No grain diet...anyone do this? EIlimination diet question

[abaigeal]

My DD has severe excema and is still EBF. I posted this here because I thought there might be more people with experience with elimination diets. If it needs to be moved to breastfeeding please do.

Anyways my DD is EBF and has severe excema. The doctors just keep telling us to put lotion on it. However I really would like to get to the root of the problem. My SIL worked for a chiroprator who is into natural methods to fix things and she suggested that I need to eat more veggies and stay away from grains and meats. (I live on pastas and breads...I love them so this would be hard). I wondered if it was dairy but she thinks that excema is usually related to an imbalance in the large intestine and that grains and meats are very acidic. Anyone do a grain/meat elimination diet?

Can I still eat breads/pastas? IF so what types? Is this similar to a gluten free diet? I really want to keep breast feeding to at least a year (shes 6 months) so I will try anything that will help her. But if in the end formula is going to be what is best for her (please don't flame me I know breast is best!) then that's what I will give her.

Any websites/resources you can share or experiences would be wonderful.

[Bellamoon]

rice is usually least allergenic and there are a ton of rice pastas and GF rice breads. My dd has severe food allergies along with celiac and she eats rice everything. Rice chex cereal (name brand only) is GF as well. Good luck, i understand how tough it is. I had to stop nursing her at 7 months and put her on a hypoallergenic formula.

[wordmama]

Mama, I feel for you. We went through the same thing with my son. I found his eczema responded best when I was dairy and gluten-free. Dairy is a common flare-up instigator in my experience. I've also done this with my daughter, but it was much easier since we've been there before.

Rice pastas and breads are available, but most of them taste awful and are really gluey. I've found the best pasta substitutes are corn pastas. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is another wonderful substitute for pasta and bread. It is very nutritious and also has a nice nutty taste. Look for a store that specializes in Celiac Disease products in your area. They're probably the most knowledgeable for products that actually taste good! I can give you a few specific brands we love if you want to PM me.

I'd strongly encourage you to keep EBF for as long as you can! Although it's hard on us mamas, it really helps to strengthen your daughter's digestive system and her immunities.

[DalesWidda]

Originally Posted by abaigeal My DD has severe excema and is still EBF. I posted this here because I thought there might be more people with experience with elimination diets. If it needs to be moved to breastfeeding please do. Anyways my DD is EBF and has severe excema. The doctors just keep telling us to put lotion on it. However I really would like to get to the root of the problem. My SIL worked for a chiroprator who is into natural methods to fix things and she suggested that I need to eat more veggies and stay away from grains and meats. (I live on pastas and breads...I love them so this would be hard). I wondered if it was dairy but she thinks that excema is usually related to an imbalance in the large intestine and that grains and meats are very acidic. Anyone do a grain/meat elimination diet? Can I still eat breads/pastas? IF so what types? Is this similar to a gluten free diet? I really want to keep breast feeding to at least a year (shes 6 months) so I will try anything that will help her. But if in the end formula is going to be what is best for her (please don't flame me I know breast is best!) then that's what I will give her. Any websites/resources you can share or experiences would be wonderful.

I have eczema and I had an IgG panel done to find out my food sensitivities. In a nutshell: no dairy, egg whites, gluten, shellfish, tuna, bakers yeast, brewers yeast, and molds. So, since adapting my new eating lifestyle, goodbye eczema. That is what I would suggest. Meats pose no problem for me. But, yes, grains can be a huge issue, usually wheat and oats are the worst. Good luck!

[DalesWidda]

Originally Posted by wordmama Mama, I feel for you. We went through the same thing with my son. I found his eczema responded best when I was dairy and gluten-free. Dairy is a common flare-up instigator in my experience. I've also done this with my daughter, but it was much easier since we've been there before. Rice pastas and breads are available, but most of them taste awful and are really gluey. I've found the best pasta substitutes are corn pastas. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is another wonderful substitute for pasta and bread. It is very nutritious and also has a nice nutty taste. Look for a store that specializes in Celiac Disease products in your area. They're probably the most knowledgeable for products that actually taste good! I can give you a few specific brands we love if you want to PM me. I'd strongly encourage you to keep EBF for as long as you can! Although it's hard on us mamas, it really helps to strengthen your daughter's digestive system and her immunities.

mmm, quinoa is great! That's about all we use for pasta. There are also lots of great mixes. Pamelas is a good brand, so is cherrybrook kitchen and some of Bob's red mill products are pretty good too.

[Alisa]

I agree with above posters RE dairy. And while your friend is right that meat and refined grains are acidic, dairy is also considered a fairly acidic food (as per the acid/alkaline theory)

My oldest brother (and many others in our family) suffered for years with terrible food sensitivites and to give you some hope, by the time he was a teenager, he outgrew most of them. Another thing to consider is the form of the food...my father is unable to tolerate a number of foods, but if he eats them when they've been grown/produced organically, they don't bother him.

If you're up for the challenge, I would definitely try changing your own diet...there's a lot of info regarding food trialing out there. That way, you can start exploring food alternatives now which will make your life way easier later on.

Good luck and try not to worry too much. Heck even have a little fun trying new things! As a child we would often ask to eat what our brother was eating, and now I'm thankful that I was exposed to so many different types of foods!