Doozlygirl
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Pam, I've been posting similar comments on various posts and few have responded. I guess I take it as those folks are just not ready to consider that these synthetic chemicals are part of the equation why we are ill. Since you asre interested, I'll share a bit of how I got to this path, so you may pick up on some cues in your own situation.
I didn't come to this lightly, as my specific mast cell related triggers are ALL synthetic chemicals, so I guess once I figured that out, it was easier for me to connect those dots. Where it sounds like you have issues with things found naturally in foods, intolerances to both can occur from broken chemical pathways. So I went on a mission to learn more about these synthetic chemicals, so I could figure out what to avoid and potentially identify where my biochemistry is broken. This lead me to better understand the items on various mast cell degranulator lists, as the most appropriate descriptor terms used may not be used on those lists, so it was tough to make those connections. For example, on one list it says Azo dyes, when in fact you'll notice that I always reference them as FD&C or D&C dyes as those are the ingredients listed on the back of products. I used that logic as I proceeded.
Once I could determine what triggered my symptoms, I began to look for patterns. I started with various meds and supplements, them moved onto other personal care products. Pam, I know you have done this already from a sals perspective, but I wonder if you've removed all other mast cell offending items?
Once I had those pattens in mind, I could determine that sulfa/sulfur is an issue. Interesting but many supplements have sulfa in them, so one more connected dot. Looking at my issues surrounding my period I know estogen is an issue. And of course there is histamine and norepi and epi and choline with my mast cell and dysautonomia symtoms. My high mediators all point to high inflammation, as do my issues with casein, wheat, and yeast.
While I've dabbled with natural and holistic techniques and diet in the past, but it just didn't sustain any real progress, until I began to connect all these dots and take a real hard honest look at things I once thought I tolerated. I also relized that my body is wasting alot of energy, nutrients and limited functioning to process these synthetic chemicals, taking away from being able to process my own hormones and cofactors so I am resolved to give my body a vacation, and have tightened up my environment and exposures. I now know I can do this for a few more months because I am positive with the help of experts I can fix my broken body chemistry.
Cutting to the chase, I've learned alot on how the body actuall works from a biochemstry perspective. Inflammation is BAD and any one with as much intolerances/allergies, histamine and other mediators floating around HAS WAY TOO MUCH INFLAMMATION, if you realize it or not. Our foods are bound to contribute hugely, so I have begaun to integrate non inflammatory foods and stop eating the inflammatory ones.
Where there is inflammation, there are toxins, unmetabolized hormones, cofactors and nutrients and things that clog up your body's functions and you have to get out of your body. There are multiple channels of eliminations to get this stuff out: sweat, uringe, feces, breath, lymph, etc. So each of these channels must be open and your body needs various nutrients to run those channels with cofactors and enzymes and other molecules. What ever you take in must be converted into an active molecule and moved to the correct spot and moved or changed hundreds of times before you get stuff out. And there are hundreds of these chemical equations that have to happen in order for one to be well.
Those epsom salt baths make you feel better, because they not only give you magnesium, it doesn't have to be processed thorugh your liver when it comes from your skin. Magnesium is necessary for hundredes of those chemical equations to work, the baths also help you detox out through your skin and lymph, clearing out the low hanging fruit so your body can tackle other functions. Keeping your colon working regularly is another must. There are scores of ways to support these functions, without use of synthetic chemicals, medications, and even supplements. Directed dense nutrition is the best way to support our bodies, and unfortunately this is tough with all of our intolerances.
So my best advice right now is to lower inflammation and heal your gut, both really critical steps in repairing those broken chemical pathways. Once I can share specifics, I will post more, if you'd like.
Keep on Keepin' On, Lyn
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