Being as passionate as I am about digestive health, I talk a lot about the good bacteria in your gut and how important they are for a healthy body—especially a strong digestive and immune system. But here’s something that a lot of folks may not know: those trillions of microscopic organisms start setting up shop in your intestines as soon as you’re born!

Essentially, babies are exposed to all that good bacteria as they travel through the birth canal, so it’s no wonder scientists have been studying whether or not being born vaginally or by Caesarean section (C-section) can affect a child’s health later on in life. Take the study done recently at Stanford University, where experts examined the bacteria found on babies immediately after they were delivered.

What researchers discovered was that the bacteria found on vaginal birth babies as opposed to those delivered by C-section were significantly different, and that the difference may make Caesarean babies more prone to certain health conditions as they grow older, including things like asthma and allergies.

So why such a difference? It has to do with exposing the body to certain bacteria right away so that it can better understand how to respond to them later, and babies who are exposed to their mother’s beneficial vaginal bacteria may have somewhat of a head start. Still, experts have suggested that supplementing with probiotics may help C-section babies better develop their gut bacteria.

While there’s a lot more to the connection that scientists are still working to understand, it gives you a pretty good idea about just how important the bacteria in your gut really are when it comes to developing a strong and healthy body…and why I’m so pro probiotics!

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allergies, asthma, babies, bacteria, beneficial, birth, birth canal, body, C-section, caesarean section, child’s, digestive, exposed, good, gut, Health, healthy, immune system, microscopic, organisms, Probiotics, respond, study, vaginal, vaginally

Do you have kids or know someone who does? Then you might be interested to know that childhood food allergies are on the rise. In fact, a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics revealed an 18% increase in childhood food allergies from 1997 to 2007, associated with a high co-occurrence of conditions such as asthma, skin allergies and respiratory issues.

Just as interesting, another study published recently in Pediatrics looked at physicians’ knowledge of food allergies and found that many pediatricians had “misconceptions and conflicting ideas” about food allergies and how to diagnose and treat them. 

Food allergies involve a specific immune response in the body that produces a molecule known as immunoglobulin E, or IgE. This is the “true allergy,” as it’s sometimes referred to, but food sensitivity is a different type of allergic response known as a “delayed-response allergy”. This kind of allergy (also commonly referred to as a sensitivity or an intolerance) usually produces a delayed immune response and involves the release of a different molecule: immunoglobulin G (IgG). 

To help clear things up, the type of food allergy mentioned in the studies above is the “true allergy”, which affects an estimated four to six percent of all children in the U.S.  Food sensitivity, however, is much more common, and usually more difficult to detect. So if pediatricians aren’t clear about what a true food allergy is, they really need to get up to speed.

Thankfully though, as we see in grocery stores and read about in health publications, parents and natural health practitioners are taking matters into their own hands, using simple food sensitivity tests and elimination diets to help with food issues in children. My hope is that once the conventional medical community sees the positive results coming from these steps, they will eventually follow suit!

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Adults, allergies, allergy, asthma, Children, community, conventional, delayed immune response, elimination diets, food, grocery, Health, IgE, IgG, immunoglobulin E, immunoglobulin G, intolerance, respiratory, sensitivity, skin allergy, tests, true allergy

For a lot of people, when they hear the word ‘colonic’ they immediately think ‘enema’. And then they cringe. But the truth is, colonics have come a long way since the Greeks and Egyptians folks, and it’s time people got up to speed. My new video, Colonics: Fact & Fiction helps to dispel the myths about colonics and explores the benefits of modern colon hydrotherapy. You’ll even get to see me perform a live colonic so you can know just what to expect!

These days colon hydrotherapy is more important than ever, especially since so many common ailments have been linked to colon toxicity, including allergies, arthritis, chronic fatigue, constipation, irritable bowel, joint and muscle pain, and more. Regular colonics are one of the best ways to keep your gut—and your whole body—strong and healthy, since colon hydrotherapy can help eliminate stored toxins in the colon and strengthen and tone the bowel for healthy elimination. Be sure to check out the video for answers to all your questions about colonics! Click here: http://www.brendawatson.com/media-room/

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allergies, arthritis, benefits, body, bowel, chronic fatigue, colon hydrotherapy, colon toxicity, colonic, colonics, Constipation, elimination, enema, fact, gut, irritable bowel, joint muscle pain, live colonic, myths, toxins, video

Summary:
In this video blog I discuss a recent study published in the journal “Pediatrics” that suggest a very odd way to help children that have eczema. What do they suggest? What are some other options? Tune in and find out…

Full Script:

Can you imagine putting your infant or young child into a bath of bleach water with the raw skin associated with eczema? Well that is exactly what a study published in the journal Pediatrics is suggesting. The bleach, being an antibacterial will help eliminate bacteria on the skin as a result of so much scratching.

Julie Block, of the National Eczema Association says this type of suggestion “will help people learn options that they can do at home to empower themselves”.

Sounds more like a punishment to me.

How about all the studies out there now showing that probiotic supplements can greatly reduce eczema in children. Or how about getting your child tested for food allergies and sensitivities, which play a huge role in the development of eczema.

If your worried about the bacteria try getting a natural anti-bacterial cream from your local health food store. I’m willing to bet it won’t contain bleach!

In the meantime, ReNew Life Formulas has an award-winning line of probiotic supplements for children and adults.

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allergies, bacteria, bleach, Brenda Watson, eczema, national eczema association, pediatrics, Probiotics, sensitivities