[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Annie – I follow a few good accounts regarding foot health that you might be interested in following. Barefoot Universe is a good one in particular because they offer education which empowers us to make more informed choices.

Here’s a great article they wrote about the best type of shoes for babies and toddlers, including brand recommendations that I think you’ll find really helpful!

barefootuniverse.com

The Best Baby & Toddler Shoes: Why Soft is NOT Enough? - Barefoot Universe

Find the best shoes for toddlers learning to walk. Learn how to support healthy foot development with the right footwear choices for your little one.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Annie – I know that you follow Lead Safe Mama so by “clean” and third party tested, I’m going to assume heavy metal free — correct? Unfortunately, the current regulations for heavy metal testing thresholds are not as strict as we’d hope. Even companies that test for heavy metals may have trace amounts when compared to the much lower standards outlined in the Baby Food Safety Act.

That said, there are better options available that conduct third-party testing and hold organic certifications. Some brands I’d recommend are:

• Simply Organic
• Frontier Co-op
• Mountain Rose Herbs

These brands are known for their commitment to quality and safety, so they may align with what you’re looking for. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Annie – you can find that discussion thread here: https://bb.genesisengine.io/forums/discussion/5137223/#post-15772

I’ve updated the links as well to my comment. Thanks for letting me know. With the migration over to the new platform, we unfortunately lost a lot of our links so we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to add them back. If you notice any other links missing, please let us know! Thanks.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Annie – castor oil is special in that it has the ability to cross into the middle layer of our skin (dermis) where our lymphatic system and circulation flow. And since it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (i.e. rest and digest mode), lymphatic flow and reduces inflammation it’s benefits are many when applied topically to the abdomen region or over the liver/gallbladder area.

You can learn more about how to do a castor oil pack in this handout. And yes, as long as it’s done topically and not anywhere where the baby can ingest it, it’s considered safe during breastfeeding. Your point about promoting detoxification is a good one though. Limiting the use of the packs to 20-30 mins a few times per week can help avoid over-detoxification.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @sara_alm369 – I noticed you posted this question in the lyme, mold and heavy metal category. Was that by mistake or do you know if he’s struggling with any of those environmental toxins?

Has he been seen by a doctor or dentist already? Was a diagnosis provided? If you can share more about this symptom, we can help you figure out the root cause better. Questions to consider:

1. When did it start?

2. Describe the symptom: any pain? sensitive to touch? does it appear only on the lip or also elsewhere in the mouth?

3. Does it come and go or always there?

4. Was he recently sick?

5. Did he bite his lip?

6. Are there any known allergies or sensitivities to certain foods, medications, or products?

7. Have there been any environmental changes (e.g., new toothpaste, water source, or exposure to allergens)?

The more information you can provide us, the better we can help.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

@kritissoni you’re so welcome! Please report back if you do get testing done so we can help guide you further.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Annie – unfortunately, it’s out of our scope of practice to provide a diagnosis. Also, with skin related concerns it’s always best to get it checked by a dermatologist for confirmation.

Please do keep us posted however if you do get it diagnosed by a medical professional so that we can offer some guidance on root cause approaches and/or rapid relief measures.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @kritissoni – so it does sound like your immunity may be struggling and with the addition of the hive-like bumps, as you’re suspecting, there could be some mast cell activation going on along with histamine release.

Given that it takes you longer to recover and you seem to get sick quicker than other family members, it would make sense to investigate your microbiome health and gut health specifically since 2/3rds of our immune system resides in the gut! Our microbiome health informs and modulates immunity so if there’s perhaps a low-grade simmering infection from let’s say microbial overgrowths, this can be causing your immune system to be working on overdrive which can weaken it over time. The immune system’s job is to surveil and to be tolerant; not to be constantly at work with low-grade dysbiosis/infections.

You can look at getting comprehensive stool testing such as the GI map with zonulin to give you an overview of gut health, IgA status (gut immunity), permeability, any microbial/fungal overgrowths, etc.

However this functional test is expensive. Alternatively, you may want to consider getting a simple CBC with differential blood test which gives an indication of immune health, possible simmering infections, and anemia. Checking immune nutrients vitamin D, vitamin A and RBC zinc and copper is also helpful if you’ve never tested those, especially if you’ve been supplementing with zinc and vitamin D3/K2 daily. Selenium is another nutrient you can look at testing related to immune health. It’s also possible to test IgA in stool with the doctor.

In fact, since the pandemic, I’ve seen people weaken their immunity by taking too much zinc and vitamin D. Zinc and copper have an antagonistic relationship so they must be in balance. Too much zinc can actually deplete copper which is needed for white blood cell production/immunity and iron formation. So testing zinc and copper levels would be wise, especially in red blood cells (RBC, not serum).

In terms of rapid relief for the mucous production, N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) is a powerful antioxidant that helps thin mucus and supports respiratory health. Dose is typically 600-1,200 mg/day. Steam inhalation and eliminating mucus triggering foods like dairy, gluten and processed sugar can help as well.

I’m suspecting the heat and pressure from your Apple watch (or possibly the EMF radiation) may be stimulating histamine release. Try wearing it on airplane mode to see if it makes a difference. And again, gut health is related here as well. We produce DAO enzyme that breaks down histamine in the brush border of our gut lining. If there is dysbiosis or an overgrowth of microorganisms, this will impact DAO enzyme production. This is also highly dependent on vitamin B6, which you can look at getting tested as well.

For rapid relief from histamine reactions, a DAO enzyme in supplement form like the one by Seeking Health’s Histamine Digest can be helpful while addressing the underlying root cause factor(s). We just released our Histamine Intolerance handout in our Symptom Dictionary if you’d like to see other possible contributing factors for histamine intolerance.

Also note that many “healthy foods” like bone broth and fermented foods for example are very high in histamine. So checkout this histamine elimination handout to see if your diet may be high in histamine.

In the meantime, stinging nettle infusions with onion peels can offer natural anti-histamine support in food form. You can watch my tutorial here and also find more relief support in the Rapid Relief for Allergies/Congestion protocol here.

Hope this helps!

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @Annie – sorry to hear that you’ve not been feeling well. But I’m glad that you’re going to start focusing on your own health. Here’s a list of tests to consider as a starting point, many of which are found in an annual physical in the US. This will help us zoom in and suggest more targeted functional tests if needed:

• CBC with differentials
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
• Blood sugar
• Thyroid panel
• Iron panel
• Vitamin D
• RBC B12
• RBC folate/B9
• RBC magnesium
• RBC zinc/copper
• Homocysteine
• hs-CRP

You can find the breakdown of the markers in each panel in this handout.

Other functional tests to consider based on some of the symptoms you’ve described (but I would wait until you get blood testing first):

• OmegaQuant fatty acid test (dry skin)
• Food sensitivity testing (congestion, random pains, joint pain, fatigue, etc)
• Environmental testing (if suspected) like mycotoxin testing and heavy metal testing (congestion, aches and pains, fatigue, history of histamine intolerance, etc)

Given that you have a history of histamine intolerance, mold exposure immediately came to mind. And since gut infections are the main producers of internal histamine, would you say you have any gut or digestion related symptoms?

Any history of oral contraceptives? This depletes B vitamins, especially B6 and also increases estrogen, both of which exacerbate histamine.

If you want to order the tests on your own without going through a physician, then you can explore the following sites listed in this video and linked below the video for easy reference.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @natkhoury20 – sorry to hear about your daughter’s discomfort. I have questions to help us dig a little deeper:

1. Even though you’re avoiding soap, what laundry detergent or fabric softeners are you using to wash her clothes in? There could be irritants or allergens in those.

2. What material is her underwear? It should be 100% cotton.

3. Is her underwear tight fitting that it can trap moisture? Are there times where she sweats a lot or does any activities like swimming that can lead to a lot of moisture?

4. Does she use any wipes or scented toilet paper? How about bubble baths?

5. Who helps her wipe after using the toilet? Any back to front wiping involved which can introduce bacteria from the anus into the vaginal area?

6. Have you taken her to see a doctor to rule out a possible yeast infection?

7. Have you noticed if it happens around a time when more sugar is consumed (which can promote yeast growth)?

8. How about potential food sensitivities (ex. to dairy, gluten) which might cause low-grade inflammation that affects sensitive areas like the skin and mucosa? I’d suggest keeping track with a food log to see if you notice any patterns if you haven’t already.

9. Does she consume any probiotic-rich foods like kefir, sauerkraut or other fermented vegetables for example?

10. Do you notice her itching her bum, especially at night? Pinworms (tiny parasites) can irritate the anal tissue but they can also migrate over to the vaginal region. Gross I know. But it’s something to rule out. You can try the “tape test” (placing sticky tape over the anus late at night or first thing in the morning) to see if you can visibly see pinworms.

11. Does she have any other skin issues elsewhere like rashes or eczema?

12. What are you currently using to help relieve the irritation and itch?

If she’s been experiencing this symptom twice per month for the past 4 months, I would definitely take her to see a pediatrician to physically examine her and do a swab, urine and stool test to rule out infections and pinworms.

Waiting to hear back from you.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

No worries at all @Annie – do keep us posted if you do get a proper diagnosis so that we can help you dig deeper with how to support immunity and natural rapid relief if needed and appropriate.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

@Annie since you do experience gut related symptoms, it may be worth investing in a comprehensive stool test like the GI Map with Zonulin to get an overview of overall gut inflammation, digestion, gut immunity, intestinal permeability, and possible overgrowths like H Pylori, microbes/yeast, etc.

If it’s cost-prohibitive, they offer an H Pylori only stool test, as a bare minimum since you suffer with reflux and inconsistent bowel movements.

And given that you lived in a moldy home, I would also invest in a MycoTox urine test. Many of the symptoms you described, including histamine intolerance, made me immediately suspect mold.

An organic acids test (OAT) would also be my preference if choosing between a full GI Map or OAT test. However, I would still add on H Pylori.

So in addition to the blood tests I suggested, I would look at the following functional tests:

–MycoTox, H Pylori & OAT

I linked the tests so you can learn more about each one.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

@adoobeh99 since you’re taking a menopause support supplement, I’m assuming that you’re either approaching or are already post-menopause correct?

Estrogen helps regulate fat distribution in the body. Pre-menopause, it tends to promote fat storage in the hips and thighs (pear-shaped distribution). But as estrogen levels decline in peri- and menopausal years, lower estrogen levels lead to a shift in fat storage to the abdominal area (apple-shaped distribution). And because of lower estrogen levels, testosterone ends up being relatively higher, which contributes to more visceral fat accumulation in the belly (like men!).

Post-menopause, women are also more likely to develop insulin resistance, where the body’s cells don’t respond as well to insulin, which leads to higher blood sugar levels and increased fat storage in the belly.

Add to that stress/high cortisol and a decrease in muscle mass (unless doing regular strength training), and it becomes very clear why it’s so easy for post-menopausal women to gain weight, especially in their mid-section.

So, what can be done?

1. Focus on strength training at least 3 x per week to maintain and even increase muscle mass. Creatine is a great option to help with muscle recovery, muscle gain, and cognitive performance.

2. Make sure you’re eating enough protein with every meal. Most women are way undereating! Aim for at least 30-40g of protein per meal. You can get a more accurate amount based on your age and activity level by reading this handout on protein. I share a helpful protein calculator in the article.

3. Limit refined carbs and sugars to reduce possible insulin resistance.

4. If stress is in the picture, prioritize stress reduction measures; yoga, meditation, daily grounding outside, Epsom salt baths, etc.

5. Make sure you’re sleeping well.

6. Consider intermittent fasting. You can watch the session with Cynthia Thurlow on the beneficial effects of IF for post-menopausal women.

7. Discuss bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with a functional doctor or naturopath

[Bernadette_Abraham]

Hi @LAK – PCOS is diagnosed using the Rotterdam Criteria (two of three criteria must be met):

1. Irregular or absent ovulation (anovulation)
2. High androgen levels
3. Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound

The blood tests the doctor wants to run sound correct. They usually check androgen levels (testosterone and DHEAs), LH, FSH (the ratio may suggest PCOS).

To rule out PCOS, they can test ACTH (to check brain-adrenal communication), prolactin, thyroid, and also blood sugar (fasting insulin & glucose).

Hope that helps.

[Bernadette_Abraham]

@LAK the fact that DHEA-s was low suggests that instead of it being converted into the sulfated, more stable storage form (DHEA-S), the DHEA you’re supplementing is being quickly converted to androstenedione. It could be that your body naturally has high enzyme activity to convert it that way or there could be PCOS which increases androgen production.

So yes, the high androstenedione levels could be entirely due to DHEA supplementation even if it’s only been 1 week. It could also be an initial spike and then your body will normalize. However, underlying hormonal imbalances (e.g., predisposition to androgen excess, PCOS, or adrenal overactivity) could also be amplifying the effect.

So you can discuss with your doctor to:

1. Continue supplementing and re-test again in 3 weeks see if levels normalize since you’re feeling good.

OR

2. Reduce by half or stop it temporarily and retest androstenedione levels after 4–6 weeks to establish a baseline level vs. the effect of supplementation.