Overview

Unlike sinus congestion or skin symptoms, inflammation of the middle ear, or ear aches, in babies and young children aren’t always apparent. Not until it progresses to a sleepless night, lack of appetite, or fever will the ear be suspected. While considered normal and common in the early childhood years they are not natural and can be avoided.

The standard treatment for an inflamed ear canal or drum is antibiotics and, for those with recurrent symptoms, an extended course is often prescribed. When ear infections can not be resolved, a further procedure that involves the surgical insertion of tubes to extend the ear canal in order to equalize pressure in the middle ear is later considered.

Inflammation of the ears in babies and young children actually occur because optimal bowel elimination is not established, the kidneys are required to overwork and to compensate. The body uses the ear canal, much like detour routes off a congested highway. In this case, the ears, and possibly sinuses, have become the chosen alternate exit(s) with the surrounding lymph nodes becoming filled to capacity, leading to inflammatory pressure on the middle ear canal.

Can ear inflammation be resolved without antibiotics?

Ongoing ear inflammation is actually a secondary symptom of sinus congestion as well as infrequent stools or blow out stools that have continued long enough for the body to search for an emergency exit for cleaning. The use of this alternate exit has created an inflammatory state much like other symptoms discussed in this series. In this case, the acute inflammatory state of the middle ear must be managed first and then the primary symptom, infrequent stools, must be resolved before the cycle can be broken.

By looking at how the body resolves inflammation naturally, we can work with it rather than against it and avoid the use of OTC medications or antibiotics.

Natural resolution of inflammation

The natural resolution of inflammation requires the coordinated efforts of the lymphatic system (as a part of the immune system), the circulatory system, and the primary organs of elimination: the bowel and kidneys.

The lymphatic system is the body’s drainage system. It is responsible for maintaining a balance of body fluids and does this by transporting excess fluids through intricate channels, filtering what has been collected within the lymph nodes before moving the fluids on to the blood.

The circulatory system then delivers the blood to the kidneys for the removal of the waste product urea to form urine.

Inflammatory states, such as ear inflammation or drainage, will require a first protocol to resolve the acute condition and a follow-up protocol to the primary symptom of infrequent stools and the chronic state of inflammation of inflamed middle ear. Leaving a child to “outgrow” these inflammatory states can lead to countless more complex secondary symptoms, the most common addressed in this book.

Steps to take

The acute symptom of inflammation of the middle ear and the primary symptom of infrequent stools can be addressed with the following sequential steps.

1.First and foremost, dietary causes must be assessed and addressed. The following are the most common inflammatory foods and should be removed (until later consideration) from the child’s diet or from the diet of the mother if the child is completely breastfed:

•Manufactured formula, cow’s milk or soy based

•Any animal dairy products into baby’s diet, including yoghurt and cheese

•Grains of any kind

2.Begin the acute daily Gemmotherapy protocol of European Blueberry, Black Currant, Dog Rose together 4x daily and an evening dose of Hornbeam. After the first forty eight hours, reduce the dosage to 3x daily with an evening dose of Hornbeam.

3.Once the acute symptoms are 90% improved, the protocols must be changed to address the primary symptom of bowel elimination and the chronic state of inflammation of the sinuses. The new Gemmotherapy protocol includes a combination of European Blueberry and Black Currant with an evening dose of Hazel.

4.Once bowel elimination has optimized to three to four bowel movements daily for exclusively breastfed babies and a minimum of two for those not exclusively breastfed, and no further infrequent or blowout stools occur, continue the protocol for another month or more. Watch for an improvement not only in bowel elimination but in the dark circles and puffiness under the child’s eyes. Once the eyes have improved as well consider discontinuing the protocol unless advised otherwise by your practitioner.

5.Should ear discomfort return repeat the acute protocol until resolved followed by the protocol for the primary symptom of bowel elimination.

Hazel’s Story

Let me introduce you to Hazel. I met Hazel when she was twenty three months old. She had spent the first two years of her life on and off antibiotics for repeated ear infections and Hazel’s parents had reached their limit at the lack of options they had been offered. Having just completed a course of antibiotics and with a baseline inflammation still present in the middle ear, Hazel’s parents were anxious that the next flare was imminent when they arrived at my practice.

In taking Hazel’s case, it was of no surprise that she only had one bowel movement daily and often would experience a massive blowout stools. While Hazel’s mother could not remember her skipping days between bowel movements, she only had one a day and several times a week there would be a blowout stool. I also learned that while Hazel had been breastfed, she was also given yogurt on a daily basis from five months of age. Her first ear inflammation occurred at 6 months.

I advised Hazel’s parents to first remove all dairy from her diet and begin a Gemmotherapy protocol for the entire next year. Her protocol was Black Currant, Dog Rose, European Blueberry, and Hazel.

When she experienced an acute state of pain or discomfort in the ears and possibly sinus congestion, I asked Hazel’s parents to give her the protocol more frequently during the first twenty four hours of symptoms.

I also advised them to seek further support should the symptoms not show signs of improvement after twenty four hours of use. As the symptoms and discomfort lessened they would reduce the dosage back to twice daily.

Hazel experienced two further inflammatory flares over the next twelve months and we addressed them with the acute Gemmotherapy protocol as well as a Homeopathic remedy. When the second one occurred I discussed the elimination of gluten producing grains with Hazel’s parents as they can also cause considerable inflammation. Since keeping to a gluten free and dairy free diet, Hazel has not had any further trouble with her ears.

If Hazel’s story has sparked your interest in Gemmotherapy you might want to have a look at my recent book, Building Immunity in Babies and Children. Perhaps you are ready to learn even more? Why not join me in the Midi Pyrenees the summer for a Gemmotherapy Immersion Retreat with my colleague Stephane Boistard or register now for the September Foundations of Gemmotherapy Series live online.

When I saw Simply CeeCee’s instagram post of mushroom laden rice noodles I didn’t miss a beat before setting out to create my own version. There’s not a doubt this recipe is a keeper in the Hubele home and once the mushrooms are prepped, it’s on the table in minutes. Here’s the original recipe and below you will find my take with brand suggestions. Either way it’s a winner.  Enjoy!

DanDan Sauce

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 /4 cup of sriracha sauce
• 1/4 cup tamari or coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp chile oil (optional, to taste)
• 1/2 tsp Hot pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2-3/4 cup vegetable stock

Combine all of the ingredients  in a blender and blend until smooth.

Stir Fried Mushrooms Rice Noodles

• Coconut Oil
• 6-8 green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice mix
• 1 lb of mixed shiitake and baby bella mushrooms sliced
• Himalayan sea salt

Heat coconut oil, add sliced green onions, add spices, saute on low.  Add mushrooms in small batches letting them cook down before adding more. Salt to taste.

Rice Noodles

Cook according to package directions your favorite pad thai style rice noodles.

The one thing all new parents want is a happy, healthy baby and, oh yes, some sleep! But so much seems to get in the way of all three and the process of making sense of it all can often leave you feeling like you are lost in a maze. I’d love nothing more than to help you find your way to understanding the root of your baby’s symptoms. And it may just happen that you learn something about your own body along the way!

Alternate cleaning exits

Once you understand and accept a few fundamental concepts, then all of baby’s symptoms will begin to make sense and you will be able to take action. Healthy babies need the ability to take in nutrition to feed their growing bodies and eliminate the waste product from that nutrition. The primary elimination organs are the kidneys and bowels. When one or both of these organs are not performing optimally, the body will search for alternate exits to remove the waste product. Those exits include:
1.Sinus Cavity- congestion, post nasal drip

2.Skin- eczema, hives, rashes, acne, cradle cap

3.Lungs- croup, asthmatic like cough

At the appearance or continuation of any of the above symptoms, possible causes to examine include:
•Baby is not having frequent enough bowel movements (3 or more times per day)

•Baby has been introduced to dairy products (including formulas based on cow’s milk)

•Baby has been introduced to soy products (including formulas based on soy)

•Baby’s sensitivity is so high that the dairy and/or soy products mom is consuming are causing symptoms

Commonly used extracts

In my practice, after a complete intake, I use individually selected Gemmotherapy extracts based on baby’s symptoms to support the organs of elimination. I will also look for any of the above mentioned dietary causes that could continue to provoke the symptoms once the organs have been cleaned and strengthened with Gemmotherapy extracts. The extracts I most often find useful with babies include Silver Birch Sap, Blueberry, Walnut, and Fig.

In the past weeks I have shared posts on Croup and Respiratory symptoms as well as Eczema with protocols that will solve these problems right where they begin. This week we are going to take a look at the struggles one young baby had with a continuous stuffy nose. The important takeaway here is that this symptom in babies is much more likely to be caused by poor digestion than a cold.

Baby Katie

At twelve weeks of age, Katie began exhibiting signs of nasal congestion and her parents began managing it with the bulb syringe and saline solution they had received from their pediatrician. The challenge was that Katie’s congestion returned shortly after it was cleared with the syringe. After a week, Katie began waking often at night with congestion that needed clearing and she struggled during breastfeeding, unable to breathe through her stuffy nose. Her parents were reassured by friends and family that Kate’s symptom was normal and would pass on its own. The problem was- it didn’t. At 16 weeks of age, Katie’s mother brought her to my practice because Katie’s symptoms had not gotten better and, if anything, they were worse.

Katie’s Intake and Protocol

The intake questions for Katie were quite simple and straightforward, as they are for infants and small children. I take a close look at frequency and consistency of bowel elimination, signs of vitality in the eyes, hair, skin, teeth, and family history, and signs of inflammation. What was normal bowel elimination for a baby Katie’s mother wanted to know? If the baby is solely breastfed and nursing throughout the day, then there should be a minimum of 3-4 bowel movements daily. Katie was having only one bowel movement a day.

Here were the steps we took to address Katie’s congestion
1.An acute Gemmotherapy protocol of Common Alder, Black Currant, and Dog Rose 3x daily to clear the immediate congestion. This protocol, however, will be of no help long term if the cause of the congestion is not addressed.

2.Once the congestion was improved we changed the protocol to Blueberry 3x daily to optimize Katie’s elimination by supporting the function of the bowel and kidneys.

3.Within a week Katie began to have a 2nd bowel movement daily and sometimes a 3rd.

We monitored Katie closely for the next two months. If her congestion reappeared, we would return to the acute protocol of Common Alder, Black Currant, and Rose and also take a look to her mother’s diet. It may be that Katie’s digestion was sensitive enough to be bothered by mom’s consuming dairy and soy products. This is not so uncommon today. Science is making great strides in the study of infant microbiome. You can read more about this topic here.

As for Katie, she continues to do quite well. My hope is that her story along with all of the Happy Healthy Baby stories from the past weeks shed some light on symptoms you may see in your own child. The expressions of your baby’s body don’t have to be a mystery and really are quite easy to understand once you see that their bodies are only trying to find a way to clean.

Has Katie’s story has sparked your interest in Gemmotherapy? I suggest have a look at my recent book, Building Immunity in Babies and Children. Perhaps you are ready to learn even more? Join me in the Midi Pyrenees the summer for a Gemmotherapy Immersion Retreat with my colleague Stephane Boistard or register now for the September Foundations of Gemmotherapy Series live online.

More often than not it’s the amazing dressing that has you or your guests reaching for another serving of salad. Having a stash of go to recipes brings ease to salad prep, making a plant based lifestyle just that much more enjoyable and sustainable.

Here’s one must have recipe from our Gemmotherapy retreat weekend at Spirit Fire shared by the center directors Steve and Tim.

Green Goddess Dressing

1 garlic clove

2 green onions

2 TBL Chopped Parsley

1 TBL Basil Leaves

1 TBL Chives

¼ cup Olive Oil

¼ cup Tahini

2 TBL Tarragon Vinegar

1 TBL Lemon Juice

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender and store any remaining dressing for up to 3 days.

Eczema in babies and young children is more common than it should be and entirely avoidable. Yes, that is a true statement, even if it runs in the family. Just as with all of the topics in my Happy Healthy Babies series, the answer to eczema will be found in addressing the root cause of the symptom and that is certainly not the skin! Eczema is merely an expression of the body’s inability to eliminate optimally. Because the bowels and/or kidneys are overburdened, the skin becomes an emergency exit for cleaning. You can read more about this topic here.

While topical treatments may give temporary relief, they cannot heal eczema. The only way to put an end to eczema is to support bowel and kidney function and eliminate inflammatory foods that are adding to their load. In adults, the healing of eczema can take months, but in babies the process is usually quite straightforward and simple with the right support. Before taking a look at Marie’s story, let’s revisit last week’s post because it is related.

The Complications of Suppressing Symptoms

Last week I shared the story of Sam and the respiratory troubles he faced, waking in the early hours of the morning and giving his parents a fright as he struggled for breath between coughs. What we learned from Sam’s story is that these acute respiratory episodes need a two-fold approach. First, an acute protocol (Black Currant and Lithy) was in order that would give immediate relief to his spasmodic cough. Next, and just as important, Sam needed a daily protocol of Gemmotherapy to improve his elimination. The extract needed for Sam’s elimination would be individualized based on symptoms pertaining to his elimination, vitality, and inflammation. Because the daily protocol would take a week or more to help establish better elimination, it was likely he would have another acute episode or two and it was important his parents had an option.

I’m drawing your attention to Sam because children who have similar respiratory symptoms and are treated with medications to suppress the symptoms often exhibit skin conditions like eczema next. The same can be true in reverse as well: children who have skin symptoms that are suppressed often develop respiratory symptoms.

Eczema and croup or coughing symptoms are connected but only because they both share the same root cause – poor elimination. While elimination can and will be improved by the correct Gemmotherapy protocol, this must be paired with a diet that does not add to the inflammatory state. While there are many groups of inflammatory foods, it has been my experience that consuming milk and products made from milk is the greatest cause of symptoms in children. This can be problematic if the child is under one year of age and not breastfed because the options are limited. However, there ARE options and knowing the age of the child will guide the best choice. This is something I help parents with on a daily basis.

Baby Marie

Let’s take a look a Marie’s story. Marie’s parents began to notice the first small patches of eczema on her cheeks and then on the back of her neck when she was five months of age. They found they could give Marie some temporary relief with coconut oil but after a few weeks they noticed the eczema was spreading when they discovered a patch on her leg and upper arm. At this point Marie began waking frequently at night irritated by her skin. When offered a steroid cream by their pediatrician, her parents began looking for options.

By the time this family made it to my office Marie was not a very happy baby. Itchy and uncomfortable, she seldom slept straight for more than an hour or so. Needless to say Marie’s parents were quite exhausted and worn down as well. The intake for her case, as with all babies, was quite simple and it wasn’t long before the root cause was clear.

Change in Diet

Four weeks before the eczema appeared, Marie’s parents began giving her a night time bottle of formula to supplement mom’s breastfeeding. The plan was for mom to return to work when Marie was six months of age and so it seemed to make sense to begin introducing formula.

Wisely, Marie’s parents introduced it slowly with one bottle at a time but after the first week of watching carefully for any reaction they felt safe in their choice. Like many parents, Marie’s expected a negative response to be immediate and obvious. The fact is that there was a reaction, a mild one, but important.

Impact on Elimination

The frequency of Marie’s bowel movements changed within the first week of beginning the formula but had gone relatively unnoticed. Normally having had 3 per day on breast milk only, she began to not have one until late in the day and on occasion she skipped a day between movements.

The next symptom to appear also seemed random and that was the onset of a wet cough. Marie’s parents treated this cough with all natural syrup for children from the local health food store and continued on with the nightly feeding of formula, attributing all of what Marie was experiencing as normal babyhood.

It wasn’t until the eczema appeared that Marie’s parents began to seek outside help. The problem with eczema is that the medical community does not have a cure – they have a treatment. The treatment, topical steroid creams, can temporarily suppresses the eczema but it will never address the reason it is there in the first place. Lucky for Marie her parents weren’t pleased with the prescription they were handed and so they looked for further help.

It’s important to understand that by the time the body begins to use the skin for an emergency exit the elimination organs have been overburdened for some time. Resetting this compensation to use the skin to clean takes some time and in Marie’s case no further feedings of formula.

Gemmotherapy Support

After one week on the Gemmotherapy extract Silver Birch Sap and only breast milk, Marie’s parents saw a return to normal bowel movements, the cough subsiding, and no further spread of the eczema. The rest of Marie’s eczema cleared over the following weeks with continued daily doses of the Silver Birch Sap. Once all three symptoms, bowel movements, cough, and eczema were corrected she would no longer need the Gemmotherapy protocol if she kept all dairy out of her diet.

As I have mentioned before, addressing these early symptoms in babies is so important and can be simple when the case has not been complicated by suppressing medications. I love this opportunity to offer parents an alternative that really works and I’m already looking forward to sharing next week’s post on babies and sinus congestion. What if Marie’s parents had used he steroid cream? Well this is a good question to ask. They would see a temporary relief of the external symptoms but her cough and poor elimination would not have resolved. In many cases, those symptoms would only increase in intensity leading parents to seek another separate solution for the cough.

Important to note is that all eczema cases can be resolved, even when they have been suppressed. However, the protocol and time required will be slightly different from Marie’s.

Has Marie’s story has sparked your interest in Gemmotherapy? You can find out much more about restoring your child’s immunity with Gemmotherapy in my latest book. If you are a practitioner or interested in becoming a practitioner consider joining one of my upcoming Foundations of Gemmotherapy courses.

For the past four weeks we have been talking about babies- One of my favorite subjects, especially when it comes to keeping them healthy. Babies respond so beautifully to the natural medicines Gemmotherapy and Homeopathy, allowing parents the opportunity to bypass the whole toxic load encountered with OTC and prescription drugs. By addressing the root cause of what seems like the normal woes of infancy, parents are able to stop future chronic symptoms from developing in their child right from the start. Every suppressed symptom increases the inflammatory state within, exactly the beginning of chronic disease.

So far we have taken a look at the following topics:

Why it really is all about elimination

Addressing Infrequent Bowel Movements

Addressing Acid Reflux

Addressing Colic

Onset of Croup and Respiratory Symptoms

When infrequent elimination is ignored it can trigger any of the aforementioned symptoms in addition to croup and respiratory symptoms. It is important to note that the respiratory system is always more than happy to help share the load of cleaning what the bowels or kidneys have not. The problem is that when it does in fact step up to help, the outcome is less than desirable: a croupy or wheezy baby with symptoms that can be more than a little bit scary for most parents, particularly when it occurs in the wee hours of the night.

Gemmotherapy Support

Because croup, asthmatic coughing, or wheezing in babies is a secondary symptom of poor elimination, addressing it is twofold.
1.The first protocol to settle the pulmonary spasms in the moment is needed quickly and I have found alternating doses of Black Currant and Lithy Gemmotherapy extracts successful.

2.Then, begin the next protocol to address the larger problem that will prevent the symptoms from returning. Determining this will require a look at the specific elimination symptoms of the child. There are several Gemmotherapy extracts that could be useful but which one will depend on the individual and must be determined with a consultation.

Sam’s Story

Here’s a story of little Sam who came to my practice with his exhausted and worried mom. At five months, Sam had developed a pattern of waking in the early hours of the morning with a barking seal like spasmodic cough. His parents would rush him into the steam filled bathroom and hold him upright until his cough was soothed, however long that would take. He would then nurse and eventually return to sleep. A visit to their pediatrician left them unsettled as the option provided was a nebulizer with steroid treatment. This was not a solution that they wished to consider.

Sam’s parents needed a protocol that would work in the moment for his acute symptoms and another he would take daily to address the underlying cause. As with all of the baby symptoms we have discussed this month, Sam’s croup stemmed from poor elimination. Because he was solely breastfed, diet was not likely his issue. We looked to his organs of elimination, bowels and kidneys, to see where the support was needed. This was determined through a checklist of questions I asked Sam’s mother. Important to consider, however, is the fact that if Sam did not improve in a matter of weeks, his sensitivity might be such that eliminating dairy from his mother’s diet may be necessary.

During our consultation, Sam’s mom confirmed that he often skipped days between bowel movements and that could then be followed by a day or two with several “blow outs”. She attributed this to normal baby elimination. While some irregularity can be normal in babies as their digestive systems mature, if there are other symptoms occurring such as reflux, colic, respiratory distress, or skin inflammations, then elimination needs to be supported.

We decided to start Sam on Blueberry Gemmotherapy as it offers gentle support for both the bowel and kidney functions and my experience has proven that babies like Sam respond quite well to it. Sam would take 5 drops 3x daily, directly in his mouth before breastfeeding.

A week later, Sam did have one more episode of croup in the early morning and his parents were able to settle his symptoms with a dose each of Black Currant and Lithy with everyone returning to a peaceful sleep. After that one acute bout, while maintaining continued daily doses of the Blueberry, Sam had no further symptoms. I suggested we check back in with Sam in a month to see how he was progressing. In a case like Sam’s, in which the poor elimination had progressed enough to trigger a respiratory response, I find he may need several months of taking the Gemmotherapy protocol.

Lessons from Sam

There are some important lessons to learn from Sam’s case. One is that by addressing those very early signs of poor or less than optimal elimination, other more serious symptoms can be avoided. The next is that there are natural, safe solutions for babies that offer support to developing organs rather than suppress the inflammatory response. Had Sam’s parents gone the traditional route of the nebulizer, Sam’s poor elimination would never be addressed, the secondary symptoms from his lungs would have been suppressed, and before long he would begin experiencing skin symptoms, most often in the form of eczema. That leads me right into next week’s post on skin symptoms in babies. Be sure to check back for some insight and solutions.

If you are a practitioner that works with babies you may be interested in joining my upcoming Foundations of Gemmotherapy Series held over four Saturdays in May and June. Sessions are recorded so live attendance is not mandatory. Parents can learn more about Gemmotherapy and how it can support their child’s immune system in my latest book Building Immunity in Babies and Children.