|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Can Food Truly Heal?
As a mother, seeing my son struggle with eczema was heartbreaking. I knew I needed to find a way to help him heal, and nutrition turned out to be the key. In this post, part of my mini-blog series on the Five Branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I share the story of how dietary changes and the principles of TCM transformed my son’s health.
The Impact of Microbiome Imbalances on My Son’s Health
When my second son was born, I was overjoyed to meet him, but his journey had a challenging start. During labor, I had a vaginal yeast infection, which set the stage for what was to come. During a vaginal birth, a baby is exposed to the mother’s microbiome, the community of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that live in and on the body. This exposure is critical, as it helps establish the baby’s own microbiome, which then plays a vital role in digestion, immunity, and overall health.
However, because my microbiome was out of balance, dominated by yeast overgrowth, this imbalance was passed on to my son. The first sign of trouble appeared shortly after his birth as oral thrush, a yeast infection in the mouth caused by Candida albicans. His tiny tongue was coated in white, and digestion became a struggle for him right from the start.
I took him to the pediatrician, and he was prescribed an antifungal combined with an antibiotic. I should have known, but at the time I didn’t realize how this treatment would impact his developing gut. The antibiotics wiped out everything we were trying to build, leaving his microbiome even more vulnerable. I tried to rebuild his gut health through breastfeeding, but his journey didn’t stop there.
The Connection Between the Gut and the Skin
A year and a half later, my son was now a toddler, I noticed that introducing solid foods was challenging. He was extremely picky, and he developed eczema. As a TCM practitioner, I knew there is a connection between the skin and the large intestine. In TCM, the large intestine is like the body’s internal skin, the first organ exposed to food. When food sensitivities are present, imbalances in the gut often manifest as skin problems.
So, after addressing potential external triggers like laundry detergent and clothing (we even switched our pool water from chlorine to saltwater), I knew I needed to take a closer look at his diet. The foods I was giving him were clearly contributing to his eczema, but I wasn’t sure which foods were the triggers.
I know it sounds contradictory, but the best way to start an elimination diet is by introducing new foods. So first I focused on finding simple cooked foods, soups, and fruits and vegetables he would eat. I knew that gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs, and corn were common triggers. Since he ate a lot of bread and cheese, I replaced those with gluten-free and dairy-free options. I limited his diet to these new foods for a while. Of course, this was no small task with a toddler!
Over time, his eczema began to clear. It was fascinating to see how he seemed to instinctively know what was good for him. Green beans became one of his favorite foods, and every time he ate them, his skin noticeably improved. Raspberries became another staple, and gluten-free crackers seamlessly replaced his bread. Once his skin had cleared, I began slowly reintroducing other foods one at a time to identify what worked and what didn’t
A Dermatologist’s Dismissal
At one point during our journey, I took my son to a dermatologist because I wanted to be sure I wasn’t missing anything. I remember sitting in the office, explaining my concerns about how foods might be a trigger. The dermatologist looked at me and said, “Food has absolutely nothing to do with his eczema.”
I was surprised, but didn’t respond. I knew this couldn’t be true. I had already seen patterns between his diet and flare-ups, and I was determined to keep experimenting with food to address his symptoms.
What I want people to know is that the solution to his eczema was food. Nutrition was the key to his healing.
A TCM Perspective on Food and Healing
From a TCM perspective, my son’s symptoms indicated an imbalance in the Spleen and Stomach systems, which are responsible for digestion and transforming food into Qi (energy). Children’s digestive systems are inherently delicate and need warm, simple, and easily digestible foods.
Cold or damp-producing foods, such as dairy, excessive raw fruits, and sugary treats, can burden the digestive system. In my son’s case, removing these damp-producing foods was key. Warm, cooked meals like soups and stews became staples in our house, helping to restore balance in his digestive system.
The Long-Term Impact
While his eczema improved, digestion remained an ongoing challenge for some time. He often woke up early with stomach aches, and a few gluten-free crackers would help him settle. His sleep was restless, and he frequently experienced nausea, particularly during car rides.
Now, at age 11, he is still a picky eater and prefers his food separated — rice on one side, meat on the other, and vegetables plain. He eats a lot of rice, soups, and fruits, with little interest in sauces. And he has developed an impressive understanding of his body’s needs. He now knows what to avoid when he feels a bout of eczema coming on and is better at managing his health than many adults.
He also has better control over sweets than most kids his age. After Halloween, he gives me any candy with food dyes, knowing that these are triggers for his eczema. He keeps the chocolate but knows to enjoy it little by little rather than eating it all at once.
His journey shows how struggles early in life can become strengths later on. Through patience, observation, and nutrition, my son has not only healed but has also learned how to care for himself in a way that will serve him for years to come.
Food is your medicine
As the “needle-free acupuncturist”, I’ve seen how nutrition is a vital part of TCM and healing. Food acts as medicine, providing the energy and balance needed for wellness. By understanding how food interacts with individual constitutions, we can create tailored diets that support healing and balance within ourselves and our families.
If your child is dealing with eczema, digestion issues, or other health challenges, consider looking at their overall lifestyle and diet. TCM provides a unique perspective, connecting diet, digestion, and overall health to restore balance and promote healing from within.