The things I haven't told you about 2012

Quitting sugar in 2011 was where it started.

In 2012, things developed a little further.

I haven't told you all this but my interest in nutrition deepened when my 2 year old daughter's Eczema flared up shortly after having her last lot of vaccinations.

And when I say it flared up, it started to flake and harden and bleed. Trips to the doctors resulted in a flurry of prescriptions being written in the form of cream to rub onto her skin. It was itchy she would scratch and it would bleed. She had to be bandaged at times. Creams worked great but within days it was back to normal and it was clear "creams" were not the answer to get her healthy again.

It was clear that doctors did not have the answer for us. No one could tell us why this was happening. I was told she would "grow out of it". I was sick of being told that. I can't just wait around rubbing chemicals all over her skin, all the while being optimistic that a time in the future will come when I wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. How ridiculous.

So to Google I did turn and from my research the same info just kept popping up again. It seemed the problems she was having with the Eczema could be more to do with what was happening in her gut rather than being purely unlucky.

I diagnosed her with having a leaky gut. There were lots of things that pointed me in that direction. Antibiotics in her early days started it. Subsequent courses of antibiotics didn't help. Auto Immune disease (Coeliac) in my family was another. Being bottle fed exclusively was another. Having low immunity and picking up just about everything was a sign that something wasn't right.

I took her to a Naturopath and Nutritionist specialising in the GAPS Diet and my diagnosis was confirmed. What happened during this appointment was certainly one of the most enlightening moments of my life!  She spoke to me about the evils of sugar, how saturated fats can be extremely nourishing and how diet changes in modern society are to blame for a whole host of modern illnesses. We need to change her diet to heal her gut and help get her better. She spoke about how diet can heal a lot of the illnesses of the brain such as depression, ADHD (to name a few) and she has excellent results with children on the Autism spectrum.

This certainly was the catalyst that had me enrol into Nutritional Medicine next year. After our appointment I begun fermenting raw milk and cream, culturing vegetables, simmering bone broth, activating nuts to name a few. It's taken me months how to learn how to make these things. Early next year we will start her on the first stage of the GAPS diet.

Suddenly my interest in nutrition collided with reality. And while I really wish we didn't have a problem here, it's pushed me along to learn how to make these healing foods and to avoid the types of food that are causing her trouble.

I really believe in the healing power of food and I am just motivated to learn as much as I can.

So now we are ready for 2013 and we are up to date with all things Taryn.

May you have a healthy and happy 2013!

Thankyou x