with sufficient gut healing therapies (and removing any offenders contributing to inflammation like food sensitivities, gut overgrowths, etc), in addition to ensuring she has optimal stomach acid production. I share all of these in detail in the Gut Health Masterclass if you haven’t already watched it.
As for iron-rich foods, I would highly recommend you try introducing organic liver into their diets. You can make a buttery liver pate (I will make a note to add the recipe in Resources for you), hide it in beef/hamburgers in a ratio of 3:1 ground beef to liver, or dice them small and freeze them so they can swallow them like supplements with meals.
Also, have you read the book “Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet” by Elaine Gottschall? It’s a great starting point for dietary guidance for those with Chrohn’s, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, and chronic diarrhea.
Hope this helps give you some better guidance and direction on how to handle the low iron levels.
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Hi – so glad you’re here with us too! Ok, there’s a lot to unpack here as there can be many possible contributing factors, but I will do my best to offer some guidance and clarifying questions to hopefully give you some direction.
Dark circles under the eyes could point to food sensitivities/allergies (here is the handout in Resources, especially since you’ve struggle with that symptom since childhood. Have you tried an elimination diet before? Dairy and gluten are very often culprit foods so you can look at the dairy and gluten elimination handouts for more details on all the types to remove initially.
Dark circles could also point to issues with liver detoxification or kidney dysfunction. Have you seen a doctor to run some tests?
There is a possibility that your thyroid medication may be contributing to your loose stools. TSH alone is not enough to indicate whether or not there is optimal thyroid function. If your stools are more loose, your medication may need to be adjusted. Loose stool however, could also be due to dysbiosis or some form of gut overgrowth. The Gut Health Masterclass will help troubleshoot with this, if that’s a contributing factor.
You mention not feeling good. What symptoms are you referring to exactly?
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I have not seen a direct connection between mold and amenorrhea, however that’s not to say that there isn’t a secondary link. Mold can disrupt our gut microbiome balance which can impair serotonin synthesis. Serotonin, as you may be aware, is a neurotransmitter that can affect the brain and hormone cascade. And we know that serotonin plays a stimulatory role in the brain for the synthesis of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH), which makes our sex hormones.
From a nutrient perspective, serotonin is also made from a series of conversions beginning with tryptophan, an amino acid protein. You did not mention your type of diet, but does it include enough animal protein? Are you digesting and absorbing your protein with enough stomach acid? Gut health masterclass will help you troubleshoot this.
The conversion from tryptophan to serotonin also needs nutrients: iron, B vitamins (especially B6), copper, magnesium. Again, are you eating a diet that provides these nutrients? Are they optimal?
So to summarize, dysbiosis (from mold or other causes) & nutrient deficiencies can impair serotonin production, which can affect the brain-hormone cascade. Also, you mentioned that your face gets red and itchy at times. This sounds like a histamine reaction and gut dysbiosis can affect the DAO enzyme needed to break down extracellular histamine. Again, we need a good amount of B vitamins to break down histamine.
A trial with 50mg of 5-HTP (with B6) support twice daily to begin (morning and afternoon) would be an interesting test to see if it helps. Of course, please speak with your practitioner as 5-HTP is contraindicated in those who are taking antidepressants or other medications that might directly affect serotonin synthesis or uptake.
Hope this helps!
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Great tip Mishaa. It’s absolutely fine to do this if there’s no kidney disease.
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Hi Dara, can you please provide a little more history so I can better guide you as fatigue can have many possible root causes.
When did your symptom start?
Do you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet?
Are you taking an acid suppressing medication or diabetes medication like Metformin?
What are your stress levels like (rate them 0-10)?
When did you start the injections? What’s the dosage being given?
Did you develop anxiety since taking them?
Do you have any amalgam fillings in your mouth?
If you have any labs, what is your MCV and MCH level on a CBC (complete blood count).
Did anyone measure MMA (methylmalonic acid) level for you along with B12? What was your serum B12 level, along with iron and ferritin?Let’s start with these…
