The doctors were stumped. And every remedy I tried didn’t work. But I wouldn’t stop until I found the solution.
By Shaindy Niederman
When my son turned 18 months, I realized he had some minor spots on his face. At first I brushed it off as a temporary rash. But that rash never went away. It just got worse and worse…
I scheduled an appointment to see a specialist and I was told that my son was suffering from eczema. He was tested for allergies and I learned that he was not allergic to any foods; the doctors diagnosed the eczema as being triggered by environmental factors. I was told there is not treatment and by the age of two it’ll be gone as quick as it came.
My son turned two. And then three, and onto age four. And the eczema did not leave his body. Some days were better than others, but most of the time I had a kid who was suffering in silence.
Throughout this time I had seen five different doctors; I had done wet wrapping for six months. I tried every cream including: steroid, aloe vera, coconut oil, and even went to see a woman who claimed to do “natural miracles.” Nothing improved his skin.
I read about the Swiss Allergy Centre in Zurich and decided to do my research. Unfortunately, in that year I spent networking, I couldn’t find one family that was healed with one visit. Most kept returning for yearly treatment. I wasn’t looking for another goose chase…I was desperate to find a solution that would put his eczema to rest for good!
Then, someone suggested that healthy eating might combat the eczema (Thanks PW! I’m forever grateful). She told me which foods might be triggering his eczema. She guided me and helped me start my journey…but I realized I was so unfamiliar in this new healthy world.
Through the hands of Hashem, I found the amazing Sury Wohlender (@healthcoachsarah). She coached me and taught me all about leaky guts, one of the causes of eczema. She taught me about which foods might be causing inflammation of the gut, which leads to the leaky guts, and how I can heal my son through the foods he eats. My son went gluten and sugar-free. We also removed soy, GMOs, MSG, and basically anything processed from his diet. After a few weeks, we started seeing the light. His hands were no longer bloody and he was finally sleeping through the night! As the weeks rolled by, his body started healing…slowly. However, the bruise marks remained.
There was one more thing I could try. I had asked around and learned that eating fermented foods can also help to heal the leaky gut and the problems it causes. But that didn’t mean commercially processed pickles…it didn’t even mean homemade pickles in vinegar. The fermented foods which could be helpful for my son were fermented using a slower process, which grows the probiotic bacteria in the food. Those probiotics would be very helpful.
I started fermenting my own food. After my failed attempts, I tried finding fermented foods locally but I couldn’t find anyone carrying them. I searched on Instagram and found a company Fer Real Foods (@fer_real_foods) selling fermented foods, hechsher and all.
BEFORE
AFTER
The images above are proof of the pudding. Both images were taken three days apart, before and after my son began eating the fermented product…and no photoshop or enhancement were used.
Fermented food became our new vitamin. My entire family jumped onto the bandwagon. We also adapted a new healthy lifestyle. With my son’s gut healed, I started baking with spelt flour and organic sugar, and so far those ingredients haven’t affected him negatively at all.
When my son class throws a party or has treats, I makes sure he eats or drinks fermented foods before going to school and again when he gets home. In order to combat those times when he eat things that will affect him negatively, during those evenings we’ll smear coconut oil on his hands and feet to prevent his eczema from reappearing (when we don’t do it, he wakes up with wounds). Every morning when my son wakes up, I feel like I’m reliving a miracle. I’m so grateful to Hashem for guiding me in the right direction and sending me the right people to guide me.
I know it can be tough to change everything about the way you prepare food, especially when you’re an avid recipe collector and cook. But for the joy of seeing my son healthy…it hasn’t been a sacrifice at all.
Read more about Shaindy’s cooking adventures here.
About Shaindy:
Shaindy is a mother of three boys. She enjoys spending time in the kitchen, creating healthier recipes for her family. Follow her on Instagram @kosher_heatlhy_cooking.
Thank you for this! I’ve been struggling with my daughter’s eczema for 8 years. I’ll discuss with her and see if she is ready to try this…
o what kind of foods does he eat that is fermented? And how much of it? Also do u think it would help my daughters eczema if she would not go off sugar and flour. And just eat the fermented food? Her case is not a bad as ur son. But when it gets cold out it flairs up.
My son drinks kombucha or kefir, they are available in most health food stores. You can contact fer-real-foods on Instagram to see if they sell in your area.
I do make my own fermented sour pickles, and he eats that as well.
I dont have amounts, he just loves the kefir/kombucha and drinks them throughout the day.
If your daughter will remain on sugar and wheat, I would suggest using unbleached flour and organic sugar. She will definitely feel better, but her flair up might take longer to dissapear.
I hope this answers all your questions. Good luck!!
Since the bad bacteria feed on sugar, without removing the sugar the symptoms won’t subside as quickly and as effectively, I therefore also suggest that you try to limit her sugar consumption as much as possible, to starve the bacteria.
In the meantime have her eat any of our fermented products, whichever she likes best, that’s why we carry a large variety to suit everyone’s taste, and replenish her beneficial bacteria.
As far as how much to eat, I usually recommend starting out with the equivalent of a tablespoon to two per day, gradually increase after a week, after a couple of weeks you should be free to eat as much as you like.
Good luck!
I know of 2 pple (adults) that just take probiotics for skin problems and it totally works. Its amazing and healthy to take even if you dont have problems.
Do you know of any kids that take Probiotics? My son has bad eczema and I want to try the Probiotics route before changing his diet. I got him the kids chewable Culturelle and he hates the taste… Any recommendations?
I’ve had great experienced my taking probiotivs for my nursing babies with eczema
The last link doesn’t work….
Great article. Will have to look into
Would this work for pysoraisis as well?
My friend suffers from psoriasis, shes living a healthier lifestyle and incooperated fermented foods. She reported back to me that shes started to heal
One customer shared with me, that after eating just one pickle at supper, the following morning she saw you difference with her psoriasis.
Great article ! Thanks shaindy for spreading awareness on gut health!!! Keep up your great work !! Kudos to betweencarpools For all the amazing articles ! Keep spreading the light !
Fascinating article. Is there any way I can get in touch with you?
Sure. Please dm me on Instagram, I’ll be happy to share my contact number
Thank you very much for this wonderful article!!
It’s great to be given the opportunity to possibly help people get out of their misery, I hope that all of you see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I hope I am fortunate enough to have been played even a minut part in your journeys.
Just wanted to add one little detail, our gut flora is linked with our skin flora and our brain flora, that’s why, as we replenish our beneficial bacteria in our gut and regain a balanced gut flora, we start feeling happier, less stressful, less anxious, we start seeing great skin Improvement, and obviously, see major improvement in our digestive health.
Hippocrates said: all disease start in the gut. And today, it’s still true, and even more relevant than ever, since most of the food we eat are dead.
Thank you very much again, and good luck to all of you.
[…] you read about my quest to heal my son’s eczema, then you read that I tried and failed many times at the challenge of making my own fermented […]
I started giving my 14 month old probiotics in her bottle as well as feeding her natural healthy food (fruits veggies) and cutting back on processed food as much as possible and Bh I see a major difference in her eczema it has calmed down a ton! We occasionally moisturize her skin to keep it from getting cracked and irritated.. thanks for this article as it has opened my eyes to what the root cause of eczema really is