Never eaten more healthily...but never been so sick?

[Larabelle]

For quite a few months now I've drastically cut my sugar intake (no more than 10g of added sugar a day). And I think it's a good thing for my health, certainly for my weight. We're all eating this way in our house. But over the this period, we've had more coughs, colds, sore throats, ear infections, just overall sickness than ever before.

I would have thought eliminating sugar would boost our immunity but it hasn't been the case.

Could it be a detox effect? I'm hoping this is the case, as eventually it'll pass, right?

I don't want to revert to my old way of eating, but I'm really sick and tired of being sick and tired!

[boy wrangler]

Could it just be a season of lots of things going around? It seems to be the case here. I don't think any harm can come from cutting sugar so I'd keep at it. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will be along soon to offer some advice!

[Bron]

I think it will pass. You are probably, as you say, going through a stage of withdrawals. I had a friend who gave up smoking and she got really sick every 6 weeks for quite a while, till her body got over the withdrawals.

[lucylu]

Could be toxins... or could just be bad luck.

Epson salt baths can help draw toxins out - you can get a massive bag from city farmers or the like - I use a 500ml cup every bath. I also make the bath boiling, leave the window open and door shut and wait for it to cool so that all the chlorine has gone - apparently it messes with the epson salts (as well as being a horrible gas to inhale).

I don't know much about failsafe, but I do know that DD seems to be alot more emotionally stable when she is eating sugar (in a failsafe way) rather than peanut butter/vegemite. This is a paradigm shift for me. Just a thought

[mummabare]

I would think it might be a bit of both? Definately it has been a horrible time of things going around here, but I always find this time of year is pretty bad. Hope that your in the clear soon and fighting fit xx

[Larabelle]

Thank you, I hope so too. I was sure after the last cold we'd all be fine for the remainder of the year when the next thing struck. I'll try to stay positive and hope our luck will turn.

[jodiemiller]

In quitting sugar, are you still eating fresh fruits? Could you be missing out on a bit of Vitamin C therapy as a result of the new diet?

[lucylu]

The usual quip from moi ;)

vitamins C levels are very high in raw veggies, so reducing fruit is not necessarily going to reduce vitamin levels. In fact, many salad veggies are actually non-sweet fruits - capsicum, cucumber, tomatoes.

xx

[jodiemiller]

True. Just brainstorming. :) Many of our fruits and veg, unless we grow them ourselves, have spent ages in storage under refrigeration before they get to our tables - so Vit C will be greatly diminished, nomatter what fresh foods we eat.

[Larabelle]

The usual quip from moi ;)

vitamins C levels are very high in raw veggies, so reducing fruit is not necessarily going to reduce vitamin levels. In fact, many salad veggies are actually non-sweet fruits - capsicum, cucumber, tomatoes.

xx

I hadn't even thought about vitamin C. Salad veggies are not a problem, but I only have 1 piece of fruit a day, if that.

Would vitamin C tablets help?

[milkymumma]

fresh and crunchy vegies would be better ;)
higher bioavailability of nutrients

[jodiemiller]

Again, not necessarily better if they've been in storage for a month (eg, carrots and beets and other roots can be successfully stored for months). Apples, quite often, have spent up to three months in storage before we buy them. There is some evidence that anti-oxidants are well preserved in stored apples if they are chemically treated. There goes our organic philosophy!!

If you wanted to try Vit C therapy, I would buy Ascorbic acid? or Ascorbic salts (powdered) from the health food store (ask the attendant which would be better). Mix it with juice or water - take in small quantities regularly. Best combined with a meal high in iron as it can help you to absorb the iron and other nutrients. Vit C in too high a dose can give you diarrhoea but no harm done, just cut back the dose until it is well tolerated. It's safe for kids, too (in smaller doses of course). Give it a month and see how you feel. I don't think it's a great to take high doses long term, but I do think it helps compensate for the lack of freshness in our everyday foods.

[jodiemiller]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/30/3080915.htm

[lucylu]

Apples, quite often, have spent up to three months in storage before we buy them. There is some evidence that anti-oxidants are well preserved in stored apples if they are chemically treated. There goes our organic philosophy!.
Choice did a study that showed some supermarket apples had had a first birthday!

Didn't know about the preservation of anti-oxidants though - that sucks. But I probably wouldn't feel that great about anti-oxidants that had remained in food as a result of chemical treatment anyway. I read a study (somewhere!) which showed people who took anti-oxidant supplements had a lower life expectancy than those who didn't.

Check this out http://www.healthyeatingclub.org/info/books-phds/books/foodfacts/html/data/data4i.html

Weirdly, according to this table, boiled capsicums have more vit C than orange juice, so does raw cauliflower and raw cabbage. Parsley is really high in Vit C.

Found this about absorption http://www.exrx.net/Nutrition/Antioxidants/VitaminC.html

"Absorption of vitamin C is greater when several individual doses of vitamin C, in quantities less than one gram, are taken throughout the day rather than one megadose (17). Eighty to ninety-five percent of the vitamin C found in foods is absorbed (13). Furthermore, the bioavailability of synthetic and "natural" forms of the vitamin differ very little despite the claims made by manufacturers (13,17). Vitamin C absorption can be impaired by a number of factors. A single large dose saturates the enzyme kinetics for vitamin C, leading to excess AA in the intestinal lumen, which causes numerous gastrointestinal problems. Pectin and zinc also inhibit AA absorption, but this mechanism is not well understood. A high iron concentration in the gastrointestinal tract may cause oxidative destruction and in turn impair uptake (13)."

[jodiemiller]

Good to know!

[Phoenix]

I was a fairly sickly child with constant colds and congestion and my parents sought advice and put me on Ascorbic acid that I used to have with a teaspoon of jam. It was awesome and it helped me to no end.

[mama_bel]

We normally eat a heap of fresh produce, most of it very fresh. When we go camping, though, we take ascorbic acid (vit c) powder with us and it makes a difference to how we feel at the end of the trip (of eating less fresh food, playing 'hard', lack of sleep, etc). Hubby takes Berocca, which is mostly B vitamins but a fairly high dose of C too, I think, and he rarely catches anything. He swears by it as a bit of a help with immunity.

I hope you're well again soon. The sicky-season is over, surely (I say as I hear coughing from one of my kids in their beds, sigh)...

[jodiemiller]

Berocca is around a 1000 of Vit C. Definitely a large dose.

[mama_bel]

Ah-ha. I buy it, but don't read the label. :)

[Nyree]

And the nutrients in some foods (eg carrots) become more bioavailable if the food is lightly steamed rather than eaten raw ;)

[milkymumma]

:great

[lucylu]

And the nutrients in some foods (eg carrots) become more bioavailable if the food is lightly steamed rather than eaten raw ;)

Yeah, I've read this before although this is really weird to me. I'm pretty sure the vitamin C table I posted showed the same thing - higher levels of vit C in some steamed veg than in the raw version. I find this extra weird 'cos vit C is water soluble so surely some is lost to the steam? But obviously not. Nature sure is strange and mysterious and amazing.

[Nyree]

It's the effect the heat has on breaking down the cell walls in the foods ;)

[lucylu]

That makes sense :)

I had some blood tests done last week - deficient in B12 and ferritin. Just had a quick search of the internet and according to what I've read, these two little things can explain all of my symptoms (restless legs at night, poor memory, digestive stuff, difficulty concentrating, irritibility ;) )

Have you been to the doc?

[Larabelle]

Thought I should pop in with an update: we all went to our naturopath and he quickly diagnosed low immune system. The kids have some homeopathic drops and we have garlic tablets, probiotics, vitamin C powder and some Chinese herbs to take. We also have to take it easy with exercise for a little while (not actually a problem for me ;)).

We're all fine now and feeling good, even my chest cough has cleared (in 2 weeks rather than the usual 6-8 wks). So I'm totally thrilled we went and got it checked out.

[boy wrangler]

Good to hear! I'm dying to find a decent naturopath/herbalist here. I know of a good homeopath, but I'm more of a naturopath girl.

[lucylu]

That's great Larabelle!! May the wellness continue :)

I've had my B12 jab and am feeling a million times better :hyper Memory, concentration, energy levels, emotions all much much better. I must admit that I was feeling so low I didn't even investigate alternatives.

[Larabelle]

I've had my B12 jab and am feeling a million times better :hyper

Yay, Lucylu!