To Gain or To Lose

Gaining weight or losing weight revolves around the same idea.

I approached Blake's need for weight gain very carefully.  There were several reasons for this.  One being, I knew Blake's body was very stressed due to orphanage life the first 2 year's of his life, due to not knowing us very well yet, due to environmental changes, time changes, emotional changes, physical changes, and sensory changes.  So his adrenal glands were pumping out cortisol at a high rate to deal with this major life event that just took place in his life.  I knew because his body was carrying such a heavy load from this trauma, that I didn't want to throw heavy carbohydrates, high fat foods at him--just for his scale numbers to go up.  I figured that his immune system would drop in its defenses which means his cell function would decrease.  Less T-cells to fight off viruses and infections, parasites, worms, and whatever else his system might have been carrying.  When the body is stressed, it goes into protective mode, releasing lots of inflammation response hormones.  Cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine.  Excessive forms of sugar, saturated fats, cholesterol, and refined foods--ones you typically think of consuming when needing to 'gain' weight, further add to the stress. 

I wanted Blake to gain 'good' weight: muscle, body fat...not inflammation and water retention.  I knew there was a fine balance between choosing carbohydrates, enough protein, and sufficient fats.  If I gave him strictly protein sources, only a small amount of serotonin is produced (which I explained in the post before this), which can lead to depression, irritation, and sugar cravings.  And could place a stress on his kidneys.  If I gave him carbohydrate-rich meals, it could lead to insulin spikes and overproduction of serotonin.  If I didn't give him enough fats, there would be less leptin produced and the body would trigger the brain that it needs to eat more.

So I took an anti-inflammatory approach to what he eats...
I cook with onions, mushrooms, and garlic.  He eats gluten-free/wheat-free grains.  Sauerkraut.  Almond/Rice/Coconut milk.  Red, blue fruits to help with his GI system, and for antioxidants.  Cruciferous vegetables...as many as I can get him to eat anyway.  Fish oil.  I add flaxseeds to all of his baked goods.  Vitamin D in his multivitamin chewable.  Probiotics. B-Vitamins.  Colostrum to help boost his immune system. 

One thing I've also noticed is that his blood sugar is an issue.  So the timing of when he eats is really important too.  He gets really whiny and moody every so many hours.  This was worst when we first brought him home because his digestive system was so weak and wasn't processing the food appropriately.  It would sit in his gut and ferment.  And it would also 'leak' through the holes in his small intestine and seep into his bloodstream-further causing an inflammatory response as the body reacted to it like a foreign substance that needed to be removed.  But back to my first point, it would leave him hungry more often. So I would really pay attention to his mood and activity levels throughout the day and try to get food in him regularly.  I notice he does not need to eat as often now that his gut is beginning to heal.   Read this article--it explains it best.

In addition to blood sugar, the timing of when I feed him is also crucial to his alertness, cognitive ability, and focus.  I try to give him a high-protein meal at breakfast, and taper that off as evening comes.  Because sleeping is an issue for him, I try to do a higher carbohydrate meal (not junk food) at night to trigger the release of tryptophan in the brain...and therefore induce better rest.   Which is crucial for stress-relief, weight gain and weight loss.  Probably one of the most important contributors to weight gain and weight loss. 

Again this process of weight gain took about 6 months, before I noticed a real change in his appearance and muscle tone.  Mainly because it involves hormone changes, better sleep, a less-stressed body=less cortisol production, a healthy gut, improved muscle tone, and more energy.  (*note-these are the same things that need to be addressed when losing weight as well)

Pictures from one of the first days we met Blake at his orphanage in Ukraine.

5 1/2 Months Later!!  CHUBS!

Nutrition Can Prevent So Many Issues

I am kind of 'granola' as a friend of mine would say.  In that I love anything and everything nutritionally-related.  But not your typical Food-Pyramid-prescribing, dietitian...I tend to take a more holistic approach. A natural one.

This always draws lots of comments from the weight room.  I will make a comment about feeling weak one day or worn out...and I usually follow this comment up with something about my nutrition intake being off...and I usually draw an eye-roll or two from a few people and then a comment to the effect of me always blaming everything on nutrition...haha!  I'm used to taking the kidding by now, mostly because I FIRMLY believe nutrition effects everything we do, feel, think, how we heal, how often we get sick, how we sleep, how we move, how we gain or lose weight, how we are diagnosed, and on and on.

I was recently affirmed by a medical professional, in my previous research that: 80% of our immune system is located in our GUT!  Can you believe that??

So...if we have unhealthy digestion systems we are unhealthy.  Period.

I will most likely break this post into segments, because I have a lot to say on this subject.  And Blake and Leah are my testimony to how important nutrition is to our health and healing. 

I'll start with Blake's healing regimen. Of course I wanted to address his nutrition first, so that's where we started.  Before taking any medications.

So the first thing we did when we brought him home was to get him started on probiotics. Based on what I saw and smelled in the kitchen while visiting him in his orphanage, and knowing the condition of the water in Ukraine, I knew his tummy would not be in good shape.  So I wanted to work to balance the bad bacteria in his gut with good...thus the probiotics.  This would also get his bowels working regularly to cleanse his system.

One thing I noticed while in Ukraine, though, was that they are 'ahead' of us in regards to our health because they do not process their foods.  Whole grains are whole grains.  Vegetables are fresh or frozen.  Meat is untouched, literally.  Eyeballs and all still intact.  They don't add 'flavors' like glutamate or MSG to their foods to mess with our taste buds and make us think we want more to eat.  Milk is served warm, unpasteurized, unhomogenized.  What you see is what you get.  But this is where I messed up.  When we got home, I was very particular that Blake was eating good whole wheat products, fruits and vegetables, and whole fresh milk and lots of protein.  What I didn't take into account was just how sensitive he would be to our Americanized food.  Even what we consider unprocessed, is...he broke out in a rash on his elbows and his face developed a raw, red look.  Our pediatrician diagnosed him as having eczema.  This stumped me, because he didn't have any of these issues while in Ukraine.  None of his medical records we were given showed him as having eczema or the like.  So I KNEW it had to be nutrition-related.

I immediately took him off of all wheat products and all dairy.  No wheat, oats, rice, grains, corn, milk, cheese, yogurt, nothing.  We instead ate lots of farm-fresh eggs, ground-fed beef, venison, fruits and vegetables of all kinds. I baked with coconut flour, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, and used sweeteners like honey and maple syrup, and raw, shredded coconut.  We also ate a lot of avocados for good fats. 

This was how he looked after just a month being in our home.  See how red his cheeks are?

I also added anti-fungal drops to his nightly dose of vitamin C, colostrum, melatonin (to sleep), and flaxseed oil. I mixed this all in applesauce before bed.  I knew he probably had a yeast build-up called candida, from all the high-starchy foods they fed him while in the orphanage so that's why I added the anti-fungal drops.  I believe this is some of what was coming out on his skin.  A yeast infection.  From what I've learned, most skin issues that come out are directly related to something internally that is imbalanced, whether it be pH, bacteria, hormones, etc. Or that many skin-related issues are due to dairy sensitivities or allergies.  My guess was it came from both issues, and his body was trying to cleanse itself and the skin was the last defense in fighting it off. 

It took several months to see noticeable changes (and this is where most people get hung up...the waiting because traditional medicine takes time), but slowly the redness began to subside, it quit peeling, his elbows were not as rough and red.  People even began to comment on how much better he was looking. 

But in addition to this, other noticeable changes were happening that I wasn't necessarily focused on at the time.  First off, probably the first few months home he constantly had a runny nose.  Yucky, green, runny boogers were constantly coming down his face.  I knew he didn't have an infection, per say, but that he was cleansing.  His body was ridding itself of all the yeast, toxins, parasites, etc. through his respiratory system.  So this was actually a good thing--that most times people treat as a bad one.  We used lots of tei fu oil under his ears to help with drainage and to prevent ear infections and I would sometimes supplement with some fenugreek to help keep the mucus thin.  This has nearly subsided. Secondly, I noticed he began to eat better.  He started gaining weight!  That was another big issue we needed to address, and it happened as his digestive system improved and was able to transport nutrients to his body.  I also noticed his energy levels improve.  He also seemed less fussy and whiny.  His poop also began to lessen in smell.  Instead of sending everyone reeling, like when he first arrived home, when he poops now, it is noticed--but not deadly.  This again is due to the infection being healed and the parasites being removed.  His thyroid levels are nearly normal now.  And his protein levels are up to normal levels as well.  Again, all of this is just because of a diet change. No medications.

This is one of the most recent pictures I have of him now and notice how much healthier he looks!

What I'm just now starting to notice is that he is more aware of things around him.  He verbalizes more, he is pretty much running everywhere.  He can focus and pay attention.  He reacts quicker to things.  He is overall more happy.  His skin feels much softer and smooth. He is just coming alive! I know part of this is because we've been home 6 months now, and everyone says that is the magical month when things start to improve...but I also believe it is because he is healthier.  All because his gut is healthier. 

Biologically, one reason fro this is due to the fact that serotonin levels are balanced too.  Most serotonin is again found in the gut.  Serotonin plays a role in emotions, perceptions, appetite, sleep, temperature regulation (thyroid), insulin control, cardiovascular regulation, impulse control, controls pain, and ability to self-regulate.  

*knock on wood* We have had no colds, no flu's, no respiratory infections, no ear infections, no nothing. 

I will explain more nutritional changes we've made over the past 6 months that have also made a tremendous difference in his health in a later post.  So you can peg me as granola or roll your eyes like the rest of them, but this is real for me.  I can see the real improvements being made all because of the nutritional improvements and modifications we are making. 

Monkey See...Monkey Do...

This was how last night's dinner played out.  These 2 little boogers are really forging a friendship...an ornery one at that.  Autum makes sure her big brother is taken care of...
She goes and gets a rag to help wipe his nose when he starts his infamous farmer's blowing...
She gets his cup out and takes it to him when she gets a drink...
She goes and gets his shoes for him when we get ready to go outside...
She gets his pacifier and blankie out at night when we are winding down for the evening.
She shows him how to throw his food on the floor so he gets in trouble.
She refuses to share any snacks with him...just the green ones.


She's actually quite the little mama.  And I love that about her.  I think she'll be his #1 fan in life, and that is something only God could have created in her big 'ol heart.  It's not something I can teach her.  It's already in her. 

Here you will see how Autum has taught her brother to shake his head "NO"...when they are done eating.  Watch for yourself.

*FYI: I am trying to save on laundry..so they are eating naked :)

Circus life...what?

Often I get asked how I am dealing with the craziness in our lives with 3 "little's"...2 of them essentially being twins.  And I laugh now because it no longer feels like chaos or craziness to me.  I think either I've gotten used to being busy, crazy, and on the go all the time, or else God is extending me LOTS of grace as I go through this transition into our new way of doing life.

Here are a couple of examples of life as it is now.

I chose to take all 3 kids + 1 friend for Leah to Dillon's grocery store with me.  I put the babes in the car attachment on the front of the basket and the 'big' girls walked along with me as I shopped.  Other than having to be careful that the babies wandering arms didn't swipe anything off the aisle display cases, we were moving along well.  Better than I expected, actually.  I was beginning to feel like Super Mom, telling myself I could do this...well, that award would quickly be stripped away when I bent down to grab some canned tomatoes off the bottom shelf and was hit by a flying shoe coming out of the front car the babies were riding in.  I immediately knew it had to be Blake...he throws EVERYTHING.  Well, as I reached in to scold him I was met with Autum's little ornery grin....

And...no Blake!

My heart skipped about 5 beats before I reacted to the situation.  I told the big girls to watch Autum and I took off running down the aisles I had been through already...no, Blake!  Ahhhh!  He had his squeaker shoes on but chose to discard the one shoe that the squeaker still works in so I was left with nothing to lead me to him.  I eventually made it down to the produce section only to find a small crowd of Dillon's employees circled around something, clapping and smiling.  BINGO!  I found him, front and center...just as happy as could be, sitting on the floor, cheesing it up for the attention...just him and a bunch of bananas..his favorite! I should have known...

Then...

A few days later I HAD to take all 3 kids to the DMV...because the 3 previous trips by myself left me empty-handed due to statewide computer glitches.  So I drug all 3 kids up the cement steps of the rickety old courthouse to wait in line.  I sat each child in a chair, equipped them with a box of animal crackers each, and went to speak with the clerk.  After she tells me she doesn't have everything she needs from me to complete the registration, I about lose it.  She kindly makes some phone calls to obtain the information and save me another drive over, but is put on hold.  This 'hold' turned into what seemed hours...because all 3 kids finished off their cookies, drinks, and were no longer entertained by the chairs.  Blake jumped down first and took off down the hallway.  Leah grabbed him and carried him back to the chair.  During this time I realize I left my checkbook in the van, so I send Leah out to get it.  She comes back with a piece of paper with scribbles on it and tells me she didn't find it.  I describe the location again and send her on her way the 2nd time....I watch out the window as she searches, has a meltdown and starts throwing stuff out of my van onto the sidewalk.  So...I grab Blake and Autum and begin the trek back down the mile of stairs, out to the van...we are halfway out there, and Leah, knowing I'm aggravated, finds the checkbook and sprints past me with it-back up the stairs...so we all turn around, head back up and into the building.  I find her sitting at the top of the stairs, checkbook in hand...smiling.  She asks "what took you so long? I've been waiting a while!"

Grrrrr....I go back in to finish the process and realize Blake has disappeared again. I take off only to find him in the County Attorney's office, banging on the window, and licking the glass.  Then I hear some screaming...I return to the DMV office to find Autum hanging by her shorts on the lobby chair, both legs dangling, arms waving, and tears streaming in panic because she can't get down.  Luckily Leah got the 'look of death' after her last stunt, that she made the wise decision to sit quietly and wait.

Well, we finally leave in one piece...with my patience shot.  But we got the registration!  And everyone else waiting in line got entertainment.

And lastly...

Don't let this innocent picture fool you. :)

We decided to take our chances and stay out late last night to attend an ice cream social with our Sunday School class at the park.  Leah chose not to eat supper, so she was informed that she would not get any ice cream.  She quickly nodded 'uh huh, okay' and ran out the door after hearing this rule.  Of course she forgets about the time we get there and head over to get the ice cream.  She asks why she can't have any and I remind her of our previous conversation.  To that she states...
   
"Well, sh**....Gosh dangit!"  

After smothering my laughter and embarrassed face and ignored the gaping looks from other moms, she spent some time in her daddy's lap while watching everyone else have fun.

Oh boy!  Here we go...