Teething Pain is No Match for Homeopathy

This article is a guest post by Joette Calabrese.  This is the fourth in a series on homeopathy for infants and children. 

In my last guest post, I covered using Chamomilla to help babies sleep better, but I also want to share its efficacy for teething.

As you’ve probably learned by now, such a pat prescription is rarely the case with homeopathy.  Homeopathy treats each person as an individual and so the prescriptions are individualized.  Teething is a bit of an exception because this single remedy is likely to work for most children.

When we think of the typical picture of teething, we think of a child who is normally pleasant, but whose personality suddenly takes a turn for the worse in a matter of days or even hours.  All of a sudden, he’s whiny, needy, and capricious.  As moms I’m sure you know exactly the kind of mood I’m describing.  Your baby constantly wants to be picked up, but when you comply, he arches his back and screams for something else.  Nothing satisfies.  If you check his gums, you might find redness or swelling around an emerging tooth.  He’ll be chewing on toys and all the while drooling, drooling, drooling.  
Try Chamomilla 30 every 2 hours for up to 5 doses.

Another remedy to consider for teething if Chamomilla didn’t help or wouldn’t hold is Calc carb.  As odd as it may sound, a child who has a rather large head, and particularly one who tends to perspire when nursing or sleeping, is an excellent candidate for the use of Calc carb.  Administer it in the same way as Chamomilla.

The last remedy to review is Silica.  This is also for a sweaty baby, but this child generally has a smaller head with fine textured hair and light skin. The hands and feet also perspire and the child often is milk intolerant.

Whichever remedy suits your babe, watch soon after you administer it for the emergence of the little tooth.  “Soon after” can be any time from a few days up to a month. Teething can be a trying time for our little ones, but as long as you’re prepared with homeopathy, you’ll all be able to sleep better and your child will flourish.

Please don’t think of teething as only something affecting very young children.  The exact same principles apply for the seven-year-old appearance of the adult teeth and again when the wisdom teeth appear in the late teens or adulthood.  Review the remedies above and approach it in the same manner, always including the assessment of temperament.

Some time ago, my 24-year-old son was acting rather cranky. Nothing was right in his life. I asked him what the matter was and he said, “I don’t know, I just feel irritable lately for some reason.  And besides, I think I feel a wisdom tooth coming in because it really hurts back there. My friends are getting theirs extracted.  Should I do the same?” 

All the symptoms stacked up.  A few doses of Chamomilla and he was right as rain!  A few months later, I noticed he was a bit irritable again. Not as intensely as the first time, but nonetheless measurable. 

“How’s that tooth?” I asked.  “It’s sore again.” “Ok, here you go.”  And I popped four pills of Chamomilla in his mouth.  Not a peep from him since, and that was over three years ago.  

Unlike his friends, he avoided surgery, anesthetics, dry sockets, and antibiotics. One bottle of Chamomilla 200 cost me $15.  Compare that to a $1000  surgical bill! Once again, the body’s curative ability stimulated with a well chosen remedy won the day.

Here’s one more trick that I’ve learned over the years: use Calc phos 6x as an everyday remedy.   It is useful for children in particular because its main purpose is promoting  growth.  For teeth that are too soft or form cavities too easily, or for the pain of teething, it’s unmatched.  You may alternate Calc phos 6x  2-3 times per day along with your chosen remedy to get through the teething stage.  When improved, stop.

For years when my children were growing, I’d put about 8 pills of Calc phos in a gallon of their raw milk so I’d be sure everyone got his allotted amount.  It’s particularly valuable for kids who are teething or for any growth issue, as well as growing pains in the legs. This is one of the few homeopathic remedies that can be administered daily as a matter of course.

Joette Calabrese, HMC,CCH,RSHom is a homeopath and mom who has depended solely on homeopathy and nutrition in raising her family without a single drug….ever!

If you find this kind of information valuable, you can learn more about homeopathy at her site: homeopathyworks.net.  Contact her office at 716.941.1045 to schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation to learn if homeopathy might be a good fit with your health strategy.  Lots more homeopathic tips at her blog: http://homeopathyworks.wordpress.com.

Crispy Kombucha-Battered Fish with Tartar Sauce (gluten-free)

 My family raved about a new recipe last week: fried fish! I'm glad to find a fish recipe that everyone in the family loves, as fish can be hit-and-miss in our house. Some kombucha in the batter adds depth and great flavor. And the batter is wonderfully crispy thanks to rice flour (and beware, that also makes this not GAPS-legal).  Add some tartar sauce and YUM!

Crispy Kombucha-Battered Fish
Serves 3-4

• 10 ounces mild white fish, such as flounder, preferably wild-caught
• 1 egg, preferably from pastured hens
• 1 & 1/2 cups white rice flour*
• 6 ounces plain kombucha tea
• 1.5 tsp celtic sea salt, plus more for seasoning fish
• 4-6 ounces filtered water
• 1/2 cup refined coconut oil**
• Tartar sauce (recipe follows)

1. Pat the fish dry with paper towels, and cut it on an angle into 1-2-inch pieces. Season lightly with salt.
2. Spread 1/2 cup of the rice flour into a shallow, wide dish, such as a pie plate. 
3. Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl.  Add the remaining 1 cup rice flour, kombucha, and 1.5 tsp salt.  Start with 4 ounces of water, whisk it all together, and check the consistency.  The batter should cling nicely to a spoon, but if it seems too thick go ahead and add a bit more water. (The amount of water you'll need may vary a bit depending on what brand of rice flour you use.)
4. Get ready to batter the fish by arranging the following in a row: chopped fish, followed by shallow dish of rice flour, followed by the wet batter, followed by a clean large cutting board or plate. Also get out a large, heavy bottomed skillet, and add 1/2 cup of refined coconut oil.
5. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour, then drop them into the batter.  Scoop them from the batter and let excess batter drip off, then place them on the large cutting board or plate. 
6. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is melted and shimmery, start frying the fish.  Leave plenty of room in the skillet, and fry the fish in batches.  The fish should be fried for about 2 minutes on each side, until the batter is nicely browned and crispy.
7. Remove the fish onto a paper-towel lined plate to remove any extra oil.  Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, and serve with tartar sauce.  

*My family is finding that white rice is much easier on digestion than brown rice as we transition off the GAPS diet.
**I like the mild flavor of refined coconut oil for this recipe.  If you want your fish to taste coconutty, go ahead and use unrefined oil!

Tartar Sauce

• 1/2 c. homemade mayo
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 2 dill pickles, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 2 tsp dill pickle juice or lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
• freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients.  Stir, and refrigerate until ready to use.

This post is part of the Kombucha Challenge Carnival!

Triple Berry Custard Cake (GAPS : primal : grain-free : gluten-free)

Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries make a wonderful combination in this simple and delicious dish.  We've enjoyed this for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert. I like to make a double batch so there is plenty to last throughout the week.  If topped with some whipped cream, this would make a great Independence Day dessert since it would be red, white, and blue!

Triple Berry Custard Cake
Serves 6

• 1 & 1/2 sticks butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1/3 cup mild-flavored honey
• 4 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
• 1/2 cup full-fat plain yogurt
• 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1&1/2 Tb coconut flour
• 2 Tb pecan or almond flour, preferably from crispy nuts
• 1 cup frozen blueberries*
• 14 medium-large frozen strawberries*
• 1/2 cup frozen marion blackberries*

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Turn off heat, add honey, and stir a bit.
2. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, vanilla, almond extract, and salt.  I like to use my immersion blender to mix it all up together, but you could certainly use a whisk or mixer instead.
3. Add melted butter and honey to wet ingredients and whisk or blend.
4. Add nut flour and coconut flour and blend until well-combined (or use mixer or whisk until smooth). Using the immersion blender is great because it further grinds the nut flour (which doesn't get particularly fine when I grind it in the food processor).  If you are not using an immersion blender, then the coconut flour needs to be sifted so it won't clump in the batter.
5. Use a bit of cold butter to generously grease an 8X8 glass dish.
6. Sprinkle the fruit on the bottom of the glass dish, then pour the wet mixture over the top. (Note: the fruit will float up while it is cooking.)
7. Bake at 325° for 65 minutes (or a bit less if you use fresh fruit).  The custard cake is done when the edges are nicely browned and the center is no longer wet with just a bit of jiggle.
8. Remove from oven and cool.  This can be served warm or cold, although I particularly like it when it is cold.  For a special treat, top with a bit of whipped cream.

*Unless it is local berry season, I find that frozen berries have far superior taste to the fresh berries found in the produce department.