[Bernadette]

@Yasmin Kottait happy to help. You can order directly from Fullscript but you’ll need to use a mail forwarding company that offers a US address. Otherwise, check iHerb for alternatives

[Bernadette]

Noted @Naveed Aslam. Hope you can make it.

[Bernadette]

@Yasmin Kottait

For infants and children less than 2 years old, I follow Fried’s Rule:

The dose of an herb is obtained by multiplying the child’s age in months by the adult dose and then dividing the result by 150. An example would be if an adult tincture dosage is 20 drops. For an 8 month old child you would take 20 x 8 to get 160. Then divide: 160/150 = which would be approximately 1 drop of tincture.

In THIS immune support protocol, I share liquid/powders that are suitable for children. I always keep these as part of my medicine cabinet because they aren’t always available locally and like you said, they take about 2 weeks to arrive to Dubai.

If you’ve started the antibiotics, consider getting the S Boulardi from a local pharmacy to prevent yeast overgrowth. Something like Florastor Kids.

[Bernadette]

@Szilvia Bartalos unless the gastro is trained in functional medicine, it’s rare to get a referral for this functional stool test. By the way, it doesn’t only test for H Pylori, and in my experience, I’ve seen a lot of false negatives. What I like most about the GI Map is the quantitative nature of it. It doesn’t just tell you positive or negative, but also the actual value which is helpful for tracking progress.

Glad the breath issue seems to be resolving with those small dietary changes. The right side pain however could be pointing to liver/gallbladder issues possibly. If I recall correctly, I believe you’ve already uploaded a liver panel for us to look at right? More specifically these markers: ALT, AST, GGT, Alk Phos, Bilirubin, and especially Direct bilirubin.

As for fertility tracking devices, take a look at Daisy and Lady-Comp. Both of these track your body’s basal temperature and synch with a tracking app. They have very high accuracy rates. Here’s Daisy’s “how it works” video to explain it better. Using the combination of condoms and fertility tracking is not for everyone, but definitely is empowering to know your body’s rhythms and have better control.

[Bernadette]

Hi @Szilvia Bartalos – you can take a 500mL water sample to the Dubai Central Lab for testing. You can also call them for more info: 800900

If you’ll be moving soon, then you can consider investing in a counter-top water filter or under-sink filter that doesn’t require drilling.

I use and recommend Liquid of Life’s under-sink filters. You can take them with you wherever you end up moving as they connect directly to the pipe beneath your sink. But you’ll need to discard them after a year as they need to replaced yearly.

Another option is to consider countertop filters like the Aquatru (RO system) or Berkey water filter.

You can watch THIS video in the Beginner’s Health Roadmap for more details on the different types of water filters.

[Bernadette]

Hi @Yasmin Kottait you didn’t mention if you’ve already started giving him the antibiotics or not, but it sounded to me as though you wanted to try avoiding them? Daniel gave you great advice if you’re choosing the antibiotic route.

But if you’re looking to support the virus naturally, then when my kids are sick with a viral infection, I always give liquid zinc as it helps stop viral replication. In addition to high dose vit D, I also give high dose vitamin A to support the immune system until they’re feeling better. You can read more about the protocol I use to support their immune system HERE.

And since it’s suspected to be viral, please take a look at this protocol HERE. It’s written for children with HFMD, but it will also work for any viral infection. If it’s still early-on, definitely consider the homeopathic support called Oscillococcinum.

Now given that the doctor is suspecting bronchitis, you may want to ask him about nebulizing NAC (20mg according to study below). There is clinical research done on the safety and effectiveness of nebulized NAC in infants for supporting lung health, and bronchitis specifically. I will share a few studies you can read as well (they are linked below):

Effectiveness of Nebulized N-Acetylcysteine Solution in Children with Acute Bronchiolitis

Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of bronchiolitis in infants: A systematic review

Hope he gets well soon!

[Bernadette]

@Sara sounds amazing and ingredients/process too! Enjoy ☺️

[Bernadette]

@Naveed Aslam oh sorry, I misunderstood. Yes if someone has done a good amount of soothing herbs first, then a trial of low dose of HCL betaine in capsule form, mid-meal with a protein rich meal should be ok. If any burning sensation is felt however within 5 mins of taking the HCL, then the dose might be too high.

For more details on HCL dosage, please refer to THIS handout.

[Bernadette]

@Naveed Aslam no absolutely not. You never want to take HCL betaine which is very acidic without it being in a capsule. It will burn!!

[Bernadette]

Hi @Naveed Aslam for your purpose of coating the esophagus and stomach lining, powder is a better option.

If a client has reduced digestive capacity, I often recommend they empty the contents of the capsule over food or in water to help with absorption.

Capsules on the other hand are helpful in situations where a delayed release is needed or for protecting sensitive tissue like in HCL betaine for example.

Hope that helps.

[Bernadette]

Hi @Sara I’ll replay to your questions below one by one:

Opinions on collagen supplements vary, but many people use them for potential benefits such as improving skin health, supporting joint function, promoting gut health, and strengthening hair and nails. Collagen is a major component of connective tissues throughout the body, so supplementing with collagen peptides may help support these tissues as we age.

Whether I recommend it depends on individual health goals and needs. If someone is looking to support joint health, improve skin elasticity, or strengthen hair and nails, collagen peptides may be worth considering. But I do consider it a “supplement” and I always like to rotate on and off supplements. When “off”, you can consider bone broth as a whole food option instead.

As for when and how to use it, it dissolves easily in warm liquid so it can be added to anything warm; in soups, coffee, tea, etc. Just don’t add it to cold smoothies – it clumps up when cold. Ever seen what happens to bone broth in the fridge? Jello! Same idea with collagen…

And no, collagen peptides themselves are not likely to cause weight gain, as they are primarily protein and are relatively low in calories.

If someone is constipated, they’ll want to make sure that their probiotic has more bifidobacteria than lactobacillus. We have a Constipation Relief Program HERE if that’s a concern for you. It not only shares rapid relief solutions, but also helps you figure out the root cause to resolve it.

No, I don’t believe fruit should be vilified and avoided. Even though they contain fructose in varying amounts, they are also a wonderful source of vitamins, polyphenols, antioxidants, etc. The question of whether or not a person should eat fruit, and how much they should eat is very individual. Does this person have insulin resistance? Does this person train really hard? Is this person pregnant or in their growing years (i.e. a child)? Is the person affected by mold? Does the person have Candida or other gut overgrowths? Does the person have a fructose intolerance? These are simple examples of the different variables that would affect the answer to your question. In general, if there is no metabolic dysfunction, then eating 2-3 whole fruits (or about 25g fructose per day) is a good general guideline to follow. And so you can vary them. If you wish to have 2 dried dates for example which are very high in fructose, then depending on the type of date, you’re looking at around 30-40g of fructose. And that can be totally fine for a metabolically sound individual, especially when combined with a fat or protein to slow down the spike of sugar.

But if someone has blood sugar dysregulation or other reasons to limit simple carbs from fruits, then perhaps sticking to berries is a better option.

I encourage you to watch THIS video from the Beginner’s Health Roadmap for an explanation of my VPF principle where I also touch on fruits.

And then please watch THIS video from the Blood Sugar Regulation course for a more detailed discussion about “the best diet”, carbs and fruits specifically.

& 5. Bob’s Red Mill nutritional yeast is available at Organic Foods & Cafe & the Larder Brand has organic tahini.

Pomegranate vinegar sounds delicious! What are the ingredients? Make sure it doesn’t have “flavors” or colors added.

I’m assuming you’re asking about gluten-free flours right? Coconut flour and buckwheat flour would work well.

Yes – I’m a fan of any fermented foods if one can tolerate them!

Hope these help!

[Bernadette]

@Annie Sye yes, mail forwarding companies offer those services. Checkout Boxit4me.

[Bernadette]

@Annie Sye so the pain you were feeling above the pubic bone was from gastritis???

It’s important to note that Prevacid is a proton pump inhibitor, meaning it reduces the amount of acid produced in the stomach. So while it may provide much needed rapid relief to inflamed gastric tissue temporarily, it can can also become part of the problem if used longer term since we need good strong stomach acid for optimal digestion and absorption of many key nutrients.

So your question about how to help heal inflamed tissue is spot on in order to not need that type of rapid relief. I encourage you to watch THIS video from the Gut Health Masterclass course for tips and suggestions. My go-to’s from that video are cabbage juice as a food therapy option, and GI Revive. But there are many other options too.

[Bernadette]

@Annie Sye I share your pain and you’re not alone. It’s the hardest thing when our loved ones are unwell. Feel free to vent and share how you’re feeling if it helps release those emotions for you.

And take your time. We’re here when you need us.

[Bernadette]

@Szilvia Bartalos while the baking soda challenge is not diagnostic, it does give a pretty good indication of stomach acid status. No burping would indicate the possibility of hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid), which is what I’ve been suspecting.

Now the question is why. I discuss common reasons for low stomach acid in this video HERE. H. Pylori overgrowth is a common reason, which can also cause bad breath so I’m suspicious. A comprehensive stool test can help rule that out and if there is an overgrowth, close partners should treat it at the same time since it’s very contagious. We have protocols that can help.

Regarding contraception, have you considered or tried the combination of condoms during the fertile window along with fertility tracking? It seems like it could be a good option since it’s non-invasive and doesn’t have any negative health impacts. Let me know if you’d like some suggestions about fertility tracking devices.