Diet Matters!

I can be a little dense sometimes... I might learn something and even believe it but not necessarily apply it. I am 22 weeks pregnant with #4 as I write this. My last pregnancy was horrible. By the time I was 20 weeks, I could barely push a grocery cart EMPTY. I could not pick up a 22 pound 2 year old from a sitting position without pain. I could barely walk. It hurt to get from the car to the front door of a store let alone wander around! I couldn't carry clothes up the stairs or stand for more than a few minutes. I have too much relaxin and boy had it kicked in... I learned a few things since my last pregnancy though. The biggest one being that flour and flour products are NOT for the body! Sprouted grains- YES! flour- NO!

So, like I said, I am 22 weeks pregnant. I am still in karate (no, I am not taking any falls and no one can punch me, but I am still training), I go to the YMCA and work out twice a week (at least try), I can carry my 30 pound nearly 3 year old up the stairs, I am WALKING (no waddle here!) and I have a cute tummy (it seems like this baby is fitting inside better than my other 3 kids). I cheated a few times and had some flour product food (flour tortilla or something like that) and the next day I HURT and didn't want to move. I could tell that those things were harming me. So, I am off flour and flour products and I am doing great...
What else am I eating? Greens, fruits, veggies, sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and occasionally a little fish and raw cheese or goat cheese... although those last 2 really aren't good for the body but sometimes those cravings are a little overwhelming! I don't eat processed foods, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, flour and flour products, sugar, meat, or much dairy.

Dry Skin... My battle and an answer to a comment question

As a small child I had skin on my feet that would peel. When it was cold, my skin would get very dry and my hands would crack and bleed. My elbows and knees were ALWAYS white because they were so dry... even when I lived in a very humid location! After I had my first child, I had chronic dry fingers that were so bad that the tips were scaled and would crack and bleed. They HURT. They were so scaly that my fingerprints were no longer visible. I have finally healed my hands... but now my fingerprints are scarred.

Severe dry skin is not a problem with the skin on the outside... it is a problem on the inside. Applying ointments and lotions won't solve the underlying problem. It may sooth the pain and can help the problem from getting worse, but it won't solve it. There are several causes, and in my case, I dealt with all of them... most would work for a short period of time and then would stop working.

Diet is crucial. Avoiding processed sugar, flour, and dairy are biggies. For me, the biggest were the sugar and the flour.

Hydration is crucial- drinking plenty of fluids and eating fleshy fruits is great. Fluids should be distilled water or herbal teas or fresh juices. NO SODA or milk... nut milks are fine.

Avoiding chemicals in your soaps. Most soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or other derivatives. Using a soap which has only natural ingredients (and I don't care if Tom's of Maine says that SLS is naturally derived from coconuts, it is not natural!) is also very beneficial. I found the best soap for me to be one made locally. I love the handmade soap by Running Wild Spirit. For the dry skin, the Dry Skin Bar is fabulous and lasts a VERY long time (unless it is in the shower but on the sink it lasts forever because it can dry out between washes). For shampoo, I use Aubrey Organics or Dr. Christopher's. For teeth, I use Dr. Christopher's tooth powder, or read the labels of the toothpaste in the healthfood store... there are a few without SLS or any of the derivatives without fluoride. Weleda is one, ONE of the Tom's products is ok now, JASON has 1 or 2, etc. Liquid soaps at the kitchen sink are also all natural now. The less SLS the better!

Make sure that the EFA intake is appropriate. Udo's oil is a good one. Also adding flax seeds to a morning smoothie works very well. Walnuts are another Omega-3 source.

Plenty of raw food... skin issues are a sign that the liver is needing help. Raw food not only nourishes the body but is also cleansing and rejuvinating. Eat those greens!

A high quality moisturizer is also helpful if other stuff is not quite enough. I like Dr. Christopher's complete tissue formula for MANY things, but the version you buy in the store has too much beeswax for a hand lotion in my opinion. I have heard that some people use the Conditioner as a lotion. I have not tried that. I found a lotion that I really like that is all natural as well. The name escapes me though so I am not posting it. One of the body oils from Running Wild Spirit may work as well... or you could make some oil from local plants yourself...

I did not do this directly, but mentioned it briefly- the liver needs to be paid attention to. Some good liver foods are dandelion greens, burdock, milk thistle, etc. I did do lots of green smoothies and I used plenty of chickweed, carrot tops, kale, chard, collards, etc. in my green smoothies... BTW if the green taste is offensive, add some citrus or pineapple and a couple of inches of cucumber to cut the green taste. One of my favorite combos is carrot tops and peaches and pineapple.


I hope my experience can help someone...


Updated to add:
I used the Hand Cream from Naturally Right. It is not as expensive as some of the other natural lotions on the market. Also, a little goes a long way.