Thursday, December 23, 2010

Whose shoes do you walk in?

If you are a bio-mom, you probably get this too, people suggesting that we are extreme and go overboard with our kids.  We are extremists, right?  Wrong.  If you had diabetes and required insulin and dietary changes, you wouldn't take half of your insulin and watch your diet part of the time, would you?  What many people don't realize is that heavy metal toxicity is a real medical condition....you can't remove SOME allergenic foods, and take away a FEW toxins, and give SOME supplements to a child who is in recovery from over-toxicity.  They NEED it all in order to recover completely and in the shortest amount of time possible.  This isn't speculative, it's proven, but I am not here to provide you with all of the science you need to believe me, I am here to take care of my children.  I am a mom, that's me!

Unfortunately, until you are forced to walk in our shoes, you don't know this, nor would you need to.  We don't choose this life, we don't want to force a trillion pills down our children's throats, and spend 3/4 of our time in the kitchen making specialty foods, we don't want to watch our children feel different from their classmates, but we also don't want to watch our children suffer in an inflexible world for the rest of their lives.  Their health conditions cause a slew of symptoms that we consider socially unacceptable, but for this I am grateful, because otherwise, we wouldn't have motivation to get to the bottom of the problem.  If teachers weren't telling us our children are unruly and disturbing others in class or if non-verbal children weren't tainted with the misconception that they are mentally challenged and what about the child who has a very loud and wild tantrum in public beyond the age of two, would we go to the extent that we need to in order to see change?  I think as a society, we are too selfish and proud not to do something about these kids.  It is in our research that we begin to learn that it is more than a tantrum, defiance or hyperactivity, there are MEDICAL reasons why our children are different.  They aren't trying to be difficult, they are in pain, they are confused and they need help! The best news is that this is reversible!  And let me clarify that I am not just talking about autism here, ADHD, allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases all fall under this umbrella.  And in my most recent reading, I am convinced that cancer is the end result for someone who doesn't recognize and address their issues with toxicity.

Diet plays a HUGE role in all of these disorders.  When we eat processed foods devoid of nutrition we starve our body of the nutrients that help our organs function properly.  If those deficiencies go un-noticed for years, we begin to see the degeneration of our bodies in small signs like changes in our physical appearance, GI dysfunction, more rapid aging, mood changes, memory loss....and we have been brainwashed to think this way of aging is normal.  It's NOT!  Combine our nutritional loss with the bio-accumulation of toxins and you have a recipe for disaster!  The symptoms are compounded and you start to see our body attacking itself in diseases like arthritis and Lupus, you develop something doctors have come to call Chronic Fatigue.  It's a way to say, "I acknowledge that there is a subset of people who have similar symptoms, but we don't know what it is or what to do about it."  Now that they have a label for it, that gives you the warm and fuzzies, right?  But what do you do about healing yourself?  Don't think you are going to find your answers at your mainstream doctor's office.

In children, the symptoms differ and we are just learning what they are.   We once thought that learning disabilities, ADHD, autism and allergies were all genetic.  Sure, there is a genetic link, but that is just the seed, once it's planted into an environment, it's that environment that determines how it grows.  Are they bombarded with heavy metals from parents who have amalgam fillings that release mercury into their bodies every day, are they breathing and bathing in strong chemical cleaner residue, is there a mold in their home or school, sleeping in beds that release antimony, phosphorous and other harmful heavy metals, have their foods been so limited that they are developing sensitivities to them, are they drinking from bottles or using formula containers lined with leaching BPA and phthalates, are they getting proper nutrition for healthy physical and neurological growth, are they ingesting chemicals from pesticides and processed foods, food dyes, refined sugars and genetically modified foods.....I can really go on and on and on.  Some would say that our bodies are designed to handle toxins, which is partly true, but not as much as we are exposed to daily.  We have really bombarded our homes with unhealthy levels of toxins and we don't even realize it, it's become second nature for us to trust that everything we buy is made safely.  Think again!

Why is it that so many of us are tied emotionally to our food selections?  If we know we can begin to heal ourselves with simple changes to our diet, why is it SO hard for many to make those changes?  But if you were told you had to cut off an arm to remove a deadly flesh eating bacteria, you will jump on the table to live, won't you?  Why does the AMOUNT of time we have on this earth put us in panic mode?  What about the quality of your life?  You are still killing yourselves with poor food choices, just at a slower pace.

When we take away as many foods as our children require, and yes they ALL need complete removal for very specific and medical reasons, they require nutrition that they aren't always getting from their acceptable food list, so the supplements are necessary.  Also, children with gut problems have mal-absorption issues causing the need for additional supplements, and higher amounts of them.  When you delve into the holistic approach to caring for a person who is deficient in many ways, you also learn little tips such as splitting the supplementation up into three doses a day, in order to increase absorption, etc.  The list goes on and on.  When you do your homework, you end up where we are.  You will find that what we do with our children doesn't differ very much for any other bio-medical family.  There is a reason for that, it works!

So next time you think about cracking a joke about or to your bio-medical friend/brother/neighbor/co-worker or you think about questioning the extremity of the things they do with their children, think again.  If it were you, how would it make you feel?  And remember, as long as you are still in your child bearing years, it still CAN be you, this effects well over 1 in 90 children now!  Those are just the diagnosed cases!

8 comments:

Malke said...

You go, mama!! So well put! Warrior mamas are the best...we're changing the world with our strength, intelligence, perseverence and assertive problem solving. Your kids are so lucky to have you, and so is mine! :-)

Jessica said...

Thank you for the support! We do need to change this world, even if it's only one Warrior Mom at a time!

Travis said...

I love coming back to this post time and again as a reminder. Thanks for letting the rest of us in on what it means to be a bio-mom and for sharing so much great info on your blog.

Jessica said...

Thank you Travis for being a supporter and for being open to our world. Just curious, have you been touched by biomed in your own personal life or do you find fascination in it, because you know someone who SHOULD use it? I am just curious to know where your interest comes from. There is usually personal motivation for seeking out this sort of information. ;)

Travis said...

Actually, I guess I'd consider myself lucky in that there hasn't been any direct impact in my life that's driven my curiosity. But, everyone can benefit from the knowledge you develop and share; the state of health is the soil in which all aspects of being are planted.
My main interest is rooted in sociological systems and structures tinged with a basic understanding of physical and life sciences. To make a long story short; I believe people could benefit immensely from gaining an understanding of the way the world works around them, and, equally, the way it affects other people differently than it does themselves.
And, I take an even harder look when it affects the little people we care about. :)

Jessica said...

Travis,
You ARE lucky, considering the odds (well under 1 in 90 now, if you count the undiagnosed) and I hope it stays that way for you. Your perspective is a refreshing one. I wish more people were interested in the world around them and how it effects us, our friends, our family and even neighbors. We might not be in this predicament in the first place.

Anonymous said...

You are one fierce mamma bear! Love it! When you quote 1 in 90 children are affected, what are you referring to? All of the disorders you mentioned in this article: autism, ADHD, allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases? One in particular? Just curious. Also, could you point me to your sources? I have serious oxalate issues, myself, yet my sons so far seemed to have dodged that bullet. I'm doing what I can to restrict environmental toxins and help them from developing problems without being too strict, but it's a fine line to walk. As an environment economist, I'm also very concerned about the environment and the more I learn in my research, the more I am concerned about how we are poisoning our water, air and food. I urge all of you warrior moms out there to support and fight for strict environmental standards whenever possible!
Thanks for the interesting blog.
Heidi

Jessica said...

Heidi,
I'm sorry for the confusion, that is a very good question!! The 1 in 90 is the rate of children on the autism spectrum, although it's 1 in 60 boys! 50% of children have a learning disability of some sort!

I completely agree with fighting for environmental changes too. I also have a facebook page called Wellness Warriors, where I share a lot of information about toxins, the environment, health, diet, etc.

Have you ever looked into chem trails? Sometimes I just wish I could be naive, it was so much easier!! ;)