Summary: Aleshia’s son, Johnny, has been diagnosed with severe spectrum egg and dairy allergies and severe eczema. She developed a gut and skin health-focused diet and incorporated major lifestyle change in order to heal eczema and manage his food allergies. She shares 9 useful tips to all the mom’s out there struggling with their child’s health and diet issues!
I am a mom to a beautiful boy who is allergic to dairy and suffers from eczema. We have used real food to heal his eczema and avoid allergic reactions. Along the way, I’ve figured out some useful lifestyle tips that can help any parent in navigating a child’s food allergies and heal their eczema.
1. One household, one diet. We’re all in this together. We all eat the same food in our household with no exceptions. This is great because no one feels excluded and also because I never have to worry if my toddler has gotten into something he can’t have.
2. Get Creative. Together, we have become more creative in the kitchen as we discuss ideas or suggestions. My husband (who does not have allergies) rarely cooks but he does have some good ideas. The best thing is that living together with allergies has brought us closer as a family.
3. Cook. The more you cook, the better at it you get. Isn’t that a wonderful bonus? The trick to cooking well is filling your cupboards and fridge with only real food – then you will only cook real food. I have accidentally made amazing meals by throwing together whatever I could find. This is the yummiest way to learn about flavors and textures.
4. Plan and prepare. Planning ahead is what moms do – but it doesn’t make it easy! Some people love wall charts with the week’s meals planned out and this works like a charm! I would like to be that kind of mom but I live a little more on the wild side…
5. Your freezer is your best friend. I plan and prepare by whipping up batches of allergy friendly muffins/loafs/cookies and keep them in the fridge/freezer for snack attacks. When I cook meals I make double and put half in the freezer too.
6. Make smoothie bags. As you are unpacking the groceries, chop up fruit and vegetables (e.g. banana and spinach) and put these in freezer bags. When you want a smoothie, simply add with almond milk or coconut water in a blender.
7. Have ‘go-to’ meals. Learn to make easy to prepare meals, such as roast chicken with vegetables (so easy, just throw everything in the oven at 350F and leave for an hour). I ensure these ingredients are always in the house by having a well stocked pantry and fridge.
8. Alternatives are the name of the game. It is so important that you realize you can still have dessert dancing on your taste buds. It’s about finding alternatives when making them. For example, it’s cocoa that gives chocolate it’s taste, not milk so you can create chocolate treats without milk. Vegan desserts is the trick to how you can bake your cake and eat it too. Don’t knock ‘em ‘til you try ‘em! Check out my Allergy-free Beet and Berry Cake and the other dairy-free recipes on Further Food.
9. Get support: Enlist the help of a health coach or RD who has allergy experience, search for online-communities and forums, and/or look for anti-allergy cooking classes in your area. You’ll be surprised how many resources are available once you start looking!
My family has embraced living a clean and healthy lifestyle since we started living with allergies. We have noticed improved skin, weight loss and more energy as a result of eating real food. Creating good habits might feel like hard work, but once they are established it becomes routine and you have created a positive habit for life!
Learn more by reading:
3-Day Meal Plan To Manage Food Allergies & Eczema
Success Story: The Bone Broth Diet Helped My Client Melt Away 30 Pounds & Heal Her Eczema
12 Guiding Principles to Eating Ayurvedically
Note: PLEASE consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet or medications. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only, and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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