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and being a mother.
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Be inspired by mother and author Sarah Schmid.
Hello, this is Sarah Schmid.
Your commentaries suggested, that I should do yet another video on the topic diet
or more precise on the topic digestion.
Several of you wrote they would never tolerate as much animal protein and other things we eat.
And you are probably right.
I've drawn a little picture here.
This is supposed to be a piece of the mucous membrane of the small intestine:
This pink line...
You can see the intestinal villi here.
They are covered by a protective layer of mucous--which I kept in yellow here.
And you can see all these small blue friendly creatures romping about.
These are bacteria and other microbes
that naturally exist in the intestine and on the mucous membrane there.
They form a real ecosystem
which establishes within the first years of life.
The human body hosts several trillions of these tiny beings.
In the colon there are even more than in the small intestine.
You can wonder what they are all doing there.
They don't make us sick... or do they?
Firstly the function of these bacteria is to modulate, to influence the immune system.
Furthermore they influence emotional behavior and how we deal with stress.
Obviously they generate vitamines... which I sketched in here.
They have a detoxification function
and even protect from harmful bacteria.
Furthermore they supply the mucous membrane with energy
so that it can function well
in absorbing digested food components.
Also the bacteria support digestion
because they help absorbing the food components which I marked green in the picture.
Here you see several green... objects
which are absorbed via the mucous membrane into the blood.
I've put it in a simplified form.
These bacteria have even more tasks which I'll skip.
Anyway healthy digestion doesn't work without properly chewing,
the first enzymes present in the saliva,
gastric acid in the stomach,
bile which is excreted into the duodenum
and enzymes of the pancreas.
Represented by brown and purple drops here.
All if this together makes good digestion
and a person who gets everything he needs to be and remain healthy.
Here I drew another piece of mucous membrane from the small intestine.
You can maybe tell it looks a little bit different.
The membrane is red and inflamed.
The protective layer of mucous is thin
and there are not as many different bacteria as before.
You can assume that now since the bacteria are not as many, they can't perform their tasks as properly as before:
So digestion, supply of the membrane cells,
immune system, detoxification function, vitamin production and protection from harmful bacteria.
Furthermore we now have food components that are not broken down completely.
They cannot be absorbed by the gut.
They accumulate in the intestine and draw putrid bacteria...
bacteria that decompose it.
These emit substances that harm the gut lining.
Represented by the brown clouds here.
If the intestinal lining is slightly inflamed it'll get more permeable
for substances that usually don't pass through.
This way half digested food components get into the blood anyway which don't belong there originally.
There I drew it in: not completely split food parts.
This of course alerts the immune system
and if this happens all the time it'll be in continous alertness.
Then it can happen that the immune system forms antibodies even against harmless substances.
What follows are allergies and autoimmune disorders.
This whole problem is called leaky gut syndrome.
Often also the production of the digestive juices like stomach acid and bile is reduced
which further contributes to an uncomplete digestion of foods.
And so this goes on continuously.
This problem can present in different degrees of severity
from a little stomach ache after meals to
recurring diarrhea alternating with constipation.
Or you can feel really bad and not be able to eat anything.
This problem is especially pronounced in celiac disease for example.
Then you can even see changes under a microscope.
There you'll find an atrophy of the villi.
Here I drew them in normal size. But they can get smaller and smaller
because of the ongoing inflammation that is afflicting them.
How can you tell that something is not right with the gut bacteria?
There are many different symptoms, also depending on age.
With babies it typically shows in colic. They cry a lot, are pretty fuzzy,
difficult to soothe, want to be carried all the time.
The colics occur because in the beginning even breastmilk
--which is normally easy to digest--is not digested well by these babies.
because the gut flora is not optimal.
These babies gain weight rather slowly.
They are no typical chubby babies.
Often they start late on solids.
It can be with 9 or 12 months or even later that they really start eating.
They prefer to stay with breastmilk longer than usual
because breastmilk is easy to digest and all other foods
are hard to digest for these babies.
They feel this and that's why they prefer breastmilk.
Later these kids often eat one-sided,
particularly carbohydrates: noodles, cookies, sweets.
Because it's easiest to digest for them and there are even some other theories on why this is so.
A variety of abnormalities is possible later in life.
Maybe starting at early childhood, I would say.
Food intolerances with bloating, stomach ache, diarrhea,
the irritable bowel syndrome.
Neurodermatitis, allergies, asthma as expression for the ongoing chronic inflammation that takes place
and the overly alert immune system.
Psychological disorders can accompany this
like ADHD, Asperger's, depression.
In later life other diseases as expression of the dysregulation of the immune system can be added
like cancer or autoimmune disorders.
In pregnancy as a typical sensitive period this can show in extreme or prolonged morning sickness.
The body seems to know what it can't digest well
and tries to protect itself and the baby from the immune reaction to incomplete digested food components in the blood.
Another problem that is on the rise in the western world is prematury.
Despite all efforts and prenatal care, doctors are unable to stop it.
Often it's caused by an ascending infection
but an infection can only ascend when the natural bacterial flora is disturbed.
Bacterial flora does not only relate to the gut but to the whole person
and even though there are different kinds of bacteria in different places
the overall bacterial population of the body gets influenced by the body these bacteria live on.
It's a whole.
You cannot view the gut isolated from the vagina, the mouth or the skin.
If it doesn't work well on one end,
then it probably won't work so well on the other end either.
In pregnancy it can get noticable more easily.
Urinary tract infection and fungal infection range in the same category.
All these bacteria and fungi that you don't want there can spread much easier, if the natural bacterial population is not well intact.
You can wonder where these problems come from today.
Why is our gut flora disturbed?
If you think back not long ago
our grandparents in their younger years--or great-grandparents, depending on how old you are--
they harldy knew about the diseases I just talked about.
There maybe was one with asthma or hay fever
but it was not so that every second had something like this.
And if you look back even further it becomes even more uncommon.
So it only started and increased in the 20th century.
And in particular they ate all those foods that we like to blame to make us sick today.
Something has changed
because back then nobody was eating vegan for example.
Even the word "vegan" itself was unknown
There were some health-conscious people who went vegetarian--at least for a while.
But that was it.
So it can't be the foods fault alone that most people don't tolerate something or have allergies.
I like to ask the question: What was different back then compared to today?
And there you can find pretty much. Lots of things have changed over the last century.
My grandparents where--at least half of them--still born at home.
My grandparents on my father's side lived on the countryside and were born at home.
On my mother's side they lived in the city, everything there was more modern already and they were born in the hospital.
Anyway the bacterial milieu in the hospital is different.
The bacteria the baby comes in contact with in the first days and hours of life
shape the bacterial flora he will have for his whole life.
Also there where hardly any C-sections back then.
A C-section provides another bacterial flora than a vaginal birth.
And our grand- und great-grandparents virtually grew up without antibiotics.
Furthermore the milk they drank--and milk they did drink--
was delivered fresh and raw and also consumed this way.
Even my mother still has memories of fresh milk waiting at the door every day.
Later on they boiled the milk because of fear for tuberculosis
but still it was a different handling of the milk than today.
Also the children were not vaccinated against everything you can think of.
There was the smallpox vaccination. And that's it.
At least for our grandparents.
Then there was no fast food and no McDonalds.
The mothers were at home.
They were not supposed to go to work like today
but they were allowed to take care of their kids
without being vilified by society for this.
They cooked fresh from main ingredients
because ready prepared foods didn't exist yet.
Probably they also consumed less sugar than today
where sugar is added to virtually everything
which is not a basic food like vegetables or so.
And the kids were playing outdoor and in the dirt a lot.
This was not just dirt, almost everybody had domestic animals.
So they got in contact with a variety of germs, that our kids don't meet even if they play in the dirt.
What can we do to keep a healthy gut despite modern living?
Of course it's difficult to shake off the bacterial imprint
you got in your mother's womb and after birth.
So if you have allergies or food intolerances from birth or childhood on
then complete healing is rather impossible.
But it's possible to achieve a clear improvement
so that you can tolerate all or most foods--at least in certain amounts.
If these problems started later in life they seem easier to overcome.
But the goal should be to heal the gut
and to get the chronic inflammation out.
How do you do it? How can it be done?
Of course the obvious is--and that's what most people try or do--to avoid those foods that are not tolerated well,
are not digested well and maintain the imbalance.
These are often lactose and other di- and polysaccharides,
different proteins, most often from dairy and grain.
And foods that contain phytic acid.
Grains fall in this category but even beans and nuts.
You don't have to avoid all this together
but with these you need to be careful with preparation and test out what you tolerate.
It's interesting to note that many people who don't tolerate milk,
don't tolerate store bought milk which is pasteurised, homogenised and ultrafiltered.
But often they tolerate raw milk.
And if someone doesn't tolerate raw milk
often he can still eat soured raw milk.
And sometimes small amounts are tolerated but not large ones.
So you can test out what you tolerate and what not.
It's not an all-or-nothing principle
but often the body can handle smaller or larger amount depending on the constitution.
Initially it's a good idea to avoid everything that's not tolerated completely
so that the gut can heal and the inflammation disappear.
After that it can absorb nutritions better
and these half digested foods don't get into the blood anymore.
All the inflammation has to get out of there.
This also explains why symptoms can be reduced by a vegan diet.
Because there you avoid what a not so healthy gut cannot digest.
In the long run of course protein elements, vitamins and micronutrients are lacking
that are not or not sufficiently found in plant food.
But short-term you can achieve a significant improvement without long-term consequences.
But to deal with it in the long run, there is a second step:
Adding foods that help the gut to heal.
This means above all many good bacteria.
Sauerkraut for example,
fermented vegetables...
You can make a lot at home.
Instructions you can find on the internet.
Proteins you eat should be easy to digest.
Animal protein is easiest to digest, easier than plant protein
and it's easier to digest if eaten raw, marinated or fermented
or just so that it tastes good.
not overcooked or... What lies heavy in the stomach you should better avoid.
Bone broth is an important element
that contains a lot that helps the gut to regenerate.
It has minerals, gelatine and many other things that help repair the damaged gut lining.
And of course very important the fatsoluble vitamins D and A.
The classic cod liver oil I already talked about in previous videos.
It's also important to avoid industriell produced fats
who can contribute to an inflammatory process because of their trans fat content.
Instead grass-fed butter, coconut oil... these contain good fats you'll benefit from.
If the gut has healed you can slowly start
adding foods that were not tolerated before.
Best one after the other. So in case you still don't tolerate it
you know what it is and can leave it out again.
But in certain amounts these should be tolerated again.
You see that in principle this is going toward traditional diet, as I presented in my last videos on diet.
For those who want to read further into it:
The approach I just described is explained more detailed in this book:
The GAPS-diet. How gut and mind influence each other.
(The English title is: "Gut and Psychology Syndrome")
To find traditional recipes is not so easy.
I'm providing some on my (German) website for you.
On fermentation there are also books available in German.
For those who speak English
I can recommend this book:
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
This book contains lots of traditional recipes,
how to lacto-ferment all kind of foods
and a lot of knowledge about a healthy traditionell diet.
If you are looking for old recipes it can help to
look into old cookbooks.
There many things are still done the traditional way.
What can you do to get children with a healthy gut?
The best you can do is to become as healthy as possible yourself before you even get pregnant.
Unfortunately conventional medicine views bacteria still mostly as harmful.
It has started to shift, though,
but the focus still rests heavily on the harmful side
and not the benefit these little creatures bring.
Unfortunately this is also reflecting in the dietary recommendations for pregnancy
where you are supposed to eat only what is cooked dead.
Main thing: not raw and no bacteria
because they could make you sick.
Instead many good bacteria would be so important in pregnancy
to prevent the whole asthma, allergy and food intolerance problem.
Studies show for example, that drinking raw milk in pregnancy
lowers asthma rates.
But they don't recommend it because of their fear of Listeria
instead of presenting the information in a balanced way.
What you can do else is give birth at home.
At home you have your familiar bacteria
that the immune system of the mother is used to
and the baby via the mother, too.
At least you should opt for a vaginal birth
because then the baby gets in contact with the mother's bacteria first.
Breastfeeding is another important aspect
and of course dealing naturally with disease
where you should avoid medication and especially antibiotics as much as you can.
Better being cautious with vaccinations of course, too.
Best to vaccinate after the first year of life, if you want to vaccinate.
And what is proven as well to be preventive
is regular contact with animals.
Getting a dog for example can prevent allergies
or to visit a farm regularly.
What is it like in our family?
We have not been spared by this modern plague either.
I'm a child from the GDR (German Democratic Republic, one of the two German states before Germany was reunited in 1990)
and happy and healthy.
I don't have any allergies or intolerances.
I can eat everything and am very thankful for that. (It is known that allergy rates differed significantly between East- and West-Germany until the wall came down.)
My husband as a typical Wessi (that's what we call those from West-Germany)
--a side blow to the Wessis--
is very allergic since childhood.
He has something like irritable bowel syndrome I would say.
And it is also limiting to is mental health.
But he is not open to a holistic approach.
He has his conventional medicin which suppresses his symptomes
and with this he is more or less content.
Our oldest was a colic-baby unprecedented
cried a lot, slept very poorly,
gained weight rather moderate in the beginning.
With 9 months she gradually started eating.
Shortly before her 7th birthday she developped allergic symptoms for the first time,
running nose, congested nose during the winter months.
So probably dust mites.
However until now she refuses to have an allergy test.
So I can't tell you more.
When I was pregnant with her I had no idea about all I just told you.
My diet was mediocre,
quite a lot of sugar
and the canteen food in the hospital.
My last rounds of antibiotics had not been so long ago
because of a severe chronic sinusitis.
In this pregnancy I had no antibiotics.
But when she was 3 months old, I took antibiotics one more time.
It has been the last time to this day.
From this she got diarrhea.
I believe it harmed her and pushed her long-term further into the allergic corner.
At the moment she has a chronically more or less congested nose.
And with common colds she is affected the most.
But she recovers quite quickly,
so the level of suffering is not especially high.
I would like it if she tried the GAPS-diet
but I guess her level of suffering is not high enough for this
or she needs to get older first.
But she avoids milk products on her own initiative
so I think she tolerates it poorly.
I rely on her feeling for her body there.
This is the best I think.
She also refuses any medication.
My husband offered her medication for symptom relief several times
but she doesn't want it.
And I'm not unhappy about it
because I don't think it would help improve the imbalance.
So we are dealing with it without medication so far.
Our 2nd child has no allergies or intolerances,
but he would probably get an ADHD diagnosis.
When I was pregnant with him I started drinking raw milk.
Prior to our 3rd child I got through my sugar withdrawel.
From the 4th child on we adapted a diet after Weston Price.
Except for the first child all children were easy babies.
No excessive crying, no colics. Very enjoyable.
As different as day and night.
And except for the first two they all were easy toddlers.
I still can't say this about our youngest, of course.
He is only 4,5 months now.
But so far he is a very balanced baby, as you also may have noticed.
And none of our children has allergies or intolerances
except for the oldest.
Don't get me wrong,
I think our kids are all very adorable and fantastic people.
But if you've had or have a high-need baby or toddler
you know how hard this can be and how it pushes your limits
So I was very happy when I discovered that this is not just fate dropping on my head
but I can influence it.
As you see, it is possible to have
healthy children despite hereditary predispositon.
And that's my wish: That you and your children become, are and remain healthy in your/their gut.
Life is just more enjoyable then.
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