‘What I Am Going To Do For’…Yucky Tummy.

This past week a tummy bug struck both of my boys. Late Tuesday night about 10:30pm, Silas started to vomit. He continued to vomit every hour to hour and a half until 4:30am. As important as I know it is to allow the illness to run it’s course, I’ve never said, ‘it was fun to watch my baby suffer!’
My plan of action–get a stack of towels. I personally find it easier to just allow my sick baby to vomit into a towel, than to try and catch it in a receptacle. I covered the pillow and the area where he was laying with towels, as well. I always encourage my children to “get it all out.” I am their comforting, soothing cheerleader. I think it is natural for everyone to just want to make it stop, but the body is rejecting something and this is the way it is getting rid of it. Let the body work and “get it out.”
‘Think on this’…You go out to eat. You eat some bad fish. You get sick and throw it up. It that a good thing? Absolutely! Your body is ridding itself of toxins. It is the same when we have a bug. Whether it be a virus or bacterial, the body knows how to get rid of toxins. It may come out in the form of snotty noses, coughing, sneezing, vomitting, and/or diarrhea.
I never do anything that would stop this process. I do offer support to the body. Just like a jack supports the car while you fix it. I give support to the the body while the immune system goes to work repairing.
Silas nursed often, even though he threw it up every time. I still nursed him on  demand. It is most important to stay hydrated. I also, ‘rememebered’ I had recently got some activated charcoal. I opened up a capsule and mixed it with some water and got him to drink it. It is flavorless and he didn’t care that the water was black. He also started sipping on some water kefir. Shortly, after I did those things he stopped vomiting and we slept peacefully for the last few hours of the night. Had he continued until morning, I would have sent my husband for some coconut water to help with hydration.
When Roman came down with it four nights later. I knew what to do much quicker. Roman does have more of an arsenal when it come to his antibodies compared to Silas. Silas is still building his portfolio. Right after the first time Roman vomited I gave him a capsule of the activated charcoal and he sipped some water kefir. He only vomited once mor, slept through the night and woke up good as new Sunday morning.
So, what is this activated charcoal?
Activated charcoal is a fine black odorless and tasteless powder made from hardwood, bamboo, coconut, or peat, that have been exposed to very high temperatures in an airless environment. It is then treated, or activated, to increase its ability to adsorb various substances by reheating with oxidizing gas or other chemicals to break it into a very fine powder. Activated charcoal is pure carbon specially processed to make it highly adsorbent of particles and gases in the body’s digestive system. Activated charcoal is an inert, nontoxic adsorbent with a surface area up to 2000 m2/gram. This activation creates the highly developed internal pore structure and small particle size needed for effective gastrointestinal decontamination.
Activated charcoal has often been used since ancient times to cure a variety of ailments including poisoning. Its healing effects have been well documented since as early as 1550 B.C. by the Egyptians. However, charcoal was almost forgotten until 15 years ago when it was rediscovered as a wonderful oral agent to treat most overdoses and toxins. Your stomach acid will not break down the Activated Charcoal, it’s not absorbed by the body, but carries toxins out of the body in the feces. It can also adsorb gas in the bowels and has been used for the treatment of gas or diarrhea.
To get the best results from activated charcoal administer it as soon as possible. I had great results after one dose, but more commonly it is 2-3 doses. If the child vomits it back up, give another dose right away. There is no toxicity level for activated charcoal. The recommended dosage for poison treatments is, for a single dose of activated charcoal suggests a dose of 1 gram per kilogram of body weight in a child up to 1 year of age, 25 to 50 grams in children 1 to 12 years of age, and 25 to 100 grams in adolescents and adults. However, most children up to 12 years of age receive a dose of 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. That is a LOT of activated charcoal. I just followed the suggested dose on the bottle.
More info here and here oh, and here too.

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL CONTRADICTIONS
You shouldn’t take this as a supplement long term, as it could be absorbing vitamins and minerals from your diet, leaving you deficient.
Some people report constipation with higher doses, or long term use.
If you are on any type of medication, you should absolutely consult your doctor before taking activated charcoal, as it will adsorb medications.
Don’t give it with ipecac, as activated charcoal will absorb it.
Parents should not mix charcoal with chocolate syrup, sherbet, or ice cream, even though it may make charcoal taste better. These foods may prevent charcoal from working properly.Coconut Water is…
Rich in natural vitamins (especially the B vitamins), minerals, and trace elements (including zinc, selenium, iodine, sulfur, and manganese). Vitamins are necessary for the enzymatic reactions your cells need in order to function.
Full of amino acids, organic acids, enzymes, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.
Rich source of electrolytes and natural salts, especially potassium and magnesium.
Light, low calorie and nearly fat-free, as well as low in sugar but pleasantly sweet—contains about a fifth of the sugar of other fruit juices, like apple or grape juice, as well as containing a little fiber to moderate absorption.
Rich in cytokinins, or plant hormones, which have anti-aging, anti-cancer, and anti-thrombolytic effects in humans. Source